Island Park / West Yellowstone Riding Conditions for 2023-2024

[TurboSportTSi]

Lesson learned: look up the grooming schedule before deciding where to ride.

@christopher, I don't know how you do it (assuming you take the same route), but the trail from Big Springs to N Black Canyon was pretty brutal and hadn't been groomed in a week.

We had no energy left once we got to places that looked interesting to explore off-trail, especially with newer riders in super deep snow. If only we were good enough to take the power line cut, it would save a ton of time & energy. Looks pretty darn steep in spots!

It sounds like Two Tops and Reas Pass, among others, get groomed daily, for the most part. I will plan better next time, but it was good to get back out on the sled after nearly a year, see a bit of the area, and get my brother-in-law some experience (Sat & Sun were his 2nd and 3rd rides ever).

 

[BU1]

Just got back from West/IP. Some trails pretty good. Many nearly unrideable unless you like standing and pounding over moguls for miles. So,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, is this Idaho grooming site accurate??? Or are they that lax on reporting??

TRAIL	GROOMED
Baker Draw	03/01/24
Big Springs Loop	02/14/24
Black Canyon	02/27/24
Cave Falls	02/11/24	– Idaho’s own corner of Yellowstone National Park
Chick Creek	02/21/24
Eccles	02/23/24
Fish Creek, Upper	03/01/24
Fish Creek, Lower	02/20/24
Flagg Ranch
Green Canyon	02/06/24
Henry’s Lake Flat	02/29/24
Highway 47 Mesa Falls Scenic Byway	02/24/24	You cannot drive to Mesa Falls in a vehicle via Bear Gulch!
Island Park Business Loop	03/01/24	Island park village to last chance
Lakeside	02/29/24
Lower Centennial	02/06/24
Meadow Creek	03/01/24
Railroad	02/27/24
Rea’s Pass	03/01/24
Robinson Creek	02/20/24
Sawtelle	02/22/24
Stamps Meadows	02/29/24
Two Top/Twin Creek	03/01/24
Warm River	02/23/24
Warm River Campground	02/23/24

 

[BU1]

Where is the edit button to add info to a post???? Is Idaho not reporting grooming, or are there really many trails that haven't seen a groomer for weeks??

 

[TurboSportTSi]

Where is the edit button to add info to a post???? Is Idaho not reporting grooming, or are there really many trails that haven't seen a groomer for weeks??

Should be in the lower left hand corner of your post, like this:

 

[christopher]

ABOUT GROOMING IN ISLAND PARK.
This is a MAJOR FREAKING ISSUE right now.
This season has seen some of the WORST GROOMING most people remember.
Tonight was supposed to be a major open to the public meeting on the state of grooming in IP.
Meeting was canceled.
But one of the people who is in the know, told me this.


The challenge, we have been told, has been out of their control.
Just an FYI, the December 2023 delivery date for the new groomer is now rumored to be April, 2024.
Or, why seriously needed tracks, for a more experienced groomer, have been out of stock for a year.
One might say a manufacturer really let us down.
So, instead of having 5 groomers on the ground nightly, Fremont has been limited to working with 3. Poorly maintained or under equipped?

 

[christopher]

Where is the edit button to add info to a post???? Is Idaho not reporting grooming, or are there really many trails that haven't seen a groomer for weeks??

You need to upgrade your membership to turn on ALL of the advanced forum features.

 

[TurboSportTSi]

ABOUT GROOMING IN ISLAND PARK.
This is a MAJOR FREAKING ISSUE right now.
This season has seen some of the WORST GROOMING most people remember.
Tonight was supposed to be a major open to the public meeting on the state of grooming in IP.
Meeting was canceled.
But one of the people who is in the know, told me this.


The challenge, we have been told, has been out of their control.
Just an FYI, the December 2023 delivery date for the new groomer is now rumored to be April, 2024.
Or, why seriously needed tracks, for a more experienced groomer, have been out of stock for a year.
One might say a manufacturer really let us down.
So, instead of having 5 groomers on the ground nightly, Fremont has been limited to working with 3. Poorly maintained or under equipped?

Copy that! Thanks for the insight and glad to know it's not normal. What we experienced makes sense, especially given that we had no idea that this weekend was a Klim event in IP. Tons of additional traffic.

 

[christopher]

Copy that! Thanks for the insight and glad to know it's not normal. What we experienced makes sense, especially given that we had no idea that this weekend was a Klim event in IP. Tons of additional traffic.

Ya
I have been raising some complaints online that got some attention and that was the reply that came back.
Down 40% on groomers this season WOULD wreak HAVOCK with trying to keep up on SO MANY TRAILS.
Makes a whole lot more sense to me now.

 

[christopher]

Lesson learned: look up the grooming schedule before deciding where to ride.

@christopher, I don't know how you do it (assuming you take the same route), but the trail from Big Springs to N Black Canyon was pretty brutal and hadn't been groomed in a week.

We had no energy left once we got to places that looked interesting to explore off-trail, especially with newer riders in super deep snow. If only we were good enough to take the power line cut, it would save a ton of time & energy. Looks pretty darn steep in spots!

Rode that trail and took 9 guys from Fargo ND on a bit of a tour on Friday.
It was a bit rough, but I suppose I am just used to it being that way this year.
Its simply been a HARD YEAR for the groomers so far as I can tell.
Hopefully this is a TEMPORARY SITUATION that will be resolved with two new groomers shortly.

 

[IDspud]

You took BJ out Friday?

 

[BU1]

Should be in the lower left hand corner of your post, like this:


View attachment 417289

My page does not show the edit or delete buttons.

 

[Pinchecharlie]

As a newer rider, I just do not understand how the whoops even happen and man are they frigan hard to ride sometimes! I must admit I do not care for that trail at all lol. We’re just as bad north of you and bonus dory and rocks at the bottom lol. Part of it ? How does the physics work ? Do t get it but as soon as you get a little speed and come around a corner it super cross/chiropractic time!

 

[IDspud]

Same way washboards on a gravel road develop.

 

[inspectorgadget]

Hitting the power in the trough to maintain the momentum to continue travel. Unless your sled (and the rider) is capable of the speed required to ride the peaks, the bigger the moguls get, the worse they get. They just make us exit the trail earlier to get into the backcountry. I have spent multiple rides back to the cabin in complete muscle exhaustion after a day on the sled.

Coronamania sure did a number on manufacturing.

 

[IDspud]

There is no trough to begin with…..

That’s how they get worse.
They still develop when the groups stay consistent in the throttle, but exaggerate where slowing and speeding up occurs naturally just like gravel roads.

They develop through compaction and dispersion of material of different moisture levels as weight is applied.

 

[christopher]

There is no trough to begin with…..

That’s how they get worse.
They still develop when the groups stay consistent in the throttle, but exaggerate where slowing and speeding up occurs naturally just like gravel roads.

They develop through compaction and dispersion of material of different moisture levels as weight is applied.

BINGO
There is simply NO WAY for snowmobiles to travel across snow and NOT develop "Ripples".
1-2 sleds can get away with it.
But with any group, or with many repeated transitions over snow you will get the ripples.

The ONLY way to counteract that is with REGULAR AGGRESSIVE GROOMING.

And Island Park has had some serious groomer issues this year.

 

[christopher]

Monday, March 3rd, Snow Report..

 

[christopher]

Monday, March 3rd, Snow Report..
ADDENDUM: Today was Good to begin with, but it got MUCH BETTER as the day wore on!!!

 

[BU1]

The ONLY way to counteract that is with REGULAR AGGRESSIVE GROOMING.

And Island Park has had some serious groomer issues this year.

Wish there was a way to get a rebate on my Idaho permit this year. Nearly twice the price of the Montana tag and far poorer trail conditions. With no groomers running the grooming account must be flush with cash.

 

[IDspud]

Christopher, was your Fargo the ones BJ hosted?