Bucket List Trips: Jackson Hole Mid-Winter Gear Guide

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NOTE: We all have a bucket list of ski trips, but prepping for your next big adventure can seem pretty overwhelming when it comes to choosing what to bring. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world for the last decade with skis in tow, and have learned a thing or two worth sharing about what kind of gear to bring to maximize the fun and minimize the stress. It’s worth noting that my recommendations are independent, come from learning from my own mistakes, and highlight things I’m truly excited about. This series is aimed at the generalist skier who’s interested in it all - powder, freeriding, some hiking and touring, the occasional shit-your-pants steep skiing moment, and most of all, adventure!

Check out the rest of our Bucket List Trips Guides here.

Skiing the legendary steeps and bottomless pow that Jackson Hole is rightfully known for might quickly go from bucket list trip to a lifestyle - at least that’s what happened to me and a whole bunch of my friends. When I first moved here seven years ago, I was enamored by the absolutely endless access to some of the best resort and backcountry skiing in the world. Just like the steeps of Chamonix and the bottomless pow of Japan, it’s home to a very particular brand of skiing that has been influential in a lot of gear design, and this gear guide reflects that.

Teton skiing can be defined many different ways depending on where you look. There’s the thriving backcountry freeride scene based around Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and its world-class access to big mountain terrain. South of the resort, on Teton Pass, you have some of the finest deep-powder tree skiing on the planet. Or head north in Grand Teton National Park, where you can find a very deep snowpack blanketing some of the gnarliest technical ski mountaineering objectives being crisscrossed by mountain guides and super-fit local recreationalists.

Choosing gear for a trip to Jackson in mid-winter might leave you scratching your head, but I’m hoping to give you some pointers based on what I like to bring out into the mountains here every day. Versatility, utility, and striking a balance between weight and performance (for touring gear) is key.

Skis: 110ish Underfoot Resort Skis + 105-110ish Underfoot Mid-Weight Touring Skis

The thing about skiing in Jackson Hole is that it’s truly one of the few places where the lift-access skiing is as good as the ski touring - so bringing two pairs of skis might be a wise choice. This is one of those mountain towns where the locals’ ski quivers will put yours to shame. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s reputation precedes it, and for good reason - the 2,500 acres of inbounds terrain are world-class, and the multiple access points to lift-serve backcountry terrain open up a literal lifetime more of ski terrain, the majority of which doesn’t require skins to get to. However, head up into Grand Teton National Park for a ski mountaineering mission or up Teton Pass for some pow laps, and you’ll quickly find that you’re racking up thousands of feet of vert getting the goods.

For a resort and sidecountry ski, I find the sweet spot to be right around that 110 mm-underfoot mark, on a ski with a pretty stiff flex and a healthy amount of tip and tail rocker. The inbounds terrain gets tracked out by 9:30 on a pow day, but I’ve learned to really enjoy skiing the leftovers and the wind-buffed chalky snow the upper mountain gets days after a storm rolls through. I like a damp, directional ski with a bit of tail rocker here, which allows me to schmear, slash, and quickly pivot through the trees, chutes, and bumps in my favorite inbounds terrain like Rendezvous Bowl, The Alta Chutes, and the Hobacks. A ski with some dampening material like cork or metal will help take the edge off charging through crud. If I’m heading out the gates, I find the same ski works well there too, especially if I’m hunting pow in the couloirs of Granite Canyon or on the faces of Cody Peak and beyond. Some great choices are the Blizzard Rustler or Sheeva 11, Volkl Revolt 114, K2 Mindbender 108Ti, or the Salomon QST Blank.

The magic of skiing in the Tetons mid-winter is that if you know what you’re doing, it’s possible to ski big lines in fresh snow - whether that’s couloirs in GTNP, or steep treed pillows on Teton Pass. I see far too many people skiing out there on a February pow day on 90-underfoot carbon skimo skis. If that’s your thing, go right ahead, but come on…live a little. You do know there are skis that can charge in pow and are light enough to go uphill for many hours, right?

For me, the 1500-1800g range at 105-110mm underfoot strikes a great compromise between deep snow performance and surviving what the locals call Teton High Alpine Variable - the kind of inconsistent wind-affected snow that might rattle a filling loose. I think a flat tailed ski is necessary for any technical ski objectives to use as a ski anchor, plus the extra confidence edging is always nice. Here’s a few favorites over the years that give me all the float I’d want, can hold an edge, and aren’t going to toss me around in shitty snow: 4FRNT’s Raven, the Black Crows Corvus Freebird, Faction’s La Machine 3 Mega, or the WNDR Alpine Intention 108.

Bindings: Freeride Bindings + Light Pin Bindings

Since I’m recommending two pairs of skis for this mission, I’ll recommend two pairs of bindings as well. For your lift-serve setup, go with whichever alpine binding suits your fancy. Choose an appropriate DIN range, make sure it’s compatible with your boot sole type (WTR, GripWalk, etc.) and mount em up. Take a look through my personal ski collection, and you’ll notice I’m not picky about alpine bindings - the functionality is largely identical across the board.

On the touring binding front, however, I’m all about optimizing functionality and weight. Like I’ve already mentioned, getting to the goods in the Teton-area backcountry will require quite a bit of walking - including a decent amount on flat ground if you’re planning to ski in Grand Teton National Park. Maybe someday the National Parks Service will build a parking lot less than two miles away from the mountains, but for now we can only dream. I will look for bindings with three key characteristics - an appropriate release value for my weight, a flat touring mode, and some sort of forward pressure or elasticity in the heel. All that needs to be packaged into the lightest possible setup. I prefer bindings without brakes - they don’t do much to stop a ski in pow, and make transitions more complicated.

Sounds like a tall order, but there are actually quite a few really good light tech bindings out there that fit that mold. Check out the ATK Kuluar LT, ATK Haute Route (or Raider for heavier skiers), Ski Trab Titan, and the Marker Alpinist. These are all essentially beefed-up skimo racing bindings (or stripped-down conventional touring bindings), and get the job done really well.

Boots: Stiff Freeride/Alpine Boots + Mid-Weight Touring Boots

Of course, you could get away with a single pair of boots with a walk mode for this trip, but if you’re bringing dedicated skis for inbounds and touring you’ll be much happier with dedicated boots as well.

Alpine boots are always a fun one to recommend, so I’m going to yet again give you my tried-and-true advice of seeing your local bootfitter and finding what best fits your foot. If you’re looking to aggressively ski lift-served inbounds and sidecountry terrain, a stiff freeride boot (120+ flex for men’s boots, 105+ for women’s) with a walk mode like the Tecnica Cochise, Atomic Hawx XTD, Nordica Unlimited, or Dalbello Cabrio will keep your feet and happy and legs ready to ski bell-to-bell. Most of these boots come with tech fittings so they will work with a touring binding (and can tour, but will tire you out quite quickly on long days).

For a touring boot, I’ve actually found that most four-buckle touring boots (with two exceptions) are kind of overkill for skiing around the Tetons. Bottom line, you’re going to be doing a lot of walking, so choosing a boot that reflects that is paramount. The skintracks can be quite steep, and many of the technical lines require a few hundred feet of bootpacking. It can also get really cold, so sizing up from your resort boots to accommodate swelling feet and perhaps some thicker socks would be wise. There are two specific four-buckle boots that I think are light enough and walk well enough for my use as an aggressive boot (read: skiing fast and maybe jumping off a few things here and there) and those are the Tecnica Zero G Pro Tour and the Scarpa Maestrale/Gea RS. Nothing else I’ve tried comes close.

If I’m going out and skiing mellow pow, picking my way through technical ski mountaineering lines, or just want to maximize the vert on any given day, I’ll turn to something in the 11-1200 gram range like the Tecnica Zero G Peak, La Sportiva Skorpius CR 2, or Scarpa F1 LT. Yes, you’ll give up some downhill ski performance in chunky snow and at high speeds, but on big missions you’ll be glad to have light, comfortable and efficient boots for the uphill.

Pack and Backcountry Gear: Airbag Vest + 30-40L Ski Touring Pack

Ski in the Tetons long enough, and you’ll soon recognize there’s a trend when it comes to what people do (and don’t) carry on backcountry tours. Local guides and recreationalists might seem to be skiing with ever-tinier packs, but the reality is they very carefully choose what goes in them based on the day. These mountains are large, complex, and you can get yourself in trouble very quickly just a few minutes from the resort or parking lot, so for me it’s always been about finding a balance between carrying enough to be prepared and not too much as to weigh me down.

No matter what I’m skiing or where I’m going, I’ll pack the same basic kit: avalanche beacon, shovel, and probe, 1L of water and a few snacks, a small first aid and survival kit, a compressible down jacket, a radio, a satellite SOS device, and either a Dyneema rescue sled or a guide tarp. From there, I’ll add on things depending on the objective, and choose a pack based on how much stuff I’m carrying.

Just going out the gates for a quick lap on Cody Peak or Granite Canyon? Nearly all the terrain you’ll ride out the gates of the resort is accessed top-down, so there isn’t much need for space to carry skins, a helmet, or extra ski-touring gear. I’ll typically cram that basic kit into an avalanche airbag vest like the Arva Reactor Vest or Mammut Free Vest 15 and call it good. I prefer the vest for skiing the sidecountry because it doesn’t get in the way when I’m loading chairlifts. Of course, a larger pack will work perfectly fine for skiing out the resort gates as well.

Heading out on a pow day for a few laps skiing powdery trees on Teton Pass or seeing what the hype is all about on Mt. Glory? I’ll bring the basics, plus a small snow study kit with an ECT cord and a snow saw, and probably an extra pair of gloves and buff. That will fit into a lightweight 30-40L backpack (I tend to forego an airbag when ski touring in familiar terrain, but that’s a personal choice) like the Patagonia Descensionist 32, Arcteryx Micon 32, Blue Ice Yagi 35, or a custom one from local maker Gavin Hess at Apocalypse Equipment. I look for packs with a vertical or diagonal ski carry, a good helmet carry system, one big compartment with either a back or side entry, a separate avalanche tool pocket, and compression straps that will squeeze the pack when it’s not full.

On days where I’m skiing something technical that requires a rappel or maybe some climbing, that same pack gets a lot more full, but I still like to live by the “less is more” philosophy. A typical personal technical day kit around here will have you needing a lightweight ski mountaineering harness (the Petzl Fly, Black Diamond Couloir LT, or Blue Ice Choucas are my choices), a belay device, three locking carabiners, an autoblock cord, and a rappel extension (grab a double length sling or something specific like the Petzl Connect Adjust).

Add in some collapsible aluminum crampons like the Petzl Leopard, Black Diamond Neve Pro, or Blue Ice Harfang, and a suitable lightweight ice axe like the Petzl Gully, Black Diamond Venom LT, or Blue Ice Falk and you’ll have everything you need to move through the mountains efficiently. Ropes will depend on your specific objective, but of course the old standby 6mm hyperstatic cord like the Petzl RAD Line, Beal Backup Line, are perfect here. One skill I’ve recently added to the arsenal is carrying this type of tiny rope pre-flaked inside a small bag that lives in the bottom of my pack - that way I can quickly deploy it straight out of my pack when I’m skiing for a rappel or ski belay.

Apparel: Hardshells + a Compressible Puffy Jacket

While most people would consider the Tetons a pretty dry place, when you’re out skiing in a February inch-an-hour snowstorm, you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll be soaked to the bone. When it snows, it snows hard. Most mid-winter days, especially on storm days, I’m wearing a light Gore-Tex or other hardshell kit both at the resort and on the skintrack.

I wear bibs almost every day I’m out, preferring them for the added water and snow-proofing, and I just find they’re way more comfortable. In a jacket, I’m looking for one breathable enough to occasionally wear while skinning, waterproof enough to sit on a chairlift in a storm, but compressible enough to stash in my pack when needed on the skintrack. Recently, I’ve been a huge fan of MADE Apparel’s custom ski jacket, and Mountain Equipment Company’s Couloir Gore-Tex jacket and bibs - both options check those boxes in a stylish fit for both men’s and women’s versions.

An extra compressible mid-weight puffy jacket always lives in my pack when in the Teton backcountry - I’ll often pull it out at snack breaks or when things get really cold on summits. Plus, it can be a crucial lifesaving tool in the event of an emergency. Down is warmer and more compressible, but synthetic material is better suited for wet weather. I love the Mammut Meron, RAB Neutrino, or Patagonia Micro Puff. These all pack down to the size of a small water bottle and are incredibly warm.

The Local’s Beta: XtraTuf boots

A town as legendary as Jackson Hole doesn’t just go to sleep when the lifts stop spinning and the sun goes down. On those storm days, things will get really sloppy in the valleys, and I’ve found good reason to wear high-top rubber boots like Alaska’s classic XtraTufs most days of the winter to keep my feet warm and dry while trying to get through plow piles and snow drifts on the way to dinner. Pair that with a flannel shirt and you’ll fit right in with the locals at the Stagecoach or Mangy Moose for après.