Sunday, February 22, 2009

Jackson Hole Ski Trip, 2009 - Day 9, Turista

Sunday, Feb 22

Yesterday, as I was putting on my skis at the top of Cody Bowl to traverse over to No Name Peak, I slipped and crashed into a local skier, someone Mimi knew. Mimi said to him, "Sorry. He's my brother-in-law. He's a tourist, but he's okay." That's about as much acceptance as a visiting skier can hope for from the locals, even from your own kin. :)

Today I skied alone again, missing Julie and my kids back in Boston. I got on the tram at 9:30 planning to take it easy and ski groomers to recover from yesterday's backcountry adventure. At the top I saw John and Lisa, who skied No Name with us yesterday. They were also skiing groomers today and asked me to join them. I thanked them, but declined. I wanted to go slow and stop often to look at things I usually rush right by, trying to photograph the area from a different angle. I got in touch with my inner tourist and took photographs of Corbet's Cabin and the inside of the tram. I even skied the Apres Vous side of the resort. The intermediate trails were icy and Saratoga Bowl was frozen moguls; I only made a few turns before traversing back onto the groomed trails.

I took a long break for lunch, from 11 to 2, but then skied until after the lifts closed at 4. My first and last runs were from the tram and Rendezvous Bowl was quite nice. In between, I must have skied every traverse at the resort.

Here are some things I learned today:

  • There are 73 steps from the ski lockers to room 306. Since I climb them twice a day, it takes a bit less than a week to equal the climb up Cody Bowl.

  • You can buy an 105 Howitzer Ammo Box for $10 at Corbet's Cabin.

  • The Bear Flats Snack Shack at the base of Sublette chairlift is closed.

  • Now I know why we get such good cell phone reception at JH. That tree at the entrance to Saratoga Bowl is really a cell phone tower.

  • I rediscovered "Jaws" which we used to ski with the kids when they were little. Today I just gawked at the sign, like a tourist. I saw a "Caution Cliff" sign and turned the other way.

  • The avi beacon training area is open again.

  • Good thing, because I need more practice.

  • They should have made the clock tower taller. The tram dock blocks most of the clock so you can't tell what time it is. Dock, block, and clock all rhyme. Cool.

  • You can use the grille on the patio to cook your dinner, and let the staff do the cleanup.

  • You can walk out of the Great Room, across the patio, and onto the ski trails.

  • Rowdy O'Yeats is a Teton Club owner. Rowdy, a.k.a. Michael T. Thorsnes, retired from his law practice and served as Poet Laureate for the Presidential Campaign of John Kerry.

  • I found this quote from Kipling in a book in the Great Room: "What profit to kill men? Little, that I know. But if evil men are not now and then slain, It would not be a good world for weaponless dreamers."

  • The new restaurant in the lower level of the Teton Club is named Slopeside Rendezvous so they didn't have to change all the SR logos when they bought the space from the bankrupt Snake River Sporting Club. The restaurant provides ski locker service for $3000 per year; 17 people took advantage of it this winter.

  • In addition to my three pairs of skis, I can fit a beer in my ski locker for apres ski. I can drink 3 Newcastle Brown Ales from my locker for the price of one at the Slopeside Rendezvous.

  • Teton Village Sports has a spoon collection in their ski rental shop.

  • Matt "Harvard" Barber is the only name written in Crimson.

  • The Teton Club has 30 winter weeks and 100 summer weeks still for sale.

  • Peter Steinbrenner's name is right above ours on the plaque of founding members. Peter is distantly related to George Steinbrenner of the Yankees. Boo! Hiss!

Cousin Greg was supposed to arrive at the Teton Club tonight. But his flight was delayed by a missing a co-pilot and couldn't make the connection in Denver. So he decided to work another half-day and try again tomorrow. Mad River Glen ski patroller George will joins us Tuesday. I'm looking forward to skiing with both of them again.

JH Weather Forecast
One more day of sunshine is expected before another snowstorm hovers over our mountain, dropping 12"-18" between Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon.

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