Grand Targhee and the South Leigh Lakes, Jedediah Smith Wilderness

Above: The Targhee Ski resort on the west slope of 9880' Freds Mountain. The resort is located on public land inside National Forest lands and operates under a permit granted by the Forest Service. It has been in operation since 1969 and has brought in thousands of visitors to the area for skiing, hiking, backpacking, horseback riding, and more recently, mountain biking. The ski area spreads out over 1,500 skiable acres, with 400 acres of groomed slopes and about 1,100 acres of powder runs - legendary powder runs. The west slope of the Tetons milk the skys of snow at an incredible rate, resulting in hundreds of inches of soft, goosedown powder. The longest run is listed as being 2.7 miles (the Teton Vista Traverse trail.) The slopes are served by 2 quad chairs (1 high-speed); 1 double chair, and 1 Magic Carpet Conveyor Lift. The literature lists the max elevation as being 10,000', but that's stretching it a bit, since the lift tops out below the top of the mountain. If you enjoy Nordic skiing, there are about 15K of groomed trails at the area.

My interests lean more towards the warmer season sports - hiking and backpacking. The resort offers a great spot for 'jumping off' into the Jedediah Smith Wilderness.

Below, the view of the Peaked Peak skyline from the Devils Stairs climb in the South Teton Canyon, south of Targhee. My hike out to South Leigh Lakes followed the ridgeline east (to the right) in this photo.