Jackson Hole Ski Trip Report
February 18-25, 2006
Submitted by Kim who was bribed by Rick to write this trip report.
The Jackson Hole group included ten downhill skiers (trip leader Rick, Leo, Joe H., Kim, Denise, Joe C., Diane, Russell, Faye, and Paul), two mono-skiers (Sally and Eric), two snowboarders (Rob and Kerry), a 7-month-old baby (good-as-gold C.C., Rob and Kerry's daughter), a non-skier (Paul's girlfriend Evelyn), and an interloper from Hawaii (Russell and Faye's daughter Alma who skied and boarded). The only thing we were missing was a telemark skier (too bad you couldn't join us John M!). Leo joined us from his new home in North Carolina, and Paul and Evelyn flew in from Florida. We arrived at the Jackson airport in the mid-afternoon to temperatures in the single digits and the sight of Vice President Dick Cheney's Air Force 2 airplane. Hmm…time to dig out the fluorescent orange hunting vests if Mr. Cheney is in town for the weekend (his hunting accident story was still developing at the time of our stay).
We were greeted in the airport by cowboys, waiting to load our luggage and shuttle us to the Elk Country Inn located right in town within walking distance of the Town Square. The Elk Country Inn is part of the Town Square Inns complex that includes the Cowboy Village Resort, the Antler Inn, and the 49er Inn. Some of us were in hotel rooms; Rob, Kerry, and C.C. opted for a cute two-bedroom log cabin with kitchenette; and Joe, Diane, Russell, Faye, Alma, Paul, and Evelyn had three adjoining hotel rooms with a kitchen.
Temperatures dropped into the minus teens and 20s the first night, and some of us silly people were out walking around town, going to dinner at the Route 89 Smokehouse Diner for its 2½-pound prime rib special (oink…I mean, moo…I mean, belch). Thankfully, it wasn't quite as cold the next morning on the mountain, but it made no sense to catch that 8:00 a.m. bus when the lifts don't open til 9:30 a.m. The free shuttle supplied by the Town Square Inns stopped right in front of our hotel each morning at 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00 a.m. to take us to Jackson Hole; and returned us each afternoon leaving Jackson Hole at 3 and 4:30 p.m. We certainly didn't miss being slopeside with such an accommodating bus schedule. Here's a recap of our week.
Sunday: Our first day at Jackson Hole was sunny and almost warm in the sun. Part of the group did a few warmup runs at Apres Vous before making their way across the mountain to the Casper Bowl lift, then the Thunder lift, then the Sublette lift. Lunch was at the Casper restaurant located mid-mountain. This pattern became a daily ritual for some. Leo skied his 500,000th vertical foot at Jackson Hole, earning a new belt buckle. In the evening, we joined the New Haven Ski Club from Connecticut at a welcome party in the 49er Inn. There was so much food that most of us skipped going out for dinner and went back to watch the Winter Olympics in our rooms (four pairs of ice dancers fell, a rarity).
Monday: Leo, Joe H., and Rob caught the 8:00 a.m. bus so they could make some fresh tracks. Joe had traded his standard rentals for some fat skis and was chomping at the bit to try them out. The guys headed straight for the tram and into a cold whiteout at the peak. The fatties didn't treat Joe very nicely - he took a big tumble on Rendezvous Bowl and broke his glasses. He gathered everything up from the yard sale and headed back to the rental shop in town, returning with a pair of skis he enjoyed for the remainder of the week. Meanwhile, Kim and Rick headed to the NASTAR course for a couple of runs. Both picked up bronze medals after being inspired by watching the Olympics. Rick took us to the Chili Pepper Grill for a group dinner, and we had a really nice time together, sharing mountain stories and excellent food. Then it was back to the rooms to watch more Olympics (Bode finished 7th in the men's GS - hey, at least he didn't hook or straddle any gates).
Tuesday: Everyone boarded a bus and went to Grand Targhee, located in Alta, Wyoming about 1½ hours drive from Jackson. It was snowing, but the skilled bus driver made it through the Teton Pass with no problem (sometimes it's closed due to avalanche). About 10 inches of snow fell during the day, making for reduced visibility but great skiing/boarding conditions. Most of us spent the morning riding the Sacajawea lift and schussing through the fluff, wearing big grins on our faces. There were a few falls in the unfamiliar powder, and Kim did a face plant in a gully (luckily, Rick was the only witness). After a tasty and inexpensive (free for some) lunch at the Targhee Steakhouse, we spent the afternoon riding the Blackfoot lift and skiing run after run in the steadily deepening powder. By late afternoon, our legs were rubbery and weak, so we stopped at the Trap Bar for a pitcher of beer before riding the bus back to Jackson. Did I mention that our bus driver snowboarded all day? Good thing he didn't hurt himself. A few of us went to the Wort Hotel for dinner - the buffalo meat loaf was tasty. Then more Olympics-watching (hometown girl Kimmie Meissner was in 5th place after skating her short program).
Wednesday: A bunch of us took the day off, but a few intrepid and strong-legged folks hit the slopes at Jackson Hole (Eric, Sally, Joe C, Paul, Russell, Faye?). The rest of us had a leisurely day, starting with a mammoth breakfast at Bubba's - I don't know how the guys were able to ski on full bellies after eating a Bubba breakfast every morning. We walked around town until our muscles were loose and shopped until our wallets were thin. A couple of beers while sitting on saddle bar stools at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar capped off the afternoon. Joe H. went for a rejuvenating massage followed by a relaxing sauna in a teepee - he raved about it and was ready to tackle the slopes with fresh legs. Our Elk Country Inn hosts provided a tasty dinner of elk barbeque (chunks of slow-cooked elk meat in barbeque sauce), salads, and carrot cake. Rick provided some beverages, and the group had an opportunity to gather and swap more stories.
Thursday: What can I say? Another good day of skiing at Jackson Hole. The folks with the full kitchen invited everyone over for a fantastic dinner of marinated chicken breasts (Alma brought it all the way from Hawaii!), spaghetti with pesto and broccoli, and asparagus. What a generous thing to do! We all enjoyed it and went away quite full. Back to our rooms to watch hometown girl Kimmie Meissner finish 6th in the women's figure skating competition.
Friday: Our last day on the slopes was also our last opportunity to ride the tram, forever, since this is the last season for the aerial tram at Jackson Hole. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't the best for heading to the peak, so a bunch of us rode the Bridger Gondola most of the afternoon checking out any runs we hadn't done earlier. Believe me, there were plenty of runs some of us never saw all week, but the group as a whole probably did a good job of covering the whole mountain. A few folks went to dinner at Bubba's for ribs (it was packed but their service is incredibly fast), then off to the Cowboy Bar for a shot and a beer while listening to a C&W band.
Saturday: Our flight wasn't til 2:00 p.m., so the bus didn't come for us til noon. We had plenty of time to sleep late, pack, eat breakfast, pick up our skis from the tuning shop, and do some last minute shopping. Our flights were on time and most of us were home in bed by 2:00 a.m.
Thanks so much to Rick for a well-planned and smoothly run trip with plenty of group activities. It was fun having a small group and getting to spend time with everyone. Hope to see you all next ski season, if not sooner at a Ski Club event like the picture party.
