2011/12 Alpine, WY Snow Conditions from Rockin M Ranch

[scratley]

January 19, 2012
I believe our snow worries are over. We are in the evening of the second day of a series of storms predicted to give the valleys 1-2 feet and the mountains 4 plus feet and lasting through the weekend. We woke up to a solid foot since yesterday at 10:00a.m. The valley got warm today and a rain/snow mix settled the valley snow and made a bit of a mess, although the mountains over about 7000 feet are getting hammered.
Snowtel sites last week to present:

Blindbull (Greys River, Wyoming Range) 34" to 59"
Willow 32" to 52"
Spring Creek (Afton) 33" to 48"
Phillips bench (Teton Pass, Jackson) 36" to 52"
Togwotee 39" to 52"
Targhee Ski Resort 19"
Jackson Hole Ski Resort 24"

I went for a ride today with some of the guests of our cabins. There is all of what the snotels are showing. Appears to be a solid 2 plus feet new over 8000 feet and definitly more much more than that in some locations. Snow has a ton of moisture. Good snow to ride up high. Very sloppy, almost slushy down low, along the river. The last days of this storm, later in the weekend, are supposed to be much cooler. That should help add a nice layer down low. I would be EXTREMELY careful of slides. We avoided the big stuff today and stayed in the trees. I watched a small cornice break on a hill that was only about 30 yards tall. The snow gathered and looked like any larger slide that I have watched. It made me wonder how bad it could be on a hill with real vertical to it. There is a warning for extreme danger for western Wyoming. I personally would stay away from the big areas, willow creek, indian, etc. Use caution everywhere else. I took a few pictures of today. I will try to post again towards the end of this storm. It is still snowing!!!

Any updates? In tog now looking for some better snow

 

[rockinmranch]

January 29th, 2012
Sorry for the lack of updates. Got busy. Last week about 2" in the valley Monday. About 4" in the valley on Thursday then turned to rain for an hour or two in the valley. Looks like 6-8" in the mountains from the snowtel sites on Thursday. Rode Black mountain to the west of the cabins on Friday. A little crusty down low. Gets better with elevation. Great snow up top. 70% chance of snow tomorrow. I will update after the storm.

 

[snengineer]

Can you still get non-ethanol fuel in Alpine at the Sinclair? Anywhere else in the area?

 

[rockinmranch]

January 30th, 2012
A skiff in the Valley. Looks like maybe a couple inches up top. Not much of a storm. 70% change on Wednesday.
I looked at the gas pumps yesterday and checked to see if I could find the 10% ethonol stickers anywhere and could not. I will ask Eric, tha manager, next time I see him.

 

[dmkhnr]

update on snow conditions?

 

[dgfreeride]

Updates???

Rob are you out there somewhere?? What is it like now??

 

[snengineer]

we just got back from alpine, 2-3 feet in the valley, 5-9 feet in the mtns. 10-12 inches of settled powder up high, sunny and cold. Avalanche danger seems to of gone down quite a bit the last couple weeks, saw many areas that had slide last couple weeks. be careful.

 

[HMC 399]

Rode the box y last week, snow was good, not epic, but well worth the 3hr drive. We ride mainly trees and found stuff 20 times better then anything we've found up Logan canyon. We were there 3 days and could have rode another 3 without worrying about finding good snow.

 

[dgfreeride]

Thanks guys hope they get a little before we go!!!

 

[jpstrr]

Any word ROB?

 

[MJS Doo]

How's the current conditions??

 

[rockinmranch]

February 14th, 2012
Sorry guys, been busy.
A couple inches in the valley Friday, a couple more Sunday. Had reports of 6 or more inches at Blind bull. One group reported fresh untracked snow riding a few miles to the North at the top of blind bull. Talked to another guy last night, said that the found a couple feeet of untracked on the middle ridge area. Plenty of good snow to be found if you look in some of the less riden areas.

 

[mtnrev800]

February 14th, 2012
Sorry guys, been busy.
A couple inches in the valley Friday, a couple more Sunday. Had reports of 6 or more inches at Blind bull. One group reported fresh untracked snow riding a few miles to the North at the top of blind bull. Talked to another guy last night, said that the found a couple feeet of untracked on the middle ridge area. Plenty of good snow to be found if you look in some of the less riden areas.

We found some of those areas this past weekend. Snow down low wasn't that great but when you do find it you get this..

Well this was our weekend for our trip to Wyoming and I had my doubts going into this past weekend about the snow. We had it planned so we decided to go ahead with it and make it work. With the amount of snow that we haven't received Wyoming was in the same boat.

Well that is what we thought.

Can I say a good foot of untouched pow........ Epic day

 

[M8Chris]

heres a little pic from this past weekend in Alpine. Ill have some more pics posted up soon. it was deep in this area. no one had been up there

 

[jzanc532]

I was up in the blindbull area on Saturday snow was good, maybe eight inches to a foot on top of a good bases. Even with the extra snow up there I would suggest riding carefully, I managed to hit a rock and bend an a-arm.

 

[rockinmranch]

Forecast is showing a possible couple feet in the mountains over the next few days. 5" here at the cabins overnight and still snowing. I will update when the storm is done.

 

[jpstrr]

Just rode up to Blind Bull today and up over squaw and there is easily over a foot of fresh, and it is still snowing. Riding should be great over the next few days.

 

[greasemonkey3406]

Just did a two day clinic with Dan Adams. Yesterday the snow wasnt all that great, was hard to find a spot that wasnt already packed down. But man, what a difference today!!! Easily 2 to 3 feet more in some spots compared to yesterday. Awesome riding today and it was over the hood everywhere. Left at around 10 this morning and when we were back at 5, there was another foot on top of our tracks at the bottom.

 

[sasquash]

just rode monday, the snow was great up willow probably 15" of powder, more on top

 

[rockinmranch]

Crazy storm. Similar to the big dump we had in the middle of January. Snowed all day Monday and Tuesday, went to bed with a foot here at the cabins on my rental sleds. Woke up to no snow on the sleds, rained all night. Blowing and warm since. Another cold front is supposed to come in tonight and turn back to snow. Local ski resorts are reporting 24-26 inches of new. Probably going to have to ride the higher elevations to get the lighter snow until this next batch comes through. Snow predicted every day through the end of the weekend except friday.