Rock Climbing – Ice Climbing – Ski Mountaineering
On December 27th 2021, I remotely triggered an avalanche of serious destructive magnitude while traversing a north-to-south ridgeline, at approximately 9,600 feet in the west Teton backcountry, on skis. The deep persistent slab avalanche broke with a 6-10 foot crown, ran 1,400 feet, uprooted many trees and failed on the "December 5th weak layer". Read... Continue Reading →
First and foremost, it is with a heavy heart that I solemnly offer my condolences to the family of Matthew Brien, a 33 year old Jackson local taken by the mountains far too early. 2021 was undoubtedly one of the toughest years for snow stability in the mountain west. February was the worst - haunted... Continue Reading →
Prospector Falls, also known as "Raven" or "Raven Crack" Falls, is about as classic as they come for ice climbs in Grand Teton National Park. The striking 200 foot main cascade is visible from the easily reached Phelps Lake Overlook, a favorite sight with early winter tourists. The whole route is four pitches, about 400-500... Continue Reading →
Fossil Mountain is a remote 10,921 foot peak located deep in the central Teton Range. The Ice Cave Couloir is a short, steep and seldom skied couloir that will only be relevant to enthusiasts of the obscure. While hardly worthy of its' own mission, the "Ice Cave" made a great addition to Carl Osterburg and... Continue Reading →
The Southeast Couloir of Teewinot Mountain is an often overlooked alternative to the highly sought East Face route. Topping out at 11,600 feet on the southernmost shoulder, the 600 foot couloir starts narrow, finishes wide and maintains a steady slope angle in the mid-forty degree* range. Despite impressive views of the Grand Teton and a... Continue Reading →
The Amor A' Vida Couloir is an ultra-classic Teton ski mountaineering objective on the south face of the South Teton. The full technical descent into Avalanche Canyon is nearly 3,000 feet - the first 900 on a vast and airy alpine face, and the latter 2,000 in a continuous, unique and especially aesthetic couloir.
The Moonwalk Couloir is located on the west-north-west side of 25 Short (USGS Peak 9975') in Grand Teton National Park - a more committing and exciting alternative to the commonly skied Chute the Moon and Turkey Chute Couloirs. The line rarely (if ever) fills in from the top, requiring a mild but exposed down-climb that... Continue Reading →
Rising a staggering 6,000 feet directly from the foothills of Grand Teton National Park, the East Face of Teewinot Mountain is a prized ski mountaineering descent sought far and wide. Instead of the usual Teton technical couloir shenanigans, the East Face resembles primetime descents in the Montana Rockies and High Sierra - steep bowl skiing... Continue Reading →
During a high pressure cycle in late February 2020, Sam Johnson and I set our sights to Mount Wister, the criminally overlooked 11,455 foot giant lurking deep in the heart of Avalanche Canyon, Grand Teton National Park. The East Face is the peak's test-piece descent, requiring a long (for the Tetons) approach and several hundred... Continue Reading →
On a bitterly cold March 2019 morning, John Walker and I set off to attempt the "Nez Perce Trifecta" - skiing the Sliver, East Hourglass and West Hourglass Couloirs in a single push - a Teton ski mountaineering classic. We didn't quite hit the mark. High winds, deep snow and sub-zero temperatures pushed us towards... Continue Reading →
Ten Thousand Too Far 