| Author | Message | ||
     Cliff Keene Username: Idahocliff Registered: 12-2009 |
Unofficial Trail Report: Friday Evening 02/03/2012 : In case Mike doesn't get an official report before you plan to come, I'll publish this. Skiing today was great and will be for the weekend I'm sure. As far as I could see tracks were set on all trails and gliding was super. It looks like they did a lot of work to get the trails so nice. Lost Trail Ski Area reported 9" of new snow since last Sunday. However the Saddle Mountain Snotel seems to indicate that the total depth has settled back to about what it was before the new snow. At 01:00 AM today, Friday morning, the Snotel reported 64" depth and 92.6% of average snow moisture. This depth appears to be similar to Chief Joseph. The depth gauge at the parking lot entrance showed about 5.5 feet of snow depth this morning. Here are some links that I list every few weeks: For a good on-line contour map of the “groomed” ski trails CLICK HERE. Also note that there are great maps available at the sign in box. Be sure to sign in and indicate the number of folks skiing, and also be sure and add something to the donation box. “Road, Snotel & Weather Links & Report: Lost Trail Pass Highway Dept Links: Idaho Webcam, Montana Webcam (same camera). There’s also a weather gauge. Here’s Current Weather Data, and Weather History. The history includes about 3 days worth of data taken every 15 minutes including: Temperature, Wind Speed, and 24 hour total precipitation, and more. Check out the latest Lost Trail Ski Area Weather/Snow Report. Also check their webcam. The Saddle Mtn Snotel 1 Hour Readings are the most current snow and temperature values for the area near the top of the chair lifts. The times are listed as Pacific STANDARD Time. In addition, CLICK HERE for the daily readings (taken at 01:00 AM mountain standard time) which may be less confusing for a weekly view. The best weather & snow forecast for the area is the The NOAA Lost Trail “Table Point Forecast”. Predicted temperatures, snow and/or rain and percent cloudiness are good values to know. CLICK HERE for the latest Avalanche Forecast. CLICK HERE for the backcountry weather forecast. Note however that this forecast includes areas further north so it sometimes can be misleading. UNGROOMED TRAIL Info & LINKS: For a map of the “Un-Groomed XC Ski Trails near Chief Joseph Pass CLICK HERE. (It’s best to right click & “Open in New Window”, so you can continue reading while the map is loading.) “Zoom-In” for more detail. This map takes awhile to download, so it’s best to save it on your computer if you expect to use it again. This map and a table of the trails is available on the NEW Beaverhead NF Winter Recreation Web site. This is an excellent map, but it does have a minor error in the location of the Ander-Rich and Richardson Ridge Trail junction. CLICK HERE for a corrected location for these trails. Also the “Shoofly Cutoff” north of the Junction with the Scooter Trail is shown incorrectly. Sometimes when trip planning it’s helpful to have intermediate (segment) mileages. CLICK HERE for my “Trail Segment Table”. /s/ Cliff | ||
| Michael Hoyt Username: Mhoyt Registered: 12-2011 |
Grooming – 27jan11 All trails were groomed today (Friday). Temperatures were in a range that allowed several passes with drags and levelers. Tracks were set on all trails. Mike | ||
| Michael Hoyt Username: Mhoyt Registered: 12-2011 |
After two full days of grooming, the trails are again in good shape. The groomers are staying overnight in the Gordon Reese Cabin and will be on-site tomorrow to handle any last-minute touch-up required for the Bitterroot Cross-Country Ski Club’s Lesson Day. The free annual ski lessons begin at 12:00 noon on Saturday, the 21st. The parking lot at the trailhead was not plowed or accessible (by vehicle) today. However, MDOT will be plowing the lot tonight (20th-21st). Unless it begins snowing again in the morning, the lot will be completely clear for the ski lessons. Mike | ||
| Michael Hoyt Username: Mhoyt Registered: 12-2011 |
Cliff is correct. The lessons do begin at noon and it's a good idea to arrive early. Thanks for catching my mistake, Cliff. Mike | ||
| Cliff Keene Username: Idahocliff Registered: 12-2009 |
In Mikes message below he states that lessons will begin at 1:00 PM. That may well be the case, however in two previous correspondences (sp?) I recieved the following: "The lessons are this Saturday, Jan 21st and anyone wanting to sign up should get there at 11:40. Lessons start at noon." I'll plan to pass on this information unless I hear otherwise. /s/ Cliff | ||
| Michael Hoyt Username: Mhoyt Registered: 12-2011 |
The trails have received around 2’ of new snow during the previous 48 hours. Groomers will be working the trails Thursday and Friday to get everything in shape for the weekend. The Bitterroot Cross-Country Ski club will be giving free classic-style ski lessons to all comers (beginners to intermediate) this Saturday, the 21st, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Participants must supply their own skis. Mike |
