Can you trust a weather forecast that calls for clear skies when you can't see the top of the mountain and the chair lift sends you through the clouds?
You know what they say - whether or not you can see it, the sun is always shining, and Friday was no exception.
A view of the clouds off the backside of Grand Targhee.
"He'd be easy to find!"
"That's one way to make sure you don't get split up!"
"Wow, check out that outfit!"
...and somehow we managed to lose Chris twice. Meanwhile, Eric is anxious to get his goggles back on to protect his eyes!
As if the skiing wasn't good enough, you're also rewarded with a great view of the backside of the Tetons.
Chris provides some assistance since skies and hills aren't very conducive to unintentional handstands...
...the unassisted version (in case I didn't spend enough time on my head while attempting to ski).
Its not always the snow covered trees that get you...
...but the slow signs, as Eric found out. (Although I don't have the evidence, this same slow sign got taken out a week later, at a much higher speed, by a man wearing some very bright fluorescent outerwear who will remain anonymous.)
More views looking down the mountain...
...when I wasn't staring at the Tetons.
Exploring the edge of the mountain, we found this tree were people have paid homage to Larry Bird, old skies, an iron, a stretcher sled and ex-wives parking spots.
Where captions aren't needed...
Now, for your entertainment, one frame at a time...Chris goes for altitude...
...but finds himself parallel to the hill...
...before the hill finds and consumes him (one pole has yet to land and if you look close, you can spot an arm amidst the rubble)...
...checking all the vitals after the snow settles...
...and checking for elusive equipment...
...after which Eric shows us how it is supposed to be done.
Eric poses in front of the Tetons...
...then he made me do the same.
One last scenic view as we headed home from a great day of skiing.
Cool view of the sunset through the trees, capping another great day spent outside.
Since one day of skiing isn't enough, here are nine brave people who didn't balk at the thought of leaving at 6AM, or learning to cross country ski at Harriman State Park! It is true, 6 of the 9 had never put on a pair of cross country skies, and no one lacked a good laugh. (L to R: Erica, Nikki, Kirsten, Lindsey, Shayna, Chris (as if you could miss him), Tyler, Ryan and Joe)
There were many great views to be had, starting with this one, looking across the frozen lake...
...preceded and followed by, well, lots of these ones!
Happy snow...
...and happy people... despite the uphill struggles.
While Nikki and Kirsten accomplish Heart Attack Hill (vice Coronary Bypass), Shayna makes headstands look easy while I do magic tricks and make my neck and head disappear.
Rewarded at the top by another view of the Tetons!
Followed by more frame-by-frame entertainment courtesy of Chris as he heads downhill...
...looking a little unsteady...
...impact! (For today's lesson on human flexibility, see if you can figure out how his foot is attached to the ski, of which you're looking at the underside.)
I'd say this is proof we all survived, but really, it was taken at the beginning of the day.
That was all last weekend, so what about this weekend, after more snow? Unfortunately, my camera spent the weekend in the car instead of in my pocket. So you'll just have to trust me when I tell you that Friday night we snowshoed onto the Snake River, listened to swans and took all available opportunities to place unobservant friends in snowbanks, all while the snow continued to accumulate. Saturday morning, we headed back to Grand Targhee for amazing powder skiing. By the end of the day, we had found some runs that hadn't been touched and the powder was up to your waist as you skied through. When you fall, its like falling into a cloud of feathers. We were having so much fun, we bypassed lunch and skied until they closed the lifts... so much for getting my camera out of the car at lunch time.
Meanwhile, I hadn't realized it would be snowing at the base of the mountain too (duh), because this is what greeted us when we arrived back at the car! Most people would probably dread such a sight, but if you know me, it was the perfect sight to end another amazing weekend playing in the snow! And now you're up to date with my adventures, for today anyways.
No comments:
Post a Comment