Cross-Country Skiing at Lake Maratanza

A few days after Winter Storm Stella finally left us, I was able to leave my house and venture back to work. Although I left work early to actually go play in the new snow. I decided to get my money's worth of my cross-country ski rentals. I drove on over to Sam's Point and decided to xc-ski around Lake Maratanza. It was amazing. Want to know why? NO ONE WAS THERE! I got to make the first tracks on the tracks! Soooooo awesome! The day was gorgeous with bluebird skies and the ski was a little challenging (as with any breaking of trails).

Breaking Trails! #FirstDibs

No One Was There!

Half & Half of the Burn & No Burn

After getting around most of Lake Maratanza, when you are at the most northeastern part, the wind began to pick up and the ski got really challenging. Since the wind was much stronger, the snow would drift and pile up in random large berms. So I had to side-step and fishbone to get down and up about a dozen berms on the loop. And the wind was so intense, I thought it was going to fling me up into the sky or at least knock me over. 

Lake Maratanza Covered in Snow & Ice

Lake Maraanza

When I got past the windy and snowy part, I passed the fire scar - again so cool.

The ski was awesome and I also found some cool nature finds too!

I am glad I left work early to get this ski in!

TheChristyBel

More Charcoal Pitch Pine Cones

Opened From the Fire

Who Was Here?

Cross Country Skiing the Teton View Trail

After a late start that morning, Friday afternoon we decided to cross-country ski on campus.  Although the weather conditions were incredibly beautiful, sunny, and warm on the skin, this progressed to very challenging and icy conditions on the trails.  Our original goal was to try to cross-country ski to Coyote Rock.  But let me just say that just trying to get onto the start of the trail was incredibly challenging in itself.  So the plans changed and we just decided to cross-country ski wherever on campus trails.

Who Wouldn't Be Willing to Cross Country Ski Whatever It Takes to See This View?
If You Would Not...You Are Crazy!

The weather brought such beautiful views!  We were able to clearly see the Teton Mountain Range and crystal clear views to the Gros Ventre Mountains and the prominent outline of Jackson Peak.

Clear View of Jackson Peak

Then as we skied along the Teton View Trail, we came upon another naturalist discovery!! I was super excited, totally having a nerd moment on the icy trail.  Finding an animal track as big, if not bigger than my fist, visible claw marks, and an oval shape.  Clearly, this was a track of a dog!

Look What We Found?

Having other grads announce that they have seen wolves on campus and near campus gave me an educated guess to a hypothesis that maybe this was a wolf.  The tracks were within the size and shape characteristics.  And once again, e-mailing my Ecology professor, he also claimed the tracks to be wolf!

From the words of my Ecology professor and naturalist, Kevin Taylor, he explained in his e-mail to me, "It sure does look like wolf tracks.  Photo #1 looks like the wolf is walking with the feet offset, as though the wolf was looking left.  See how much bigger one track compared to the one right next to it.  The bigger track is the right front foot, and the track right beside it is the right hind foot.  That means the wolf was looking left and had to step his foot over to the left to compensate for the weight shift of his head and neck.  If he was walking with his head straight ahead, his front and back feet would have been closer to a direct register (one on top of the other)."

It is really remarkable how he can depict all of that information based on the photo I supplied him.  I found these tracks on a slope where there was an opening/clearing to the lower valley on the left hand side.  So hearing my professor state that the wolf was looking left was really interesting to read!

Literally The Size of My Hand
Must Be a VERY BIG DOG?!?

Hopefully more tracks to come on the last weeks of this winter season!

So excited for all these big mammal predator signs!
This is why I love being here - animals, landscape, wilderness!
TheChristyBel

Bringing the J-Factor

I am so sorry everyone! I know I have not been very productive on the blog in awhile.  I have been extremely busy with class and teaching....who knew graduate school would be so busy?!?

But I just wanted to stop by and say, I AM ALIVE and well...SURVIVING.

I will post some new entires soon regarding some of the things I have been up to.  But until then...it's time to incorporate some throwbacks with the present!

TheChristyBel in her Alter Ego 2011 Super Suit!

Yes, I was teaching in the field on cross country skis with the Alter Ego 2011 Super Suit on!

Lux Aeterna in Wyoming!

More updates to come, everyone! Hang in there!

Xoxo,

TheChristyBel

XC Skiing To Granite Hot Springs

Friday, I went to a dance performance hosted by Dancer's Workshop (where I dance).  The performance were by the Gallim Dance Company.  It was a really awesome and interesting performance.  Included dancing with cardboard boxes and some really awesome, intricate combinations of modern and contemporary dance.  It was such a treat to see them perform that night.

Gallim Dance Performance Ticket & Program!

Saturday morning, I woke up really early (about 6am) to get myself up and ready for a full day of cross-country skiing with people Teton Science Schools community.  It was a blistering cold, windy, and snowy day in store for us.  Our goal was to ski 9-miles to the Granite Hot Springs south of Jackson.  I had not been back to the hot springs since Luke and I had gone back in September so I had no idea what to expect for this travel in.

It Was So Snowy, You Could Not Even See the Gros Ventre Mountains!

The decision to ski in was not optional.  They close the road up to the hot springs when the snow comes in and the only way to get to the hot springs is by either cross country skis, snowmobiles, or dog sled.  How cool is that?!

The Crew Trekking Through to the Hot Springs!

Leslie, one of our Grad Faculty & I

A Little on the Snowy & Chilly Side...

 Out ski began pretty late that we had expected: we were aiming to get onto the trail by 9:00 am MST, but there were two slides (small avalanches) along the road to the trailhead and we had to wait to for the plow to go through and plow the snow off the road and the road that leads to the Granite Hot Springs Trailhead.  So by the time the roads had been plowed, we were hitting the trail by I think 10-10:15 am MST.

A Snowy Cross-Country Ski!

The ski in was really fun and tiring.  The one thing that I found hard was as the fast snowmobiles were soaring past us cross-country skiers, was trying to breathe with all the smog and exhaust from the snow mobiles.  

When we finally got to the hot springs, it was a little past 1:00pm MST.  It took up about 3-3.5 hours to ski in.  It was totally worth the ski!  Doug Wachob, one of our TSS Grad Faculty who organized this awesome trip supplied us with some delicious hot stew and treats for lunch.  After rejuvenating ourselves with energy, we grabbed our bathing suits and went in the hot water!

The Natural Hot Springs Were Converted into a Pool
The Hot Springs Water Just Replenishes the Pool

It was such a cool experience to be in our bikinis and bathing suits while it was below 30 degrees and snowing!  Sure I have gone in hot tubs while it has been cold out back east, but to do this very same exact idea in a natural hot spring was pretty cool!

Can You See the Steam Rising From the Hot Springs?

Such a Snowy Hike Up!

So Much Snow Accumulation on the Creek Rocks!

Getting Ready to Cross-Country Ski Back!

On our way back, the snow was getting heavier and it was getting darker.  Luckily a few of the staff's friends had snowmobiled in and we worked some magic and get them to snowmobile us back to the trail head!  I had never been on a snowmobile before, so that experience was pretty over the top awesome as well!

The whole trip was pretty awesome in general: cross-country skiing more than I ever have, swimming in hot springs while it's snowing!, and then riding a snowmobile!  What more fun could a girl ask for on a snowy day!

The Cross-Country Skiing Snow Bunny!

I want to definitely do that again!
TheChristyBel

First Time: Cross Country Skiing

On Saturday afternoon, a few of the TSS Grads and I decided to go on a cross-country ski!  Mary Beth and her husband, Eddie, and I had never cross-country skied before, so I asked Hazel and Joe if they would not mind showing us the ropes!  I mean, I am going to have to start teaching my students to cross country ski, so I might as well get a head start on it!

So after lunch, we all went to the resource room, tried some boots on, grabbed the skis, and headed into the snow!  We learned that step-glide technique!  It was like you were skating on the snow!  It was so cool.  Not going to lie, I was hooked as I connected my first ski to my boot...and then maybe after my first fall! haha!

My Cross-Country Skiiing Bunnies!

We decided to travel along the Teton Crest Trail and around the Kelly Campus.  The trails around here are pretty easy to intermediate and it was great to get back on them since I was not hiking at all during the fall on campus.  Plus, testing out the skis on our turf was pretty comfortable as well.

Snowing in the Tetons!

The weather was pretty perfect, although the temperatures are still in the single digits to below freezing, there was little to no wind when we were trekking along.

Group Selfie!

I am so glad I got to travel with some other beginners!  Not that I care if I fall in public, but it was nice to learn with some friends!  Hazel and Joe were excellent teachers!  We all laughed, smiled, and cheered when we fell and got back up.  Great positive attitudes!

Falling Action!

 

Video Credit to Eddie Cox

 

Video Credit to Eddie Cox

Posing for some group shots on our great afternoon adventure!

This sort of resembles the Captain Morgan ad....weird.

XC Skiing!

Great TSS Grad Family Outing!

She's Doing It!

It's really surprising me that I am enjoying most of the winter sports and activities out here.  I guess not being able to do them, really inspires me to try them and want to keep up with them.   I really did enjoy my first time cross-country skiing and am really tempted to eventually get my own set of xc skis as well!

Eventually!  Luckily I get to borrow TSS' for the whole year!

Shredding the Gnar!
TheChristyBel