Jackson Local Skis ~5 Million Vertical Feet
Over 4.8 MILLION vertical feet. More than 1,150 tram rides. These mind-boggling numbers illustrate just how passionate local legend Robert “Buddha” Baker is about skiing.
Buddha has been skiing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort for over 30 years. He is a Tram Rider to his core who rarely, if ever, ascends the mountain another way. When asked about Buddha, Head Tram Mechanic Mike Vase said, “oh yes, I'm very familiar with Buddha, as he rides the tram all the time. All I can say about Buddha is that he’s a quiet, respectful tram rider. He's all business and is not about being seen or heard. He'll say good morning or that the bowl is skiing well. He just rides the tram and skis the bowl.” Laser-focused on having fun, that’s something we can all get behind.
Buddha consistently reigns supreme atop the vertical foot leaderboard on our app, JH Insider. Conditions aligned for him to achieve the unthinkable this winter; abundant early-season snowfall led us to open the Aerial Tram just over a week into the season, and then it was game-on. 595” of record-breaking snowfall later, Buddha’s 125 days on-snow lapping the tram led to historic numbers that may never be surpassed.
We had the opportunity to interview Buddha to gain some insight into the mind of such an enigmatic and recognizable fixture of JHMR:
JHMR: How long have you been skiing?
Buddha: 41 years.
How long have you been skiing at JHMR?
33 years.
What’s your recipe for success to be able to ski this much?
Drink Red Bull and eat Lucky Charms.
Personal record for most tram rides in one day?
On the old tram, 22. The new tram, 19.
Favorite top-to-bottom run?
Rendezvous Bowl to Wally’s World to Sparky’s Traverse to North Hoback, and then back to the tram.
Most vertical feet you skied in one day?
About 78,000.
What do you ski before the tram opens?
Are there other lifts?
If you could choose the song playing over the tram’s speakers, what would it be?
East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed.
Best day this past season?
Every day is a good day. There’s never a bad day of skiing, only bad skiers.
Will we ever witness more impressive stats? Possibly not. We will definitely see Buddha lapping the tram and enjoying 4,139 vertical feet of unmatched skiable terrain next winter, though. Cheers to you, Buddha!
Photos by Amy Jimmerson
From The Blog
Through the Lens: A Record-Setting Season
Winter 2022/23 will live in infamy. The overarching accolade is the deepest winter ever recorded in Rendezvous Bowl, culminating with 595" of snowfall. Distilled, the whole is only as valuable as the sum of its parts; photographer Stephen Shelesky's images chronicle the unrelenting winter and help tell a legendary story, moment by moment.
Snowiest Winter Ever at Jackson Hole
That's a wrap for the record-setting 2022-23 winter season at Jackson Hole. 595" of snow fell making this winter the snowiest, deepest ever recorded in Rendezvous Bowl! These past months have raced by, fueled by fresh flakes cascading onto our slopes and ample time sliding on snow. The "Teton trickle" felt more like a firehose at times, and the sun was most-elusive. March was miraculous and we though it best to put how absurdly snowy last month was into perspective (read more).