My solo snowboard trip to Jackson Hole
Highlights and tips from a Wyoming 🏂 adventure
I’ve always wanted to spend more time advancing my snowboarding skills, so why not somewhere I’ve never been before?
For some reason, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, always called.
I’d heard all sorts of things about the place from longtime skiers and friends (but strangely, no longtime riders who I also call friends).
The skiers I talked to all had their opinions: “The snow is X,” “The winds are Y,” “The mountain faces this way so the conditions are Z…” blah blah blah, you know how skiers are; they can talk mountain conditions out the wazoo. Us riders have more chill.😏
With this inconclusive data, I decided to go see for myself.
So I embarked on a solo snowboard adventure.
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Well, not solo, but me plus Mr. Bean, my now 11-month-old cockapoo.
Not gonna lie, taking this trip took a lot of research and planning.
Going in, I already knew it would require a ton of logistics.
Mind you this wasn’t my first rodeo as far as planning for a big ski and snowboard trip.
But I usually had assistance on those trips from family members or friends, and usually they were to familiar places with property managers and concierges on the other side to help along the way.
No—this would be my first attempt at going it alone and snowboarding in a new place, because I finally made space in my schedule to accommodate for 10 days out midwest, just me and the dog.
Also, as a Yellowstone fan (the TV show which will never see a finale due to creative disputes) I, too, like every naïve impressionable American, found myself wanderlusting for the majestic Tetons and the midwest’s pastoral landscapes.
Naturally I had a lot of anxiety leading up to this trip, with all sorts of questions swimming in my head:
How to get there?
Where to stay?
How to get around?
Where to go while I’m there?
What about my gear?
What about my dog?
Like every goal in life, I began hacking at it step-by-step, slowly plotting it all in Notion (a project organization tool).
Here’s how I traveled on my solo snowboard adventure to Jackson, Wyoming.
Highlights of my snowboard adventure in Jackson
How I got to Jackson
Delta and other major airlines fly direct to Jackson airport (JAC) from most other major airports.
The Jackson Airport is beautiful and knows its crowd: high-end, moneyed, luxurious, with touches of modern and urban cowboy, in a quiet, spa-like atmosphere of fireplaces and slate-colored walls.
From the moment Bean and I landed, we were excited to have the familiar comforts of home.
We went straight from the Hertz pickup to the Whole Foods in town.
Where I stayed in Jackson
Because of the duration of my stay, and because I wanted my own space to cook, relax, and take Bean out for walks, I chose an AirBnb in Wilson, in the West Bank village area.
Wilson happens to be where many locals set up residences, because downtown Jackson (to me, at least) draws the tourists, and is a longer drive to Jackson Hole ski mountain.
From Wilson, you’re only an 8-10 minute drive to Jackson Hole in the morning, and 20-25 minutes to downtown Jackson. There is bus service to the mountain if you don’t want to pay for daily parking — or find a friend who will let you park at their house in the village.😉
While there is Snow King ski mountain right in town, the facilities are older and it’s not an Ikon Pass resort. That said, lift tickets are way more affordable at ~$85 daily than the +$200 at Jackson Hole.
Lodging alternatives
Of course, you can stay directly in Jackson Hole village or go for a hotel or resort.
If that’s your speed, then these were suggested by local friends:
Note: I considered Amangani, but it’s not actually close to Jackson Hole. While they do offer concierge mountain services and shuttles, as well as a “buy 3 nights and get a 4th free” package, I prioritized proximity to the mountain and a more residential vibe.
How I got around Jackson
I rented a car from Hertz; my only conditions were that it be a 4WD and be able to accommodate a snowboard.
On the day, my President’s Circle status (and the very nice gentleman at the counter) quickly upgraded me from a Buick Encore to a Toyota RAV4. Woo!
How I got around the Jackson Hole ski mountain
Any new mountain can be a little intimidating, which is why I booked a group lesson for a couple of days.
These are fun because you get to meet and ride with new people from all over and at the same time learn the mountain along with new skills to challenge yourself.
If you book a lesson at Jackson Hole you also get to eat a healthy and delicious lunch (included in your lesson fee) at the new Solitude Station:
Where I hung out in Jackson and hot spots
Thanks to my friend and part-time local Jessica Wolf, she offered so many excellent tips on places to visit:
Persephone Coffee (multiple locations)
Hotel Terra: In the lobby, they also offer après hot chocolate and cider
Mangy Moose: Après (all day?)
Kampai: Local’s fave for fresh sushi
Glorietta: Local’s fave for Italian
Coelette: Fine “snowline cuisine” dining, fermented, foraged, and farm-to-table
Snake River Grill: Diverse new American fare including steak tartare pizza, focaccia, eggplant mapo tofu, seafood, and steak
How I shipped my gear
I shipped my gear (1 snowboard bag and 1 bootbag) via ShipSkis. I’ve used them to ship ski and golf equipment for years, and they’re consistently reliable and offer excellent customer service.
Traveling with carry-on luggage + Bean + snowboard gear was just too much for me (think checking-in, picking up, and schlepping everything by myself).
This time, ShipSkis was absolutely worth it. I shipped my gear to a friend’s property management company and picked up on arrival.
While you could realistically ship your own stuff directly with FedEx, ShipSkis ensures that someone is looking over your bags and ready to help if things go awry, even if you include AirTags in your bags.
ProTip: ShipSkis is great for shipping ski gear internationally too; they have historically delivered items a couple of days earlier than published ETAs at time of booking. Perhaps best of all is that they handle all the customs and international documents.
This link will give you $10 off your next golf clubs or ski equipment.
What about my dog?
Bean is now a service dog, so we were able to fly in the cabin without a carrier.
I thank my lucky stars; he is such a good pup around the airport and on planes! And Jackson is a haven for dogs.
Especially the Emily Stevens Park where dogs can go off-leash for long walks:
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General observations
Unlike other ski resorts like Whistler and Vail, where retail ships comprise the “village,” you’ll have to go downtown if you want to shop at boutiques and for branded merchandise and other souvenirs.
Otherwise, there’s not much shopping at Jackson Hole ski mountain—it's most hotels, resorts, restaurants, and boutiques selling gear.
Yes, this rider had fun
I had so much fun at this mountain.
When I arrived at the beginning of February, the weather was turning in favor of snowstorms, so I experienced a mixed bag of bluebird days, cloudy and cold days, and fresh powder days:
If it interests you, here were my costs and what to expect for a ski or snowboard adventure at Jackson Hole:
Airfare: Varies depending on origin and flight class
Wilson AirBnb: 6 nights, $2,873
Ikon Pass: An annual Ikon Pass is $1,249 and renews for a little less; it gives you 7 days at Jackson Hole; a daily lift ticket which you can purchase at JacksonHole.com usually starts around $212 and prices vary by demand and time of the season
Group lessons: Jackson Hole offers group lessons starting around $295 and you can book onsite
Hertz rental car: $261 (for 10 days; I also drove it to Montana); Note that this Hertz location will soon be returning to JAC Airport instead of its current offsite location in downtown Jackson, which will make it better for Hertz loyalists
Next up: Big Sky, Montana
I was inspired by this article to take an “unforgettable” and “once in a lifetime” road trip from Jackson to snowboard at Big Sky mountain in Montana.
So I did!
And you can read all about it in next week’s newsletter.
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Until next time,
Shindy
On Instagram + TikTok
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This was such a fascinating, amazing post! Since Ron and I don’t travel much, I felt your excitement and experiences; I felt like I was there. I cannot wait until next Friday’s post!!!!
STELLAR!!!!
Thanks so much for sharing, Shindy. 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼