Zero G to Four Pines

To

Today was a big day out-of-bounds. Justin and I took five lifts to the top of mountain and headed out of the highest gate. This gate accesses an unbelievable amount of terrain, as you could hike to three different peaks (Cody Peak, No Name Peak and Rendezvous Peak), five different canyons (Rock Springs, Green River, Pinedale, No Name and Jensen), and over 2500 skiable acres, or the equivalent in size to the inbound terrain of the resort. It's also full of incredibly tall cliff bands, wide open powder fields, and endless sets of trees.

Once out the gate, we made our way to the mouth of the hour glass shaped chute Zero G. It was an impressive chute to stand above with its rock walls and obscured exit. Not being able to see the end of this steep chute and knowing that there were rocks in this section made me a little anxious. I knew that I could ski the chute. I just didn't want to make any mistakes and find myself falling down the steep slope and off a rock.

After testing the snow stability, we headed down the slope one at a time. When Justin got down safely, I made a few cautious turns, while further testing the snow stability and realizing that it was thin and icy in some sections because of the wind. I quickly got into a rhythm and just nailed the entire chute from top to bottom until I skiied into my slough. Slough is snow that's lifted into the air after a ski turn and makes its way down a steep slope almost as fast as you ski. The problem with slough, especially a large amount of it, is it can knock you off your feet and take you for a ride down a slope. Thankfully, my slough wasn't big enough to take me out when I skiied into it. But, it did shake me.

Once down the slope, we traversed through an open canyon and clicked out of our bindings so that we could start hiking up a bootpack, or a snow covered hiking trail up a slope that has already been broken by other skiers. As we were hiking, I was utterly speechless because of the beautiful scenery and the endless ski opportunities. I was also in awe of a pack of skiers that were jumping off of a fifty-foot cliff. The skiers out here are the real deal and are unbelievably strong and confident in their pursuit. It's inspiring to see these types of athletes going after it, just like I do but on a higher level. If you look closely at the photo below, you can see where they landing.

After hiking for 45-minutes, we found ourselves on the top of Four Pines, which is a great backcountry section because it's relatively wide open, has several tree patches that are spaced well, and has a good pitch. We took our skis off of the back of our packs, clicked into our bindings and found ourselves cutting fresh tracks in some spots and having a ball all the way.

For every time that I go out-of-bounds, I feel more confident and more safe in this arena. But, I never forget the real risks and hazards at hand. Whether they'd be huge cliffs or avalanches, this activity should never be taken lightly, especially in the playground that we call Jackson Hole.

My next project is No Name peak:

Note: This photo was taken at the top of Four Pines looking up at No Name, which is the open face to the left.