Spring in Jackson Hole #6: Laurel Canyon

The day after we got back from the Skillet, we slept in late and took a rest day. We did a little hike to check out the approach to Stewart Draw, for knowledge later in the week:

We hung around the Lupine Meadows trailhead for a while, gaping up at the routes on Teewinot. We saw a coyote.

We decided that Laurel Canyon looked like a good goal for our second to last day of skiing. 

Walking around the southern end of String Lake.

  

 

 

Skinning up into mist.

Yeuhi's panorama below.

Rockchuck Peak, the south wall of Laurel Canyon.

We pushed as quick as we could to push up to the col before the sun would come out. Alex pushing up the final ramp to the col.

 

We topped out next to a cool pillar, and looked over into Paintbrush Canyon.

Pano from Yeuhi's photos:

We had a look around, and then didn't waste too much time before skiing, as we were afraid the sun would come out and heat up the already warm snowpack.

 

The skiing was up to about 40 degrees on the upper headwall, but very mellow everywhere else. The upper section of the canyon actually had the best corn of the trip.

Yeuhi skiing the middle section of the canyon, String and Jenny Lakes below.

Yeuhi's photo below. Me skiing through a narrows.

Here is a video of the day:

  De-booting at Laurel Lake, where the snow ended.

Short hike back to the car.

We skied from upper left headwall of the canyon in the center of Yeuhi's photo, below. We launched from the skyline to the right of the small rock fin, to the left of a small hump of snow.

On the Moose Wilson Road, we saw a Great Grey owl. This is the largest owl species. It was very chill and hung out just steps from the road, on a stick in a marshy area, despite many people hanging out and taking pictures. Yeuhi's photo below.