Winter begins in Jackson Hole!

Owen Leeper +Jackson Hole Mountain Resort PC: Eric Seymour

After a huge week of snow in early October, it dried up in Jackson. The resort was forced to delay opening for a week and finally opened with a few grassy runs last thursday. Then the weather changed and the big dump we needed dropped 59 inches over the course of 9 days!

Teton Pass PC: Janelle Smiley

Owen on Teton Pass PC: Sasha Motivala

I went skinning up the pass for my sister Janelle Smiley's birthday 

and her husband Mark. We did 3 laps the snow was so good.

Owen Leeper in deep. PC: Janelle Smiley

Both the resort and Teton pass got tons of light powder and 
made for an amazing couple of days at the resort and 
the backcountry. Can't wait for the next one!

A photo posted by Owen Leeper (@o_leeps) on Dec 5, 2016 at 4:08pm PST

If you haven't seen my edit from last season +Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Check it out below!

Bikini Skiing in July in the Tetons

July 14th Skiing in the Tetons

Meredith and I headed into the tetons after some fresh snow up high on July 14th. We found 2,500 vert of fun skiing on the Middle Teton Glacier. Always worth it, always go! #notoverit



Follow us on instagram at @o_leeps and @merejune

Spring Skiing in the Tetons - Grand Teton, Mt. Owen, Middle South and more

95,000 vert of skiing in the Tetons!

Check out my video from skiing this spring after Jackson Hole closed the lifts. I skied the Grand Teton, Middle, South, Buck, Teewinot, Mt. Owen and more!

Beartooth Pass Memorial Day Skiing

Beartooth Pass Opens for Skiing!

Last weekend Meredith and I headed up to Beartooth Pass to get some late may skiing, the 11,000 foot pass between Wyoming and Montana opens every year the friday before Memorial day. The pass offers couloir and big bowl skiing right from the summit.

Beartooth Pass Skiing

We drove up thursday night and friday morning for the opening i went up and skied some road accessed couloirs. I dropped into one and booted up the second to ski back down. It was a great change of pace from the long approaches in the Tetons.

Owen Leeper - Beartooth Pass

@o_leeps dropping in

The second day Meredith and I hiked up to the Chamonix Couloir, a 5,000 vertical gain couloir. We made it to the base after a couple miles on the trail. There was not much snow at the bottom but we could see the couloir wind up between the towering granite walls. We made our way up to the snowline.

Chamonix Couloir

Meredith Booting up the never ending couloir

+Owen Leeper just before the summit

@o_leeps an d @merejune

We finally got to the top after 4 hours and got to ski down. Powder up top, chunky in the middle and wetslide debris at the bottom. It's still skiing though and a great adventure.

A photo posted by Owen Leeper (@o_leeps) on May 28, 2016 at 4:51pm PDT

Old wetslide debris

Long way back to the trail, but still skied 3,500 vert in one of the longest couloirs we've ever booted up. Follow me on instagram @o_leeps for more skiing photos this summer as I chase snow.

Skiing the Grand Teton, Middle and South Teton

The Grand, Middle South Trifecta Attempt

On May 2nd we attempted to ski the Grand Teton, Middle and South all in one day. The weather in Grand Teton National Park looked good, snow was decent and we went for it. We started early, at 2 am we skinned up to the base of the Grand. We summited the Grand in just about 6 hours. We took a few photos and then started our descent. Here's the view from the summit.

A photo posted by Owen Leeper (@o_leeps) on May 2, 2016 at 4:23pm PDT

After successfully skiing the Grand, we made our way down to the meadows and headed up South Garnet canyon towards the Middle Teton. The sun had been out all morning and was really starting to heat up. We monitored the conditions as we made it about halfway up the Middle teton, we realized it was too warm and we had to bail. Sort of disappointed, we had to remind ourselves that we just skied the Grand Teton and climbed over 9,100 vert.

It was a 20,000 foot week for me, I skied 5 days in a row, 4 of them skinning, one on a snowmobile. I calculated the vert I climbed and skied in the four days at just under 20,000! I skied Shadow Peak, diagonal couloir on Togwotee Pass, Rockchuck peak and this attempt on the grand. It was a great week, here is a little video from it.

A video posted by Owen Leeper (@o_leeps) on May 7, 2016 at 1:07pm PDT

I wanted to go back and get the Middle and South Teton. On May 12th, Meredith and I headed back up. With a solid freeze and a cold day expected, we were able to sleep in til 6:30!

Owen Leeper booting up Middle Teton

Owen Leeper and Meredith Edwards on Middle Teton

We made it to the top of the Middle Teton in just over 4 hours. Here is our summit photo. The snow on the way down was everything from bulletproof at the summit to powder in the Southwest Couloir.

Owen Leeper skiing Middle Teton

A photo posted by Meredith June Edwards (@merejune) on May 12, 2016 at 4:32pm PDT

Merejune heading up South Teton

Top of the South Teton

We we lucky enough to ski powder off both peaks, here I am getting some fun turns in off the South Teton.








Here's a 25 second short video from that day, the Middle and South Teton. We made it round trip in just over 8 hours, including 3.5 miles of dirt on the approach and descent. Don't forget to follow me on instagram @o_leeps for more great skiing content this season.

A video posted by Owen Leeper (@o_leeps) on May 16, 2016 at 4:12pm PDT

Skiing Mt. Owen NE Snowfields

Ticked off a big one in Grand Teton National Park.

Mt. Owen - PC: Tim Swartz

One of the gnarliest lines in the Tetons is the northeast snowfields of Mt. Owen. On April 21st, 2015 we set out to ski it. Together (Owen Leeper), Meredith Edwards, my sister Janelle and her husband Mark Smiley left the parking lot at 3am.

PC: Owen Leeper

Making it to the base of Mt. Owen just as the sun is rising.

Mt. Owen East Ridge PC: Owen Leeper

Meredith and Janelle just above the Koven Couloir headed up the east ridge.




















Skinning up the east ridge.















Janelle headed up the first scrambling pitch below the summit.

6 hours from the car we made it to the summit. Posing for a different camera on the summit of Mt. Owen 12,928 feet.

We started  the downclimb back to our skis to start the decent.

Meredith Edwards heads down from the summit. PC: Owen Leeper

We grabbed our skis and headed down the south facing slope and wrapped around to our objective on the Northeast face.

@merejune dropping into the south side of Mt. Owen

@o_leeps dropping into the NE Face Mt. Owen PC: Mark Smiley

My view heading down to the unknown rappel station.

Luckily Mark located the anchor and set up the rappel.

Rapelling of the cliff in the middle of Mt. Owen

Owen Leeper mid rappel on Mt. Owen. PC: Mark Smiley

After a few wet slides running through the exit, we made our move and all successfully skied down and out of the Northeast snowfields of Mt. Owen. One of the bigger lines i've wanted to ski since i moved here. It was a great feeling to be out of harms way, but we still had 5 miles of flat skinning back to where we parked our bikes.

By the time we made it near our bikes, we were over it, so skins on we crossed the river.

PC: Mark Smiley

Colorado Couloir Skiing

Aspen...California, "Where the beer flows like wine"

Last week i headed down to Colorado to meet up with fellow Spyder athlete Chris Davenport. We headed out to his yurt near Marble. Here is the sunset from his deck. Not bad.

 The next day we booted up the couloir right across from the yurt. With 6" of new snow it was great skiing. Here's Chris and Ian Fohrman booting up behind me.

Chris Davenport and Ian Fohrman

 Here's my view right before dropping in.

Owen Leeper skiing near Marble, Colorado

After heading back to Aspen, i found this "line" on google earth, i wasnt' sure if it went but i thought we go and give it a try. The next day Scott Waylett, Ian Fohrman and I went to check it out. We skinned to the base near Hayden Peak.

GORE Couloir, Aspen Colorado

 We booted up through hanging ice and mini chutes.

Scotty Waylett - PC: Owen Leeper GORE Couloir

Topping out at 13,000 feet, we transitioned to ski and headed back down.

Scott Waylett and Owen Leeper below Hayden Peak

The Couloir got so tight in one section we had to take our skis off and downclimb because the snow conditions didn't warrant the 200 foot straightline.

Owen Leeper getting squeezed in a tight couloir in Colorado.

 After the downclimb we were able to jump turn through the rest of the couloir and ski out the bottom to perfect corn skiing. It was a great day with terrible conditions in the couloir but always fun to explore new zones the backcountry.

Follow me on instagram for more great photos and ski missions this spring at @o_leeps

Owen leeper midway through the GORE Couloir. PC: Scott Waylett

Sending it big at Jackson Hole

Huge week at Jackson Hole!

Last week at Jackson hole was one for the books. In a week i skied more lines that have been on my list than i did all season to date. It started off with a small storm, that wouldn't quit. By the end of the storm we received over 41" of new snow. My first hit on the list was SnS wall ride, as seen in my last post. The next couple of days would be the best two days of skiing of the year.

I warmed up with a 50 foot front flip to check the snow conditions off the bench air in Rock Springs. Things checked out and we continued back up the tram for more.

Owen Leeper. PC: Tim Swartz

 On our way to hit the Smart Bastard Air, Tim spotted the Lost Liftie cliff, a extremely exposed line just over the rock springs drainage. The sun popped out and i hiked up for my first time air off the 50 footer! The photo sums up how jaw dropping this air is.

Owen Leeper. PC: Tim Swartz

After a successful front flip and lost liftie air, Sasha Motivala had his eyes set on Smart Bastard air, a 40 foot cross court cliff with rocky exposure above the line. We booted up and he dropped in first, i followed with an air i'd been eying for years and stomped the landing.

Owen Leeper. PC: Tim Swartz

With day one over, day two loomed, with perfect conditions and bluebird skies, day two was going to be big. Meredith Edwards had her sights on Central Couloir on Cody Peak. I said ok, and got first tram to get to the couloir early. By the time we set up to shoot it, two other skiers had dropped in, but with great snow and a soft landing on the mandatory 35 foot air out the bottom we went for it.

Owen Leeper PC: Lance Koudele

After successfully airing out of Central Couloir, we skied down Breakneck in terrible icy conditions from the sun baked east face. We were reluctant to go back but thought we'd check out the snow on the north facing "Fat Bastard" cliff. After a tram ride back up the clouds closed in and started to snow. Somewhat defeated Tim and i decided to go check it out. I probed the snow below the cliff and it seemed to be deep enough. I told him it was a "go." I booted up and waited for his signal. We needed a clearing to fly the drone and to get the shot, so i sat a top of this 70 foot cliff watching the clouds roll past. Finally a blue hole opened and Tim yelled ready. Not to miss the light, i pointed it off the cliff, the unusually fast speed sent me deep off the cliff. I sent the air into a slow frontflip and landed deep in the snow below, popped up and skied away! I went back with a laser rangefinder and found my landing to be 120 feet from the takeoff and after a few calculations, i estimated the cliff between 85 and 90 feet!

Owen Leeper on Fat Bastard Cliff. PC: Tim Swartz

 It was the week that you wait years for, and i took full advantage of it. I can't wait for the next time.

Follow me on instagram for more great skiing content at @o_leeps

40 Foot Wall Ride At Jackson Hole and 41" of New snow

Taking the high side into S&S

Yesterday I had the chance to go film with Jackson Hole. I eyed a line I skied the first year I moved to jackson from the tram ride up and it was filled in pretty nicely. The S&S couloir off the top of the tram is usually aired between two rocks about 20 feet high, but the higher line involved a 40 foot near vertical entrance down jagged rocks with an air half way to a tight turn at the bottom. The line only goes when the snow sticks to the wall so you can actually ride down the upper part of it. Here is the video from skiing at Jackson Hole that day, great wall ride to start the day and over 30 inches of powder skiing to finish. Follow me on instagram for more @O_leeps

Jackson Hole Powder Skiing with Owen Leeper
41” in three days and this is what one day of powder skiing looks like with Owen Leeper.
Posted by Jackson Hole Mountain Resort on Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Jackson Mini Drone Edit

Skiing at Jackson Hole and Backcountry Drone shots

This season I have been filming with Tim Swartz with his drone. Here is a 1.5 minute video of skiing powder at Jackson Hole and amazing aerial footage of classic lines outside the resort gates. Opening shot on Triple Cliffs on Cody Peak, Powder 8 face, Zero G and more.

Follow me on instagram for more photos and videos @o_leeps and www.owenleeper.com

Ski City Shootout in Utah!

4 Resorts in 4 days for Ski City Shootout

I headed down to Salt Lake to meet up with Ryan Day Thompson to shoot for the Ski City Shootout. 8 Teams of 4, including one photographer and three athletes would shoot one day at Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude. At the end of the week all the photographers submit two photos from each resort for a chance to win over $11,000 in different categories. On our team was me, Amy Jane David, Carlo Travarelli and Ryan.

Owen Leeper airing Alta Backcountry PC: Carlo Travarelli

Here is the first cliff I hit at Alta on day one. Not the softest landing, but stomped it and went up for more.











The second day we went to Brighton Resort. We all hit a couple cliffs and found some powder turns as well.

Owen Leeper airing at Brighton Ski Resort PC: Amy Jane David

Our third day at Snowbird was successful as well, Here's my first backflip of the day.

Owen Leeper skiing at Snowbird PC Carlo Travarelli

The end of the day we cruised out the backcountry gate in search of a kicker spot for sunset. We found exactly what we were looking for. We sessioned the kicker until the pink glow from sunset disappeared on the peaks and headed down to the road.

Owen Leeper backflip into the sunset at Snowbird PC: Carlo Travarelli

We finished the last day at solitude, grabbing a couple powder shots and a couple hits, ending the day early with a very successful week. Here's a 15 second video showing my favorite hits of the trip that I got on video.

Follow me on instagram @o_leeps to see more from the trip and the rest of the season.

A video posted by Owen Leeper (@o_leeps) on Feb 27, 2016 at 2:54pm PST