Thread: TR: The Wild West (A Jackson rookie season in pictures and words)

So before I get the TR underway I have to thanks thoose of you that have helped me throughout this year by inspiring me, breaking trail, providing beta, following me around, and just generally being awesome people. There are many more but here is the short list most of them are mags, some of them are not- EP.skiforlife, Falling!, Brendan C, Spankthepow and Miss Spank, Thin Cover, Adimmen, Coolstine, Randosteve, Patrickski, The entire Hostel crew, HomemadeSalsa, Jay P, Will and all the Spark R and D folks, Pales, Goatski, and last but not least my Mother, Father and the rest of my family. This season wouldnt have been nearly as fun without you guys. Thanks!

Now on with more words and porn. Ski porn that is. Some of these are repeat from previous TRs, some of them are hidden in the JH conditions thread and some of them are brand spankin' new to the interwebs. If you have any more of me or of skiing with me please feel free to post them up. Ill be adding to this thread when I can free the rest of them from my camera (I lost the cord)

Brendan C on the North side of Buck


This season started poorly to say the least. I had bought a full size van and spent the summer converting it into a ski bum machine. I planed to spend the winter skiing everywhere from the Cascades to the Front range. Sadly 6 hours and 300 miles into my drive from my house in NEPA the transmission blew up. Here she is in all her glory. Sadly I dont have any finished pictures and started tearing it apart before I realized I forgot to take them.



Luckly living at home and working all spring/summer/fall had left me with just enough cash to make 6 months in JH without a job (or a lift pass) possible. So off I went to Jackson. to begin exploring Teton pass and Grand Teton National Park.

I started exploring the pass and came across some fun mini-golf lines that EP and I skied in poor light.



Soon I began to explore GTNP and with few contacts in town and even fewer with free time I decided to head up towards the Sliver on Nez Perce on Christmas. Sadly a group had beat me to it the day before but I couldnt be more stoked for my first real park tour. The weather was perfect and the snow was good.







After the short window of nice weather it started snowing...alot.

EP






With a day of blue skies in the forecast and an interesting snowpack in the Tetons EP and I decided to head up to Tog to ski a line I had saw from the road earlier in the season. It did not disappoint.

EP





(Photo: EP.skiforlife)

A week or two later goatski stopped in town and was looking for partners to ski the pass with and a phone call later we decided to go skiing the next day. To say Goatski hit it good would be an understatement.

Goatski





(Photo: Goatski)



I have had my eyes on the East Face/Glacier Route on the Middle ever since I first saw a picture of it a couple years ago. Not only did I want to ski it, I wanted it in pow so I called up my buddy Brendan and made plans to climb the SW couloir and ski it top down. The weather looked iffy but hard sayin' not knowin' so we headed out bright and early hoping to get it before the sun began to cook the east face. Needless to say the sun was not a problem when we got up there.



After summiting in a whiteout and deciding to pull the plug and not hang around and wait for a sucker hole we skied back down the SW couloir in mixed conditions but mainly it was soft and fun. To our dismay (and joy) the sucker hole we decided not to wait for came as we reached the lower reaches of the couloir and hung around for the rest of the day. The views were alright...



Brendan


Then it happened...

The snow stopped, snowpack stabalized, and some blue skies moved in for a good week. It was game on.

_Aaron_ skining below the Spoon Couloir


And booting up the east face

(Photos:EP)

EP




EP and I grew up together. We sent this one back to our parents


Falling! Below the Ellingwood Couloir

Falling! slayed the booter up the Ellingwood


(Photo: Falling!)

We got the Ellingwood in excellent snow (right side of photo)
(Photo: Falling!)

Falling! below the choke of the Apocalypse Couloir

Falling! skis above the choke of the Apocalypse


(Photo: Falling!)

After that the snow moved back in and the pass and small GTNP became the norm. I couldnt complain since a week of big days had left me exausted. sAdly this would be the last time I would ski with Falling! this year since after taking a short climbing trip he reagravated an old foot injury the knocked him out for the season.

One of the smaller GTNP goals was another line on Prospectors called the Son of the Apocalypse. I called EP and we made plans. He asked if he could bring a Norwegian that was staying at the Hostel and when he showed up with Dukes and downhill boots I was worried we might be in for a long day of waiting. We werent. Thor (the Norwegian) ripped the shit out of The Son in mixed/hardpack conditions. Without a doubt the most impressive skiing I saw done in the park all year. He skied the entire line like this



EP boots up the Son




(Photo: Thor)

My cousin Dave stopped out on one of his breaks from work (he works 3 weeks on/3 off) He had never been backcountry snowboarding before and being that I did not have a lift pass we headed to the pass for Daves first BC runs. He was instantly hooked and I cant say I blame him.





EP came along with me and Dave to jump off some shit one day



Teton Pass Chairlift



I had been eying the Newk Couloir on the North side of Buck Mountain for a couple months and decided to give it a go with Brendan. We pulled the plug due to pepper in the choke over some exposure and opeted for the (slightly) more filled in North Couloir on the west peak. It was very windslaby and an exposed double fallline traverse midway up the coolie turned us back. We still had fun (as always)










I had met Spankthepow and Miss Spank earlier in the year on the pass and we both talked about skiing Terminal Cancer Couloir in the Rubies so a couple messages and phone calls later it was on. STP showed up and after a quick Glory lap we were off to Nevada.

The drive was pretty boring.




Until we got there



She looked good when we got there



And even better when we got inside her







We were stoked!



When we returned to Jackson we skied some other fun lines and enjoyed some hot springs before STP and Miss Spank head back to Colorado



STP in Chute the Moon




(Photo: Spank)

STP in Buck Crack



Miss Spank showing off her firm snow technique




(Photo: Spank)

STP put a POV together of some of the lines from his trip. If you havent seen it check it out


Adimmen came to town at the start of April and we made big plans. Sadly the and snow did not cooperate with our plans but we still had some fun on the pass and in Son of Apocalypse

Adminnen







All and all I can say this season was a raging success. Thanks again to all that helped make it that way. My hit list has grown ten fold and I cant wait to get back (hopefully for good) next season. Hope you enjoyed!

So I just visited my cousin this past week and he gave me the pictures he took on his stay. All of them are up on the Pass.

The Pass



_Aaron_ scoping out Taylor with non-mag Darren



_Aaron_ getting on-slope in Little Tucks



The snow was good



After we put the first lines down Little Tucks 2 guys dropped in with a dog.

The dog showed us how its supposed to be done, sending it big with no hesitation.



Heres another Teton Pass Chairlift with the Gut front and center



EP sends it in Snowshoe Bowl



_Aaron_ in Showshoe



EP and I on the South Side



These are on the next page too but in the effort to keep everything together here they are again.



EP




Falling!




EP

Now THIS ^^ is what Maggots are all about!! Rolling even though the dice don't give you doubles; just enough $$$ to get by; hooking up with friends/partners made on the Internet; slaying classic lines together; etc, etc, etc. Then posting a sick, modest, mega-fucking TR with beautiful pix!! Yeahhhhhh!! Bring on the rest buddy!! Ullr, Tim and Splat would and will be proud of you!!!!

Yeah...FKNA.

Too bad about the van. But it looks like the year up there more than made up for that small let-down. Nice work on Terminal too; that's a committed line fore sure.

Damn dude way to kill it! Looks like an incredible season. I'm bummed the only 2 days I was skiing with you was only on the pass. (friend of Pales, right after st. patty's day)

allRIGHT!

A solid rookie season indeed! Will you be returning?

that was awesome!

I need to move to Jackson. Thanks for the inspiration, and FKNA, what a rad season you carved out for yourself! Way to earn it man!

Great trip report! Looks like an awesome first season.

Great work Aaron! Way to get after it more in one season than most do in five (or more). Seeya next season!

This is one of the best posts on TGR. Mega-dope.

Stellar season so far. Hopefully there are more good days left. Adimmen and I are hoping to get up there next week. Maybe we'll do some skiing together.

Thanks for the daily dose of inspiration you have provided to the masses as well as letting the miss and I tag along...we had a great time and can't wait till we can make some turns with you again. Way to get after it bud!

Originally Posted by Xover

Now THIS ^^ is what Maggots are all about!!

Agreed. I'm voting this for stoke, ambition, and TR of the year.

Very cool and congrats on living life the way it should be lived when you're a youngster.

Well shit, the way you were knocking off lines this winter, and putting up awesome TRs, I assumed you were a crusty old JH local. Rookie of the Year award for sure. Thanks for another great post.

Awesome. I'd give my left nut for a year off in the Tetons, way to make the most of it.

Wow. Great TR.

What a great season

Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I'd give my left nut for a year off in the Tetons,

.... then you wouldn't have any left how you gonna ski anything but meadows then

represent represent my good friend.

that's some serious stuff. Great pics man.

Great TR!!! Thanks for the stoke!!!

awesome work, I doubt you're a rookie anymore either