Winter - It ain't over 'till it's over... and just because it's 50 degrees doesn't mean it's over! Although, it does put a damper on any attempts to cross country ski. But, there's still plenty of snow for downhill skiing and snowmobiling. So while you're wishing for Spring, I headed to...
...Jackson Hole to experience some new terrain and check off another place on my "Idaho To-Do" list.
Don't worry Mom, they had signs with all the safety precautions you could think of.... and more.
And if skiing isn't dangerous enough, a number of people were getting a running start off the top and sailing down.
Of course, I was sailing down, but no running start was needed on skies.
After lunch we decided to wait in line to try the famed tram that brings skiers 4,000 feet to the very top of the mountain. After you wait in line for about 20 minutes, they cram you and at least 99 other people (and all their gear) into this little car for a stinky, stuffy, squished, standing room only, leg cramping ride to the top...
...all the while, thanking the engineers that determined this little cable could hold all of you, the car and any wind loads all the way to the top.
But once you get off and grab some deoxygenated air, there were some great views of the tram heading back to the base...
...mountains all around...
...a man in a yellow suit with some new goggles...
...cowboys on railings...
...all covered in frost...
...and even waffles at 10,450 feet!
Of course, once you're at the top, you have to figure out how to get to the bottom. On a powder day, this would have been amazing, and after the sun had melted the crust on top, it was still exhilarating...
...as we found some unexpected back country moguls that tested your legs...
...and other scenic sections of mountain passes.
For the right price, you can ski right to your room.
Practicing all safety precautions on my hands.
The next Friday we headed back to familiar territory to ski Grand Targhee.
This of course requires pictures of the Tetons...
...and not just two...
...or three...
...but four...
...and one more with a man in a yellow suit flying through...
...and taking out innocent (at least in this instance) bystanders watching the jump. In addition to attempts at flying over the Teton's, we also brought along a GPS to determine how fast we really went on skies. I had estimated 20mph, but Chris insisted it was much higher then I would expect. So with out telling you, any guesses how fast an average skier might be going? Keep reading for a few more clues.
On Saturday, the office got together for a much anticipated snowmobiling trip through Island Park. L-to-R: Chris, Ryan, Chelsea, Joe, Shayna, Allen, Cliff, Renae, Fred.
In this picture Dan steps in, but the real question remains - what happened to Jason and the Boss?
Mr. I've-Never-Used-A-Motorized-Anything-In-My-Life-Nerida all suited up and showing us up his first time outside all winter. Well, not quite his first time - you may remember that he learned to snowboard a few weeks ago.
Here he demonstrates how to drink while wearing a helmet.
Chelsea smiles for the camera... I think.
Allen demonstrates his usual Saturday position after a long night of video games...
...while Joe and Shayna demonstrate theirs.
Synchronized head and hand stands...
...synchronized failures...
...while Chris still has time to try again.
Fred was a tad too quick for me to catch a picture of his snowmobile on its side.
Scenic pictures from a bridge...
...in black and white...
...and sepia with Ryan balancing on a post...
...and Chris feeding the fish with his crumbs and hopefully not his body.
No one was brave enough to get in the water to provide perspective for the size of these fish.
Pretty!
Allen and the return of lunchables.
Cliff and his new fiancee, Renae. (I told him I'd take it in sepia so you couldn't see his white hair - but I'm not sure that worked.) Turns out, Cliff is the speed demon but would he go as fast as a kid on skies?
More scenic pictures as the snow was gently falling.
Not sure why there's a water wheel, but I'm told this is the spring for the river downstream.
Nor do I know why the snowmobile rental shop promoted "Riding it like a rental", but our group didn't fail them. Fortunately, each snowmobile made it back without a scratch, and many, with a story to tell.
After finally meeting up again with the boss (Mike)...
...Jason Crash Colpetzer out performs him coming over the snowbank. Hopefully I'll have pictures to tell the full story on my next post.
A great white snow shark in the middle of the woods.
Allen assumes his usual stance on the way home and looks forward to an evening of sleep.
Afterwards, we headed to the Idaho Falls Symphony for another concert. I guess the only difference between Allen and I is that I paid for my nap.
So, how fast were we going down the slopes at Targhee?
Let's just say that if we were in New York, Chris could have been pulled over for speeding and I was just under the top speed limit in New York.
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