Teton Pass

Ever since finishing up my fall semester and some ski patrol duties I have been afflicted with a serious case of obsession. It has all revolved around the skiing mecca that is Teton Pass, and for the last couple weeks I have been harvesting the goods brought forth from the winter solstice driven tropical instability wave that so often plasters the southern end of the Teton range around Christmas time. Prior to 1/8/2017 temperatures have been cold enough to bless the pass with snow densities that are a bit below average, and the procession of storms hasn't really stopped since the very end of November. Snow depths in the Rendezvous Bowl plot were the 2nd deepest ever at the end of December, only to the winter of ninety sick ninety heaven. After an abysmal November this winter has really turned the corner in a huge way.

Woodpecker has been going HAM

Since December 20 I have logged 15 days on the pass, all of them on the west side. Besides an ascent of Taylor and a few of Oliver I have pretty much been sticking to my guns and playing in the Mail Cabin drainage.

My Daddy coming up moose brush

I have definitely noticed an increase in skier traffic on the pass in my short lifetime, and some have gone as far as to compare it to a ski area of sorts. The ease of access is almost unmatched at any other backcountry center in the Northern Rockies, and there is also the allure of "skier compacted" slopes and preset skin tracks to alleviate the threat of avalanches and tired quads. However, there is just no denying that the pass acts as a natural funnel for snowfall, and some of the best powder skiing in the Northern Rockies is to be found in its protected glades and low elevation bowls.

Playing picaboo with mama moose. It's too bad we are sort of running these creatures out of their preferred habitat to go skiing. 

While it wasn't my very first backcountry experience (that one goes to the Taos backcountry) , the pass has made up the bulk of backcountry skiing in my life as far as days spent ski touring. The terrain of the Tetons and Snake River ranges were tailor made for skiing, and the south side may be the best meadow skipping in the known universe, despite the crowds.

Getting above the inversion on Oliver

One thing I have noticed for sure this year is that skiers are dispersing a little better to the lower elevation areas of the pass and I have to think that part of this is due to the series of guide books that Tom Turiano is putting out. 5 years ago almost no one parked at the weigh station, and now during a busy week this access point is seeing some use. I also think that I am seeing more out of state vehicles parked in the Coal Creek lot than there used to be. All in all I think this expanded use is a good thing, and in the future I wouldn't mind seeing a voluntary (or mandatory) parking fee for vehicles similar to the system in place at many boat ramps on the Snake River (But maybe not as restrictive as Rogers Pass). The money can go towards avalanche forecasting, parking lot plowing, and just general maintenance and education. 3 dollars a day with a 50 dollar season pass option seems trivial in the face of 150 dollar lift tickets at nearby ski areas. 

Weston gets trenched in Mail Cabin

This winter is really shaping up to be a good one for the Tetons, and right now the GFS and other models are not signalling any real signs of it slowing down for the month of January. It could be two thousdand sickteen two thousand heaventeen.

Weston going across the log ride

With the Tetons, the Snake Rivers, the Gros Ventre, the Big Holes, and a multitude of other snowy ranges within a 2 hour radius, the winters in Teton Valley are pretty hard to beat. We will just ignore Canada and their mountains for now.

Sun on the shoulder of the diving board

As I usually do around Christmas time, I have been playing around with my go-pro trying to capture some of the pow skiing that has been taking place. Below is a poorly edited sampling of some of my favorite runs of the season so far.

  

Hatchet jack from Jackson Knoll on Vimeo.