Just before noon, the digital thermometer reported 7 degrees on the top of Rendezvous Mountain, though westerly gusts made that seven feel more like zero. Skating across the upper traverse, the wind seemed to freeze anything left exposed, nose hairs and all! While reprieve from the cold was found on the descent, most inbound terrain ... Read More

As the sun rose in the blue Wyoming sky, shadows crept into the depths of the Tetons, revealing the range’s intricate granite. Glimmering in the sunlight, suspended ice crystals danced like the caddis of a summer hatch on the Snake River, and lent a sense of magic to Teton Village today. Yesterday’s impromptu storm dressed Rendezvous ... Read More

The Moose is bustling, filled to capacity with flushed faces toasting to unexpected snowfall that snuck into the Village today. Too tired to cock back my head, I tilt the PBR vertical and take a long, satisfying swig. Amidst the barroom banter, Springsteen is singing “Glory Days.” Bruce, I couldn’t agree with you more… these ... Read More

While many met 2011 with heavy heads and a hint of cheap champagne lingering in the back of their throats, a wiser few celebrated in true Jackson fashion, atop Rendezvous Bowl with the mountain unto themselves. At 10,450 feet, New Year’s resolutions were decided while scanning the distance, and signed into being on the descent. ... Read More

At the top of Four Pines, groups collected and exchanged pleasantries as they clipped in. “What a way to close out 2010,” one remarked. What a way indeed. Descending from the summit to the first pitch, silence returned, and the solitude of the backcountry rushed in.

Days like today transform the desire to ride into an imperative. One’s wellbeing, both mental and physical, becomes hinged upon harvesting deep snow. I dare say it borders on a moral obligation. There is something inherently good about these days in the mountains, where the mental baggage is checked, and the voice within takes a ... Read More

Summoning the words to justly capture a powder day is like trying to describe a color. Sitting here—legs trembling, face wind-burnt, mind numb— I revisit the day not by way of the various lines I took, but by the lesson it taught me. Powder riding transcends into something more profound than just descending a snow-covered mountain; ... Read More

After a recent lapse in precipitation, five inches never felt so deep. Rendezvous Bowl offered soft turns into the afternoon, while lower elevations were scuffed up early. With the infantry on the ground, this weather system looks to send down its cavalry tonight and into tomorrow. So get your battle axes sharpened, because the ... Read More

While the East Coast laments over a “blizzid” that has major cities stalled, here in the Last of the Old West we’re doing a snow dance, beckoning La Nina to part the skies and unleash her fury. It seems our prayers may soon be answered, as the National Weather Service put out a winter advisory ... Read More

Perched at the top of Four Pines, we studied the valley sprawled before us, drawing imaginary lines on the expanse with our fingers. Whimsical clouds hung in the sky, the day’s gray light pierced only by a sliver of hot pink trimming the eastern horizon. The fruits of the mile and half hike from the ... Read More