Out of Bounds

Today was my first chance to test what I learned from this weekend's avalanche course. My friend, Justin, and I met up at the resort this morning and headed immediately out-of-bounds to take advantage of the great snow pack and the bluebird day. We knew that the new snow that fell over the weekend had a chance to settle and bond well with the other layers and the mountain face that we wanted to ski wouldn't be windloaded, i.e. it would be less likely to slide and cause an avalanche.

In the 1999-2000 season, Jackson Hole initiated an open-gates policy that was similar to the one found in some Alps ski resorts. The resort puts total responsibility in the hands of the skier. Once you ski through one of the seven gates located on the ski area boundaries and into approximately 2,500 acres of backcountry terrain, it's assumed that you have the right gear and knowledge to ski safely in the unmanaged terrain. It's also known that the avalanche danger is higher here than in the resort and rescues are expensive. So, it's best to take care of yourself and your friends.

After riding the Sublette chairlift, we skiied Hanging Rock to Rendezvous Trail and exited through the gate just below Bivouac and into Rock Springs Bowl, which is named after a city in Wyoming just like the other out-of-bounds areas. Ever since stepping foot into Jackson, I've heard alot about the out-of-bounds skiing at the resort. Rock Springs is definitely an area that is skiied with more frequency than the other out-of-bounds areas because of it's easy accessibility from the resort. Plus, its terrain is filled with narrow chutes, great tree skiing and steep slopes. It's a playground for anyone that can ski it!

And, ski it we did. After getting over the initial nervous jitters associated with skiing out-of-bounds for the first time, we cut through chopped up shin-deep powder in well-spaced trees and then made fresh tracks in knee-deep powder in an open area right before heading back into the trees. Then, we had a field day in an untouched chute that must've been 300-feet long. At its end, we continued our traverse across the mountain by cutting back into the trees to find yet another untouched area. This area was wide open, so we hauled through it and enjoyed the knee-deep powder.

After skiing almost 4,000 vertical feet in a single run and having so much fun, we decided that the same exact run had to be skiied again. The snow, the weather and the adrenaline rush made for a great introduction to the out-of-bounds terrain at the resort. To many more fun, hair-raising and safe out-of-bounds runs...