Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

The new JHMR tram at the upper terminal
Location Teton Village
Wyoming
 United States
Nearest city Jackson
12 miles - (19 km)
Coordinates 43°35′14″N 110°49′31″W / 43.58722°N 110.82528°W / 43.58722; -110.82528 (Jackson Hole Mountain Resort)
Vertical 4139 ft - (1262 m)
continuous
Top elevation 10,450 ft - (3185 m)
Base elevation 6311 ft - (1923 m)
Skiable area 2,500 acres (10 km2)
inbounds
3,000 acres (12 km2)
backcountry
Runs 116
10% easiest
40% more difficult
50% most difficult
Longest run 4.5 mi. - (7.2 km)
Lift system 1 tram - (100)[1]
1 gondola - (8)
11 chairlifts
- 4 high-speed quads
- 4 fixed-grip quads
- 1 fixed-grip triple
- 2 fixed-grip doubles
1 magic carpet
1 rope tow (halfpipe)
Lift capacity 16,733 / hr
Terrain parks 2
Snowfall 459 in. - (1165 cm)
Snowmaking 160 acres (0.65 km2)
Night skiing none
Website Jackson Hole.com

The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) is a ski resort in Teton Village, Wyoming. Located 12 miles (19 km) northwest of Jackson and due south of Grand Teton National Park in Teton County, it is named after the historically significant Jackson Hole valley. Jackson Hole is known in the U.S. for its steep terrain and its large vertical drop (4,139 ft).[2] Snowmass has the highest vertical drop at just over 4,400 ft.

Ski area information

The ski area partially covers Rendezvous and Apres Vous Mountains. Known for its challenging terrain, the runs are rated 50% expert, 40% intermediate, and 10% beginner.[3] The intermediate terrain is primarily on Apres Vous Mountain, while Rendezvous Mountain has Jackson Hole's more advanced terrain that includes bowls, glades, and chutes, and over 4,100 vertical feet of skiing, the greatest continuous rise in the U.S. (nearby Big Sky in Montana has a larger total vertical, but its continuous vertical is significantly less; Snowmass Ski Area in Snowmass Village, Colorado has the highest lift served elevation in the nation).

Jackson Hole has become the home to many of the world's best free skiers as the terrain is considered to be some of the most challenging in North America. In addition to the skiable terrain in-bounds, there is an even larger area to be explored off-piste (out of bounds). These areas are accessed through marked gates by expert skiers/boarders who are equipped with avalanche safety gear. The terrain has not only attracted the top skiers in the world, but is also home to one of the most well known expert ski runs in the world, Corbet's Couloir.

Jackson Hole's original aerial tram, which had been part of the resort since 1966, was closed to the public in the fall of 2006 and replaced with a new tram that opened in 2008. The tram rises 4,139 vertical feet (1262 m) to an elevation of 10,450 feet (3185 m). Construction on the new, 100-passenger Doppelmayr CTEC tram began in June 2007 and it opened December 20, 2008.[4] During the two seasons without a tram, a temporary double chairlift named East Ridge was built to service the runs at the top of Rendezvous Mountain.

Other lifts include the eight passenger Bridger gondola, four high speed detachable quad chairlifts, and seven fixed grip chairlifts. Recent additions include the Marmot Double Chair (former East Ridge installed in 2006) in 2011 built by Doppelmayr CTEC, the Casper Detachable Quad in 2012 built by Leitner-Poma, and the Teton Detachable Quad in 2015 built by Doppelmayr (North America).

In the summer, the resort offers numerous activities such as mountain biking, hiking and paragliding.

The resort and region is served by the Jackson Hole Airport.

History

The original JHMR tram
(1966-2006) in the summer.
A view looking south from the top of Rendezvous Bowl
(March 2008)
Corbet's Couloir 2010

Before 1961, the area that would become the resort was the Crystal Springs Girl Scout Ranch. Paul McCollister purchased the ranch and formed the Jackson Hole Ski Corporation in 1963 with partners Alex Morley and Gordon Graham. Construction of the ski resort began a year later, and Apres Vous mountain opened to the public in 1964 with two double chairlifts. The original tram opened on July 31, 1966; carrying 52 people, it took 10.5 minutes to reach the summit elevation of 10,450 ft. The resort officially opened in December 1966. 1964 Olympic gold medalist Josef "Pepi" Stiegler of Austria was hired that same year as ski school director. In 1992, McCollister sold his interests in the resort to John Kemmerer III.

Jackson Hole hosted World Cup ski races in 1967, 1970, and 1975. The first national Powder 8 Championship was held at Jackson Hole in 1970.

Avalanches

Jackson Hole was the site of two in-bounds avalanches in late 2008, first on December 27 and another two days later on December 29. The first avalanche resulted in the death of skier David Nodine, one of three in-bound deaths in the American West in the 2008-09 ski season, the most since three skiers were killed at Alpine Meadows in 1976.[5] The second avalanche occurred in the Headwall area and buried part of the Bridger Restaurant but resulted in no injuries.[6]

An in-bounds avalanche swept a longtime member of the ski patrol, Mark Wolling (known as Big Wally) off a cliff on January 6, 2010. Rescued, he later died from his injuries.[7] A double black diamond run in Cheyenne Bowl has been named after Big Wally, and is marked on the trail map as Wally's World. A set of flags lying on the run's fall line tells you where they found him lying in the snow.

Current Lifts, Terrain


References

  1. ↑ Jackson Hole.com - mountain stats - accessed 2010-03-10
  2. ↑ "http://www.jacksonhole.com/mountain-stats.html". www.jacksonhole.com. Retrieved 2016-10-21. External link in |title= (help)
  3. ↑ http://www.jacksonhole.com/mountain-stats.html
  4. ↑ "Terminal design for new tram revealed". February 23, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
  5. ↑ Erb, Christina (January 9, 2009). "Fatal Avalanches Rattle Ski Country in the West". New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  6. ↑ "Avalanche strikes restaurant at Wyoming's Jackson Hole ski resort". Associated Pres. San Jose Mercury News. 2008-12-29. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  7. ↑ "Another In Bounds Tragedy at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort". Skiing the Backcountry. Skyfire Studio. 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  8. ↑ Steiner, Christopher. "Jackson Hole Slope Data, Top Ski Resorts". ZRankings. ZRankings. Retrieved 27 October 2015.

External links

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