Last Day in Jackson Hole, WY
Do not even tell me you think this is not steep. Stand at the front of it while I try to push you and then we will talk. Corbet's Couloir, Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Jan. 1st. Happy New Year! We are staying this last day in Jackson Hole to ski, thinking that everyone else is leaving and we will have the place to ourselves. Our thinking is correct.
It is sunny and cold, but whatever. We are here and the lift lines are inconsequential. I tell Bob to go easy on me as my hips are cranky, wah wah wah. He takes me on the tram to the top of the hill, elevation 10,540 feet. Or something like that. We have been out west so long that elevation has not been an issue. It is apparent to me that there are 97 men and 3 women on this tram. I am old. WTF?? I'm sure the ratio changes and I KNOW there are tons of kick-ass women out here that make it happen! They are just not on the tram with me now. I can do this. No other choice.
We get out of the tram at 10,540 feet. Or whatever. We take a left at the top so that we can go to the bottom of Jackson Hole's most famous run, Corbet's Couloir. Pronunced cool-wah. I think. It is a steep and, for today, icy chute through rock. Compulsory air off the top. It ain't me, babe, but I will watch others do it!! I side-slip through some knarly bowl to make it down alive, move on to step-turns and then get to a traverse to see the Corbet's show. Someone flings himself down the chute. He instantly loses a ski and slides 300 yards down the chute. He tries and go back up for his ski. Not gonna happen. Valiant attempt, though.
The next person comes down and tries to grab first guy's ski and bring it to him. This person falls and loses HIS ski. Not pretty. This could last all day. We decide to move on. Too cold to stand still for this long.
I implore Bob to let me pick blue squares with no moguls (I feel badly about this), but this hill is no joke. A blue square here is steep as all get out. Long, grand slalom turns are naturally happening to check my speed. OK. I stop and look at the amazing view. And it is amazing. I stop a lot.
Bob and I split up a bit. He likes to laugh at death while on the slopes. I used to think I could keep up with him. I gave it a good run. Totally over it now. But we ski together as much as possible. After three or four hours (at best) of skiing, much of it on the lifts, we do a lunch stop at Piste, an on-moutain restaurant. It's good, for ski mountain food. We then make our way down to meet the dog-sitter at 2:00pm, change our clothes, and take Jack back to the dog park for a run. He poops, we pick it up, and we cut the frigid walk short to head to the National Elk Refuge, a few miles out of Jackson Center. Here is where approximately 10,000 elk move down from the mountains and onto the prarie every winter to graze. The refuge conducts sleigh rides for the public to travel through and get up close with the animals. We don't do that.
The National Elk Refuge in Jackson, WY, home to almost 10,000 elk who winter here every year.
A few miles past the Elk Refuge we reach Grand Teton National Park. I'll just leave you with a few pictures.
We head back to the hotel, Jack eats, we do the poopy walk, then Bob and I leave him in the hotel room -- he is comfortable enough now to not stress by being alone -- and we head to the restaurant of our desire. The Old Yellowstone Garage. It's got an Italian flare and a wine list to die for. We have our final dinner in Jackson Hole/Teton Village, then head back to the room, and get ready for the ride home. The vacation is not over. A lot of good things lie ahead. Stay tuned. And if I have not left these links before, please check them out.
The Old Yellowstone Garage in Teton Village, WY. Italian flair food, old world European wine list, contemporary interior. Go figure. It works in a major way.