Trip Leaders: Brice Crossley and Jeannie Staubus
The 2018 Florida Ski Council Jackson Hole trip was an activity packed trip with 262 people from 8 ski clubs. Once again the resort lived up to its reputation as a skiers' destination with plenty of snow and a friendly western flair. After safe travels from Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta and Baltimore, our group of 37 settled into our accommodations at the 49er Inn near the town center. I should mention we got our wildlife sightings started immediately on the bus ride from the airport to the resort. There were several moose laying in the snow just outside the airport, herds of elk in the reserve on the drive to town, and later in the week we saw coyotes wandering through the meadows near the resort.
Our Sunday group dinner was at the Gun Barrel Steak and Game House. In addition to great food, the restaurant also features many of the full mount game trophies and antique cowboy artifacts from the location's former Wyoming Wildlife Museum. For our club we also had a group happy hour Tuesday at the Mangy Moose, a slope side watering hole decorated floor to ceiling with all sorts of memorabilia and odd artifacts.
With snow falling nearly every day, there was new discoveries of powder stashes and new groomers on the mountain each day. On Wednesday, many of us took the day trip to the Grand Targhee resort which provided us a near perfect day of skiing with a clear sky, no crowds, long smooth groomers and plenty of soft powder.
FSC activities included to dinners at the Snow King resort where at our Thursday Wild, Wild West theme party, Jim and Sharon won the best couple costume prize.
For the non-skiers and those who took a day or two off, they also found Jackson Hole to be a winter wonderland. Some rode the tram for the spectacular views of the Grand Teton Mountains and the top of the world dining experience in Corbit's Cabin, where they will serve you anything you like as long as it is waffles! Definitely a treat and worth the ride up to the top! Between the cross country skiing, sleigh rides through the elk reserve, snowmobile rides, and wandering through the shops and art museums in the town of Jackson, everyone had a great time.