May 26, 2007 (Jackson, Wyoming) – Taylor Mtn: Tuesday’s valley snow was a dead giveaway that there was a fresh coat of white getting laid down up high. Reports of 4-6″ at 9,000 ft. confirmed this. Wednesday was warm and sunny, both key melt factors. Following Targhee’s 9,260′ SnoTel remote real time temperatures (JH’s are not currently reporting), I saw that there had been 14 hours of above freezing temps with a 3 pm high of 46.5 deg (F)(!).

So I took a thought to make the bold move of going for a skate ski on a remote shelf in Moose Creek at about 9,600 feet just one full day after new snow. Now, the new snow is key for skating – give a week and you’ve got brown snow showing back up, beginning runnels or baby suncups this time of year. But 3 to 4 days of sun is just about right depending on temperature, giving new snow a few melt-freeze cycles to firm up – the sun and temperature melt moderated by wind, especially in the wide-open.

So my call to go for it was a bit optimistic. But four days post-new-snow was looking too warm and stormy, and the night of the 23rd was clear, and SnoTel temps were below 30. I figured this might be one of the last good windows of the year.

Moose Creek Shelf

Leaving the Moose Ck Trailhead at 4 am, I hiked 8.8 kms (5.5 miles) by headlamp, and left the trail just before Moose Meadows and first light. 1,800 ft of due north fall line uphill off-trail travel put me on top of a cairned ‘summit’ which is 200 ft above the point marked 9,205 on the topo map. I arrived on top at 7am, having make only a dozen steps on snow. Stepping into my skate skis, my first stride was into about 8 inches of true powder! I was crestfallen and considered the option to retrace my steps. But then, 50 feet beyond, firm crust!

The snow surface was phenomenal. Silky smooth, clean, sparkling snow. I was riding a skinny crust of baby corn on skinny skis, knowing that my time window for good cruising wasn’t huge. The fact that I was traveling north worked in my favor, and I was able to select south, east or west exposures for firmer corn. Certain terrain configurations call for ‘booting up’ for a couple of hundred feet, and these were mostly south or east facing, but fully breakable 6 inches onto the firm old snow beneath. Though travel was fairly good at the outset, the day was gradually warming and the sun was having its way with my tender crust. I was skating on eggshells at 9,600 ft and I knew that my long-distance route would have to wait for a better day. I had gotten in a 9 k’s of spectacular skating and felt good about the ground I’d covered.

Spearhead and Buck Mtn

So at 9:30, with the big peaks looming in the distance I knew that carrying on was pointless, though not particularly hazardous, as the firm snowpack below wasn’t deteriorating significantly with sun or rising temps. I turned left, rounding Housetop Mtn and dropping an unfrequented north facing drainage, to an improbable gully through a cliff band (a probable first descent) working avy paths and continuous snowpatches to a log creek crossing at 8,000 ft. Again the transition was a clean one, leaving snow on the north facing side of the creek and quickly finding a dry (but largely unmaintained) trail on the south facing side. I started hiking out at 11:30 am, with minor snow travel on firm pack, enjoying the 8 or 9 (find-your-own-log) stream crossings on the 11.2km (7-mile) walk out.

On reflection, the tour was truly amazing and though uncertain about the viability of the snow. One key to traversing some of the longer such routes in the range is knowing the route so that night travel is an option. Aspirations to cover significant distances when rare weather conditions come together is a long held goal. As for skiing, the trickle-in nature of Teton spring snowfalls and the tendency to hold snow at elevation (barring unseasonal heat) make for much more in the way of skiing options than is readily apparent from the valley. The only catch is, you’ve got to carry your skis up a significant way to gain elevation… that’s the great thing about skate skis, boots and poles. They were made light for fast traveling.

It ain’t over, but you’ve got to want it. If you see a freezing, clear sky night coming up, you can know I’ll be thinking about getting out again.