JACKSON 2022/23 {Tetons, Snakes, Gros Ventre, Winds, Wyoming Range, etc.)

[schwerty]

north end of the lake is weird this year. very shallow lake levels mean the unfrozen and barely submerged snake river channel extends a lot further south than usual. made the decision after a fair bit of scouting from high points on the west lake shore a little further south that I wouldn’t make the direct east west crossing to 10333, but only on an indirect northerly trajectory from Colter, because you can see the undulations of the barely submerged river coming uncomfortably close to that approach. Too close to Fonda/Wilcox name immortalization territory for me.

Last yr might have been worse imo. Scary stuff.

[The Suit]

Good to see ya Mr. Suit, been skiing much?

We're Clint C. wannabes. Took up kitesurfing. Mrs. Suit and I went to Hawaii last week to avoid the minus 20.

Our kids have been here most of the winter, working remote. We ski in the morning and inevitably someone has to be back by 11 or 12 for a Zoom meeting. I dragged the whole family out to Four Pines yesterday for a beautiful day and manky snow. First time out the gates for future son-in-law. He did good.

[The Suit]

Eye candy...
Attachment 447573

Spiny

[upallnight]

north end of the lake is weird this year. very shallow lake levels mean the unfrozen ....

Was wondering the other day as I crossed ... how deep do you reckon the lake is this year given last summer/fall?

Some cool glide cracks in an increasingly popular zone south of town

nice! I've always looked across the river at the lines in one of your pics. tough to cross river ice.... and a long approach (or getting on the water) otherwise. tempting!

anyway, my personal experience with the lake this year is good, but I have heard mixed reports from folks getting a bit wet. i.e., seems pretty typical!

I don’t know many that ski in that zone, (pretty large area), either. Mostly been hitting it with the same partner for for a couple decades.

solid! so cool! maybe let's connect for one sometime!

Last yr might have been worse imo. Scary stuff.

fully agree. was impassable last year.

[babybear]

I hope to swing by DJ’s tomorrow evening. I’ll bring some valentine’s day chocolates for everyone

[babybear]

Looks like Owen just posted the rest of the video from the other day

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ConoQ...d=MDJmNzVkMjY=

That big slam into the wall

[Woolly the Mammoth]

That was terrifying.

[Norseman]

Fuckn scary.

[panchosdad]

Looks like Owen just posted the rest of the video from the other day

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ConoQ...d=MDJmNzVkMjY=

That big slam into the wall

Good for him posting this up.

[wstdeep]

Observation: As scary as that is he really demonstrates how to control a fall (reducing injury) by keeping his feet below him as much as possible and never-never stops fighting. Certainly there was luck involved (some of it bad) in the incident but that's a great example how to survive a big fall.

Good thing to program into our brains...kinda like a beacon...important but something you never want to use.

[Djongo Unchained]

Well, that kinda takes your breath away.

A coupla thoughts: It doesn't appear to me that he slid the whole thing. Can anyone tell where he stops?
I see a little tree below him from the video but in the heli pic, can't quite place it.

The head impact is tough. You can feel it, not to mention the sliding scrapiness.
A bit surprised he didn't try an immediate self-arrest with the pole but who's to say. Any variety of reasons to make one unable to grab the pole and place it properly.
He does seem to be digging and scratching.

Not the same but I know the feeling of laying there after a hard rock impact.
Big striking flashes of pain and more often than not, yer laying in an awkward position that you need to get out of asap, yet moving is unpossible. It's a suffering time and teeth gritting.

SirVic and EoB have watched me hit a rock and lay there yelling in pain at any variety of targets.
Good to carry pain meds in the pack. A few stout ones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Speed laps on the GS race boards today. Pretty fun until it got busy.
65 mm underfoot, heavy, stacked and sharp, those skis can roll like the jesus.

Maybe some precip tonight, warm and breezy outside now @32*, 18* @the summit.

Look forward to seeing some mags tomorrow, maybe we should order a coupla pizzas?
Bring yer slow ass, no edge, dry base having, maladjusted skis and we'll send ya out on some rocket ships.

I'll be on the clock in the am...

[wstdeep]

Falling is kinda like dropping big air...its not the action of doing it...it's the sudden stop at the end that jars the shit outa ya. Fingers crossed for a decent re-fresh.

[yeahman]

Almost looks like he is trying to reach over and deploy an airbag with his right hand at one point? Then gave up in favor of using the hand to direct his fall and block his head.

In any case, damn lucky. I follow his Insta and his name was the first that flashed to mind when I saw the initial report.

[Core Shot]

I hope this jitney makes it to jh.

Wasn’t sure if it belongs here or the car thread.
Cool history
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...rk-touring-bus



On a ski note. My son sent me a pic of Teton brown landing a double cliff off the knife of once is enough. Holy shit. These young punks are insane.

[The Suit]

Sleeper day! It's not too late to get out there. Crusty underneath, but knee deep up high and decent all the way to the bottom.

Git some!

[comish]

A bit surprised he didn't try an immediate self-arrest with the pole but who's to say. Any variety of reasons to make one unable to grab the pole and place it properly.
He does seem to be digging and scratching.

.

i had the same thought about the self arrest with the pole. It's a lesser used/known move that saved my life once upon a time a few decades ago... Chit mighta been happening too fast to make that move, but definitely had the same thought.

[Core Shot]

i had the same thought about the self arrest with the pole. It's a lesser used/known move that saved my life once upon a time a few decades ago... Chit mighta been happening too fast to make that move, but definitely had the same thought.

Thirded. Yeah.
I almost posted that. But I can’t couch quarterback someone that regularly skis shit I couldn’t or wouldn’t have done in my prime.

Saved my ass once years ago.
It’s almost worth practicing it.
And it’s easier to do if you don’t use pole straps.

[kokomas]

I've heard I'm supposed to use poles to self arrest, what does that look like in practice? Holding them down by the pole baskets and trying to stab them through the slab? And yeah the pole straps are for resort only. Then sometimes not even

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

[Djongo Unchained]

Sleeper day! It's not too late to get out there. Crusty underneath, but knee deep up high and decent all the way to the bottom.

Git some!

Hellz yessss it was. I was on the same schedule as you, out by 11:30.

Was 4th in singles line at Teewee and because the 4 or 5 chairs ahead couldn't seem to get 4 guys on a seat, by the time I got to top of AV, I was skiing away first.

6-8" of light zipper pow gave me the tes-tickles all the way down to Teton.
I saw the worker boys coming down the crags run and left them 3/4 wide uncut of Moran as I single laned the left side.

Crossed not a single track for 100 turns on the new m102's and with the speed slalom turns, had a faceshot on almost very slash. Fucking Awesome.

At the lift the boys slid thru the worker gate ahead of me, then gave me the slide thru to go up first. We were all having a verrrry good start...

I got off and skied Wide open untracked with about 10-12" of incredibly rippled windbuffed pow. It was both beautiful and strange to look at. There were lines from side to side for a 1/4 mile, about every 20 yards . The first few looked like ski tracks and I thought, wtf, someone skied across this already, but no, just mother nature signing off on the work of art.

Another easy 150 turns of untracked splashing waist high now on every turn, smooth firm cord underfoot. Delicious.

Banged out a few more on each chair and called it early as the crowd grew and the crud started to pile up.

Nice little refresh between High cells.
Cool and clear for a few now methinks.

[Core Shot]

I've heard I'm supposed to use poles to self arrest, what does that look like in practice? Holding them down by the pole baskets and trying to stab them through the slab? And yeah the pole straps are for resort only. Then sometimes not even

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

Yeah. One hand down low at the basket
One up higher.
Only one pole. Fuck the other one. You might have to boot up to retrieve it.

Roll your body weight onto it and eventually it digs in. It also spins your feet below you if your face first.
Pole arrest should work with ski arrest. But obviously once your sliding fast it’s dangerous to use your ski edges

Same with a whippet or ice axe. (Not that I’ve arrested with those)
You can’t just let it flail. It takes torso weight to make it dig in.

The only reason I thought leeper could have pole arrested is that it was a small wind slab that broke barely above him (that became a full chute rinse). If he could have rolled over into a pole arrest before he got sliding too fast it could have worked.
But again. I can’t compare to his skills.
Dude is an insane ripper.

[homemadesalsa]

Backcountry skiing quite fine, snowing S1 to S2 on the west side. Make some shooting cracks today in new wind slab.

Watching Owen's vid gave me the Willie's. Glad he is relatively ok. Hi to all at DJs tonight- keep the fires burning !

Sent from my SM-A536U using Tapatalk

[Gepeto]

^^^TL;DR or view the big booboo

Do love all the Stoke and knowledge that passes through here, though - without naming names

I've heard I'm supposed to use poles to self arrest, what does that look like in practice? Holding them down by the pole baskets and trying to stab them through the slab? And yeah the pole straps are for resort only. Then sometimes not even

Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk

If you're lucky enough to have a pole in your hand, then you still have it by the grip. You don't need to see to enable your open hand to find the (grip) possesing hand. Once there, you slide your hand to the basket, which will square your shoulders. As you slide your hand to the basket, ur also steering the basket to the snow... it's more drag than stab.

With your shoulders square and some purchase, your hands will immediately be above you, righting your torso to the fall line.

The arm ckosest to the snow will do most of the work.

It has become innate... and is fresh; slid out on some boiler plate with dry sugar on it and found myself in self arrest immediately on Sun.

It saved my bacon dramatically in the Aosta valley in 94'?

Plug it in, and it will become auto
Shit Just Happens

[kokomas]

Thank you guys, that all makes sense. "Fuck the other pole" sounds about right.

Great time DJ, thanks for the shindig and the wax. Awesome host. Nice see the regulars and to meet some other Mags as well

[muted reborn]

Nobody is using a pole to slow down in that scenario you ding dongs

[Djongo Unchained]

Oh I'd argue that. I've done many practice and a few real life self arrests with poles and axes and It's completely viable. The action must be immediate, not after accelerating.

Now I would disclaim that we still haven't deduced how far he went and more importantly it's unfair and unlikely that we can know the actual pitch and speed of events.
And there's no telling how much purchase he'd have gotten had the pole tip been ideal. Still maybe minimal in sugar or pow or hoar.

I'd love to discuss it with him. Wstdeep, set us up a seminar with that Cat.