Winter, in many parts of the country it is a rite of passage, a time to snuggle in and hibernate for a few months. If you live somewhere like Lawrence where there is rarely a lot of snowfall but the temperatures can be bone-chilling adding to that, there are no mountains or groomed cross country trails and the winter wildlife consists of mice hiding in your pantry. The only apparent option seems to sit and wait for Old Man Winter to pack up and leave town. Why not shake off that cabin fever and get out of the house? Jackson Hole Wyoming may just be the laid-back winter wonderland to scratch that seasonal itch.

The Jackson Hole area has a plethora of activities to partake in and many of these chilly weather jaunts cost little to nothing for a lifetime of memories. You may think that Jackson is for the uber-rich but there are more adventures to experience for a reasonable cost than this article has room to mention.

Jackson vs. Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole refers to a 48-mile long valley that is surrounded by high mountains and includes the towns of Jackson, Kelly, Moose, Moran, Wilson and Teton Village. In the heart of Jackson Hole is Jackson a town that is like stepping back into time with it’s wood-planked boardwalks, old west architecture, saloons and bonifide cowboys. The town square has its famed antler arches that are lighted up during the holidays, chic fashion boutiques, touristy t-shirt shops and a slew of fine art galleries. Jackson is in fact, recognized as the 5^th arts center in the nation. The town of Jackson has nearly 100 restaurants, which is staggering considering the actual population is only 8,647 but at any given time Jackson will have 20,000 – 50,000 occupants because of tourism.

Parks

The Jackson Hole area boasts at having the oldest national park in Yellowstone, which was established in 1872. Yellowstone sits atop of an ancient super-volcano that is believed to have last erupted 640,000 years ago. Because of the geothermal heating Yellowstone is peppered with mud pots, hot springs, hot pools and geysers. The only other parts of the world that have geysers are Siberia, New Zealand and Iceland. However, you could combine all of those geysers and Yellowstone still would have more.

Because of the warm earth the valley floor of Yellowstone is blanketed by wintering bison, elk, moose and deer that are all foraging at lower elevations. In fact the National Elk Refuge contains nearly 25,000 acres and feeds over 7,000 elk each winter right in the heart of Jackson Hole.

The Grand Teton National Park is another awe-inspiring sight. The Teton Range rises over 7,000 vertical feet from the valley floor and the highest mountain is the Grand Teton, which towers at 13,770 feet.

Living The Dream

Imagine waking up on a frigid, winter morning feeling groggy just out of a dream when you glance out the window to view a family of moose partaking in a morning snack, otherwise known as your aspen trees. That is exactly what Jan and Bob Benz experience when they are awoken from a slumber in their Jackson Hole Wyoming home. The Benz’s split their time between Lawrence Kansas, where they live 5 months out of the year, and the Jackson Hole area where they reside the remaining 7 months of the year.

The Benz’s discovered Jackson in the 90’s and fell in love with the area. They knew they wanted to eventually retire to the mountains and thought Jackson was a little slice of heaven. Jan say’s, “When we wake up in the morning, we walk to the window to see how much snow is on the ground, gauging our daily activity on that sighting. The sun shines almost everyday, so even if the temperatures are low, there is little to keep a person indoors.”

Lawrence Transplant

Jamie Turner grew up in Lawrence. She attended Lawrence High School, earned a degree from the University of Kansas and is a hometown native but the rugged mountains of Wyoming were never far from her thoughts. Turner, an avid rock climber, horsewoman and outdoor enthusiast permanently moved to Jackson 5 ½ years ago with her husband, Matt. She states, “This is an amazing place all year but there is a whole social scene that comes alive in the winter. The skiing in Jackson Hole is like no other in the lower 48 states. There is a lot of out-of-bounds terrain and the ski hill is enormous. The mountain is really suited to the skier who wants to avoid groomed runs and lots of crowds.”

Skiing

The Jackson Hole area serves up three fabulous and distinctly different downhill ski areas as one of its main winter attractions. The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, which is nestled in the valley of Teton Village. This resort offers 4,139 leg-burning, vertical feet from 10,450 feet down to 6,311. It is tough terrain with only 10% of the slopes for beginners. Most of the runs are steep and challenging but there is an aerial tram to rest your aching muscles and stay warm on the climb up.

In the heart of the town of Jackson you can easily view Snow King Resort. This is more kid and beginner friendly but make no mistake it has many expert runs as well. They offer hourly tickets so locals can ski on their lunch breaks, night skiing, a trick-terrain park, tubing and an indoor ice-skating rink. Built in 1939 this is Wyoming’s first ski area.

Grand Targhee Ski & Summer Resort is only 75 minutes by car from Jackson. Grand Targhee is usually ranked in the top 3 resorts for snow quality and quantity mostly in part to the fact that they receive more than 500 inches of snow annually. They provide 300 groomed acres of trails for all levels.

Why Jackson Hole

Jackson is quite a bit further from Lawrence than many lovely Colorado towns and is generally more expensive to fly into, so why go to Jackson? Jan Benz say’s, “Colorado is great but Jackson is more remote and the atmosphere is very authentic western. The dress code is blue jeans with black jeans considered dress-up attire. The town square offers great shopping, with fun bars and excellent restaurants. Honestly, it is right out of a Hallmark Christmas card, with the twinkling lights, antler arches and the stagecoach rides.”

Suggested Activities

There are many phenomenal dude ranches in the area. Benz states, “The Triangle X Ranch and other various dude ranches have wonderful winter packages with horseback riding, cowboy poetry & music, gourmet meals, gorgeous scenery, dinner sleigh rides and cross country skiing trails.” She also recommends a snow coach or snow mobile ride into Yellowstone Park where you spend the night at Old Faithful in the Snow Lodge. Benz explains, “Bison and elk are hovering around the geysers with icicles hanging from their brows and frozen breath escaping their nostrils, it is unforgettable.”

Whatever amazing winter recreation you crave, Jackson Hole has it in spades and is a great place to actually enjoy the frigid temperatures all the while creating lifelong memories.

Lodging:

The Four Seasons Hotel – spa package

The Amangani- spa package

Snow Lodge – in Yellowstone

Triangle X Ranch – dude ranch

Rusty Parrot Lodge – spa package