Grand Targhee, Wyoming

Description

Grand Targhee is a compact friendly resort located on the west slopes of the magnificent Teton mountain range. The resort is eponymously named after the Indian leader Chief Targhee, a brave and respected chief from yesteryear. The skiing area was the idea of local residents of Driggs – it first opened in December 1969. The skiing facilities have since changed ownership several times; the current owners, the Gilletts, bought the resort in 1997 and are pursuing plans to further develop and extend it.

The skiing is divided between 2 mountains, Fred’s Peak (9862 ft) and Peaked Mountain (9830ft). The top of Fred’s Mountain is reached by the Dreamcatcher quad which rises directly from the base area. Peaked is served by the Sacajawea quad – its bottom station is a half-mile gentle glide down from the base area.

Kids have a separate and imaginative area set aside for them under the Shoshone lift. They can zip into the Bat Cave, avoid the Gremlin, and shoot through Giant Ants. The kids school run from Powder Scouts HQ is friendly, fun and good value. Kids (and grown ups) also love the tubing center by the magic carpet.

For Beginners, there’s a small magic carpet by the ski school for your first (shambolic!) attempts. As you progress, you’ll graduate to a larger area accessible from the top of Shoshone. By the end of the week you should be confident enough to tackle the superb Tetons Vista Traverse, a never-ending 2.7mile green run cat track which starts from the very top of Fred’s Mountain. On a clear day, if you can manage to lift your eyes just a moment from the way ahead, you’ll clock wonderful views of the Tetons. The best beginners run anywhere!

Lots of the powder terrain at Grand Targhee is perfectly angled for Intermediates. Large areas remain pristine all day, letting you learn powder skiing techniques without fear of those dreaded words ‘it’s all skied out’. If you prefer perfectly groomed runs, there’s lots of choice on both mountains.

There’s more for Experts than meets the eye. On Fred Mt, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly make good warm-up lines. Peaked Mountain offers more options. Good picks here are Reliable, Toilet Bowl and Das Boat, steep lines down the west facing bowl. Another alternative is the exciting hike up Mary’s Nipple, to access some stupendous powder lines. If you’ve got deep pockets, there’s also an extensive cat skiing operation on-hand.

Accommodation-wise, the resort is fairly limited. In the base area there’s a small number of hotel rooms in Targhee Lodge and Teewinot Lodge, and suites in Sioux Lodge. Apres-ski at the Trap Bar and Grill is always lively and enjoyable – be sure to try the knock-out ‘Targhini’ drink. An alternative is to stay in Driggs, about 12 miles away.