Jackson Hole 1/6/2009

[AtomicSkier]

We ate at Billy's last night. After a brief wait for a seat, I ordered a burger with cheddar, onions, and bacon. Nom nom nom. It was pretty good, and I definitely didn't have any room left in my stomach.

 

Anyway, Jackson Hole's website said 6" had fallen at 6am. When we arrived at the mountain, that sounded OK. I figured it was going to be dust on crust. The Gondola opened right at 9am which was unexpected, frankly. We took Lupine Way to the Amphitheater. Wow. Amphitheater was groomed underneath, by 6" of super light stuff was on top, making a fun run of totally untracked down to Thunder. We took the Thunder chair up and dropped into Laramie bowl. Laramie was awesome with definitely more then 6" in it and totally untracked. We had carte blanche on lines. Turn after turn, I wondered if it could get any better?

 

Well, we took Sublette up, and well, yes it could. After a quick run down Bivouac Woods, we took the Sublette back up, and traversed into Tensleep, which was above boot deep, and then hit the Cirque. Cirque was the run of the day. Only a handful of tracks could be seen, so I skied the Cirque totally untracked. We took Thunder back up and hit Laramie again, to the Sublette, and back to the Cirque. Rinse and repeat several times (including the totally untracked part). After a quick run down to the Gondola to eat at the Headwall Cafe, we once again went back to laps of Thunder and Sublette.

 

While we were eating, the snow had really picked up, and was accumulating really fast. Our first run after lunch down Laramie was awesome and DEEP. Then we hit up Cirque again. Wow. My first few turns in Cirque, I sunk down to my knees. The next turn was up to my knees again. Turn after turn down to the bottom was epic. The snow was blower. Run after run on the Cirque it just got better and better. Second to last run of the day, we tried a different line, which, due to the rapid snow fall, was untracked, and yes, knee deep of the lightest snow. It was even better on the last run. Sans a day or three, some of the best skiing I've had. And there should be even more for tomorrow

 

For the sake of taking a picture for my report, I snapped one on Thunder, looking down Thunder. It was dumping.

 

[toast21602]

i'd tell you where Dan and I had the best snow on the mountain all day every day, but then i'd have to kill you.

[AtomicSkier]

Nice it sounds like you skied alot of powder today..is it still snowing??? You can also get from the top of the Thunder to the base of the Sublette by skiing down to Grand..only go to the right of Grand and ski those woods which are between Grand and Laramie bowl. Try out Moran Woods and Jackson Face/Ashley Ridge along with the other lower faces besides the Hobacks..Pepis run,,Riverton Bowl..and if the snow is good the other lower faces..

 

We did ski Grand one time, but it was groomed the night before, so meh. We didn't ski Moran Woods today because of the poor visibility hanging around in the valley, making groomers back to the gondola very difficult to ski, and plus, the upper mountain had a lot more snow then the lower faces.

 

We rode the lift early morning with a instructor who said he skied a lower face and said it was "skiable" but nothing to write home about, so we stayed up top.

 

i'd tell you where Dan and I had the best snow on the mountain all day every day, but then i'd have to kill you.

 

Don't worry...I found it

[AtomicSkier]

The upper mountain at Jackson Hole receives 3 times as much snow as the valley so that makes sense..where are you going to dinner tonight??? How is the 49er...was it crowded today? Do you like Jackson Hole?

 

As for dinner, we're undecided...what would you suggest? We've done Bubba's, Billy's, and SRB so far.

 

49er is nice, and our suite is pretty sweet, plenty of room and the fireplace is steezy. JH was not crowded at all today. Our last run down at 2pm in the Cirque, Tom and I looked around and he said "where the hell is everyone". I think I could see one person from the top of the cirque in every direction I looked. In the afternoon, there was only maybe people on the sublette every 10 chairs? It's awesome

[AtomicSkier]

What's your budget and what kind of food do you want. Nani's Pasta House is a good choice..maybe a 5 block walk..or take the bus to the Gunbarrel steakhouse. Shogun Sushi is good as well..

 

what are nani's prices like?

[AtomicSkier]

I think we're going to try El Abuelito for dinner. I think we're going to save the italian place for friday night.

[toast21602]

dude just order pizza. they deliver to your door! can't beat that.

[Bobert540]

Nice TR! One of these days I am hoping to make it out to JH. Care to bring some snow home with you. This wintry mix stuff is lame! Enjoy the rest of your trip!

[AtomicSkier]

Nice TR! One of these days I am hoping to make it out to JH. Care to bring some snow home with you. This wintry mix stuff is lame! Enjoy the rest of your trip!

 

Nah, I'm going to leave it out here for Doug....he can bring it home with him.

[AtomicSkier]

15" at 6am, with up to 9" more expected today....

[AtomicSkier]

Big time delays this morning. AV just opened. I think a mountain host said the headwall slid again

 

Big time delays this morning. AV just opened. I think a mountain host said the headwall slid again

[Dan-]

Go milk the tree's.. AV side is fun if you know where to look.

[AtomicSkier]

Laramie slid. Headwall slid. They just bombed really low... Made peoples skis fall off the Gondi gates.

[Dan-]

ugh. I wonder how deep laramie slid. If it slid down to the crust, or just the new stuff.

[AtomicSkier]

were at the gondi...teewinot line is insane. Gunna wait a little longer and might make this our day off or go ski the clusterfuck that is AV

[AtomicSkier]

JH looks great on paper but it's the heaviest snow I've ever skied. Pure cement. On the gondola right meow

[Dan-]

Thats because that snow is coming from the Pineapple express that is rolling through washington.

 

I've ridden 3% blower and targhee, and the snow last year was definitely on the lighter side.

[AtomicSkier]

I can't say it wasn't fawking deep, but I really wish I had super wide boards today. Even on steeper stuff, I'd sink to my knees and almost come to a complete stop. So many snowsnakes out there.

[AtomicSkier]

Demo some Pontoons..I would PM you my Blowers..It sounds like you did alot of straightlining today....in uber light powder I get way to much speed to straightline but in cement..it's perfect..

 

Definitely needed to straight line, but it was just so freaking wet.

[sibhusky]

How wide are those PE's?

[AtomicSkier]

How wide are those PE's?

 

85 in the waist? I forget. Doug's Nordica Blower's or some K2 Pontoons would be awesome right about now

[sibhusky]

85 in the waist? I forget. Doug's Nordica Blower's or some K2 Pontoons would be awesome right about now

I don't know. I watched some people with wide rockered skis try and get back to the chair via the groomers (can't be done without hitting the groomers) and they were all over the place. I think maybe some Mantras you'd like. Siblet LOVES her Auras. But, I think the heavy stuff is tough if you sink to a level you can't counteract with speed or gravity.

[AtomicSkier]

I don't know. I watched some people with wide rockered skis try and get back to the chair via the groomers (can't be done without hitting the groomers) and they were all over the place. I think maybe some Mantras you'd like. Siblet LOVES her Auras. But, I think the heavy stuff is tough if you sink to a level you can't counteract with speed or gravity.

 

My friend that's here with me has Mantra's. He faired [slightly] better then me today, i think.

[Dan-]

Call it a day and get some hellbents

 

Edited January 8, 2009 by Dan-

[AtomicSkier]

I want to get some Volkl Katana's or Gotama's. I never thought I'd be on a ski thats 85mm in the waist, but I am, and I love them, so time to go wider Katana's are 111 in the waist, and Gotama's are 105.