Mountain Weekly News ~
ALTA, WY – In a northeast corner of Wyoming in a magical place known as Wydaho sits a glorious pow-filled resort called Grand Targhee. While the ‘Ghee may live in the shadow of its Teton neighbor Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, make no mistake – this mountain is a diamond. The snow at Targhee is usually deeper and sticks around longer given the smaller crowds. The base “village” is about as authentic as it gets, with an authentic ski-bum feel like you just don’t see anymore. The locals are friendly, the terrain is diverse, and the snow is insane.
Getting to Targhee
Maybe part of the reason Targhee is still somewhat off the radar is that it’s kind of off the beaten path. The closest airport, Jackson Hole, is every bit of an hour away, over a big mountain pass that gets treacherous, or sometimes closed, during big dumps. Idaho Falls is the next-closest, hour and a half away, a no-frills airport (they have folding chairs at lots of the gates, and no restaurant).
To get to Targhee you drive through Idaho for most of the way, and then slip into a sliver of Wyoming to crush some Teton Pow. Parking is still mostly free, a huge luxury, though it can get filled up on a busy day so get there early if you want to park a few paces away from the main steps. They also introduced pay parking a few years ago, and for $20 bucks you’ll get a spot just in front of some of the hotel rooms at the base of the hill. And it’s beautiful that, even when the lots are near-capacity, the slopes still feel strangely open, especially compared with the uber-crowded JHMR across the range.
Grand Targhee Lodging
Lodging is maybe another reason that Targhee isn’t on the top of most “must-go” lists. There is one base lodge with 3 hotels owned by the mountain.
- The Targhee Lodge is pretty simple, though it’s also one of the few ski hotels where you can actually ski through a passageway to the parking lot.
- The next level up is the Teewinot Lodge, which has a central lounge in the middle of the hotel and if you wanted to you could probably jump off your balcony if you have a slopeside room and ski to the Sacajawea lift (though don’t do that, you bad boy).
- The Sioux Lodge is a bunch of suites with multiple beds, ample space, some nice rustic mountain vibey finishes, and balconies. Recently they opened up their Tower Suite, a gorgeous 2-bedroom chateau formerly kept as an owners’ hangout, right across from the ticket office.
If you want some more nightlife and to check out the nearby towns, though, you’ll be staying down the hill in an Airbnb in the small town of Alta, the medium-sized town of Driggs, and the, uhh, medium-sized town of Victor. Or there’s the Cobblestone in Victor, currently still the newest hotel in the hood, at least until (or if) Marriott’s new Element hotel makes its way to Driggs. For dinner definitely check out Teton Thai or Tatonka for Pizza (though Pinky G’s in Victor is legit too) and of course the legendary Knotty Pine bar is a requisite stop. Though the Trap Bar at Targhee has live music seemingly all the time.
But while the old west charm, legit small-town feel, and chill affordable hotel rooms are pretty epic, you’re here for the snow. And there’s a lot of it.
Grand Targhee Weather
Grand Targhee sits on the westside of the Tetons so all those storms that come rolling in from the Pacific slam into the resort on their way to Jackson Hole, depositing their first bit of glorious white gold down the western slope of the Tetons. Not only does that mean that Targhee usually gets at least a couple inches more than JHMR, the relative-desolation of the mountain means that you can still find plenty of powder a couple days after a big dump. The only downside, though, is that lots of snow means lots of weather. Unicorn days, when there’s fresh snow and blue skies, are glorious. But there are plenty of days when it’s socked in. As the locals grin, “If you can see, it ain’t the ‘Ghee.” Thing is, while the mountain is known as a powder mecca, don’t sleep on the terrain.
On one hand there’s much more intermediate terrain than nearby Jackson Hole or Snow King so trips with the family or the crew will be sure to keep the kids, the oldies, or the apres-focused party skiers happy. But if you’re looking for some challenging terrain, they still have plenty of that. There’s the cliff band dropping from the top of the Sacajawea and Colter Lifts, terrain so rowdy they hold big mountain freeriding comps there. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly has a nice steep hucky section into some fun trees, and the slackcountry terrain is epic but best only check that out if you have a guide. Getting back in can be kinda tricky.
To that point, there’s also the new Colter Lift. The expansion off the backside of Peaked Mountain has opened up some of the rowdiest terrain in the mountain. From big long sweeping groomers to wild trees, tons of stump jumps and surfy gulies, Colter is nothing short of epic.
Grand Targhee Lift Tickets
Targhee may be one of the more affordable hills but it’s still no steal. A full-day all-mountain lift ticket is $150, but you can get a half-day for $108 or for $63 you can stay on the beginner runs on Shoshone (which has a nice little kiddies’ park). You can also get a discount for multi-day tickets, and whatever you do their conversion to reloadable RFID cards means you don’t have to wait in line at the ticket booth. Of course Grand Targhee is part of the Mountain Collective so if you’re a member, it’s a no-brainer. You get 2 free days, plus unlimited half-price tickets. It’s a perfect stop-through on an al-time ski-circuit from, for example the SLC resorts to Jackson Hole to Targhee to Big Sky.
Overall Impression
Grand Targhee: An Epicly Real Big MountainYeah, it might not have the name or the base village of other resorts. But Grand Targhee has world-class snow, epic terrain, and a vibe unlike anywhere else. On your next trip to the Tetons, take a day away from the crowds and attitudes of Jackson Hole and get an epic day with short lift lines and all the shreddable terrain to satisfy you and your crew.
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The post Grand Targhee Resort, Where the Locals Ski Deep Powder appeared first on Mountain Weekly News by Ryan Ariano.