jackson hole--good for carving?

[gwelch]

Would appreciate any guidance.  My son soft boots, wants to go to Jackson Hole next year.  Trail map does not look very promising for a carver, but I have never been.  Any advice?  Thanks.  Jerry.

[lamby]

We really enjoyed riding there in January this season. It was the first time we visited - were there mid week for three days. Rode our soft carving boards that we like for exploring around - carving goomers, hitting cut up crud on the sides, tree shots, and left-over powder for a couple of days. We were hanging with som,e skiing friends who arrived a day earlier, so that was cool. They had gotten a bit of a feel for the place and that helped us get oriented. Its a huge mountain with everything from the most incredible drops and steeps and side-country opportunities to great groomers and terrain  parks and on and on. Huge place. You can find whatever suits your fancy there. On the last day I was on my prior 177 flc and had a blast on it. There are some really wide groomers and all sorts of terrain and steepnesses of runs. 

 

Snow conditions were outstanding. It had snowed a lot prior to our arrival, but it didn't snow while we were there. We had our powder boards in the truck too, so we were ready had it kept dumping. It can certainly snow a ton in Jackson Hole

[gwelch]

Thanks so much, sounds encouraging. 

[michael.a]

Can anyone else who's been there confirm?

 

As just about everyone who's been there told me just the opposite. Overwhelmingly negative reviews especially from a carving perspective. Very expensive, few lifts with long lines esp during the weekend, few groomed runs, if it snows the whole mountain gets tracked out within an hour, the majority of the mountain is extremely difficult off piste terrain, i.e. no bowl cruisers just 10 ft wide chutes, etc. I was told if carving is my game then forget about it, Id have 10x more fun going to Grand Targhee. Pretty disparate opinions...

[boardguru]

Never been to Jackson Hole for boarding so I can't comment about the conditions there. I have been to Grand Targhee though, and it is a very fun place for carving. Just my 2 cents worth.

Edited March 14, 2016 by boardguru

[Pat Donnelly]

Google "Jackson Hole:bomberonline" as there have been a few threads discussing this.

https://vimeo.com/21864555

Be sure to also click the MORE RESULTS from forums.

Here's a good one from 2007 http://forums.bomberonline.com/index.php?/topic/16478-need-input-of-jackson-hole/

Edited March 14, 2016 by Pat Donnelly

[monodude]

Jackson is a steep mountain. Everywhere. I love carving on my skis, or mono there. Personally I would consider Targhee a better mountain for Alpine carving. wider runs, good grooming. Not much variety. Affectionately known as Grand Foghee . When the weather hits, it has some of the flattest light I've ever been in. There is also Snow King. Right in town, small, steep, and super cheap. Season passes are like $150. 

[Carp]

There's a bit of everything at Jackson Hole.  Grand Targhee is fun too.  I tracked down a local when I was out there (years! ago) and had him take me into the back country.  Provided all the transportation, shovels, beacons, etc.  Was a blast.

[lamby]

Maybe I gushed too much, but my wife and I had fun during our mid-week stay (we were not there on the weekend, which I'm sure would impact the experience).

 

Perhaps I should have qualified my earlier comments by explaining that while I love carving groomers, I also spend a ton of time riding powder and off piste (in hard boots and plate bindings - on a number of different boards). When things start getting less favorable off piste I begin gravitating to the beautiful groomers.

 

Yes, steep place. (I like steep.) There are areas that are not steep too. Not a carving Mecca for sure, but it all depends on what your after I guess. 

 

Grand Targee is a great option. We have ridden there a couple of times and had fun. Nice cat skiing there. While we were in Jackson we saw an advertisement for a package deal that included bfast, round trip bus, and lift ticket at Targhee for a good price - i forget how much exactly they were asking, but that might be an option if you what a day side-trip.

 

We spent a lot of time off piste at Jackson, and that was a big part of our fun there. We checked out areas like the Hobacks and other steep ungroomed areas. Our hearts where in our throats a number of times getting scared exploring around, but what a cool place. The tram to the top is an incredible experience in itself, but it is not for anything less than experts and if you are not comfortable riding off piste to get to a groomer then this is not the lift to take. To me it seemed like a big place with a lot of variety. We didn't try to drop any chutes or go anywhere that was over our head, and there are a lot of places there where we would have been out of our league.

 

Anyway, thought I'd give a little more input.

[carvedog]

Can anyone else who's been there confirm?

 

As just about everyone who's been there told me just the opposite. Overwhelmingly negative reviews especially from a carving perspective. Very expensive, few lifts with long lines esp during the weekend, few groomed runs, if it snows the whole mountain gets tracked out within an hour, the majority of the mountain is extremely difficult off piste terrain, i.e. no bowl cruisers just 10 ft wide chutes, etc. I was told if carving is my game then forget about it, Id have 10x more fun going to Grand Targhee. Pretty disparate opinions...

Sounds like you have been hanging out with a bunch of whiny bastards. Aprez Vous is full of good carving as are a few other areas. If you are just going to carve ( and believe me I live for that too) you should probably go someplace else. Jackson is awesome, i have been there many times. I have only gone for 'carving' a couple of times and had fun. It's too interesting there to have that for the only focus. Go with an all mtn carver and have some fun. 

[boarderboy]

Plus one on a Targhee side trip or even a couple of days.  It's an easy shuttle drive from Jackson Hole, but if I remember correctly the route involves a summit pass that's subject to occasional closures (?)

 

Twenty plus years ago, Jackson Hole steeps handed me my (then) intermediate derriere. 

 

Of the "out west" carving areas I've visited - Tahoe, Jackson Hole, Aspen/Snowmass - the Targhee experience is near the top of my list.

 

Enjoy!!

 

BB       

Edited March 15, 2016 by boarderboy

[Mister Sandman]

I just returned from a double weekend at JH

First time 2 days, then went for 3 days

 

First of all, I am a novice at carving. So keep that in mind while reading.

 

First time I was there mid February snow was compact, I sticked to double Blue runs (equivalent to backs here in the east) as I was with my 10 year old son (intermediate skier)

Most of the time we rode the Apres Vous and Gondola. Many groomed trails but also many MANY traverses which are a real pain in the butt (narrow and long, going from one run to another)

 

Second time I went beginning March was with some friends, temperatures during the day were high, softening - if not mushing the snow - then freezing at night. Took a lot of work from the staff to make runs decent on 1st morning, but they did a great job. We did a few black runs (double diamonds in the east). By 2 pm I was shot. you ride at 10,000 feet, get winded easily. runs are steep. I mean STEEP! For my level makes carving hard., I don't have the confidence and mostly was riding traditionally (no carve).

Second day snow sucked (almost in the 60's!). Took a very bad fall on second run, bent the bail on my rear foot, boot was far too loose and had to stop not feeling comfortable

 

Lift ticket was $130, rentals are also expensive, $140 for 2 days

Food is also expensive

View is spectacular

 

Runs are tough. There are a few groomed runs, but if you are into the steeps, they are not groomed and become quite bumpy by mid day because of all the noobs ( like me :P ) that are concerned about diving down these steep runs. It gets also crowded, the good skiers are zooming fast all over the place, and the " easier" runs are packed with the beginners and intermediate. look online there is a nice interactive trail map

 

It's beautiful, and if you are confident and good it's probably a lot of fun. But in my opinion for a intermediate and below, I would not advise. 

[michael.a]

Sounds like you have been hanging out with a bunch of whiny bastards. 

 

What the fuck. These are firsthand reports from my parents and friends as well as everything I've read online which confirmed their accounts. Just reading this thread pretty much concurs with what I wrote, including your post. Jackson Hole is not a good place for carving.

Edited March 15, 2016 by michael.a

[carvedog]

On 3/15/2016 at 1:56 PM, michael.a said:

 

What the fuck. These are firsthand reports from my parents and friends as well as everything I've read online which confirmed their accounts. Just reading this thread pretty much concurs with what I wrote, including your post. Jackson Hole is not a good place for carving.

 

Just got back the Jackson......and I thought it was awesome. Would have ridden the Coiler 180 the whole time but I wanted to do the Alta shoots and couple of others that are a little narrow for a 180 race board. Yeah it sucks for carving....except for all the places it didn't. There is a run called Grand that is freaking epic. Don't know how I didn't find it before but I was off on Thunder mostly then. Grand rivals the best that Baldy in SV has to offer, it is a little shorter but holy hell that thing was butter. 

 

I did find several other runs that were butter too but couldn't tell you the name or how to get there. Top half of the mountain was carvy winter snow and the bottom half was corn turning to slush. And it was fun and all good. I did raise a few eyebrows getting on the Tram with plates.....so it goes. 

 

[Jack M]

Spent 5 days at JH in 2010.  I brought my 14 meter Coiler Stubby and wished I had brought my NSR 185 instead.  There is some epic carving to be done on trails like Amphitheater, Grand, the Casper area, Kemerer.  However I ended up renting softboots and a freeride board for 4 days.  If one can designate a day for carving, then it's definitely worth bringing the gear.  But exploring the whole resort with a softbooter or skier would not be my idea of fun on hardboots.  As a carving destination, there are probably better choices, but there is great carving at JH.

[Colozeus]

i have been to JH twice, before i discovered hardboots. I wasn't nearly as proficient as i am now, but i had a blast exploring the entire mountain. Sure, there are a few traverses and cat tracks that can be dicey, but nothing too serious. There are definitely some good carving runs there. I remember the runs off of the casper (i think) being awesome. And on one day, i just lapped the runs off of the gondola. 

[michael.a]

18 hours ago, carvedog said:

 

Just got back the Jackson......and I thought it was awesome. Would have ridden the Coiler 180 the whole time but I wanted to do the Alta shoots and couple of others that are a little narrow for a 180 race board. Yeah it sucks for carving....except for all the places it didn't. There is a run called Grand that is freaking epic. Don't know how I didn't find it before but I was off on Thunder mostly then. Grand rivals the best that Baldy in SV has to offer, it is a little shorter but holy hell that thing was butter. 

 

I did find several other runs that were butter too but couldn't tell you the name or how to get there. Top half of the mountain was carvy winter snow and the bottom half was corn turning to slush. And it was fun and all good. I did raise a few eyebrows getting on the Tram with plates.....so it goes. 

 

Apologies for coming off too aggressive in my previous post, I will keep this in mind that JH does have carving opportunities

[carvedog]

23 hours ago, Jack Michaud said:

Spent 5 days at JH in 2010.  I brought my 14 meter Coiler Stubby and wished I had brought my NSR 185 instead.  There is some epic carving to be done on trails like Amphitheater, Grand, the Casper area, Kemerer.  However I ended up renting softboots and a freeride board for 4 days.  If one can designate a day for carving, then it's definitely worth bringing the gear.  But exploring the whole resort with a softbooter or skier would not be my idea of fun on hardboots.  As a carving destination, there are probably better choices, but there is great carving at JH.

If you fly and can only bring a certain amount of gear that can be limiting. I brought the softies just in case because with Jackson you never know. It snowed 14 on top the day after we left. And yes exploring with a good skier might have been a challenge. My kids didn't want to go on too much steeper stuff but we still did five or six tram laps. They ski well but are slow to explore and I didn't want to ruin them. The Coiler I am riding is a 180 NSR I got from Corey Dyck a couple of years ago. Love that thing. Was starting to get comfortable in the soft bumps on it but stopped after nearly tagging a large piece of granite protruding thru the slush. Great board. 

14 hours ago, michael.a said:

Apologies for coming off too aggressive in my previous post, I will keep this in mind that JH does have carving opportunities

Hey there. No worries. My enthusiasm for carving sometimes gets the best of me. Unless I am teaching or snow is deeper than a couple of inches I am usually in hard boots so I am Ok with some marginal conditions in getting from one great spot to another.