Snow King Kicks Off 78th Winter Season

Snow King Mountain Will Kick Off its 78th Winter Season As Scheduled Sat, Dec. 3, 2016.  
Jackson, WY (November 28, 2016) Snow King Mountain is pleased to announce that with recent cold temperatures and new snow accumulations the Cougar lift, Cowboy Coaster, and the Mountain Sports School will open on schedule Saturday, December 3.
2016-2017 Winter enhancements include a new Mobile App, Magic Carpet, new Rafferty Lighting, and expanded hours.
Thanks to its north facing terrain, enhanced grooming and snowmaking equipment, and recent snowfall, Wyoming’s first ski resort will open on schedule to skiers, snowboarders, racers, and uphill travel this Saturday. Snow King Mountain, recently named “2016 Business of the Year” by the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce in recognition of their summer improvements, has also made considerable investment in its winter operations.
Enhancements to the Rafferty base area include a Magic Carpet (replacing the antiquated rope tow) and expanded beginner terrain with kid-friendly features, as well as new lights for night skiing on the intermediate terrain serviced by the Rafferty Lift. King’s Grill, which opened this summer, offers a unique atmosphere to take a break with family-friendly food, healthy grab-n-go snacks, ice cream, warm drinks, adult beverages, and giant picture windows.
The Snow King Mobile App, created by Resorts Tapped LLC, was released on the iTunes store this week. The go-to source for all things Snow King, users can track their vertical runs, check current snow and weather conditions, view live webcams, hook up with friends via the location sharing function, and get information on pricing, hours, grooming and current events.  Uphill tracking will be available for hikers and skinners as a second release of the app prior to this summer.
The Mountain Sports School continues to be the place to go for after school, No School Day Camps, and weekend season-long packages for local kids. “The new magic carpet, classic night skiing on Rafferty until 7:00 pm, and a place to take a break in the new warming facility at the base of the beginner hill are going to be game changers for our kid’s programs,” says Mountain Sports School Director, Scott McGee. “Snow King has always been known as the race hill, but with all our improvements it’s now the most affordable, most accessible place to learn to ski in the Tetons,” says McGee.
On the retail and rental side, Snow King Mountain Sports is offering Season Lease packages for the first time this year. Brand new recreational and ski race packages are available, as well as lightly used packages guaranteeing an ideal fitting boot and ski for all budgets. Also, online ski and snowboard rental reservations garner a 20% discount.
Other improvements on the mountain include a facelift to the Panorama House at the summit making it a more inviting place to take a break and enjoy the spectacular view of the Tetons.
Snow King will be open 7 days a week this year (historically, the King closed on Mondays) with night skiing on both Rafferty and Cougar lifts until 7:00 pm Monday – Saturday. This year the lifts will open at 9:00 am on weekends (10:00 weekdays).
Some things that aren’t changing this winter include the Uphill Skiing Policy (Snow King continues to be one of the few resorts in the country that allows uphill traffic with an uphill ski pass), continuation of one free Cowboy Coaster ticket with the purchase of a full day lift ticket, fireworks and a torchlight parade on New Year’s Eve, and access on the Summit Lift for foot traffic so non-skiers can enjoy the best view in town. The Exum Ice Park and Treetop Adventure will remain closed this season.

New activity packages include a Coaster/King Tubes combo package that combines one Cowboy Coaster ride with one hour of tubing for $30, and a Winter Big King pass which includes unlimited skiing or snowboarding, Cowboy Coaster rides, and tubing for $90. There will be a $10 charge for the Magic Carpet – but it covers all family members for the day.
Snow King supporters are invited to the Snow King Season Kickoff Party at Snake River Brewery Saturday, December 7 with a special appearance by the newly re-released Snow King Pale Ale.
Snow King Mountain continues to foster the local ski culture and add to the economic sustainability of Jackson Hole. As one nomination for Business of the Year read, “Snow King Mountain Resort is making major investments in their infrastructure in an effort to secure their business’ longevity into the foreseeable future. These upgrades have added great value to the year-round Jackson Hole experience for both locals and visitors alike.”
Upcoming Events
December 1 Avalanche Awareness Night 5-9:30 Center for the Arts
December 3 Opening Day: Cougar Lift opens 9:00 am – 7 pm
Cowboy Coaster 10 am -7 pm weekends only
December 7 Snow King Season Kick-Off Party
Snake River Brewing 5:30-8:30 pm
December 17 King Tubes Opens (snow permitting)
King’s Grill Opens  
Cowboy Coaster operates daily
December 31 1st Club Ski Race; Caroline Classic
December 31 New Year’s Eve Fireworks
Torchlight Parade 7-8 pm
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About Snow King Mountain Resort
Founded in 1939, Snow King Mountain Resort – just six blocks from Town Square in the heart of Jackson Hole – is Wyoming’s first ski resort. Since locals first began to ski the “Town Hill” in the 1920’s generations of Jackson locals and visitors have learned to ski on its iconic slopes via recreational skiing, racing, and the full-service mountain sports school.
Snow King Mountain offers 3 lifts, 32 ski runs on 400 acres, 1571 vertical rise, two terrain parks, two restaurants, and a full-service rental and ski tuning facility. For non-skiers and snowboarders, King Tubes snow tube park, the Cowboy Coaster, and the Summit Scenic Chairlift provide alternatives for every member of the family to enjoy the thrills of winter, and take in the best view in town with amazing views of downtown Jackson and the Tetons.