indiggio

Not to mention Masaratis and high-end BMWs...

I actually was whacking the cornice with my pole for effect!

Unfortunately I’ve never experienced it before, so I didn’t know what I was feeling which made me all the more scared.

Urine was pretty clear in the morning. I think it was more an electrolyte imbalance, with all the water I was drinking compounded by all the sweating from the skiing we did the previous day. Probably should have drank some Gatorade along with water.

Day 6, not the way I had it planned! Got to the base around 7:40 or so and took our spot at the beginning of the gondy line. There was a cloud layer halfway up the mountain and the sun was peeking through at times. It was also a bit colder than yesterday, which actually felt good. Got on the gondy and ride up. About 1/2 way up, a strange feeling came over me that I’ve never experienced before and it kinda frightened me. Hoping it was just some random thing, maybe the altitude, I dunno, but decided to run down to Thunder and see what happens. We came down Ampitheater which was covered in about 2” of icing overtop sweet grooming. Ok, that was good, but still didn’t feel quite right. Up Thunder and down Laramie and still not feeling quite right. Then going up Sublette the feeling returns, that tears it, time to head for lower altitudes. Sat st the base for a while and can’t shake this weird feeling, so I head for the medical clinic that’s behind the Bridger gondy. I go in and they suggest a ski patroller talk to me. He brings out an pulse-ox sensor and those numbers are fine. Still having these periodic waves, he thinks it best that I get an EKG to see if there’s anytginf going on with my heart. Wonderful, I’m supposed to leave tomorrow, what a debacle! Still not knowing what the hell is going on, I get registered and the hook me up. They also draw blood in case I had had a heart attack. They also hang a saline IV. Being a clinic they have no lab and with no transportation, I get a ride in an ambulance. At the hospital I get swarmed upon by all sorts of people and tell the doc the story. Eventually all bloodwork comes back normal and after a second bag of IV saline the strange waves subside. The doc asked if I had been drinking water and I told him I had a camelbak. He said if I was just sipping on it every lift, with all the sweating and exertion skiing yesterday’s snow, I hadn’t taken in near enough water to replenish the lost fluids. They discharged me with severe dehydration. Thanks to @tarponhead for bringing me my shoes and taking my skis & boots back to the condo! At least I know know how it feels to be dehydrated. Unfortunately those symptoms are very similar to a heart attack. Lesson learned: Stay hydrated my friends!

Day 5 was the snowiest day so far, with the mountain claiming 6” new, but skiing around it was definitely more than that. Got to the base to find some local boarder chick who works 3 jobs to live out here, had beat us to first in line. When they opened, she literally sprinted up to get the first car. It was snowing at the base, but it was very warm, shoulda dressed like a beachgoer today. Up the gondola and into the clouds, visibility was quite poor, so we decided to make our way over to the Teton lift and lap the trees in Moran Face a bunch of times. With the clouds and the snow falling, we tried going lower to Apres Vous and skirt the top of Saratoga, but found that the precipitation was turning to sleet at the bottom so we headed up the gondi for lunch. After lunch we lapped the tree runs off Thunder which still held a ton of snow, then headed to Sublette. Off Sublette we hit some of the South facing runs like Bird In Hand and Table Rock that had crappy snow the days before. The last ride up Sublette we made our way down to the Hobacks. We had no problems entering, but many had already been through and cut the place up pretty good. The snow also was already getting crusty, so we stayed on North facing aspects as much as possible. From there we skied back to the condo for a rest and then headed over to the Moose for some drinks. it wasn’t a blower powder day, but spectacular nonetheless! A few pics from the Hobacks @tarponhead‘s lasagna, delicious!

Gotta keep the parts warm!

We thought about going shopping but decided it might be a tad bit more fun to play in the snow.

That wasn’t me taking the video, one of the other bumpers did. Have to give him credit for the shot. if you zoom in far enough at the group of people, I’m the one with the ski pole out at an angle.

I tried it once, they laughed at me and said “Uh, no”

Day 4 was back to Jackson with about 2” on the ground outside the condo. When the sun came up, the top of the mountain was socket in and decided we’d to take the gondi for the marquee route. Caught the bus over to the base and took our rightful spot at the front of the gondi line to begin our wait. I didn’t notice the temp, but it felt like the tropics! I dropped a layer before skiing an inch. Avy bombs started going off which increased the excitement level. Up the gondi and down Ampitheater which was already cut up by the wallets, no doubt. We all agreed it felt deeper than 3” and the big rollers provided some interesting diversions due to the low/flat light. Up Thunder we couldn’t see anything up top, so we knew we had made the correct choice in lifts. At the top of Thunder we couldn’t decide whether to go around and down the groomed line of Laramie or just take Grand, we chose the latter. I went far left and found time untracked powder as the right side was all cut up already. As we rode up Sublette into the clouds we started to wonder what we got ourselves into as it was total whiteout halfway up. We planned on heading back down to lap Thunder, but when we reached the top the sun broke through, so we did a couple of laps through the Bivouac woods which easily had more than 3”. It was approach 11:00 by now, so we bugged out and headed for Marmot to grab lunch before the crowds shuffled in. Of course, I forgot my wrap in the fridge which typically happens in the powder day morning rush, so I settled on 2 double protein bars. After lunch we headed over to the Moran face and lapped them a few few times until the legs gave out. Probably could have gone longer, but with it continuing to snow all day and more forecast for tonight, I wanted to save something for that. Back at the ranch, hit the hot tub w/ beers and then got cleaned up for a night in town. First stop was the ski tour party at the Moose that consisted of lukewarm taco salad, wings, various pizzas and a beverage of choice (I had a Wilson iPA). After stuffing ourselves, we caught the bus into town and did the obligatory shots in the center square and drinks at the Cowboy saloon. One of the other guys turned me onto Jack and Ginger, which go down WAY to fast! I think I found my newest favorite drink when bloated from too much beer. We stopped at the Wort hotel, which was supposed to have a band but for some reason didn’t, so we just took in the beauty of the place. We went back to the Local bar, but the bar was quite crowded, so we bugged out. All the while we were walking the town it was puking snow. Back at the ranch we reveled in the day’s skiing, had some Wyoming whiskey and hit the sack in preparation for another day of powder skiing. @tarponhead loves this place! Some interesting sights to behold. Captain Kirk skis? Jocularity at the saloon Wort hotel main staircase.

Day 3 was Grand Targhee. The bus arrived out front of our condo around 7. We all were expecting a tour bus, but it was one of those mini party busses instead. We loaded all our stuff in and then headed over to the village to pick up even more people! On our way to GT, while going through the pass, tons of back-country slider tracks could be seen on the surrounding mountain tops. Unfortunately the crappy bus windows were all fogged, so no pictures were possible. We arrived at GT to beautiful sunshine, despite the forecast of clouds. We booted up inside and made our way out to the slopes. GT is not a big mountain at all, having only 3 lifts, so we should be able to get to all the slopes we want to in a day. Took the dreamcatcher quad up to an expansive snowfield at the top, dotted with pines covered in rime ice. Off in the distance, Grand Teton could be seen. Took a warm up run down Crazy Horse that was groomed to perfection and with nobody on it, we could really get going. We had to be alert for the islands of trees right in the middle of the run though. Back up the quad and down in search of Slim’s Shot for one of our bumpers, Slim, to get a pic. We made our way out to the Sacajawea lift area to check out the conditions over there. This mountain faces West, so it was a bit difficult finding good snow. Off the lift we were eyeing up Bobcat, but decided against trying it out until we saw it from across the gulch. Down Dreamweaver and into Quiver to some horrible, crusty snow. This wasn’t where the goods were! Up Sacajawea again and down through Northern Lights which is a small bowl that faces Northwest, which was mostly chowder. Still no joy. Then it was down Wachabe Woods, which had small pockets of powder, but nothing worth repeating. Headed down to the lodge for a quick lunch and watch some hucksters throw their meat off the booters in the park up from the lodge. A great viewing point for crashes that didn’t disappoint. Some guy came down who threw a couple of tweaks off the first two booters and then into the third tried a backflip but under rotated and tipped in for a spectacular crash. He collected himself and skied down but didn’t go back up. After lunch we made our way out to the Blackfoot lift area which also had disappointing snow. It was skiable, but not vary much fun. However, from the lift we could see a cornice of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, which we decided to try. We made our way down the Headwall and through some of the lower trees. This area had some promise! Saw another guy come down and asked him how the snow up near the cornice was, to which he replied “Best snow on the mountain. Don’t tell anyone else”. All we needed to hear! The remainder of the day was spent jumping off the cornice and down through the lower woods that did have the best snow in the mountain. The thighs were scorched after that. The bus back to JH boarded at 4 and Headed back to the condo for a meal of bison burgers. Overall, once we found the snow at GT our spirits lifted and turned what we thought was gonna be meh into another great day in the Tetons. If you’re out this way it’s worth the trip over, in my opinion. I wouldn’t make it a destination or do it multiple times, but once a trip is perfect. Theyre forecasting some snow overnight, so hopefully we get some fresh powder to play in tomorrow, as we’re a bit fed up with the sun, much to the dismay of the locals. Sun pillar in the morning View from the top Slim found his run Random shot Grand Teton They know about Blue in the Tetons! The Ugly woods Clocktower and village at night Bison burgers for dinner. Delicious! Nightcap. Quite tasty!

Well that plan went out the window due to the fun we had at Grand Targhee. Decided to go up to Teton Village and get some bison burgers to grill up. Perfectly grilled (not by me!)...

I have a Camelbak backpack mostly for the hydration to prevent cramping, carrying wraps (turkey, cheese & hot mustard) we make in the morning and to carry that dropped afternoon layer.

Day 2 in the books and what a day it was. Knowing it was gonna be a blue-bird day, the plan was to get first tram to the top and check out Corbet’s. @toast21602 was very interested in checking it out and only had a couple of hours before his flight to do it. I told him we were getting the 7:30 bus to the base, which is what we did. We arrived at the base about 7:40 to 4 degrees and sunny. There was already some back-country dude, so we queued up behind him. Shortly thereafter @toast21602 rolled in. Slim has been on the tram yesterday and knew that the platform switched sides and also saw a ski patroller standing on the side opposite the side to view Corbet’s, so we lined up behind him. He let us in on the secret that most times that side’s gate opens first, which it did and we all bolted for the Corbet’s corner windows.to get a view of it on the way up. Out the tram and down to Corbet’s to have a look. The entrance was like a freaking vertical half cylinder! @toast21602 and I had a chat on how to drop in and nothing seemed feasible. I really didn’t think he was gonna try it, but the next thing I see is him dropping in, turning the corner and disappeared from my view. Someone above yelled that he’d made it and was good. We tried to get together afterwards, but never did and he had to leave to catch his flight. As we went down Rondezvous, people were talking about @toast21602 and our man Rick yells to them “He’s from Pennsylvania!” The rest of the day was pretty much a carbon copy of yesterday, since the only good snow was on Northern aspects. We did a bunch of Thunder woods which seems to hold the snow quite well and there’s lots of places to play. They groomed Bivouac, so Thunder was the bump run of choice. Apre was at the Moose again, where many beers were drank, some in celebration of @toast21602‘s achievement, others just for having another day in Jackson Hole paradise! At the top Random view Anither random view Band setting up at the Moose

Actually we have a few good cooks on the trip. We plan on heading into town tonight, since we’re skiing Grand Targhee today and won’t want to cook when we get back.

Last night was sausage pasta, salad and @tarponhead garlic bread. Forgot to take pic of tonight’s chicken, asparagus & onion baked potatoes.

@mute1080 is quite good at keeping glasses toppoed off, I noticed!

Have to know the trick to putting on skis in deep powder!

Sorry, “could”, but here’s a couple of pics looking down into Corbets. @toast21602 is the man!! This is literally looking straight down!

It’s not only that, try walking up in knee-deep powder! If you’ve never tried wali g in that deep snow, it’s practically impossible.

Hopefully a buddy comes down next and picks his skis up.

Highest guy in lower right, starting to try to wal up Corbets. Good luck!

I not believe it, one second you’re there, the next you’re around the corner and guy above said he’s good. I had your back! 😉 Spectacular! Thank goodness your weren’t like this guy shortly after... Note where his skis are!

Our first ski day at Jackson Hole and it didn’t disappoint. Even though we didn’t get much fresh, it flurried at the top most of the day so we had some new snow in which to play. Started the day at typical o-dark-thirty due to being in East Coast time and adrenaline. Made our way to the base, arriving around 8:15 to an empty gondola line. Shortly after more people arrived, but wasn’t anything major. Blue Mountain crew, first in line! While waiting for the open, i happens to look back at the line and wait! Could it be? The best skiers on the mountain: @toast21602 and @mute1080! They opened the gondola on time and we rode the first civilian gondola to start the day off right. Up the gondola and cruised down Amphitheater to Thunder. Couldn’t really let loose due to the flat light, flurries and thoughts of GSS sliding down the mountain racing through my mind. At the top of Thunder, @toast21602 and @mute1080 caught up to us and after a few intros and discussions, decided to take Grand and up Sublette. From Sublette we went over to Bivouac woods, which had plenty of snow and were lots of fun! We lapped Sublette a few times, allowing everyone to pick where they wanted to go/try and then regrouping at the lift. Lines were starting to increase at Sublette, so we left and made our way over to Apre-Vous and dropped into Saratoga to check it out, minor mistake. Due to its lower altitude and exposure, the snow was crusty and annoying. Had to stay to the North side of the slope next to trees to find anything fair. We bolted outta there. Took the gondola up to Rondezvous lodge to eat our packed lunch, while @toast21602 and @mute1080 made a run. A few of us rode up w/ an instructor from NH and we discussed the Ikon pass issue and he tipped us on where to ski the rest of the day. We made our way back to Thunder and lapped Tower Three and the Thunder trees until our legs gave out and called beer:30, while others pressed on. Moose on the loose! Who poured that beer? Cough @toast21602 Moose taint and titties for @GrilledSteezeSandwich Blue is everywhere! All in all, one of the most fun ski days I’ve ever had. It was a pleasure spending the day skiing around Jackson Hole with @toast21602, the best skier on the mountain, @mute1080, perhaps the second best skier on the mountain (those two can fight it out), @tarponhead, I’ll let him decide where he stands in the rankings and a bunch of Blue Mountain bumpers. So glad I got the opportunity to come out here and share the experience, even though I’m like the 734 best skier at Blue, I don’t even rank with skiers out here!