Windy conditions were found at the top of Mount Glory on January 15.

I woke up at 8:00 a.m. with a somewhat ambitious idea.

Before heading to work at 1:00 p.m. for the Teton Science School, where I work as a field educator, I wanted to challenge myself.

The plan was to park at the Old Pass Road parking lot and hitchhike up to the top of Teton Pass. From there, I would summit Mount Glory and ride down the Coal Creek drainage. After that, I would hitchhike back to the top of the pass and ride a line called Powder Reserves to reach the Edelweiss skin track. From Edelweiss, I would drop to another skin track that would take me up to the line Shivers, which would finally bring me back to my car at Old Pass Road.

I stuck my thumb out and waited for about eight minutes. A kind man named Curtis picked me up, and I enjoyed the company of his ten-month-old puppy, Aspen.

The start of the Glory bootpack. Photo: Russell

From the top of the pass, I began the well-known Glory bootpack. It took me 47 minutes to summit, a bit slower than usual for me. The wind was strong at the top, but the view of the valley was stunning. I traversed north along Glory’s ridge and dropped into a northwest-facing slope, hoping to find preserved snow.

Looking north towards the Grand Teton. Photo: Russell

The upper portion of the ride was enjoyable, but once I reached the lower gully, I encountered a tough crust.

Exiting the Coal Creek drainage, I walked to an opening on the pass and stuck my thumb out again. Hitchhiking culture in the Tetons is the best—within five minutes, I was picked up, along with another stranger.

By 11:00 a.m., I still believed I had enough time to complete my objective.

I dropped into Powder Reserves and headed straight for the Edelweiss skin track.

South east view from the top of Edelwisse. Photo: Russell

I quickly transitioned my splitboard into ride mode and made a swift descent, finding surprisingly decent snow.

I reached the top of Shivers in just over 20 minutes. By then, I was exhausted and very aware of the time. I dropped in, rode all the way back to my car, and made a quick stop at the Base Camp gas station for a coconut water and a chicken sandwich before heading to work.