Splitboard.com Forums

Members:Wyomingsplit_ride (splitboard) and TeleTim(telemark)

The beginning of this trip looked grim. It was the first week in June and a storm system had moved into Northwestern Wyoming. On the day that TeleTim and I had decided to leave for the Skillet Glacier we awoke to four inches of fresh:


We decided to head over Togwotee Pass and into the Tetons to see if this trip would be a go or no go. I had been told that if it is snowing on the Skillet Glacier that it is really not the place to be due to hazards (45-50 degree couloir and 5000 vertical feet). As luck had it, the weather gods gave us a little bit of slack. We decided to paddle across Jackson Lake and at least camp on the glacier. Notice the top of Mount Moran in the clouds. This would be the case for the entire trip.


The paddle across the lake was beautiful. Glassy waters and stunning views. Maybe the trip was still a go:


We quickly unloaded the canoe and started bushwhacking toward Mount Moran and snowline to set up camp. Our line would be looker's left of the rock island and up the couloir known as the handle of the Skillet:


We got to a level spot on the glacier and decided that we had climbed enough for the day. Time to set up camp and assess the conditions and have a shot of Jack Daniels to settle the nerves:

Part 2: Skillet Glacier, Mount Moran, WY
The next morning we woke up at 2:45 am. There would be no fooling around with getting to the top of the mountain, should the weather decide to clear and warm up. By the time all was said and done, we were climbing by 3:45 am.

Here is the first light in the Skillet:

At dawn, the weather looked stellar and the snow nice and firm for climbing:

In the handle of the Skillet Glacier the weather went from clear to foggy very quick…bluebird to fogbird with limited visibility. The snow was quickly turning rock hard and icy:


I can barely see my partner ahead of me due to the fog and clouds rolling through:


Finally, at 8:00 we reached the summit. Notice the wonderful view of the Tetons from Mount Moran. The temperature was below freezing, snow rock hard, and visibility near nill:


I had read about several mountaineers sliding 2000 feet before stopping on this route and an unruly amount of fatalities. It was time to drop in on that note. TeleTim made the wise choice to down climb the top 200 feet (called the Notch) to the beginning of the Handle. I decided to drop the line from “the Notchâ€Â

This thing is double posting...arhhhhh.

Gotta love your access to the hill. Nice work. So where does a canoe fit into mountaineering ethics? How about llamas?

Dude, be careful on those 50 rock hard slopes.

and who says there isn't a huge advantages not to have to carry poles?

Beautiful mountains, sweeeeet line, and cool tr.

Gotta love your access to the hill. Nice work. So where does a canoe fit into mountaineering ethics? How about llamas?

Dude, be careful on those 50 rock hard slopes.

and who says there isn't a huge advantages not to have to carry poles?

Beautiful mountains, sweeeeet line, and cool tr.

thanks dude...canoes/llamas...they are all cheating! LOL...I didn't get kicked out of National Honor Society in high school for nothing.

Great stuff WSR!

You and trackhead have etched this line into my list of must dos.

BCrider-thank you...I have been trying to get you out to Wyoming to ride. That is the only reason I post trip reports to try to entice you bradda.

nice work WSR, looks like you had a busy spring/summer. It's on my list for sure, just need to get into the right shape for it. I have to admit I was lurking over at TGR to check these out. Gonna be a busy winter.

I'm enticed!

It's just a bit of a drive for the weekend.

Awesome line! That sort of thing at this time of year just makes me want to rally the funds and fly to South America for some spring snowboard mountaineering. Way to get up there despite the sketchy conditions.

This really makes me think that I might just try and bag some big lines in the Tetons around christmas or in Jan.

Awesome line! That sort of thing at this time of year just makes me want to rally the funds and fly to South America for some spring snowboard mountaineering. Way to get up there despite the sketchy conditions.

This really makes me think that I might just try and bag some big lines in the Tetons around christmas or in Jan.

Sick! Just SICK!!!!!!

Love the canoe!!!