No U Turns: On the Road With the Steeles: Winter in Wyoming 2011

Arrived in Victor, Idaho, (a stone's throw over Teton Pass from Jackson, Wyoming) on January 13 after a thankfully uneventful three-day drive from Ohio. This winter we have been fortunate to have several nice housing options, the first being a sweet condo owned by friends Cheri and Tom Stevens. They graciously offered the use of their condo until they arrive from upstate New York, which was yesterday.

Last week, we transitioned to Jackson, where we are house sitting next door to Hannah for the month of February. We really enjoy being close by, and cooking dinners together almost every night. Hannah’s turned into quite the cook (but not due to my influence!). And, her emphasis on healthy eating and organic foods is making us more aware of what we’re putting in our mouths as well as our eating patterns. Hope we can carry it on when we leave here.

This winter has proven to be colder and snowier than last year, which I understand Ohio experienced as well. Our first day at Grand Targhee came with a foot of fluffy powder. Matt fixed Jim up with some more mellow skis, with the idea that this year he will behave himself and stay on the groomers and hopefully avoid blowing out his other knee!

Matt also fixed me up with another set of skis that are "less aggressive," which is a nice way of saying they are more geared for my level of skiing. They are lighter and more flexible, so turns and edging should be easier. However, I made the mistake of requesting they be tuned and waxed before I tried them out. Little did I know that this would cause them to be much faster. Combine that with the unusually icy conditions my first time on those skis, and it was a crazy run down. Not a pretty sight, but I did manage to get down in one piece.

The colder temps and deep snow offer some great cross country ski conditions as well. One outing was at Harriman State Park, which is known for the Trumpeter Swans that winter over there every year. This is due to the fact that the Clark Fork River, fed by hot springs, stays open all winter.

We have had a cow moose and her calf hanging out for several days in the housing complex where we're staying. They like nibbling on the young trees and bushes. Both are not very big so the mom must be young. We became quite attached to them. But then, yesterday, driving back from Targhee, we drove by a dead moose that had been hit by a vehicle about 5 miles from our place. It was a small one. Sure hope it wasn't one of our guys.

I am including several photos highlighting our time here. We plan on heading back to Ohio sometime during the first week of March.

The Grand, Middle, and South Teton on drive up to Grand Targhee Ski Resort