Amy David Adventure Trip Report Cody Peak

When the mid-July heat hit during the summer of 2022, I caught the bug to track down snow for a good old adventure. Ideas started brewing around the remaining snow on Cody Peak, and soon enough, our own Wyoming getaway was born. We'd access Cody by the tram at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, camp on the mountain, and hit the pond skim to cool down once the afternoon sun hit. I planned to finish the trip with a mountain bike ride and cookout in my hometown, Pinedale, a short drive south of Jackson. 

Summer skiing has always been about having fun for me. It's warm and whimsical. If a pond skim is involved, it's best done with a sense of humor. That's why I recruited two fun and light-hearted Jackson local shredders to join me on this summer ski adventure. Tami Razinger is a fellow TGR Optics team member, skis more days in the winter than most people, and had recently skied off the summit of Denali. Veronica Paulson is well known as the 2020 Queen of Corbet's when she landed a backflip into the famed couloir, and is the 2023 Red Bull People's Choice Award winner favored for relentlessly sending a large double backflip into Corbet's. 

While both Tami and Veronica are powerful athletes with notable achievements on skis, it's their personalities that drew me to this duo. They're equal parts smart, competent, goofy, and easy-going. Get the two of them together for a summer ski mission, and it's bound to be a good time.

We started off riding the tram to the top of JHMR, which jump started our hike 4,139 vertical feet in 12 minutes. First stop, the Corbet's Cabin to stock up on waffles for breakfast the next day - we opted to camp at the base of Cody Bowl.

After a short walk 'out of bounds' we were a bit perplexed at how much snow had melted since we received a few photos for beta. Brushing the skepticism of ski quality to the side, we carried on to find a flat spot to camp nestled in the trees with a clear view of iconic Jackson Hole lines like Powder 8's, Four Shadows, Pucker Face and Central Couloir.

For the past 10 years, I've spent the majority of my summers working as a backpacking guide which means many multi-day trips in the mountains sleeping under the stars. While I love guiding, it's also refreshing to spend time camping with a new group of friends who share a similar love for being in nature. The process of camping reminds us to slow down, focus on the little things, enjoy the people you're with, the place you're at, and be considerate of how you're affecting the group and environment with your actions and attitude.

After a short few hours of sleep, the alarm went off at 4:00am. We had our sights set on scrambling up the ridge to be on the summit for the sunrise. Quite a laugh ensued as we noticed each person's sunrise-scramble attire - tights and sun hoodie versus shorts and ski bibs.

The Cody Peak ridge scramble during the winter is a notorious heart-pounding bootpack to steep terrain to score first tracks in the famous sidecountry. It's a bit less daunting with hiking shoes on and no snow. I chuckle to myself thinking how many times Veronica and Tami have skied beautiful lines in the thick of winter off this peak, and here I am (only second time on the peak), scrapping for the last turns of the summer. We reached the ridge right as the sun beamed over the horizon and illuminated the surrounding valley and the visible high point of the Grand Teton in the distance.

The descent was a short and glorious sun-cupped slushy slide. Tami dropped in first making lively hop turns in the tightest and steepest section of the face. I followed her line envisioning emulating her style. Veronica forged her own path (in Veronica style) arcing down the opposing side. We met at the choke where a short down climb ensued followed by a party shred until the skinny strip of snow faded into the scree field of rocks.

I can't speak for Tami or Veronica, but that micro adventure ski had me beaming and a little giddy as light rain trickled down. It doesn't equate to powder turns, but man, skiing is fun no matter how you spin it! The giddiness jumped an octave upon returning to camp where our waffles awaited wrapped in tin and reheated over the fire. A Luke Gentry special.

Photos: Liza Barnes | Video: Luke Gentry

Click For Part 2: Pond Skimming