Targhee to Jenny Lake

Targhee to Jenny Lake

Awesome Skate Ski Mountaineering Tour, completed 090522 in 7 hours flat. 13.3 miles. Near-perfect corn conditions prevailed, including smooth(ish) snow, mostly suncup free, that did not get punchy with sun-warming. Perhaps most remarkable of all is that snow cover allowed skiing all the way to below Hidden Falls, 1/4 mile from the boat dock. Git out there!...it's not too late!

Sunrise from Mary's Nipple


Backside of Targhee


Grand Teton and North Teton Canyon from Mary's


South Teton Canyon


Ridge leading toward the Teton Crest from Targhee


Beard's Wheatfield


Pillow cornice I cut below to get out onto the slope. I traversed solid corn all the way to the next ridge line...


On the way to South Leigh Lakes - great skating up here....
North Teton Canyon headwall - one of them anyway...


Sun-glaze on the snow. Great, smooth, edge-able corn...


Teton Crest Cornice


Peterson Glacier area, looking into Cascade Canyon from the crest


Maidenform Peak and the Teton Crest


Mt. Moran


The Skate Ski Mountaineering quiver


The summit ridge to the un-named peak 10,855...


The gully from the top of 10,855. Can you see the tracks? A first descent? This remote peak is a long way to come with heavy gear, and a lot of flat skiing to get back from, making light gear in the right conditions a prime choice....



Here's the photo that inspired this route. It's been my desktop wall paper since I took it in June from the top of the Enclosure a few years back. You can see the hanging basin with the two lakes and the steep, slabby rock - now snow covered - leading down into Cascade Canyon.



Near-perfect corn and 2000 feet to go!


Be sure to turn right before the cliff-band!



...and cut over to more primo corn...



...ski the slalom trees...



...to an awesome snow-bridge...



...and an awesome view of 'little Yosemite.'

Three miles later, the snowpack is still thick by the rushing waters of Cascade Canyon.



Made it!...7 hours after leaving Targhee.

Skied the King again today...

It was a beautiful evening as a classic cool spring day bounced back from nearly raining to mostly sunny. I lucked out, getting Lucia, our 8 month old to sleep by 6:37 pm. I won a ro-cham-bo, and was off after taking out the trash. I packed up my camelbak with a pair of 80 cm Big Foot skis and tightened the laces on my Raichle Degree 7 Pro mountain boots, and took off for the top, encountering a dozen other skiers, half of who are friends.

Again today, 45 minutes to the top and a raucous run down in sometimes punchy snow. It was good fun, until I got home, heard two crying whimpery voices, and realized my wife had been trying to reach me. The cell phone, in my hoody pocket, was inaudible and its vibrations unfelt. That's because I was pushing my heartrate to 90% for training, but also so I could get back home in a shorter time. May the history books go easy on me.

Spring Rain

May Ushers in Rain...
A long, late snow season, without terribly warm weather became perfect storm for April corn, and skate ski crust cruising galore...until now that is. R&#, the four letter R-word, and 40 degree temps are turning our snow out for the season...or turning it in...to something else.

A warm trend around mid-late March was JH's only big heat wave until we got nearly a few spells of clear weather in April that yielded good and lasting corn which seemed best on the fringes. To wit, one of my best skates ever in the south end of JH was on the east side of the Snake, going north along the dike on April 6. Four days later, the ground was all but bare. It was that thin and rotten from a long winter, but had a shell that lasted a day.

May showers don't bring June corn, so let's hope for the best. Tonight's rain in Jackson was still snow halfway up Snow King. That was 8pm at 40 degrees. Now it's 11:30 and 38 degrees under clear skies...on track to freeze. So spring hopes eternally, or is that hope springs eternal?...that we'll be back out on the crust before long.

Early Fall chapter Closing

It's after midnight on the 17th of October and life is good. Very busy here with Lucia learning to sleep, her sister Clara getting used to sharing the spotlight and Diane figuring out how to deal with all three of us at once.

I've been working for the Mountain Sports School 2 days a week preparing for season kickoff, permit maintenance, and anticipating changes in a few of our operations. There's a bit of skepticism about what kind of a year it will be economically, but most agree: It will snow. If it's early and big, we can kick off the new Tram in style, but that's a wait and see kinda thing.

I've also been immersed in a number of PSIA initiatives, which has captivated my every spare moment, and then some. After, of course, that is, doing all kinds of things around the house. My favorite: watching TV and folding the clothes rivals cleaning up the kitchen and making cookies with Clara.

Clara goes to swim class and dance class and she's in day care/pre-school the other days, shifting to more days at the Kids Ranch at Teton Village which works well with my work days. I'm looking forward to the bus stops and crowded rides, along with watching her learn to ski.

Now, I'm on the cusp of leaving for Team Training at Copper Mountain, and our annual pre-training starting in the Fruita, CO area for some rollerskiing, dune skiing, StandUp Paddling, maybe even real skiing, and camping. Working with the new team over the next four years promises to be an amazing experience and I've got a feeling we're gonna get a lot done.

That's the news from our corner of the Tetons. Hope to see you in the valley...or in the mountains this winter!

food for thought...

Daily Stat: October 8, 2008 A Climate-Friendly Diet
The United Nations has called on developed nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. The production of food in developed countries accounts for a significant portion of their greenhouse gases -- an estimated 30% of the EU's total emissions -- and studies in the UK and the Netherlands show that the meat and dairy industries account for more than 50% of food-related emissions. A recent report by the UK-based Food Climate Research Network urges developed nations to reduce meat and dairy consumption by a drastic 70% so that global production remains stable as the world population increases. Here's what that would mean for an average Briton:



SOURCES:
The Guardian (UK), September 30, 2008

Cooking Up a Storm summary, Food Climate Research Network, September 2008

From the Harvard Business Review e-publications

Telemark Stance article - Narrow or Wide? - Find your Stance

Narrow-Minded or Wide Load?

Choose your stance width for the situation you’re in!

By J. Scott McGee

Starting your season with a focus on stance is always a good idea. And stance width may be something you’ve thought little about, but mastering its application in different situations can help you be a more stable and balanced skier.

The narrower stance (Left) is great for bumps and crud, where narrow troughs provide limited space. A wider stance in bumps might put the two skis on uneven ground, upsetting balance. In powder and crud the narrow stance lets the lead ski ‘break trail’ for the trailing ski, reducing the chance that it gets thrown around. In a wider stance the equal weighting required in powder is harder to achieve.

A wider stance like the one on the right widens your base of support, which increases lateral stability, and is especially useful on ice, or when carving, and as a drill to increase balance and range of motion. On hard snow and ice, width = stability, whereas a narrower tele stance can be a bit like walking a tightrope.

Carvers like tip their skis up, however in a narrow stance, ankles and shins get in the way and legs and skis may touch. Instead, use your inside ski to active manage lateral balance and to propel yourself into the next turn.

Wide stance drill:

Play with narrow and especially with wider stances to develop your set of options. Experiment in different terrain and conditions. Since most tele’er end up skiing too narrow most of the time, practice skiing wide a lot. Develop the edging and steering of the trail foot along with your ability to balance in the wider stance. You’ll have more options when the going gets tricky. Have fun!

J. Scott McGee works as Jackson Hole Mountain Sports School’s Sr. Manager for Nordic, Training and Guides in Wyoming. A former Telemark competitor, he now dreams of perfect corn on spring backcountry skate ski tours. Scott spends his summers guiding climbs in the Tetons for Exum Mountain Guides.

(reprinted from Ski Trax Issue Fall Issue '08)

First Blog

Hi and welcome to my Blog...just created and devoid of content. Hopefully soon I'll have more for you to enjoy.
Best,
Scotty