Jackson Hole Ski Trip, 2009 - Day 3, Four Shadows

Monday, Feb 16

Today we skied Four Shadows on Cody Peak. I've been up there a handful of times, but I still get nervous every time I think about it. We took the tram up soon after 9 AM and had waffles in Corbet's Cabin.

Michael and Frank enjoying waffles at Corbet's Cabin before the hike.

After a quick gear check, we headed out the gate marking the boundary of the Jackson Hole ski resort. We skied down the saddle and then climbed up the ridge to Cody Peak. The climb is a bit sketchy at points, with some nearly vertical pitches where you barely have a toehold.

Frank, Phillip, and Michael after leaving the ski resort boundary. Four Shadows is the chute with the shadows just to the left of the trees.



Phillip and Michael. Time to put the skis on the backpacks and start climbing.



Frank with the difficult climbing in the background.



Julie climbing up the near vertical section on the way to Cody Bowl.



Another shot of Julie.


And another photo of Julie climbing.




Michael climbing on ahead.



After the difficult climb, it is still a long walk up to Cody Peak. You can see the boot track on the right of the photo and Four Shadows just to the right of the cliffs.



We planned to ski No Shadows, but a guide with a group of snowboarders arrived minutes after us, and everyone knows eight's a crowd, so we hiked further up to ski Four Shadows.

Four Shadows is a bit steeper and sometimes has a cornice you have to jump off to get into the couloir, but today's entrance was mellow and we could ski right in. The snow was wind packed, but very skiable. My legs were burning by the time I hit the traverse.

Four Shadows is the chute in the shadows. You can see the boot track to the right of the ridge.



Frank, Julie, Michael after skiing down Four Shadows.



Next we climbed up Cody Bowl, something like 900 steps straight up. Works up a bit of a sweat. At the top, we had to choose whether to continue over to No Name Peak or ski down the Powder 8 Bowl. Partly because Julie's boots were killing her, we decided to ski down the bowl. Frank went first and then Michael. I was last because I could wield a shovel better than Julie. I cratered on my first turn. Then I made some ragged figure 8's crossing Julie's tracks. At the bottom I cratered again. Quite a show for anyone hiking up the bowl.
Julie hiking up the Powder 8 bowl.



The line to the far left is the boot track up the Powder 8 Bowl. To the right are the malformed figure eights layed down by Julie and Phillip. Michael's tracks are the rightmost in the center of the photo, and Frank's are the tracks all the way to the right.



This is a view of No Name Peak. We've skied it in the past, but it is hard to get to, so today we just headed down the Powder 8 Face instead.



After the Powder 8 Bowl, we called it a day and headed home through Rock Springs Canyon. The day was a great adventure; the hiking was strenuous, the views were amazing, and the skiing was way better than in-bounds.

Michael skied great. He is much more confident of his skiing ability this year. Last year, he had to bolster his ego by pointing out all the flaws in my style. This year, he just takes it for granted that he is a better skier than me.




This shot shows the Grand Teton right in the middle. If you look close at the mountain on the right, you can see the tram unloading dock. From there we skied across the top of Rendezvous Bowl and down the saddle. Then we hiked up through the rocks to the left of the photo and along the ridge (out of the photo to the left) to Four Shadows.



After skiing home, we ate a late lunch of minestrone soup and salad then I headed over to Dr. Tom for a blood analysis and acupuncture to treat my achy shoulder, neck, elbow...

Dinner was at Mimi and Frank's, with too much wine and chocolate for dessert. Now I'm ready for bed. Tomorrow I'm going to try skiing the BROs Frank gave me. Once again, Michael is jealous of my ski quiver, so maybe I'll let him try them for a run or two.

While we were OB, the kids were having fun on their own. First waffles at Corbet's.



Then ripping up the slopes when they weren't striking a pose.