Griffin Post

Right place, right time 🤌.

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Worst run I’ve had in the Tetons is not a term I throw around lightly...

While the western Wyoming range is celebrated for its amazing skiing, did you know the Tetons also have some of the worst skiing in North America? The problem is, we haven’t done a good enough job documenting the skiing in the Tetons when it’s refrozen, slide-for-life boiler plate. Hat’s off to for documenting the lows, because the best day of the year has to have a counterpart, and it’s time we start celebrating those too.

Nevertheless, fun day in the mountains with this crowd. If you’re with people that can have a good time in the worst conditions, you’ve found the right partners. Check out the video via Cody’s channel.

Thanks to for the route finding and to bindings by for keeping me locked in…no binding I trust more. 🙌

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What if we all showed up to protect public lands, these places that we love, together? What a force we’d be to be reckoned with.

I set out 18 months ago to address this question, to examine the intersection between skiing, hunting and public lands. While we all might experience public lands through a different lens, I’d argue that the feeling that one has at the trailhead at the end of the day—regardless of whether you ski, snowboard, hunt, snowmobile, hike, climb, mountain bike or any other activity—is largely the same. There’s an indescribable part of that experience, a je ne sais quoi, that’s objectively worth protecting and the last several months have only solidified my resolve.

Making this film was a journey in itself, and it would have never seen the light of day if it weren’t for the enthusiasm of , , . An extra special thanks to and for signing on for the adventure that was, at times, a bit, er, loose; to , , , for bringing it to life and to , for the shared values and support.

Much more to come, but stoked to share it with the world December 9th at the Boulder Theatre. 🙌

Lapses in judgment: normalize talking about mental states.

This is what objectively bad decision making looks like. Cliff notes: we passed a party that had triggered a D2.5/3 avalanche on the way up, we walked by their slide, discussed and then decided to ski the exact same aspect and elevation one bowl over. We’re all very experienced.

The thing is, despite these external conditions, there’s one internal condition that can override every red flag: your mental state. In this case, it was a case of the f-its. For those not familiar with the term, the f-its are a momentary lapse of self-preservation due to internal circumstances that cloud judgment to a point that consequences are ignored (my words).

The good news: the diagnosis is easy, you usually say f-it right before you drop. That bad news: by that point it’s usually too late. The worst news for people that find solace in the mountains when things get rough: your favorite thing may not be the best prescription.

Details aren’t important. The bottom line was that my day started off bad and proceeded to get worse due to external factors. If I wasn’t in the red (pic 4) at the trailhead, I was by the time we dropped, and I most certainly said f-it. Nobody knew what I was dealing with (which is 100% on me) and even if I were prompted I’m not sure if I’d have been transparent because it’s just not something engrained into the routine.

We should normalize talking about our mental states the same way we talk about safety, avy conditions and route planning because every other tool in your proverbial avalanche toolkit is less effective if you’re not in the right headspace. It’s like riding with foggy goggles, you can do it but you’re a bit of a liability to yourself and others.

When you check your partner’s transceiver, you’re not only checking it for their safety but for yours as well. I’d argue the same goes for talking about mental states. Yes, check in with your friends because it’s the right thing to do but don’t forget you’re doing it for your own well-being too. If something’s off about someone’s beacon it should be addressed, same goes for the operator.

And I was fine, just rattled.