Crust crusin' in the Tetons

(Here's a May Excursions column for the Jackson Hole News&Guide. Record snow falls this year meant we got to crust cruise into May, even after the Grand Teton National Park road opened.)

By Amy Schenck

What: Crust crusin’

Where: Grand Teton National Park

When: Springtime freeze thaw cycle

When: The earlier in the morning the better

Equipment: Skate skis and a sense of adventure

The trick to crust crusin’ is catchin’ it at the right time on the right day. Foil the timing and you’ll find yourself slogging through sun ripened snow. Find the sweet spot and you’ll glide effortlessly over countless hard packed miles.

So far I’m two for two. In other words, I’ve had nothing but good experiences crust crusin’.

Ever since I moved to Jackson I’ve had rumors of this springtime activity in Grand Teton National Park. Wait until temperatures warm up during the day, then freeze at night, friends told me. Grab your skate skis and head for the Taggart Lake parking lot. From there, the world is your oyster, or rather an endless blank canvass, perfectly groomed, for cruising just about wherever.

Until this year, I’d always encountered one small hang up: I didn’t know how to skate ski.

But after procuring used equipment, taking a lesson and skiing several laps in Teton Canyon, I’d managed to pick up my V2 alternate on both sides. (My V1 stride is still a work in progress).

Armed with my new found skills, I headed out to the park with two of my favorite companions in crime, err adventure.

Day 1 got off to a rough start. I wore too many layers on my legs, and in the process of trying to get off a pair of pants, I managed to get snow on the bottoms on not just one, but two socks.

Lucky for me, my companions in crime are extremely patient, forbearing individuals. I soon got into a groove, and my mood took a decided turn for the better.

We followed the bluff overlooking the Snake River, in area called Baseline Flat. We then cut “inland” and circled around Timbered Island.

A dusting of snow created a picturesque sheen on top the frozen crust, making it easy to sink in an edge to push off for a glide.

By the time we swooped in for a landing back at the parking lot I had become unabashedly addicted to this offbeat sport.

A week or so later I headed back out to go crust crusin’ with one of my afore mentioned companions in crime. We decided to mix it up, and straight lined it for Jenny Lake. This route involved hopping some half-buried fences, crossing plowed roads and navigating a tunnel-like clearing to accommodate a power line.

The conditions turned out to be even more “cruise-y” then before. It felt like turbo powered skate skiing, especially on Jenny Lake.

We skied across to the far end of Jenny Lake where we found cat-like tracks and bird feathers from an apparent scuffle.

Energy bars and a tight timeframe gave us extra juice on the way back. We arrived to our car in less than an hour. I was even more hooked then before.

With the right conditions, the possibilities for crust crusin’ are endless. Just ask Wilson resident Charlie Thomas.

Several years ago he set out with a friend to ski the entire length of the Grand Teton National Park. He just about made it. He started at the south entrance and got within a stone’s throw of the northern border – he got cut off by a river.

“It was just a matter of everything coming together and having these smooth conditions,” he said. “It was like ball bearings.”

Columnist Amy Schenck reaped a life lesson from this week’s excursion: when all else fails, just keep crusin’. Her columns can be found here every other week.