PUNCHING THE CLOCK As the roosters crowed, I rose with every intention of committing myself to a day of work. Maybe grab a quick P.M. Crags lap to quell the powder jones , but otherwise, nose to the grindstone, or as a friend of mine likes to say, “ass in the chair.” Yet to my surprise, ... Read More

A LOCAL LAMENT: Sacrifice defines a local’s existence. Although all ski towns demand a certain flexibility of its residents, the Bikram Yoga required by Jackson contorts the local’s life beyond most. The theme trickles down the community’s ranks and into every facet. Living at the Hostel X my first month in town revealed this trend to me ... Read More

THE DANGER OF PASTRIES FOR BREAKFAST: Charging an open powder field is like eating cake batter: it’s finger-licking-good, but ridden with a sense of guilt. Too much and you may become ill. Wait, rewind a bit. Early this morning— well I should qualify “early” as it is a relative term in Jackson— at 9:45, I went ... Read More

THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH: Settling into a seat on the bus, I lifted my goggles to their perch on my helmet, and went about studying my fellow passengers. Most wore a subtle smirk that hinted to an iceberg of contentment lying just below the surface. Immediately across from me, an old woman sat with long ... Read More

The blue bird afternoon was complimented by walk-on trams, a scarcity in recent (pow) days. Donning beacons and backpacks, many went about carefully mining the sidecountry, while others got after technical lines inbounds. From Thunder I watched a posse of skiers traverse and sidestep around the Expert Shoots to conquer Insomnia. After negotiating thin snow ... Read More

‘Twas the day of days, deserving the eloquence of a sonnet and the plot of an epic. Yet now powder-drunk and delirious, neither are available in my tattered literary faculties. Alas, this will have to do. Without batting an eye, many deemed it the best pow session of the season. An overnight foot dressed ... Read More

Some criticize these so called ski bums. Criticize them not. Blame the drug, not the user. Hackneyed, but true: skiing powder is a powerful drug. And there are levels of potency. Skiing powder in Jackson is the high of all highs. The magical sensation of that first deep turn seeps into psyche and changes everything. ... Read More

Today was best spent on the upper mountain where colder temps maximized the potential of yesterday's percipitation, accumilating bountiful powder rather than "frozen mashed potatoes" (as one Mountain Host put it.) Rendezvous Bowl improved throughout the day with each track being filled by the next lap. At lower elevations, however, today's snow report deserved an ... Read More

In the quiet seclusion of Moran Woods, turns were effortless and sublime. Not wanting to eat up the powder too quickly, I forced myself to stop mid-run. Fast falling snow intensified the scene’s silence, and I passed into a fantasy world where I expected a fawn to creep out from behind the line of conifers. ... Read More

What a way to mark the midpoint of this season’s chase for 100 days with a hearty storm rolling through the valley. Last night’s two inch offering, though modest, added to the pow pow splendor consuming the hearts of locals and visitors alike. Many headed out the gates for the deepness of Rock Springs and ... Read More