| Author | Message | ||
     Cliff Keene Username: Idahocliff Registered: 12-2009 |
“Chief Joseph Cross Country Ski Trail Report: Saturday 03/27/2010 : There’s no more grooming but there’s still plenty of snow, although less than most years. The depth gauge at the entrance of the parking lot only showed 2’ today. Some friends skied south on the Anderson Mtn Road and reported ample snow. I expect that conditions would be the same on the “groomed trails”. They noted that snow was gone on south facing slopes fairly well up to Lost Trail Pass. Since most of our trails don’t face directly south we should be good for a few more weeks. One might want to use caution skiing down the Middle Fork Trail however. Their primary suggestion - Don’t forget the “Maxi Glide” or similar glide wax. Prior to 1:00 PM or so they had no trouble. But when skiing back, especially on the un-skied Ander-Rich Trail, they had problems with their skis sticking. I keep hoping for corn snow. We need dryer conditions with cold nights and warm days. Maybe in a week or so. Check the weather forecast and snow reports – see links below. For a good on-line contour map of the “groomed” ski trails CLICK HERE. (It’s best to right click & “Open in New Window”, so you can continue reading while the map is loading). “Road, Snotel & Weather Links & Report: Here are the links to the Lost Trail Pass Web Cam. Here’s the Montana link: http://rwis.mdt.mt.gov/scanweb/losttrail.shtml and here’s the Idaho Link to the same cameras. Select camera 1 (south-bound) or camera 2 (northbound) at the top of the page. (The links are to the same camera, but sometimes one link will work when the other doesn’t.) Here’s another useful link: CLICK HERE for a list of Idaho Transportation Data for Lost Trail Pass. About 3 days worth of data taken every 15 minutes is displayed, including: Temperature, Wind Speed, and 24 hour total precipitation, and more. Check out the latest Lost Trail Ski Area Weather/Snow Report. They will be open Sunday March 28 and next weekend April 3rd – 4th and then close for the season. The Saddle Mtn Snotel 3 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 02:00 AM mountain daylight 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. Another report that I often check is the Snow-Forecast.Com’s 6-Day Forecast for Lost Trail. If you click on this link be sure the “Imper” button is selected, i.e. inches rather than cm. Their predicted snow depths always puzzle me – I think they may be listing the water content of the predicted snow. CLICK HERE for the weekly Friday 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 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. Sometimes when trip planning it’s helpful to have intermediate (segment) mileages. CLICK HERE for my “Trail Segment Table”. /s/ Cliff | ||
| Generic User Username: Nordic Registered: 09-2009 |
Skate skied Chief Joe on Saturday. There was about 3 or 4 inches of new powder, so it was a grunt. Went down whoopee trail, up Joesph creek trail, over to windy corner and up to the top of the continental divide, then down to the ski hut and returned to the parking lot. Too bad this place isn't groomed for skating and groomed on Saturday and Sunday, like Lolo Pass. This place has the best air in the world to breath. Thanks to all the groomers for their hard work! Keep skiing as there is plenty of snow at Chief Joe! T. Davenport | ||
| Cliff Keene Username: Idahocliff Registered: 12-2009 |
“Chief Joseph Cross Country Ski Trail Report: Friday 03/12/2010 : Hi Classic Skiers: There was 4-6 inches of new snow this past week and the total is again 36 inches. All the trails were groomed today but tracks were NOT set. This was the last regular grooming of this season. The Warming Hut will remain open and Hosted through April 15th so you'll have access to hot drinks and a place to eat lunch. As the afternoons get warmer and the nights remain cool there will be an opportunity for "Crust Cruising" and it's a great time to do some snowshoe exploring off trail, so the winter sports opportunity is not over, you just won't need as many warm clothes. Thanks for coming out and enjoying the area and for your continuing support. Have a great Summer and we'll look for you again next season. Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader, Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club.” CLICK HERE for his previous reports. Also check out the other links. Refer to my January 15 report for links to current snow depths, temperatures and weather. /s/ Cliff | ||
| Cliff Keene Username: Idahocliff Registered: 12-2009 |
“Chief Joseph Cross Country Ski Trail Report: Friday 03/05/2010 : Greetings classic Skiers! There has been a scant 1 inch of new snow this past week and the total is now 32 inches. Grooming was not necessary as the tracks set last Friday are still in good shape. The temperature at 9: AM was 24 degrees and overcast; however afternoon temperatures could be in the mid 30's this weekend. Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader, Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club.” CLICK HERE for his previous reports. Also check out the other links. Refer to my January 22 report for links to current snow depths, temperatures and weather. The prediction for Tomorrow, Mar. 6 is 29 F at 11 AM with a high of 32. It looks like it may be relatively sunny in the morning at 37% cloudiness. The current prediction for Sunday is 31 F at 11 AM with a high of 37 and 62% cloudiness at 11 AM. The Snotel showed over 35 degrees this afternoon. /s/ Cliff | ||
| Cliff Keene Username: Idahocliff Registered: 12-2009 |
“Chief Joseph Cross Country Ski Trail Report: Friday 02/26/2010 : Hello Classic Skiers! There was 2 inches of new snow this week and the total remains at 36 inches. All trails were groomed and tracks set today. Skiing conditions remain exceptional. Come out and enjoy it while it lasts. Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader, Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club.” CLICK HERE for his previous reports. Also check out the other links. Refer to my January 22 report for links to current snow depths, temperatures and weather. /s/ Cliff | ||
| Cliff Keene Username: Idahocliff Registered: 12-2009 |
“Chief Joseph Cross Country Ski Trail Report: Friday 01/15/10: Hello Everybody, There has been 4 inches of new snow this past week and the total is still 32 inches. All trails were groomed today and tracks set. Skiing conditions are excellent! Free ski lessons are scheduled for 1:00 PM on Saturday January 16th. Always wanted to try cross country skiing, now is your opportunity. Beginner, intermediate, everyone is welcome. Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader. Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club”. CLICK HERE for his previous reports Also at the Tours and Events link you will find more information about the Cross Country Ski Lessons on January 16. Also, see the recent Ravalli Republic Article regarding the lessons. Also be sure and check out the reports and links on this same board regarding the new groomed Como Lake ski trails. They currently don’t have enough snow, but when they do, this will be the closest area groomed for skate skiing for many of us. “Road, Snotel & Weather Links & Report: Here are the links to the Lost Trail Pass Web Cam. Here’s the Montana link: http://rwis.mdt.mt.gov/scanweb/losttrail.shtml and here’s the Idaho Link to the same cameras. Select camera 1 (south-bound) or camera 2 (northbound) at the top of the page. (The links are to the same camera, but sometimes one link will work when the other doesn’t.) Here’s another useful link: CLICK HERE for a list of Idaho Transportation Data for Lost Trail Pass. About 3 days worth of data taken every 15 minutes is displayed, including: Temperature, Wind Speed, and 24 hour total precipitation, and more. Check out the latest Lost Trail Weather/Snow Report. This morning they reported 5” of snow in the last 48 hours. Chairs 1, 2 & 4 are open Thursday & Friday and all chairs open on weekends. They’ll also have Chairs 1, 2, & 4 open Monday, January 18 for MLK Day. Apparently there will not be a telemark ski equipment “demo” at Lost Trail. The only demo I’m aware of is at Snowbowl on Sunday. See their web site if interested. Tonight, Jan. 15 at 07:00 PM MDT Saddle Mtn Snotel reported 8.7” of snow moisture (58.8% of Average) with 37.0” depth resulting in 23.5% total snowpack density. This week, since 01:00 AM last Monday, snow moisture increased 0.4”, while the % of average decreased 1.4% and the snow depth increased 1.0” from 36.0”. Snowpack density increased 0.4%. Based on 3 hour readings the snow depth showed total increases of 7” with 6” of settling. The Saddle Mtn Snotel 3 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 time) which may be less confusing for a weekly view. Of the next two reports, I’d put more stock in the 2nd (NOAA) report: Snow-Forecast.Com’s 6-Day Forecast for Lost Trail. If you click on this link be sure the “Imper” button is selected, i.e. inches rather than cm. The NOAA Lost Trail “Table Point Forecast” shows maximum temperatures of 28 F on Sat. (24 F by 11:00 AM) and 29 F on Sun. With no of new snow through Monday. Percent cloudiness is about 70% for Saturday and 50% on Sunday (= slightly more sun). CLICK HERE for the weekly Friday Avalanche Forecast. Note that there will be an Avalanche Transceiver Park at the Lost Trail Ski Area. Also check out their other links including information on avalanche training and equipment. CLICK HERE for the backcountry weather forecast. Note that this report DOES list some snow for this weekend. UNGROOMED TRAIL LINKS: CLICK HERE for the map of the “Un-Groomed XC Ski Trails” in the Chief Joseph Pass area. “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. Sometimes when trip planning it’s helpful to have intermediate (segment) mileages. CLICK HERE for my “Trail Segment Table”. Last week we skied the Scooter Trail to the Shoofly Trail and out to the Cabinet Cr. Trailhead. The snow was good, but the early week warm weather may have changed things. The tracks should still be visible. The Cabinet Cr. TH was well plowed and should still be useable. However, I expect that those staying at Hogan’s Cabin will still be encouraged to park at the Richardson Cr. chain-up area which has more frequent plowing. /s/ Cliff | ||
| Cliff Keene Username: Idahocliff Registered: 12-2009 |
“Chief Joseph Cross Country Ski Trail Report: Friday 01/08/10: Hello Everyone, There has been 10 inches of new snow this past week and the total is now about 32 inches. All trails were groomed today and tracks set. The conditions have never been better, so don't miss this opportunity. Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader. Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club”. CLICK HERE for his previous reports Also at the Tours and Events link you may find out more information about the Cross Country Ski Lessons on January 16. However, see the recent Ravalli Republic Article regarding the lessons (scheduled to start at 01:00 PM). Also be sure and check out the reports and links on this same board regarding the new groomed Como Lake ski trails. This will be the closest area groomed for skate skiing for many of us. “Road, Snotel & Weather Links & Report: Here are the links to the Lost Trail Pass Web Cam. Here’s the Montana link: http://rwis.mdt.mt.gov/scanweb/losttrail.shtml and here’s the Idaho Link to the same cameras. Select camera 1 (south-bound) or camera 2 (northbound) at the top of the page. (The links are to the same camera, but sometimes one link will work when the other doesn’t.) Here’s another useful link: CLICK HERE for a list of Idaho Transportation Data for Lost Trail Pass. About 3 days worth of data taken every 15 minutes is displayed, including: Temperature, Wind Speed, and 24 hour total precipitation, and more. Check out the latest Lost Trail Weather/Snow Report. This morning they reported 12” of snow in the last 48 hours. They’ve returned to a regular schedule with Chairs 1, 2 & 4 open Thursday & Friday and all chairs open on weekends. They’ll also be open Monday, January 18 for MLK Day. There MAY be a telemark ski equipment “demo” on Saturday, January 16, however I’ve not heard anything final. Tonight, Jan. 08 at 07:00 PM MDT Saddle Mtn Snotel reported 8.2” of snow moisture (62.6% of Average) with 38.0” depth resulting in 21.6% total snowpack density. This week, since 01:00 AM last Monday, snow moisture increased 0.8”, while the % of average increased 2.4% and the snow depth increased 4.0” from 34.0”. Snowpack density decreased 0.2%. Based on 3 hour readings the snow depth showed total increases of 9” with 5” of settling. This is essentially the same as Mel’s reading because I’m not counting the snow last weekend. The Saddle Mtn Snotel 3 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 time) which may be less confusing for a weekly view. Of the next two reports, I’d put more stock in the 2nd (NOAA) report: Snow-Forecast.Com’s 6-Day Forecast for Lost Trail. If you click on this link be sure the “Imper” button is selected, i.e. inches rather than cm. The NOAA Lost Trail “Table Point Forecast” shows maximum temperatures of 29 F on Sat. (21 F by 11:00 AM) and 27 F on Sun. With 1” of new snow Saturday. Percent cloudiness is about 66% for Saturday and 62% on Sunday (decreasing to 49% = more sun in the PM). CLICK HERE for the weekly Friday Avalanche Forecast. Note that there will be a Avalanche Transceiver Park at the Lost Trail Ski Area. Also CLICK HERE for the backcountry weather forecast. Also check out their other links including information on avalanche training and equipment. UNGROOMED TRAIL LINKS: CLICK HERE for the map of the “Un-Groomed XC Ski Trails” in the Chief Joseph Pass area. “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. Sometimes when trip planning it’s helpful to have intermediate (segment) mileages. CLICK HERE for my “Trail Segment Table”. /s/ Cliff |
