Latest news with #skiresort
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Where To Ski and What To Do at Grand Targhee
Wyoming's Teton Range gets a lot of hype, and rightfully so. As one of the cradles of North American alpine climbing, ski mountaineering and, more recently, mountain running, these jagged peaks hold significance in many a mountain traveler's heart. Most skiers think of Jackson Hole as the place to go skiing here, but ask any local where they've had the deepest days of their life, and they'll likely tell you it was at Grand sleepy mid-size resort, located on the west side of the Tetons, stands in stark contrast to the luxury vibe at Jackson Hole. Instead, it's still about the skiing here, with over 500 inches of annual snowfall, massive acreage and a huge variety of terrain and long, fall-line runs that somehow just don't get tracked out. The local vibe remains warm and welcoming, focusing on a no-frills approach to having a good time powder skiing. Perhaps the best part? The views. From the viewing deck on the summit of the Dreamcatcher lift, the high peaks of Grand Teton National Park feel like a stone's throw away. Location: Alta, Wyoming Acreage: 2602 skiable acres Vertical Drop: 2270 feet Number of Lifts: 6 Terrain Breakdown: 10% beginner, 45% intermediate, 30% advanced, 15% expert Most Difficult Terrain: Bobcat Average Annual Snowfall: 500+' To put it simply, Grand Targhee is one of the best places to go for skiing deep inbounds powder. Thanks to a favorable location on the snowy side of the range, the resort frequently receives huge amounts of snowfall. Like double-digit huge, many times a year. Time your trip with a storm like this, and you're in for some of the deepest turns of your life. Targhee's huge variety of terrain also plays nicely with deep snow. Sure, there are plenty of steeps, but most of the mountain offers wide-open lower-angle slopes, perfect for surfing through the deep stuff. Some favorite intermediate runs include dropping off the summit into Wild Willie and Crazy Horse, soaking in the views of the Tetons on Rolling Thunder, or carving down any of the groomers below the Blackfoot lift. If you're looking for more of a challenge, test your big-mountain skills on the North Face of Peaked Mountain. Drop into Bobcat (used annually as a freeride comp venue) and navigate mandatory airs, huge exposure and some seriously steep skiing, or go for a short hike up to Mary's Nipple and slash turns through the steep trees. If it hasn't snowed in a few days (a rare occurrence here) and the sun's out, Targhee is an excellent place to cruise down some perfectly manicured groomers. Thanks to the predominantly west-facing aspect, the groomers tend to get softer and better as the day progresses, meaning there's no need to get up early to chase a year-round destination, there are multiple lifetimes of things to do in the area. Surrounded by not one, but two national parks, plus a wilderness area and a national forest, the main attraction here is the mountains. Outside of the resort skiing in the winter, rent a fat bike or Nordic skis and cruise up Teton Canyon to soak in the views of the Tetons high above. The backcountry skiing in the area also happens to be world class, with easy access from Teton Canyon and Teton Pass. Both Driggs and Jackson offer numerous options for backcountry skiing guide services and gear rental. Finally, it might tickle your fancy to drive an hour north to West Yellowstone, rent snowmobiles and motor into Yellowstone National Park to view geysers and winter wildlife and take in the beauty of America's oldest National the summer, those same areas come alive with mountain bikers, hikers and flyfishing enthusiasts. Teton Valley is home to hundreds of miles of singletrack for all ability levels. The calm waters of the Teton River are a great place for a mellow float on a paddleboard, raft, or tube, or link up with a local flyfishing guide and see if the trout are being a world-class ski area should be worthy of enough praise on its own, Targhee really comes alive in the summer. Featuring one of the largest downhill mountain bike parks in the Mountain West, plus almost 50 miles of manicured XC trails, Targhee is a haven for mountain bikers, hosting races and bike festivals throughout the summer. If you're not a two-wheeled enthusiast, Targhee still has you covered with 8+ miles of hiking trails, plus plenty of events all summer long, including a Cirque Series running race and the world-famous Targhee Bluegrass to its high elevation and massive amounts of snowfall, Targhee's season starts earlier and ends later than most. If you're looking for a classic powder skiing experience, you'll most likely find that during the seemingly endless storm cycles that tend to bury the range in mid-February and early March. The 'Ghee is also a primo place for slushy spring skiing, so don't hesitate to come back again in April to score some late-season corn turns. Tucked away high on the western slope of the Teton Range on the Wyoming border, Grand Targhee is only accessible by driving through Idaho. If you're looking to stay as close as possible to the powder, the resort offers on-mountain lodging with some basic amenities like a spa, pool and hot tub. Though a bit dated, the base area lodging is in the process of a multi-year upgrade. Alternatively, there are a few small hotels and bed and breakfasts (plus plenty of vacation rental homes and AirBnBs) in Teton Valley. If you're looking for more options, the town of Jackson is about an hour's drive away and offers the full gamut of accommodations from five-star resort hotels to budget motels. Targhee is also one of the few resorts we've found that still offers parking lot camping options for skiers with camper vans or RVs. You can even rent an approved portable firepit to use in the parking lot for the full campfire is located a few miles from Alta, Wyoming, high above Teton Valley, Idaho. The closest major town is Driggs. You'll likely want a car to get around, but there are a few public bus lines and resort shuttles that connect the resort to the town of Jackson Hole and the Jackson Hole Airport. If you're staying in Jackson and take the GTR shuttle, you'll even get a discounted lift ticket. On-mountain dining is focused in the small base area, and the crown jewel is undoubtedly the bustling Trap Bar. Try out the local-favorite Wydaho Nachos, paired with a pint of local beer. If you're staying on the mountain and want to mix things up a bit with a fancier meal, don't skip out on the Powder Cache restaurant next door. Down the valley, Driggs has a much larger selection of excellent food, including the bakery and coffee at Wydaho Roasters, great pan-Asian fare at Teton Thai, or pub food at the Royal Wolf. Targhee is one of the few resorts where true powder skis make sense as a daily driver, so if you're coming to visit during a storm cycle, fat powder skis are certainly your friend. Temps can get pretty cold, especially during storms (shoutout to low-density powder), but the dry air and cold, dry snow tend to mean it doesn't actually feel that cold. Gore-Tex outerwear and an extra layer are always a good To Ski and What To Do at Grand Targhee first appeared on Powder on May 31, 2025
News.com.au
25-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Insane look at world's first ‘vertical ski village' in Saudi Arabia
It's a stark, mountainous moonscape deep in the Saudi Arabian desert. But it is about to become the world's most exotic ski resort. All it takes to achieve this is money. Lots of it. The enormous Trojena mountain retreat sits 2500m high on Jebel al Lawz, a mountain in northwest Saudi Arabia. It's being touted as the world's first 'vertical ski village'. At its heart is 30km of artificial ski slopes winding above towering hotels, villas and shopping malls. And its artificial snow machines will be fed by an artificial lake containing 57 billion litres of water. The Trojena ski city is just one of six megaprojects that form Saudi Arabia's exceedingly ambitious NOEM future is the brainchild of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, also known as MBS. If completed, his bold vision would embed his initials alongside history's legendary builder kings, from Darius the Great and King Solomon to Emperor Hadrian and Pharaoh Seneferu. But his $14 trillion dream is in trouble. Discover life at new heightsâ€'at the Ski Village. Experience the joy of waking up above the clouds, surrounded by endless experiences at every level. This is mountain living, elevated in every sense. Welcome to a lifestyle where the sky is truly the limit. — TROJENA (@NEOMTROJENA) March 5, 2025 Critics claim as many as 21,000 workers have been killed since work began in 2017. And some $80 billion has already been sunk into the foundations of megastructures including the 170km long, 500m tall mirrored 'long-scraper' The Line. NEOM is believed to have depleted its cash reserves to about $24 billion. That may be why its longstanding Chief Executive Officer unexpectedly quit his role last year amid accusations of cost blowout cover-ups and cooked books. The Crown Prince has taken seven months to settle on a replacement. Head among the clouds The Crown Prince envisions a luxurious, ultra-modern, green-tech future built on the final decades of revenue from his nation's vast oil reserves. His idea is to entice big tech investors to set up shop in a dazzling showcase of their wares. And sky-high ski slopes are supposed to be a significant early selling point. 'It's integral because it exhibits an overall spectrum of what NEOM can offer – from the coastal beach developments and our car-free city, The Line, all the way to our automated port and the airport,' Trojena Executive Director Philip Gullett says in a website statement. From up there you can look over to the Gulf of Aqaba too. And over to Egypt as well as the whole NEOM region,' But time is running out. Saudi Arabia has signed up to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games. That puts a hard construction deadline of just four years for the resort's completion. Gullett told the Saudi Giga Projects Summit last week that work on his portion of the NEOM mega project was 'a military operation'. To nobody's surprise, he added the remote mountain location has posed a considerable challenge. Being in the middle of a desert also presents practical problems. 'Most of the snow in Trojena will be machine-made snow,' Trojena's senior development manager admits on Instagram. 'Over the past five winters, we've rigorously tested snow-making technologies and meticulously designed our future slopes to deliver unforgettable adventures with minimal environmental impact.' Money matters NEOM's interim CEO, Aiman Al-Mudaifer, has now been formally embedded in the role. He's been tasked with fast-tracking the completion of several key project components. 'Over the past months, Al-Mudaifer has remained focused on maintaining operational continuity, improving efficiencies and accelerating progress across NEOM's strategic projects and regions,' a NEOM press statement reads. But analysts suspect this will likely involve dramatic cutbacks. Amid labour and supply shortages, this will enable efforts to be focused on completing the first 2.5km segment of the 170km long The Line megastructure. This portion of the automated residential city will include a vast new stadium. And that must be finished by 2034 to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Mudaifer, a building engineer, previously headed Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund's real estate division. He has initiated an in-depth review of the NEOM project's goals, progress, and where new priorities should be placed. Predictions that the scheme will take another 50 years to complete have been criticised as overly optimistic. And its $14 trillion price tag – a figure NEOM executives fiercely dispute – is 25 greater than Saudi Arabia's annual gross domestic product (GDP). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned global oil prices must consistently remain above $US100 per barrel for the kingdom to afford its exploding debt. It currently stands at just above $US60. However, the Crown Prince is determined to drum up global excitement for his dream. US President Donald Trump viewed models of the kingdom's development plans on his recent visit to the Gulf region. US media reports Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has since signed several multi-billion dollar deals with US investors.
CBC
19-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
The surprisingly low-tech way a B.C. ski resort is saving its snow
Social Sharing The Sun Peaks ski resort near Kamloops, in B.C.'s Interior, has a new tool to fight the impacts of warming temperatures: 18 giant, insulated blankets to help keep their powder cool during summer months. The resort said its 300-foot long snow mat, believed to be the first of its kind in Canada, was developed by a Finnish company called Snow Secure. The company marketed the product as a way to ensure reliable early-season ski conditions amid warming temperatures. Crews at Sun Peaks spent part of the winter harvesting snow and bringing it to a singular location high in the mountain. They then covered the pile to protect it from the summer sun. When fall comes around, they'll begin distributing the snow in order to make full runs, available for alpine teams to train on. "It's fantastic ... we can stay home and save some money," said Euan Currie, a ski cross racer based at Sun Peaks. Typically, he travels to Europe early in the ski season in order to find enough snow to work with, but he hopes this new strategy will help give him a home-court advantage. "Earlier ski times equals more winning," he said. WATCH | Sun Peaks launches snow storage technology: Sun Peaks Resort launches new snow storage technology 2 days ago Duration 2:44 The surprisingly simple technology was launched in Europe around the turn of the century, and has become increasingly popular among resorts there. The blankets are made using extruded polystyrene and have real-time temperature monitoring. More recently, they've been adopted by North American ski hills as they deal with increasingly unreliable climate patterns that have led to declines in both revenue and people willing to shell out money for season passes that may not be put to good use. Currie's father, Duncan, is Sun Peak's operations director and one of the people who has been laying the blankets out. He said each one covers the equivalent of about four football fields. He said even when temperatures surpass 30 C, it's expected 75 to 80 per cent of the snow should stay secure. "We have confidence that the quality of the snow will be what we want to train on," he said. Sun Peaks said it shelled out $180,000 for the mats but believes it's a worthwhile investment if it means a more secure ski season. According to CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe, the spring snow pack in B.C.'s souther Interior mountains has dropped between 20 and 40 per cent since the 1970s. Based on current trends, another 10 to 40 per cent could be lost by 2035. "We are going to lose more snow," she said, adding many winter resorts are looking for ways to preserve the season. Sun Peaks communications director Christina Antoniak said she's excited for the mats to come off this fall and the ability to announce the start of the season, earlier and with more confidence than in recent years. "I think it's going to be a very milestone day," she said.
