2013/14 Big Horns N/S Snow Conditions

[live2ride]

I was around back in the early 2000's on here when Rick and crew were doing updates on SW. There were major bashing threads due to incorrect snow reports etc. What I found is the correct snow report today in a certain riding area isn't true for tomorrow. Wyoming wind and snow seem to be here one day and in the next county the next. This caused people to be angry when driving the following week out from out of state, of course it got aired out in the public, and even locals when they didn't find the same snow conditions. This leaving a sour taste in the mouths of the reporters about SW. To get a proper "lodge" snow report call the lodge, Rick usually does one every morning and has it written down for the people answering the phone. Rick and Roberta are very active in our snowmobile sport doing fundraisers for safety shelters, grooming and heading up search and rescues for lost and/or injured riders. (I would want them over the S&R after last year!). As most of us age we don't get out as much due to the poor economy, health and work, the same goes for the people that live and work on the mountain. The lodges are successful and employees are very hard to come by as it requires living there. That takes a special person, most of us would love it, but once it's a job it usually isn't as much fun. Employees unfortunately are not robots so they can't be controlled, and hopefully they got that situation taken care of!!! Rick and Roberta are very hands on with the lodge's and haven't got out playing near as much as they used to. I understand each and everyone's frustration, I was just hoping to add a bit of light to the sour situation. Just giving credit where credit is due.....

 

[polaris dude]

thanks for the perspective

 

[doomama800]

I don't think it matters if you live by reading the snowest site for your snow conditions or calling the lodges. The conditions are going to change in a matter of a day or even hours or the matter of opinion of the person posting, or the fact they can't judge snow depth. I've looked at this site and seen all the great snow conditions before and gone up and the snow sucked. I've called bear lodge before and gone there and the snow conditions was terrible. So for me the best thing is watch the snotel and watch the weather and you can hit the snow just right sometimes not. It also depends when you can go if you can drop at whim notice and head up. Guys that come from long distance usually plan a date and the snow they get is what they get not much you can do. So I don't think there is a right or wrong thing you can do, what ever works best for you. After 20 plus years riding up there like I said snotel and watch the weather is what I do.

 

[mtsummitx]

That's great if Snotel is working, but as previously stated Snotels are not working right now. I am not asking for in depth riding reports. I just would like to know when it is snowing at the lodges, and how much they are receiving, that's it. I know it has snowed up there recently after this last weekend, but how much??? I don't know because Snotels are not working and lodges cant be bothered to put this info up on this site. Is it really that much to ask?? One minute of your day to pop in here and say hey guys, got 2 inches at the lodge last night. Sorry, maybe I just got spoiled from Corey and Dawnies reports last year.

 

[mtsummitx]

Answer me this.......you go to the MT section and look at Bearclawbobs thread. He posts in there pretty much every day about recent snow conditions. If he can do it, why can't anybody in the Bighorns????

 

[mtsummitx]

Looks like Snotels are finally back up if you go directly to their site. Bald Mtn has received 5" of snow since Saturday, now why would a lodge not want to take advantage of advertising that?? Looks like Burgess side is pretty much holding steady.

 

[Snowmow]

Answer me this.......you go to the MT section and look at Bearclawbobs thread. He posts in there pretty much every day about recent snow conditions. If he can do it, why can't anybody in the Bighorns????

You have to understand.

The people that are defending the lodge are obviously friends with the owners. They are blinded by that friendship, and don't want to step on any toes. Obviously a great portion of bear lodges business is from these "friends". To the point that customer service to a new comer or the un acquainted is lack luster to say the least. Bottom line, I don't need the lodge. Wouldn't care if they closed because their old or the economy or bla bla bla. If I want to ride, I will ride, Good snow or bad. If I don't know the conditions before I go, oh well, I will know what they are when I leave.

But when someone chooses to own and operate a lodge. By god OWN AND OPERATE IT!!! Don't do it half azzed and expect to have rave reviews.

Good for you, friends of the lodge. Glad YOU know and love the owners passion for the sport.
Because they aren't portraying that to normal customers.

 

[mtsummitx]

I understand what you are saying 'Mow. I do not need the lodges either. I could simply pack lunch, spend more time riding, and go home. But, I choose to try to help support the lodges up there. Maybe it is my job that makes me so critical about customer service, because I know if I don't provide the service my customers want, they will go else where. Problem is on the mountain, there is nowhere else to go. I would rather not choose to go nowhere. I would prefer to continue to help support the lodges on the mountain. But, I think there are some very simple things that could be (need to be) done that would pay them huge dividends in the end for a little extra effort on the customer service front.

1. When someone walks into your establishment, greet them and be happy they are there (especially when it is -18 outside)

2. If your website says you have a webcam, and that images will be updated daily, then you better have a webcam (or photos) that are updated daily.

3. Pop in here every day or two and let us know what is going on up on the mountain. It would be a lot simpler and quicker to post it on Snowest, than to answer 100 phone calls everyday from people wanting to know what the snow is doing.

That's it, I am done with this rant and moving on.

Let it snow!!!

 

[mtnclimber19]

Since the temps were finally above zero I stopped being a wuss and rode yesterday. To anybody from back east the snow is awful, bare ground everywhere. . To the people around Sheridan I found some great snow up Big Willow creek. One still has to be pretty cautious of land mines but pretty good riding overall.

 

[mtsummitx]

Did you have to go up a little rock face that was slicked off and over a fallen tree?? I'm trying to figure out if it was Big Willow Creek we went up on Sat???

 

[mfatty]

snow

There is decent snow around hunt mountain the whole way, would be great if the temp stayed down, saw 64° headed up the face today by fallen city ! Went up Today to recover a sled that lost a track.....ridge tops are blown dry and drainage are blown full

 

[mfatty]

Fun day

 

[Snowmow]

Wow. What caused that.

 

[mtsummitx]

There is decent snow around hunt mountain the whole way, would be great if the temp stayed down, saw 64° headed up the face today by fallen city ! Went up Today to recover a sled that lost a track.....ridge tops are blown dry and drainage are blown full

64*?!?!?!? Holy Crap!!!!! That's not good!!

 

[mtsummitx]

I hope you meant 34*

 

[mfatty]

hot

64° on the face !

 

[mfatty]

Might have been the chinook wind but it was over 60° going up and coming down around 2

 

[doomama800]

Sounds like mtsummit should buy a lodge on the Bighorns with his great customer service skills it should be a great lodge to visit, and we would get snow reports everyday like it should be I guess.

 

[mtsummitx]

Sounds like mtsummit should buy a lodge on the Bighorns with his great customer service skills it should be a great lodge to visit, and we would get snow reports everyday like it should be I guess.

As I stated, my rant is over. No need to get snide. I'm sorry I shared my experiences and thoughts on this forum, silly me thought that is what it was for. I'm sorry I asked for better treatment from a business than I recently received, I'm sorry I asked for something that is being advertised, but not done, to actually be done as advertised. And I'm sorry that I ask for something that was being done, that we all got used to being done, but its not being done now (WHC, it's funny no one has jumped me for calling them out) to be done again. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Goin to the Horns again Saturday, I sure hope I'm still allowed down there

 

[doomama800]

Just has your sign says call the wambulance and get over your self. Its the mountains not the 5 star resort your hoping for stay in Billings or move closer so you can get the report you so badly want. Unless you come down during the week your stuck with what ever snow you get for the weekend not hard to figure out, not rocket science here.