Jackson Hole stoke thread...2015-16!!!

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

No ski season for me is complete without a visit to Jackson hole. Atomic Jeff just booked airfare yesterday for Jackson Hole from January 24th-February 1st. This season from January 10th-30th at Jackson hole season passholders from any resort in the world get half price lift tickets. This will save us a couple hundred dollars. So far the upper mountain has received 64" and the lower mountain not much as they've been blowing alot of snow.

 

I see titty sparkles.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Here's a cool half hour video on Jackson's history. It's only available for free today and tomorrow.

 

http://www.jacksonhole.com/50/?utm_source=50th%20movie&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=born%20to%20be%20wild%20move

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Up to 30" is forecast for the Tetons over the next couple days...not a huge storm but a couple of back to back disturbances. I'm rooting for a good XMAS week for Jackson hole cause my friend is going for the first time and I hope alot of the good terrain is open for him. He's bringing his intermediate girlfriend but she'll enjoy Casper and après Vous and some of the gondola terrain...

 

My gnarliest jackson hole trip was back in 2009...I booked 9 nights at the Antler. My flight to Chicago went fine without a hitch and I boarded a full flight to Jackson hole on time with an expected landing in Jackson at noonish. Well over Jackson visibility was nonexistent so we ended up being diverted to Denver. There was a logjam at the Denver airport and they even suggested people flying back to Chicago and trying a flight the following day. After a long wait they were like how about we put you on a flight to San Fran then Pocatello Idaho then a shuttle bus to Jackson that won't run cause teton pass is closed...oh no luckily got my bags.

 

Went to Hertz rent a car was already like 3pm got a Subaru impreza wagon and on my way to Jackson. West to Denver on 70 then north on I-15 to Wyoming then west on I-80 which crosses at least three mountain passes and there was a snowstorm. Stopped in Cheyenne for a gas station supper got papers rolled a doobie. Continued through a snowstorm to I-91 in southwestern Wyoming in Rock Springs. Flea bag hotels were $100-$120 a night and I contemplated spending the night and waking up hella early and driving the rest of the way straight to the ski resort but I had a room at the 49er and only another 180 miles left in a 500+ mile drive after a short flight and a long flight and a few hours each on three airports.

 

Headed north on I-91 signs said no plowing after 8PM..it was now approaching midnight and was boot deep on the road. Not many cars and a few large tractor trailers making their way north to Pinedale and Jackson hole. At some point I was tired and even listening to 80s radio and singing the lyrics to Eddie Murphy's Party All the Time wasnt keeping me up so I pulled over in a parking area and took a power nap. Then continued on white knuckle roads going 25-35mph and slower in some gnarly curves. Made it into Jackson hole at like 430-5am checked in about 16 hours late..power napped was on 8am bus like 12-16" new snow and snowing. Line for tram and gondola insane got to the front of singles like on Teewinot and was on my nordica blowers for the first time in powder. Passed a couple chairs worth of Jibhonks up après Vous first run untracked under AV lift did Saratoga bowl next then got untracked in Casper...then got untracked in the nooks and crannies off thunder and sublette lower faces...exhaustion took town bus back got rental back to airport was like $250 for 24 hour rental then cab ride back to town from airport.

 

Skied a few more days alone then my buddy Tom came in from bozeman and brought more safety supplies. We skied a day at Jackson and a day at targhee. Then Tom left I had one more day left my 8th ski day of the trip. There was a huge blizzard over the Tetons 20-30" inches expected. Huge early lineup started on Teewinot again untracked under après Vous lift but more wind buffed which I like alot but not the same as virgin Pow..did another run or two to the base up gondola winds see fierce tram never opened gondola didn't sublette and thunder closed fast lift stopped for awhile. At the top of gondola most were in the lodge waiting out storm. Was like a refugee camp in there. All lifts were now closed but 2800 vert of gnar lay ahead.

 

Skied down slow and deliberate as visibility was low dilly dallied at base long line at ticket window they were offering vouchers due to lift shutdown. Waited maybe 15 minutes got voucher then went to Alpen hot which was packed sat at bar had mountaineers lunch meat cheese bread and soup and a beer and cocktail. Went to mangy moose next had a few more drinks the upstairs was open at like 12:30 and not an empty seat in there I sat at a table with random mid westerners drank from their pitcher. Around 1pm heard that the buses were running to town and snow king had over a foot of fresh. Took bus to snow king bought 2 hour ticket for like $20 got on slow double that goes 1500 vert to summit no safety bar old Riblet chair. Skied a few runs of lightly tracked powder like 3/4 of the chairs had people on em which is prob the busiest day of the year for snow king. Last run halfway down traversed as far left as I could stayed left went down someone's yards down a driveway onto a road skied downhill with speed and coast almost to the snake river brewery all downhill or flat. Took off skis walked rest of the way to 49er which is a couple blocks rebooked flights for two days out and got bonus skiing in. This was exactly when Michael phelps got busted for smoking a bong. That was the biggest news in Jackson hole.

 

That was a good trip..cost a little more due to rental and additional hotel. I spent alot of time at the village cafe eating pizza and drinking IPAs one day I quit early and had some drinks in me. Then it started dumping and I took gondola back to the top..in lift was a medical marijuana patient from California and some Irishmen anyway had two shots of southern comfort and some loud Cali skunk and made my way through woolsy woods and into the bottom of Casper bowl and went ass over teakettle off an unexpected cat track was so well lubricated I didn't even brace for it. Skied the rest of the run with my tail between my legs.

 

Only like 7 more weeks till I'm back in the Tetons.

[tarponhead]

That was an epic commute (Denver to JH)

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Yeah equivalent to driving to Maine...I didnt miss any skiing, I just missed some sleep.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

7" new at JHMR

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Jackson hole passed the 100" mark for the season. I'm hoping for 200" more in the next 38 days. Supposed to get around 3 feet this week which should open up nearly 100% of the terrain. Currently about half of the terrain mostly the lower faces and double black is closed. The tram opens this weekend. I'm happy that my friend who's coming in on the 26th will have good conditions.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

 

15" of new snow.

[AtomicSkier]

15" of new snow.

 

nooks and crannies getting filled in.  

[GSSucks]

nooks and crannies getting filled in.  

 

Its skiing well....

[AtomicSkier]

Its skiing well....

 

thanks for the trip report!!

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

My Allentown friend is flying out to JH with his low intermediate girlfriend on the 26th. Airfare was $1100

[toast21602]

That's crazy.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

That's crazy.

What's what it costs over the holidays on short notice. Rental cars are 2-3 times as much. Otherwise I'd be going out west somewhere as I'm off work until the 4th

[AtomicSkier]

I once skied JH over New Years (first ski day was NYE)...wasn't crazy crowded (less so than last year, I think).  But all terrain was open and they were having one of their best snow years, and I managed to get a few pow days.  I skied JH twice that year.  The 7 ski days later in January with GSS was great. 

 

We had even more snow in 2012 I think...

 

 

doug's famous pose:

 

But I think 2013 was our best trip in terms of snow.  Was dick deep.  The last day of that trip (i think, may have been 2014) was a weekend with 14" of snow.  I think we started on AV, worked out way across the mountain to the hobacks, then skied a bottomless lower face all the way to the Mangy Moose by 11:45 and called it a trip.  Was tracked out by then.  Had to end on a high note.

 

[AtomicSkier]

And for even more stoke...one of JH's sponsored athletes great footage from that epic snow year (10/11)...

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Atomic Jeff 2014 we had no new snow first 5 ski days and then 14" last two

I don't think we've had an epic snow trip since 2012 when Johnny style was with us. The

[AtomicSkier]

Atomic Jeff 2014 we had no new snow first 5 ski days and then 14" last two

I don't think we've had an epic snow trip since 2012 when Johnny style was with us. The

 

Check my comments in my stats for the 2013 trip...we did the Hobacks twice the one day when your buddy Tom was skiing with us.  That was the best I've ever skied them.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Check my comments in my stats for the 2013 trip...we did the Hobacks twice the one day when your buddy Tom was skiing with us.  That was the best I've ever skied them.

Yes we did but that day wasn't a big pow day. The AV start and early end with two lower faces was in 2014

[toast21602]

nice meadow skipping. 

[AtomicSkier]

nice meadow skipping. 

 

I love to get good skiing shots, but I hate to stop to take pictures.  So, we generally do it on the second run of the day, and that's it.  Usually the second run is heading down towards Sublette from the top of Thunder.  Most of the shots I post are Grand Woods or skiers left of Thunder heading back down into Amphi.

[toast21602]

I'll come be your photographer for a bit.

[AtomicSkier]

I'll come be your photographer for a bit.

 

I was actually thinking of getting a Hero4 session (the small one)...

[toast21602]

The chest mount is the best way to go

[AtomicSkier]

The chest mount is the best way to go

 

I'd never mount a GoAmateur on my helmet ... looks ridiculous.  They need to make jackets with integrated gopro mounts so you don't have to wear the harness.