Jackson Hole Ski Area Profile

f you're like many skiers and riders arriving in Jackson Hole, your very bumpy plane landing is just a precursor to the adventure waiting for you on the mountain. Might as well get used to that feeling of slight jitters, because it'll probably be with you for much of your stay.True, Jackson Hole isn't all about taking routes that scare the pants off you, but you'll get the most out of the two mountain peaks if you go beyond your comfort zone. The best reason to come here is because when you leave, you'll be a much better skier or rider, guaranteed. This isn't your classical music kind of experience, it's punk rock all the way! So shake things up a bit and be adventurous while you're here. There's plenty of opportunity for your classical experience back home at your local mountains, which will seem like tiny hills after this. If you're looking for a reason to make 2005/06 the season you visit Jackson Hole, maybe this will help you decide: The resort's signature tram will haul skiers and riders up the mountain this winter for the last time. It's going into a well-deserved retirement, and plans are up in the air about when a new lift will replace it.Rendezvous Mountain has some of the steepest in-bounds terrain around. Adjacent Apres Vous Mountain and the lower elevations of Rendezvous are gentler, with fabulous intermediate slopes and a top-notch learning area. The views are astonishing. Jagged peaks soar out of a narrow flat plain that's sliced by the winding Snake River. It is with an inspiring sense of wonder that you realize Jackson and its surrounding wilderness are part of the 1.7-million-acre Bridger-Teton National Forest and adjacent to Grand Teton National Park.Teton Village, at the base of the mountain, offers everything you need. Lodging ranges from what must be the cheapest slopeside lodging in the states, at Hostel X, to several posh mountain retreats and condos. Add restaurants serving everything from burgers to sushi to wild game, and a smattering of nightlife, and you could easily spend your vacation right here.But wait. No trip to Jackson Hole is complete without visiting the town of Jackson, 12 miles down the road. Jackson is still as remote and wild as it ever was and those cowboys ambling down the street are local ranchers and ranch hands (although a few tourists think they can fake it, you'll notice they stick out like sore thumbs). The original town of Jackson was home to mercantile stores, cafes, saloons, hotels, bordellos, and even a jail. Today, many of those buildings remain, but now house gourmet restaurants, rowdy bars, Victorian inns, upscale boutiques, art galleries and coffeehouses. New for 2005/06, the Sweetwater triple chair will connect the top of the beginner terrain to the midmountain Casper Bowl area of intermediate terrain.