JACKSON HOLE
WYOMING
If forecasters are right, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort will receive more than 500 inches of snow this winter for the third straight year, making the ski area, once again, one of the best bets for hardcore powder skiers. In recent years, it’s also pushed to make novices feel more welcome, too. That includes, new this season, the Eagle’s Rest chairlift, which accesses the mountain’s easier terrain. Another reason to feel good about Jackson: This year, the resort will be powered entirely by wind energy.
SKIP THE RESORT, STAY IN TOWN: This is common knowledge for anyone familiar with JHMR, because all of the best restaurants are in Jackson (about 20 minutes away from the ski village). But there’s another reason you’ll want to be in town, too...read on.
SKI IN TOWN: “Skip the morning at JHMR on a powder day,” says Forrest Jilson, a local pro skier. “If you rush out there, you might be standing around forever waiting for avalanche reduction.” Instead, head to Snow King, the local town hill, and ski its deep, crowd-free powder. At 1,500 vertical feet and 400 acres, it would rank as the East
Coast’s best resort by far. After a morning there, head to JHMR to clean up the scraps.
SOAK IT UP: Most people go to Astoria Hot Springs, which is convenient and right outside town. Instead, cross-country ski to Granite Hot Springs. “You’ll work for it,” says Jilson. “But the springs are much nicer and in the middle of nowhere in a gorgeous setting. And very few tourists know about it.”
A HOTTER GRILL: Everybody tries to go to the Snake River Grill, which is great, but you’ll need to book several weeks in advance. Glorietta, which opened just a few years ago, is just as good, has a hipper, more laidback vibe, and serves delicious cocktails at a long bar that looks directly onto a wood-fired oven. Plus, you can usually get in sans reservation.