Shad and Tally ski Casper Mountain

Tally and Shad Ski It Up!
Casper Mountain Cross Country Ski Area
Casper, WY
Thanksgiving, 2006

Mom forgot the sled harness, so Tally had to ride piggy back style. She didn't mind though. Some things we can't do with the sled. Like this...

Hucking?

The sled would definitley get in the way here.

Tally takes a look, and then giggles. Ha! That's my girl!

Yikes! My backpack is alive! It's got arms and legs! Oh wait... it's just Tally. Ha! Kind of like in Star Wars where Luke had R2D2 riding around with him everywhere. Tallulah makes a great R2D2. In that respect, I'm gonna be sad when she gets bigger.

Splitboards Trim Devil's Beard

Devil's Beard
Pinnacle Buttes above Jade Lakes and Brooks Lake
Absaroka Range, Shoshone NF
November 26th, 2006

Devil's Beard, from a distance.

Originally I set out Saturday to ski an entirely different area. However, nobody had punched a trail in there yet with snow machines, so I decided to try something different. I buzzed up to to Brooks lake and then kept going nearly up to the wilderness boundary- much closer than I thought I could get. I had always wanted to explore this area, I guess the timing and conditions were right for this weekend. My first day in, Saturday, I was solo. I took skis and waisted alot of time finding good route. The second day, Sunday, I went back with a couple of other folks and made much better time. Most of these pictures are from Sunday's trip.

The Devil's Beard closer up.

I wasn't sure what to call this specific area. I'm sure the bowl near by has a name, but I'm not sure what it is. I got to looking at pictures though, and I thought the pinnacles in combonation with the tree strip looked alot like a horned person with a beard (goatee of sorts)... thus I dubbed it the Devil's Beard- in case you're wondering.

On the way up I got a good look at a couloir I've been curious about. Turns out, access to it is not as difficult as I thought it would be. I think it just made it on my list of things to do this year.

Chuck and Karla skinning up. This was their first run for the season.

Chuck nears the top (left). A view of another good looking mountain from my perch at the top (right).

Time to ride. Somebody else has beard around hear too. Ha!

Karla surfs it up!

Chuck lets it rip!

What it looked like when we were all done with the first run of the day. Time for another...

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Shad spreads his wings.

And does his impression of a turkey trot on powder.

Good stuff!

Tallulah Takes First Powder Ride

Tallulah Rides First Skis
Absarokas Near Lava Mountain on Togwotee Pass
November 19th, 2006

Shad hooks up with a new ski partner!

Tallulah shows off her new set-up. Pretty nice. Do they make them my size?

"Ski Bunny", or "Ski Mommy"?

"Giddy up mom!"

Mandy glides around a corner with a view. It turned out to be another incredibly beautiful day on Togwotee. A couple of hours went by before we really even noticed.

Smokin'! "Go mom, go!"

Dad's faster!

Shad and Tally's powder turns.

Tallulah unhitched, expressing her thoughts about her new powder rig!

Turns on Tog

Splitboard Turns on Togwotee Pass
(near Breccia)
November 18th, 2006

Decide to exercise the splitboard this time. Headed up the trail to Breccia to see if I could remember how to ride board. Seems like I remembered the up hill part well enough.

The weather started clearing when I got to the top of the slope I wanted to drop. I dug a pit, snow was good. Time to drop.

Powder was good!

My first line of the day. I was solo, so I kept to pretty low angle safe stuff. Though, this run is nearly 40 degrees up top.

Perched for my second run, a bit higher than my first. The weather just kept getting better.

Two lines down, time to try a different run.

Looking across at Sublette Mt (left), from above my third run. It looked like it might be a fun ridge line to run.

Down we go! Not too steep, but fun.

Last run of the day. Good stuff! Another great day on Togwotee!

Opening Day: Powder Season

Opening Day: Powder Season
Togwotee Pass
November 12th, 2006

Matt Lloyd punches a trail through fresh powder on our way up Two Ocean Mountain. This would be my first time out since August. I was busy hunting horns in September and October. Already, my hunt for powder was looking like it'd be quicker work.

Matt nears the top of our first run.

Matt rates the conditions at the top of our first run.

Matt scopes out the first run.

Decides it's a go!

Since the pow was deep, the base was firm, and the weather was good, for our second run we decided to head for the upper bowl. Those are the Tetons in the background.

Matt chills on the south side.

Matt puts the sneak on the north side and approaches from behind.

Shad, brings up the rear. You can tell by the look on my face, I've been here before. Mmm... yummy!

Even Tallulah's excited!

Shad eyes the prize... a bowl full of untracked, fresh powder.

Matt launches his attack!

Charge!!!!

Awesome pow! No scrapes, never touched bottom- these bones got meat on em'!

Shad and his powder eating grin. I lucked out, hearing tales of last weekend's snow conditions- I brought the bargain sticks, expecting to scrape bones on every turn. Not so. Trully great powder!

Matt rocks on down the rest of the mountain.

Tally does a great impression of the look on my face when I saw this...

Whoosh!!! Holy crap! Powder's on. Powder's really on!!

Not without caution though. Going up the western side of the bowl on our fourth run, Matt triggers a pretty decent little 3-4 inch soft slab. The crack ran down to me, fifteen yards or so. We got on the ridge above the rest of the slope after that. Had we decided to play with it, I'm sure we could have cut loose a sizeable slab.

We decided to play with the pow though instead. Matt puts down his third line on the bowl. All of those lines are ours. What a day! Logged nearly 4000 ft before we ran out of light- and gas. Not too shabby for my first day of the season.

One last look back at another great day on Two Ocean. Powder season is definitely open.