Eric Seymour and Tanner Flanagan Approaching the Tetons.

Winter in Jackson Hole has started off in a big way.   With almost 100″ of snowfall so far,  there is more snow than we are used to seeing in December.  My goal for the winter is to ski at least one day in Grand Teton National Park.  Yes, I am a “Village Rat.”  A term that is used for skiers who spend every day of the winter at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.  And I’m not ashamed to say that I am “Village Rat.”  Who wouldn’t want to ride the Tram, 4,000 vertical feet every ten minutes.  It’s like having your own personal helicopter.  With that said, I would like to spend more time getting know my back yard.

The goal is to something in the park at least once a week.  I am always nervous for my first park ski.  It is always a long day.  We started at 7:30am from the Taggart Lake Parking Lot.  Our objective was the West HourGlass, but more importantly to go see what was happening in the Tetons.  We summited the West Hour Glass at 1:30pm.

Eric Seymour, Jess McMillan, and Tanner Flanagan at the summit of the West Hour Glass on Nez Perce in the Tetons

Happy to be at the Top of the West Hour Glass!

The snow in the couloir was good.  I wish I could say it was powder, but it was more like smooth chalky skiing.

Tanner Flanagan Drops Into the West Hour Glass

Day 1 in the Tetons!  Check!