Lot's of "local" attitude against visitors at Jackson can be a bit intimidating. These locals think "THEIR" mountain is the best, even though most of them have only been to a handful of other ski mountains. We asked. Most of the so-called locals were from somewhere else and never went skiing anywhere else. That's good news for us. We like to go to places where hard-core skiers go and we don't have to listen to them brag about how good they are. There was a lot of one-up-man-ship in the lift lines and lift ride encounters. It all made for a good laugh.

We did hook-up with some locals who took us to their favorite stashes and we had a blast. They were are all invited to join us on our around the world skiing adventures and we think a couple of them will for sure be going with us next season.

Steep runs? You bet. But not as radical as some in Europe. Long runs? For sure! But making a non-stop from top to bottom is not a big deal unless you go down the Hog Backs, Ho Bo Backs or something like that!?! We averaged around 8-10 runs a day and did the top to bottom thing 2-3 times a day during our two week stay. To pull it off, we had to ski fairly hard.

Without that tram, getting to the very top is a 45+ minute process which made it more difficult for us to make top to bottom runs easily. The runs you can hit by hiking were fun. We really dug this bowl where they have some extreme skiing comp. Not real long, but nice and steep for sure.

The snow was amazing. Speed is okay here. The patrol was rarely seen and the weekday skiers let it run. Very much like skiing in Europe.

Nightlife? Typical for a ski mountain like this. We drank heavily. Saw more men than women, but the women we did meet were all hanging out with guys who forgot how to shower years ago.

Worth the visit. Ticket prices and lodging were like anywhere else.

Just finished hiking and skiing in Alaska. We talked about Jackson a lot on this trip and were reminded of Jackson terrain on several steep descents. Best of all about Alaska, the locals don't brag, they just rip it up! (They don't shower very often either) We ran into some Jackson locals and they were very mellow folks. No bragging. Helped change our opinions on some of the dudes we met there.

I'm an advanced skier and have skiied @ Jackson Hole many times over the years, most recently in January 2008. I know the mountain and area pretty well, here are some of my impressions.

1). Terrain- Probably the best mountain in North America for challenging downhill terrain. The real challenge w/skiing Jackson is that, unlike many resorts in Colorado or Utah, there are no flats here. All runs are pretty much straight downhill, so it forces you to continuously turn and check your speed-you really get a workout. I agree with the earlier poster who mentioned that most of the Blues here would be Black virtually everywhere else-I don't find most of the lift-served terrain to be intimidating but it will literally tire you out. Probably the most frustrating aspect of the Hole is the weather. When it snows here and the sky is a dull gray or white, visibility can be a real problem, especially with depth perception-you literally can't see moguls or bumps in the terrain. I injured my back once because of this. Finally, because the mountain is so massive, snow conditions can be a mixed bag. This is especially true w/the lower mountain bowls and the famed "Hobacks". I've never been fortunate to find good powder on the lower mountain, the snow in here is usually really wet and heavy and hard on the legs. Maybe someday I'll get lucky.

2). Lifts-An earlier poster complained about slow lifts. While it is true that JH really has only 1 high speed quad-I don't have a problem with this because of the demanding nature of the terrain. The "slower" lifts on Rendevous mountain help because it gives your legs time to rest and recuperate. This is probably the only mountain that I've ever skiied where a "slower" lift system acts in the skiier's favor.

3). Facilities-have really improved over the last 2 years with the opening of the Bridger restaurant at the top of the Gondola. Can't really say much about the food but the giant Rendezvous cup cake that I ate was really good. Prices are high just like everywhere else. I don't believe that you can find reasonably priced food at any major ski resort in the US or Canada-there is no use in complaining about it.

4). Overall- Great for experts and solid intermediates. Varied and ever-changing terrain insure that you won't get bored here. Tough on beginners and casual skiiers-no flats to take it easy on and very, very little "green" terrain. My advice is to not come here unless you are sure of your ability and in pretty good ski shape. Although I have no experience w/the Ski School, I would'nt recommend going to JH to learn because the leap from green to blue is just too drastic.

Visited 3/11-3-16, God brought some pow(22" on Thursday alone, 38 overall) and most of the hill was hoppping with great runs and off piste rewards, beware though, JHole is always alternately fog/inversion/overcast and sunny all within 8 hr ski day. Hill is challenging, best in Rockies for skill and smaller crowds, intermediate is good too, so all can have fun........although I'm not impressed by ski school at all, saw several lazy attitudes about teaching the kids and appreciating the skiers who pay the salaries, Jackson is pricey as well, but the fly-right-in-to-hill aspect beats any other resort. If you're super kid oriented, go to Beaver/Vail/Taos or Keystone, if you want the big mountain challenge, come here, downtown Jackson is cowboy cool and laid back............record snow fall this year

I went last year and am going in about a month or so, and I gotta say it is hands down the best place to ski or ride. You really don't need backcountry because of the gnarliness that is inbounds, not to mention the massive size or the mountain. TIP: Avoid the Hobacks unless there is new powder, because the sun hits it all day because of its direction, making it hard and dangerous. Unfortunately alot of people don't know about this, (except the regulars)and it isn't a fun experience on the way down. However on a powder day it is truly amazing. Casper bowl is amazing too, regardless of snowfall.

I haven't been to Jackson since the tram was shut down. I'm sure I will miss it. I always had a big grin on my face as I rode it, and loved the mood of the people sharing the ride. My heart would always start pounding as I slowly passed Corbet's Couloir.

I usually spend my time on the Alta chutes so I won't avoid Jackson without the tram. I have found that when you have to hike up, no matter how small the hike, it is usually worth it. Most people aren't willing to put in the effort so if you want "freshies" long after the snow has fallen, a little hike will usually get them for you. Of course to get to the top of Rendezvous Bowl you are talking about a pretty good hike. Definitely worth it though.