Blue Sky Powder Day in the Southern Winds

Hold the phones! Powder? Blue Sky? No wind? In the Southern Wind Rivers? No way!

January 1st, 2006

I got up Sunday morning expecting poor skiing conditions for the Winds. The Forecast said 100% chance of snow and 40 mph winds. I decided to go for it anyway- gotta start the New Year off right. Glad I went. Got up on South Pass to discover almost 2 feet of new snow, no wind and blue sky. Unbelievable. I stumbled all over myself with excitement as I readied the sled for a motor into Christina Lake.


There was so much powder, the groomer couldn't groom it- barely could drive in it. Thus, when I reach Gustave lake, the trail didn't go any further. Yikes! No way to get on the huge stuff. Not before it was too late anyway. Oh well, I settled for the mountain above Gustave lake instead. The sun is really blocking the view of it in this photo. It's at least 10,ooo ft. Some good lines too.

My skinning tracks up through the trees on the way up.

A view from the top of what I'll call "Gustave Mountain". Though, this view is looking righ tdown on Christina lake. The lake are close together. The big stuff looks very ready now. Whew- very nice view!

Another view of the same country. except more to the left. Hard to believe I dropped almost all of those peak and mountains last year. Can't wat for some more this year!

An interesting knob looking the opposite direction from "Gustave Mt."

Looking down on Gustave Lake and my flight path. Ha!

Time to drop!

Still dropping! 30-35 degrees and great powder!



You'll have to click on this picture and enlarge it to see my whole line. It was quite a ride. Great powder! So good, it took me an hour to dig my snow machine out about halfway home, when I got it stuck. Ha! Great day, other than that.