I slept in this morning (until 7) and didn’t get out of the house until almost nine. I was skiing solo today and it seemed to have snowed lightly all night, so I cruised to Wimpys for some more powder turns. The weather satellite looked like there might be some clearing skies today, so I was hoping I might get luck with some bluebird.
The skies looked like they might be clearing as I parked the Nismo, but one can never tell. I put my head down and kicked up the trail to the steeper slopes. About 15 minutes from the car, I noticed something on the trail. It looked like a dead moose…what the????
As I got closer, I could see that it was defiantly a young moose and there were tracks all around. I took a closer look and the tracks appeared to be that of a wolf. By the looks of it, it looked like the attack happened early this morning and that I was the first on the scene. I’m not a biologist or detective (well, a minor in biology), but I do have some experience staring at the ground and analyzing tracks. I called park dispatch to let them know about the incident. I think they like to monitor this kind of thing.
I tried not to look directly at the dead animal, cuz I’m not good with gory stuff, and I started to wonder if the wolves were watching me. As I skied on, the tracks of the wolves continued to follow the trail. I decided it would be a good idea to turn my music down and keep my head up for the next mile or so.
The skin track was completely filled in from the meadow up, but I was feeling good and didn’t mind the workout. It amazes me that there is nobody up here though, as the skiing has really been out of this world!!!! I kept the angle down a bit, hoping that someone would come and pack it down some more before my second lap.
I saw some folks heading my way when I was about a third of the way to the top, but they didn’t catch up until ‘summit’ of Wimpy. It turned out to be some friends from work, whose tracks were completely filled in from the day before. We skied the middle-right ridge to the gully together, and then I went back up for another lap. I skied the right-ridge the second time down. Mister Suunto says 6400′ today. The skiing continues to blow me away right now, as it has been snowing in the mountains for the past few days…with very little wind. The lack of wind makes the skiing outstanding!
One interesting thing worth noting…my co-workers who were up here the day before, said they saw the young moose on their way out to the car after skiing. Awww…RIP little moose!!!
its definitely a different touch when one is able to go in the hills and still enjoy looking for signs of wild life.
going in the crowed mont blanc region, although aweinspiring scenary 360 deg aroung i couldnt stop thinking where the wild life would be with so many helicopters and planes swirling around.
so, back to the small hills around home (carpathians), almost each winter outing we spot bear tracks, deer, wolf, lynx, bunnys and omnipresent squirrels.
thats nature.fortunate to witness it like this.
Alex,
Here in the Tetons we are lucky enough to have so much non-motorized, protected space with Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in our backyard.
Still waiting for my first lynx/mountain lion sighting.
RS
you should call your web site. “all i ski is wimpy’s.com”
RS,
What’s wrong with Wimpy’s on a powder day?
Where did you ski last week? I skied Wimpy’s, Olive Oil, made an attempt on Prospectors, did intervals on Snow King, and did a few laps on Glory Bowl. Would you like to compare ski resumes for the season?
Your right…maybe I should ski the Grand when the avy danger is considerable!! Be cool RS! 😉
Ouch! Touched a nerve there, RS. What IS your deal? Certainly I’m biased as I ski with Steve when his other partners are burned off and recovering. But really. I don’t know anyone who gets out in as much big terrain as often as Steve does. Wimpy’s? A great resource of big vert, mostly green-light skiing on days when the higher peaks don’t feel right. Few would argure that the big lines just don’t come into shape as often as our ambition would like. So we wait, stay fit, continue to ski because we love to and go when the conditions permit.
Unlike the rest of us, Steve has chosen to document at least part of the ski alpinism scene here in Jackson, an endeavor that most of the readers of this web site seem to enjoy. I, for one, applaud his efforts, enjoy the stories and get psyched looking at the photos. Of course, exposing onself in the public forum has its risks and weathering the slings and arrows of unfounded condemnation requires thick skin.
If RS thinks reporting on an exceptional couple of powder days on Wimpy’s is lame, then he should do something he feels is more significant or interesting, write it up and put it out there for peer review. Otherwise, like mom says, if you don’t have anything nice to say…
[…] On Friday, Rando Steve came upon the carcass of a young moose apparently killed by wolves in the vicinity of Death Canyon. Photos of the scene and tracks are posted at Teton AT. […]
[…] On Friday, Rando Steve came upon the carcass of a young moose apparently killed by wolves in the vicinity of Death Canyon. Photos of the scene and tracks are posted at Teton AT. […]
hey, steve–
met you in the shop the other day. saw the fresh-kill on friday as well. pretty brutal — they ate nearly everything but the ears, hooves & stomach (which was intact).
i’d never come across a kill so recent as that.
love the site. thanks for sharing all your work — it’s VERY much appreciated.
Thanks for visiting Eric!!!
Loved the photos of the moose. Closeset I have come to something like that (and it wasn’t very close) was coming across a copletely gutted porcupine while skiing pow on Soda Mountain east of Steamboat last year. We hung the quill-skin on a branch and hoped others would have the “what the …” look on their face when coming upon it. I love your site and the pics, even though I am a dirty pinhead (modified t3s, g3 ascents and Ski trab freerides). Kinda dirty hippy lite.
Those quills must be good for something….aye?!
No worries TS…I used to be a ‘wannna-be’ hippy. 😕