Looking at Jackson Hole you might be excused for thinking the place is like a huge diamond, mainly black with trees, cliffs and some of the meanest runs in America. The chances are the weather will be mean too. But if your heart is like most in Jackson, semi blizzard conditions will quicken the blood.

“Freshies” are a common occurrence in Wyoming’s Teton Mountains. Jackson gets more than seven meters of snow each season so the locals are powder fiends. They race each other at dawn for the tram line. The lure of making fresh tracks in Rendezvous Bowl pulls you towards heaven via the little red box.

The aerial tram is an 11 minute squash as it whisks 1261 meters for the greatest vertical run in the US. The resort is serviced by eight lifts accessing 40% intermediate, 10% learner and 50% advanced terrain over four square miles.

You might hear the warning from the tram operator; “Rendezvous Bowl is recommended for expert skiers only, follow the green dots for the easiest way down or take the tram back”, but it’s forgotten when you arrive at Rendezvous Peak with an altitude of 3185 meters. There is a surge of energy as people stampede towards the snow and the wind howls around.

If it’s clear, the Rocky mountains vista is fantastic and worth a quick look as you skim towards the top of the face. What ever you do, don’t stop and look down, it might put you off 200 meters of consistent steep pitch in a superwide bowl. Awesome.

The choice of terrain is limitless, from the radical cliff jumps in Cheyenne Bowl, the wild wood runs, or mighty moguls down Bivouac. If doing giant slalom turns is your cup of tea, taking Rendezvous Trail and Gros Ventre to the base will never fail to thrill. For off piste addicts you can always find some untracked powder in the Hobacks. It is the longest consistent pitch in America with some amazing natural half pipes and wind lips to play on.

For intermediates and learners the resort has its limitations. For snowplough masters it’s a big jump from the two learner lifts at the base to the intermediate Casper Chair. For those leaning into their first snowboard curves or parallel turns Casper and AV have some excellent groomed runs although some can be a bit fast in places. After a few bumps or when your body just wants a break from resisting the often harsh weather (temperatures drop to -1 degrees celsius regularly) you’ll want a comfortable cafe to relax in.

The Apres Skiing is excellent, the Mangy Moose is always buzzing, voted number one US Apres Ski bar last year. The authentic decor makes it worth a visit, if you don’t mind stuffed moose. They have good food and live bands. The Pub underneath the Sojourner Inn is a wild place with extravagant happy hours, hard core sounds and free games.

There are plenty of good drinking and eating holes 12 miles from the resort in Jackson town. Wear your cowboy boots and 10 gallon hat if you want to mix with locals in the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. The Silver Dollar Bar in the Wort Hotel is a fun place to catch live music, with two happy hours and the cheapest drinks in town. If you want style, hit the Brew Pub, a micro brewery with delicious beer and food. The coolest bar in the valley is Wilson’s Stagecoach Bar, just off the road to the resort. It’s the kind of place you would expect to find Hunter S Thompson propping up the bar.

Aside from skiing and drinking you might consider venturing into Yellowstone National Park and the most exciting way in by snow mobile for around $100 a day. A more harmonious and considerably cheaper way in is to cross country ski. Overnight trips where you stay in teepees, swim in mammoth hot springs and watch Old Faithful erupt are the most spectacular way to check out the pristine environment.
So long as you are not too worried about the frills Jackson is a great place to get your thrills.