Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Howdy Stranger, Yonder is Jackson Hole



Sitting in the snow with Annie atop Teton Pass's Glory Peak was another one of those spiritual experiences. In reliable fashion, Annie enthusiastically led the schlepp straight up but it was my fat butt that required a breather at the top. It was a bright, sunny, blue-skied day. The first of it’s kind I’ve ever skied in this particular location. Three days earlier, on Friday, I was with Dave and Jessica Nieman and Scott Wheeler on the other side of the pass, sun shining then also at the beginning of a great weekend.

But Monday was just Annie and me on the mountain. Celebrating dead presidents on the top of the world. I think backcountry snowboarding with Annie is my new favorite activity. Of all peaks to bag with her, Teton Pass has to be the pinnacle, no pun intended (okay, maybe a little).

Other highlights of our long weekend:
  • Roadtripping with Jaime and Annie in the Jetta. We took the scenic route home through Grand Teton National Park and felt like we were the only ones there. Such is winter in GTNP, I guess. Even on a blue sky day with open roads. Lucky enough, we had Autobahn-friendly driving weather taking us past 100 MPH on Highway 287 through Shoshone Territory in WY. Jaime’s a fantastic road trip companion, and Annie chills in the back seat with her chin resting on the center console in between the two front seats for hours on end.
  • Getting the Niemans, Wheelers, Andersons and Forsyths together. Food with old friends.
  • Annie and Oakley, the labs, living together under one roof. Yes, we know we find the simplest things comical. On some subconscious level, this might have been the main reason we made this trip: “Annie Oakley."
See more the photos here.

3 comments:

Jamie Anderson said...

So glad you guys were able to come see us!

Sarah Stout said...

Good times... Sometimes I miss those mountains!

Melissa said...

It was so fun seeing you again and finally meeting Jaimie. Guess we all need to take a trip to Colorado now.