Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA

Nicole and I went to Jackson Hole in Wyoming, about 300 miles north of Salt Lake City in the last week of January. Jackson Hole town centre is just south of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and although it is the biggest population centre in the area, is only about 8,000 people. The local skiing is in two main areas - Snow King, which is in the middle of the town (!), offers night skiing, tubing, ice-skating, and has everything from easy learner trails to double diamond runs. It is the ideal place to get the ski legs going after a year off skiing. Although the lifts are modern, they are quite slow. Lessons are available during the day, and are quite cheap (I paid $10 for a 30 minute private lesson and that include a 2 hour lift pass).

The main resort is Jackson Hole, which is a 30-minute ski bus ride away ($1.50 fare) and offers phenomenal skiing. There are a wide range of runs, including a cable car up to 10,000 feet and some of the longest continuous ski runs in the U.S.A. (says the brochure!) and it is a big challenge to get to the bottom without stopping (about 2 miles I think). You will also see many people put their skis on their back and walk up to some of the even higher off-piste areas, but that is only for the daredevils. About four people died while we were there, and several more very lucky. One group of snowboarders went out of bounds to look over the side of a cliff, but the overhanging cornice collapsed sending them down a vertical drop. Unbelievably they survived to walk away, only to be arrested by the Sheriff for going out of bounds and no doubt getting a bill for the helicopter that was looking for them.

The skiing includes wide-open runs, and runs through the trees (even for intermediates). If you pick up some of the quieter runs then don't be surprised to see a moose grazing next to the piste. Good intermediates will be able to ski most of the single black runs - there is usually a sign showing 'easiest way down' for those that went beyond their ability level, or want to see more of the mountain. Having said that, these are some of the steepest blue runs I have seen, and it gets the adrenalin going. Ski lifts are modern and fast. We didn't encounter any queues, except for the cable car when the resort opened. The snow was great - fresh powder and lots of it for the whole fortnight we were there.

Grand Targhee is a third resort with good skiing. Take a day trip there with a two hour coach trip each way (about $50 including transport and lift ticket) - the trip is not as bad as it sounds since the driver lets you take on food and beer and you get a great view of the countryside and the Teton mountains. Targhee has great views of the Teton Mountains, and interesting grooming of the slopes. Lost Groomer's run is categorised as Blue intermediate, but left ungroomed. We skied through this in waist deep snow, terrifying the powder novices amongst our little group and leading to some spectacular head over heels somersaults. The skiing here is mostly intermediate level (Blue or Single Black) but a good day out. Instruction available (small groups of 2 or 3 go off on 'exploration' with a guide).

All the resorts had good restaurants and pubs - the Mangy Moose at Jackson Hole ski area is well known, and the steak houses in downtown Jackson offer great steaks and seafood. Beer is particularly good in this area. There are many microbrews available, and Jackson has its own brew-pub and restaurant (Snake River brewery) which is very popular.

There is a frequent free town bus in Jackson downtown that runs between all the hotels, and town centre restaurants and shops.

Activities

For your day(s) off, then try Snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park. A one-day trip will get you to Old Faithful Geyser and various sights en-route. You travel on public roads, but cars are banned in winter, so you can travel at a good speed. Overnight trips are available to go further into the park. Expect to see Moose, Buffalo and Deer en-route.

The National Elk reserve is on the edge of Jackson, where thousands of Elk gather for the winter. Horse-drawn Sleigh trips to see the Elk close-up are available. You may also see wolves shadowing the Elk - the wolves were re-introduced into Yellowstone Park a few years ago, but have bred successfully and are spreading out. At night you will also find deer roaming the streets!

The shopping is not brilliant with the nearest city 300 miles away. There are no typical American super malls. There is a big K-Mart, but after that it is just many smaller shops, although brand names like Gap are there. However there are three cinemas in town, most shops stay open until 8 or 9pm, and there are many bars and restaurants.

Accommodation

I recommend you stay in Jackson town centre, not at Jackson ski area. There is no night skiing in Jackson ski area, and limited nightlife there.

Snow King Resort - This is the main hotel in downtown Jackson. It operates the Snow King ski resort and residents get discounts off lift passes, ski lessons, and tubing. There is floodlit night time skiing and an on-site ski rental/service. Free buses leave frequently for the town centre circuit. Collect your free coupon (before 12pm) for the coach to Jackson ski area (all day, every 30 minutes). The hotel bar has live acts most night, and every day has a drinks 'special' (e.g. 2 for 1). Rooms are large and they don't mind you taking your skis and boots into the room. Hotel also has in-room coffee, a sauna, hot tub, small pool, and amusement arcade.

If you don't want the hotel resort option, then there are many motels, including the Motel 6 and Super 8 chains. These are usually good quality, and we saw the Motel 6 on offer at $149 per week. Ski and town buses stop near all the motels.

Getting there

We flew with United Airlines (United Vacations brochure available from travel agents), but Northwest and Delta also fly there. Ensure you book a jet flight since they can land in most snow conditions, whereas prop planes may have to divert to Salt Lake City or Denver in very bad weather.

United Airlines fare varied between £250 and £300 from London Heathrow via Washington and Denver. About 12 hours each way. We got a useful tip not to fly via New York - New York can get fussy about the number of bags you have and their weight, but the other American airports don't seem to care!

We didn't hire a car when we got there because the bus service is cheap (free around town), frequent, and distances are quite small. Some hotels (e.g. the Snow King) will pick you up from the airport. The airport also has a taxi service.

Mobile phones

There was no mobile phone reception for Orange Tri-Band phones in Jackson, but there is reception in Denver airport!

I will definitely go there again.

Shane.