First Timer's Guide

While every season brings its own unique beauty, I personally find fall to be the most stunning. The changing tone of the leaves adds pops of color that help bring out the rugged features of the terrain. Every drive feels magical again, even if you've been driving that same road every day of the year. And the cool, crisp air energizes you, like the purest cup of coffee imaginable. 

“Sublette,” “Space Mountain” or simply “The Quad.” For the past 37 years, Jackson Hole’s highest elevation chairlift has been a guest favorite and lift operators’ number one lift to work. After tens of thousands of hours hauling skiers and snowboarders to the Alta Chutes and Bivouac, the venerable chairlift is being dismantled to make way for an improved high-speed quad. Jackson Hole’s sixth new lift in ten years is expected to debut for the 2024-25 ski season. Read on for complete info on this project!

Gunrunners: Snowmakers of Jackson Hole--the most dangerous job in the ski industry? Watch this short film and decide for yourself.

Words by James Roché | In February 2023, my friend and I parlayed a business meeting in Tokyo into a dream snowboarding trip to Niseko, Japan. Little did we know that it would be one of the worst conditions Niseko has had in recent years, but we made up for it by meeting Jackson Hole snowboard legend Mikey Franco at dinner one evening. We started chatting with the couple of guys next to us and ended up hitting it off, finding ourselves at a pop-up 1942 tequila ice bar in the parking lot after dinner. The night ended with drunken memories to cherish, but also a spark of inspiration to chase powder dreams in the US mecca for snowboarding, Jackson Hole.

After a couple of weeks back home reflecting on the conversation we had with Mikey and Instagram posts of the epic custom snowboards he crafts, we were itching to ride some amazing boards in the winter wonderland of Jackson Hole. We packed our bags once more and met up in Jackson Hole for The Franco Experience.