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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407

    Ride Along Jackson Hole Snow Cat

    I've always wondered who's grooming the mountain at night and what's going on up there.
    I knew there have to be different scenery and cool stories.
    It's been my bucket list to ride along and my boyfriend made it happen this trip.
    Small connection with 18 year bottle of whiskey took me to the top of Rendezvous mountain in winch cat.

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    I'm gonna call my cat driver "Dave".
    Met Dave at the garage little after 5pm.

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    We are heading out for 6 hour shift.

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    It was raining on the bottom, which quickly turned to snow.

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    We are grooming Rendezvous Trail, Bivouac and part of Wally World today.
    One of the steepest sections winch cat will groom.

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    Time to winch!

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    My dream came true.

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    Winched and going down.

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    Cheyenne Bowl looking beautiful.

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    Dave's favorite trail to groom Bivouac.
    It only gets groomed every few days just to get rid of bumps.

    Plow down.

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    Groom up.

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    There's a special satisfaction to shave down bumps and groom.
    I totally get it.

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    It's getting dark and dumping outside.

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    Unexpectedly, Dave's offering me to groom small section of Rendezvous trail.
    I was really nervous to operate the most expensive vehicle I've ever driven (range of $350,000 to $700,000),
    but how can you say no to such an opportunity?
    Dave just didn't know it was his near death experience letting me drive along the steep trails.

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    Sweating bids while I'm driving the cat at 3mph and giggling like a little girl.
    This was definitely one of the coolest thing I've ever done.
    Driving a big shiny heavy machinery made this girl very, very happy.



    Trail I groomed.

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    First track!

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    Last edited by nutmegchoi; 03-28-2018 at 10:27 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Missoula, MT
    Posts
    22,462
    Wait, you're a groomer in JH now?
    No longer stuck.

    Quote Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn View Post
    Just an uneducated guess.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407
    We are done this side of mountain and heading over to Amphitheater to help out couple other groomers who are a little behind.

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    No wildlife sightings tonight because of the storm.
    But Dave told me he sees moose, deer, elk, coyote, black bear and mountain lion (paw prints most the time).
    Quite often foxes will follow to snack mice that raddled out by the cat.
    That would've been something to witness.

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    Some sections on Laramie Traverse was barely wide enough for a cat to drive through.
    In fact, some sections cat was wider than the trail and let the edge go off a little.



    15 inches over 12 hours.

    It was so awesome to be out in dark during a snow storm at the mountain.
    Something I never got to do before.

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    Winching the last point.



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    We are here to help!



    6 hour flew by and time to head back to hand over the cat to the 2nd shift that runs 12am to 8 am.

    By now it's white out.
    It's good that Dave spent 3 years at the mountain and knows every inch of it.
    He's been grooming 11 years started from Heavenly-Big Sky-Jackson Hole.



    Ran into sluff which we decided to clean up for the next shift and ski patrollers in the morning.

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    Wish I could stay up all night, but my bladder was thankful to come back.

    SV (Snow Vehicle) 6.

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    Finished my first shift and earned a hat.

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    Dave appeared rough at first which made me nervous to get stuck up in the mountain for 6 hours.
    But he was a total gentleman and shared lots of cool stories with me.
    He told me to come back anytime for more grooming sessions and will update my headgear.
    I've had such an amazing experience and made a new friend.

    Jackson out did it itself again.
    Last edited by nutmegchoi; 03-28-2018 at 07:16 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407
    I did meet and greet some mags and snowboarded as well.

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    Grand Targhee was super kind.

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    Earned some turns.

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    Can't wait to go back next year!

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    Last edited by nutmegchoi; 03-28-2018 at 08:05 AM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407
    Quote Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn View Post
    Wait, you're a groomer in JH now?
    I wish!
    That'll be my dream job!!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    inpdx
    Posts
    20,197
    I believe this a first groomer TR

    Thx for sharing!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407

    Ride Along Jackson Hole Snow Cat

    Quote Originally Posted by acinpdx View Post
    I believe this a first groomer TR

    Thx for sharing!
    Happy to share!

    Quote Originally Posted by flowing alpy View Post
    fantastic! such a cool experience you got to enjoy.
    I'm still giggling about the experience.
    I can't believe I got to do it.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Alpental
    Posts
    6,565
    well that was awesome.
    Move upside and let the man go through...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    in the trench
    Posts
    15,691
    Just say no to moguls! Good work NMC

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407
    I do enjoy riding moguls though!
    Right amount is fun!!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Spokane/Schweitzer
    Posts
    6,741
    That's a cool TR, nice work!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Eastern Idaho
    Posts
    798
    This is so cool!

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407

    Ride Along Jackson Hole Snow Cat

    Quote Originally Posted by 2bjenny View Post
    This is so cool!
    You probably skied the trails I (Dave) groomed!!!

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Eastern Idaho
    Posts
    798
    Quote Originally Posted by nutmegchoi View Post
    You probably skied the trails I (Dave) groomed!!!
    LOL! If you groomed Wednesday night, I did! Bivouac was still bumped up the couple of times we skied it though.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407
    Quote Originally Posted by 2bjenny View Post
    LOL! If you groomed Wednesday night, I did! Bivouac was still bumped up the couple of times we skied it though.
    Dang it!
    It was Thursday night!!
    Sorry you had to ski through those bumps.
    I’ll make sure to provide right service next time!

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Golden, CO
    Posts
    2,730
    Cool "GR" nutmegchoi !

    ... and props to all the groomers out there that work all night for our benefit.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Where bankers' bankers breed
    Posts
    2,662
    Different. I liked
    Gimme five, I'm still alive!
    Ain't no luck, I learned to duck!

  18. #18
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Truckee & Nor Cal
    Posts
    15,621
    Thanks for sharing. Those grooming cats really are amazing pieces of equipment - I can see the satisfaction of wiping out moguls.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    SF & the Ho
    Posts
    9,299
    Fantastic TR. I wanna groom

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Montrose, CO
    Posts
    4,618
    Pretty cool, thanks for sharing!

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Paper St. Soap Co.
    Posts
    3,303
    cool, nice tr.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    inpdx
    Posts
    20,197

    Ride Along Jackson Hole Snow Cat

    Nutmeg, you are a queen among peasants! Thanks for the sending the Jay sticker & the Heady bonus!
    I’ll post a pic of it at Bachelor.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407
    Quote Originally Posted by acinpdx View Post
    Nutmeg, you are a queen among peasants! Thanks for the sending the Jay sticker & the Heady bonus!
    I’ll post a pic of it at Bachelor.
    Glad you got the package!
    Enjoy!!

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    A LSD Steakhouse somewhere in the Wasatch
    Posts
    13,234
    good shit
    if ya make it to bbiu19
    i may be able to git ya on a soli cat
    "When the child was a child it waited patiently for the first snow and it still does"- Van "The Man" Morrison
    "I find I have already had my reward, in the doing of the thing" - Buzz Holmstrom
    "THIS IS WHAT WE DO"-AML -ski on in eternal peace
    "I have posted in here but haven't read it carefully with my trusty PoliAsshat antenna on."-DipshitDanno

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Westchester, New York
    Posts
    4,407
    Quote Originally Posted by skifishbum View Post
    good shit
    if ya make it to bbiu19
    i may be able to git ya on a soli cat
    One of these years!

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