Truly EPIC SNOW conditions in Island Park / West Yellowstone!

[turbolover]

Riding by Braille

Thats the only thing I dont like about cloudy or foggy days. When the light goes flat and you can't see any definition to whats in front of you. ie does this drop or rise in front of me.
If I can see where I'm going, I dont care if its cloudy or sunny, I'M RIDING and loving it.

 

[christopher]

Flat Light just adds a whole new dimension of "excitement" not knowing if your about to go UP or DOWN.

Never a Boring Ride!!

 

[mold]

Flat Light just adds a whole new dimension of "excitement" not knowing if your about to go UP or DOWN.

Never a Boring Ride!!

Welcome to my world, macular degeneration makes riding a challenge in all conditions.

 

[turbolover]

Contacts

I started wearing contacts 3 years ago because I couldnt see any definition to what I was riding into. I wear glasses to drive with but rode without glasses for years. Finally got tired of trying to read the hill for climbing without being able to actually see it.
I broke down and started wearing contacts so I wouldnt have to worry about glasses fogging up on me.

I like to be able to see what I am going to hit when I take a line on the hill.

 

[snowmobill]

Solved that many years ago with the Pro-Vue Goggles. Give them your script for distance and they insert a set of glass lenses into an inner lens that bolts inside the goggles. On my third pair in 12 years - work great. They even have snap on tints to get just the right color for the day. But in all the fresh and blowing we had, snow dust made the snap ons useless.

 

[christopher]

I started wearing contacts 3 years ago because I couldnt see any definition to what I was riding into. I wear glasses to drive with but rode without glasses for years. Finally got tired of trying to read the hill for climbing without being able to actually see it.
I broke down and started wearing contacts so I wouldnt have to worry about glasses fogging up on me.

I like to be able to see what I am going to hit when I take a line on the hill.

And has that helped with the FLAT LIGHT problem at all?

 

[christopher]

Solved that many years ago with the Pro-Vue Goggles. Give them your script for distance and they insert a set of glass lenses into an inner lens that bolts inside the goggles. On my third pair in 12 years - work great. They even have snap on tints to get just the right color for the day. But in all the fresh and blowing we had, snow dust made the snap ons useless.

Don't you run into extra fogging problems with the optical inserts?

 

[snowmobill]

Don't you run into extra fogging problems with the optical inserts?

Not at all. The lenses are placed into a piece of lens material that attach to the inside of the goggles (I'll try to get a pic later). The glasses are inside the helmet between the lens of the goggle and your face. There's about 1/4" air space between the goggle lenses and the glasses lens. You don't even know they're there. If I'm really sweating (like last week) they condense but I don't think anymore than regular goggles. The only other problem I've had is if you don't get a perfect seal, real fine snow dust will get between the glasses lens and the goggle lens and then the only fix is the heat them up. But just like most others, I carry a spare (which is my old script). They come with a fan unit as well but that's another story.

 

[christopher]

Sweet.
I wear glasses while driving, but thats about the only time I use them, especially at night on long drives.

But it couldn't hurt to have a little bit better vision on the trail if there was a simple solution.

 

[turbolover]

And has that helped with the FLAT LIGHT problem at all?

NOPE!!!
I just hang on and hope for the best in those conditions. I tone down the riding a little bit when I cant see what I'm hitting is all.

 

[christopher]

Dang.
I was hoping you were going to say YES!

 

[IF900RMK]

What's the latest up here, we have a cabin we are going up to this friday, saturday, and sunday and I am hoping there is still great snow conditions.

 

[Nodaker]

Just got back

We just got back from Island Park.
Trials were great, snow was pretty solid. It has definately set up from the warm temps.
It's that "go where you want" kind of snow. Nobody got stuck the whole time we were out there if that tell's you anything, and yes we were off trail more than on. If there's no new snow this week, things will be pretty tracked up in the more popular areas.
We did have fun though and did find deeper stuff to play in, just not any of that "over the hood" deep stuff.

Hope it snows for you, good luck.

ps. we stayed at The Pines, highly recommend the place, very nice.

 

[richracer1]

If I remember correctly during the local news last night that the weather forcast has snow in it for the "higher" elevations starting sometime today through Wednesday. But as mentioned above, it's spring time riding now. Lots of "Hero" snow.

 

[christopher]

HERO SNOW is the order of the day and probably for the rest of Spring now.

 

[christopher]

WAY BEYOND GOOD!!
+20 inches in the last couple days!!


D A T A R E P O R T
** Provisional data, subject to revision **
03/17/11

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Change In
Snow Water Snow Snow Water Change In
Site Name Date Time Equivalent Depth Equivalent Snow Depth
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLACK BEAR

03/15 0000 40.2 114.0 1.2 5.0
03/16 0000 41.3 119.0 1.1 5.0
03/17 0000 43.7 130.0 2.4 11.0

On top of Black Bear.

Snow Depth 130 inches

New Snow +11.0 inches

 

[jason leckner]

That is so sick.sick.wicked amazing oh boy oh boy. Im going to need theropy after this weekend ha ha bringing 5 down from helena.

 

[mold]

Just got back from Fish/Snow Creek area. Banner day till around 2 when the blizzard hit, didn't last long but put down another inch or two. Keep it up God, we will be riding till April.

 

[Idcatman3]

Must have been the whole town of Helena here today. We had 10 guys from there with us in Black Canyon. It was a pretty awesome day, still tons of snow!

 

[christopher]

Spent about 5 hours up on Black Canyon on Saturday.
Got up there to lightly overcast with little or no wind and played for about an hour or so, then the FRONT MOVED IN.

Jeez, it got ugly on top for a while.
Probably dropped down to less than 50ft vis, 20ft in hard blowing snow for a while there.

But the snow was GOOD.
Found plenty of 12-18 inch fresh powder to play in and had a AWESOME DAY's ride once we got off the top exposed portion of the mountain and down into the trees.

What a year.

Heading back up tomorrow with 2 brand new Supercharged Nytros that Yamaha was kind enough to drop off for test riding!