Mountain Mystique

Written by Bridget Williams

Mountains are magical. From their snow-capped peaks to the mesmerizing duet of light and shadow enacted upon ancient rock faces that jut dramatically from the valley floor, it's little wonder that humans have heeded the Tetons' siren song for at least 10,000 years. With so much protected acreage in the area, Native American and 19th century Anglo-American fur trappers and explorers would likely find the pristine vista of peaks towering above the ess curves of the aptly named Snake River— perfectly captured by Ansel Adams in a 1942 photograph—familiar and still awe-inspiring. However, outside of this, present-day life in Jackson Hole, with its luxury resorts, multimillion-dollar homes, and upscale boutiques, bears little resemblance to the rough, rugged, and isolated life they eked out in this harsh environment. At press time, the most expensive residential property in Jackson Hole was listed at $65 million, a far cry from the $1.25 an acre on offer due to the Homestead Act of 1862.

From its perch atop East Gros Ventre Butte, Amangani literally sits at the pinnacle of ultra-luxury options in the valley since it opened in 1998 as the first Aman resort in the United States. A contemporary expression of the alpine aesthetic designed by architect Ed Tuttle and rendered in wood, stone, and glass, the built environment captures the alluring and enduring mystique of the American West by playing a supporting role to the Tetons' majesty.

As soon as we landed at the Jackson Hole Airport, the only commercial airport entirely located in a national park, and one-thousand-feet higher in elevation than Denver International Airport, I stopped to gawk at the scene from the jet bridge. Within minutes, my nemesis altitude announced its arrival via a pesky headache. It was something I was anticipating and learned to conquer by drinking lots of water and getting a good night's rest, which I knew would be assured by the tranquility and comfort of my room at Amangani.

Admiring the vastness of the landscape en route to the resort lends the property a remote feel. However, if you are keen on a hike to the crest of the butte (led weekly by affable GM Stuart Lang, who's a delight to converse with), you'll see just how centrally located Amangani is to the area's significant points of interest. From the peak, you can spy the ski resort (jacksonhole.com), the town of Jackson Hole, and the National Elk Refuge (fws.gov/refuge/national-elk). From here, there's a trail leading to the 51,000-square-foot National Museum of Wildlife Art (wildlifeart.org), the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to wildlife art. The museum's striking Idaho quartzite façade, which overlooks the Elk Refuge, makes it appear one with the landscape. It's well worth a visit, followed by lunch at Palate, their on-site restaurant, which is top-notch.

Back at Amangani, upon entering, the eye is drawn down a central staircase where a wall of windows frames the view of the mountains. Then, head down another level to gawk at what is likely one of the world's most photographed infinity hotel pools. There are just 40 suites, generously sized between 485 to 780-square-feet, all oriented to the view and boasting an expansive terrace to soak it all in. After putting my things away in a closet big enough for a month's stay, I downed a bottle of water and dove into bed for an altitude-headache-busting catnap cradled by a pillowy mattress resting atop a platform frame.

Each morning during my stay, I reveled in the heavenly feeling of waking before dawn. I'd brew a cup of espresso, lift the remotecontrolled blackout shades, open my terrace door to admire the still-starry sky, and let the thin, crisp mountain air invigorate my senses. I relished a different style of soaking it all in at night: an indulgent bath in a windowfront tub complete with luxurious bath amenities from Aman's eponymous skincare line.

Amangani's The Grill restaurant serves three meals daily, focused on hyper-local ingredients, including produce from nearby Vertical Harvest Farms, the first three-story greenhouse in the Northern Hemisphere. Under the direction of Executive Chef Manual Fernandez, globally influenced seasonal menus offer ample diversity to satisfy nearly every culinary persuasion. In the adjacent Zinc Bar and library are intimate seating areas, with those positioned near fireplaces perennially occupied. The libations menu highlights locally brewed beer and regionally distilled spirits, with the later mingled with seasonal ingredients to comprise creative cocktails such as a huckleberry martini and a spicy hibiscus margarita (my personal favorite).

Small in size but substantial in its offerings, the four-room Aman Spa is a welcome respite after a day on the slopes or the hiking trail. I treated myself to a 105-minute Après Ski Dream. This luxurious ritual encompassed a detoxifying foot scrub, an exfoliating dry brushing session, and a massage with antiinflammatory CBD massage oil incorporating warm basalt stones and amethyst crystals, and capped off with a glass of champagne. A well-equipped fitness room with a separate yoga studio and the infinity pool, maintained at a dreamy eighty-five degrees yearround, out the spa level amenities.

If you aim to roam where the deer and the antelope play, you should book a tour with one of Amangani's in-house guides, who can take you from ritzy to remote at this four-season resort in short order. Our customized wildlife safari was led by Andrew Whitford, who arrived at the property 16 years ago and said he immediately "drank the Kool-Aid" of the Aman brand. "It's a tasty one," he said with a laugh.

Andrew is one of those Zen-like people possessing an innate sense of adventure combined with profound reverence for the environment that provides his adrenaline rush. "I am fulfilled by the surroundings and love being able to share it with others," he explained. Although he's a GoPro-sponsored athlete, Andrew insists that testing yourself in the wilderness doesn't have to be a death-defying experience to be impactful. "Everyone can be humbled by nature," he explained.

Andrew boasts an encyclopedic knowledge of the area and a gift for educating without being pedantic; he has a particular knack for making nature's less savory circle-of-life aspects more palatable. Armchair adventurers will undoubtedly find themselves enraptured by his tales of exploits in the great outdoors, including a run-in with a grizzly bear.

Other non-ski-season activities that the resort arranges are day trips to Yellowstone National Park, hot air balloon flights, horseback riding, mountain biking, fly fishing, whitewater rafting, and kayaking.

In the winter, snows average more than thirteen feet on the mountains and five feet in the valleys, bringing a whole new set of adventure activities. Just twenty minutes away from the resort and accessible by a complimentary shuttle, the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is the largest in Wyoming, offering nearly 2,500 acres of high-thrill skiing and snowboarding terrain, including Snowcat powder skiing and heli-skiing. Amangani's dedicated Ski Lounge in Teton Village sits at the base of the Bridger Gondola.

Other powder-perfect pursuits include traveling to an old trapper's cabin via snowmobile, soaking in the Granite Hot Springs in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, dogsledding, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

At Amangani, Aman's signature brand of minimalism combined with over-the-top service and amenities provides a luxurious home base for an incredibly restorative experience. Regardless of the season and whether your pace is passive or pulse pushing, it's a cinch to be enveloped by the atmosphere of the American West on and off property.