12 MAR 2001
By Joe Hartney
Other legs have been long, hard, short, fun, etc., but this fourth leg was
simply enjoyable. I had some of the best days of ski touring ever. We
actually took a few rest days, saw some amazing wildlife, and had many camp
fires.
Day 1 — Back into the hills. After graciously dropping us off at Togwotee
Pass, Matt Killebrew, interpretive naturalist at Grand Teton National Park,
joined us for the pleasant five-mile ski to Brooks Lake. Always nice to
have guests with us. Light snow is falling as we make camp at dusk.
"I felt completely at peace here and
spellbound by the pristine beauty of this place."
Day 2 — The snow showers continue with low visibility. We decided to check
out Brooks Lake Lodge, a year-round resort built in 1922 that serves a
gourmet lunch. The weather and the lodge helped us decide to take our first
"rest day" of the entire winter. We did not move camp today and it felt
good. This allowed us to plan a less visibility-dependent route for the
next few days.
Day 3 — Back on the move today. We toured all day and gained eight miles
northward. This was our first big day in quite a while and it felt good.
Day 4 — We made it to an old hunting camp on the South Buffalo Fork River.
A roaring fire helped warm the spirits and a cheesecake for dessert topped it
off.
Day 5 — As the snow showers continue, we decide to take another rest day.
Win came up with a safer and shorter route into Yellowstone to avoid
avalanche terrain that would be more dangerous with the recent snows. We
took a short ski up the trail to scope out the route which looks straightforward. On the way back I skied a mellow slope to enjoy some turns back
into camp. Another fire tonight. It's going to be hard to leave this camp.
Our lives seem to have gotten much easier, or maybe less harsh. There is a
hint of spring around as February draws to a close. The days are noticeably
longer and the animals are coming out more. I even found myself removing my
down pants tonight because it was simply too warm — unimaginable on the first
leg.
Day 7 — We tried to make it over Ferry Lake Pass, over the Continental
Divide, today, but in the storm, we were forced to retreat. We've camped
back down in the woods below the lake, hoping for better weather tomorrow.
Day 8 — Our wish was granted as the weather cleared this morning right as we
hit Ferry Lake. It seems you never appreciate fair weather as much as after
a storm. Our descent to the Yellowstone River was magical. Into Woodard
Canyon, I skied the best powder I'd seen all year. The turns felt so good,
I even forgot I had a huge pack on. We made it all the way to the river.
Relaxation has overtaken us. From here, we just follow the river out to the
lake. Time to enjoy the most remote area in the country.
Day 10 — Just as we thought, spring was coming; nature has reminded us that
it's still winter. The coldest morning of the winter awoke us today.
Thirty-five degrees below zero. There was so much frost built up around the
breathing hole of my sleeping bag that I thought it was snowing when I first
tried to get up. We rekindled the fire to avoid freezing solid during
breakfast. Eventually the sun did warm things up and the snow has become
solidly pleasurable for touring. No more postholing with skis on.
Day 11 — Today was the most enjoyable day of ski touring I've ever
experienced. It was looking like another cold one (-20° in the morning and
overcast), but blue skies overtook us. As we entered the meadow, animal
tracks were everywhere, coyote, fox, hare, mouse and bison. The wolves
even snuck by us again. We used their broken trail as I'm sure they were on
ours. By noon it was too hot to wear a shirt as we toured through the most
beautiful mountain valley on earth. I felt completely at peace here and
spellbound by the pristine beauty of this place. This is the Yellowstone
that the early explorers found and many still search for.
Day 13 — We made it to Yellowstone Lake last night and camped on the tip of
the southeast arm. Two bison welcomed us to the lake as they too must enjoy
the desolation. Today we started heading north along the eastern shore of
the lake. The skies cleared once again and it turned into a stellar afternoon.
Fifteen miles later, we hit the northern shore. A groomed snowmobile road
with a few 'bilers was a welcome sight this afternoon. The sun set over the
lake and we knew we'd be back in Jackson soon. The hard part was over.
Day 14 — Getting out was never so easy. Two park rangers gave us a ride
around the lake where we hooked up with a snowcoach which eventually took us
all the way to my house in Jackson. The best part was that we realized it
was Sunday and we were in position to hit the "all you can eat" pizza buffet
at the Old Yellowstone Garage restaurant. Seems fitting.
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