We left Amangani just before dawn, with our skis and packs loaded into the back of the car. Venus hung low to the east over the Gros Ventres and Sleeping Indian peaks, against a backdrop of rising color. A red fox trotted northbound across a crust of old refrozen snow. From a thicket of bare willows, a moose watched the traffic pass. At the wheel was blond-bearded Andrew Whiteford, naturalist, historian, and one of the most respected skiers in Jackson Hole. Riding shotgun was bleary-eyed French photographer Yannick Boissenot.

Our window of opportunity was exactly three full days. The plan was to warm up on the first day with an easy lap from the top of the aerial tram at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort into the terrain beyond the southern boundary. Afterward we would move up into the vertical wildlands and granite hallways of Grand Teton National Park.

Read the full story of the pilgrimage upon one of our partners, AMAN Hotels journey at AMAN GANI here