When I think about spring skiing, I think about partying on the melting snow in the sun with good friends and music. This spring, the Rendezvous Music Festival weekend in Jackson Hole was the place to enjoy spring skiing and the party life.
For skiers and snowboarders, spring is a greatly anticipated time at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (JHMR) in Wyoming. The weather is generally warm, the days are long, and the party atmosphere is infectious. Time in the Tetons is always magic, but a long weekend spent skiing and bopping along to music at the Rendezvous Music Festival was precisely how I wanted to embrace spring.
Snow Conditions
Over the weekend of April 4, JHMR was in pretty good shape for the time of year, with a snow depth of 76″ at the base and 107″ at mid-mountain. Like many of the American resorts this season, JHMR has had its temperatures go up and down, but snowfall has come through and topped up the base when the resort needed it. Meaning that the coverage in the resort for the time of year was great both on the groomers and off.
Over the weekend, the snow conditions were typical for spring, firm and fast in the morning, then softening throughout the day. This meant skiing was best mid-morning till early afternoon when the groomers were soft but not too slow. The snow was still running fast. But off-groomed, you had to time it right to have a good corn cycle run.
In Jackson, locals have a lot of pride in their wiggles, which can be found all around the mountain. As the snow and weather start to warm up, skiers and boarders are known to carve out these fun wiggles all around the mountain. I won’t spoil where they all are, but there is usually a big one on the Rendezvous Bowl off the top of the tram. There was also one that went the entire length of the Teton lift line. The wiggles are both impressive to look at and fun when the snow starts to soften.
The Main Event: The Rendezvous Music Festival
While spring skiing is fun, what I love about Jackson Hole in the springtime is the party vibe. The town of Jackson is filled with cowboy flair, and JHMR does a good job of encouraging the celebration by organizing the Rendezvous Music Festival.
On Friday night of the festival, the town really put on a show. The weather was stunning as everyone bopped away to the sweet country sounds of Carter Faith and Charles Wesley Godwin. As the sun dipped, the crowd was glowing in the late afternoon light. Then the stars came out and the music continued. Town Square had an infectious buzz: everyone was embracing the spring temperatures and the clear night.
Charles Wesley Godwin finished off the show with a cover of ‘Take Me Home Country Roads’— it was the ultimate crowd-pleaser. There is nothing that makes me feel as warm and fuzzy as a crowd singing along to an old song that everyone knows. It felt like the perfect song, at the perfect time, at the perfect place.
Then the whole crowd seemed to run to The Cowboy Bar or The Wort Hotel, to continue the perfect Friday night in town.
The show on Saturday night was the big event. The weather was perfect, the sky was clear, and there was hardly a whisper of wind. With big acts and a bigger crowd, the vibe of the event was fun. People had glitter on their faces and there were some great party outfits walking around. Nate Wyatt started the evening off with a fun DJ set which got the crowd excited for the night.
The second act for the night was St Paul and The Broken Bones, an eight-piece soul band that brought a groovy vibe to the event. Everyone was bopping away in the twilight.
The big act of the night was The Avett Brothers who came onstage as the stars came out. The American folk rock band played some fun and upbeat songs and balanced them with some of their other popular, slower songs. The atmosphere of the perfect spring night was good for my music-loving soul.
The day following the festival, Sunday, was a perfect day for some mid-morning turns till lunchtime. The weather was heating up. The snow softened, but the sun was shining, and it was the perfect day for some après in the sun.
As a former Jackson Hole seasoner, I have loved my time in this town. I will take any excuse to have a quick trip to Jackson. This trip was so good for my skiing and music-loving soul. The snow, music, friends, and the glorious weather were delivered. All I need to say is that this year’s Rendezvous Music Festival was a hit. The Tetons can have pretty unpredictable weather at times, even in spring. While I’ve been to this event in previous years in all kinds of weather, it was lovely to enjoy the shows in pure warm spring weather.
If there is a place that I want to be in spring, it is in Jackson, for the weekend where the Rendezvous Music Festival takes place next year.
