backcountry skiing with the foothill freak

 

Baldy Knoll Yurt Trip, Tetons

February 23rd to the 26th, 2007

I first went to Baldy Knoll Yurt with Chloa, her boyfriend at the time Rob, and her parents in 1993. I can't remember much of the details of that trip other than being constantly amazed. I had leather boots, 200 cm Tele Savage skis, and the same backpack.

14 years later, I find myself skiing from the same yurt and finding just as much, if not more, amazement...

If you awaken in the middle of the night to the sound of freshly fallen snow sliding off the canvas roof of the yurt, there'll be a powder fairy waiting outside to greet you...


The traverse from the yurt.

Twiggy goes in deep.

Helmut makes funny swooshing noises with his mouth to accentuate the carving experience.

Dr. Fu throws up a wake.

 

Teton trees against the sky always look silvery to me, both in reality and my dreams.


We farmed one run just a little bit. The rest of our skiing was completely free range...

We kinda broke Bruce Trempers 33 degree rule that ruled the Wasatch back home.

This is the first time that the rare Teton Yeti was not only seen, but was captured on film.

If you want to see the Teton Yeti, find a steep powdery slope and listen very intently. If you hear a sound similar to nylon material flapping behind a jet engine approaching, watch closely and you may get see him...

At the bottom of one of many chutes that were very kind to us.

We seriously got our moneys worth out of the skin track that we (Helmüt and DH-One) put in. The last move was to round a steep pillow, an event christend "licking the nipple".

Foothill after being talked into "just one more".

Token Yurt shot.

Token "Helmüt getting ADHD in the Yurt" shot.


Token "seriously content powder porpoise" shot.

Token "I don't want to go back to reality, but I have to, but I think I'll just stand here, above it all, for one last moment, look around, soak it all in, and put off returning, just a few moments more" shot.

 

Teton Yurt Trip 2007: Another reminder of why we carry heavy loads, why we look to odd places to visit in treacherous weather, and why we keep skiing.