Todd Kehoe was fueled up and ready to get some last laps in.
He goes by “shred_lord” on Instagram. And even though there wasn’t as much powder to shred this season, he still brought the stoke for closing weekend.
“Just gonna ski some jumps and bumps,” he told KHOL. “Have some fun. Sunshine. And hopefully the dreaded R-word doesn’t show up: Rain. Boo.”
More than 100 die-hard skiers like Kehoe made the most of an unseasonably warm winter. From ages 10 to 82 these slope fiends managed to hit at least 100 days this season at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
Their loyalty was rewarded with a hearty breakfast and a few fresh flakes on closing weekend. The celebration came as resorts across Wyoming and the West closed early due to lack of snow, yet Teton County’s three ski areas managed to stick to their planned closing days.
Kehoe’s fears came true, though, as an afternoon storm Saturday closed the mountain for a few hours. It was a fitting cap for a staff that is ready to move on, as new CEO Doug Pierini explained.
“Everyone’s kind of tired this year,” he said. “It was a lot of hard work to get us here. I’m looking forward to the team having a little downtime to recharge before we get going for summer.”
The winter’s record-breaking warmth brought 100 inches less than the average season, making Pierini’s staff worry they wouldn’t be able to last until closing day. It was hardly the mountain he remembered skiing in the 90’s.
“I’m not going to say it was a record year or anything because it wasn’t, but we definitely did better than most other western resorts,” he said.
Craig Carpenter is a regular of the 100-day breakfast. And he hopes to keep making it out to the resort’s annual tradition until he’s 100 years old himself.
“Not quite as fast as I used to be, but this is my 59th season here … still going strong,” he said.
The 72-year-old isn’t quite the oldest member of the dedicated club. But he’s far from the youngest either.
A lucky 10-year-old took that slot this year. As a second-grade teacher strapped on her skis, she wondered if it was one of her students who left class early to hit the slopes throughout the winter.
Chaz Symons, Virginia Powell Symons, and Arlo Symons, 10, did not make the 100-day-club this year but were stoked to add some color to closing weekend.
For those locals lucky enough to keep their way of life alive, there was nothing but gratitude despite the funky, warm season. Groomers sure beat staying home on the couch, said 100-day club regular Dan Anderson. But now it’s fishing season.
Kehoe summed up the season like this: “It started with a strip. There was some powder in the middle. Then some dreaded R-word: Rain. More pow. Then warm temps. And now back to a strip. So strip to strip, with a little in between.”
Chaz Symons, Virginia Powell Symons, and Arlo Symons, 10, did not make the 100-day-club this year but were stoked to add some color to closing weekend.
“Free parking, $60 tickets, what else are you going to do?” Powell Symons asked. “Hope for better snow next year,” her husband added. They planned to start tailgating early.
