The Great American Adventure Awaits
Mother Nature blessed Jackson Hole with great beauty. Perfectly placed at the southern half of the Great Yellowstone Ecosystem, Jackson Hole is surrounded by mountains with meadows, sage flats, a river and lake, and a national forest and wildlife refuge. High in the Rockies, it sits on the doorstep of Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks.
In the winter months, the region is blanketed with snow and transformed into a winter wonderland. Bison, elk, moose, pronghorn antelope, deer and wolves descend into the valley seeking food and shelter – and come close enough to people for comfortable viewing. When the snow melts, the rivers flow with great energy and the mountains are caressed by wildflowers. Warm-weather recreation abounds in a dry climate with cool nights.
Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole is designed to help its guests experience the best of all seasons. During the snow season, the Ski Concierge is on hand. In the summer, fall and spring, the operation transforms into a Base Camp for all warm weather sports and activities. The Resort’s Concierge is available year-round to plan cultural activities.
Savour Perfect Snow Conditions
With more than 25,000 acres (10, 117 hectares) at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, skiers enjoy the longest continuous vertical drop in the U.S. (4,139 ft. or 1,262 m) and an average snowfall of 400 inches (1,016 cm). Plus there are now 11 lifts, including a tram and gondola, just yards away from the Resort. The Resort is right in front of both Après Vous Mountain, ideal for beginners and intermediate skiers and Rendezvous Mountain, well known for its more advanced runs.
Winter choices include alpine skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, tubing, snowmobiling, ice-skating and dogsledding. For those wanting more extremes, a helicopter can transport skiers and snowboarders to remote mountain locations for perfect solitude and untracked powder snow.
A very special way to savour snow is with a sleigh ride. The starting point is the National Museum of Wildlife Art, nestled into a hillside overlooking the National Elk Refuge. Sleigh rides are offered during the winter months when 8,000 elk reside on the 25,000-acre (10, 117 hectares) refuge. The museum also houses an interpretive centre for the National Elk Refuge, staffed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists. An exhibit features a display of elk specimens, educational films and information about the country’s largest elk herd.
On Nature’s Doorstep
The mountains during the spring, summer and fall offer other delights. Many of the ski lifts turn into scenic chairlifts. Visitors can enjoy the mountains by mountain biking, climbing, hiking or soaring above them in a hot-air balloon.
Water sports include white water rafting, scenic river floats, lake cruises, kayaking and canoeing. The Snake and Green rivers provide some of the world’s best fly fishing, where anglers can find the rare Snake River cutthroat trout and other game fish.
Dazzling mountain views enhance the golf experience at two nearby semi-private courses: the Arnold Palmer-designed Teton Pines Golf Club and the Robert Trent Jones-designed Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club in Grand Teton National Park.
A Chance to Discover One’s Inner Cowboy
Wyoming is affectionately known as the “Cowboy State,” with a rich frontier history of ranching and trapping. Cowboy aficionados relish the free “Wild West Showdown” with local actors and ranchers in the town of Jackson (offered at 6:15 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, from Memorial Day to Labour Day). Other western pleasures include rodeos, covered wagon trips, cowboy cookouts and horseback riding.
For a glimpse of the Old West, the nearby town of Jackson with its western-style storefronts and wooden boardwalks features art galleries and shops that are full of pottery, photography, antiques, Native American and locally made jewellery, western-style souvenirs and local food products.
Art and Culture of the Old West
Culture lovers will be pleasantly surprised by all that Jackson Hole has to offer. Since 1962, the Grand Teton Music Festival has filled the mountains with the sound of music in the summer. The orchestra is comprised of leading professional orchestral musicians from around the country, along with renowned guest soloists and conductors. Concerts are held in the 740-seat Walk Festival Hall in Teton Village (within walking distance of Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole). Other performance houses and festivals in the region showcase dance, music, theatre and art.
Home to the nation’s premier public collection of fine art devoted to wildlife, the National Museum of Wildlife features permanent and changing exhibitions, a hands-on discovery centre for children, educational videos, a café and gift shop. Featured among its collection of 2,000 paintings, sculptures, photographs and works on paper include John J. Audubon, Robert Bateman, Pablo Picasso and Carl Runguis. (A 20-minute drive from the Resort.)
To further enrich the guest experience, Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole presents seasonal programs in the evening on such subjects as astronomy, mountain expeditions, local authors, wildlife, cowboy poetry, Indian culture, folklore and other local lore.
Unwind at the Resort’s Spa, Pool Deck or Library
What better place to soothe the aches of physical exertion or rest one’s mind and spirit than in the Resort’s Spa. Spa Director, Karin Steidl, who recently joined from Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, has developed an innovative menu of massages, facials, and body and hydrotherapy treatments. Exploring local ingredients, Steidl will use the clay used by the “White Clay People,” an Indian tribe called the Anai, and adapt it for moisturizing treatments for both men and women.
With panoramic views of Rendezvous and Après Vous ski trails, the pool deck offers guests another soothing place to relax. Guests can rest in the chaise lounges surrounded by lush evergreen landscaping, soak in the whirlpools or enjoy a refreshing swim in the heated pool. An outdoor fireplace and heated deck make it warm enough for wintertime. In the summer, a lattice portico and several umbrellas provide ample shade.
The Resort’s Library contains a selection of books on Wyoming and the American West as well as local flora and fauna, for those wishing to curl up with a good book. A jigsaw puzzle always is laid out as a work in progress for anyone to complete. In the evening, the Library is set up with two card tables and games.
