I never really imagined what my 29th birthday would look like, but it wasn’t crushing black diamonds on one of the most challenging ski resorts in the US, that’s for sure. And yet there I was, top of the aerial tram, ready to hit a black diamond bowl that I wasn’t too sure about just a few days before when we first arrived. Fortunately it was a powder day, so when in Rome!

Well, I lived to tell the tale and am safely back home with recommendations of what to see on a long winter weekend in Jackson Hole!

JACKSON HOLE MOUNTAIN RESORT

Obviously skiing at Jackson Hole was the main event. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that my birthday weekend fell at the end of spring break, so there were lots of people in town. But fortunately, the resort caps reservations so it really didn’t feel that crowded.

Day 1: We started with the groomers off of the Apres Vous chair, and I immediately noticed how much steeper their blue runs are than at any other resort I’ve been to. At least the snow was good, otherwise I would not have been having fun. Later in the day we hit the Teton Chair, Casper Chair, and Marmot Chair. Marmot was the slowest chair but less of a line, and the Amphitheater run seemed to have the best snow, so we stuck around there most of the day.

Wide Open Run at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Day 2: It was a powder day, so I tried some black diamond runs! Ranger was a short but sweet run to dip my toes, and then I also tried out a few black diamond moguls on Kemmerer, but I bailed halfway through because it was just too chaotic.

We finished the day on the Thunder Chair; the Amphitheater Bowl seemed to have the best powder.

Day 3: I kicked off the day with the Thunder Chair and Thunder Run, another black diamond! Then we headed to the Sublette Chair, which was actually closed on the previous day so there was a lot of untapped powder over there. I attempted another black diamond called Flip Point, but again bailed about halfway through to the nearby easier Laramie Bowl. But then I regained my confidence in time for the Aerial Tram, which takes you to the top of the mountain and gives you an epic view of the brave souls attempting Corbet’s Couloir (could never be me). We hit the Rendezvous Bowl, which mercifully had plenty of powder still, and skied all the way to the bottom for a nice long run.

Bridger Gondola at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

If you are a little in between intermediate and advanced like me, I recommend all of these black diamonds mentioned (maybe not Kemmerer though if you’re not great at moguls). Just keep an eye on the snow report and make sure you’ve got the best conditions to challenge yourself!

But overall, this is the toughest mountain I’ve ever been to. I’m positive I could never have learned here, as there’s just a very small green circle area and the next step of blue square is a huge leap for newbies. But if you’re experienced, go for it!

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK

With the lifts closing at 4 pm and daylight savings giving us an extra hour of light in the evening, we were able to fit in a little bit of sightseeing through Grand Teton National Park too!. Since the snow closed most trails, we only drove up the highway and stopped at a handful of viewpoints along the way. Snake River Overlook, Glacier View, and Teton View were all open and worth a quick stop. We even saw a pair of moose and coyotes along the way. Since there was snow in the forecast, we rented a Jeep and am so glad we did! It was a fun change from my Prius.

STAY

There are lots of options in Jackson Hole, ranging from super expensive resort to no-frills motel. We stayed at Cowboy Village Resort, which falls somewhere in the middle. They’re individual log cabins which look pretty cute in the fresh snow! It’s a few blocks from the main square but still walkable to everything, and best of all is the free ski shuttle that takes you to and from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (otherwise, expect to pay $30-40 a day to park at the resort). I would really recommend this place for the value.

EAT

Honestly we were pretty surprised at how expensive Jackson Hole was, and that’s saying a lot from two people living in the Bay Area. That being said, these places at least delivered on the food!

Persephone Bakery

Cowboy Coffee Co

Hand Fire Pizza

Liberty Burger

Thai Me Up

It was a whirlwind trip but we packed a lot in! I’m super proud of myself for trying new things on the mountain, and I’m always happy to see a national park in the off season. There’s plenty of winter left in Wyoming!