FREESKI

Grand Targhee is one of those sublime, under the radar places that feels like you’ve stumbled across a local’s secret. This low-key ski area regularly reports 500+ inches of deep, cold powder each season thanks to its position on the western flanks of the Teton Range on the far western fringe of Wyoming, but it doesn’t make a big fuss about it.

When you turn off Route 33 in Driggs and follow your nose along the humbly titled ‘Ski Hill Road’ the small farms soon give way to a series of switchbacks delivering you to ‘the Ghee’. People come here to ski, so if you’re looking for shops, scented candles, sushi and somewhere to parade your latest season ski fashion – move along.

But don’t let the small-town folksy vibes fool you. The resort team here at Targhee are working consistently to improve and modernise the resort in the ways that matter for their clientele. They unveiled a new lift this season and this high-speed six-seater Colter chair unlocks a generous zone of blue/ black glades on Peaked Mountain that was previously only accessible via cat-skiing.

This is very much billed as a family resort, but that doesn’t mean it’s full of bunny runs; far from it. It is full of friendly locals, Mums and Dads sharing their passion for pow with their kids and where groms can stretch their independence on terrain that funnels them back to the bottom. It’s the kind of place where people leave backpacks tucked under a bench and offer to share their snacks. Kids