Parking It

Our last day of the level II avy course involved a full day tour in Teton National Park. This was taken about two hours into the trip. Pictured are Brian and Erica, master guides/instructors/Jedi Knights, who are pointing out the various plans and routes for the day. We'll first cruise across Bradley Lake and then begin our ascent into Garnet Canyon.

Grand Teton

Climbing through Garnet Canyon

Kyle gives some perspective to the mushroom behind. He's a St. Lawrence grad along with what seems to be the rest of Jackson.

It's too steep to skin in the couloir so we're boot packing up. The top of the climb reveals an appropriately named lake called Surprise Lake. Not big but not expected. A short skin across the lake and through some trees and we're almost ready for our descent, five hours after leaving the trailhead. We dug a quick snowpit and tested the stability of the snowpack. Then we had a bomber ski run and I was too busy having fun to take pictures. Near the bottom Brian & Erica set up a rescue scenario where 2 people (read: packs with avalanche beacons) were buried in avalanche debris. The group found and dug out the two victims in under six minutes but it was definitely a tricky scenario with some difficult dynamics going on. It took a little over an hour of skinning to get back to the trailhead and we're both ready to relax and watch the Pack defeat the Steelers.