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My camera is still broken, but I will get a picture of this thing some how.    Today I am sporting the worlds best scarf.  My sister knitted a scarf that looks like a piece of bacon and gave it to me for Christmas.  I don’t know what it says about me, but I think it says she must love to knit.  This is the longest scarf I have ever seen which is fitting for me, but it is tough to see an 8 foot long piece of bacon draped around your body.  It just makes you want to eat.  I will never understand bacon perfume.  How can you stand it.

Anyway, check back for a picture of this amazing piece of bacon.  My only comment would be that it might look a little more authentic if you could some how curl the ends.  I still love the thing regardless.

Normally, you would never hear a statement like this come out of my mouth, but yesterday I actually  said, “There is just too much powder”

Who could ever think that let alone udder it aloud?  Well, I had been standing in the tram line for 3 and a half hours and there was no chance that it was going to open.  3 feet of snow in 30 hours is a lot of powder and unfortunately, they just could not keep up with all the snow so most of the mountain remained closed yesterday until the afternoon.

Reports from the hill were the thing of legend.  You know there is a lot of snow when people claim that they had to go straight because turning slowed them down too much to make forward progress.  The best part about this huge blizzard we just had is that they forecast is still calling for snow for all of the weekend and into the next week.  There is nothing like skiing Jackson with copious amounts of powder.  Take advantage of the cheap flights and lodging deals and get to the Tetons.  Now!

I think B.D. should use this shot.  Okay so the light is a little flat, but what could possibly be a better advertisement for the Kilowatt ski than this.  You probably only see the wide open powder field, maybe you notice the steep rollover, or maybe that is a cliff (ah the unknown).  What you might not notice is the skin track that these skis are positioned on and the obvious presence of Ascension skins on the bottom of the skis.   This really is a lovely Black Diamond Add.  I mean look at the B.D. logo for crying out loud.

Here is a little something to get you in the mood.

Nothing like skinning to the top of a mountain and skiing it.  Try it sometime.  This picture was taken from an undisclosed location in the Western U.S.

Generally I think of myself as a good person and thus, I don’t think I have many enemies out there.  I’m sure there are some and this post is for them.

There I was heating up some leftover casserole in the microwave at the worldwide webquarters (we only have three appliances coffee maker, micro and panini maker).  As i took the bowl of chicken divan out of the micro I noticed that the sides were bubbling and the middle might not be completely warm so I gave it a quick stir.  BAM! one of the almonds exploded and sent burning casserole (consisting of broccoli, chicken, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, mayo, cheddar cheese and curry powder) all over my Arc’teryx Handler zip and face.  Fortunately, my lighting fast reflexes closed my eyes in time for the searing-hot casserole shrapnel to miss my eye and burn my eyelid.

I’m sure all you Squirrel Murphy haters out there are laughing at my pain, but just know that, this has only made me stronger and now I am even more invincible!

So this past weekend the gang and I had one of the greatest nights in Chicago history at the legendary Richards Bar—we ate hard boiled eggs around one, hung out with some girls from a roller derby team and helped a guy and girl get engaged capping it all at Rock Star Hot Dogs. But I will say I was really glad I had my Cloudveil Down-Patrol jacket the next morning when we had to dig the Cadillac, yes, in Chicago I am a Caddy man, out of its icy tomb—it only took an hour and a half in -5 degree weather. Oh yeah, and the bears won too. I can’t wait to head back home where Alta has normal temperatures, a 150” base and just got 18” last night

This is such a wonderful time of year for boys and girls all over the world.  They are anxiously awaiting the arrival of that jolly old fat man dressed in red and carrying toys.  I certainly share there excitement for Ole Saint Nick, but I prefer Santa’s brother.  For those of you who do not know him; his  name is Powder Clause.  Powder certainly shares the long white mane and locks that Santa styles, but Powder runs a different program.  You see Powder Clause like to reward hard working men and women who  live in the cold climates of this great planet.  If he see that everyone has been mostly good (Powder likes a little naughty, unlike his stuck up bro) and that they are working hard he will team up with his buddy the snowman and bring you a “Powder Day”  “Powder Days” are wonderful joyous occasions where everyone gathers early in the morning around the ceremonial chairlift and waits in anticipation for the chair to open itself.  No need for fancy paper on a “Powder Day”.  No there are different ideas of what constitutes a “Powder Day”, but one thing is certain.  There are only two definitions for a “Powder Clause”.  The first is that you have a boss or employer that allows you to show up late for work on the mornings of these “Powder Days”.  The second, which is not in the true spirit of Powder Day, but has nonetheless come to pass is that you are dating or otherwise involved with someone who can not ski or ride as well as you can and you have worked out an arrangement that allows you to ski with your friend and not with said person in the event of a “Powder Day”.  Say what you will, but if you are thinking of trying to institute this second type of powder clause you should know that it is extremely dangerous and not exactly, full-proof or binding in anyway.  You may find said person skiing off with someone else that doesn’t mind missing a few powder turns to spend a little quality time with the one you love.

These are the choices you make.  No one said “Powder Days” were easy.  In the immortal words of T.J. Burke “Skiing is the easy part Carl.”

Undoutably most of you have stories from the old tram at the J.H.M.R.  Just riding it was a story.  This past weekend saw the unveiling of the new tram and I hope you are all planning to come out and make some new stories.  I’m sure there have already been plenty of memeories made.  I might go make some this morning as it has snowed 12″ in the last 24 hours and they are expecting 6-8 more today!  I would like to share my first tram story as it speaks to the incredible achievement that the new tram is.

10:30 Saturday 12/20/08

The tram opens to a cold snowy morning.  Fittingly, the first few trams were filled with VIP’s and those who played a part in making the new lift possible.  Myself and the rest of the “Men’s Day” crew had a late start as we were in a meeting with the owner of Heidiskis (more on that later).  As we made our way to the lifts we naturally took a look at the tram line to see if it was worth waiting for a ride on the new box.  To our surprise there was no line.  So we made our way through the maze and were impressed by the jumbotron and music the was part of the tram celebration.  There were photographers everywhere and people were cheering and yelling and the air was filled with anticipation and excitement.  We loaded the tram and were amazed that we actually had room to move and breath.  The old tram was always so cramped.  It was great to be able to move around a little bit.  The ride up was again filled with yelling and cheer.  Then we docked at the top of Rendezvous Peak and two great things happened.  First, the top station of the new tram is awesome.  There are no more stairs to fall down and there is plenty of space for everyone to move.  It is a great upgrade.  The second present we found at the top station was ski host David Wheeler handing out special lift tickets that read.  “Congratulations, you just rode the first public tram.  Please join us tomorrow morning for a special 8:50am tram.”  or something to that effect.

That is how I walked onto the first public tram ever in the existence of the new tram!  I can not explain how it happened other than the new tram holds twice as many people and the lines seems to much shorter than I remember for the old days.

As a side note the skiing is incredible right now.  If you are thinking about taking a ski vacation, but you are waiting to here where the snow is stop waiting.  The snow is in Jackson and we have the best way to access it.

We have had a large response to yesterday’s egg nog post.  Specifically the moose mug.  Here is another picture for you.

This blog has kind turned into my take on ski town living.  When I am not using it as my own social networking site I tend to try to relate life here amongst the  Tetons to a larger audience.  I don’t know why I find this  intriguing, but while working in the Teton Village Sports rental shop and guiding river trips people always asked what it was like to live here so I guess I just assume that people might find my insight interesting.  Here is today’s thought.

6:36am:

Maybe it is me, but I find myself feeling like a child often.  I don’t mean childish or immature (although that does seem to come with the territory) I mean that life here tends to conjure emotions and feelings that I don’t seem to have when I am not living here in the valley.  Here is a perfect example.  I can say from experience that when the majority of the country looks at their weather forecast for the next day and they see snow, they are not happy.  Snow, what a terrible thing.  Your commute will be a mess, everyone at the office will want to leave early and you have to wear those ugly boots and carry your shoes in with you.  The difference?  When our trusty weather guru Jim Woodmency serves up a forecast with snow here in the valley it turns into Christmas Eve.  The anticipation of the joy that all that snow will bring is electrifying.  I find myself going to bed early so Santa I mean the snow will come faster and I will be well rested to get out to the hill early and  stand in the lift line.  This morning I awoke to no clatter, but I rose from my bed to see what ws the matter.  Away to the JH Avalanche report I flew like a flash.  3 inches of fresh I new I’d better dash.  The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow gave the lustre of a powder day as I fired up some joe.

Okay, I was reaching there and I apologize for ripping off a classic, but you get the point.  Life is different here.  I can’t say that it is better, but I like the fact that meteorological events get me and the whole town so excited.  It really is like Christmas morning right now.  I am really excited for  snow and am not even going to ski today.  I am commuting into my 8-5er just like the rest of you.  Where I will drink too much coffee, hammer away at a keyboard and talk endlessly on the telephone.  I am going to do it with the knowledge that they are calling for 8 more inches tonight and tomorrow is the first day of the  new TRAM!