Checking Out: Grand Targhee and Powder Mountain

Although Grand Targhee resort in Wyoming and Powder Mountain in Utah are separated by a couple of hundred miles, they have a lot more in common than Interstate 15, the main access route to the resorts.
Both are on the western-most edge of the Rockies; both claim more than 500 inches of snow per annum; both have about 2,000 feet of vertical rise; both are highly-regarded powder playgrounds; both lay in the shadow of more glamorous resorts (Jackson Hole for Targhee, Snowbasin for Powder); both have large side-country/back-country cat skiing operations, and both are extremely laid-back and uncrowded.
Oh, yeah. Both have extensive and varied terrain for you to explore: More than 2,600 acres (2,000 lift-served) at Targhee and more that 7,000 acres (2,800 lift-served) at Powder.
The following is a quick primer for skiing and riding at these two resorts.
Best tree runs:
Lost Warrior and Instructor Chute at Targhee; Powder Chamber 3 and Big Gulp at Powder.
Best glades:
Bird Woman and Sacajawea chair line at Targhee; Moose Hollow and North Slope at Powder.
Best groomers:
Wild Willie and Chief Joe Bowl at Targhee; East 40 and Sunrise at Powder.
Best apres:
The Trap Bar at Targhee’s base area has an eclectic live music scene on weekends; the Shooting Star Saloon, just down the road from Powder in Huntsville, is the oldest continuously operating bar in Utah and must not be missed.
Best eats:
For Targhee, it’s Forage, an American-style bistro in nearby Driggs; for Powder, the pickings are slim between the resort and Ogden, which has wide range of dining options (your call).