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Sunny Days and Steep Skiing
Sidecountry Fatalities on the Rise

Moonlit Skiing | Teton Pass Backcountry, WY United States | 02/19/08, by hotChocolate

Skiing down Mt Glory on a crystal clear night.
It was a long day of work, drama and no backcountry skiing. I was kinda bummed about the no skiing, but then realized that it was a full moon on a clear night! Low avalanche danger, warm temps, no wind. The chance to ski safely at night only comes along a couple times each season. Tonight was a perfect opportunity.

We headed up Glory around 8:00. I have fear of being cold that drives me to make irrational decisions. I had not one, but two down jackets on, hand warmers in the gloves, boot heaters on high, warm hat, goggles... About 50 yards up the hill it was apparent that I had way, way overdressed.

The moon shined bright over the the Jackson Hole valley.
The moon shined bright over the the Jackson Hole valley.


The night was serene. It was docile. I took off some layers and the moon gently soothed away the stress of the day. We barely talked during the hike up as if entranced by the magic of the night. No one was around

On top, a hot thermos of green tea complimented the view of the moonlit mountains. My dog ran around like a loony toon- thrilled to finally get a walk today. We hung out for a while savoring the calm night and the solitude.

The mutt got to come along since we knew we would be skiing hard pack. Pretty cool how you can see the Grand Teton in the background.
The mutt got to come along since we knew we would be skiing hard pack. Pretty cool how you can see the Grand Teton in the background.

Skiing down the Ascent Ridge was actually a lot better than I expected! I could see as clearly as high noon on a sunny day. There were pockets of soft snow, but mostly we found something between hard pack and coral reef. Linking turns was definitely possible so as far as I was concerned, the ski mission was a complete success. Down at the bottom in the trees, I even found one turn of true powder goodness. One turn to satiate my soul.

Sunny Days and Steep Skiing
Sidecountry Fatalities on the Rise


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