Sleeping Giant - Wyoming’s Hottest Winter Outdoor Experience, Where Old School Is the New School
By: Elyse Guarino | Photography by: @dean_madley
The end of the road awaits
The flashing sign as you exit Cody WY heading west on N. Fork Highway reads, “Road closed 46 miles ahead.” We would add, “delicious food, great skiing, and rustic accommodations await!” if WYDOT would let us.
As the ski industry, and much of the outdoor recreation world, swing more and more toward mega-resorts, high dollar restaurants, and large scale tourism, there are a handful of businesses embracing their roots and keeping experiences quaint, intimate and high quality—Sleeping Giant Ski Area is one of them.
Sleeping Giant History & Rebrand
Sleeping Giant is one of the oldest ski areas in the U.S. Established in 1936, twenty-third out of 354 according to skihistory.org, its success has ebbed and flowed over the years and taken it from private ownership to non-profit management and back again. In 2020, under new ownership and management, the ski area is actualizing the vision of bringing the finer things of larger resorts to its daily operations without sacrificing a back to basics experience—fairly off the grid in the Shoshone National Forest several miles from the “end of the road,” the focus is on the outdoor experience, snow, and community. In this unique year, with its communal health challenges, Sleepy G. as it is affectionately called has successfully implemented a new school meets old school vision, renewed a strong local following, and created a niche for visitors looking to ditch the mega-resorts, enjoy their family and nature and remember how good it feels to “just be,” outside.
The Winter Tailgating Is Where It’s At
Embracing a time when people knew how to put on their seal skin coats and beaver mittens and cozy up to the fire outside with a glass of mulled wine, Sleepy G. has implemented a network of outdoor huts and “mountain sanctuaries” to help newcomers adjust to more time out of the lodge than in it. Though the emphasis on keeping guests healthy during this Covid year has moved much of the previously indoor activity outdoors the technology and events Sleepy G are implementing are far from historic. Wooden skis have been traded for partnerships with award-winning companies like Sego Ski Co. out of the Teton Valley. Although there isn’t a concierge to buckle your boots for you, the aforementioned on-mountain amenities are framed by 100’s of acres of pristine picturesque national forest outfitted inside and out with woodstoves, fire pits, tables, and chairs. With an emphasis on educating their clientele on the joys of tailgating, this old-school mountain gem is reminding the mountain West just how good changing your socks at the car and coming back for an outdoor apres next to a cozy fire can be. Instagrammable tailgating scenes that include espresso, beignets, and charcuterie boards emphasize the point. Sleeping Giant is committed to adding unexpected enjoyment to your outdoor experience at every turn —outdoor snow bar anyone?
Winter Sports and Experiences
While we enjoy the all-inclusive resort experience as much as the next person, there is something to be said for turning off your cell phone and the internet (it won’t work here anyway), booking a rustic cabin with one of their historic partner lodges on the Shoshone National Forest and focusing on the abundant natural beauty, wildlife and snow we came here for in the first place. Sleeping Giant is that beer called “simpler times”. It’s exactly what a ski resort should be with all the distractions and fancy packaging stripped away—good runs, beautiful scenery, tree-lined powder runs, isolation from the buzz and bing of your everyday overly connected life, welcoming people, and just enough in the way of food, drink and extra amenities to keep us feeling grateful for people, places and all that we have. This historic ski resort is a sanctuary for anyone looking for a reminder of just how great life outside can be when you strip away all the overly extravagant extras and leave only the mountains and the magic.