How Much Time Do We Have??

[Firetrail]

Hello:

I was on most of the trail system this week. The weather has turned very warm in typical Black Hills fashion for the end of Feb-Early March. In the mid to upper 40s the last few days and is supposed to stay warm. What a change from Sunday!! Snow is starting to get wet and losing some also. The warm weather is really hurting the snow around Big Hill and around Deerfield. Don't get me wrong. There is still large amounts of chest deep out there but the warm weather is chewing into it. This weekend should be very good yet and probably next weekend. Without cooling temps and some fresh snow anything after that is a little questionable. Trails will be groomed thru the 15th snow permitting. I would wager they will not make it that long or at least the trail system will shrink where we will lose ridable trails in the north, south and east. The areas around Trailshead will be the last holdouts.

 

[skidoo56]

Time left?

Fire Trail
Last night -12 high yesterday +1 here. I haven't rode my red Doo since i put the new crank seal in. I better get it out and tested then talk Bert and crew into a quick trip back before the snows gone. I think I know a few spots around trails head that will hold some snow.

 

[800DOO]

Firetrail: What direction from TrailsHead would you say is the best?

 

[Firetrail]

Hello:
Everything is still quite good. The most snow seems to be south of Mallo on trails 11,12,12A,13. East from Trailshead around Crooks Tower is also great. Do not get me wrong. The snow in the Hills is still excellent but when we get extended periods of warm weather up there it takes some serious hits. 40s and close to 50 for the next few days will make for great sweatshirt and light coat riding.

 

[800DOO]

Thanks for the advice:beer;

 

[jsledder]

The 15th?? I thought it was the end of the month?

We could still get a good dumping or 2 before it's over. The off trail riding on the north facing slopes should stay good for quite a while yet (or so I keep telling myself).

 

[bigtoyz]

Keep us posted planning on 1st weekend of March to come over.

Patrick

 

[Raff_9001M]

Found some waist deep snow on the slopes in Higgins Gulch today. Not bad riding at all.

 

[Firetrail]

The 15th?? I thought it was the end of the month?

We could still get a good dumping or 2 before it's over. The off trail riding on the north facing slopes should stay good for quite a while yet (or so I keep telling myself).

Grooming is pretty much over by the 15th. Last year we were done by the about the 1st. Grooming has a lot to do with the quality of the snow on the trails and the temp. Can't groom wet snow and in consistant temps much above 25-30. Most of the week it has been in the 40s at elevation. Today at Trailshead it was 55 degrees most of the afternoon and no cloud cover. The snowpack had to suffer some serious damage. We surely can and do get dumped on in mid March or even early April but the trails will most likely not be groomed. Snow that late melts away or gets slushy very fast in the Hills. I really think that without mother nature intervening and giving us much cooler temps and some significant snow the trail grooming and good offtrail riding will be done in 2 to 3 weeks.

 

[jsledder]

I was referring to when the trails officially close. I've seen many times when we've had a huge snowfall in March, but in a matter of a few days it can be gone just as fast as it came in. Don't care much about the grooming, but once the trails are "shut down" it's pretty much over for us out of towners that don't exactly know how to get around them to get to the snow that is there.

So your saying if we have plans on coming out next weekend that we might want to reconsider???

 

[Raff_9001M]

I was referring to when the trails officially close. I've seen many times when we've had a huge snowfall in March, but in a matter of a few days it can be gone just as fast as it came in. Don't care much about the grooming, but once the trails are "shut down" it's pretty much over for us out of towners that don't exactly know how to get around them to get to the snow that is there.

So your saying if we have plans on coming out next weekend that we might want to reconsider???

I believe the trails are officially closed on March 31. That is when the agreements that the Forest Service and/or state has with private land owners are done. (I think)

Supposed to snow Sunday night into Monday with several inches of snow in northern Black Hills. Next weekend might still be okay. Cooler temps than this week are predicted for next week as well.............at least for now

 

[Firetrail]

Hello:
Looks like some snow and cooler this weekend. Riders I am talking to are saying stuff like "still some great snow out there" and " definately not as good as last weekend" so it is a mixed bag. I would not cancel a trip for next weekend as you can still find good snow out there but we have been a bit spoiled. You just have to look a little. Getting stuck in deep stuff (as of yesterday) was still a pretty common occurance.

 

[Sledbrain2]

I rode fri and sat 21 & 22. Probably the best it gets for conditons. It was very warm on fri and toward the end of the day you would push snow into a big snow ball. We found some chest deep on both days. Sat it did not get as warm. If you like playing in medows and climbing hills it is very hard to feel confidient that you are not going to hit anything. There is so much out there that has not been touched for this reason. If they get a good dump it will be the very good because the snow is setting up and that should take much of the stumps out of play.

 

[cards07]

I hope the sno stays out there cuz me and some buds are going out the 1st week of march too

 

[prayinforsnow]

Hope the white stuff stays!!

It sounds like we may be making a run out there the 29-3? If anyone wants to get together and show us the good stuff it would be greatly appreciated! Firetrail how is the off trail holding up?? On the NOAA site it says there is a winter storm watch for more than 6" of snow in lead so Im hoping it will be much more up in the hills!! If you get a significant snow with this, along with the warmer temps in the last week, do you think the offtrail riding will have a good base to avoid hitting all the rocks and stumps? Also firetrail it sounds like you know your way around very well and would you possibly be interested in doing some riding with a group of guys from sioux falls?? let me know!

 

[Sturgis Sledder]

Current Conditions

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RAPID CITY SD
305 PM MST SUN FEB 24 2008
.A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL CROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND MONDAY...
BRINGING ACCUMULATING SNOWS TO MUCH OF NORTHEAST WYOMING AND
WESTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. THE HEAVIEST SNOWS ARE EXPECTED TO FALL
ACROSS THE NORTHERN BLACK HILLS AND WYOMING BLACK HILLS AREAS...
WHERE COLDER TEMPERATURES AND UPSLOPE ENHANCED SNOWFALL IS
EXPECTED.
MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION...CABLE
TV...OR THE INTERNET FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND WEATHER
INFORMATION.
SDZ024-WYZ057-250615-
/O.UPG.KUNR.WS.A.0002.080225T0100Z-080226T0100Z/
/O.NEW.KUNR.HS.W.0001.080225T0100Z-080226T0100Z/
NORTHERN BLACK HILLS-WYOMING BLACK HILLS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LEAD...DEADWOOD...SUNDANCE...
FOUR CORNERS
305 PM MST SUN FEB 24 2008
...HEAVY SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM
MST MONDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RAPID CITY HAS ISSUED A HEAVY
SNOW WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 PM
MST MONDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
RAIN AND SNOW WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE ACROSS THE NORTHERN BLACK
HILLS AND WYOMING BLACK HILLS BY EARLY THIS EVENING...CHANGING
QUICKLY TO ALL SNOW. THE HEAVIEST SNOWS WILL FALL FROM THIS
EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. EXPECTED SNOWFALL TOTALS BY
MONDAY AFTERNOON WILL RANGE FROM 4 TO 10 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHER
AMOUNTS ANTICIPATED FROM NORTH OF O`NEILL PASS TO THE LEAD AND
DEADWOOD AREA.
A HEAVY SNOW WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING.

 

[BoondockinDragon]

It's raining pretty good in Rapid right now, so I would think the snow is falling in the hills!!!!!!!!

 

[prayinforsnow]

looks like the forecasters nailed it again, said 4-10 and now it looks like 2-5? I suppose thats in Lead, does anyone know if they got any more than that up on the trails??

 

[Firetrail]

Hello:

I will be up on the trails for the next 3 days. Will post conditions then. Kinda looks like the NWS missed this one a little. It was raining in Spearfish last nite but snowed some overnight. Maybe an inch or 2. NWS cancelled the heavy snow warning as it appears that the bulk of this front went south of us. We will see when I get up there.