Thread: 2011-2012 Jackson/Targhee/Tetons/Togwotee Weather, Conditions & Stoke Thread

LTD...the policy of GTNP through the fall and early winter regarding the closure of M-W Road (before and after the normal winter closure) due to bears was that, they would open the road if they didn't see the bears for two days. They said they wouldn't announce each individual opening until they felt good that the bears had either gone somewhere else or into hibernation...and at that point, they would open the M-W Road for good and announce it.

On Friday, they opened the road from the North to the normal winter closure and sent out a PSA.

Not sure what that really means, but I did send an email to GTNP asking if they had any idea where those bears went.

Thanks RandoSteve. Will you post the GTNP response if they reply regarding the bears location/ den site? I think it will be helpful for winter travelers to know how to avoid their location, especially if they're near a major trailhead/ route.

LTD...here is what I found out. If anyone knows more about the location of the supposed bear denned at JHMR, please pass the information on. Thanks.



Steve,

I understand that a bear was recently discovered in a backcountry cave that
skiers sometimes use near the JHMR. Don't know if this is true, but there
is definitely a risk that backcountry skiers may have to yield to
hibernating bears this year.

The grizzlies that have been roaming Grand Teton NP seem to be slowing down
a bit, and may soon den up. Steve Cain tells me that they rarely use the
same dens as years before, so your guess is as good as ours about where
these bears and their young may end up for winter's sleep.

#399 has often pushed the limit with hibernating and she generally doesn't
hunker in until about mid December. Don't know about the other grizzlies
(#610 and her 3 cubs plus we have yet another mother with two cubs that
showed up just last week). There are apparently more grizzlies using the
park as part of their home range than even this summer!

One of them was on the valley trail near DC TH not very long before I took this pic at 7:15 this morning. That ski tip is 155mm. The print was fresh and crisp in the soft snow. I've been carrying spray the last few days, a first for me skiing.

Nice TG. Skied out of DC TH on Saturday...only saw elk tracks.

Which way were those bear tracks heading....East, West?

Looks like you got some new skis!!!

Very interesting about the cave. That will Probably make the paper if it's the cave I am thinking of. Talk about first world problems.

Via Targhee\\\'s Facebook page last night, hopefully there's a chance for more terrain especially with snow in the forecast tomorrow night:

The entire mountain is being prepared for opening, currently we can only confirm Shoshone and Papoose. More updates to come to our super FANS! The previous storm we received was accompanied by high winds sending lots of snow into the Headwall. Daily snow accumulation will assist us in opening up Dreamcatcher and Sacajawea lifts.

Steve, the bear was headed north. We were pretty relieved we didn't see one big set of tracks followed by 2 smaller cub tracks. The skis are my early season fatties - float you above the rocks a little more and their weight provides a good pre-season workout.

Anyone get out today? How warm did it get up high?

thanks tg.

http://www.jhavalanche.org/eventmap/index.php

"Unstable slabs persist in steep, active, avalanche starting zones on northerly aspects at the highest elevations. Today's excellent visibility allowed for the sighting of several significant avalanche events. The most recent event is believed to have occurred this morning in response to a cornice failure in Four Shadows Couloir on Cody Peak. The crown of this sizable slab avalanche propagated around a rocky outcrop and onto an adjacent slope. Another large slab, whose crown was partially filled in, was observed on Peak 10,340 southwest of Rendezvous Mountain. The mostly filled in crown of an extensive slab avalanche was also observed in the area of the Green River Traverse in Rock Springs Drainage south of the boundary of the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The locations of these events, details regarding their attributes and the terrain that produced them and links to photographs of these events can be viewed by clicking on the Event Details Tab of the Avalanche Map Event Section of our website."

Hmmmm, funny to hear about the other bear sightings. My girlfriend went xc on the Moose-Wilson today and turned around early after seeing fresh tracks, not far from Granite.

In other news, the sun made itself known in a big way today. We observed sun affected snow all the way to the summit of Taylor. No worry, we stuck to NE aspect and yet again, blower was found.

Anybody have the scoop on what's open at Targhee tomorrow?

Originally Posted by cliffhucker

Anybody have the scoop on what's open at Targhee tomorrow?

Just the bunny bump. No Blackfoot despite ample snow and, wow, the unmitigated gall to charge $49!!!! for one creaky ol lift on a 40 acre, 400 foot pimple. Talk about greedy.....this is a new low to usher in the Geordghee era. How can that $49 for the worst lift in the Tetons be justified? I've seen steeper barley fields. Really, for shame. Kelly Canyon has five times that terrain, multiple lifts and night hours for only $37. This is pissing in your face and calling it rain but I guess that passes for marketing if you ignore reality. Because, meanwhile, the Village is predicting to open loads of midmountain terrain tomorrow (and builds lifts, increases snowmaking, extends season and lowers pass prices again). It wasn't always like this. In the past, the resort would have opened Shoeshine (for only $29) last weekend and Blackfoot today but, silly old me, that was an era when positive publicity and the need to compete against the Village for customers was taken seriously. I sure hope we get a end of season extension for this.

saw this on turkey day.

avalanche in ford couloir and east face of GT...debris all the way to the meadows. cave couloir slid too. both looked like natural releases from earlier in the week.

Originally Posted by neckdeep

wow the unmitigated gall to charge $49!!!!

Hopefully loads of folks piss in our faces and pay today since $10 from each ticket goes to either the keep Slim alive fund or the Food bank.

NEckdeep you should up your meds. Opening weekend negativity of this magnitude could burst a vessel or something.

Never insinuated this weekends terrain is worthy just sayin your venom is over baked and reeks of animosity that has nothing to do with what people from JH or Eastern ID pay at the gate.

Much like you have an opinion so do I. Coverage is marginal. I also wish for more but like I say to my kids "you git what you git and don't through a fit"

If you wanna debate Ski resort mgmt over beers sometime I'll buy.

Sorry if I pissed you off, your negativity is a real pisser for at least me. If you gonna dish be ready to receive.

Originally Posted by Stanley

I also wish for more but like I say to my kids "you git what you git and don't through a fit"

If you wanna debate Ski resort mgmt over beers sometime I'll buy.

Fair enough for your dependants, I guess. But when a long time customer pays their precious coin months in advance and can now see the goods just sitting there in the bowls, maybe being treated like clueless kids without a say in the important affairs of the adults is just bogus and tends to piss people off.

Anyhow, this is the local conditions thread and, right now, the conditions are that its thin in places, especially up top but there is plenty of safe terrain to ride under Blackfoot as that zone is mostly grass with a few obvious rock patches but no cliffs. But rather than put out some warning signs and bamboos, the resort's manager decided not to spin that one and go with shoeshine ony. Many veteran pass holders accustomed to seeing shoeshine opened the weekend BEFORE Thanksgiving given the adequate snow and hoping to at least be riding the ample snow settled in the joe bowl were very annoyed and wondered if the ghee has just plain given up on the early season, faced with what the Village started doing this year. There, Stanley, over baked spleen venom sanitized for your consumption.

The Snowboard Professor had a very good morning today at JHMR. Laramie bowl first thing was great, so was Thunder bumps. Snowboard Professor is glad that he wasn't stuck riding the ribbon all morning, cause he gets bored of that fast

Skied the shoshone till we couldn't stand the crowds today. Coverage looks thin all over, even blackfoot. Line for passes was non-existant and the crowds were minimal till about 11, by 1 the wife and I couldn't stand it and we drove home.

A short POV and a few photos from The Village this weekend:

And Mags? Pretty damn good out at the Village. Hows 22 skiing? Targhee, how those Trap burgers this year?

Windy ridge was Just like the avi report said, wind crust on ridge top and fluffy on the leeward side. Still some grass showing but didn't hit anything on the ski or track out.

Seriously, With gorditos closed where do I get tacos now?

Skiied east side of taylor yesterday, some really nice snow up there! Top part was wind blown but the rest was pretty damn sweet!

Originally Posted by Stanley

Seriously, With gorditos closed where do I get tacos now?

sanchez, which has been, and always will be the best. except they close at 6 which makes no sense.

Made a couple of laps off of DC while sking GT with the family yesterday. Headwall is the thinnest I remember seeing it ever. The good was plenty covered although to risky for my taste to venture very far into the trees. Skiing was full speed and hit nothing.

Nobody there again. Only a few laps off the top as skiing with the fam was more fun. My 6 yo boy finally got the concept of using his edges yesterday so the whoop factor was high yesterday!