Two weeks from now will find me hitting the slopes in Jackson Hole. It will be my first time on skis in, I don’t know…long enough that I had to buy new ski pants because all my pairs were MIA. What is motivating me to get back on skis again? Good question.
It all started when I decided to go on a girl’s trip with two NYC-based friends and one in L.A. We wanted somewhere that was convenient(ish) for all of us and ideally had warm weather. We considered Playa Del Carmen/Cancun and Miami. But I’ve been to Mexico for the past two years running and my last two trips to Miami were pretty butt-ass cold. The Caribbean was ruled out as being too far away for my L.A friend. We thought about Sedona and Sonoma, but then my friend Robyn said she wanted somewhere fun and threw out the idea of Jackson Hole.
I have been in Jackson Hole exactly once, I’m guessing it was in 2003. It was an epic trip. So I signed on with a “Hell yeah!”
For starters, the guy to girl percentage is in the 60 to 40 range, which never hurts. It’s also a little challenging to get to—there are no direct flights on the days we’re going so we’re changing planes in Denver. I’ve found that the harder a place is to get to, the cooler the scene. No wonder Jackson Hole was voted top ski resort by Forbes and Ski Magazine.
We’ll be staying at the Hotel Terra, which has convenient ski and ski out access and is within a stone’s throw from the Mangy Moose–the best bar for apres ski. It has a ski valet, heated outdoor pool, spa and well-reviewed Italian restaurant to boot.
While we’re there, we also hope to go dog sledding or snow-mobiling. Last time I was there I got to snow-mobile in Yellowstone across the Continental Divide accompanied by wolves. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.
As far as going somewhere warmer? NYC and Jackson Hole are about the same temps these days thanks to the Arctic Vortex, so at least I’m used to temperatures in the teens. We’ve booked a private ski instructor for the four of us, so I’m pretty confident I’ll survive. Check back in 3 weeks to here more about my trip!
For more info, check out JacksonHole.com.