Terra Resort Group President Jamie Yarrow Re-Visits and Revels In an Enchanting and Harrowing Jackson Hole Night of Tram Cars and an Old Tribal Ritual:
The recent media coverage of the launch of our new Big Red Box has been well covered and I hope you have had the chance to see some of the great images of this beautiful new Tram. I had the wonderful opportunity to ride Car 2 on that historic Saturday as we ascended through the clouds to what seemed like the top of the world, and in the ski circles, it is.
The launch weekend was filled with an incredible energy, from those who built the tram to those who have dreamt of riding it; you could feel the excitement all around. When people ask me why Jackson is better than any other ski area I always try to be politically correct and say it is not better, just very different. Very and wonderfully different! The ceremony that surrounded the launch of the Tram was a perfect example. I watched the unveiling with a group of media and local influencers. The drama, the fireworks, the repelling Santa all made dramatic imprints with great imagery. It was what happened next that defines Jackson. As the sleek new tram car glided towards its dock it was met with the cold kiss of a fluffy white snowball, then again, and again until the white arcs mirrored the fireworks show we just witnessed, the crowd erupted and roared.
One of the media next to me, who ironically had asked that question of what made Jackson Hole better than other mountains, leaned over and asked me why the crowd was angry. I loved it. I explained what makes Jackson different, wonderful…special. To contrast other ski mountains that create communities, here in Jackson we create a tribe. A tribe of enthusiastic, passionate and die hard members who share a love for the snow and everyone who cares for it. The snowballs were not thrown in anger, this, my friends, was a ritual, a rite of passage. This crowd had assembled here to welcome the Big Red Box back to the tribe. My media friend got it instantly and I was actually quite impressed with his right arm, which arced a well weighted snowball over the car and made impact with the dock itself.
You see that is what makes Jackson different. You do not have to be an extreme skier to be accepted, you just need to love the sport, the mountain and the customs. That is the secret of being a local and that is why even the most hard core of Jackson’s skiing elite can be heard yelling words of encouragement to a beginner who made a sweet turn. I encourage everyone to come see the Tram, come fall in love with this incredible mountain, come join the Tribe!