The 2009 / 2010 ski season was the earliest on record in three decades. A snowy late October and early November found the resorts launching their first chair with bouncy anticipation. But when late December and early January came up dry, resorts across Utah, Colorado and Wyoming started worrying. Snowfall totals were down. These are the ski areas where fresh powder turns craggy cliffs into pillow jumps, where trees that are unnavigable become a giant Plinko board waiting for skiers and riders to score the jackpot of a perfect run.
The BUMS couldn't help but wonder: would we experience the Great Wild West at its wildest?
This was our second trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming -- easily the most challenging ski resort in North America -- and in 2008, we got treated to a perfect serving of the dry white powder snow that the Great Tetons are famous for. As the trip grew closer, forty BUMS began looking at the weather forecasts with a hopeful eye...
And now we know what the locals mean when they go "snorkeling."
Sixty inches of snow -- yes, five feet -- fell during our five-day trip to Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee, setting up some of the best conditions they'd seen in years. When waist-deep stashes of dry powder snow blanket the Great Tetons, you feel like you could nearly drown in this stuff, and the BUMS were up for the challenge. Groups of expert skiers & riders tackled the famous Hobacks and Moran Woods, while a whole group of intermediates learned for the first time what it's like to float on top of the pow!
At the end of the day, we had the incredible Hotel Terra waiting for us to unwind and relax. We've booked dozens of hotels over the years for SKI BUMS trips, and this one became an instant-favorite. When a hotel is not only gay-friendly but eco-friendly, it's hard not to fall in love with the rooftop pool overlooking the Mangy Moose, the delicious cooking from the in-house restaurant, and the super cool staff who handled everything we could ask for. If you're booking your own trip to Jackson Hole, we can't recommend the Terra highly enough.
The amazing gang at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee made the trip even more fun -- JHMR even threw us a super cool après-ski party to welcome the BUMS to the mountain. Big ups to Ellie at JHMR! We boarded our own private bus daytrip to the huge, open slopes of Grand Targhee, complete with one of our famous bus parties on the way home. The weekend capped off with a delicious dinner at the Snake River Grill, easily some of the best cooking in the West (thanks, Katie!), and then the BUMS moseyed their way over to the famous saddle-barstools at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar for a final toast to the weekend. Yee haw!
If you've never been skiing or riding in the West, you're seriously missing out. There's nothing like flying down a mountain of soft white powder, knowing that if you take a tumble, you can laugh, brush yourself off and come back for more. By the time Sunday came and the skies were still dumping, it was awfully hard to leave... we'll simply have to plan a return trip soon!
Check out more SKI BUMS trips for the 2010 season >
The BUMS couldn't help but wonder: would we experience the Great Wild West at its wildest?
This was our second trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming -- easily the most challenging ski resort in North America -- and in 2008, we got treated to a perfect serving of the dry white powder snow that the Great Tetons are famous for. As the trip grew closer, forty BUMS began looking at the weather forecasts with a hopeful eye...
And now we know what the locals mean when they go "snorkeling."
Sixty inches of snow -- yes, five feet -- fell during our five-day trip to Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee, setting up some of the best conditions they'd seen in years. When waist-deep stashes of dry powder snow blanket the Great Tetons, you feel like you could nearly drown in this stuff, and the BUMS were up for the challenge. Groups of expert skiers & riders tackled the famous Hobacks and Moran Woods, while a whole group of intermediates learned for the first time what it's like to float on top of the pow!
At the end of the day, we had the incredible Hotel Terra waiting for us to unwind and relax. We've booked dozens of hotels over the years for SKI BUMS trips, and this one became an instant-favorite. When a hotel is not only gay-friendly but eco-friendly, it's hard not to fall in love with the rooftop pool overlooking the Mangy Moose, the delicious cooking from the in-house restaurant, and the super cool staff who handled everything we could ask for. If you're booking your own trip to Jackson Hole, we can't recommend the Terra highly enough.
The amazing gang at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee made the trip even more fun -- JHMR even threw us a super cool après-ski party to welcome the BUMS to the mountain. Big ups to Ellie at JHMR! We boarded our own private bus daytrip to the huge, open slopes of Grand Targhee, complete with one of our famous bus parties on the way home. The weekend capped off with a delicious dinner at the Snake River Grill, easily some of the best cooking in the West (thanks, Katie!), and then the BUMS moseyed their way over to the famous saddle-barstools at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar for a final toast to the weekend. Yee haw!
If you've never been skiing or riding in the West, you're seriously missing out. There's nothing like flying down a mountain of soft white powder, knowing that if you take a tumble, you can laugh, brush yourself off and come back for more. By the time Sunday came and the skies were still dumping, it was awfully hard to leave... we'll simply have to plan a return trip soon!
Check out more SKI BUMS trips for the 2010 season >
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| "Having attended several "Gay Ski Weeks", I had the usual questions or hesitations, but when SKI BUMS replied to an e-mail -- taking the time to look up & include the flight itinerary that I would take -- this convinced me that a trip with the Bums would be a totally different experience, and it was! Just being with like-minded guys, who were happy to be part of the group, made it so much fun! Look at the pictures, and see the smiles on our faces, enough said! |
