2016 – Jackson Hole

Trip Notes: The HFSC returned to Jackson Hole for the second time on February 17 – 21, 2016.  Everyone but Lee, agreed that the accommodations at Wind River Condos were far superior to the Elk Country Inn, the rustic inn that Lee selected for the first trip. We had excellent ski in/ski out options, and the hot tub “was just a short walk away.”

 Don and Kevin once again had travel problems when AA cancelled their early morning flight out of Knoxville, but fortunately they were able to arrive later in the evening. Everyone else arrived without any delays. Rob Adams prepared a tasty Thai seafood dinner for the arrival night.

On Day 1, we woke up to rain at the base, but we had hopes there would be lots of fresh snow above the rain line.  As we rode the lift up the mountain, there was a lot of snow falling, but the winds were quite strong, creating a white out. The ski conditions were really bad; high winds; blowing snow; and fog. Visibility was zero in some parts of the mountain. Around 11:00 am the Ski Patrol closed the entire mountain due to high winds. After we made our way to the Mangy Moose for beer, we learned the wind had been measured at 90+mph! This was the first time in the 38 year history of the HFSC that an entire mountain had been closed. The mountain was opened again after noon, and Kevin was the only one who went back out.

Day 2 brought a clear day with good powder conditions. There were 8-10 inches of powder on top, and everyone had a good day. The Big Dogs vertical was only 24,000 ft for the day. Kevin got his money’s worth with 27,000  ft.

Day 3 had groomed trails with no new snow, and the lower portion of the mountain was very icy. This was group video day for the HFSC.

Bill Williams was a “first timer” with the HFSC, and he proved to be a much better skier than Lee. Bill was initiated into the HFSC by rolling in the snow, however, Bill has not yet earned his Merit Badge for eating Gorilla Boogers. Don and Kevin were “re-initiated” by rolling in the snow because they missed the 2015 Crested Butte trip due to flight cancellation.

After dinner on Day 1, we had another HFSC first: a mountain jam led by the Half Fast All Star Band featuring:

Jon “Jonny C” Rottier on guitar and vocals

Peter “Ozzie” Smith on guitar and percussion

Kevin “Fingers” Bogle on guitar

Rob “Maestro” Adams on guitar and percussion

The All Star Band also featured Canadian wailer and front man, Chris “Big Dog” Reid, fresh from recent engagements in Toronto. Chris had trouble with some of the songs because he could only sing in the key of “eh.”

Lee, Don, Mark and Frank were the back-up singers…singing with alcohol induced enthusiasm but no talent whatsoever. Bill sat in muted disbelief watching the entire scene. Thanks to Jonny C for bringing all the guitars and sound gear.

After dinner on Day 2, Peter Smith conducted a stimulating HFSC Marketing class that featured many of Peter’s Half Fast ideas about marketing strategy. As usual for the Marketing function, there were no “deliverables” to act on. Peter’s most discussed idea involved tattooing the HFSC logo on Lindsay Vaughn’s posterior. Peter will conduct a remedial class on tattooing in Steamboat, complete with visual aids featuring Ms. Vaughn.

The group had an excellent dinner on Saturday night at the Snake River Grill in Jackson. Lee was disappointed that Ed Szkaradnik was not there to order the most expensive wine on the wine list. As usual, the discussion regarding the 2017 ski destination was an interesting negotiation. It came to light that several side deals were cut the previous year in Crested Butte that needed to be honored. And, as usual, Chris stepped in and brought the discussion to a vote, with the winner being Steamboat Springs.

The HFSC 2016 trip is now officially in the books.

This year’s Half Fasters:

• Frank Rottier
• Jon Rottier
• Lee Williams
• Bill Williams
• Don Bogle
• Kevin Bogle
• Peter Smith
• Chris Reid
• Mark Hammer – the trip coordinator, and, once again, he did a great job.
• Rob Adams