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Skiing and Motorless Winter Activities
Backcountry and Cross Country Skiing
Let's go here first as it is the purest of the winter outdoor experiences.
Rendezvous Ski Tours and Guest House
Located in Fox Creek Canyon slightly North of Victor
Phone (208)-787-2906 These guys have a cool guest house and some yurts that are located in the Teton backcountry. A very memorable experience for accomplished telemark skiers and those funny randonee types. Carol Lowe and Glenn Vitucci are the folks who make it happen. You'll have to make reservations far in advance as this is a popular venue(especially around the full moon)
Teton Pass- not an organized resort or pay area but maybe the best backcountry ski area in the country. This National forest area bisected by the Teton Pass road offers almost 3000 vertical feet of first class telemark terrain. Not for the first timer! You would be an absolute moron to ski this terrain without a map, water, shovel ,avalanche transceiver and and some very experienced friends to dig your ass out in the worst case scenario. If you don't get my drift DO NOT GO THERE! Two snowboarders were killed here a couple of years ago, unfortunately for them and many others like them, they didn't have any business being out there until they had the proper training in backcountry travel.
Grand Targhee- in spite of it's remote location the drive to Grand Targhee's and it's flat track is well worth the effort. Last year it was only $ 8 for a day pass to the Targhee track. Easily the most scenic track on either side of the Tetons plan on almost an hour to get there from Victor and 15 minutes less from Driggs. The resort also has a full rental shop.
Trail Creek Track- even though it is over there on the wrong side of the pass (Jackson Hole) it is close enough to offer people in Teton Valley a fine track alternative to Targhee.
Teton Canyon- Not a groomed track but the sheer volume of people using this popular forest access, should save you the effort of breaking track. Spectacular views are afforded by this trail that winds gently to the west below Grand Targhee unfortunately the area is also used by some snow machiners although their access is somewhat limited. I'm not against snow machines they just need to have a separate space as their tinny screech is not typically what a backcountry skier wants to hear.
Lift Serviced and Fixed Heel Skiing
By far the most popular reason for winter visitation to the area. There are many sites devoted to this topic so rather than waste a lot of time here, I'll list some of the popular local sites.
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort- http://www.jacksonhole.com/ AKA "The Big One". The main reason most skiers visit the Tetons. It is these days the "Big One" because of ticket prices, lift lines, and attitudes. In spite of it's management (which is much improved) , it is still the premier ski mountain in the US.
Grand Targhee Ski Resort- http://www.grandtarghee.com/ The quieter and less challenging little brother to Jackson Hole. The resort is known for the best scenery and snow anywhere, but unless you're seeking total seclusion and airline food, you'll probably like it better down in the valley which is where the amenities are. It's a 30-45 minute drive up to the area, and an hour to Jackson Hole from Victor or Driggs, so no matter where you plan to stay rent a car. Since the area was bought by George Gillette (of Vail fame) a lot of his optimism has been brought to the area, but real change has yet to occur with the notable exception of some new chairlifts.
Big Sky Ski Resort- http://www.bigskyresort.com/ Located in Bozeman Mt Big sky is becoming a regular day trip for visitor's to our valley. At 2hrs, it is a long day but more and more the adventurous tourist is going for it as a way to enhance their week long stays here.
SunValley- http://www.sunvalley.com/ These guys know amenities. You can eat better than New York city at their warming huts
Don't laugh every year we have a tour group from Germany that knows how to get the
biggest bang for their buck.. A day in Sun Valley (3 ½ hours) a day in Jackson hole, and a day
at Big Sky, Grand Targhee and the cheap rooms in Driggs, make for a true working ski
vacation on a shoe-string budget. If the snow isn't that great it really breaks up the week.
Don't forget a day of snowmachining in Yellowstone as another alternative.
Snow-Shoeing
I'm still digging for sources on this topic should be up around x-mas 99.