JACKSON, Wyo. — After last year’s suboptimal winter for outdoor recreation, Snow King Mountain has wagered big on an expansion of snowmaking infrastructure for the town hill with help from local stakeholders.
After the World Championship Snowmobile Hill Climb was canceled in March due to low snowpack, talks began between Snow King and the Jackson Hole Snow Devils – the nonprofit snowmobile club that organizes Hill Climb. Discussions resulted in the purchase of nine new snowmaking guns for the Exhibition trail where Hill Climb takes place. Nine other guns were installed near the Rafferty chairlift for ski operations. Snow King General Manager Ryan Stanley told Buckrail that the Snow Devils organization has agreed to pay for the nine snow guns on Exhibition over the next few years.
“We were looking at purchasing some snow guns for the other side of the mountain, which we did on Rafferty, we bought nine over there, too,” Stanley said. “And so we wanted to see if [the Snow Devils] were willing to chip in and contribute somehow. And also talking to some of our lodging partners in the community that were impacted by the cancellation of the event, they seemed really keen.”
Stanley said Snow King installed underground infrastructure for the snow guns, like pipes, vaults and hydrants, a few years ago as a way to plan for the future. That installation cost between $2 million and $3 million. The 18 new snow guns came with a nearly $1 million price tag. He said that sharing the cost of the machines on Exhibition with the Snow Devils and other local businesses makes sense: “Snowmaking on that entire run for a three-day event is kind of a big deal.”
According to a press release from the Snow Devils, the Hill Climb has been canceled four times in its 51-year history: in 1981 and 2026 for lack of snow, in 2015 for avalanche danger, and in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The annual weekend event draws more than 10,000 spectators and 300 racers from across North America who give an economic bump to local hotels and restaurants at the end of ski season. The event is staged by 200 club members and volunteers.
“Snowmaking doesn’t guarantee anything,” Snow Devils President Mike Robertson said in a statement. “What it does is give us the ability to build a course in a year like 2026. This is what a 62-year-old volunteer club does when something it cares about is at risk.”
The Snow Devils group raises money for its philanthropic endeavors primarily at Hill Climb. Since 2001, the nonprofit has donated nearly $2 million to local families, nonprofits and scholarship recipients, including $270,500 to local and Wyoming State Snowmobile Association scholarships. The club has launched a public campaign to help fund snowmaking on the racecourse.
The new guns at Snow King are ready to go, only waiting for cold weather to start churning out snow. Stanley said he hopes that will begin by mid-November. The anticipated opening date for the resort is Friday, Dec. 4. Hill Climb weekend will take place March 18 to 21, 2027.
