Jack ‘n Jill went up the hill

This past weekend Jen and I joined a group of friends and rented a caboose at the Isaac Walton in Essex.  If you haven’t done this yet- do it!  It was really enjoyable, and even though it was a little tight for 6 people, mainly because Matt is 6’lots, it was a highlight of the winter.  After a casual skin up Big Mountain where we were greeted with rays of actual sun light (our first this March) and great company, we caravaned up Jon F. Stevens canyon to the quaint train stop “town” of Essex.  We shuffled around in the narrow train turned home and sat down for some delicious lentil walnut burgers and sweet potato fries, followed by yawns and an early bed.

Up at 5 a.m. Saturday Claire, Burket, Jen and I packed into the suby and headed towards the Rocky Mountain Front.  As we bent south towards Choteau (where Burket informed us “Chitonians” live) the sun began to slice through the pan flat horizon and a thin layer of stratus clouds.  It was awesome.  I realized I haven’t seen a sunrise in weeks, let alone one unencumbered by mountains and canyons.  To our right the peaks that stood guardian to the Bob Marshall jutted up dramatically with morning light ignited them up like tooth-shaped lanterns.  There was a huge smeared out lenticular stratus cloud that drifted above the peaks that also was glowing purple by the sunrise.  The morning drive awakened my desire for spring, for adventure, for new country and new life.  It also foretold of a good day ahead.  All four of us received our super cool entry t-shirts and pint glasses and readied ourselves for the shortest randonee race to date.  The course had to be shortened due to an enormous avalanche the patrolman Chuck released yesterday afternoon that slid from the summit of Lockheart nearly to the lodge.  I thought I would be the only one showing up in the clown suit, but, Brian Story of Missoula showed up with a strong cohort of Missoulians thirsty for blood.

Brian caught and passed me on the first climb and put up a strong pace to the top of the first (and only significant) climb.  The final few hundred vertical feet of skinning were on that always-challenging-on-skinny-skis wind effected powder and I really was wanting to throw in the towel feeling not quite stellar.  But, I told that weak part to stuff it and not give up until I had crossed the finish line.  Persistence paid off as I was able to link some fast transitions and slightly out-of-control skiing together to eek out a 20 second win over Brian.  Kudos for his performance, he keeps getting faster and he’s really quiet about it.  Big ups to Burket who on a splitboard put in a solid 5th place performance among a surprisingly deep men’s field.  Wait till I get him on skis!!!  Jen and Claire exchanged fast skinning for solid skiing and if their two bests were put together I think they’d have won!  Instead they preferred to stick in a 4th and 3rd place respectively.  Brian’s gal Leah killed it “coming out of retirement”.

Following the race we scurried back up on to the mountain for the opportunity to get on top of a mountain.  With blue skies and a chairlift to within 2000′ of the summit, we worked our way up to the north ridge of “Little Lockheart” the mountain that Teton Pass Ski Area hangs on.  We dropped the skis a 1000′ below the summit since the options were to carry them back down, ski rocks, or ski a massive face that just slid nearly to the ground.  It was a great idea thanks to Jen, and we managed to make our way to the top despite some of the fiercest winds any of us had fought through.  It was quite interesting noticing how in the middle of a huge gust I felt like I was epic-ing and in danger, but the moment it stopped I was on a pleasant walk in in the sun.  Wind- “my least favorite element”- Phil Grove I agree.  The views from the top were incredible and it was quenching to finally reach a mountain top in what felt like ages.  The weather and avalanche danger truly has taken away the ability to get out and do anything but shop at WalMart or skin up Big Mountain.  Both are starting to get a little old at this stage of the game.

We had a few post race beers and collected our booty (PBR hats, cash, a snowboard, and lift tickets) and rolled back to Essex giddy from a day in the sun and with great friends and a fantastic shared experience.  Teton Pass Ski Area is another must hit destination.  Mom and Pop ski hill meets Rocky Mountains.  Matt and Megan patiently awaited our arrival and the Glory Bowls we whipped together for dinner.  Board games, card games, but unfortunately no drinking games followed.  Laughter and joy bounced heavily off the steel walls of our little caboose.

As I was drifting to sleep Jen reminded me it was daylight savings and I needed to set my alarm accordingly.  Huge fail on that one for this guy.  After not knowing whether a smart phone in airplane mode knew about the time change, I erred towards it not.  Set it extra early, checked my watch, which somehow I misinterpreted, and headed toward work at 5 a.m. which was actually 4 a.m.  Realizing I had robbed myself of yet another hour, I broke into the parents place and powernapped for an hour before my second attempt at a timely arrival at work.  Phew, I was tired.  An incredible 48 hours off, but not sure I could pull that off every weekend.

cool photo’s from Burket

http://www.flickr.com/photos/98158084@N06/13060256195/