Getting lost: February 2010

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Gelande Quaffing World Championships

In short – we were in a drinking competition. The real story though is what this event is all about and what it means to Jackson Hole: the people that live here and the people that have made the place what it is today.

Its an epic event, and there’s no way I can do it any justice in trying to explain in words what its all about. So here’s a quote from JK, a member of the Jackson Hole Air Force, the creators of the event.

(I also highly recommend you watch this you tube clip to have a better understanding about the Jackson Hole Airforce. Its an amazing story, one that really makes this place as great as it really is.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP61I7w_EPw

“In 1986, the skis were skinny and the snow was fat, and during a 14 foot storm, the infamous underground crew of the Jackson Hole Air Force was going stir crazy in the Bear Claw Café, waiting for the mountain to open. In those days the bar tender would send a freshly filled beer mug sliding down the bar to the patron who ordered it. One fateful night a beer mug slid off the end of the bar, took air, was caught seconds before a glass shattering catastrophe, and promptly pounded. Gelande Quaffing was born. Apres’ ski competitions followed, testing the unique skills of all who entered, and provided exciting entertainment for all spectators. But somewhere along the way gelande quaffing was lost and the après ski spirit forgotten.

Until now.

20 years later, the site of the original Bear Claw Café won’t let its voice be forgotten. On February 24^th, the Village Cafe will host the 3^nd Annual Gelande Quaffing World Championships, and the spirit of the past will live on again at the base of the mountain. This unprecedented event will host entrees from throughout the snowsports industry and remind the world of ski culture’s colorful past.”

Having witnessed this event last year, we knew what we were up for… Did we..?

We took things very seriously. Training sessions were definitely a huge benefit to the teams over performance.

Having to total of 7 people living and training together, it was inevitable that people would have to be cut from the team. We pulled together, found our self’s a coach and got to work.

Tuesday afternoon, the day before the event was the try-outs and team selection. After much deliberation, skill and endurance testing the top 4 members were chosen.

Sam Winstone, Nick Hooper, Watkin McLennan and Charlie Bettie made the team. Leaving myself, Andrew Lewisham and Don Lewisham as the support crew. Which proved to be equally as important as the actual team in the long run.

If you think this whole thing sounds like a joke…. You were wrong.

The team did a awesome job making the semi finals.

Enjoy the photos. I have tones of footage as well that I will be turning into a short movie. So stay tuned for that. But until then have a look at some of the past years events.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSUF79fmpbc Footage from 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiBWWPbYZjo Footage from 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9aHdE2Ns-U&feature=related Bootcamp…?

Pre game training in our car park, the dining room table makes a good playing surface.

The final 4

Charlie, Sam, Nick, Watkin

The arena

Smiles all round

Search and destroy

Busy times over the last couple weeks. Lots going on, on and off mountain events. The concept of a ‘rest day’ really not high on the agenda.

The snow situation, or lack of over the last two week has also had some effect on daily activities.

We have only seen one significant storm over the last two weeks. The snow also happened to fall around the same time as Presidents weekend. So we had to share all the fresh snow with the thousands of people that were visiting for the weekend. Not too happy about that…

So, time to explore. Which means leaving resort and getting out into the backcountry and searching for fresh snow and new terrain.

Over these last 2 weeks we would be hiking, skinning, traversing and side stepping for an average of 2 to 3 hours a day. Some days maybe only about 45mins to an hour, and other days up to 6 hours.

Tuesday February 16^th was our first outing with skins. For those that don’t know, skins and a material that you attach to the base of your skis that lets you only

mover in one direction. The skin paired with the ‘Touring’ binding allows you to walk up hill with your skis on. Similar to cross country skiing.

We headed out to No Name Canyon. 3 canyons over from the Jackson Hole resort.

Last season a few of us made the trip out to No Name, the whole journey took 3 hours of hiking just to reach the top. With the addition of skins and touring bindings, the trip up took just under 2 hours. So a massive and exciting addition to our season.

Just creeping around in some interesting terrain

Cody Peak

Friday February 19^th, ABC Chutes Granite Canyon. To the North side of Jackson Hole resort, Granite Canyon is always in the shade and on the lee side of the prevailing winds. This means powder snow, but also mean danger. Because of the lack of sun and loading of snow from the wind, there is an increased avalanche danger. So when the rest of the mountain seems safe, Granite can still be a unstable and dangerous place to be. But if treated with respect and using safe and well though out travelling techniques its one of the most amazing places to be.

High light of this little adventure included amazing pillow lines filled with some of the softest snow ever. An small avalanche at the top of one of the chutes just to k

eep us on our toes. Fresh bottomless pow 1 week after a storm. Picnic lunch at the base of the canyon creak side.

Check out the you tube movie I put together of this amazing day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-qsVPkZkIo

Hoops getting into the steeps

Pillow lines

Lunch time

Sunday February 21^st, The North Shore. The photos speak for them self’s. Epic terrain steep loaded faces covered in lines of cliffs. We have been looking at this area for over a year now.Easily accessible, but the road out was the problem. Having never ventured out into this area before we spent the night before, establishing a plan and studying maps.

By the time we arrived it was about 12noon. For 2 to 3 hours we explored the very north end of the area. Before having lunch, and deciding to head home.

But how do we get home? This was the question…

For a while we traversed the flats to the canyon before deciding to stop following tracks and head towards the river or creak that ran through the base of the canyon that we knew would lead us home. I think the main problem with this backcountry adventure was under estimating how big the area was that we were trying to move through and how long it was going to take us.

We pushed on through the thick woods, breaking trail for about an hour before we found some skinning tracks. We preformed the ‘Skin-sition’ and continued on following the tracks. The term ‘Skin-sition,’ meaning – the transition between alpine skis to touring skis…

We pushed on, following tracks until the forked off left and right. We took the high road and ended up skinning up hill for what felt like days. In reality it was probably a 2 hour stretch. Half way up, fatigue really kicked in, tired legs tired mind…

Struggling…

We were almost at the top when we saw in the distance orange poles. Which we knew was the boundary poles from the resort. Not a sight we expected to see. Having known we were going to end up where we did we definitely would not have taken the path the we did.

Finally we arrived at the top or our skin up, just under the Jackson Hole tram. The time was 6pm, and we were loosing light. Back in the safety of the resort now, we could relax. Knowing where we were and knowing how long it would take to get down.

Fresh grommers were our reward on the ski down. Light and temperature also played a part.Almost too dark to see out my goggles and way too cold not to have goggles on. We made a B line to the Mangy Moose to de-brief over a couple beers and some wings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ9m0-zFRus

North Shore goodness

Back in the resort after marathon skin back

Sun sets over Mt Jackson

More North Shore

The sun was setting fast

The boys pumped for a session out to the North Shore

Exhausted after a big day

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Back in full swing

The snow was falling, the skiing was top notch, and the après scene was definitely taking hold.

Superbowl Sunday

Finally the volatility of the snow pack had relaxed some what. The overall avalanche danger had dropped slightly. The risk however of triggering dangerous hard slab avalanche’s is still lingering around the Tetons. There are reports every couple of days of skiers and snowmobilers triggering avalanches all around the backcountry sounding Jackson. Last week a snowmobiler was killed and another was injured. This all sounds scary, and it is, but it’s a lot less intense as it was a couple of weeks ago.

So this slightly reduced avalanche risk has let us get out and explore the Jackson Hole’s surrounding backcountry.

Hoops checking out the view from the top of 4 Pines

The group resting at the top of the Head Wall

Cody Peak in the foreground, No Name Peak in the background

A farewell for Melissa

I have to say I feel a bit sorry for Melissa. She arrives into Jackson Hole early November so she can find work and a place to live. It was good that she came to do this before the season officially started as there weren’t as many people. But having missed the job fair only a couple weeks before she found that no one would hire here until the season started and more people were in town. Equally as difficult was finding accommodation.

No one wanted someone who could only commit to only 3 months, as she had to go back home to start uni in March.

After about 3 weeks, she found a way to make it all happen. Found a nice place to live and ended up with 2 jobs. One, in retail working for Cloudveil. A clothing company. And another working for ski school teaching kids.

Next the list of unfortunate occurrences, a very bad start to the

snow season. A horrible snow-pack, and one of the driest Decembers on record. This lead to little quality skiing and a generally depressed mood surrounding the town.

Finally on the 19^th of January, the day after I arrived, it started snowing, and the season turned around. The skiing was great and the mountain was in great condition. Unfortunately 2 days into the storm Mel was skiing with friends, and crashes in the powder. Twisting her knee and ankle so much that she tore her MCL and cracked a bone in here ankle.

2 weeks later (today) I dropped her at the airport, bound fo

r Melbourne. Back home so mum can look after her.

Even after all these miss-haps I know Melissa had an awesome time and made some very good friends.

So, last Friday we had a going away party for Mel. 80’s themed party at a bar in town. It was a pretty awesome night, everyone was getting into the sprit of the event. I think the photos here speak for them self’s. Also to add to the overall feel for the night, the clouds had pushed in and it was dumping snow again. It looks like the skiing would be once again DEEP.