3 Things to Know about Jackson Hole?s Teton Lift

With Jackson Hole’s 50^th anniversary approaching, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has decided to give the mountains devout followers a present. The new Teton Lift opens on the anniversary date December 19^th.. The new chair is somewhat controversial, but with new terrain becoming available it will be a race to see who gets first chair. Here are three of the most important things you need to know about the new chair.

1. Backcountry Access: The cat is out of the bag; top-secret powder stashes that provide locals with late-in-the-day fresh snow will be easily accessible, and some locals are not happy. Famed areas such as the in bounds Crags or out of bounds Granite Canyon used to require a 30 minute hike, now you can be 10 steps away from these unbelievable runs. If you think you’ve skied every inch of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, as of the ²⁰¹⁵⁄₁₆ season, there will be an additional 1,600 ft, so come check it out.
Why does Jackson Hole need a new chair?: With Jackson Hole experiencing record visits they are getting ahead of the lines, spreading the mountain out, and preventing long lines from becoming an issue. The other reason, and most exciting aspect of the new lift is bringing a World Cup Downhill to Jackson Hole. FIS, ski racing’s governing body’s regulations require 2,400−3,000 feet of vertical, which the new lift provides. FIS also requires top to bottom snowmaking (not that Jackson Hole needs it). Despite Jackson Holes’ ultimate goal of hosting a World Cup, don’t expect to see Mikaela Shiffrin receiving a gold medal in front of the Tram anytime soon, it will most likely be a number of years before the worlds best make the trip to Wyoming.