Rock Climbing – Ice Climbing – Ski Mountaineering
My sixth ski descent of, and third consecutive year ending my ski season on, the Grand Teton. This time I was accompanied by first time Grand Teton skier Connor Reithmayr, and we caught the Ford Couloir in nothing short of perfect corn.
On May 27th Vinny Gwinn and I climbed and skied the Ford-Stettner route on the Grand Teton, the likely punctuation to another phenomenal ski mountaineering season in the Tetons.
On June 8th, 2022, Carl Osterburg and I skied the Grand Teton via the traditional "Ford-Stettner Couloir" Route. This was Carl's first and my fourth Grand Teton ski descent, a mission propelled by one sole purpose, enjoying a final day in the mountains with my best Teton friend before he packs up and moves to Minnesota. Can you think of a better sendoff? I can't, because there isn't one.
In 2015, David Gonzales wrote a popular article for POWDER Magazine titled "Is There A Better Way to Ski the Grand Teton?" in which he discusses the perilous and increasingly pressing issue of congestion on the Grand's most popular ski route, the Ford-Stettner. This article will double down on Gonzales's work, putting a microscope to the Workman-Starr Sneak and its potential to reduce overhead hazard when multiple climbers/skiers are on the mountain.
Ten Thousand Too Far 