JH Underground – news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Today’s chilly morning, with a temperature of -8 degrees at Jackson Hole Airport, made for lots of annoying “I’m glad I’m on spring break” Facebook posts, but it was not a record, according to meteorologist Jim Woodmencey.

The record for March 25 in Jackson is -27 degrees, set in 1965, he said.

The meteorologist noted colder temperatures in Bondurant (-18) and at Yellowstone Lake (-19) this morning. The lows may have been even a few degrees colder before dawn, he said.

The recent blast of winter has ensured that there will be a nordic leg for the 38th annual Pole Pedal Paddle on Saturday. The Jackson Hole Ski Club will set a course at the base of the mountain by the Teewinot and/or Eagle’s Rest lifts.

Today is the deadline to register for the PPP without paying an additional $15 registration fee. Sign up to participate individually or with a team here.

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Posted under Ski Resorts, Sports, Weather

Tags: cycling, jhmr, Nordic, ppp, ski racing, skiing

Whether skiing, biking, paddling or skating for the Jackson Hole Moose hockey team, Spencer Morton can do it all.

Morton retained his title as the best all-around athlete in Jackson Hole yesterday by winning the racing class of the 37th annual Pole Pedal Paddle.

On a day that began with pouring rain and ended with brilliant sunshine at Astoria Hot Springs, Morton survived a grueling nordic leg and edged triathlete Adam Wirth of Boise, Idaho, and Dave Bergart of Victor. Morton’s total time for the 4,139-vertical-foot downhill, 10-k cross-country ski, 20-mile bike and 10-mile paddle was 2 hours, 22 minutes and 49 seconds.

Katie Engelman won the women’s racing class by one minute over Kathleen Crowley, finishing in 2:41:21. Peter Neal, 14, won the men’s recreational class. Complete results are posted here.

Afterward, competitors enjoyed music in the sun at Teton Village by Jackson bands Lazy Eyes and Elk Attack, followed by Mountain Fest headliner G. Love and Special Sauce. It was a perfect ending to one of the biggest PPPs in recent history.

For more on the event, see Monday’s Daily and Wednesday’s News&Guide.

Posted under Entertainment, Sports

Tags: bears, cycling, Nordic, ppp, river running, skiing

Despite the spring melt-off, the nordic leg of the Pole Pedal Paddle appears to be intact heading into Saturday’s race.

Carrie Boynton, Jackson Hole Ski Club director, says organizers are making every effort to retain the cross-country 10-k at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

“There are a few holes, but otherwise it looks good,” Boynton said of the course.

So, too, does the weather forecast for the week, calling for a mix of sun and clouds and temperatures in the high 40s and low 50s — a far cry from the frigid and downright blizzard conditions competitors have endured in recent years. Roads are dry, and the flow of the Snake River is up slightly.

Today is the deadline to sign up for the 37th annual PPP without paying a $15 late fee. The club has mulled relaxing the late fees, but it helps organizers to know in advance how many participants to expect, Boynton said. Fun class registration is likely to be up this year, with reduced entry fees and Snake River Brewing Co. offering a $250 party to the team judged to have the most spirit.

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Posted under Sports

Tags: cycling, Nordic, ppp, river running, skiing

Cheer up, it’s only -13 outside.

Wouldn’t want to be in Rafter J subdivision this morning, in a home heated by electricity, as the power is out and the cold is hampering repair work.

In these frigid, short days, a time of transition before ski season fully sets in, it helps to get out of the house or office and just walk. Even a 10-minute stroll in the sun can do wonders for one’s disposition.

That’s why I’m grateful to the anonymous donor who has made possible the plowing of the Russ Garaman Trail behind the west Jackson post office, along Flat Creek. This is a move whose time has come; grooming the pathway in years past for nordic skiing was a lofty goal, but Wyoming is not Norway, and hardly anyone ever skied to school or work using the trail.

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Posted under Politics, Sports, Town Government, Weather

Tags: blues, cycling, flat creek, hiking, Nordic, photography

Willie Neal, eight-time Nordic skiing state champion and hero of the local Obama campaign, is dead after being hit by a car Sunday in Maine. He was 19 years old.

If ever there was a life with more promise senselessly snuffed out, I am not aware of it.

Neal was roller skiing at the time of the accident. He was training to make the U.S. World Junior Biathlon Team.

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Posted under Deaths, Democratic Party, Politics, Sports

Tags: barack obama, Nordic, skiing, willie neal