tseeb
Well-known member
After having the most difficult day of trip at Big Sky on 3/2, I had the best at Targhee on 3/3. There was 3-4" new in Driggs when I woke up and it was still snowing heavily. I heard Targhee claimed 4-5" new at 6 AM and there did not seem to be more new snow at ski area base at 8K than at Diggs 2K lower. I knocked on the door of DanoT's camper before booting up and said hello, then joined him and other EpicSki gathering attendees in Dreamcatcher lift line 10-15 minutes before 9 AM opening. On a day like this, there was no waiting at the base for the 20-30 attendees to assemble. On our first run down the 2K vertical lift, we found 6-8" on the barely tracked W-facing slope, then when we turned to an untracked S-facing, the snow was not as deep and we found a crunchy layer underneath the powder on most turns. Our 2nd lap, we skied left off the top, then into Headwall and Chief Joseph Bowl, again finding the bottom when we turned S-facing. We were careful not to go too low and not be able to make it back to Dreamcatcher. For our next two laps, we stayed on the more W-facing, skiing the now lightly tracked 8-10" new fast and barely ever feeling the hard snow underneath. On our 5th lap, we rode with the Mountain Manager who recommended Happy Hunting Grounds which skied well although it did cross a rock band where it got steeper.
At about 10:30, we connected at the top with a group of about 6 from EpicSki who were being guided by Sal (Harkin Banks) who has patrolled at Targhee for 25 years, We repeated the Headwall/Chief Joseph Bowl with the group, then skied to low-speed Shoshone lift which tops lower. We explored the far looker's left boundary, skied Powder Cache and took North Boundary traverse, rode up Shosone, then skied back to Dreamcatcher. We did a lap on Happy Hunting Grounds, then a couple on the short but steep and lightly tracked Ugly, not quitting for lunch until a little after 1 pm with 22.5K vertical.
After lunch, we bootpacked up to the Millcreek Traverse, then skied three laps on Sacajawea lift, another high-speed quad that starts at about 7,700 feet and climbs to almost 9,000'. First we hiked up and looked at steep chutes that cross a rock band back to valley between lifts, then skied Dreamweaver to Shadow Woman run. New snow was not as deep on last S-facing pitch, but I still skied a very lightly tracked left edge. We then did somewhat N-facing Medicine Bowl, near their cat skiing area and enough of the group liked it enough to repeat while I and a couple of others skied Wachabe Woods, where snow was nearly untracked, but new snow got thinner under trees. Then we skied edge of steep rock band to return to Dreamcatcher lift where we lapped The Ugly and I eventually skied a couple of laps between the Bad and the Ugly. I quit a little before 4 with 32.5K and a lot it powder. Some got another lap. I had a quick beer and some tacos at the Trap bar, then made a stop to fill my growler at Teton Valley Brewing in Victor before driving over Teton Pass. I stopped at a party at house way behind The Aspens on road the JHMR being hosted by CO EpicSki crew. I did not arrive my motel, where I get to stay three night in the same place for the first time since Mustang, until about 10 pm. (edited to fix a few typos and other errors)
At about 10:30, we connected at the top with a group of about 6 from EpicSki who were being guided by Sal (Harkin Banks) who has patrolled at Targhee for 25 years, We repeated the Headwall/Chief Joseph Bowl with the group, then skied to low-speed Shoshone lift which tops lower. We explored the far looker's left boundary, skied Powder Cache and took North Boundary traverse, rode up Shosone, then skied back to Dreamcatcher. We did a lap on Happy Hunting Grounds, then a couple on the short but steep and lightly tracked Ugly, not quitting for lunch until a little after 1 pm with 22.5K vertical.
After lunch, we bootpacked up to the Millcreek Traverse, then skied three laps on Sacajawea lift, another high-speed quad that starts at about 7,700 feet and climbs to almost 9,000'. First we hiked up and looked at steep chutes that cross a rock band back to valley between lifts, then skied Dreamweaver to Shadow Woman run. New snow was not as deep on last S-facing pitch, but I still skied a very lightly tracked left edge. We then did somewhat N-facing Medicine Bowl, near their cat skiing area and enough of the group liked it enough to repeat while I and a couple of others skied Wachabe Woods, where snow was nearly untracked, but new snow got thinner under trees. Then we skied edge of steep rock band to return to Dreamcatcher lift where we lapped The Ugly and I eventually skied a couple of laps between the Bad and the Ugly. I quit a little before 4 with 32.5K and a lot it powder. Some got another lap. I had a quick beer and some tacos at the Trap bar, then made a stop to fill my growler at Teton Valley Brewing in Victor before driving over Teton Pass. I stopped at a party at house way behind The Aspens on road the JHMR being hosted by CO EpicSki crew. I did not arrive my motel, where I get to stay three night in the same place for the first time since Mustang, until about 10 pm. (edited to fix a few typos and other errors)
