A clear but col day today. We spent most of the day near camp digging snow analysis pits and practicing avalanche transceiver search techniques. Notes: Cold cold cold today. Despite perfect blue skies, the temperature plummeted. My toes never warmed up in my constrictive telemark boots, and I was forced to come back to camp …
Tag: NOLSWOE12
NOLS WOE Tetons Ski Mountaineering Expedition: Day 17 – Whiteout
The second storm continues to bear down on us as we practice multiple burial avalanche victim recovery. Notes: Despite a clear and cold overnight, the storm came back in full force this morning. We did a quick few hours of skinning uphill. Definitely more dramatic in the raging storm. Route finding is also much more …
NOLS WOE Tetons Ski Mountaineering Expedition: Day 16 – Avalanche Rescue Training in a Blizzard
We’ve now moved on from snow science and recovery tool usage, and are going directly into full on avalanche rescue scenarios. Notes: Originally planned as a rest day, turned into avalanche rescue training day on account of extreme cold and blizzard conditions. Practiced multiple victim avalanche burial recovery scenarios with shovels/beacons/probes. In addition to using …
NOLS WOE Tetons Ski Mountaineering Expedition: Day 15 – Touring
A spectacular bluebird day leads to powder turns down untracked backcountry terrain. Notes: Woke up early morning before the sun. From our high camp, it’s possible to see out across the valley, across Jackson Lake, to the lights of downtown Jackson, Wyoming. A spectacular, and eerie view from deep within the backcountry. Also, on a …
NOLS WOE Tetons Ski Mountaineering Expedition: Day 14 – Climbing to High Camp
After it provided us refuge from the biggest snowstorm of the season, today it was finally time to leave our Bailey Meadows camp and climb higher. Notes: Packed up camp early this morning. We’ve been eating lots of food and naturally assumed that our packs and sleds would be lighter. However, due to both Jake …