Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has been a long time Ski Challenge Sponsor. They have hosted our December Race camp for many years and offer Ski Challenge members a great deal on lift tickets.
Jackson Hole opened to the public in 1964. Before 1961, the area that would become the resort was the Crystal Springs Girl Scout Ranch. Paul McCollister purchased the ranch and formed the Jackson Hole Ski Corporation in 1963 with partners Alex Morley and Gordon Graham. Construction of the ski resort began a year later, and Apres Vous mountain opened with two double chairlifts. The original tram opened on July 31, 1966; carrying 52 people, it took 10.5 minutes to reach the summit elevation of 10,450 ft. The resort officially opened in December 1966.
1964 Olympic gold medalist Josef “Pepi” Stiegler of Austria was hired that same year as ski school director. Jackson Hole hosted World Cup ski races in 1967, 1970, and 1975.
Mountain Characteristics
- Terrain: 2 mountains, Apres Vous and Rendezvous
- 2,500 acres of in-bounds terrain
- Vertical drop of 4,139 feet
- Base elevation: 6,311 feet/1924 meters
- Summit elevation: 10,450 feet/3185 meters
- Uphill capacity: 17,833 skiers per hour
- Open backcountry gate system accesses over 3000+ acres
Runs
- 133 Named Trails on the map
- 50% expert
- 40% intermediate
- 10% beginner
Other fun facts
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has the longest continuous vertical rise of any ski area in the U.S rising 4,139 feet from the valley floor to the top of Rendezvous Mountain! Grand Teton National Park was created in 1929 and greatly expanded in 1950 due to the determined efforts of John D. Rockefeller, who purchased and then donated a great deal of the land that is under protection today. Jackson Hole was originally named Jackson’s Hole for Davey Jackson, a mountain man who trapped in this area during the late 1800’s. “Hole” was a term used in that day to describe a high mountain valley.