Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Remembers "One Of The Oddest" Ski Seasons Ever

"This season will surely be remembered as one of the oddest we've seen here in Jackson Hole," Leger writes in the opening section of his monologue.

Leger, who's been a fixture in the Jackson Hole ski scene for years and years, then traces the arc of a season saved by a sudden upswing in precipitation.

It all started in December when Jackson Hole's snowmaking team was put to the test. By the end of the month, the Snake Headwaters—where the resort is located—was sitting at 65% of the median snow water equivalent.

In January, Jackson Hole saw a touch of snow but was still forced to cancel its world-renowned Kings and Queens of Corbet's competition due to unsafe skiing conditions.

Then, February arrived, and everything changed, as Leger explains in a poetic verse: "By the end of the month our famine had turned into a feast and memories of the firm-pack were fading fast. Base depths rebounded and rose into the triple digits, quelling old fears that our snow wouldn't last."

The coup-de-grace was a 10-day period starting February 27th that slammed Jackson Hole's summit area with nearly 100 inches of snow. As of now, the resort's summit has seen 447 inches of snow this season.

In a way, Jackson Hole experienced two seasons: the before time and the after time. The before time was the stuff of skiing nightmares—partially abated by Jackson Hole's manicured corduroy—while the after time was a dream come true.

I wonder if those patchy months made the powder taste sweeter for Jackson Hole skiers. During ski seasons when everything goes right all the time, it becomes harder to appreciate the gift that is fresh snow. The opposite is true when you've spent the first portion of a ski season wondering when or if you'll get the goods.

To read Leger's full recap, click here.