GOLD CREEK/LOWER BLACKFOOT EAST OF MISSOULA

[CATSLEDMAN1]

OK, THIS IS LOLO PASS ON 11/11, A TEAASER, THIS MUCH SNOW UP HIGH near Mineral peak, but not reasonable to get there yet in Gold creek.

So far snow, then warm weather and sunshine. Stewart Peak and North Fork of Joko have been 2' to 3' ft then settled all week.

Last Wed 11/14 cutting snowmobile trails out in the area, it was warm and soft snow. To soft for any ride up in the Shoo Fly area.

Sunday 11/18 cold nights and cutting out downed trees in the area, snow was rock hard and you could have ridden from the "USFS boundary up to Mineral Mtn lookout carefully. I haven't trimmed on that area yet this year, could be some down fall, I haven't been up that road since Sept. motorcycle ride.

With some snow this coming weekend, and hunters clearing out, maybe some riding coming up.

[CATSLEDMAN1]

still trying to figure out how to add normal pictures to SNOWEST post now that the new improved edition of software has not yet been modified to be as good as the old software, hope they let that contract soon.

[CATSLEDMAN1]

back to Mineral Mtn roadway to cut out more junk in the road. The thanksgiving eve snow put down about 6 dense inches down low, and more as you pick up elevation, not as much as the LoloPass/Elk meadows we rode in on Sat the 24th, but getting there. Now that the hunters are gone, you could ride to the lookout on the Mineral Mtn road, drive to where the road enters USFS and leaves the old low elevation logging areas, unload there, pickup with sledbeds, tough to drag a trailer through that much snow.

No hunters in sight, two big old cows looking like camels watching me start my chain saw, then they drifted down below the road before I could get my phone out for a picture.

[CATSLEDMAN1]

[IMG]dec 1 above shoofly resized[/IMG]We drove up Gold Creek main road and took the Mineral Mtn road, skimpy snow lots of elk tracks and wolf tracks, we drove to where the road leaves the open old clear cuts and Nature Conservancy land, to your right you are looking North into the West Fork, follow the pickup tracks until you have to turn around.

The snow at this point is about 12-15", solid hard crusty, there had been maybe 20" of snow here that has melted and snowed/melted and snow.

Unloaded our bike, we had driven up out of the valley fog inversion and were in brilliant sunshine, 25 degrees. Rode to Shoo fly meadows overlook where the first picture was taken , staying on the road, no rocks or crud. Dense snow, good base. The snow a week ago knocked down a lot of trees. We rode around them and boondocked along the road to the saddle just below the lookout, the lookout knob was up in the fog, so we didn't climb the rock face.

Now we have to back with the chain saws and cut some ugly out of the road, a dozen trees down where you can't go around them on a sled in these conditions. So if you go, take a saw and cut them out.

[CATSLEDMAN1]

back up Gold Creek via the Mineal Mtn Lookout road to cut out trails in this general area.

No snow in the last week. So sad !

However it was nice sunny day and Dan and I:

cut out the trail out the backside of Shoofly meadows to 513 junction

cut out the old roadway down into Shoofly meadow, stay within the upright posts for the next month and be cautious, there is junk down there but safe at low speeds now.

cut out 513 from Shoofly to first top clear cuts that folks play in and play down to big open clearcuts and the big climb clearcut.

cut out Mineral Mtn road as far as Cliff's trail, some big trees down beyond that that need to go for sleds to pass, we just ran out of time.

generally trimmed a lot of dangerous stabs along all the trails that want to spear careless riders.

Fun day, but now we need sum sno.

[xyzyx00]

Originally Posted by CATSLEDMAN1

back up Gold Creek via the Mineal Mtn Lookout road to cut out trails in this general area.

No snow in the last week. So sad !

However it was nice sunny day and Dan and I:

cut out the trail out the backside of Shoofly meadows to 513 junction

cut out the old roadway down into Shoofly meadow, stay within the upright posts for the next month and be cautious, there is junk down there but safe at low speeds now.

cut out 513 from Shoofly to first top clear cuts that folks play in and play down to big open clearcuts and the big climb clearcut.

cut out Mineral Mtn road as far as Cliff's trail, some big trees down beyond that that need to go for sleds to pass, we just ran out of time.

generally trimmed a lot of dangerous stabs along all the trails that want to spear careless riders.

Fun day, but now we need sum sno.

appreciate your hard work!

[CATSLEDMAN1]

all three sno tel sights I watch to judge the weeks snow fall, all have pickded up a foot to 18". I'll drive up on Fri pm to see how low there is usable snow.
Going to be good up high.

[CATSLEDMAN1]

NO epic snowfall in the area, but things starting to fill out. New snow and quite a bit of wind up high, so bumpy SHOO FLY meadows is leveled right out.
You can safely ride from the main road up Mineral Mtn road.
We spent two days tuning and working the bugs out of a couple of family sleds and towning out a blown snowbike so we never really covered that much of the area, but safe to say the higher you go the better the snow.

Still too thin on snow to ride the West fork except road ride. Last two days though just steady light snow so conditons will change pretty fast because there is a fair base.

[CATSLEDMAN1]

Sat


Dec 29 new snow but not as much as I expected. Road plowed to a mile below the mineral mtn turn, we drove to the Mineral Mtn turnoff and you could pull a trailer to there and turn around ok. Maybe no big 4 place. some sled came up the road from the hiway with scratchers no problem.

trail to Mineral mtn lookout lots of snow, we did go off through the trees in the area with caution, not quite boondocking up there.

We had not been in The West Fork area all year, so decided just to take a road ride and look around. We were suprised at the amount of snow when we were in the back area where the walking trail to Boulder lake takes off, still no cross county riding, but check picture, good base and new snow.