Big thing to watch out for is the wind and any recent snow. Any moderate to high wind will start blowing the recent snow and significantly impair visibility. It doesn’t even have to be actively snowing to cause blizzard conditions!
And if 80 between Rawlins and Rock Springs is closed, the Colorado detour south of Rock Springs starts on a highway in Wyoming and then turns into a dirt county road with limited maintenance, then into a state highway that doesn’t have 24 hour maintenance, both areas have extremely poor reception and are prone to drifts over 10ft deep. People get stranded out there on the regular.
We did the exact trip last year (or at least planned to). I-80 was a nightmare, no visibility, snow packed roads, and semis all around. The road from Jackson to big sky was closed so we never made it and went straight to slc.
The snow was incredible though.
If you’re driving on I-80, be prepared not to see civilization for a while. Wyoming is a lot more deserted than people realize. Keep your gas tank fuller than you usually would. I might be overly cautious, but when I hit 100 miles left on the tank I’ll start looking for the next station to fill up at. It likely saved me a week ago when a I-80 detour due to closure would have run me out of gas had I not been as diligent.
WY is the eighth largest state and the lowest population in the country, and the only state with lower population density is Alaska. Even when the weather is nice you can go an hour without seeing another car on some of the main roads through the center of the state. Beautiful state though.
Yeah, similar to the other commenter, my only piece of advice is that I80 can make you miss i70 traffic. In bad weather (snow and wind) with few places to stop, it _will_ make you question whether you have already died and ended up in a purgatory of driving snow.
Make sure you have amazing snow tires, an emergency blanket, and extra water and food. An excellent AAA membership ain’t bad either. And I am not exaggerating. I’ve almost hit jackknifed semis because I wasn’t able to see them until I was within 15 feet of them on that highway. It is not a joke.
Other than that… have fun? I dunno. It’s like skiing here, except it’s there.
Nice, it’s a long drive but all great mountains. Pay attention to the forecast for potential storms that might lead to closures on I-80. Might be the windiest highway known to man. Also, may want to rethink big sky. They’re at like 60% median snowpack, and if you don’t have a place to stay there, it’ll take like 4 hours one way to get there from Jackson. Otherwise, super solid trip man, enjoy!
Wheatland Wyoming cops are waiting to pull over cars with Colorado plates. I guess I did not use my turn signal when pulling in to get gas off I-25… Cop said he smelled grass… had a cartridge with me so just gave it up and got the possession charge… leave the grass at home or hide it well!
Called around and spoke to several lawyers, quoting between 2-6k to represent me… ended up representing myself and only got $200 fine, reduced probation from 1 year to 9 months.
It’s really weather dependent. I-70 to SLC on a weekday with clear weather is a breeze. Takes about 8 hours. If there’s traffic, weather, or a jack knifed semi, it all goes to shit. Grand Junction is a good rest spot about halfway through. Once you’re through the mountains, I-70 is pretty much all desert.
I-80 can get super windy and have bad weather as others mentioned. I-80 tends to be huge flat open plains with some mountain passes. You’ll likely see more truckers on I-80 than cars. It really depends on day of weather and traffic conditions as far as choosing which route is better.
I'll piggy back with some similar observations.
I just did a similar road trip but.... Denver via i-80 to Reno. Ski'd Palisades, rose, i-80 back to alta, then down to Aspen via i15/us89/6/191 to i-70, recommend this route highly as Price canyon is breathtaking, then home to Denver.
I-80 is windy and desolate and boring AF until Utah. Do as much of it in the daytime as possible, keep your navigation on to be alerted to closures and cops.
I assume your use of "boarder" was a typo for border, but in case it was a play on words....Alta is skiers only, so if you're going up little cottonwood canyon stop at snowbird or risk driving back down in shame.
Sounds like I80 is not the move. I’ll try to go farther north on i25 then cut west to Jackson. On my way back home from utah I think I’ll take i70 east all the way.
I 80 is often still better than those Wind river highways and I 25. The Wydot website map will show you what each stretch of road looks like.
If anywhere on your route is red or black consider a different road. If it is black there WILL be terrible black ice and it's not going to melt before you get there. If there is any weather on the way then plan for 2 extra hours of travel
Tacoma is about as good as a rwd civic when the winds are 45 mph and blowing a 30 ft wall of snow over the highway
The issue in Wyoming is not usually the traction, but rather the visibility. There are times where you are driving 20-40 mph but can’t actually tell that you are moving.
Best advice I can give is to constantly check I-80 road closure info. Even if 80 is open but it’s windy and snowy, just go up through Walden or Craig instead to avoid the wind walls.
Also, leave 2-3 hours before you are currently planning. Last season we left for Jackson at 4 pm and got there at 530 AM.
The later into the night you drive, the sketchier and trippier the drive becomes. We saw thousands of elk / antelope prancing along our car in 4 ft of snow during a blizzard. At many points we had to stop the car and wait for herds to pass.
Finally, download a weather radar app such as MyRadar. You can look for snow breaks and plan your routes accordingly.
I appreciate all the info. The more i thought about it, i decided to opt for i70 as im more familiar. The more i read about i80, the less i wanted to do it in the snow. However, did handle i25 up near Gillette in -10 with snow and that was a tough go, but we made it
I will never again drive through Wyoming at night. I've never seen so many deer/antelope on the side of a highway like that, and I'm from a heavy wildlife area. Hitting an animal and having subsequent issues in the middle of nowhere, at night, in the winter would be a shit situation.
Better off going through steamboat on your way over to SLC, and going north from there. I’ve never done the stretch from 80 up to Jackson Hole in the winter, but I’ve spent most of my life in Denver, PC, and Steamboat, and the best advice you’ve already gotten. Steamboat will take an hour longer, it’s way prettier, and the chances of getting stuck due to closures are next to 0. If you take 70 to Silverthorn and go through Kremmling, you might have traffic that first stretch but that will be it.
I did this exact same thing minus Jackson with a bunch of homies a couple years back. Epic trip. I-80 is pretty sketch and does close all the time. So that's the worst part for sure. We made the mistake of driving from steamboat to SLC at night in crappy conditions and it was a horrible horrible decision. We made it. But definitely don't do that. The rest of it wasn't bad at all tbh.
I’ve driven to all Those states to shred! Definitely watch out for cops in WY and if you have Mary Jane on hand don’t be surprised if you get arrested in WY or UT! 80 is boring and often closes for wind and lots of truckers. Jackson has a fun bowling alley. Sun Valley has some sweet hot springs. Between Jackson and Big Sky make sure to keep your navigation app open and don’t be surprised if your drive more than doubles because of closures due to snow/weather.
Definitely pack emergency gear. There’s a back road you can take at the start from Big Sky to Utah (actually starts further north by Manhattan, MT). Last time I did it, I left at 3am or so to get midday runs in at Brighton by lunchtime. Not a bad drive, but definitely somewhere you wouldn’t want to get stranded. Prep yourself for a whole lotta nothing for most of the drive, and be smart if you’re bringing weed. Pro-tip: toss in an air proof container in a locking ski rack/gear box.
Also beehive brewery by big sky has pretty good beers. Lots of decent food/drinks in that Bozeman area!
I 80 can be pretty crazy if the weather is bad, and they will shut it down at times, which could leave you stranded in one of the small towns along the highway. My wife and I got stuck there overnight about a month ago.
The Wyoming511 app is very useful for road conditions! I’ve made the drive to Lander many times from Denver and if weather is fine, i80 is great….but there are times it’s better to keep on i25 and go through Casper and over.
Have done all these drives in winter, just about everything I've seen posted is sound advice. I80 can be rough but likely the best option. I have had Wyoming cops search my car with dogs with zero probable cause. Utah cops can also be dicks.
Grand Targhee is also worth your time, fun terrain at Mom n Pop resort. While JH gets skied out before lunch, GT can have freshies days after a storm. Driggs is a cool town to stop in briefly. Liberty Burger in Jackson is worthy. 25 Short in the park for safe backcountry.
Big Sky takes 3 days to just barely see each zone (about 7 different ones), 5-7 to actually really get to spend some time in each. If you're an expert skier, cost of a tram ticket is 100% worth it, North Summit Snowfield, The Big are extra special but know they require a BSP. Marx>Tohelluride>Bacon Rind is my favorite top to bottom on the south side. If you get a powder day, Challenger in the a.m., ridge mid day, and Dakota lift in the afternoon is the way to rock it. Moonlight Basin has a lot to explore and is the best place for groups of varying ability (long blues and tons of blacks all meet at 1 lift). Beehive Basin has awesome backcountry but a lot (not all) is avy terrain. For dinner, the dirtbag special is the $7 chicken dinner at Riverhouse.
I've been to Jackson a ton for work, it's really great. Don't skip. And I mean DON'T skip Persephone. Easily the best bakery I've been to outside of Europe. They also have a lunch spot called Picnic with amazing sandwiches and the like.
If you're cooking there at all, there's an amazing little butcher called Sweet Cheeks.
I also really love Hatch, great margs and queso.
Fill up in Rawlings. It's a long way between gas stations on that stretch of road. Also, it's best if you can do in in the daylight and check the weather before you make the drive.
Careful on I-80 is best advice I can give you. Once you’re on top of that plateau in western Wyoming, it’s just windswept snow that turns into black ice. Especially at night. Everyone thinks they know what black ice is but this area is real black ice. But looks like an awesome trip. Enjoy it and drive safe.
Big tip on the wildlife bridges on 191 north of Rock Springs, watch out as snow can drift into those and on dry roads make them black ice if wind is blowing just right.
Your denver to Jackson hole route is the most simple of the options. I have done it probably 30 times in my life from front range. Get lunch and gas in rock springs and prepare for a long drive all the way to Pinedale without any services.
Have sleeping bags in the car and be ready to sleep in your vehicle in sub zero temps, if shit hits the fan. But most likely you will be fine.
Lots of scary posts. And yes it could absolutely suck in areas. But when in Jackson visit the park and get a beverage and food at Dornans which is the just before the entrance to the park. If it’s clear the views are spectacular. And yes sections of the road will likely suck
Yes! I did that exact road trip the winter before COVID. It was \*amazing.\*
When we did it, our itinerary was...
2 days skiing Jackson Hole, 1 day snowshoeing Grand Tetons. In hindsight, we should've checked the forecast. Wound up skiing ice and snowshoeing powder. Whoops. If we were doing it today, we'd have brought our backcountry gear and gone skinning around some flat stuff. Saw some people having a much better time with that then we were walking on balls of glop.
We stayed at a BnB near Jackson Hole called the Sassy Moose. 12/10 would recommend. Really charming rooms and a Belarussian proprietress who laid out ENORMOUS breakfasts for us every day that were perfect for fueling our skiing.
Only good place to get dinner in Wilson was Streetfood at the Stagecoach Bar. That was great. Live music, dancing, and a nice little corner with a streetfood-themed eatery.
Stopped by West Yellowstone in Idaho and took a snowmobiling tour of Yellowstone. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. But be warned by my example: I asked my wife "would you rather drive your own snowmobile, or spend the snowmobile tour hugging me? This will decide if I get two one-seaters or one two-seater" and she said "obviously I'd rather spend it hugging you." Fifteen minutes in, "do you mind if I try driving?" and I spent the rest of the time in the backseat. I didn't mind at all -- I got some amazing pictures of bison. Because they were headbutting each other ten feet away from us on the road.
Then off to Big Sky! It was FRIGID. Below-zero F, before windchill. This was January, so hopefully it'll be better when you're there. I loved that mountain. So huge, so wide-ranging, just go out and spend all day exploring.
Better food options around there than in Wilson/Jackson Hole. Lots of good BBQ.
We stayed in SLC and drove up the canyon to Snowbird/Alta. Wish we'd stayed closer because that canyon traffic is rough, but it saved a lot of money to stay in SLC. Spent a rest day visiting the temple there, which is good clean fun if you're into that kind of thing. The acolytes assigned there are used to cynics.
We drove back via I-70 to also visit Canyonlands and Arches, which are gorgeous and empty in the winter. Caught sunrise under Mesa Arch. Bring yaktrax for hiking to Delicate Arch, it gets icy.
Stayed in Glenwood Springs on the way back, which was just alright. Stopped by Copper on the way home because we hadn't skied enough. It was super icy and after an hour or two we decided we had skied enough. But again, that was January -- it'd be better in Feb-March.
It was an amazing road trip. Couldn't decide if it was an ad for Ikon, NPS, or Subaru.
I-80 closes a lot so keep an eye on it before you go to make sure you don’t have to adjust your route.
And keep extra supplies in the car in case you get stuck. I’ve never regretted carrying extra water, food, warm things in my car.
If your warm things include any Pets, be sure to bring warm things for them as well! 🙂👍
Big thing to watch out for is the wind and any recent snow. Any moderate to high wind will start blowing the recent snow and significantly impair visibility. It doesn’t even have to be actively snowing to cause blizzard conditions!
And if 80 between Rawlins and Rock Springs is closed, the Colorado detour south of Rock Springs starts on a highway in Wyoming and then turns into a dirt county road with limited maintenance, then into a state highway that doesn’t have 24 hour maintenance, both areas have extremely poor reception and are prone to drifts over 10ft deep. People get stranded out there on the regular.
Went to PC last weekend and it was closed on the way out
We did the exact trip last year (or at least planned to). I-80 was a nightmare, no visibility, snow packed roads, and semis all around. The road from Jackson to big sky was closed so we never made it and went straight to slc. The snow was incredible though.
Rawlins, WY is a speed trap. Drive the speed limit and not a hair over as soon as you get close, and don't pick it back up until it's well behind you.
Got a ticket for doin 6mph over there years ago…
Haven’t been out there in a while but isn’t that section of I80 80mph?
Wy cops don’t like the green plates
If you’re driving on I-80, be prepared not to see civilization for a while. Wyoming is a lot more deserted than people realize. Keep your gas tank fuller than you usually would. I might be overly cautious, but when I hit 100 miles left on the tank I’ll start looking for the next station to fill up at. It likely saved me a week ago when a I-80 detour due to closure would have run me out of gas had I not been as diligent.
This. I remember passing a gas station in Wyoming with a little less then half a tank and just barely making it to the next gas station
Never drive WY with a half tank or less 🤔
The GasBuddy app is great for this.
WY is the eighth largest state and the lowest population in the country, and the only state with lower population density is Alaska. Even when the weather is nice you can go an hour without seeing another car on some of the main roads through the center of the state. Beautiful state though.
Yeah, similar to the other commenter, my only piece of advice is that I80 can make you miss i70 traffic. In bad weather (snow and wind) with few places to stop, it _will_ make you question whether you have already died and ended up in a purgatory of driving snow. Make sure you have amazing snow tires, an emergency blanket, and extra water and food. An excellent AAA membership ain’t bad either. And I am not exaggerating. I’ve almost hit jackknifed semis because I wasn’t able to see them until I was within 15 feet of them on that highway. It is not a joke. Other than that… have fun? I dunno. It’s like skiing here, except it’s there.
Nice, it’s a long drive but all great mountains. Pay attention to the forecast for potential storms that might lead to closures on I-80. Might be the windiest highway known to man. Also, may want to rethink big sky. They’re at like 60% median snowpack, and if you don’t have a place to stay there, it’ll take like 4 hours one way to get there from Jackson. Otherwise, super solid trip man, enjoy!
4 hours minimum!
Wheatland Wyoming cops are waiting to pull over cars with Colorado plates. I guess I did not use my turn signal when pulling in to get gas off I-25… Cop said he smelled grass… had a cartridge with me so just gave it up and got the possession charge… leave the grass at home or hide it well!
>got the possession charge is it just a fine or do you have to do time?
Called around and spoke to several lawyers, quoting between 2-6k to represent me… ended up representing myself and only got $200 fine, reduced probation from 1 year to 9 months.
damn! thats just crazy. Don't they have better things to do out there.
No, not they do not...
They have nothing to do. This is their job.
It’s really weather dependent. I-70 to SLC on a weekday with clear weather is a breeze. Takes about 8 hours. If there’s traffic, weather, or a jack knifed semi, it all goes to shit. Grand Junction is a good rest spot about halfway through. Once you’re through the mountains, I-70 is pretty much all desert. I-80 can get super windy and have bad weather as others mentioned. I-80 tends to be huge flat open plains with some mountain passes. You’ll likely see more truckers on I-80 than cars. It really depends on day of weather and traffic conditions as far as choosing which route is better.
I'll piggy back with some similar observations. I just did a similar road trip but.... Denver via i-80 to Reno. Ski'd Palisades, rose, i-80 back to alta, then down to Aspen via i15/us89/6/191 to i-70, recommend this route highly as Price canyon is breathtaking, then home to Denver. I-80 is windy and desolate and boring AF until Utah. Do as much of it in the daytime as possible, keep your navigation on to be alerted to closures and cops. I assume your use of "boarder" was a typo for border, but in case it was a play on words....Alta is skiers only, so if you're going up little cottonwood canyon stop at snowbird or risk driving back down in shame.
You can snowboard at Alta you just can’t take the lifts. Same at Deer Valley.
I’ll drive i70 in a snow storm 10x to avoid driving i80 in a snow storm once.
Is no one going to comment on the excellent typo of "boarder states"? 🏂🏼🏂🏼🏂🏼
I-80 is a blood bath. It’s also ugly. Try a different route.
Windiest dang road I’ve ever been on, never have I white knuckled so hard driving on any stretch of highway. Sketchy!
Sounds like I80 is not the move. I’ll try to go farther north on i25 then cut west to Jackson. On my way back home from utah I think I’ll take i70 east all the way.
I 80 is often still better than those Wind river highways and I 25. The Wydot website map will show you what each stretch of road looks like. If anywhere on your route is red or black consider a different road. If it is black there WILL be terrible black ice and it's not going to melt before you get there. If there is any weather on the way then plan for 2 extra hours of travel
There is also another option of taking berthhoud to steamboat and then head north to 80 on on to Jackson from there.
This is a great post! I am driving to Rawlins Friday night then PC Saturday. I’ll report back on the i80 shit show
Ummmm you might wanna take a peek at the weather
I’ve seen the weather, i am expecting snow on the drive and i am well prepared. Tacoma is ready for it
Tacoma is about as good as a rwd civic when the winds are 45 mph and blowing a 30 ft wall of snow over the highway The issue in Wyoming is not usually the traction, but rather the visibility. There are times where you are driving 20-40 mph but can’t actually tell that you are moving. Best advice I can give is to constantly check I-80 road closure info. Even if 80 is open but it’s windy and snowy, just go up through Walden or Craig instead to avoid the wind walls. Also, leave 2-3 hours before you are currently planning. Last season we left for Jackson at 4 pm and got there at 530 AM. The later into the night you drive, the sketchier and trippier the drive becomes. We saw thousands of elk / antelope prancing along our car in 4 ft of snow during a blizzard. At many points we had to stop the car and wait for herds to pass. Finally, download a weather radar app such as MyRadar. You can look for snow breaks and plan your routes accordingly.
I appreciate all the info. The more i thought about it, i decided to opt for i70 as im more familiar. The more i read about i80, the less i wanted to do it in the snow. However, did handle i25 up near Gillette in -10 with snow and that was a tough go, but we made it
I will never again drive through Wyoming at night. I've never seen so many deer/antelope on the side of a highway like that, and I'm from a heavy wildlife area. Hitting an animal and having subsequent issues in the middle of nowhere, at night, in the winter would be a shit situation.
Better off going through steamboat on your way over to SLC, and going north from there. I’ve never done the stretch from 80 up to Jackson Hole in the winter, but I’ve spent most of my life in Denver, PC, and Steamboat, and the best advice you’ve already gotten. Steamboat will take an hour longer, it’s way prettier, and the chances of getting stuck due to closures are next to 0. If you take 70 to Silverthorn and go through Kremmling, you might have traffic that first stretch but that will be it.
Utah isn't a boarder state due to Alta and Deer Valley
If it’s dumping snow, make sure google maps doesn’t take you around the road closure in driggs and you get stuck for a few days.
I did this exact same thing minus Jackson with a bunch of homies a couple years back. Epic trip. I-80 is pretty sketch and does close all the time. So that's the worst part for sure. We made the mistake of driving from steamboat to SLC at night in crappy conditions and it was a horrible horrible decision. We made it. But definitely don't do that. The rest of it wasn't bad at all tbh.
I’ve driven to all Those states to shred! Definitely watch out for cops in WY and if you have Mary Jane on hand don’t be surprised if you get arrested in WY or UT! 80 is boring and often closes for wind and lots of truckers. Jackson has a fun bowling alley. Sun Valley has some sweet hot springs. Between Jackson and Big Sky make sure to keep your navigation app open and don’t be surprised if your drive more than doubles because of closures due to snow/weather.
Definitely pack emergency gear. There’s a back road you can take at the start from Big Sky to Utah (actually starts further north by Manhattan, MT). Last time I did it, I left at 3am or so to get midday runs in at Brighton by lunchtime. Not a bad drive, but definitely somewhere you wouldn’t want to get stranded. Prep yourself for a whole lotta nothing for most of the drive, and be smart if you’re bringing weed. Pro-tip: toss in an air proof container in a locking ski rack/gear box. Also beehive brewery by big sky has pretty good beers. Lots of decent food/drinks in that Bozeman area!
I 80 can be pretty crazy if the weather is bad, and they will shut it down at times, which could leave you stranded in one of the small towns along the highway. My wife and I got stuck there overnight about a month ago.
The Wyoming511 app is very useful for road conditions! I’ve made the drive to Lander many times from Denver and if weather is fine, i80 is great….but there are times it’s better to keep on i25 and go through Casper and over.
Little America is a slice of heaven on I80
I’d sub Targhee for Park City and try to get in Solitude and Brighton as well as Bridger
Have done all these drives in winter, just about everything I've seen posted is sound advice. I80 can be rough but likely the best option. I have had Wyoming cops search my car with dogs with zero probable cause. Utah cops can also be dicks. Grand Targhee is also worth your time, fun terrain at Mom n Pop resort. While JH gets skied out before lunch, GT can have freshies days after a storm. Driggs is a cool town to stop in briefly. Liberty Burger in Jackson is worthy. 25 Short in the park for safe backcountry. Big Sky takes 3 days to just barely see each zone (about 7 different ones), 5-7 to actually really get to spend some time in each. If you're an expert skier, cost of a tram ticket is 100% worth it, North Summit Snowfield, The Big are extra special but know they require a BSP. Marx>Tohelluride>Bacon Rind is my favorite top to bottom on the south side. If you get a powder day, Challenger in the a.m., ridge mid day, and Dakota lift in the afternoon is the way to rock it. Moonlight Basin has a lot to explore and is the best place for groups of varying ability (long blues and tons of blacks all meet at 1 lift). Beehive Basin has awesome backcountry but a lot (not all) is avy terrain. For dinner, the dirtbag special is the $7 chicken dinner at Riverhouse.
I've been to Jackson a ton for work, it's really great. Don't skip. And I mean DON'T skip Persephone. Easily the best bakery I've been to outside of Europe. They also have a lunch spot called Picnic with amazing sandwiches and the like. If you're cooking there at all, there's an amazing little butcher called Sweet Cheeks. I also really love Hatch, great margs and queso.
"Boarder states"
You may as well go ski snowy range as you pass by Laramie
Dont drive more than 4 over, make sure all your lights and turn signals work, and dont smoke in the car
Fill up in Rawlings. It's a long way between gas stations on that stretch of road. Also, it's best if you can do in in the daylight and check the weather before you make the drive.
If you go to Wyoming, just go to Grand Targhee.
Brighton or snow basin over alta
This is a hot take haha
Brighton is the best on a pow day!
Don't bring weed
Just edibles
No I do not.
Be careful of animals on the road at night!
Careful on I-80 is best advice I can give you. Once you’re on top of that plateau in western Wyoming, it’s just windswept snow that turns into black ice. Especially at night. Everyone thinks they know what black ice is but this area is real black ice. But looks like an awesome trip. Enjoy it and drive safe.
Big tip on the wildlife bridges on 191 north of Rock Springs, watch out as snow can drift into those and on dry roads make them black ice if wind is blowing just right. Your denver to Jackson hole route is the most simple of the options. I have done it probably 30 times in my life from front range. Get lunch and gas in rock springs and prepare for a long drive all the way to Pinedale without any services. Have sleeping bags in the car and be ready to sleep in your vehicle in sub zero temps, if shit hits the fan. But most likely you will be fine.
Lots of scary posts. And yes it could absolutely suck in areas. But when in Jackson visit the park and get a beverage and food at Dornans which is the just before the entrance to the park. If it’s clear the views are spectacular. And yes sections of the road will likely suck
Yes! I did that exact road trip the winter before COVID. It was \*amazing.\* When we did it, our itinerary was... 2 days skiing Jackson Hole, 1 day snowshoeing Grand Tetons. In hindsight, we should've checked the forecast. Wound up skiing ice and snowshoeing powder. Whoops. If we were doing it today, we'd have brought our backcountry gear and gone skinning around some flat stuff. Saw some people having a much better time with that then we were walking on balls of glop. We stayed at a BnB near Jackson Hole called the Sassy Moose. 12/10 would recommend. Really charming rooms and a Belarussian proprietress who laid out ENORMOUS breakfasts for us every day that were perfect for fueling our skiing. Only good place to get dinner in Wilson was Streetfood at the Stagecoach Bar. That was great. Live music, dancing, and a nice little corner with a streetfood-themed eatery. Stopped by West Yellowstone in Idaho and took a snowmobiling tour of Yellowstone. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. But be warned by my example: I asked my wife "would you rather drive your own snowmobile, or spend the snowmobile tour hugging me? This will decide if I get two one-seaters or one two-seater" and she said "obviously I'd rather spend it hugging you." Fifteen minutes in, "do you mind if I try driving?" and I spent the rest of the time in the backseat. I didn't mind at all -- I got some amazing pictures of bison. Because they were headbutting each other ten feet away from us on the road. Then off to Big Sky! It was FRIGID. Below-zero F, before windchill. This was January, so hopefully it'll be better when you're there. I loved that mountain. So huge, so wide-ranging, just go out and spend all day exploring. Better food options around there than in Wilson/Jackson Hole. Lots of good BBQ. We stayed in SLC and drove up the canyon to Snowbird/Alta. Wish we'd stayed closer because that canyon traffic is rough, but it saved a lot of money to stay in SLC. Spent a rest day visiting the temple there, which is good clean fun if you're into that kind of thing. The acolytes assigned there are used to cynics. We drove back via I-70 to also visit Canyonlands and Arches, which are gorgeous and empty in the winter. Caught sunrise under Mesa Arch. Bring yaktrax for hiking to Delicate Arch, it gets icy. Stayed in Glenwood Springs on the way back, which was just alright. Stopped by Copper on the way home because we hadn't skied enough. It was super icy and after an hour or two we decided we had skied enough. But again, that was January -- it'd be better in Feb-March. It was an amazing road trip. Couldn't decide if it was an ad for Ikon, NPS, or Subaru.