Salt Lake November/December 1998
Utah skiers could visit Jackson Hole every winter and still never see the Tetons because the area can be a snowy, blowy, foggy sort of place. It can see like Mt. Everest at the top of the tram, and be spring condition grab-your-skis-mush at the bottom. That's why so many love it.
The Jackson Hole resort offers four square miles of beautiful and challenging terrain, and this year, a new high-speed quad that will reduce lift time to the top of Apres Vous Mountain from ten minutes to five. Also new this year, the resort is offering a wide selection of snowboard camps and women's clinics. Back by popular demand is the Steep Skiing Camp, the grand finale of which is a trip into the death-defying Corbet's Couloir by land, air, or rope! - all the more reason to have a cozy lodge to return to at day's end. Jackson's Rusty Parrot Lodge is such a place.
Built in 1990 by former Utahn Ron Harrison (who says he got the innkeeping bug when he visited Alta Lodge in 1968 and was impressed by owner Bill Levitt's hospitality), the Rusty Parrot provides much-appreciated luxuries. Shake off the hailstones, slip off your jacket, and have your body wrapped in warm, moist, aromatic sheets at the on-site Body Sage Spa (which Uma Thurman purportedly loves to visit). You'll fell like a human tea bag - but the correct term for this procedure is an herbal wrap. And how about a salt scrub or massage? From herbal wraps to facials, hand and foot refreshers (great after a day in ski boots), the spa will have you ready to float across the street to Jackson's best restaurants before retiring. Try the elegantly cozy Snake River Grill, where you'll dine on the likes of Chilean sea bass with lemon grass, green curry, and coconut milk or venison chops with balsamic-roasted onions and bacon with squash and sweet potato puree (307-733-0557). The very latest eclectic eatery, Terriore (307-739-2500), opened last year to rave reviews. The Range (307-733-5481) offers a particularly diverse menu: Farfelle served with grilled chicken, figs, prosciutto, roasted garlic, fresh thyme, and feta cheese. Roasted duck breast comes with wild rice, barley, pecans, and a blackberry orange sauce.
Back at the Rusty Parrot after dinner, your room beckons with European-style country plush decor and oversized down comforters. Teddy bears, chocolates, and postcards with inspiring thoughts of the day appear magically on your pillow. A $2 per night fee, earmarked for the Jackson Hole Land Trust, is added to each room's bill. Although the fee is not required, once guest view Jackson's pristine surroundings - moose grazing roadside, a herd of deer strolling downtown - it's hard to resist contributing.
Rusty Parrot Chef Magnus Hansson is the youngest Swede ever to be awarded the Michelin Star. His homemade syrups, salsas, breads, and preserves elevate the gourmet breakfasts (tuna, salmon, rack of lamb, seven-grain cereal) to stellar status.
You'll feel delightfully pampered in this luxurious but relaxed haven. Winter room rates range from $230 to $500 a night. (800) 458-2004. Check out their cool Web site with a slide show at www.rustyparrot.com. Call the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort at (307) 733-2292 for information on the mountain, or (800)443-6931 for reservations.
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