Blank Canvas: The Early Tram Experience

Sport, art, lifestyle — skiing and snowboarding don’t fit neatly into a single category. At the Olympic level, it’s a sport. During après, it’s a lifestyle. And when you’re standing above an untracked Rendezvous Bowl on a powder day with no one around, dropping in to etch your turns and leave behind a creative line, it’s nothing short of art. It’s that artistic element, I believe, that gets so many people hooked.

Untracked powder is magical. It makes the blues vanish, inciting involuntary hoots and hollers, unearthly stoke and those unique post–pow turn belly laughs that we live to hear — but would honestly make people uncomfortable in any other context. Paired with the right canvas — a mountain that encourages creativity and flow state — there are few activities that provide such a raw, impactful experience.

But not every perfect day comes with fresh snowfall. Some of the most memorable mornings arrive under clear skies, when the mountain has been freshly groomed and the slopes are covered in pristine corduroy. There’s a different kind of artistry in carving clean, precise arcs on perfectly prepared snow — the rhythm of edge-to-edge transitions, the sensation of speed and control, the quiet satisfaction of laying down symmetrical turns on an untouched surface.

Fresh corduroy offers its own kind of magic. The texture is consistent, predictable, and endlessly smooth — a flawless surface that rewards technical precision and invites playful exploration. Each run becomes an exercise in flow, where the mountain feels wide open and every turn connects effortlessly to the next. With no tracks ahead of you and no crowds around, the experience is meditative, energizing and deeply satisfying. It’s a reminder that whether the canvas is soft powder or perfectly groomed snow, the joy comes from the act of creating your own line down the mountain.

That’s why so many people live to ski and ride. It’s why even those who claim they’re not morning people willingly gather in the tram line during the early hours. The experience never gets old. And it’s why we offer the Early Tram Experience through our Mountain Sports School.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s mission is to inspire adventure and ignite passion for the mountains. For our instructors and guides, that means fostering growth in the technical skills of skiing and snowboarding is just the beginning. We don’t just want to help you improve your skiing — we want to show you why you should want to improve, through the peak experiences that are uniquely found on our mountain. Our goal is to help you discover the same level of enjoyment we feel, instilling a passion that keeps you skiing, progressing and chasing the dream.

Whether it’s deep, quintessential powder or a perfect bluebird morning with freshly groomed runs, heading up the mountain early delivers an experience you’ll want to chase again and again. With an empty mountain, fresh tracks and the knowledge of your private instructor, it’s your opportunity to own the hill, focus on what you want to learn and fully immerse yourself in the experience.

And yes — let’s clear the air. We know many expert skiers and riders want the Early Tram Experience but may feel they don’t need instruction. We get it. But trust us — our instructors want to be up there, too. Alongside their expertise in coaching, they’re exceptional guides who know how to create an unforgettable day on the mountain. Think of them as your personal host and mountain partner — providing early tram and gondola access, helping you skip the lines and sharing the best conditions Jackson Hole has to offer.

For those looking to progress their skills, there’s simply no better environment. With fewer people on the hill, you can focus fully on refining your technique, dialing in the perfect turn or stepping up to new terrain. Early access and priority lift use mean more laps, more feedback and faster progression.

It’s the cheat code to first tracks and the fast-forward button for your skiing and snowboarding progression. Being the first one carving down the mountain from the top of the Aerial Tram — it’s worth it every time.

We’ll see you up there.