It was time to turn our Ski-Doo demo units back into the
dealer so we took the opportunity to get one last ride in on them before taking
them back to Yellowstone Adventures in West Yellowstone, MT.
More than just getting that one last ride in on the
Ski-Doos, I wanted to get rid of the bitter taste I still had in my mouth from
my last ride of the season last spring (a year ago). A year ago it was raining
and the snow was, well, a mess.
I had high hopes the ride this year would be better and I
was definitely not disappointed. The snotel site close to where we rode in Island Park,
more specifically, Mt.
Jefferson and the
surrounding mountains, still showed 67 inches on the ground. And, just like
many other places in the West, it has been cool (some would say downright cold)
with some scattered snow showers the past several days. So the snow that was
still clinging to the mountains didn't go anywhere (read: didn't melt) for
several days.
Wednesday the sun shone all day and with a few inches of new
and completely untracked snow we set out to ride
Mt. Jefferson, Reas Peak,
Blue Creek, Rock Creek and the surrounding area.
Although the snow was hardpacked and spring-like in a few
areas, for the most part, we were riding in a few inches (3-4) of fresh powder.
And yes, it was powder because it has been so cold. The snow was best above
7,500 feet (we rode up to 9,800 feet in places). It was definitely melting down
low by the time we got back to the truck about 2 p.m.
It was a great ride on April 24. I've completely forgotten
about last year.
So for those of you who have put your sleds away for the
season, I'm one up on you.