Exum guides Morgan McGlashon and Gavin Hess dig a snow pit in Grand Teton National Park, WY. Photo: Leslie Hittmeier

Straight Line

Opening Doors Through Mentorship

“Find a mentor.”

You hear it all the time. Seek out someone more experienced. Learn from them. The rest will fall into place. I thought about those very words while our group of five huddled in a snow pit in Grand Teton National Park, WY, the bitter cold stinging our noses.

IFMGA and Lead Exum Guide Brenton Reagan pointed out layers in the snowpack as we isolated a few columns, stomping our feet on the ground to stay warm. We worked quickly to evaluate the slope below us for the presence of the persistent weak layer we’d been tracking, eager to click into skis so we could enjoy the fruits of our labor—an ocean of untouched right-side-up powder that stretched thousands of feet below. When we had gotten to our high point on the ridge, the last thing anyone wanted to do was dig a hole in the snow. But “the more efficient you get at digging quick snow pits, the more you’re likely to actually do it,” Reagan reminded us. He set a timer for 20 minutes and told us to gather as much information as we could.


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