Bell Lake | January 13th-15th, 2017
In the last post I said how we had not originally planned to go to Jackson Hole. Our original plan that our trip was based around was an Avalanche course with Bell Lake Yurt. Our entire trip revolved around this expedition and Kevin and I were teeming with excitement on the way to the Tobacco Roots Mountain, about an hour west of Bozeman, MT.
We arrived shortly before 8AM and met the rest of our group and our guides. After a drive down snowy road it was time for the five mile snowmobile ride to our uphill starting point. With temps hovering around 0F, having no skin exposed for this ride was crucial. My rookie mistake occurred when I put sunglasses on instead of goggles and let my cheeks and forehead freeze right up.
After our sled ride ended we start our trek uphill. With fresh snow on the ground, the guide was breaking trail the whole two miles up to the yurt. The land was open, the area was beautiful, and with temps warming up once we left the valley it was turning into a great day.
Once we arrived at the Yurt we were in for the day for some lecture about snow science. After dinner a few of us went outside to see the stars. The previous day was a full moon and the moonlight hitting the mountains created some incredible shadows that I had never seen before at night.
The next two days were spent skinning in the Bell Lake area, digging pits, doing mock rescues, and studying the causes and effects of avalanches. I cannot say enough of how beautiful the landscapes around us were. What a pleasure it was to combine the classroom with the snowy Tobacco Roots Mountains. I frankly felt spoiled by the end of the trip, not only due to my surroundings but the difference of a guided trip in a yurt to good ole roughing it.
Although it was painful looking at perfect couloirs, chutes, and bowls, and not being able to ski them due to the avy risk, I appreciated the reality of backcountry skiing. Sometimes you get to ski and get face shots and have a great day. Sometimes you get there and see it's unsafe and go home alive.
I also want to thank the guides, Drew Pogge and Tucker Cunningham. It was great to have a brain to pick about not only avalanches but general backcountry knowledge. Thanks for making us some great food and giving us the power of knowledge.