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awesome leaving tomorrow! thanks for the videos
2014/15 Snowy Range snow conditions
- Thread starter Himark
- Start date
Worried the stuff will be hard by the weekend with the warm temps this week.
V
Snow was soft today, probably bumper deep. Really started to set up by the end of the day though and starting to get a crust over the top. If you stick to the trees and know where to look, it's great. But 90% of the open areas is wind blown from yesterday and not the best.
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If you're going to the Snowies this year, be sure you know your way around, because the trails aren't marked worth a crap. NO trail has absolutely no markings on it at all, none of the intersections that we came to had the trail maps posted, and several of the other trails had no letter indication telling you which trail you were on. I've been going there for about 10 years and I've never seen it this bad. Anybody know the story?
V
Guess we didn't notice it was bad at all jorgy. All the intersections we went by had trail markings, and the ones that had maps before had maps still. The trails were marked as I always remember. Of course we don't really follow the trails much, otherwise we'd go to the UP
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So you didn't follow the trails but you saw the maps and the markers? All I know is, NO did not have one single post, marker, flag, paint mark, NOTHING. I don't care if you ride the trail or not, somebody's paid to take care of this, I assume, and it isn't getting done.
Anyone tell me if its worth coming out west 11 hrs next weekend? The temps look very warm and want good riding if we drive that far. Can anyone help me if its worth the drive or postpone the trip?
I've ridden the Snowies for many years....I couldn't tell you what trail is which. I've got my GPS and I know my way around, screw the trails. LOL
I rode up there today. REALLY unusual warm temperature. We unloaded around 10-1030 and it was almost 40 deg. The snow is like April snow....there's a crust layer about 10" down, below that is sugar snow (in the trees). The top layer was like spring mashed potatoes....strangest beginning of January I've ever seen. Need more snow and colder temps....and less WIND!!
Just talked to guys from our group that were up today. They searched and stayed in the trees all day. Managed to get stuck a few times due to the CRUST and then fluff underneath but said every where had pretty much set up. They were breaking in new sleds and said they still had a blast.
The markings on NO have been getting more and more sparse over the last few years. I think they're running low on the marker poles.
And I don't think anybody is paid to mark the trails. I'm pretty sure the marking/grooming is mostly volunteer. I know I'd volunteer to run the groomer if I lived up there! Calling NO a trail is a bit of a stretch anyway, since it isn't groomed.
I'm heading somewhere this weekend... Snowies or up Cameron Pass/Rabbit Ears... ??? (From Longmont)
<Edit> Looks like RE/Cameron is still crap. Snowies it is!!
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Short answer, YES. The wind looks like it played hell on the northwest side. Lots of creek beds showing through with the ground visible under the water. Plenty of holes to find if you don't watch where you are going. As for rocks, the wind must have been brutal up there, as there are many boulders and rocks showing through in the middle of the open areas. We stayed clear of those areas, and I never tapped anything. Stay in the trees, that's your best bet. There was enough traction to pull some pretty amazing lines. I didn't get stuck once, but my partner found himself buried twice ('15 Viper 153 with turbo...)
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Seven of us just got home. We rode Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The snow was hard and I feel most places have a good base setup especially in the trees. All of the hills are hero snow and easy to climb although some do have a soft on top to them. We rode on top of the mountain and followed it around and had decent snow and then rode all the way around the mountain, and then we also went west. The west was the best snow, it had about 3" of soft on top and then hard. None of us hit any rocks really, but they are there you sometime feel them under a carbide. We had a great time, it was 35-40 degrees each day and bluebirds. the barrels and the widow make are junk and wind burnt, and have exposed rocks all over.
Libby flats looks treacherous off the trail as we could see many rocks to both sides of the trail.
However the lack of any POW whatsoever did dampen the trip. If I had any more than a 2 hr drive I would stay home and wait until it snows.
The trails were in excellent condition. my sled has the full doo prefilter kit and cable scratchers and never once got hot.
Lastly, we made the decision to mistakenly check out 7 fools. well us 7 fools had a hayday down there, the north side of that hill had an avy break before we were there. we found our way out of there, but thats another story.
In conclusion, we all had new sleds, no wrecks, got 250 miles on in three days, and rode snowmobiles, so it was well worth the trip. If you get stuck it is a ton of work because the snow is packed in tight.
Brett
Libby flats looks treacherous off the trail as we could see many rocks to both sides of the trail.
However the lack of any POW whatsoever did dampen the trip. If I had any more than a 2 hr drive I would stay home and wait until it snows.
The trails were in excellent condition. my sled has the full doo prefilter kit and cable scratchers and never once got hot.
Lastly, we made the decision to mistakenly check out 7 fools. well us 7 fools had a hayday down there, the north side of that hill had an avy break before we were there. we found our way out of there, but thats another story.
In conclusion, we all had new sleds, no wrecks, got 250 miles on in three days, and rode snowmobiles, so it was well worth the trip. If you get stuck it is a ton of work because the snow is packed in tight.
Brett
X
Somehow I gave u A thumbs down. That was not my intention
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