It’s been years since I’ve skied Jackson Hole mountain resort. A lot has changed; there is a brand new shiny tram that holds 100 people, new bars, restaurants and lodges, but one thing remains the same, the terrain and the backcountry rock my world.
The Day One venue for the Freeskiing World Tour (FWT) was held in Casper bowl, which is now one of my favorite competition locations. Casper bowl offers a variety of lines, from steep and technical to wide-open bowls to cliff drops and terrain nuggets. I quickly chose a line to ski for the following day. The line wasn’t super technical, but had two drops that looked like they would be a lot of fun to hit. My goal was to stomp my airs while skiing a fast fluid line. So far this season, I’ve felt strong in the air and therefore was feeling especially confident and excited about my line.
Unfortunately, my day didn’t go as I had initially visualized. I landed my first air, linked some turns, and skied to my second air. Just before leaving the takeoff, I felt my ski catch an exposed rock and was knocked off balance midair. I landed and then immediately was on my back with my feet in the air sliding down the hill. Right then, I knew my run was over. Knowing that I would no longer advance to the second day, I skied, deflated, through the moguls and to the finish.
I finished watching the ladies throw down, but had to remove myself from the venue. I came to Jackson with the hopes and expectations of leaving as a prequalified FWT athlete. I didn’t want to let the disappointment and frustration slowly growing in my gut build and takeover. Thankfully my Jackson host, Crystal Wright and travel partner, Rebecca Selig were up for a quick backcountry lap. Crystal led us up a gusty Cody Peak to a steep and technical run on Twice is Nice and out through Pinedale.
Over the next couple days I was able to support the gals in their final run, take another lap in the J Hole backcountry, meet up with a several great friends who call Jackson, WY and Victor, ID home, and boot up 3000ft to the top of Taylor peak with a group of ladies who hail from the likes of Squaw, Jackson, and Colorado. I feel very lucky to have great friends all over the country, especially in some of the finest mountain towns. One of the ladies I traveled with shared this with me, “You don’t always get what you want, but hopefully you’ll walk away from an experience with all that you need.”
While booting up Taylor peak, I had a lot of time to think. I remember being so content during the climb. Here I was hiking with a good friend who I had met 6 years ago in Portillo, another lady who I’ve known for a year or so, but had the pleasure to get to know better this week, and a third lady who I was able to travel and bond with over the course of the week. One of the reasons I loved team sports growing up was because my teammates became some of my best friends. On the FWT, I’ve found this to be very similar. Sports and traveling create a special opportunity that allows people to bond and create relationships much more quickly than back in the “real world.” I can certainly say that I got what I needed this week: exercise in the outdoors, exploration of the Jackson and Idaho backcountry, and stronger friendships with some great people.
