2009-2010 Jackson Hole Snow Reports

J

jerzsnoboarder

New member
Hi, haven't seen any reports on Jackson Hole for this season so figured I'd get one started in advance of a Feb trip. I saw that Tony Crocker wrote 40% of the mountain is still closed so that makes me wonder how good the rest of it is. In other words, Hobacks is open but how is it for those who have ridden it?

How significantly down is the snowfall against the average for this time of year? Hope it cranks up soon!
 
Jackson snowfall was 74% of normal as of January 6. 64% open today, with only one double black run. Given that Jackson has inevitable sun/exposure issues starting mid-February or so, the window of possible good skiing is narrowing rapidly. The exposure issue will be more serious if the base is thin in terms of both surface conditions and rocks coming out. Throw in the strengthening El Nino and I would be looking for a different destination if possible. If you are stuck with Jackson, you do have some alternatives. Do more of your skiing at Targhee and take a day for a snowcat or snowmobile trip into Yellowstone.
 
Hi/ skied Jackson on Thursday. Less snow than I have ever seen there/ still had excellent surfaces thanks to the Wednesday storm. Closed areas include Tower 3, Corbett's, Alta chutes, Bird in Hand/ Pepis', Upper Casper, Crags, Hobacks, Hoop's, Toilet Bowl. In other words, a lot of the goods.

Did have an extraordinarily spectacular day backcountry yesterday/ about 7500' vertical in a low risk area called 25 short in the National Park. I paid an Exum guide $300 but you could do it on your own with a map or GPS. Glide cracks but no propagation given low slope angle.

I have skied almost every ski area save Kicking Horse and Revelstoke and Big White and Jackson is in my top 3 with Alta/Snowbird and Whistler/Blackcomb.
 
Jackson is in my top 3 with Alta/Snowbird and Whistler/Blackcomb.
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In terms of pure terrain quality that is a reasonable assessment. But Jackson's reliable season is about 1/3 of Alta/Snowbird's or Whistler/Blackcomb's. January is usually the core of that reliable part, so the current situation must be especially painful.
 
Skrad":1wmt36uo said:
I have skied almost every ski area save Kicking Horse and Revelstoke and Big White and Jackson is in my top 3 with Alta/Snowbird and Whistler/Blackcomb.
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I much prefer Jackson's backcountry. I had a guide (british ski club rep) when I went, and found it great. The inbounds terrain is fine, but the exposure is just poor. I was there during a March, and it was the greatest waste of money I could have spent. The only quality snow I found was in the backcountry.
 
The terrian at Jackson is great, not as steep as some might think, excellent fall line though. It is the snow that I take issue with (I think they really overestimate there snow totals). And of course there exposure doesnt help. I slid on some of there side country with a guy assiociated with TGR and it was great.
 
Snow totals from the Rendezvous plot (9500') and Raymer plot (9300') don't accurately reflect what happens lower down/ most of the terrain is at lower altitudes.

I only go to Jackson when it is snowing.
 
There is very long term credible data at 8,200 feet that averages 367 inches. The problems are:
1) Press releases quote from the new higher plot. The website fortunately still shows both. Look at the less bold print mid-mountain numbers.
2) There is about 3x as much terrain below 8,200 as above. Apres Vous barely goes above 8,200. Rendezvous Peak goes to 10,400 but is just a couple hundred yards wide at the top and at least 2 miles wide at the bottom of the lower faces. For topography those lower faces are some of the best lift-served powder skiing terrain anywhere, as Patrick and I can attest from 2006. But the very bottom of the mountain gets about half of what mid gets.
 
rfarren":3j5sapg3 said:
Skrad":3j5sapg3 said:
I much prefer Jackson's backcountry. I had a guide (british ski club rep) when I went, and found it great. The inbounds terrain is fine, but the exposure is just poor. I was there during a March, and it was the greatest waste of money I could have spent. The only quality snow I found was in the backcountry.
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Rob,

Jackson is hit-or-miss. On a good powder day do can find untracked all day and then the next day too. Plus, the Tram Dock vibe is incredible on a powder day!! The terrain is unmatched and, as you pointed out, the backcountry is accessable and great fun with the right guide, gear and knowledge. I've had plenty of groomer days at many "powder meccas". It's all about timing the storms. Unless you live close to the mountain, you are generally at the mercy of the Snow Gods.

Plus, as I get older, I like to stay slopeside at nice places, and Jackson has lots of those.

I always check out the web cams on Teton Pass to get some sense of the snow totals... it's thin!!

http://www.wyoroad.info/highway/webcame ... nPass.html

BBD
 
It's all about timing the storms. Unless you live close to the mountain, you are generally at the mercy of the Snow Gods.
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The reality is that Jackson is a remote location, and 99+% of its destination visitors are going to have booked well before any short-term weather forecasts will do them any good.

An area that gets 350 inches a year will have NO days with 6+ inches new snow during ~40% of winter ski weeks, and only one day with 6+ and none of 12+ during another ~30%. If conditions are going to be crap during that 40-70% (true at Jackson mid-February or later) those are not odds which I view as acceptable for committing typical destination week $. January your odds are a little better than that:
1) If it's cold enough even the sunny exposures will stay packed powder for a while with no new snow.
2) January is on average Jackson's best snow month so the odds are improved a little bit.
3) On the downside you can be looking at limited terrain like this year if November/December are much drier than usual. In the long term Jackson's early season snow record is pretty good, so this risk is much less than the sun/exposure risk later in the season.

With regard to snow reporting and Jackson's topography (more terrain at low elevation), there are areas like Vail and Whistler that are the opposite: compact base areas and huge sprawl up high. So snow measurements high on the mountain at those places are reasonable because that's where most of the skiing is.
 
I guess that my bias for Jackson is that we have family there and we really like the Snake River Lodge as a place to stay. The bottom line is that I go there with my wife, who is a New England bred racer and can handle almost anything Jackson has to offer, and she also likes a spa treatment and nice amenities. When I go out West alone, I stay in Midvale, UT at the Comfort Inn, ski at Alta and eat fish taco and texmex.... Jackson Hole is like going to Vail or Aspen, but not with all the attitude. =D>
 
Bluebird Day":30jyoct1 said:
Jackson Hole is like going to Vail or Aspen, but not with all the attitude. =D>
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Or without reasonable snow conditions past mid february. Frankly, if I want to ski crappy scratchy snow followed by slush I could spend less money and ski Jiminy during March. I'm sure it's nice during a powder day, but as Tony pointed out the odds of that are low. When you consider it will take me a whole day to get there, and cost a bunch, it jsut doesn't seem worth it. I think I woulsd rather spend $50 more a day and have reliable ski conditions at Vail than stay in Jackson during March.
 
It's a part of ski history, and about as close to ski mecca as we have in North America.... JHAF, Bill Briggs, Alex Lowe, Newcomb, Coombs, Moe, TGR, EXUM guides, etc., etc..... You got to make the pilgrimage at least once in your life. I just happen to go once or twice a year on average.
 
In defense of Jackson Patrick and I can both vouch for its impressive quality when it's right. My advice is not to avoid the place, but to restrict advance booked trips to January and maybe first half of February. It's unusual advice because there's such a long list of destination resorts where March is so reliable.

I would also point out that it's of some advantage where the negative factor (sun exposure in this case) is predictable and can thus be mostly avoided. As opposed to the Northeast, where the rain can hit any time and thus any advance commitment more than a week ahead is something of a crapshoot.
 
Tony Crocker":2l0fudx3 said:
In defense of Jackson Patrick and I can both vouch for its impressive quality when it's right. My advice is not to avoid the place, but to restrict advance booked trips to January and maybe first half of February. It's unusual advice because there's such a long list of destination resorts where March is so reliable.

I would also point out that it's of some advantage where the negative factor (sun exposure in this case) is predictable and can thus be mostly avoided. As opposed to the Northeast, where the rain can hit any time and thus any advance commitment more than a week ahead is something of a crapshoot.
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Amen Brother! =D>
 
It looks like JH is moving into an active weather pattern and picking up significant and steady snow. Next week is looking hopeful for some storms at the middle to end of the week. [-o<
 
Question for the experts, with Jackson now at 5 to 6 foot base, is it worth skiing? Or still better to wait for another year? Just curious.
 
with Jackson now at 5 to 6 foot base, is it worth skiing?
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Probably, if you can get there in the next 2 weeks before the sun starts hammering it too hard.

But given that Tahoe and Utah are loaded with snow now, I'd save Jackson for another year. A normal year Jackson hits full operation around Christmas. Then book for anytime in January after the holiday crowds clear out
 
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