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Grand
Targhee
The third time I attempted to snowcat ski Grand Targhee was the charm! Great
snow and a fantastic time was provided by the snowcat operation.
Last year was my third attempt to find the great snow Targhee snowcats
advertises. Back in the early 90’s we flew into Jackson with plans on skiing
Jackson and snowcatting Targhee. We had our fun at Jackson then drove over the
pass to Driggs. Driggs is the nearest town to Grand Targhee, they have a couple
hotels and restaurants. We checked into our hotel and went to get dinner, once
seated at dinner the waitress informed us that Targhee had burned down the night
before!! Luckily the whole place hadn’t burned down, just part of the base
area. Needless to say they had other concerns then taking us up in the cats. We
salvaged our trip that year by skiing their lift served terrain.
Targhee’s lift served terrain is somewhat tame in comparison to Jackson Hole.
The Dreamcatcher quad offers the best terrain, the runs on the right side of the
resort usually hold good snow. Targhee usually gets a bit more snow then
Jackson, and the fewer crowds make this snow last longer. The lift served
terrain would not merit more then a days worth of riding.
The second time I came to ride to cats I wish it had burned down! We arrived on
a cold morning, it had gotten warm the day before. What was slush and corn the
day before was now rutted rock hard plastic snow. We moved lower on the mountain
and did find some snow marginally worth skiing, still not worth the money
though. Oh well, better luck next time!
And then I hit it right!! We drove up to Targhee in a gentle snowfall and
checked in to the Teewinot lodge. I was with my ski partner Doug, we had a
couple beers at the Trap bar and watched the snow come down. The next morning we
woke up to a foot of fresh snow!! We walked down to the cat operation office,
there we were greeted by guides as excited as ourselves. Donuts, coffee and hot
chocolate were ready for those who were not too excited to eat.
They loaded us onto the snowcat and began the ride up Peaked Mountain. Once at
the top the weather changed from the base, we were in the clouds with 40 mph
winds. Our group had three guides and 10 clients. Our first run down took 40
minutes, three snowboarders of the group had never skied in powder before. At
the end of the first run the guides trimmed the group down. Those who could not
keep up were given rides back on a snowmobile and received a refund. This is
serious skiing and only those who can ski in the crud and amongst the trees
should apply.
After four runs through exquisite powder in the trees it was time for lunch.
Lunch was served in a Yurt at the base of Peaked Mountain. After ripping all
morning long any lunch would have been good. I was pleasantly surprised at the
lunch we were served, it was far better then the usual resort food.
After lunch we continued the morning trend of over knee deep powder on every
run. The snowcat tracks are laid out to ensure the most skiing with the shortest
ride up. The guides will take you to as extreme terrain as your group can
handle. At the last run of the day we were rewarded with wine, cheese and
crackers. This is a first rate operation.
If you are in Jackson I heartily recommend giving this operation a try. Snowcat
skiing is as close to helicopter skiing that the masses can get. It costs 175
dollars a day including lunch and everything else. It is a nice gesture to tip
the guides also.
There
is nothing quite like the smell of a snowcat in the morning!
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