There can be few more spectacular settings for a mountain resort than Wyoming's Jackson Hole, with the Teton mountains towering above. As thrilling as the view is, it only gets better when you and 62 other lucky souls board the aerial tram for the 12 minute ride to the top of Rendezvous Mountain.
Unlike most North American resorts, Jackson Hole is ready-made for free skiing. Trails have little meaning in the expanse of the resort's upper reaches. In this setting, skills count -- the high terrain at Jackson is best suited to advanced and expert skiers. Recent lift additions provide better access to the gentler slopes on the lower half of the mountain. Because Jackson's base elevation is relatively low for the Rocky Mountains (6,311 feet, 1,924 meters), snow quality on the lower half of the mountain can be a problem. One solution is to spend a day or two at Grand Targhee, on the other side of the Teton mountain range.
Some lonely French-Canadian fur trappers named the Grand Tetons for their likeness to big breasts. Jackson Hole was originally named Jackson's Hole for Davey Jackson, a mountain man who trapped in the area during the late 1800's. "Hole" was a term used in that day to describe a high mountain valley.