Hi everyone- the last two weekends I took a couple of roadtrips to the Rockies of northern Wyoming and southern Montana. The first one, up to Jackson, was to visit a friend of mine who is living there for the winter. I went with my two friends Max and Lindsey. The skiing was far from phenomenal at Jackson Hole, but the passes were free so it worked out.
The next couple of days we spent earning our turns on Teton Pass. My brother Steve drove down from Bozeman to ski with us for a couple of days, and ended up showing us some of the goods on the pass including Edelwiess Bowl and some of the chutes off the Claw. Lots of touring, but far better snow than was to be had in the resort.
The following weekend, after spending three short days in Denver, I rallied up to Montana with Darcy to see my brother Steve and also to see Zack and Sara, the two who met up with me in Chamonix. I forgot my camera on Friday when Darcy and I skied with my brother Steve up at Bridger Bowl, but the snow was pretty marginal so you’re not missing much. I did get to take a run on Schlasman’s, the new lift at Bridger, and I have to say it is probably some of the sickest lift-served terrain I have ever seen. You could go as big or as technical as you want right off the lift, and a 5 minute hike in either direction will lead you to more of the good stuff. To get a glimpse of what I’m talking about, you might check out Evan’s Schlasman’s post from back in December. I might have to rally up there if they get one of those classic cold smoke dumps.
For Valentine’s Day Darcy and I went with Zack and Sara into Yellowstone National Park to check out the Boiling River, one of the few hot springs you can swim in in Yellowstone. The place was pretty packed but we ended up finding a great spot in a cave under a waterfall to relax and hang out for a while.
After the hot springs we took a quick walk around Mammoth Hot Springs to check out the terraces. I had never been to Yellowstone in the winter before, and all the extra steam made for some really cool photos.
After the park we stopped in Emigrant, Montana at the Old Saloon for some Valentine’s Day dinner and the best cheeseburger I’ve ever had. I highly recommend the place next time you’re there.
To see a geographical representation of my travels in the USA since December, check out this map.
The next day we drove through Cody, Wyoming, to Fort Collins, and then back to Denver, where I am now. This weekend will be the first one in 4 weeks I have not gone somewhere, so I am pretty excited for that. I will be doing my third attempt to summit and ski Quandary Peak this Saturday, which I will probably give a trip report for 14ers.com like my first three posts. So I’ll see you then.
Also, because I have no idea who reads these posts, if any of you are from Glenwood Springs, then you’ve probably hear the news about my high school physics teacher’s son Franklin. If you know Linda, please be sure to include her and her husband Fred in your thoughts and prayers. You might check out the latest news on the Flohr’s Support Network and leave them a note.
