Warm temperatures across the Intermountain West this season have kept skiers at home and snowmobilers grounded.
The cancellation of one of Jackson’s biggest spring events, the World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb, was the final nail in winter’s coffin, said Jesse Garcia, a Jackson native who works for the Town Square outfitter KUHL.
“Everyone’s super depressed that there was no snow,” Garcia said. “It’s such a dope event.”
This is one of the only times the annual competition, which organizers say draws 10,000 spectators and 300 athletes, has been called off for weather in its nearly 50-year history. (The event was canned in 2020 because of the pandemic.) Revelers contribute thousands of dollars to the Jackson economy and organizers donate to regional charities and avalanche safety programs.
“It’s been a lot of heartache, but a lot of understanding. It’s obviously outside of our control,” said organizer RJ Crosland, president of the Snow Devils nonprofit. He said they are working with Snow King Mountain Resort to potentially purchase snow making equipment to come back stronger in 2027.
Tourism data from before the Hill Climb cancellation show only a slight decline in hotel reservations from January to March, compared to last year. Retail sales haven’t suffered as much as Skinny Skis co-owner Scott O’Brien feared. But he worries for other business owners in town that rely on events like the Hill Climb for their bottom line.
That’s the case for Olivia Reiser, manager and event coordinator at StillWest Brewery and Grill, which serves as an unofficial base camp for the hill climb.
“As much as people like to complain about how it changes the dynamics of town. It is big, you bring in a lot of people,” Rieser said.
In a typical year, Snow King Avenue would be lined with trailers and vendors.
“It’s busy. It is chaotic, but it’s fun,” she said.
The crowd is good for business and brings a unique community to town, Rieser said. She woke up to six messages about the cancellation on Wednesday, which comes at the end of what she called a difficult year.
“It’s a huge impact. It’s definitely a pretty big hit on our revenue,” she said. “Having that hit with the overall slowness […] it sucks.”
As resorts in Utah, California and Colorado all contend with warmer seasons, some travelers have found the skiing better in Jackson or on the west side of the Tetons at Grand Targhee Resort.
“Our little town still has the magic, because we have the best snow,” said Ari Doyon, 49er Inn and Suites manager.
She has been trying to convince guests to make the most of the valley’s other wonders, too. Some have visited Mormon Row or booked wildlife tours. About 20% of her bookings, or 30 rooms, dropped on Wednesday after the hill climb was cancelled.
Over at Elk Country Inn, bookings were cut in half, from about 100 rooms down to 50. Most of those were familiar guests who have stayed in the same room for 20 years, said Brandy Lawson, a front desk associate at the Inn.
While locals are bummed about the lack of powder, some East Coast visitors don’t seem to mind the ice.
“They don’t want to work that hard in the snow. So they’ve been happy with it,” she told KHOL.
That’s good news for hospitality workers who rely on seasonal tourists for their income. But KUHL’s Garcia worries those visits could shift as climate change intensifies.
“I mean, even if you don’t believe in it, you can see the changes in this town,” he said.
“Even seasonal tourists who have been coming here for so many years, they even pointed out to us, like, ‘Where’s all the snow? What’s going on? I’m like, ‘I don’t know, man, getting too warm now.’”
A group of rowdy visitors from Gainesville didn’t seem to mind the balmy temps as they downed Jackson-brewed beers outside their downtown hotel on Wednesday.
“It’s wonderful,” said Eddie Jones. “I’m wearing a short sleeve golf shirt and I just came from Georgia and it’s warmer — actually it’s about the same as it was in Georgia.
“I’d rather it be this than 10 degrees and snow and freezing.”
This story has been updated to include comments from event organizers. — Ed.
