According to the snotel Island Park just got dumped on!!! 
Island Park Snow Conditions
- Thread starter Dano702
- Start date
I was just reading the Avy Warnings and found this on the Gallatin Nat. Forest site, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!!
The Madison and southern Gallatin Ranges, the Lionhead Area near West Yellowstone, the mountains around Cooke City and the Washburn Range:
New snow has added significant stress to the fragile snowpack in mountains near Big Sky, West Yellowstone and Cooke City where weak faceted snow exists near the ground. In many areas skiers or riders will break through upper layers of snow and sink into these facets which will be obvious. In other areas like Cooke City, a supportable layer of snow will keep you from seeing these facets until you pull out your shovel and dig a few feet down. Another less obvious layer of facets formed at the snow surface during several warm sunny days and clear cold nights just after Christmas. Yesterday skiers in Beehive Basin experienced collapsing of the snowpack a sure sign of instability, and the Big Sky Ski Patrol found fresh wind slabs up to 1 foot deep. With more snow since then, the snowpack is more unstable and wind slabs are even bigger.
The combination of new snow and buried weak layers means avalanches will occur especially on wind loaded slopes. Today, natural and human triggered avalanches are likely on wind loaded slopes where the avalanche danger is rated HIGH. Sheltered slopes without wind drifted snow may not produce many natural avalanches, but human triggered avalanches are probable in this terrain where the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - AVALANCHE WARNING
The Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center is issuing a Backcountry Avalanche Warning for the southern Gallatin and southern Madison Ranges, the Lionhead area near West Yellowstone, the mountains around Cooke City and the Washburn Range in northern Yellowstone National Park. New snow over the last 36 hours was deposited on an extremely weak snowpack. Today the avalanche danger in HIGH on all slopes. Areas of unstable snow exist. Natural and human triggered avalanches are likely. Avalanche terrain including avalanche runout zones should be avoided.
This statement supercedes the advisory below. Check back tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. for updated information.
This statement supercedes the advisory below. Check back tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m. for updated information.
The Madison and southern Gallatin Ranges, the Lionhead Area near West Yellowstone, the mountains around Cooke City and the Washburn Range:
New snow has added significant stress to the fragile snowpack in mountains near Big Sky, West Yellowstone and Cooke City where weak faceted snow exists near the ground. In many areas skiers or riders will break through upper layers of snow and sink into these facets which will be obvious. In other areas like Cooke City, a supportable layer of snow will keep you from seeing these facets until you pull out your shovel and dig a few feet down. Another less obvious layer of facets formed at the snow surface during several warm sunny days and clear cold nights just after Christmas. Yesterday skiers in Beehive Basin experienced collapsing of the snowpack a sure sign of instability, and the Big Sky Ski Patrol found fresh wind slabs up to 1 foot deep. With more snow since then, the snowpack is more unstable and wind slabs are even bigger.
The combination of new snow and buried weak layers means avalanches will occur especially on wind loaded slopes. Today, natural and human triggered avalanches are likely on wind loaded slopes where the avalanche danger is rated HIGH. Sheltered slopes without wind drifted snow may not produce many natural avalanches, but human triggered avalanches are probable in this terrain where the avalanche danger is rated CONSIDERABLE.
FIRST RIDE OF THE SEASON FOR ME.
Spent the whole day in West Island Park, from Last Chance west.
#1.
The place was EMPTY.
Hardly say any sleds all day long.
#2.
LOTS of fresh powder.
At last we have GOOD SNOW.
a good 2 feet off the trail finally.
#3.
Most of the trails had NOT been ridden on, so it was all fresh tracks in fresh powder.
#4.
Best day of riding in Island Park down in the valley in the last couple years for me!
Got in 50 miles, will be going right back up first thing in the morning for another 50 miles+
The fence posts are about 50% buried now.
So there are still areas you can not get access to as you can't go over the fences yet, but most of the meadows are wide open.
There was no sign of any grooming on any of the trails.
Spent the whole day in West Island Park, from Last Chance west.
#1.
The place was EMPTY.
Hardly say any sleds all day long.
#2.
LOTS of fresh powder.
At last we have GOOD SNOW.
a good 2 feet off the trail finally.
#3.
Most of the trails had NOT been ridden on, so it was all fresh tracks in fresh powder.
#4.
Best day of riding in Island Park down in the valley in the last couple years for me!
Got in 50 miles, will be going right back up first thing in the morning for another 50 miles+
The fence posts are about 50% buried now.
So there are still areas you can not get access to as you can't go over the fences yet, but most of the meadows are wide open.
There was no sign of any grooming on any of the trails.
Fresh snow!!!
Had to leave for home on this New Year's Day, but they got almost a FOOT of fresh dumped on them!!! Trails were rough, and you can see a lot of land mines every where. But, that was before the dump. Forecast is for more snow thru the weekend. Rode with some friends on the backside of Lionshead and found 4' + up there on Tuesday. As stated above, the place was empty everywhere. I have missed a Christmas ride once in the last 11 yrs., and it has never been so empty.
Had to leave for home on this New Year's Day, but they got almost a FOOT of fresh dumped on them!!! Trails were rough, and you can see a lot of land mines every where. But, that was before the dump. Forecast is for more snow thru the weekend. Rode with some friends on the backside of Lionshead and found 4' + up there on Tuesday. As stated above, the place was empty everywhere. I have missed a Christmas ride once in the last 11 yrs., and it has never been so empty.
MORE FRESH POWDER LAST NIGHT.
On our way back up.
On our way back up.
Spent another full day in Island Park.
Rolled into the Bear Gultch parking lot south of Mesa Falls this morning. Lot was almost maxed out. With that many cars and trailers I was more than a little concerned that the park was going to be a ZOO and we would not find any untracked area to play in.
Rode over onto route 001 and headed for the tunnel.
Got to the tunnel, and to my utter amazement, not a single sled had taken the bypass around the tunnel. From that point on almost the entire trail all the way to Wyoming was TRACKLESS! Who could have asked for more. By the end of the day we had seen only ONE group of sleds the entire day, and we had endless miles of fresh powder and open fields and trees to play in all day long.
Around 5:00pm we made our way back to the Mesa Falls trail via Warm River heading back to Bear Gultch parking lot. That trail was "ROUGH" but not horrible. Obviously there were a pile of sleds on the main trails.
What a great day.!
Rolled into the Bear Gultch parking lot south of Mesa Falls this morning. Lot was almost maxed out. With that many cars and trailers I was more than a little concerned that the park was going to be a ZOO and we would not find any untracked area to play in.
Rode over onto route 001 and headed for the tunnel.
Got to the tunnel, and to my utter amazement, not a single sled had taken the bypass around the tunnel. From that point on almost the entire trail all the way to Wyoming was TRACKLESS! Who could have asked for more. By the end of the day we had seen only ONE group of sleds the entire day, and we had endless miles of fresh powder and open fields and trees to play in all day long.
Around 5:00pm we made our way back to the Mesa Falls trail via Warm River heading back to Bear Gultch parking lot. That trail was "ROUGH" but not horrible. Obviously there were a pile of sleds on the main trails.
What a great day.!
See, Historically it's good after Christmas
Thanks for the pics!
Thanks for the pics!
And it's all your fault??
Sure seems to be the way it is around here year after year.See, Historically it's good after Christmas
Current Conditions:
As of 6 AM Wednesday, 1/6/10
we have received 4" to 10" of snow with strong winds in the last 24 hrs.
ISLAND PARK SNOTEL Data Report - Daily Readings
Basin: Upper Henrys (HUC 17040202) Elevation: 6290.00
(As of: Wed Jan 06 06:57:37 PST 2010)
Snow Depth = 28 inches.
As of 6 AM Wednesday, 1/6/10
we have received 4" to 10" of snow with strong winds in the last 24 hrs.
ISLAND PARK SNOTEL Data Report - Daily Readings
Basin: Upper Henrys (HUC 17040202) Elevation: 6290.00
(As of: Wed Jan 06 06:57:37 PST 2010)
Snow Depth = 28 inches.
B
BIGGDAWG
Well-known member
I feel a lot better about driving 30 hrs now! Hope it stops snowing long enough so we can see where we are going. We should be rolling in Sun. afternoon Dawg, when are you guys showing up?HOOD.
B
BIGGDAWG
Well-known member
We will be pulling in by noon on saturday hopfully. maybe sooner. leaving waverly at 500 on friday night and will drive straight through. supposed to be 17-18 hour drive. we will see.
where ya staing? maybe we can hook up? pm me your # and i will give ya mine
Current Conditions:
As of 6 AM Thursday, 1/7/10 we have received
no new snow in the last 24 hrs.
Nasty slide at JH Mtn. Resort yesterday--buried ski patrolman--in critical condition (see B-T report below).
Avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE to HIGH, and wind-loaded slopes are very fragile. VERY
DANGEROUS avalanche conditions exist. We have 1-2' of "sugar" that is now covered with
significant wind slabs (2--5' thick).
Stay off the "steeps" today and stay away from gullies and avalanche run-out zones!!!
Remember--there are always "pockets" of snow with a higher hazard than the general forecast.
====
BRIDGER-TETON N.F. AVALANCHE CENTER (click for current advisory)--as of 1/7/10--"A dangerous unstable
snowpack exists at the mid and upper elevations. Numerous natural slab avalanches occurred late Tuesday
and early Wednesday on a variety of aspects. On Wed.--at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort a ski
patrolman was caught and deeply buried during avalanche hazard mitigation efforts. He was life-flighted to
Idaho Falls in critical condition."
As of 6 AM Thursday, 1/7/10 we have received
no new snow in the last 24 hrs.
Nasty slide at JH Mtn. Resort yesterday--buried ski patrolman--in critical condition (see B-T report below).
Avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE to HIGH, and wind-loaded slopes are very fragile. VERY
DANGEROUS avalanche conditions exist. We have 1-2' of "sugar" that is now covered with
significant wind slabs (2--5' thick).
Stay off the "steeps" today and stay away from gullies and avalanche run-out zones!!!
Remember--there are always "pockets" of snow with a higher hazard than the general forecast.
====
BRIDGER-TETON N.F. AVALANCHE CENTER (click for current advisory)--as of 1/7/10--"A dangerous unstable
snowpack exists at the mid and upper elevations. Numerous natural slab avalanches occurred late Tuesday
and early Wednesday on a variety of aspects. On Wed.--at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort a ski
patrolman was caught and deeply buried during avalanche hazard mitigation efforts. He was life-flighted to
Idaho Falls in critical condition."
There is only a small chance of Snow on Sunday.
Otherwise weather should be good till the following weekend.
