It doesn't get any better

No sooner did I get back from 70 degrees and green grass in So Cal........, to come back to Jackson and get the best riding conditions of the whole winter! Needless to say, this week was so freakin awesome!
The sled shot was today way up in the Gros Venture mountains taken by my bud Johnny. We have now officially crossed the 400" mark for total snowfall in our mountains here for the winter and this shot says it all! Not only did it dump, but it managed to get bluebird both days. Yes.......!

I had to throw this shot in from our last round of golf earlier in the week at SilverRock in La Quinta. Easily one of the best courses I have ever played, it was amazing. I am pretty sure it is the first course I have ever played that is also a course that is on the PGA tour. If I would have played from the PGA tee's my score would have been around 120!

Palm Springs Rules

My Grandparents en route to dinner and celebrating 70 years of marriage! Quite a feat.

Most of extended family was able to get to sunny, warm, and really nice Palm Springs for the big event.

My cousin Clai, Grandpa Jim, me, uncle Ted, and my Dad. Pretty sure my 92 year old grandfather has more hair on top of his head than the rest of us young bucks combined!

As much as I love winter, a little break in the white world is always so important to kind of recharge the winter batteries. Palm Springs did just that. The weather was perfect in the low 70's everyday. It is always so awesome to get on a plane and leave the black and white world of winter , void of smells and sounds, and then emerge into a world of t- shirts, shorts, flowers, fresh cut grass, et.

Winter always feels like it has a deadening effect on your senses.

Swimming in the middle of February outside does nothing but heighten your senses and make you think about summer!

Different Worlds

Trevor, lucky dog, has been in Palm Springs the last few days to help his wonderful grandparents, Grannie De and Grandpa Jim, celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary!!! Yep, I said 70! Amazing, huh?

I think we have been enjoying some drastically different scenery to say the least....

Golfing, green grass and palm trees, doesn't that look amazing right about now?

And snow, snow, snow here in the Hole.

Trev's mom, Linda, teeing it off.

While Stevie braves the snow to do a little adventuring.

Oh how I wish we had one of these in our backyard!

Instead, all we are growing right now are icicles.

Happy and warm...

Happy and cold.

Tidbits of a (wonderful) weekend

Snowmobiling...Trev's weekly getaway.

Look at these studs! Jim, Trev and Case at the hockey game.

Go Moose!

A weekend visit from the Lizard! Now that she lives in Salt Lake I think we are going to get to see a lot more of her...yippy!

And snow, it just keeps coming...yay!

Almost

Last night was our last broomball game of the season and no small feat for a little team from the rec league, it was the competitive league championship! Yep, we made it all the way to the final to face off with the reigning competitive league champs from the year before, "The 802"....

Of course a blizzard arrived in Jackson a couple hours before the game was going to start and coated the super slick ice with a couple inches. Here is our team clearing it up to make the rink playable . There was not a ton of ice to be had once the snow was cleared though and it turned into more of a track meet with some random slick spots that had everyone with there feet above their heads at one point or another!

We ended up losing 2-1, booooo. But it was a really good game and everyone played their hearts out with half of Jackson, a keg and a grill on the sidelines.

Here is our team right after our game in the only picture we have together from the whole season. Nice work guys and girls, now we actually have time to heal some bruises and pulled muscles....until next year!

Huckleberry Hot Springs

On Sunday we decided to go and explore a new place we had heard about, but never been, Huckleberry Hot Springs. With no new snow and a nice sunny day we decided to strap on the ski swap nordic skis and give it a go.

Yay for sun and new things!

Now let me preface this by saying we are by no means nordic skiers, we have no balance, no technique and definitely no grace, but as a mode of transport they are faster than snowshoes!
Trev breaking his own trail down to the water.

Off-roading on the skinnies! I was waiting for something to go awry here as this is the one "sport" Trevor has absolutely no coordination with, but no worries here...river crossing, check.

Now I would just like you to take a moment and admire this awesome set-up, turquoise, pink and white, I mean come on, how can I not feel like a gliding Barbie on these beauties!

I think we are better at using our skis as bridges than anything else.
Showing Trevor how it is done.

When we finally got to the hot springs we scoped the scene and found a little rock climbing would get us into prime soaking position under the waterfall just behind Trev.

Deer in the headlights settling in for a nice soak.

On our way out we did some more off-roading, but by now we were old pros at this walking on water stuff.

As you can see, we definitely use these things as transport, breaking through powder to go explore, but it is so fun doing something you are absolutely terrible at and we were both in stitches all day about each others lack of coordination. Another fun Sunday in the books!

Big Saturday

If it can't snow, then we might as well have some good ol high pressure systems to kick out the clouds and let the sun shine..
Saturday my bud Tim and I ventured up and over to Togwotee Pass and beyond.
Notice the high mark in the background...

The snow was pretty firm making it easier than normal to "top out" on high ridges. Here we are at over 11,000ft looking down into Jewels Bowl and the terrain we had just ridden up. The cornice and cliff to the right are all in the Wilderness area and no go for sleds!

Me digging the views looking toward the east and out near Dubois, WY.

Tim riding out of what could be the largest cornice in Wyoming? That big muthah will last into August.

Again, straddling the Wilderness boundary with the Yellowstone Plateau in the background.

It almost felt like we were on the moon.

Once we got back to the trailhead I had arranged to meet up with my bud Hager and his girlfriend Emily. We had a couple of well deserved beverages and then they grabbed my sled and rode into Brooks Lake Lodge for the night to stay with friends.

What good mission to the north of town isn't complete without a bitchin sunset on the way home?

It's quitting time somewhere...

The days are steadily getting long enough now to sneak in some after work turns when the sun is shinning. Friday, an old work bud Kristi and I joined up for some sweet turns up on Teton Pass catching the last bit of sun.

Kristi and I worked together for a few years before both of us went and got "real jobs." Clearly!

Kristi getting some with "First Turn" on the Idaho side of Highway 22 and Teton Pass looming 2,000 vertical feet below.

Kristi charging on some day old wind buff.

The sky is on fire

I feel pretty lucky to have this view a couple nights a week for work. I am coaching the J4/J5 race team kids again this year and loving every bit of it. They are 9-11 years old who come and train after school and absolutely crack me up, so fun.

The one thing I don't like is how cold this darn hill is all winter...as you can see by my pic, the sun is barely hitting at the bottom of the chairlift when we arrive and it only gets colder, but I can't complain about this view....

You get a little perspective of Jackson with the Elk Refuge, the flat valley on the right, and the Tetons glowing beautiful on the left. I never get sick of these sunsets!

The beauty of night skiing!

2010 Robinson Style

Sorry to bombard you with videos as of late, but I just finished with our year end wrap-up and thought it would might be fun for some of you to watch (maybe our parents?...haha, it is pretty long)...but you may just be featured if we saw you in the last year, I know you are tempted now!

Mainly, it was fun to do to reflect on all the awesomeness in our lives and to be thankful for each and every day. 2010, you sure were fun!

I mean, seriously?

Cold enough to make you wish.......