Backcountry skiing in the Bridger-Teton National Forest Fred Pflughoft
In snowriders' parlance, "backcountry" means a place beyond ski area boundaries, and any on-the-edge skier or snowboarder will tell you that the snow is best and adrenalin quotient highest there. Beyond the thrill of the ride, there is the sense of pride in earning your turns by hiking up before skiing or riding down.
Many backcountry skiers use such ski mountaineering gear as skis with free-heel bindings. Skiers affix climbing skins to these skis to prevent backsliding on the ascent. Snowboarders or those with regulation Alpine equipment shoulder their boards and often climb on snowshoes. Whether you slide on one plank or two, a great ride is the reward for the uphill climb.
Other necessary gear is proper clothing, food, water in something that won't freeze, a map, a compass, some companions and often avalanche gear and avalanche knowledge. If you have the slightest doubt about the reliability of the last two, hire a guide.
Jackson , in northwestern Wyoming, is the epicenter of the state's backcountry snow sliding. Togwotee Pass (pronounced TOE-ghe-tee) lies between Dubois and Moran, the
Brooks Lake Lodge Brooks Lake Lodge
northern gateway to Grand Teton National Park, and about 60 miles from Jackson. Driving toward the east on US 26/287 to the 9,658-foot pass, you'll find parking for the Buffalo Valley KOA, the Black Rock Ranger Station and Togwotee Mountain Lodge, all with backcountry access.
Beyond, toward the pass, are parking areas for Angel Mountain and Black Rock Mountain. The best of the best skiing is accessed from the top of the pass, which is also the Continental Divide. South and west of the plowed parking area lies Squaw Basin, and south and east of that is Two Ocean Mountain. To the northwest are the Breccia Cliffs that provide a dramatic backdrop for a ski tour. If you itch for more than a day in the backcountry, book a room at Togwotee Mountain Lodge or Brooks Lake Lodge. Togwotee also offers dogsled rides for those in the mood for a canine adventure.
Wyoming Highway 22 crosses Teton Pass from Jackson/Wilson en route to the Idaho state line. Predictably, it is the place that hard-skiing and hard-riding locals flock to. Even
View of the Tetons
before you reach the pass, several bowls beneath are visible below a high ridge. To ski Glory Bowl, Little Tuckermans Ravine and Unskiabowl, you have to park at the highest point of pass, traverse to your powder parcel of choice, ski down and hike out again. The hardest of the hard core climb to the top of 10,086-foot Glory Peak and drop into the entirety of Glory Bowl from there.
Grand Teton National Park, 9 miles north of Jackson via US 191/WY 89/26, is a pristine backcountry paradise that is especially well suited to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The park's abundant lakes freeze over, and the stunning granite peaks of the Teton Range are frosted with snow. You can pick up a winter trail map at the Moose Visitor Center or can join a ranger-guided naturalist hike on snowshoes to better understand how plants and wildlife adapt to northern Wyoming's deep winters.
Of Wyoming's roughly 2,000 marked (and often groomed) snowmobile trails, the 675-mile Continental Divide Snowmobile Trail has been called the top snowmobile route in the West by SnoWest magazine. Arguably the best part is between Lander and Dubois, threading through the scenic Wind River Range and flirting with the Continental Divide itself. read more
This geyser gets its name from the manner in which the water surges out from the superheated source – like a flicking, liquid dragon's tongue. read more
