Mount Woodring, South Face
- Mike Morelli
- May 2
- 3 min read
Date: May 2, 2026
Location: Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA
Team: Tim Messina
Field Notes: An awesome moderate ski mountaineering objective once the park road opens to String Lake. The South Face is a solid 2,000 foot descent at roughly 35 degrees, a tad steeper at the top of the line.
I had wanted to ski the South Face of Mount Woodring ever since I stood on the summit of Rockchuck Peak many years ago. I dreamed of skiing this beautiful 2,000-foot fall line in perfect corn, straight down toward a frozen Holly Lake under a beaming blue sky.
Maybe dreams come true...
This trip almost didn’t happen. Tim and I were supposed to go on a work trip to one of the worst ski destinations on earth — Austin, Texas. Two days before we were meant to fly out, the trip got axed, and I immediately called Tim.
“Trip’s canceled. Pack your bags. We’re skiing Woodring.”
Tim answered the call of the wild and showed up at my house Friday evening. I loaded him up with red meat, salmon, and sweet potatoes in an effort to recharge him after the four-hour drive and prepare for the dreaded 3 a.m. wake-up.
I’ve never found waking up early easy. In fact, I usually spend the first hour wondering what the hell I’m doing. I brewed extra-strong coffee for both of us, and we hit the road blasting Phish the entire drive while I alerted Tim whenever Trey was about to “go off.”
That night was a full moon, and as we rounded the corner toward the String Lake trailhead, the silhouette of the Tetons with the moon sinking behind them sent a chill up my spine. I almost started howling like a wolf. It felt like affirmation for why I had come back.
A few hours later, with much more light in the sky, we stood beneath the South Face of Woodring. So far, everything had lined up perfectly. The snow was ideal for cramponing, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and there wasn’t a breath of wind.
We started up the face, skinning at first before quickly switching to crampons. I noticed Tim looked a little wobbly — maybe even slightly flustered. I knew it wasn’t his fitness; he’s part mountain goat. And this objective certainly wasn’t beyond him — he’s climbed and skied much bigger lines.
He mentioned he wasn’t feeling great, and I assumed it was the lack of sleep. Either way, he kept moving.
The sun transformed the face from perfect cramponing conditions to if this gets any warmer, we’re turning around in what felt like twenty minutes. It was time to move, and I encouraged both of us to keep steadily climbing. Thankfully, the snow held.
We topped out on the South Face around 11 a.m., having timed it nearly perfectly, and transitioned quickly.
The first turns off the summit were exactly what I had imagined: velvety, perfect corn.
I wrote earlier that I dreamed of skiing this beautiful 2,000-foot fall line in perfect corn down toward Holly Lake under a bluebird sky.
Well — that dream came true.
I skied the first pitch, Tim skied the second, and I regrouped with him above the final 1,000-foot descent, hooting and hollering as I pulled up beside him. When I went to give him a hug, he turned away and dry-heaved. I think he actually puked.
What I had noticed earlier was actually dehydration mixed with the effects of altitude. Come to think of it, he hadn’t really drunk much water since arriving the night before. He took a breather and we skied the final 1,000 feet in absolutely mind-blowing conditions.
We ducked into the shade at Holly Lake and gave ourselves a proper rest before beginning the long exit — water, food, shade, and a reset. Eventually, Tim came back to life. His batteries slowly recharged, and he became the Tim of old again: energetic, laughing, motivated.
From here, it took us a few more hours to ski back down Paintbrush Canyon, switch back into hiking shoes, and walk the final two miles to the car.
To cap off an incredible day, we took a long cold plunge beneath the bridge at String Lake.
Happy days...