the first Masshole reunion of many

Ever since before moving out of my apartment in Southie, my college/Italy trip buddy Zepko has been hyping up winters in Jackson telling me that there is nothing else like it in the country. And especially since last winter was lame, he mentioned that word on the street was that this year could be potentially epic. And after reading about La Niña, it seemed as though his promises wouldn't be too empty. Talking to him was influential in my not moving to Aspen or Park City. Having now been here for a few months, Zepko and Lancour decided to join me to end their cross country journey in Jackson. For Lancour it would be the 2nd or so time on skis and for Zepko it would be a return to the steep slopes of his youth. Both would end up having an awesome time.

For me, all the previous conversations Zepko and I had had were based mostly on imagining what Jackson would be like once I moved here. After buying the DVD, Switft. Silent. Deep, I was definitely able to better grasp what the hype was all about and understand the wild past that this place has. And now with Zepko in town, he was going to make sure that his Uncle Bill (recovering from surgery to reconstruct both knees) would take us into the backcountry. That's him leading the pack.

To get there we had to traverse around Rendezvous Peak and down to Pepi's Bench.

The hike up is rather quick and painless. Just 20 minutes of ascending gets you to the top where you can traverse as far north as you'd like or hit any of the many pow stashes below. This is what the hike looks like from afar (middle part of the pic moving up to the right). If you look close enough you can see the boot pack.

Once up there the views were being masked by clouds but every so often the sun would reintroduce itself and I would try and capture the moment.

After traversing past a lot of good terrain (Headwall and Casper Bowl), we finally dropped in and hit the Crags. Even if I didn't have first tracks, it was definitely steep and deep. I've already had more pow days this winter than I have had all winters past. It's a pretty addictive feeling.

It was a great first run of the day and capped off a day of many other great runs. Zepko definitely knows his way around the mountain. For example, I probably wouldn't have found this hut without him.

Of course in due time I will know a large part of the mountain but long time locals still hit lines they've never done before. There is just so much terrain to ski here and not enough time. Poor Snow King; it just doesn't get the love even with the steepest run in America. You can see it rising out of Jackson in the distance.

After some more tree skiing it was time to call it a day.

With an epic sunset on Rendezvous Peak it was a cap to a great day. I'm sure I'll see Zepko and maybe even Lancour this winter.

Giving Thanks

For weeks now, maybe even months, there has been a lot of hype around how our Thanksgiving was going to play out. Being that we have a relatively sweet set up here at 536 No Name Alley, we figured we would play hosts this year. And what better way to play hosts than to get a deep fryer.

  
Our guest list was extensive enough to include probably our favorite guest of the week Cuddie.

Cuddie is an Aussie Shepherd mix that we took care of for about a week while his owner was gone. He's an unbelievably obedient and intelligent one and a half year old that loves to play fetch and has a half blue, half brown eye. By the end of the week we all felt pretty attached to this mut. It was sad to see him go but being that we all started work just after we got him, he spent most of the days alone waiting for one of us to walk through the door and play with him. But in the short time we had him we all fell in love and were able to teach him how to almost to a back flip, or more like almost a 360.

But anyway, back to Thanksgiving. After loading up the deep fryer with enough soy bean oil we were ready to test it out with some frozen pizza pockets pieces.

Not wanting to skimp out on appetizers, we made some beer battered hand cut french fries just before tossing the seasoned turkey in.

With the addition of our neighbor's turkey and spicy corn mix, we had a large feast ready to be devoured consisting of: pizza rolls, mozarella sticks, french fries, baked potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, cheese, asparagus, mushrooms and a pumpkin and pecan pie. Needless to say we were all stuffed after having gorged so hard.

With our stomachs at their breaking point we all made sure to digest properly with some heavy laughter thanks to Cuddie and his new friend, Leeroy (Jenkins), they became insta-friends upon meeting each other. Although a huge discrepancy between their body masses, they played rough house all night.

Even if the cooking could never compare to my mom's, it was definitely the best Thanksgiving I've had away from home, even if it was the only one I've had away from home.

Obama's Christmas Tree

Seeing a gigantic, beautiful Christmas tree lit up in Boston or in New York City has always made me wonder where these trees are cut from. These conifers take years to grow and are not easy to cut and transport safely. This year I was one of hundreds of proud Wyomians gathered in the Jackson Town Square to witness The Capital Christmas Tree parade through for the first time.

This year's sixty seven foot Capital Tree comes from the Bridger-Teton National Forest right in my backyard. Taking their every precaution with all the ropes, custom stand, and steady speed limit of 25 mph on the highway towards town, it was apparent this tree is special. It's set to parade through Wyoming for ten days and then make the trek to the nation's capital in another ten days. On its journey the 83 year old Engelmann Spruce will consume sixty five gallons of water every day from its custom bladder! I tried to get the 6,000 lb. spruce all in one frame, but it wasn't meant to be.

Between all the cops and kids on horses, the media, the parade, and the band playing in the town square for all us Americans, my national pride level was through the roof. However, it's probably the first and last time I clap for a tree.

A cloudy day in the valley

Having no work lined up for today, we went to bed last night looking forward to a sunny forecast and dreaming of finding the Ski Cabin miles out in the mountain wilderness. Even though the fog/clouds never dissipated we knew that the cloud cover was only up to about 8,000'.  Driving up to and through the clouds to the top was a surreal experience; It was my first time going from overcast and cold to blue bird sunny skies and warm in 10 minutes. Arriving at the parking lot I was treated to quite the view.

It would have been nice to get higher up and actually ski but today was my day off. On the way back home I took a detour and snapped a pic across the National Elk Refuge. Quite the stark contrast from just a couple thousand feet up. Seeing the cloud cover start to recede miles away was impressive too. It was like being in two different worlds in a matter of minutes.

Freshies

Sitting at home looking at the several inches of snow outside the window, I wondered skeptically if the snow reports could really be accurate. And even so, would the first dump of the season be enough to avoid any core shots or traumatic injury to my skis? Dreaming about the pros and cons I woke up comfortable with my decision from the night before but as the morning progressed, the clouds dissipated revealing a much whiter mountain range than I had remembered.

Heading out towards the pass, Ryan and I both silently imagined what lay ahead of us. Seeing a couple of flashing signs that a chain law was in effect was unnerving but figured we wouldn't worry until the pavement got wet and slushy. And then the pavement got wet and slushy... but only for a piece of the road that didn't get the morning sun. After a quick scare, we were practically at the top and ready to park and gear up.

Having only driven 25 minutes, it was odd to already be gearing up. Back east, car rides up north to ski never lasted less than 2 hours and sometimes as much as 6. Once Ryan and I had exchanged several pounds and a high five all before touching snow, we took the advice a local had given us and started climbing. It wasn't long before I had to indulge just a little bit.

The great thing about Wyoming is that you can pretty much do what you want, where you want, and probably whenever you want. Living among the best terrain in the U.S. it's amazing that any mountain I look at I can hike up and ride down as I please. Staring at Glory Peak, which we hiked four days ago, we decided to take a less grueling route.

At the peak of our hike we were treated to a wintry October view of Jackson and the mountains.

And the backcountry scene out here is ridiculous. By noon the bowl behind us had been mostly tracked out.

My first turns confirmed that there was a lot of powder and that I was going to get a solid work out. Being in this fantasy world, the smiles were hard to wipe off. We may not have gotten above 9,580' where 41" were recorded falling in 48 hours (presumably more atop Glory Peak at 10,086'), but at somewhere slightly below that, we enjoyed untouched turn after turn of the light stuff. Making turns in thigh high powder in October still has me giddy eight hours later. Thank you La Niña.

Dick Cheney wannabes

Trying to fit in more with the western scene here (Wy. license, plates, residence, p.o. box, library card, etc.), Ryan purchased that shotgun he had been talking about since day one.

In talking with the pawn shop owner, Ryan got directions out of town to the end of Gros Ventre Rd. through Kelly and into the National Forest. This was our spot for the day practicing in the canyon under the falling snow. If you look closely you can see the orange pigeon. And of course, we took all of the safety precautions necessary ranging from rules and practice to ear plugs.

Shooting in this canyon from this natural perch with all the snow coming down made my national sense of pride glow, for this is what people live for in "'Merica". The blasting echo off the canyon walls definitely encouraged my pride. Here's Dave mid-pump.

Driving back past a huge herd of bison in a gas guzzling pick-up packing a monster lip to dine on a big Wyoming steak and PBRs would've been the only way to outdo our pride parade in the park but I was just as content taking the Camry back home and making some killer lasagna. But before that, I had to check out the migrating herd.

Dear Diary: First Flakes Flying

October 25, 2010 - There's nothing like the build up for the upcoming winter season: new ski movies, scoping the new gear that you probably don't need/can't afford, checking the weather, memories of lines you charged and those you can't wait to dominate... All that anticipation hits me like a ton of bricks even before the first flakes of the season. Today I'm one step closer to what we're all waiting for; Three wet inches isn't much but it only serves to excite the passion for snow I suppress for what seems like most of the year.

That passion is something that didn't fully take a hold of me until four years ago. In the last four years I have skied the majority of the "big" mountains of the east. With fond frigid memories of Jay Peak's tree runs,

ripping down Tuckerman's in May,

3' of fresh in the secret stashes of Loon,

4' of pow at Sugarbush, and over 5' of ultra dumps above timberline on the snowfields at Sugarloaf,

I am uncontrollably excited for my first season here in Jackson. That excitement is only fueled harder by the fact that I've never set a ski outside of the east. I quit my job, put my relationship on hold, and said goodbye to my friends and family in hopes of having an unforgettable winter. Thankfully this wait will be short lived as in Jackson the skiing starts in November and doesn't end until early summer. We are actually going to scope the ski scene at The Pass later today as there's 30" up around 9,500 ft. (7,808 ft. Snowking behind our house this morning)

Being in the midst of the Grand Teton National Park and surrounding mountains, the search for long, steep terrain is already over. It's just time to watch the white stuff pile up; winter is almost upon us.

Glory Peak - 10,086'

With the looming storm closing in quickly we decided Saturday that we had to get a hike in while the weather was still good (not frigid, not wet). Driving up to the pass that heads into Idaho the elevation is already over 8 thousand feet. We arrived at the parking area to see this welcome sign. So Wyoming.

Starting up the trail head we passed by several warning signs. The first one was a memorial of empty warhead shells with peoples names and dates on it. It was a sobering reminder of the reality here. And a little further up, we saw this sign well up a tree. I guess the snow piles up quickly here. And the warheads don't always explode. Nice.

The hike itself is relatively short but the altitude and my poor lungs were taking a beating. I'm not used to exercising around 10 thousand feet. That's going to have to change. Although it wasn't a blue bird day, we were still treated to some standard views.

In a valley with mountains surrounding the town, it was obvious to see how Jackson Hole got its name. This picture below shows a small piece of Glory Bowl and only one of maybe 7 oddly placed tubes. We learned that these large tubes are filled with propane and ignited after large storms. The result is a shock wave that travels down the bowl as a means of preventing catastrophic avalanches. Pretty ingenious.

Once at the top, we were treated to some crazy views and met up with a local and his pup, Luna. She's a gorgeous Husky/Malamute mix. He dropped some knowledge on us and we were happy to have made a new friend who does the avalanche report 3 days a week. The ravine which looks strangely familiar to east coasters is actually named Little Tuckerman Ravine. This will be awesome in the spring when it's safe and warm.

Due to the impending snowstorm headed in and the snow flakes flying up top we didn't dilly or dally too much on the summit. After a quick hang sesh in the yurt we decided we should get down.

The hike down was so much easier on the lungs but a little tougher on the psyche. I hadn't realized how steep it was coming up, but going down you realize that one little trip could easily send you 20 feet. Thankfully we all avoided that. Half way down Kyle wanted to get Luna howling, so we all chimed in and helped a bro out. We are now all dying to get a dog (one that howls or not), even if from the animal shelter just for a week or two.

The life that the select few lead

For more than a week now Ryan and I have been working through the temp. agency at a couple of properties around the Jackson Hole Golf Course. Our pseudo boss, Mike, makes a living out of taking care of these three properties that border each other. In total, he cares for over 100 acres of property. The consistent work through this guy has been great. We were originally told that this job would last only 2 days, so the fact that we've been raking, clearing fallen branches, and pruning all spruce, cottonwood, and willows for days now is just fine by me. In addition to Mike's laid back approach and easy going attitude we have enjoyed working here for mainly 3 reasons (other than a steady pay check).

1. We spend all day driving around in the Polaris Ranger.

Sitting shotgun in any vehicle with Ryan tests my nerves so I've done the majority of the driving. To his credit, we haven't gotten in any accidents, yet. As you can see, this Ranger is no joke. We've taken this through all terrain and made it out. We haven't tested its floating capabilities but it's dominated everything else we've driven over. And what would be the fun if I didn't Tokyo Drift this thing every now and again on the gravel roads.

2. The views and scale of the properties are unmatched by anything I've seen in Jackson, and much of the U.S.

The first 3 pictures are of the "guest house". It's basically a mini mansion. The last two pictures are of the main house and the view it has from its massive windows facing the Tetons and the all stone large patio out back. In addition to the houses there are a few rocky streams that empty out into the pond with a little island that Ryan and I had to canoe out to and do some work out there. One of us almost fell in... not me.

According to the care taker, Mike (who Ryan and I have decided probably makes six figures), the owner bought the 40 acre property for many millions. That was just for the land. He then spent more to build the two houses out of massive tree logs, have hundreds of spruces and willows planted with irrigation tubes coiled around the bases of each, and brought in massive boulders from Idaho to have the Snake River altered to flow better and carry "natural" streams through out people's properties in the area. As with many properties in the area, this property is used for about a week or two our of the year. The rest of the time it gets taken care of by Mike.

The interiors of both houses are impeccable; there is exposed wood everywhere and no detail has been overlooked (heated garage floors year round, built in screen windows that retract and disappear when the windows are shut, massive glass windows with unobstructed views of Jackson Hole Ski Resort and The Grand Teton National Park... the list could go on forever).

3. Mike's dogs Dewy and Dora and all the wildlife.

Despite never having owned a pet (Goldfish and hermit crabs the exception), I've always been a big dog person. German Shepherds have always topped the short list of favorite dogs thanks to my cousin Isaac's dogs and Gunner, Ryan's albino, when I was a kid. Huskies and Labs trail close behind. After having gotten to know these two dogs (they now lose it when we pull up at 9 am), I'm definitely open to some day having a mid size dog. Dewy, the black and white one, is the old wise sage. She's a 6 year old Australian Shepherd. Dora, the young, energetic juvenile, is a 2 year old orange mutt with some coyote in her that's a little skittish; she came from a shelter. Both dogs love playing go fetch and rolling over for a good belly rub. As much as this sounds like an ad from the local town's pet shelter, Mike isn't looking to let anyone borrow them. Lucky for us, Kyle seems to have a friend that needs someone to take care of her dog while she's away for a week or two. We'll see.

This is a typical shot from the scene on the way to work every morning. Jackson Hole Ski Resort is in the background.

These days, there is a road-side electronic sign that reads, "Driver alert. Moose Crossing nxt 2 miles. Use Caution. So one morning we drove to work and saw 4 moose on the way and...

another 2 moose right next to us while we were working at 1245 Bugling Elk Trail.

We were probably 25 feet away from the big gal. Her 7 foot frame was pretty impressive to see so close. And her youngster was probably almost about my height. I think we got close enough to them. I hear they charge and can kill with their kicks especially when with a baby. Good to know that now.

This job will end very soon and Ryan and I will go back to temping at the agency whenever there's work. As for me I landed a ski valet job (helping with the rentals) at the Four Seasons Hotel. Kyle also got the job so it looks like we have some planned q.t. in the future. Work starts Nov. 17 so less than a month and winter season is right around the corner!