General Weather – A Sunny Weekend
Mountain Weather is forecasting clear skies this weekend with warm daytime temps and cold overnight lows. It’s crust cruising weather! For a detailed daily forecast check out mountainweather.com.
What’s Groomed Today?
Every Day
- Turpin Meadow Ranch
- Trail Creek Nordic
- Teton Pines Nordic
- Shooting Star Nordic – season pass required
Saturday
- Teton Canyon
- Grand Targhee Nordic
- Alta Nordic Track
- Teton Reserves
- Stilson Loop / Emily’s Pond / Wilson-Centennial Trail
- School Fields Loop (Jackson)
Be sure to check the real-time grooming situation of your chosen trail by clicking the links above as trail grooming is dependent on conditions. Thank you groomers!
Celebrating International Women’s Day with Nancy Leon: Inspiring a Community through Nordic Skiing
International Women’s Day seemed like a perfect day to catch up with Nancy Leon and hear about who and what inspires her. In addition to being the energy and expertise behind this passion project that has now become it’s own 501c3 non-profit organization, Nancy is an inspiration to the team who tends to the day to day operations of the JH Nordic Alliance. As the founder, builder and operator extraordinaire for over 10 years, Nancy’s new role as board chair has now increased the number of hours and days she can be out on her skis!
Board member Karen Daubert and Nancy of course thought the best place to do an interview was out skiing at Trail Creek Nordic. Karen reported that because Nancy skis faster than she does, she was able to sneak in a few questions and then try to keep up while Nancy shared a little about the people and trails in Jackson Hole.
KD: Who is a woman who has inspired you in your ski adventures?
NL: Three local women have been an inspiration to me.
Ali Sehnert has demonstrated outstanding leadership as the executive director of the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club, and as an active Nordic skier and advocate. She serves on the board of the JH Nordic Alliance and consistently demonstrates passion for all things Nordic. She also brings her expertise as a leader and Nordic skier to her own work as well as to our work as a Nordic Alliance.
Nancy Johnstone founded the Nordic ski program at Turpin Meadow Ranch which was one of the original destinations for Nordic skiing in the valley and really the region. (Editor’s note: Please see this 2021 profile on Nancy J for more about her!)
And our own local champion Lena Poduska, a senior in highschool who is competing on the national and international stage. She has brought even more renown to the seriousness of our local ski programs. (Note: Please see Lena’s profile in the December edition of JH Magazine.)
KD: What is one of your favorite ways to spend a day outdoors?
NL: I enjoy all days! And all kinds of ski adventures! From a day at the Village with friends, to backcountry/AT skiing in Grand Teton National Park, to classic and skate skiing close to home, they are all great! My favorite local Nordic destination is probably Jackson Lake and its islands; the views of the Tetons behind our largest lake make for a beautiful combination. You can’t beat Signal Mountain to Bradley Taggert on a sunny day when the trail has just been groomed. And I also love the local favorites like Phelps Lake, Game Creek, and Trail Creek.
KD: You have created an amazing community resource, built out of your passion for all types of skiing and desire to help more people get out on Nordic trails…what was going on for you when you decided you were going to get this community resource up and running?
NL: Jackson Hole’s downhill skiing scene originally attracted me to the valley and I skied for several years at the Village – until one day when I was with two other amazing women skiers going down into Granite Canyon and I tore my ACL. Having the season off might have been one of the greatest gifts because it led me to understand and appreciate the network of Nordic skiing possible in the valley. However, I realized there was an opportunity to increase the visibility of both popular and less well known trails to inspire others to explore. That was the beginning of the alliance. I have a background in communications and marketing, and within that context I realized the potential for websites, social media, daily trip reports, and grooming updates to help get people excited to Nordic ski. I am so proud of what the JH Nordic Alliance has become and hope that it continues to inspire others to get outside and explore!
KD: Do you have any advice for new Nordic skiers?
NL: Just try it! New skiers might want to consider a private lesson or series of lessons but just trying out your skis on a flat groomed trail is a good way to start. The great thing about Nordic skiing is that you can get out for an hour or a day. It is like running or jogging—you can do it without much fuss or funds and it is great exercise. And get familiar with the jhnordic.org website and all it has to offer—like suggestions for short flat groomed trails. Mostly, stay safe and Have Fun!
March Nature News from The Hole Hiking Experience
A snowy February draws to an end and March begins with sunny, bluebird days. During the month of March, we typically experience all types of weather from sunshine to cold rain, wind and snow. Light powder days become fond memories as warming temperatures create big, wet snowflakes. Spring is a dance of changing weather. Male Grizzlies will soon emerge from their winter dens. They seek dead carcasses to gorge on for much needed protein and calories in order to regain strength. The call of the Red-winged Blackbird will soon be heard along with the flash of blue of the Mountain Bluebirds. Returning birds brighten the month with their brilliant colors and songs contrasting the brown landscape of the encroaching mud season.
Longer days and brighter sunlight also signify the arrival of spring. It’s interesting how our bodies can sense it. Light encourages us to lift our faces to the sun. Take the opportunity to pause and take it in with a few deep breaths. The pulse of the Earth and the daily changes at this time of the year are welcome after the dark days of December. All parts of nature respond to this change.
Spring officially begins on March 20, 2025. It’s a fragile time for many animals as they recover from the harsh elements of winter. Elk, moose, deer, bison and pronghorn are all in recovery mode, so make sure to minimize any disturbance. Early snow melt helps the animals by encouraging the growth of green leaves.
Enjoy this season of change,
Cathy Shill
Founder, The Hole Hiking Experience
Yellowstone Road Plowing Schedule
The following information is from a recent Buckrail article. Read it in full here.
The first road expected to open to YNP visitors, according to YNP’s updated park roads website, will be the West Entrance road with access to Madison, Old Faithful, Norris, Mammoth Hot Springs and Canyon Village, scheduled to open on April 18. Up next will be East Entrance access to Lake Village (via Sylvan Pass) and Canyon Village to Lake Village on May 2.
Most pertinent to Jackson residents is the projected opening date of the South Entrance, which is slated for May 9. This will provide access from the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway (the protected space between Grand Teton National Park and YNP) to park attractions including Old Faithful, Grant, West Thumb, Bridge Bay and Lake Village.
See Yellowstone’s dedicated Park Roads website for further information. Sign up for road alerts by texting 82190 to 888-777. Learn about how Yellowstone’s roads used to be cleared by hand.
Maintenance Update from Shooting Star
Spring’s just around the corner and Golf Maintenance is scheduled to conduct our annual practice of applying black sand on the greens to naturally aid in melting the snow. Based on the upcoming forecast, we anticipate temporarily switching to evening trail grooming this Friday (3/7) for allowing us time to perform maintenance on the greens during the colder mornings. Evening trail grooming begins at 5:30 pm and all skiers need to be off the trails by this time. Reminder, that conditions may be icier during the morning hours. Below is an approximate outline of the upcoming Maintenance schedule during March 7-11 (Weather & Equipment pending):
- Saturday (3/8): The snow on the greens will be packed down via our snowcat during the morning and early afternoon hours. TBD if black sand will be applied on Saturday. Evening Grooming will begin at 5:30 pm daily, skiers need to be off the trails.
- Sunday-Tuesday: Black sand will be applied to the greens during the morning hours. Evening Grooming will begin at 5:30 pm daily, skiers need to be off the trails.
- Wednesday (3/12): Grooming switches back to mornings, pending completion of maintenance practices.
Note, skiers may encounter some rough sections caused by equipment hauling materials to the Golf Maintenance facility, but skiing conditions should remain enjoyable throughout this process. This is a time sensitive operation and needs to be performed during this window, as more inclement weather is expected Tuesday (3/11) afternoon.
Events
Any new and existing March lodging reservations will be entered to win a 2026 winter trail pass, a new xc ski setup, and lunch for 2 at the lodge.
Today & Tomorrow!
The Best of Jackson Hole ballot is open for just another 2 days and JH Nordic is nominated as the Best Family Friendly Activity under the Adventure & The Great Outdoors Category. Cast your vote now!
2nd Annual TVTAP Women’s Nordic Grooming Clinic
Saturday, March 15
at the Alta Track from 10am to 1pm. Prior experience driving snow machines is not necessary! Come learn about how we groom and get hands on experience (and maybe even volunteer for TVTAP someday)! Space is limited so click here to sign up today! Questions? Get in touch! caitie@tvtap.org
