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The Washington Post

December 15, 1991, Sunday, Final Edition

SECTION: SUNDAY TRAVEL; PAGE E1

LENGTH: 2449 words

HEADLINE: Bowled Over;

In Wyoming, Different Slopes for Different Folks

SERIES: Occasional

BYLINE: Terri Shaw, Washington Post Staff Writer

BODY:

It was the sixth day of our second trip to Jackson Hole, the mountain resort for serious skiers, and I was feeling cocky. We had already skied without mishap several steep slopes that had intimidated me the year before. I had developed what I thought was a foolproof method of skiing those wide, steep bumpy bowls that are the jewels of Western ski areas: If you are afraid to ski straight downhill, just traverse sideways across the bowl until you find a spot where you feel comfortable making a turn. Sooner or later there would be one, I assumed.

So, after my husband, Steve, and I had spent an hour or so skiing with Sue Gronberg, one of Jackson's "ski hosts," I felt confident enough to suggest we start down Laramie Bowl, one we had been advised against trying the year before. We had skied Cheyenne Bowl, on the other side of the Thunder chairlift, several times, and had always found a congenial place to start those downhill turns after that long -- some might call it chicken -- traverse at the top.

Gronberg warned us that Laramie Bowl narrowed to a gap between two boulders that we might have trouble getting through. She pointed the spot out from the lift. Even though a suspicious number of people seemed to have stopped just above it -- and a few others had fallen halfway down -- we decided to try.

But once we had our skis on the snow heading across the top of Laramie Bowl, I realized that it was, indeed, very steep. The view of the mountain, part of the Grand Teton range, and the Snake River valley below was breathtaking, but if you looked down at your skis and thought about where they might go next, vertigo could quickly set in.

What I had thought would be an easy traverse seemed to take a very long time. Whenever I thought about turning my skis downhill, my gut shouted, "Not yet!" But, following Gronberg, I made a few shaky turns and soon we were at the gap between the boulders.

Then I understood why so many people were standing around just above it.

It's not that it was narrow, at least not for Eastern skiers who are used to narrow trails, but it was very steep and rutted with the tracks of other frightened skiers who had tried to get across it the same way we would.

Our ski host expertly eyed the skiers ahead of us, one a man who had stopped dead in his tracks right where I wanted to cross, the other a woman in a stylish pink outfit who was wobbling across ahead of him. Her hand moved nervously toward the radio she would use to call the ski patrol in the event of an accident.

But as we watched, the two skiers wobbled successfully across the gap between the boulders. I took a deep breath and followed. One quick turn at the edge of the gulley, another at the other side, and we were home free, heading down a wide-open slope to the bottom of the chairlift, and ready for another run.

We can now add Laramie Bowl to our list of runs skied without mishap -- if not yet with style. And it is the hope of someday skiing it with panache that will take us back to Jackson Hole again.

Jackson Hole is definitely a place for macho skiers -- serious bragging material. Located in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest, surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery in North America, it is a feast for the eyes as well as a test of skiing ability. Although in recent years there has been less snow than usual, Jackson Hole is also famous for the deep powder mid-Atlantic skiers dream about but seldom experience.

And when snow is scarce at Jackson Hole, as it was when we were there in February, there is almost always more at Grand Targhee in Alta, about a one-hour drive across the 8,500-foot Teton Pass. With only three chairlifts and a rope tow, compared with Jackson Hole's 10 ski lifts, Targhee is smaller and has less intimidating terrain. But the open slopes, punctuated with glades of aspen and pine, make for a joyous and relaxing skiing experience.

Both Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee have lodging facilities, but a popular spot to stay while skiing both is the sophisticated Western town of Jackson, Wyo., with accommodations ranging from a bunkhouse to a well-appointed hotel with its own respectable ski slope, Snow King Mountain. The town is about 50 miles from the southern entrance of Yellowstone National Park and just a few miles outside Grand Teton National Park.

The town's Western flavor is reflected in the central square, whose four corners are marked by arches made of antlers shed by the thousands of elks who winter in a refuge just outside town. Surrounding the square are upscale shops offering outdoor clothing and equipment, Western art and jewelry and lots of lavish nature books.

At night, visitors gravitate to the restaurants -- most of them casual and surprisingly inexpensive -- and several cowboy bars with stuffed moose and elk heads, pool tables and, in at least one case, saddles on the bar stools.

Skiers from around the world, taking advantage of the weakness of the dollar, have discovered Jackson Hole in recent years. Residents of Western Europe, Asia and South America enjoy both the skiing and the picturesque Western setting.

Visitors who do not ski, or who want to take a break from skiing, can explore the surrounding parks where wildlife is abundant and often easier to spot in the winter than in summer.

But most winter visitors are in Jackson for the skiing -- both downhill at the three ski areas and cross-country in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks and other wilderness areas.

Our first trip to Jackson Hole a year earlier had left us with a craving for more. On that visit, we skied many of the intermediate slopes and a few marked with the black diamonds that mean "expert." We traveled from town to the ski area in the inexpensive -- but very crowded -- shuttle buses provided by our hotel and the local transit system, so we did not see much of the surrounding area. We enjoyed walking around town at night, but didn't have time to take the one-day bus trip to Targhee.

So last fall, when an airline advertised two-for-the-price-of-one tickets to Jackson, we snapped them up. We scouted out the most inexpensive accommodations, settling on a motel on the outskirts of town that advertised a special rate for skiers -- $ 150 a week for a double room with a small kitchen. The motel was on the bus route to the ski area, but we decided to rent a car.

Sticking to a budget was not difficult. The motel was next door to a well-stocked supermarket, so we were able to eat breakfast in the motel and tote our lunch to the ski areas.

Our biggest expense was lift tickets, but a $ 38 lift ticket at Jackson Hole buys 10 times as much mountain as a $ 38 lift ticket back East. Skiing at Grand Targhee, more relaxed and cozier than Jackson Hole, costs $ 27 a day -- less than many areas in Pennsylvania and Virginia that are one-third its size.

Since we had spent four days in Jackson Hole the year before, we thought we knew our way around. So we headed confidently out of town the first morning -- and immediately got lost. We drove north along the main highway, marveling at the view of the Tetons as the angle of the sun and shadows shifted, the wide flat valley covered with snow and sagebrush and the brilliant blue sky. By the time we realized we had taken the wrong road, we were halfway to Yellowstone.

When we finally found our way to Jackson Hole, a wind had come up, only a couple of the lifts were open and the ticket sellers were discouraging prospective skiers from buying lift tickets.

"We traveled 2,000 miles to ski here," I protested. "We'll ski the beginner runs."

"But they're flat," the seller said. "And the tram only serves expert runs."

"We skied the expert runs last year," I insisted.

"Can you imagine how long the lift line will be at Thunder chair?" she countered.

We were at an impasse -- I determined to ski, she determined to talk me out of it -- when Steve had an idea.

"How long does it take to drive to Targhee?" he asked.

She smiled with relief. "Forty-five minutes, and they had seven inches of new snow over the weekend."

An hour and a half later, our rental car wheezed its way up the last steep section of the road to Grand Targhee. The drive had proved to be a challenge for car and driver, but the effort was worth it. Half-day tickets were $ 16, and the wide, snow-covered slopes beckoned invitingly.

None of the slopes at Targhee is as frightening as the steepest ones at Jackson Hole. But it is a big enough mountain with its own brand of charm. On sunny days, which reportedly are rare, those who ski around to the back side of the mountain are treated to an unparalleled view of the entire Teton range.

For those with the time and money, Targhee offers snowcat skiing on Peaked Mountain next door. Skiers pay $ 145 for a full day or $ 90 for a half day (the rates are slightly less if you're staying at Targhee) to ride snowcats to the top of the mountain -- then head down through untouched powder, going wherever their skis take them.

Ski tracks on the slopes alongside the road between Jackson and Targhee indicate that local residents have a cheaper way of skiing unspoiled powder: parking one car along the road at the bottom of a good slope, driving a second car to the top and skiing down to the first car.

On the way back to Jackson from Targhee at the end of our fourth day of skiing, I spotted a pair of moose calmly grazing at the side of the road. When the car crossed the Snake River at the entrance to the town, two majestic white birds flew up from the riverside. They were trumpeter swans, a species that once covered most of North America, then almost became extinct around the turn of the century. They have reestablished themselves in a few regions, including parts of Wyoming and Idaho.

Since my knees had begun to let me know that they were tired of skiing, I suggested taking a day off to explore the surrounding area and look for more wildlife. The next day, we set out toward Yellowstone again -- this time on purpose -- past an ever-changing spectacle of mountains against brilliant blue sky.

About 10 miles north of town, we stopped at the Moose Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park, where a ranger confirmed that the white birds we had seen were trumpeter swans, told us how to spot coyotes and showed us pictures of other birds and wildlife to look for.

The road to Yellowstone took us past two snow-covered lakes -- Jenny and the much larger Jackson, where fishermen sat in lawn chairs beside holes in the ice, their dogs waiting patiently beside them.

Once we learned how to spot coyotes, they were not hard to find. The thin gray animals, much smaller than wolves, paced slowly across the fields, stopping frequently to look and listen for mice and other prey.

Beyond Jackson Lake, the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway wound through forests of lodgepole pines and other evergreens, interspersed with areas blackened by forest fires, where the dark skeletons of trees cast shadows on the snow.

The road was closed to cars at the Flagg Ranch Village, a campground with gas station and snack bar that's used as a starting place for snowmobile trips into Yellowstone. Dozens of flatbed trucks lined the road and every once in a while a convoy of snowmobiles would come roaring back to the ranch. We hiked up the road for about a mile, listening to the birds and studying animal tracks in the snow.

Back in Jackson, we headed for the elk refuge for a better look at the herd, which from the main road appeared to be mere dots in the distance. High on a steep hillside along the road, we spotted several goatlike animals. A ranger at the refuge casually informed us we'd seen bighorn sheep.

After watching the elk graze for a while, we were anxious to see the sheep again. The sun was beginning to set behind the butte when Steve finally spotted them -- first capering along a precipitous outcropping, then silhouetted against the ridge.

Taking a day off to relax and enjoy the beauty of the Tetons was a perfect break from the challenges of skiing Jackson Hole. After that satisfying day of rest, our knees had recovered and we were back on Thunder chairlift, ready for another hair-raising run down Laramie Bowl. WAYS & MEANS

Both Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee have slopes for every level of skier, from beginner to expert. Since Jackson Hole is so huge, newcomers might want to take the tour of the mountain offered at 9:30 a.m. every day. Ski hosts are also stationed at the top of each lift to answer questions. Grand Targhee does not have ski hosts, but members of the ski patrol can give directions and information about trail conditions.

GETTING THERE:

American, Delta and Continental are among the airlines that service Jackson's small airport; round-trip fares from Washington range from $ 398 to $ 438, with restrictions.

GETTING AROUND:

Jackson's START bus service has frequent service around town and to Teton Village, the ski area; a daily bus takes skiers to Targhee from several central locations. Some hotels and condominiums have free transportation to the ski area. There are several car rental agencies and taxi services, including one for the disabled.

WHERE TO STAY:

Jackson accommodates about eight times as many visitors in the summer, so it is usually not difficult to find a place to stay in the winter. Lodging at Teton Village, the ski area, and in the town of Jackson ranges from the spartan, such as the Hostel in the village ($ 39 a night) and the Bunkhouse in town ($ 20 per person), to luxurious accommodations at Spring Creek Resort ($ 135 to $ 170 a night for hotel rooms, including breakfast; and $ 250 to $ 350 a night for condominiums) and Teton Pines ($ 195 to $ 250 a night, including breakfast). In between there are motels, lodges, condos and bed-and-breakfasts.

WHERE TO EAT:

There's a variety of hearty American fare at Western bars and barbecue places, as well as a smattering of Mexican and Italian restaurants and a few expensive European-style places, some reached via horse-drawn sleigh.

WHAT TO DO:

In addition to downhill and cross-country skiing, the town of Jackson is the base for dozens of outfits offering snowmobile tours of the parks, sleigh rides, dog sledding, trips to see wildlife and scenic flights in planes, helicopters or hot air balloons. From mid-December to mid-March, there are daily sleigh tours of the National Elk Refuge just outside town. INFORMATION: A Winter Vacation Planner with information on lodging, skiing and other activities is available from the Jackson Hole Visitors Council, P.O. Box E, Jackson Hole, Wyo. 83001, 800-782-0011. -- Terri Shaw

GRAPHIC: PHOTO; MAP, JOSEPH ROBINSON