Road Trip

[ozgirl]

@marzNC Funnily I have to agree that I am usually with you on that.

The boys I travelled with prefer to sit down and eat - and with my gluten intolerance we had to be a little more picky about where we ate. It just seemed a bit of an inconvenience having a few places we wanted to try not be open.

On a powder day I think there are plenty of folks in the parking lot early at the U.S. MCP destinations. I know that's true for Alta/Snowbird even on weekdays. Have heard the same for JH and Squaw.

I think this had a lot to do with the conditions we experienced on our trip. But see snowmass post above. Mammoth was also another we got premo parking at & Mammoth was also a place we struggled to find somewhere to eat at! (at the base area cloest to town!)

 

[ozgirl]

The next day saw us head to Jackson. I was soooo excited to see the tram for the first time. I was a bit stressed though as I had booked a 3hr private lesson for Kevin and I (as a Christmas present to him) and I was worried he wouldn’t be receptive to the lesson and/or @snoWYmonkey being a female instructor.

I should have not worried! She was great. I had given her detailed ramblings LOL) and she got me! Phew

And Kevin was amazing! He absorbed pretty much everything SNowy suggested! I swear she went through 3 levels (5 -8) and brought Kevin up to speed so to speak. He had never had a lesson and to watch him absorb and polish up 'so to speak' was a joy to me.

It was even more exciting during the days ahead where I was watching him continue to pole plant!

This was honestly one of our best days of the trip and we really really want to come back to Jackson one day!

First sighting of the Tram!!

We must have gone up the tram in the afternoon. Snowy, Dan came up but didn't ride down with us!

Corbets!

 

[ozgirl]

Day number two in Jackson dawned very early with Dan going on a day snowmobiling trip to Yellowstone and Kevin and I getting a 'date day' we had a really fun day around the mountain and I felt a difference after the lesson and Kevin as mentioned Kevin was using the tools he learnt!

But the big thing was that we decided to do the set prixe dinner at the top of the Coluoir Gondola.

It was $95pp for 4 courses - $150 with matching wine.

Our reservation was for 530pm so we skied til last lifts, then went back to the car and changed into normal shoes and went to the Mangy Moose for a couple of drinks.

It was quite possibly the liveliest bar in Jackson!

Going up the Gondola we were given a hot chocolate with our choice of spirit. I got Kahlua and Kevin asked for the same but somehow ended up with Whiskey too!

We got to the top and whilst earlier in the day when we made our reservation the staff assured us we were fine dressed in ski gear - we were the only ones!

So it was very weird night - one of the most expensive meals I have had (and very very very good) it was also the scruffiest I have ever felt on a 'date'!

But overall we had a really great day. Still no fresh snow but the quality of snow around the rest of the mountain was amazing by Australian standards.

Mangy Moose

Restaurant entrance

Dessert

 

[marzNC]

Great view for that dinner!

 

[ozgirl]

Day 3 in Jackson had us joined by Dan again and we headed off to Grand Targhee for the day.

On arrival it was bitterly cold - although supposedly warmer than the last two days at Jackson Hole. The wind chill really killed it. Visibility was also really poor. (which meant limited photos)

We skied for a couple of hours until I was desperate for a coffee to warm up. After we headed out for a few more runs and I just wasn't in the mood and was just going through the motions.

I have really poor circulation and actually really struggle in poor/cold weather.

We went in for lunch about 1pm and then all of a sudden the clouds lifted and the sun came up. So up we went again and what a difference!!

The view was spectacular! And we even found some fresh windblown stashes and we had a really good couple of runs.

We literally were on the mountain when patrol started sweeps (roping off runs etc to stop people going to early closed areas).

Now a funny story about our time in Jackson :-

I can't remember what day it was but one of Kevin's friends loves rocks and he promised her a rock from everywhere we went. On our drive back into town one day we pulled of the road near the river to get a rock from the river bed (it must have been this last day because otherwise wise we would have gotten it on the actually mountain)

Anyway Dan was driving (has not down much on snow driving) and even though there was (what looked obvious to me) a designated driving/parking area Dan drove off this area and we got bogged!!! Seriously.

It was hilarious to me - I pretty much refused to help (I was laughing too much at the stupidity!)

There was another lady down there walking her dog - she was parked in the designated parking area.

I did offer usefully tips like getting kitty litter (the boys looked at me like I was crazy as it is another not done thing in the states - I should point out here that neither of them had been to the US before and I had lived there twice in winter!

I can't remember if I approached the woman (to get a lift to the store) or she came to help, but anyway she back up my kitty litter claim but then also suggested we do the same thing with the river bed rocks.

That didn't work - although was helping. Then she remembered she had two large strips of carpet. They ended up providing the traction to get us out.

Pics to come