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by James Michaud

Increase font  Decrease font    Printable format  Email to a friend Images Click to enlarge "The King" from Jackson's Town Square Snow King From My Hotel Window Summit Chair Nice and Steep on Upper Exhibition First Tracks in The Trees Snake River Run SNOW KING, Wyoming -- As you drive from the tiny Jackson, Wyoming airport into town, it’s tough to miss Snow King. Rising 1,570 vertical feet from the valley floor, and only a six-block walk from the wooden sidewalks, antler portals, and fashionable clothing stores in Jackson, Snow King Mountain creates a perfect alpine backdrop for photo ops of this quintessential western village. Unfortunately, in their hurry to get to the much larger and internationally renowned Jackson Hole Mountain Resort about 30 minutes away, many skiers’ relationship with Snow King never goes beyond that point. And on a certain level, who can blame them? Jackson Hole’s total ski acreage, vertical drop, high-speed lifts, expert terrain, yearly snowfall, backcountry access, and knockout views dwarf those of Snow King. That’s why Jackson Hole gets the ski magazine cover stories, New York Times travel section articles, and Warren Miller camera crews. Why Bother With Snow King? Given the above, it’s a valid question. But I think I have a good answer. Snow King offers something that you won’t find at Jackson Hole: a pleasantly relaxed ski resort at a cozy, unpretentious mountain. Even if you come to Jackson primarily to ski at Teton Village, you may not always be in the mood to wait in line to pay for parking, take a bus from a far-flung shuttle lot, or deal with lines at the tram and gondola. Counterintuitive as it may seem, you might want to try a tactic I used on a recent powder day in Jackson. After a leisurely breakfast, show up at Snow King for the 10 am lift opening, then score easy first tracks on its empty slopes until they turn off the lights that evening. Steeper Than You'd Think As I discovered during my visit, low-key doesn’t mean low-challenge. Stay on the bottom two-thirds of the mountain—the part with snowmaking and lights for night skiing—and you’ll find a nice selection of agreeably sloped beginner and intermediate terrain lined by just enough trees to make it interesting. But take the summit chair to the top and you’ll be greeted by a series of legitimate single- and double-black trails across the upper section of the mountain, with the terrain becoming progressively steeper the further one traverses to the skier’s left. After warming up on “Elk” and Grizzly,” and jumping off the cornice that guards the entrance to “Belly Roll,” I managed to negotiate the battery of mammoth bumps covering the top section of “Bearcat.” As I limped my way through the glades at the end of that trail, I recalled a comment on an online ski forum describing Snow King as “one steep SOB.” Now, I knew why. Later that afternoon, I mentioned to ski area manager Jim Sullivan that Snow King’s narrow wooded runs, fixed-grip lifts, and no-nonsense ambiance reminded me of one of my favorite eastern areas, Vermont’s Magic Mountain. Sullivan—who began his ski career in South Londonderry, Vermont (right around the corner from Magic) before moving to Jackson 30 years ago—smiled and shook his head knowingly. The Town Hill Since its founding in 1939 as the first ski area in Wyoming, Snow King has served as Jackson’s “Town Hill.” Generations of residents have grown up learning to ski there. It’s a real part of the community, where parents can drop off their kids for after-school turns and adults can do some bump skiing during their lunch hour. But it’s not just a place for townies. Over the past decade, more and more international ski teams have been taking advantage of Snow King’s increased snowmaking to train beginning in early November. For the 2002 Winter Olympics, teams from eight countries benefited from Snow King’s similar elevation to that of host city Salt Lake City to prepare for skiing and snowboarding events. In addition to its bargain basement lift tickets ($35 from 10 am to 8 pm), Snow King goes out of its way to give both local and destination skiers some low-cost options to ski there, including its popular two-hour lift tickets ($17) and the only night skiing in town ($15). The resort also offers visitors a “Ski All 3" package that includes accommodations at Snow King, lift tickets at Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee or Snow King, full breakfasts every day, transportation to and from all ski areas, and round-trip airport transfers. Snow King also features first-rate instruction at its Great American Ski School. Directed by legendary instructor Bill Briggs, the first person to ski the Grand Teton, the school takes advantage of the mountain’s varied terrain to help skiers (both downhill and cross-country) and boarders of all abilities make progress and have more fun on the snow. Sleeping It Off Much of Snow King’s recent infrastructure improvements have centered on providing guests with convenient and comfortable lodging right at the base of the mountain. Hotel rooms are decorated with a nicely understated western theme—mine had a gorgeous view of the ski area. For those interested in high-end digs, just a few steps away are about 70 luxury condominiums, with all the amenities. Keepin' It Real With Jackson Hole Mountain Resort only a short drive away, Snow King doesn’t bother trying to compete with its high-octane neighbor. Instead, it positions itself as the little guy who just tries harder. With its short-but-steep ski area, ski-in/ski-out accommodations, and ultra-convenient location, I felt right at home at Snow King. It is what it is—an unassuming and fun mountain where people come to ski, and not to be seen. --- James Michaud, Snow Journal Adventurist, writes about his first-hand experiences skiing resorts all around North America.

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Anonymous	Posted: Feb 20, 2004 - 2:13 AM GMT JD, I have to agree.. Though I didn't stay there, it's real low key and the real deal. Very magicish.. My visit was four years ago so glad to hear it's kept it's character. Hope you got to get some turns in the Pass. Now that was for real! ps- don't remember paying to park over at the resort, still alot construction going on? tm
jamesdeluxe Profile | Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jan 05, 2003 Posts: 505 Location:South Orange, NJ	Posted: Feb 20, 2004 - 3:08 PM GMT Yes, to park on-premises at JH, you now either have to pay $5 or have three or more people in your vehicle. I understand their reasoning (which I'll discuss in the upcoming article) and don't hold it against them. Just a by-product of being a large, successful operation. __________ Harvey Road: www.NYSkiBlog.com
sledhaulingmedic Profile | Galleries Rank: Member Since: Dec 20, 2002 Posts: 2674 Location:	Posted: Sep 08, 2006 - 9:36 PM GMT I stayed at snow king back in early March. Nice resort and a great little ski area. I really had a blast. The top third to half of the mountain is seriously steep. A true hidden gem __________ "Don't piss off the locals, Don't make work for the patrol"