Jackson Hole, WY 3/4-6/2015

[tseeb]

3/4 was my 13th day of skiing for my trip and 12th day in a row. I parked at Stilson lot and, carrying my skis, poles and boot bag, barely made a bus that got me to JHMR well before 8:30. After taking care of my Mountain Collective Pass, booting up on a bench in their office and stashing my bootbag at Nick Wilson's Cafe, I was one of the first at 8:45 meet-up for Epicski between Bridger Center and Gondola and had time to get a cinnamon roll and eat half of it. Eight of us were ready when they opened at 9 and rode slow Eagle's Rest and Sweetwater chairs to Casper chair where we did two fast laps on excellent groomers. Temp was low single digits to begin, but rose rapidly in bright sun. The third time up, Bob Peters, a long time Jackson Hole ski instructor, joined our group to guide us for the morning and took us over to Kemmerer, a new and steeper run that is parallel to planned to be installed this summer Crag's chair, and also will be part of JHMR's planned downhill course where they hope to hold a World Cup event.

We skied to bottom and after a one tram wait, we went up and skied Rendezvous Bowl and Wally World. Snow was soft and good in most places although there were bumps if you went down the middle of second pitch and Bob warned us a the top not to go where there were no tracks as their probably with barely covered rocks lurking at top of Rendezvous. From there we skied North Hoback, where the 1" of new snow that had fallen since they closed on top of 4" new from previous day skied well for me although some other in group had some trouble handling it. Due to low temps, good snow was found at the bottom of Hobacks. Next time we had no wait for the tram and skied to Tensleep Bowl where there was some nice windsifted snow and many big visible rocks to ski between. We continued down to the Cirque and Amphitheatre where Bob took us down an interesting line on sunny side above Dick's Ditch which is being prepared for a banked slalom. The lower part of Dick's Ditch was open and we skied it, finding firm snow on both shady and sunny sides, but group enjoyed skiing it. Bob had to go to work and left us. Since it was almost noon, we skied to bottom and rode gondola to lunch.

After lunch we skied down to Casper chair, rode it, Thunder and Sublette chairs. We skied Tensleep Bowl fast to get to Headwall hike before 2 pm closure. We easily made it, but did have ski patrol behind us at top of hike and when we skied down. I got ahead on the hike as the four others I was with were putting skis on packs and dropping clothes. The first pitch up was easy, but the steps were not very good on 2nd pitch so I and others in our group did a little hands and knees to avoid sliding back. The rest of the bootpack was not bad and there was enough wind at the top to cool us off quickly after the hike. The drop off the cornice was followed by good snow. After cutting through some trees, I think we skied Beartooth (could have been Greybull - should have asked patrol pushing us down). I thought snow was excellent in the steep chute and choke was not that bad. While there was some exposure and Matchstix, our photographer who went first fell and had to self-arrest in a bad place. It was much softer and with less consequence that what Tony Crocker and I skied in Canada and that what I skied at Big Sky.

A couple in the group were done after hike and ski in Headwall area so Mdf and I headed to Apres Vous chair which was still in sun. On our first run, we skied chopped up and firm in some places ungroomed just to skier's left of chair. Snow was good in places, but inconsistent. Next run we headed further skier's left into a little of Saratoga Bowl, where we'd ski down, then right and repeat many times before finally joining the catchline line trail just after it widened into a run near bottom. We were joined by Fatbob (Dave from England) for a final run similar to our first on Apres Vous. Fatbob continued for another lap while Mdf and I skied to the bottom and checked out about-to-begin 7th or 8th annual World Championship PBR Gelande Quaff. We did not stay long. Instead, we got a good beer at too crowded to sit inside Mangy Moose. We sat outside where temp quickly dropped with the sun and caught our respective buses at 4:30. My vertical was almost 28K and I think I will be able to find enough good snow and some good for me snow to ski another day and partial day at JHMR. (to be continued and pictures will be added when I had more time)

Following pictures are all of me and taking by Matchstix on run we took after hiking up Headwall

 

[Tony Crocker]

From there we skied North Hoback, where the 1" of new snow that had fallen since they closed on top of 4" new from previous day skied well for me although some other in group had some trouble handling it.

Now I really know that tseeb is a better skier than I and in far better physical condition. After 12 days in a row you would have been able to stick a fork in me after North Hoback in 1+4 inches over a coral reef subsurface. This is the same North Hoback where Liz nonstopped the bottom 1,500 vertical on January 23 in more forgiving conditions.

there was some exposure and Matchstix, our photographer who went first fell and had to self-arrest in a bad place.....It was much softer and with less consequence that what Tony Crocker and I skied in Canada

I suspect this refers to mainly to the chutes off CPR Ridge at Kicking Horse. Tseeb was the guinea pig on that one. When I saw him sideslipping slowly to get around rocks in a choke at 40+ degrees, I chickened out of that one and moved farther down to another that was equally steep but a bit less confined.

15+ of the Epic group deviated from the plan and returned to Targhee for a second day. From what I'm reading, I would have been over there most of the time. Hopefully EMSC and company are reading this for a heads-up.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Base area temps at Jackson will be in the low 40's Friday through Monday. While the 4 inches Tuesday and 5 inches last Friday will get gloppy, my guess is that it will ski better than with the hard frozen subsurface of the past week for EMSC and company. Nonetheless they should ski at Targhee one of the first couple of days to evaluate where to spend the rest of their time.

 

[tseeb]

Now I really know that tseeb is a better skier than I and in far better physical condition. After 12 days in a row you would have been able to stick a fork in me after North Hoback in 1+4 inches over a coral reef subsurface.

Don't sell yourself short as you can ski anything I can. But I also feel stronger after skiing so many days in a row and skiing myself into better shape. The coral reef is not yet there although snow is often inconsistent with scraped off areas between bumps with loose snow on top of them. I try to make my turns on top and in other places where I see loose snow and stay out of scraped off area as much as possible.

I suspect this refers to mainly to the chutes off CPR Ridge at Kicking Horse. Tseeb was the guinea pig on that one. When I saw him sideslipping slowly to get around rocks in a choke at 40+ degrees, I chickened out of that one and moved farther down to another that was equally steep but a bit less confined.

It was not just there. We also skied significant exposure, usually with flat light in other places at Kicking Horse and also at Lake Louise and Sunshine.

Still don't have time or energy to add more pictures, but will continue report.

On 3/5, another day that started cold and clear and had a mid-mountain inversion, the EpicSki group mixed it up a little and used Bridger gondola to get up mountain and ski Casper chair. It was my 13th day in a row and counting Bob Peters, we were 13 fast skiers slaying the corduroy a couple of times and terrorizing anyone stopped or skiing slow. When the group split, I followed Bob Peters, who led group of 5 to the tram, which not only was walk-on, but went up not much over half-full well before 10 am. We skied the right side of Rendezvous Bowl which was firm in most places. I went looking for a tree and relieved myself and thought I saw them go by, but did not see them again. I continued down and skied Lower Sublette Ridge where I found good snow until about 3/4 of the way down where it was firm and bumpy. I tried traversing to the left to avoid having to take Union Pass chair, but came down to road before the top so I rode chair, then skied down and went up the tram again. I found good wind-sift developing on the left side and top of Rendezvous Bowl. I think I skied into Laramie Bowl, then continued down South Pass and found good snow on right, shaded side of Lander Bowl. I did one more tram ride before lunch, skiing into Tensleep Bowl which had a lot of windsift, then skied the Cirque and Amphitheatre before riding slow Marmot chair to meet EpicSki group at lunch at top of gondola. I had heard and noticed hike to Headwall was closed and thought it was due to rockfall, but learned at lunch that it due to problem with Apres Vous chair that required ski patrol to due a rope evac of chair.

After lunch, we skied down and rode up Thunder, then went to Sublette. A few of us first skied Riverton Bowl where snow was very good in shade under tram. We went up again and skied very steep and tight trees above Hobacks and Cheyenne Gully that had winter snow. We rode Sublette again and some of the group repeated the trees while I led a group into and down North Hoback which still was skiing well as temp stayed had cold enough since last weekend's 4-5" and Tuesday's 4" and Wednesday's 1" to not melt very much. We all skied the North Hoback down to Union Pass chair, then rode the tram again at about 3:20. Fatbob (Dave from England) and I repeated the North Hoback, which was not quite as good as previous run. We then rode gondola where I had 16 oz. Kokanee (I had been carrying it since just before lunch for top of Headwall hike) before skiing groomer to base. I finished after 4 pm with over 34K vertical including 5 trams and 2 gondolas. Snow is still good on a lot of the mountain, but that will most likely change with warm-up coming tomorrow.

 

[Tony Crocker]

skiing myself into better shape

That's what the mid-January Vail/Aspen week was for me. 9 days in a row, Highlands Bowl was on the 8th day and I was wiped after that, so mostly cruising on Ajax on day 9. I needed the day off driving after that, definitely felt rejuvenated when we got to Jackson. As I may have mentioned before, those 4 days in Jackson were the best lift served conditions of my season.

Nice to hear the 9 inches total has resurfaced many areas. From the comments I got the first 5 inches weren't enough. There are a still comments indicating that Targhee is much better though.

I try to make my turns on top and in other places where I see loose snow and stay out of scraped off area as much as possible.

That is definitely my goal too. How well I can execute it depends upon the specific condition of the run: an example of "skiing that is good for you." This is a season where most of us westerners are getting lots more practice than usual of such techniques.

 

[tseeb]

When EMSC posted for 3/6, I realized I never did. I checked out of motel and rode bus from Stilson lot for third day in a row, the only time I did not get a seat and bus was way too warm. I got to the EpicSki meeting place before 8:45 and thought for a while I may be the only one still there. But I was joined by Bob Peters about 10 minutes later, then by JohnL from Virginia, Scott from Philadelphia and Joel and Karen from Seattle. We all went up the gondola where Bob left us at the top as he and his wife were going to take a tour to Rock Springs Bowl, S of the ski area. The rest of us skied down Cascade to Thunder lift which we rode twice both times skiing into Amphitheatre. The third time up we skied Grand to Sublette chair, even getting into a little ungroomed on the left side. From Sublette, we skied to Tensleep Bowl where there was some good windsift although the exit definitely rattled us. We repeated the up Thunder, then down left side of Grand, maybe even some of Garnett, then up Sublette. This time we skied Hanging Rock and Wally World. While Joel and Karen wanted to stay on Sublette, JohnL and Scott and I skied down Lower Sublette Ridge to Union Pass chair. Snow was a little variable, but mostly good, especially where sun and warmest day so far for me in Jackson was finally softening the hard layer underneath.

I finished my day and time in Jackson with two tram laps into the Hobacks. The first with JohnL and Scott was the South Hoback where we found good snow all the way to the bottom. The second lap I was solo and had my longest wait for the tram of the week of at least two trams. I quickly skied Renedezvous Bowl and Trail, then for variety skied Middle Hoback, ending up in same gully at bottom between Middle and South Hoback as previous run. I quit at about 1:30 with almost 22K vertical and, without changing out of my boots, caught a bus that was running late. I was on the road a little after two after I changing out of ski clothes. I took the Tin Cup Pass/Soda Springs route as I had taken the US-89/Evanston route to Jackson and Teton Pass/I-15 route home the previous. The road was good and mostly fast and you are on boring I-15 for about 70 miles less than if you hit it at Idaho Falls. I got to SLC by 6:45 which was early enough to go by Level Nine Sports where they gave me a couple of both powder and hard snow baskets for poles purchased last years to replaced the ones that were damaged and to have a spare.

 

[SKI-3PO]

Good to ski with you tseeb!