first time trip to west Ys island park area

[jtskir222]

Hello
My friend and i are coming from Vermont to yellowstone/island park area to ride our bikes.
we are looking for info on areas to ride and places to stay. Coming with a 42 ft trailer so parking could be a issue..
Even locals to ride with or guide service.
thanks in advance
mark

 

[pez]

Stay at ponds lodge and book lefty as a guide.


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[raleigh111]

IMHO Island park you end up on trails a lot to get to play areas unless you plan to trailer to drop off. The pines is nice but don t call ahead and book cabin. They always have a bunch open and you can deal on price when you get there. Had a bad experience there with booking but the cabins are nice.

 

[SteepNdeep450]

Tons of vacation rentals around that area, would be worth checking those options. There are a whole lot of trails there, any place in the area you can ride from but best to pick a place nearest your riding choices. I feel like staying around Sawtell or Island Park Lodge puts you closer to a lot of riding options. Lots of riding around Two Top or back by Jefferson, careful up there though. Avy conditions aren't ideal for this area lately so be smart and safe. Stop into High Mountain Adventures and buy your out of state snowmobile tags for the bikes and ask them for recommendations of riding areas.

 

[jtskir222]

Tons of vacation rentals around that area, would be worth checking those options. There are a whole lot of trails there, any place in the area you can ride from but best to pick a place nearest your riding choices. I feel like staying around Sawtell or Island Park Lodge puts you closer to a lot of riding options. Lots of riding around Two Top or back by Jefferson, careful up there though. Avy conditions aren't ideal for this area lately so be smart and safe. Stop into High Mountain Adventures and buy your out of state snowmobile tags for the bikes and ask them for recommendations of riding areas.

thanks for the advice. whats the best area for the snow bikes? lot's of places are booking up since its a 3 day weekend. Whats the cost on the pass? we will be there for about 10 days. We both have bikes and sleds

thanks

 

[jtskir222]

Stay at ponds lodge and book lefty as a guide.


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areas for snowbiking near by? able to ride to area?
thanks

 

[pez]

areas for snowbiking near by? able to ride to area?
thanks

Ask me Wednesday. I fly in tomorrow. I have a snowbike with me. Will be my first time in that area. Will probably just trailer to the trail head


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[raleigh111]

areas for snowbiking near by? able to ride to area?
thanks

We have had good luck off black canyon trail, there are some good places to drop in off that..

 

[SteepNdeep450]

thanks for the advice. whats the best area for the snow bikes? lot's of places are booking up since its a 3 day weekend. Whats the cost on the pass? we will be there for about 10 days. We both have bikes and sleds

thanks

32.50 a piece

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

we sno bike the area for a couple of days every spring. where you go is often weather depended. In the spring with fresh snow:

Reynolds Pass, west of the top of the pass open area, some tree riding, generally level terrain with some hills to climb.
Longer days and a trailer , go to the

West Fork of the Madison destination Black Butte area. Unlimited riding, you can't carry enough gas to see it on a bike, if you don't have fresh snow middle of the week to minimize the wooped sled trail and can beat the sleds, go towards Ennis and go in at Johnny Ridge /the Mine.

Carrot Basin, sometimes dicey icey trail to get to the riding, again new snow in the morning all good. Great one day area.

Groomed trails in the Island Park area getting to the woods ok most times on the bike, but when you head back into the steep and deep the trails are often flat miserable woooped un ridable snow bike country. We often stay in Island, but rarely ride there.

 

[nailpounder]

Hit me up I have two nice vacation rentals in prime riding country (we bought them specifically to ride). If you rent from us I will get you dialed in where to go. I ride there 15-20 days a year for the last ten years.

 

[mumur]

We were up Taylor Fork to the Sage Basin (bit north of West Yellowstone) on Sunday. Almost no snowpack till we got up to right before the basins, but once we were up there it was a bunch of chest deep great riding (low vis though the day we went). I really need to get an engine blanket set up, I couldn't keep temps up in that much deep, would drop from 180 to 80 in a few minutes.

Be avvy aware when you're out and try to stay away from the steep stuff right now. Snowpack in the whole Southern Madison area is wonky right now, it has dumped several feet over the last few weeks on top of a few big slabby layers that were all sitting on some nasty depth hoar. Potential for really big avalanches right now.

edit: added a map of where the playgrounds are so you don't get yourselves into nasty stuff unintentionally.

 

[needpowder]

we sno bike the area for a couple of days every spring. where you go is often weather depended. In the spring with fresh snow:

Reynolds Pass, west of the top of the pass open area, some tree riding, generally level terrain with some hills to climb.
Longer days and a trailer , go to the

West Fork of the Madison destination Black Butte area. Unlimited riding, you can't carry enough gas to see it on a bike, if you don't have fresh snow middle of the week to minimize the wooped sled trail and can beat the sleds, go towards Ennis and go in at Johnny Ridge /the Mine.

Carrot Basin, sometimes dicey icey trail to get to the riding, again new snow in the morning all good. Great one day area.

Groomed trails in the Island Park area getting to the woods ok most times on the bike, but when you head back into the steep and deep the trails are often flat miserable woooped un ridable snow bike country. We often stay in Island, but rarely ride there.

hah. I have found a few decent things there but i agree. Keep driving. Cooke city is not that much further!

 

[jtskir222]

I had a great time riding around island park .I stayed at the sawtelle. found some great areas.
I ended up taking the tss off and just using the fix strut on my riot.(figured to feel it out that way first since its my first ride on it. )
I played around with the settings. never was able to get a wheelie mode ..
But it did really well in the deep powder and climbing .
the bike is plain scary on hard pack trail . my friends camso kit is mush easier to handle on a hard pack. but i under stand they are for the deep stuff .
Would like to try some gearing options. i'm on a 16 xcw 500 13 counter shaft and stock riot. Any thoughts?
5 days of riding and a total of 5 days driving.
I'll take the ride over the drive. way home was rough.. and we were sore...
vermont still no snow.... just hope maine gets enough to go ride it again .

 

[christopher]

I had a great time riding around island park .I stayed at the sawtelle. found some great areas.
I ended up taking the tss off and just using the fix strut on my riot.(figured to feel it out that way first since its my first ride on it. )
I played around with the settings. never was able to get a wheelie mode ..
But it did really well in the deep powder and climbing .
the bike is plain scary on hard pack trail . my friends camso kit is mush easier to handle on a hard pack. but i under stand they are for the deep stuff .
Would like to try some gearing options. i'm on a 16 xcw 500 13 counter shaft and stock riot. Any thoughts?
5 days of riding and a total of 5 days driving.
I'll take the ride over the drive. way home was rough.. and we were sore...
vermont still no snow.... just hope maine gets enough to go ride it again .

Glad to hear you landed at a good snow time for Island Park!

 

[zippymt]

I have rode that area for many years on sleds and currently just started snowbiking. Looking back at were I would take the bike to stay off the trails. #1 at the end of Kilgore Rd. On the north side is an area called blue cr. This is the south side of Jefferson. Stay out of the chutes and it will be good.
#2 lions head. Follow same advice.
Both are big avy areas up high

 

[CATSLEDMAN1]

AS for the trail riding on your RIOT, key settings are your strut length and preload on your front shock. Any setting that puts more weight on the ski makes for skiddish trail handling. I am on the same bike same kit. I run my solid strut as long as I dare to make a better go through the snow bike. Last weekend I was tending some tenderfoots and had time to fiddle with my setting, two turns tighter on my front shock was a lot steadier and more relaxed riding in 6th on packed sled track. Then I let a couple of lbs of air out of my front fork......... a little nicer yet.