French Spy Bowl

This trip report is from November 21, 2005 and my first trip to the French Spy Bowl on Togwotee Pass.

Sometimes the surrounding ranges are the better choice for early season coverage. The Absorkas, of Togwotee Pass, can often collect a fair amount of snow and also provide sick lines for those that just…can’t…wait, like myself. This was my second trip to this particular area, with the first being early season as well, so I decided to bring a rope.

Thought not too far from the highway, these mountains offer supreme terrain for the steep-skier and numerous couloir tempt the eye on the drive up from Jackson. You typically don’t climb what you ski in this particular area, unless you’re doing laps. But even then, I often opt to take that lower-angle skinning line than the quad-burner boot-pack option. Conditions where a bit thin this time around, and Reeders got to test his ‘space-walk’, sidestepping skills on the first run. Views of other rad lines open up as we descend into this secret amphitheater.

Thought not too far from the highway, these mountains offer supreme terrain for the steep-skier and numerous couloir tempt the eye on the drive up from Jackson. You typically don’t climb what you ski in this particular area, unless you’re doing laps. But even then, I often opt to take that lower-angle skinning line than the quad-burner boot-pack option. Conditions where a bit thin this time around, and Reeders got to test his ‘space-walk’, sidestepping skills on the first run. Views of other rad lines open up as we descend into this secret amphitheater.

On the next go around, we find a wind-thrashed shrub conveniently at the top of the slope-de-juor to throw the rope around. I’m sure this line fills in through-out the winter and you probably can ski it ‘clean’ from top to bottom, but it is fun to see the terrain before it gets all covered up and the trip offers a good warm up for steep lines to come.