Daily Trail Report for 2.19.26.
Storm skiing, when it is not a windy storm, can be so peaceful, with the forest seeming more quiet than usual. Did you know that both falling snow and freshly fallen snow dampen sound? Snowflakes floating down act as a scattering medium, breaking up sound waves. Freshly fallen snow, especially light density snow, is responsible for most of the muffling. Individual snowflakes accumulate and trap air. When sound waves hit this fluffy snowy surface, the sound energy is trapped inside the air pockets, and converted into heat through friction, reducing the sound wave intensity. So it really is more quiet in the forest with freshly fallen light density snow!
While the snow might dampen sound, it brightens smiles!
At a Glance
- Fresh tracks almost everywhere
- Tech tips Thursday: maximize your glide, no poles drill, pick up sticks
General Weather – still more snow
Setting up for two more beautiful snowy days and then some sunshine to accentuate the fresh white this weekend. See the full Mountain Weather forecast.
What’s Groomed Today?
Planned Thursday Grooming
Emily’s Pond and hopefully Stilson
Daily grooming
Groomers continue to balance when the snow falls, the base depth and planned schedules.
Always check the grooming page for the most current snapshot.
Tech Tips Thursday
Maximize your glide – scrape off frozen snow
A ski that glides is more fun and more efficient. Sometime freshly fallen snow, especially when the ambient temperatures at ground level are near freezing, can stick to your skis, greatly reducing your glide.
If you are out on a tour, or skiing a powdery track and thinking “wow, this seems harder than I remember,” check the base of your skis! Even little bits of frozen snow that have adhered can create noticeable drag but still allow your skis to move forward, tricking you into thinking it’s your legs, not your skis.
Many people carry a scraper in their pocket or pack to make scraping quick and easy. Without a scraper, you can safely de-ice your ski bases by taking one ski off at a time and scraping any adhered snow or ice with the flat top of your pole handle (do not use the pole tip as it can scratch the ski). If you have strong balance you can also slide the base of one ski over the top of your other ski, while keeping both skis attached to your feet. (Try using the ski surface behind your heel to scrape the tail, and the ski in front of your toe to scrape the forward half of your ski.)
Depending on both the snow conditions, and the condition of the glide wax on your skis, you may need to stop and scrape multiple times. The easy glide, after freeing your bases from any adhered ice or snow, is worth it.
Classic skiing drill to try – from the Peak Performance Team
No Poles Skiing! Ski for ½ an hour with no poles. There is nothing quite like it for training the fine motor balancing movements in your legs.
What do you get for your effort? Much more efficient skiing, due to better balance, longer glide and a reduction of extraneous functional tension in the lower leg and core.
Be a great trail user: pick up sticks
Whether it is from a happy dog who just had too many sticks to keep track of, or a windy burst that brought down tree bits, if there are sticks on the trail that could slow down the glide of a ski, pick it up and toss it well to the side. Little bits of trail cleaning are a great way to support the miles and miles of tracks here in the Tetons.
Upcoming opportunities for fun
Backcountry Film Fest
Support the Teton Backcountry Alliance and watch some great films this weekend.
Friday, February 20, at High Point Cider in Victor &Saturday, February 21 at the Old Wilson Schoolhouse.
Doors open at 6p, films start at 6:30p
Free to TBCA members; $20 for others.
Reservations and tickets found here
Tuesday Night Nordic
A biweekly community XC ski race series for skiers of any ability.
Mark your calendars for February 24th at Teton Reserves and March 10th at Grand Targhee. Races start at 5:45 pm.
Skate or classic, all ages welcome.
Organized by Grand Targhee Ski and Snowboard Foundation for the community at large!
February 28th Nordic Race
The Spudathlon combines two fan favorites for one great race – a biathlon of classic and freestyle followed by a baked potato bar!
Mark your calendars! Get out skiing!
Online registration is open via the GTSSF website.
West Yellowstone Rendezvous
Come be a part of the American Ski Marathon Series—North America’s longest-running and largest citizen’s racing and touring series, highlighting long distance ski events throughout the country. This race is in our backyard on some phenomenal trails with excellent grooming.
March 7, 2026.
