photo: Wade McCoy | skier: Jess McMillanAcres: 2,500 | Vertical: 4,139 Snowfall: 459 | Web: jacksonhole.com

Last winter La Niña hammered Jackson Hole with 715 inches of face shot after face shot, adding more than 250 inches to their annual snowfall. This year it will be easier than ever to maximize deep days at Jackson thanks to the new Marmot double chair lift. It starts at the South Pass Traverse and gains 1,200 vertical feet to the top of the Gondola Summit. "The new lift lets you stay higher on the mountain," says local ripper Jess McMillan. "It will make for shorter gondola and tram lines."

From the Early Winter 2012 issue