William Kalfoss X Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole Experience

My name is William Kalfoss, I’m 27 years old, and I’m from Oslo, Norway. I was born into a skiing family, and skiing and sports have always been a big part of my life. I used to do ski jumping, traveling around the country for competitions and camps. When I was sixteen, I realised that freeskiing was my thing. The freedom, creativity, playfulness, and the community I loved more than anything, made me take a direction I have never regretted. Today, I live in a beautiful countryside village, with the biggest ski resort in Norway as my neighbour.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel around the world for many years and have seen a lot of beautiful places. Since I was about 12 or 13 years old, I have dreamed of skiing in the American resorts. All the great footage from shoots and contests gave me a big motivation to explore and see it for myself. I went on my first ski trip to the States in 2014, and after that, I was sold. I’ve tried to make it back every year since, mostly for park riding in the Rookies and California.

As I’ve gotten older and wiser, it’s been time to explore different sides of the sport I love so much. Ever since I started watching ski movies 15 years ago, the Tetons always had a segment or a part. This beautiful terrain, with big drops, scary faces, open forests, and chest-deep powder, definitely earned a place on my bucket list. After years with COVID and fewer trips to the U.S., I finally managed to get out there again. This time, I was in search of fluffy snow. I saw that many of my idols had gone to Wyoming this winter, around the Jackson area. This place looked amazing, lots of skiable terrain from the lifts, beautiful nature, and a cowboy town. What more could you wish for as a Norwegian boy in his twenties?

Jackson Hole Experience

My name is William Kalfoss, I’m 27 years old, and I’m from Oslo, Norway. I was born into a skiing family, and skiing and sports have always been a big part of my life. I used to do ski jumping, traveling around the country for competitions and camps. When I was sixteen, I realised that freeskiing was my thing. The freedom, creativity, playfulness, and the community I loved more than anything, made me take a direction I have never regretted. Today, I live in a beautiful countryside village, with the biggest ski resort in Norway as my neighbour.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel around the world for many years and have seen a lot of beautiful places. Since I was about 12 or 13 years old, I have dreamed of skiing in the American resorts. All the great footage from shoots and contests gave me a big motivation to explore and see it for myself. I went on my first ski trip to the States in 2014, and after that, I was sold. I’ve tried to make it back every year since, mostly for park riding in the Rookies and California.

As I’ve gotten older and wiser, it’s been time to explore different sides of the sport I love so much. Ever since I started watching ski movies 15 years ago, the Tetons always had a segment or a part. This beautiful terrain, with big drops, scary faces, open forests, and chest-deep powder, definitely earned a place on my bucket list. After years with COVID and fewer trips to the U.S., I finally managed to get out there again. This time, I was in search of fluffy snow. I saw that many of my idols had gone to Wyoming this winter, around the Jackson area. This place looked amazing, lots of skiable terrain from the lifts, beautiful nature, and a cowboy town. What more could you wish for as a Norwegian boy in his twenties?

When I found out that Jackson Hole was the right spot, the planning process was fast. To be honest, it was the easiest planning process for an overseas ski trip I’ve ever done. With the airport so close to the resort and town, it was super easy. With some great help from the Jackson locals and a quick check on the internet, I was all set. I found some good flights at an OK price. I always use Skyscanner or Momondo. After checking out some accommodation options, I found a good spot, and we were ready to go. All of this happened in 2 days, just a week before the trip (the forecast looked amazing).

First things first, after booking the flight tickets, I updated my visa. That was also a fast and easy process. With a lot of snow in the forecast, avalanche danger was a concern. I checked my avy gear, and everything was working well. Since I had never been to Jackson Hole before, I didn’t know the terrain. Were we going to ski technical stuff, steep lines, cliffs, or just resort groomers? I packed for everything, two pairs of skis: my everyday skis (Volkl Revolt 104) and a wider pair (Revolt 114).

Sweet Protection hooked me up with the best and most tech-heavy gear on the market, so I was ready for the trip of a lifetime. I went in March, so you can expect everything from cold, windy, and snowy days to perfect spring weather. I always try to bring gear that matches my expectations.

Shell jackets are key, waterproof, easy to open up for ventilation, and lightweight. If you have good base layers and thin fleeces, you can easily adjust to the weather and conditions up on the mountain. I know how exhausting it can be to do a long run at these high altitudes, so I made sure to bring a solid backpack with room for snacks and drinks.

When I found out that Jackson Hole was the right spot, the planning process was fast. To be honest, it was the easiest planning process for an overseas ski trip I’ve ever done. With the airport so close to the resort and town, it was super easy. With some great help from the Jackson locals and a quick check on the internet, I was all set. I found some good flights at an OK price. I always use Skyscanner or Momondo. After checking out some accommodation options, I found a good spot, and we were ready to go. All of this happened in 2 days, just a week before the trip (the forecast looked amazing).

First things first, after booking the flight tickets, I updated my visa. That was also a fast and easy process. With a lot of snow in the forecast, avalanche danger was a concern. I checked my avy gear, and everything was working well. Since I had never been to Jackson Hole before, I didn’t know the terrain. Were we going to ski technical stuff, steep lines, cliffs, or just resort groomers? I packed for everything, two pairs of skis: my everyday skis (Volkl Revolt 104) and a wider pair (Revolt 114).

Sweet Protection hooked me up with the best and most tech-heavy gear on the market, so I was ready for the trip of a lifetime. I went in March, so you can expect everything from cold, windy, and snowy days to perfect spring weather. I always try to bring gear that matches my expectations.

Shell jackets are key, waterproof, easy to open up for ventilation, and lightweight. If you have good base layers and thin fleeces, you can easily adjust to the weather and conditions up on the mountain. I know how exhausting it can be to do a long run at these high altitudes, so I made sure to bring a solid backpack with room for snacks and drinks.

After a long journey from Oslo to Frankfurt, then Denver, and finally to Jackson, it was such a relief to touch down at Jackson Hole Airport. You know how it feels after more than 20 hours of travel, you just want everything to go smoothly. And that’s exactly how it went. Our ski bags were on the belt within 10 minutes, the taxi was waiting outside the door, and we were on our way to our motel. With a standard price and a super nice taxi driver, everything was incredibly easy.

We were staying at The Mountain Modern in Jackson town. We decided to stay in town for a more immersive experience of the trip. Plus, we knew they had a smooth shuttle system in place, so it all made sense.

You could feel the mountain breeze when we stepped outside, and the stars were shining bright. The horizon was lined with the silhouettes of the mountains. There were more wildlife signs than speed limit signs on the highway into Jackson, and it felt like we were truly out in the countryside. When we arrived in Jackson, the town had the charm of an old-fashioned cowboy town.

The first day at the resort was amazing. It was super easy to pick up our ski passes and buy some light snacks and drinks for our backpacks, and we were ready to ski. We found it easy to navigate through the resort, and the people were very friendly. We got some great tips on where to find the best snow and terrain, so we ended up skiing the Sublette Quad the entire day. The light was flat, with some snow in the air, so the visibility wasn’t the best.

There was a lot of snow in the forecast for the first 2-3 days, so we were super stoked. We were a bit skeptical about the morning shuttle rides from Jackson to the resort, but it turned out to be so easy and smooth. We ended up going early each day to hit the fresh snow as soon as possible. We found some really nice runs around the Sublette lift and basically skied that area for three straight days. After that, we were excited to explore more terrain and maybe try skiing outside the resort. We met two nice and experienced guys who showed us a fantastic run on the backside of the Teton Quad chair. It was a long traverse back to the center, but definitely worth it.

As spring arrived, the sun started to do its work. In the early mornings, the snow was still firm and cold, but as the day went on, temperatures rose, and the sunny sides turned into slush heaven. We started searching for the north-facing slopes to find the good snow. We went to Cody Bowl, booted up to the top, and had some fantastic runs down. The avalanche danger was low, and we felt safe on the lines and terrain we skied.

After a long journey from Oslo to Frankfurt, then Denver, and finally to Jackson, it was such a relief to touch down at Jackson Hole Airport. You know how it feels after more than 20 hours of travel, you just want everything to go smoothly. And that’s exactly how it went. Our ski bags were on the belt within 10 minutes, the taxi was waiting outside the door, and we were on our way to our motel. With a standard price and a super nice taxi driver, everything was incredibly easy.

We were staying at The Mountain Modern in Jackson town. We decided to stay in town for a more immersive experience of the trip. Plus, we knew they had a smooth shuttle system in place, so it all made sense.

You could feel the mountain breeze when we stepped outside, and the stars were shining bright. The horizon was lined with the silhouettes of the mountains. There were more wildlife signs than speed limit signs on the highway into Jackson, and it felt like we were truly out in the countryside. When we arrived in Jackson, the town had the charm of an old-fashioned cowboy town.

The first day at the resort was amazing. It was super easy to pick up our ski passes and buy some light snacks and drinks for our backpacks, and we were ready to ski. We found it easy to navigate through the resort, and the people were very friendly. We got some great tips on where to find the best snow and terrain, so we ended up skiing the Sublette Quad the entire day. The light was flat, with some snow in the air, so the visibility wasn’t the best.

There was a lot of snow in the forecast for the first 2-3 days, so we were super stoked. We were a bit skeptical about the morning shuttle rides from Jackson to the resort, but it turned out to be so easy and smooth. We ended up going early each day to hit the fresh snow as soon as possible. We found some really nice runs around the Sublette lift and basically skied that area for three straight days. After that, we were excited to explore more terrain and maybe try skiing outside the resort. We met two nice and experienced guys who showed us a fantastic run on the backside of the Teton Quad chair. It was a long traverse back to the center, but definitely worth it.

As spring arrived, the sun started to do its work. In the early mornings, the snow was still firm and cold, but as the day went on, temperatures rose, and the sunny sides turned into slush heaven. We started searching for the north-facing slopes to find the good snow. We went to Cody Bowl, booted up to the top, and had some fantastic runs down. The avalanche danger was low, and we felt safe on the lines and terrain we skied.

During our stay in Jackson, we met so many nice people, locals and tourists alike. They were all super friendly and easygoing. It was never a problem to get guidance or help from the people we met on the slopes. Cowboy Bar is a great place to meet people. We ended up there a couple of times during our stay, and maybe stayed a little too long some nights because of all the great people we met. Jackson has a ton of cool gift shops, bars, and fine restaurants. We had our breakfast every morning at Bubba’s, and absolutely loved the vibe there.

The skiing in Jackson Hole is amazing. You’ve got everything from easy groomers to steep cliff sections, and everything in between. I’m a park skier, so for me, it was really a chance to challenge my backcountry game. The terrain ranges from tight tree lines to big open faces. I could definitely feel my skiing progress a lot during my stay.

I learned a lot about finding lines and then actually following them. Since I didn’t know the terrain too well, it was very important to stick to the line. But that’s part of the fun, it's a mental game. Take pictures, draw lines, visualise it, then ski it.

I also learned how important it is to take the heat/sun into consideration when evaluating terrain. There was a big difference in snow quality between shadowed areas and sun-affected terrain.

Book your tickets! Well, it's not quite that simple, but almost. As I mentioned earlier, everything was incredibly smooth. Of course, you’ll need to keep an eye on your budget, they have everything from super fancy lodging to cheap motels. Personally, I would recommend staying in Jackson town for a more immersive experience.

I would also recommend booking your lift passes in advance. You’ll save some money and be able to spend more on the full experience while you’re there. I prefer not to plan everything ahead of time; I like to arrive, see the place, and discover the hidden gems on my own. Jackson has so many great restaurants and bars that you’ll easily find a spot with a table.

When it comes to equipment, make sure to bring enough to fully explore the mountain. Don’t let gear hold you back! And don’t be afraid to ask people for advice, everyone I met was so friendly and helpful. They all want you to have a great experience.

Overall, the experience exceeded my expectations. The nature, the people, the skiing, and the town were absolutely amazing. If you want the best skiing experience, I would recommend hiring a guide or going with someone who knows the area for the first day or two. It’s an investment you won’t regret. Just taking the tram to the top is an experience you’ll never forget. The views are picture-perfect in every direction.

It’s not about the number of runs you do, but the quality of the experience. The feeling of having a snack break on a rock at the bottom of the resort, after a run of a lifetime, is something I wish everyone could experience.