North Routt / SLO update
- Thread starter Zoomie
- Start date
Snow was so good, we never made it beyond Big Red Park. Guys I spoke with said it was unbelievable up on Buff Pass.
The wind is howling out there tonight, I hope it doesn't ruin the snow.
The wind is howling out there tonight, I hope it doesn't ruin the snow.
we hit it this past weekend and i cant say enough about this riding gem. only camper in the marina lot all weekend, sleds scream caus u launch at 8K.
it was set up but snow was good for my boys to practice on. we did both big and little red and neither park had been pummeled yet. more weather coming in this week.
minus 6 and minus 3 respectively both days to start....boys were a little cranky in the camper when they woke up! ha.
we had terrible service at the roadhouse for dining, everything else was good. worse pizza and calzone i think i have ever had in my life, waitress was terrible. Not saying the whole experience will be that way but stay away from those 2 courses.
Maybe we just started out bad when she said "we are out of Dales Pale Ale"....grrr....
got some hi test non ethanol at the marina, nice to have that open..
this is our togwotee and nobody goes there, awesome!
it was set up but snow was good for my boys to practice on. we did both big and little red and neither park had been pummeled yet. more weather coming in this week.
minus 6 and minus 3 respectively both days to start....boys were a little cranky in the camper when they woke up! ha.
we had terrible service at the roadhouse for dining, everything else was good. worse pizza and calzone i think i have ever had in my life, waitress was terrible. Not saying the whole experience will be that way but stay away from those 2 courses.
Maybe we just started out bad when she said "we are out of Dales Pale Ale"....grrr....
got some hi test non ethanol at the marina, nice to have that open..
this is our togwotee and nobody goes there, awesome!
S
SSWIM
Well-known member
We rode up here 1/28 and I thought conditions sucked. There was very little new snow, the base is sugar with a fine crust in between, the grass is poking through in spots in the parks, the hills are sliding, and the snow in the trees doesn't cover the downfall yet. You can find small pockets that are good, but generally not enough snow yet.
Just talked to my buddy that lives out there. He said you couldn't pay him to ride out there right now conditions are that bad. Its not a matter of IF but WHEN will you hit something and how bad will it damage your sled. Just not enough snow, and the snow that is there sux. NOt much new snow in the last week, so everything there is set up.
I was gonna go next week, but I will wait a few more weeks....maybe months
I was gonna go next week, but I will wait a few more weeks....maybe months
Just talked to my buddy that lives out there. He said you couldn't pay him to ride out there right now conditions are that bad. Its not a matter of IF but WHEN will you hit something and how bad will it damage your sled. Just not enough snow, and the snow that is there sux. NOt much new snow in the last week, so everything there is set up.
I was gonna go next week, but I will wait a few more weeks....maybe months
I would respectfully disagree with your friend. If you are smart about where you ride you can find good snow and have a great time. We had a large group ride north of Columbine over MLK weekend and we had a blast. We all the parks north end and did a ton of tree riding and did not damage a single sled. They have had 2 or 3 feet of snow since then, I'd go up there and ride it again anytime the rest of the season based on our experience.
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I guess peoples outlook on "good" differs from one preson to another. Since hes lived there his entire life and can ride every day, he's allowed to pick his days. Others that have to rely on vaction days, babysitters, etc... would think what he considers bad conditions to be great.
Maybe I should encourage guys like you to stay home so there is more fresh powder for us to track up!!! We rode powder and had fun on our trip. I was just trying to help....
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It's mid Nov snow. If you know where to look you can find decent stuff but... it's mid Nov snow.
yep, without a doubt, snowpack is way off so the locals and powder snobs like me who wont go unless there's a foot of freshies, thumb their nose at it.
but if your a junkie like i am, at some point you have to get your fix and start riding. compared to the rest of the country right now, its paradise.
but if your a junkie like i am, at some point you have to get your fix and start riding. compared to the rest of the country right now, its paradise.
Don't need to encourage me, I know when its worth going and not going. The snow is set up right now, bad. There is no "True" champainge powder. My point being, if someone told me it was sweet and I had to drive 14 hrs and take a week off of work to ride on concrete, I would be pretty pissed.
Fourtunatly for me, my sled is sitting in steamboat. When I get the call, I jump on a plane. In a few hrs I'm riding
Don't need to encourage me, I know when its worth going and not going. The snow is set up right now, bad. There is no "True" champainge powder. My point being, if someone told me it was sweet and I had to drive 14 hrs and take a week off of work to ride on concrete, I would be pretty pissed.
Fourtunatly for me, my sled is sitting in steamboat. When I get the call, I jump on a plane. In a few hrs I'm riding
If it was concrete and we rode crap snow, what reason would I have to lie to you and say it is powder? I don't own a business up there, not trying to sell anything either....
Here is a quick video of me riding in circles waiting for some sleds to catch up (1/15/2011 before my camera battery dried up). After everyone caught up we went further north and found better snow. This may not be the epic "champagne" snow that you would plant your butt in a plane to come ride, but it sure as hell isn't concrete either.
Last weekend I rode waist deep powder snow in the "crappy" part of the Snowy's (south and west of Albany - see my profile pic). Good snow is out there - you have to get off the trails and go find it. I've been riding N. Colorado and SE WYO since ~1986, and guided two years in the late 90's. I would like to think I know what I am doing and talking about at least 20% of the time.
Have a good weekend -
Is that ground I see in your tracks? I thought I saw vegitation in there. That tells me not alot of snow. You may know where to ride and be safe, but any newbie heading out there with that much snow stands a good chance and hitting a rock, stump, etc.
I'm not trying to agrue with you, but you need to understand that these conditions are not epic, and although you think they are, 90% of the people I know would kick me in the ballz if I told told them it was great and they spent alot of money to travel to ride.
From what I would tell my friends, the snow is Thin. There is not much new fluff to be had. What is there is set up. Conditions to hit things is more probable than not, unless you REALLY know ther area. Avalanche probability are VERY high. Riding any hills is very dangerous.
I'm not trying to agrue with you, but you need to understand that these conditions are not epic, and although you think they are, 90% of the people I know would kick me in the ballz if I told told them it was great and they spent alot of money to travel to ride.
From what I would tell my friends, the snow is Thin. There is not much new fluff to be had. What is there is set up. Conditions to hit things is more probable than not, unless you REALLY know ther area. Avalanche probability are VERY high. Riding any hills is very dangerous.
No those are the tops of the willows not dirt - and like I mentioned earlier they have gotten 2-3 feet of snow since we rode up there. We pulled out the probe and the base was 2-3 feet when we were up there.
I think you are trying to argue with me - that's fine I don't mind a good conversation about sledding. You are entitled to your opinion, I respect that and I hope you respect my opinion as well.
I agree with you that the base is not as deep as it should be this time of year - anyone can look that up on Snotel. We were spoiled last season. It just seems like you are looking for excuses not to come out and ride. In your last post you are now talking about avalanche danger - where the hell did that come from? Yes avalanche danger is high, so stay off the slopes, that's easy.
All I am saying is that we rode up there, found good snow, did not do any damage to sleds, and had a good time - I never promised more than that, or did I?
If you look at my posts above I don't recall ever using the word "Epic" - you are the one using that word. I said the powder was "Good" (not "great", not "epic", or whatever superlative you want to throw in there). It was good snow and we had a good time over MLK weekend, and I have had two very good powder rides in the Snowys in the last 10 days. The conditions in the Snowy's usually aren't that much different then Clark/Columbine. Waist deep snow is always worth the drive and I rode in waist deep snow on 1/25 and 1/29.
I do feel bad for you if you are going to wait "months" to come out and ride. If you have easy access to an airplane and can come out and ride, I don't understand why you would wait, the season is getting too short to try and cherry pick the best weekends to ride IMO.
Here is a picture from the 25th - my friend stepped off his sled and sunk to his waist. This was pretty close to a trail so even a noobie or someone not familiar with the area could have followed our tracks 500 yards off the trail and rode in this without hitting anything. Come on out and ride - the snow is "good"
I have access to a sled, not an airplane, I'm not that lucky
. I still have to pay for my flight, so I am kinda nit-picking when I go. Don't think its not killing me, it is. Even here at home I have NO snow to ride. By this time we should have a sloid 7 ft of snow in Da U.P., Eh.... but there's nothing 
Anyways, I understand where your coming from.... you think its Good, which is prob a fair assumption on how most will consider it. I am gonna hold out a bit longer and hope for a bit more snow. Good riding to ya
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