Bridger Bowl, Montana 2/26/12

This TR actually starts out on Feb. 25th. We were headed to Grand Targhee in Wyoming because the forecast was calling for 18in. of new snow and only 8-10 around Bozeman. As we left Bozeman after skiing Big Sky and Bridger Bowl it started to snow and the wind was picking up. What should have been a 4-5 hr drive ended at the 3 hr mark as the road was closed due to blowing snow.

We could have taken another lengthy detour but there was no telling if we could get there. The problem was the potato fields in Idaho that surround the approach to Targhee. After much debate and a large pizza in Ennis, MT. we decided to head back to Bozeman and get what we could get. We made an unexpected stop at the Norris hotsprings and soaked for a while. On our way into Bozeman we stopped by my new favorite ski shop. Its called PHD and is my kind of place. the first time we went in there was about 10 min. before they closed and the owner (Kevin) greeted me with a six pack of beer. Talk about service! Hartman was in to buy a pair of rockered powder skis and the guys at the shop really took care of him. The prices were great, so great in fact that when we went in the next morning to get Hartmans skis I bought a pair of Volkl Katanas to replace the Gotamas I had just bought for the trip.  I love the goats but wanted something longer and a little stiffer with metal in it. I figured since my youngest son would love the goats it made sense, right? Plus we have the same size boots so I can still ski the goats.

Kevin told us to be at the mt. by 8 and he would see us in the lodge. Sure enough there he was and told us to put our skis in the liftline as its an accepted practice there. His skis were in the first row, we made the 7th. We rode to the top and it was obvious that Bridger got way more than 10 in. Our first run was down Ptarmigan a steep fairly open run. The snow was over my knees and it was snowing so hard I almost got vertigo. The next run we went past Ptarmigan out the High Traverse to a chute we had skied 3 days earlier in about a foot of snow. To our surprise no one had gone out that far and we had first tracks. The chute is about 30 yds wide and 250 long and pretty steep. I'm not sure if it has a name but on the map it's all the way out to the end of the High Traverse. One of the best things about this chute is where it ends up. You come out into a somewhat open area that is hard to get to any other way so it to was untracked. That is where the photo of Aaron laid way over is taken.





All of these great runs were really just warmup for what we hoped was the opening of Slushmans lift which is Bridger's lift serviced back country. You have to have a avy beacon or you can't ride the lift. Everyone headed over to the lift as soon as the ropes were dropped. There were quite a few people as the deep powder days in Montana have been few and far between this year. Everybody was excited and it was to be a day of quality not quantity. One of our runs was a short but steep hike up along the top cornice to a great shot back down to the lift.


Hartman


Aaron

The next run we headed left off the lift and down into the trees as it was snowing hard and visibility was much better there. We found another chute and with a little effort got into it. The snow was plenty deep and as we stood at the bottom of it looking back on what we had just come down we noticed a small cave and decided it was a great place for lunch.


Lunch cave

After that we continued to find pockets of powder and skied until we couldn't feel our legs. After skiing it was back to Bozeman and on to Whitefish, Mt. and another epic powder day, but that's for another TR.

Bridger sounds like a very mellow place. It's definitely a place I've dreamed about.  What's with the potato fields? So flat that wind whips, drifts outa control...?

How old are the boys? Very cool that you could take that kind of a trip. With the luck you had, you'll never forget it.

Those are some really nice pics. Great TR, pics and story.  

Harvey, thanks. Both Hartman and Aaron are 21 and were a joy to travel with and skied anything I thru at them. Both of them are strong skiers and ready to go down just about anything. I'm sure I'll never forget this trip but to be honest I'm already kicking around a possible trip in my head.(thanks to PDQ!)

Hey Mark,

It was great to see your trip report, even though I heard the trip report yesterday in person during our road trip to Killington (TR in the works). Great photos. Your kids and Hartman are lucky to have you as a ski pal.  I'm glad your my ski pal too!!

Any trip with Rochester Mark is going to be a good time!