IPOS: Snow King
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For me, it's been my go-to escape. Working a nine-to-five in the winter means spending most of the daylight indoors. Many evenings after work, I'd gather my touring setup and head to the town hill. I'd purposely stagger my start so that by the time I'd get my boots and skins on the big floodlights would flicker off. The snow reflected just enough light from the nearby street to make it possible to see as you skinned. Eventually, I'd turn my headlamp on, but only after I admired the dazzling night sky. My lungs always enjoyed the burn from the steep incline, which would gulp up the crisp mountain air as I moved forward. The best part was making it to the summit. Looking back towards the town you could see the valley below glowing orange and gold from the street and city lights, and that view never got old. Any stress from the day always seemed to dissipate as I slowly plodded my way to the top.
I know this small hill meant something entirely different for the community during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the world came screeching to a halt. When everything was closed during the lockdown, Snow King was one of the few places that you could still visit. Its slopes felt like a little reminder of what pre-pandemic life was like, you know, when you bumped into friends and neighbors. We followed the rules and kept our six-foot distance, but relished at the chance to exchange a smile and wave. Thanks to the generosity of a handful of Jackson locals and Exum guides, the main ski run stayed groomed. I'm not exaggerating by saying that its 1,500 vertical feet felt more rewarding than some majestic peak in the Canadian Rockies or Swiss Alps during those initial months of lockdown. We all savored the turns we made on the King during that tumultuous period. They were moments of welcomed escape from feeling lost in the ever-changing tides of the pandemic. The King was just one of the many buoys that kept our community afloat.
Groomed and ready to ski at Snow King. | Katie Lozancich photo.
Being back at Snow King for the In Pursuit of Soul film trip, I was excited to see the resort from a new perspective. While taking in the view of Grand Teton National Park from the summit of the resort, Snow King president and general manager Ryan Stanley explained to us that the King is often referred to as the "town babysitter." Come here on a weekday afternoon right after class is out and you'll see why. The slopes are teeming with children of all ages, and they roam the resort as if it's one giant snowy playground. One of those programs is the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club (JHSC), which is the oldest nonprofit organization in the community. JHSC's story is woven into the fabric of Snow King. In 1938, the group held its first race on the mountain and has been operating here ever since. The organization has fostered hundreds of athletes and its alumni feels like a list of who's who in the snowsports world. It ranges from Olympian alpine racer Resi Stiegler to snowboarding legend Travis Rice.
Kids programs like the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club heavily rely on Snow King's slopes throughout the winter. | Katie Lozancich photo.
What was once a humble alpine skiing club now encompasses all kinds of youth outreach centered on skiing and snowboarding. They offer everything from alpine, nordic, freeride, and most recently, backcountry and mountaineering programs. We saw the JHSC's work play out first hand during a FIS time trial. There's a GS course set up and the young racers fly from edge to edge at speeds you'd drive your car on the highway. As I watched the racers, I bumped into one skier who's set his sights on Olympic glory. Benjamin Alexander currently trains with the JHSC Masters program. He's hoping to represent Jamaica in the 2022 Winter Olympics as the country's first alpine skier and has been a diligent student, training with the program as much as he can. His goal is an audacious one, simply because he's only been skiing for the last five years. Still, Alexander is determined and is thankful to have a resource like Snow King for training. "The steepness, the quality of snow, and ability to park my car 20 feet away from the chairlift makes Snow King pretty special. It's a ski-on chairlift all day everyday," he explained. His time at the King inspires him, too. He thoughtfully mused about this when we rode up the lift together. Below us are packs of children excitedly dashing about on the slopes. Some of the little ones can barely hold a pizza, which brought a smile to his face. "If you don't have the beginners then there would be no new people coming into the sport and it would die," he said. We need spaces like Snow King to make the sport accessible to all kinds of people, he argued.
Olympic hopeful Benjamin Alexander is thankful to have Snow King as his go to training hill. | Katie Lozancich photo.
While their pie in the sky goal is to become one of the best ski and snowboard clubs in the country, the JHSC doesn't equate success to churning out Olympic medals and world champions. For them, sharing these sports means sharing important life skills with these kids, which are often utilized off the slopes. It's a sentiment shared by fellow nonprofit Coombs Outdoors, who also collaborates with Snow King for its winter programming. Nine years ago Emily Coombs launched the organization in memory of her husband and skiing legend Doug Coombs. Recognizing the impact skiing and the mountains made on their lives, Emily hoped that the foundation could break down the cost-prohibitive barriers that keep many of Teton County's low-income families from sports like skiing and snowboarding. During their first winter, the team helped 28 children get on Snow King's slopes. Nine years later, the organization has grown and now supports more than 250 children in Teton County. In 2019, The Doug Coombs Foundation became Coombs Outdoors, growing into more than just a snowsports organization, but also something that empowers kids in all aspects of the outdoors. Skiing and snowboarding, however, remain central to their work, and they continue to collaborate with Snow King to get more kids on the snow.
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The kids had an array of tricks to show off during the JHSC Freeride rail jam. | Katie Lozancich photo.
At the end of our visit, we stuck around to watch the JHSC Freeride program's Wednesday Night Light rail jam. It was at the base of the mountain and hosted kids from the community. They sessioned the little kickers and rails, throwing everything from spread eagles to daffys to backflips. An energetic crowd watched from the sidelines, cheering on the tiny groms with overflowing enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Snow King's slopes were buzzing with skiers and snowboarders trying to sneak in one last lap before the sun dipped below the horizon. From the summit to the base, the resort was alive. Watching this all reminded me that this tiny north-facing ski hill is more than just a mountain. It stands tall and steep as a gathering spot: whether it's for an early morning skin, quick lap at lunchtime, an after-school rip with your pals, or moonlight ski tour - the King is always faithfully there.
The King is always there. | Katie Lozancich photo.
