Bell Lake Yurt Trip +

February 15th -- 25th Shane & I traveled north for some skiing and so it was...

We leave Colorado Springs traveling in a vehicle appropriate to our destinations.

We travel west between Cheyenne & Green River enjoying a typical, beautiful winter day along I-80

 Rawlins best road food--trucker's brunch

We reach Afton WY,   Shane & Stormy's ancestral homestead

and the perfect spot for a long winter's nap.

'nuf said

Shane, on the trial to his beloved Tetons from Taggart parking lot on the east side.

The Grand

The view east from 25 Short skin track

We travel north & west to Driggs ID.  This about says it for Driggs,

except that we are able to obtain luxury accommodations.

After a day in the back country we are hardly prepared to deal with the crowds at the base of Grand Targhee's main lift.

However, at the top we regain our solitude, even from each other, since visibility is, at times about 20' unless you try to see the slope in front of your skis where it's about 2'

Next stop is Big Sky at the base of Lone Peak,

and, a reunion with granddog Teo, currently in search of that illusive snowball.

We prepare for the first 3 miles of the trek up to  Bell Lake yurt wherein Chris transports our packs up the road in a sled behind a snow machine.

And, Twila, Shane and I continue on our merry way (looks like it's snowing up there).

The route to the yurt heads up a side canyon, the packs come out of the sled & onto our backs for 3 more miles.

Home sweet home. It is snowing, up here.

Best place to sit if your pants are down.

Fish eye view of a round yurt.  With only 4 of us it actually seems roomy (450 sf?).

Working in the firewood mine.

The first order of business, after breakfast, is skinning up,

digging a test pit at the top of the first run (note that I am neither breaking trail nor digging the pit),

off with the skins,

& down goes tele-Twila.

Then repeat.

Reaching the ridge above Peanut Butter Bowl.

A satisfactory first day--we've had it all to ourselves.

The next day we have the opportunity to track up this area--White Room.

The last morning we make our way up through the trees for a last powder drop (notice, I'm not breaking trail)

A stop for a PBR in Pony.

On to Norris, Water of the Gods, hot (warm) springs, for a soak before the drive back to Big Sky.

Another ski resort day, this time at Moonlight Basin.

And our way back home we stop south of Jackson Hole to observe the North American finals of the graceful sport of skijoring.

Awesome roof cornice at the homestead.

We arrive back in C.S. happy & tired after 7 days of skiing & 2000 miles on the road.