Skiing the Grand Tetons

Author: By Bob Dunn, Globe Correspondent

Date: SUNDAY, February 8, 1998

Page: 14

Section: Travel

Not only is the scenery unbeatable, but the variety of terrain is hard to match. The large choice of areas can only be sampled, however, unless you spend more than a week. The season is long, thanks to the elevation; indeed, the town square is 5,450 feet high! Add the fact that there are relatively new snowmaking plants at both Snowking Resort and at Teton Village and you have many weeks to choose from. Jim Sullivan of Snowking Mountain, originally from Connecticut, says early skiing has become popular in recent years.

(A suggestion to visitors who come early in the season: Try Teton Pass for some back-country skiing. There are no lifts, of course; therefore, you need to set up your day of powder skiing by taking turns driving down the pass to pick up your friends for the drive back up to the top of the pass.)

Be sure to request a seat on the right side of the plane into Jackson. It will land from the north, and a fabulous view of the Grand Tetons will be right outside your window. Soon after arrival, drive by the bottom of Snowking Mountain and check out this local ``hill'' of 1,200 vertical feet. Look up, and you will know you are in the mountains and that its reputation of very steep terrain is not exaggerated.

Despite the influx of well-known retail chains, the present-day downtown area still provides the vacationer with much local color. I prefer to stay downtown for that reason, in fact. Also, the location is an easy commute to Snowking and to Teton Village (15 miles) and offers easy and quick access to the highway for the one-hour trip over to Grand Targhee. In addition, a shuttle bus connects all ski areas.

Downtown night life offers an assortment of Western bars. If you don't know the cowboy twirl when you arrive, you certainly will by the time you leave. The Cowboy Bar has saddles for barstools and a large and popular dance floor. But be sure to head out to the town of Wilson after skiing on Sunday for great entertainment and dancing. Bill Bridges, a native of Augusta, Maine, and ski school director at Snowking, has played the banjo at the Stagecoach Bar in Wilson for 30 years. He, in fact, was the first person to ski the Grand. You can see the route he took by visiting the town of Moose, at the foot of the Grand, about 14 miles north of downtown.

Two of my favorite places to stay in the downtown area are Snowking Resort (you can walk downtown from here) and Spring Creek Resort, about eight miles toward Wilson. Even if you do not stay at Spring Creek, be sure to dine there. Arrive early for the view and stay late to enjoy the moonlight.

The day you ski Snowking, be sure to look out at the Grand Tetons as you exit the lift at the top. The steepness of the mountain is impressive from the top, as is the view. Snowking does have some intermediate and beginner terrain off the Rafferty chair, named after Neil Rafferty, who started the area in 1939. It goes about halfway up the mountain. There is night skiing here plus tubing and ice skating during the late afternoon and evening.

The largest complex in the area is at Teton Village (Rendezvous Peak). It is the area most people think of as ``Jackson Hole.'' Actually, it is about 15 miles from downtown Jackson. The largest vertical in the country is available off the top of Rendezvous Peak down the Hobacks to the village floor, a total of almost 4,200 feet. The Hobacks are not always open from top to bottom, so I hope you catch it right during your visit and have a couple of feet of powder. Some of my powder favorites are off the Sublette quad (1,630 vertical feet) down Pepi's Run or the Alta chutes. After skiing this quad, you can take the South Pass traverse to the Thunder chair (1,456 feet) and ski the Tower Three chute, Hoops Gap and Thunder. Then relax and take the Lower Tram Line to the bottom. Next, catch the new Bridge Gondola (2,730 feet) to take a relaxing run on Sundance. Catch the Casper Bowl chair (1,050 feet) and take the traverse off to the right and maybe catch some powder in Moran's Woods. Then haead on down Moran and Werner to the bottom to relax before going back up for a tram ride to the top of Rendezvous Bowl.

All of this only begins to show you the immensity of Jackson Hole. If you're a showoff and appreciate the real steeps, you might want to jump into Corbett's Coulior -- but it's for very advanced skiers only! For intermediate and beginner skiers, Apres Vous provides hours of enjoyment.

At least one day, catch the shuttle bus to my favorite powder skiing area, Grand Targhee -- preferably after it has received new powder. Its powder slopes are fantastic, with a wide assortment of expert, intermediate, and beginner runs. In my opinion, the view of the Grand is better here from the Idaho side than in Jackson. Grand Targhee is actually in Alta, Wyo., but the nearest town is Driggs, Idaho.

Targhee is 2,200 vertical feet. It is consistently named as having the best snow (over 500 inches annually). My favorite runs here are right off the front under the Dreamcatcher quad. If you are lucky and beat the locals (unlikely), you may catch a run in fresh untracked powder. Some other good runs on the front are Wild Willie and The Face; other good ones, such as Patrol Chute, are on the south side. The entire north side is intermediate and beginner trails and slopes -- a great variety. Intermediates should ride the Dreamcatcher chair at least once to see the view of the Grand from the top. You can reaccess the intermediate side by cutting over on the Headwall traverse.

Targhee is worth checking out for a future vacation. The area was purchased in 1996 by George Gillette of Booth Creek Holdings. Gillette also owns Northstar-at-Tahoe, Sierra-at-Tahoe, and Bear Mountain in California; Snoqualimie in Washington; and, in the east, Cranmore, Waterville, and Loon Mountain in New Hampshire. Last year, he immediately installed two detachable quad chairlifts and upgraded base facilities at Targhee.

If you are a very good skier and your trip is in late spring, you might want to enjoy some exercise and climb early to the top of Glory Bowl. It is at the top of Teton Pass up to the right. To sit on top early in the morning and wait for the snow to corn and then catch an early run is an experience you will not forget. I recommend a guide for the day to show you the best route.

For cross-country skiers, the trails are limitless at all three resorts. Yellowstone also offers unlimited trails. A guided helicopter cross-country jaunt to the top of the Sleeping Indian, which overlooks Jackson from the east, makes a great day trip.

Other recreational activities include snowmobile trips to Old Faithful, where you can even spend the night at the lodge. Or, make a round trip from Flagg Ranch, about 70 miles from Jackson at the south entrance of Yellowstone Park. The National Park Service also conducts snowshoe tours in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks to view the scenery and wildlife. The National Elk Refuge is just outside Jackson, and sleigh rides are conducted there daily for a small fee. Visitors are able to closely observe the elk as they eat the hay provided by the National Park Service.

Getting there: American Airlines via Chicago, then direct to Jackson. Delta via Salt Lake City, connecting via Delta Express to Idaho Falls and a shuttle bus to Jackson (about 87 miles). United via Denver, connecting via United Express direct to Jackson. Some charter flights via Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Getting around: Hotels and resorts run shuttle buses around town. Taxis are available for late in the evening.

Information: Call Jackson Tourism at 307-733-5585, Snowking Resort at 800-522-KING, or Grand Targhee at 800-827-4433. The Wyoming State Tourism office is at 800-225-5996; the National Park Service, at 307-739-3399.

Dining: Favorites are Steigler's at the Aspen, Mangy Moose at Teton Village, and The Granary at Spring Creek Ranch. Of course, it's always convenient to dine where you stay.