Jackson Hole 2019-2020 - & The 'Ghee, The King, Kelly Canyon, Pebble Creek

[TahoeJ]

I feel bad for you guys. Seriously, those are worse lines than we see at Squaw despite the proximity to the Bay Area... because at least we have over a dozen resorts to spread everyone out a little. I think I’d be more stoked to come to JHMR *without* my Ikon pass and pay more but not deal with that shit. Mountain Collective seemed like a good middle ground a few years back.

[SuperGaper]

Skied all day yesterday, arrived at 6:30am, got 5 trams and a Sublette. Deepest lower faces, top to bottom I have skied in 21 seasons here. It is what it is now, one more season on the Ikon contract and hopefully that is it.

Like others I spend up front $1495 on pass, $1350 on parking pass and $700 on a locker at the Hostel- I am lucky to own a reasonably successful business that is not tourism based, so I can afford this absurd luxury. The funny thing is, I don't have any other pursuits that engage me like skiing so its all in for 4 months, and then 8 of boredom and hard work.

One of my business clients is also the legal counsel for JHMR, and he was so proud to tell me about negotiating the Ikon benefit for our passholders. That is probably a nice perk for some, but I have a business to run and can't be travelling all over to ski, so no benefit to me, while the whole Ikon thing has been a huge downer for me.

Anyhoo, its 5:15am, so time to take a shower, and head to tram line. Like the Salmon to Capistrano. Just can't help myself. See you fools out there.

[ill-advised strategy]

I’m so sorry guys. I hope it gets better somehow.

[skibrd]

One of my business clients is also the legal counsel for JHMR, and he was so proud to tell me about negotiating the Ikon benefit for our passholders. That is probably a nice perk for some, but I have a business to run and can't be travelling all over to ski, so no benefit to me, while the whole Ikon thing has been a huge downer for me.

Yeah, I was initially happy with this added perk, but who knows if I’ll ever use it. Worked out great for a few people, but most of us it’s like lipstick on a pig.


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[hutash]

Nobody was gripping about Ikon two weeks ago when I was there and there were walk on trams all day and it was a holiday weekend. Sure Ikon has added to the crowds, but I remember just as big of crowds on powder days pre Ikon.

I spent a Saturday skiing Sun Valley (Epic pass) and no crowds or lines at all, so I suspect the crowds are more dependant on conditions and less on passes.

Finished up in Mammoth, an Ikon hill, and the crowds were the usual, quiet on week days, busy on weekends, and few locals because we haven't had any new snow in awhile.

[skibrd]

Nobody was gripping about Ikon two weeks ago when I was there and there were walk on trams all day and it was a holiday weekend. Sure Ikon has added to the crowds, but I remember just as big of crowds on powder days pre Ikon.

IKon pass is blacked out MLK and Presidents weekend. Yesterday was the worst it’s been so far this year, but it’s been getting worse every day since MLK weekend. Before MLK, the village was perfect 1-3 box waits, maybe a few people in front of you at sublette/thunder. You could spend your time skiing, not waiting in line.


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[xtine]

Crowds have been lighter than I expected during the holiday rush period, as well as most of January. But like skibrd said, it's been getting worse. I've never seen a day with lines like yesterday.

I know I'm a newbie at 6 winters here, but I've seen the skill level of skiers drop dramatically and I've talked to many people about this. While skill level in itself doesn't bother me (I'm for the growth and access of skiing and riding for everyone), the etiquette and safety awareness is what really grinds me. Increased number of people stopped in the middle of runs, blocking traverses, doing foolish things with little awareness to the danger to themselves and others on the mountain. People blocking lift lines also suck. Increased trash on the mountain.

Ikon has the perk of more friends visiting me now, but it's also brought on a massive load of powder chasers. But Ikon is definitely doing its job as an insurance factor when there is no snow. All those people that bought passes aren't coming out. But it's also going to ram mountains when they get snow because everyone comes out for it.

Is this the new normal? Who knows. All I know is that an early wake up and hours of waiting doesn't bug me that much because it ensures me enough laps on Sublette and by the time those lines get long I move along to other parts of the mountain. I pre-loaded my waiting time in the morning so I can get memorable laps. At 11:30AM I was still taking on untracked near top to bottom lines on lower faces and laughing my face off.

[jackstraw]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jackstraw - you'd recognize my voice reciting the old tram announcements...'Rendezvous peak from the tram is recommended for expert skiers only.'

Ha! Nice.

Were you there the day the "new" auto doors opened up by accident above the t3 tower? Nutty! John Day and maybe Frosty and other patrol were on the door like usual...thankfully...as nobody went for the big fall. I think about that every once in a while riding other boxes. So lucky A-game people were always at the door back then...maybe still today there...idk. Haven't ridden the new box.

[kokomas]

Of all the indignities mentioned the paying $1350 for parking and not being able to park is up there for me.

Watching the kiddos while my better half hits the hill. Hope you all have a great and safe day

[LesterSmoove]

Nobody was gripping about Ikon two weeks ago when I was there and there were walk on trams all day and it was a holiday weekend. Sure Ikon has added to the crowds, but I remember just as big of crowds on powder days pre Ikon.

I spent a Saturday skiing Sun Valley (Epic pass) and no crowds or lines at all, so I suspect the crowds are more dependant on conditions and less on passes.

Finished up in Mammoth, an Ikon hill, and the crowds were the usual, quiet on week days, busy on weekends, and few locals because we haven't had any new snow in awhile.

I'm not surprised you didn't hear many people complaining about ikon in january, because believe it or not, most of us kinda get tired of ikon bashing, at least when we're offline. we go out and ski and have a great time, even if we decide to ski tour or snowmobile to get our turns. in january, people wanted to talk about how great conditions were, about skiing, about being grateful for the snow conditions turning around. crowds have been steadily escalating for the past two weeks too, with full mazes at sublette and thunder on weekends for a good chunk of the day regardless of snow conditions.

sounds like you had a killer road trip, and I'm glad you had a good time at JH in January. but I know you've never seen crowds like this at JHMR. why didn't we have crowds like this when we had multiple 15+ inch days and a lot of 8+ inch days for over a week in early january? why didn't we have lines snaking from bridger gondola all the way to the skier bridge above the tram when the conditions were unbelievable back then? if nothing else, don't tell us this is just normal JHMR powder day crowds or that it's just bc of great snow. we heard enough sugarcoating from management last year, and it is what it is and we're stuck with it for now, but don't minimize it.

lol I love sun valley but it does not have the cache of JHMR, so I'm not surprised that people aren't flocking there for free on their epic pass. JHMR isn't a commodity, not equivalent to everything else on the pass--for better and worse, it's a different beast. there weren't many epic passholders were texting their buddies when vail added sun valley to epic pass and said "BRO, you see we get sun valley now? LETS GO!" and RE: mammoth, believe it or not, there's a lot of mammoth residents and socal residents in JH right now skiing on their ikon passes.

the unmanageable concentration of pass usage in february and during storms is an issue. there seems to be a perception among ikon passholders that february is the only month you can come to jackson if you want good conditions. plus, the resort has bumped window rates almost 25% for the entire month of January and the first two weeks of feb, and I'd guess that fewer non-passholder visitors were here as a result. if you only have 5 days to use at JHMR (estimated that 80% of passholders are base pass), many people are going to hold off until they feel that conditions are assured. remember that many passholders live close enough to the mountains to ski weekends, so they'll spend december and january skiing near home, and feb is when they descend because it's seen as a safe bet and because they heard all about "Februburied" last year.

all that being said, we're still gonna have a great time. I'd love to post some photo stoke of just how deep it was, but I was not inclined to take photos during powder madness.

[Super G]

Its been pretty dry over here in Sun Valley this winter (my estimate is about 70-80 total inches of snowfall this entire season), but skiing has been great everyday. A lot of us are starting to go pretty crazy at the lack of deep powder skiing this season, but then when I see shit like this, I begin to wonder what is the better trade off?

Great skiing with no lift lines, or all time skiing with all time lift lines?

[yeahman]

Of all the indignities mentioned the paying $1350 for parking and not being able to park is up there for me.

Watching the kiddos while my better half hits the hill. Hope you all have a great and safe day

Just lurking here but that blows me away.

I was initially kinda pissed that Big Sky did not include an Ikon base pass for gold pass holders, given the effect Ikon has had on the resort, but what they did do was create a gold pass parking lot, included in the $1349 price, that I now think is a much more valuable perk than the Ikon pass would have been. It's so nice I fear they will somehow strip it away next year..

[snapt]

Sustaining 50mph here at my place in outside of Driggs by the river. Totally bonkers, landlord has plowed twice today and we're already drifting back over. Running precariously low on beer.

[wstdeep]

Nobody was gripping about Ikon two weeks ago when I was there and there were walk on trams all day and it was a holiday weekend. Sure Ikon has added to the crowds, but I remember just as big of crowds on powder days pre Ikon.

I spent a Saturday skiing Sun Valley (Epic pass) and no crowds or lines at all, so I suspect the crowds are more dependant on conditions and less on passes.

Finished up in Mammoth, an Ikon hill, and the crowds were the usual, quiet on week days, busy on weekends, and few locals because we haven't had any new snow in awhile.

No disrespect but skiing a few days on your way thru town isn't exactly like being here everyday and seeing trends develop. Sun Valley and Mammoth are irrelevant to the discussion. Those were about the only days in that stretch that were not busy...I spent a solid two weeks doing nothing but Granite laps to stay away from the shit show. Like SkiBird said they simply were not allowed those days you were here. Today"s shit show via web cam shows at least a five car wait at 11:00 AM and that"s just how much you can see on camera. I got a text at 6:45 AM advising everyone to "take the Bus" because there was minimal parking available. All for a reported 2" of new

Of course that was a general JHMR app text but considering I own a $1400 parking pass that does get your hair up a bit.

[wstdeep]

Running precariously low on beer.

How is that possible ? In Driggs ?

[snapt]

How is that possible ? In Driggs ?

I drank most of it last night and there's no way I can make it town between the white out and drifts!

[wstdeep]

I drank most of it last night and there's no way I can make it town between the white out and drifts!

To windy for the drones to deliver I suppose. Times just get tougher.

[Djongo Unchained]

Lotsa wisdom on here of late. Long term trends is the area I'd focus on. What's actually changing and why, not just arguably anomalous external factors.

But alright already with the Ikon bitching. There's a big fucking thread over there for that.

This is the positive Irie one.

Like SuperGaper getting 5 boxes - that's fucking awesome dog. You gots da patience of Job, my man. Methinks you won the day. dammit.
Koko - cutting the wife free to solo the masses as you relax with the chidrenz, watching skiing. Heh.
wstdeep - throwing it down with the feelings. And by doing so, largely defining the JH Angst syndrome. Solid work right there.
You've been around the block, You earned that patch. It says 'Fuck You' as much today as ever.
Babybear - Quietly, Secretly, crushing Snow King. Representing for the thread, we finally get our first pic from the King! A lofty goal, 100 days. Getting them on that steep little sumbitch will hone yer edge right now.
Your turns, by the way, are looking as racy as ever.

I got a poor man's parking pass for the ranch lot only, w/blackout dates for $575. That's positive; but only compared to the options.

~~~~~~~~
CS - Yeah, sadly RJ passed in 2015 iirc; snorkeling off the coast of Belize. Howard is gone too.

JS - I vaguely remember the door thing. They went auto that first summer of '90. Coupla glitches, banged a tower hear or there.

Hanging out the window to drive and the trollers looking at me because of the towers' closeness as we zoomed past, a little swing in play.

A forest of long skis, music, tram tickets, throwing the rolling gate at the top, those stairs were lethal. No one going into the cabin but trollers. Smoking in the topshack. Blaring music on the way down. Night creature parties. Hash, many blotters, fireworks, tubes, driving golfballs into Tensleep, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Skiing on submarines in 2' of stiff pow. Is that what the kids are talking about when they speak of skiing in 3D?
Asking for my knee, as it seems to really be the way to overdo it lately...

I always felt dosing or shrooming was the only real way to get multi dimensional with snow. Not my preferred M.O.

[zion zig zag]

I drank most of it last night and there's no way I can make it town between the white out and drifts!

We drove out of the valley via pine creek pass this morning and Antelope flats through to Ririe was driving by Braille.

[rideit]

Just heard a rumor that Kanye is closing on the Virginian property. Not really sure what that would mean for Jackson, I guess now that he is a raving Christian he might have a charitable heart towards the less fortunate...but I’m not counting on it.

[schwerty]

Just heard a rumor that Kanye is closing on the Virginian property. Not really sure what that would mean for Jackson, I guess now that he is a raving Christian he might have a charitable heart towards the less fortunate...but I’m not counting on it.

Maybe he will put up a taco stand!

Hope the knee is healin

[rideit]

This recovery has been nothing short of amazing. I will probably be riding on the Dike in a week or two.
And I would prefer a Popeyes!

[wstdeep]

Not Icon related: Don't allow the Gondi loaders to put your skis in the holders for you. My wife has been handing her twins (tips) off as they seem particularly insistent that they load them this year. It's a nice gesture but what happens is they don't put them in the Rack they DROP them in which results in a lot of force on the tails especially Twin Tips...three day old skis.

I'll try to get back to some stoke soon as this bug passes thru my system.

[Core Shot]

Ouch. But that is a manufacturer issue, not a Gondi loader
Tails should be tougher.

[gtid]

Backcountry was sporty today, howling winds, wind slabs everywhere but did not see any instability on the low angle stuff we were on. Snow was surprisingly surfy. Driving back to Tetonia was an experience, total white out, drifting snow etc. Luckily most of the smart people were off the roads.