West Yellowstone trail advice

[flyinghigh]

Ok, the GF is going to come along. Going to rent a couple machines for a day and do the trails, looking for some flat open meadows along the way so I can get a little off trail powder in without having to worry about avalanches. She will stay on the trail the whole time so I have a backup just in case of breakdown or other unforeseen issues. She has always wanted to try sledding just to see if she might like it.

If anyone has any recommendations for the ride, feel free. Looking for some nice, wide, easy trails that would have some flat powder meadows right off the trail for me to play in a bit while she watches from the trail.

Just going to do 1 day, I know we are not in shape for more than that especially at the altitude being we are flatlanders.

Essentially looking to do the same thing as the OP.

Pinche...how many days did you ride and where did you rent from and stay?

 

[Pinchecharlie]

We stayed at the branding iron in town. Its nothing special but affordable. We only rode the two trails, south plateau trail and two top trail. Both are easy and have side action. Two top has the giant open spots you see on you tube. If there was a good snow it would be heaven. There's tons of trails so hopefully others chime in too. I add land park is less than an hour away too and has a lots of opportunities too.https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FS...FjAAegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw3lEJXTQn9CC-kgjWmupsOi

 

[Pinchecharlie]

Bad link sorry! Ism too dumb to do it!! So google-west Yellowstone snowmobile map and the forest service map will come up. A fter reading your post again i have to admit I really don't know very much about the trails. We've done Madison arm trail and black butte lookout trail. Those areas have no mountains at all. And they have tons of big open spots but they are pretty far from town if you wanna ride out there from town at least for us cause we are brand new and a twenty mile trips a long way for us lol. Seems that West of town going towards lionhead and Idaho should have a lot of flats? Guys who rent snowmobiles will know!! Hopefully other more experienced riders chime in with good rentals and accommodation, trail advice for you!! Think its a matter of what brand you wanna ride as far as who you call to rent. There are many who do it and many place to stay. I may say to not stay at branding iron but stay at one of the big new hotels that border park on the south side. They are nicer looking anyway. I wouldn't be afraid to ride any of the trails just maybe stay away from lionhead area until you know. To me west was like Sturgis for snowmobiles so its all set up for it as nd no one cares to much. We had guys right outside our door repairing their sleds till midnight lol! Wish I had a fleet of snowmobiles id come down and stoke you out. Maybe better to only have one new rider than three lol!!!

 

[flyinghigh]

Well, I am a polaris guy and just looking for flat deep powder. Doesn't have to be in the mountains, it can be to the north of town in the flats and that is just fine. I have have located the rental shop and motel for the trip, just need to confirm where I can find the powder without getting into the avalanche areas.

I recall the last time I was out riding hard at elevation that I woke up day 2 so tired and stiff that it was a bit of a waste. I seem to have made a note to myself to ride a day, take a break and then ride another day. How many days did you ride?

 

[Pinchecharlie]

Ha ha! Iam sore after each new ride! We went for three days. We live in Bozeman so we come into west Yellowstone from the north and we stopped at Madison arm trail on the way in. We rode up it and around in the flats and had lunch then rode back and trailered into west. Next day we rode from hotel up south plateau trail and tried going off trail on these little trails that are like a hiking trails that don't get groomed. It was deep snow and windy up down all around. It was hard for me cause my 7 yr old is in front of me holding onto mountain bar. Its fun though cause you gotta highside and give lots of throttle but one trail just dead ended and I had a pretty hard time getting both sleds u-turned in stomach deep snow. I tried my best wrong foot forward blip and lean doughnuts but ended up having to unstuck the sleds lol!! Just so you know I just bought snowmobiles this year and we've only ever rode maybe 4 times and less than 100 miles so we know Jack shi@!!! We ski and hunt so we feel pretty at ease being out there but I haven't taken any chances with a bad time . So that South plateau trail will go all the way to two top trail I believe and then that goes over the mountains to Idaho and island park. I really wouldn't worry about avalanche terrain until you got up high and then its very easy to avoid. Just so you know along the way of South plateau trail there where several big open spots. Not as big and flat as the lake area but big and flat . the next day we trailered up to the pass to Idaho near lionhead and we rode the very end of two top trail up towards the summit of two top mountain. It was something like 7-8 miles of groomed trail but it was twisty and turny and up and down. But it wasn't hard at all even for us newbies. We just cruise along about 15-25 mph and stay in control. At the top of the trail you enter a I would say 3 mile long valley of sorts. With two top ridge line on one side and rolling wooded hills on the other. The trail is still grommed but its just is a swath in the middle of a giant area. We where there two days after the snow so alot of it was "skiied out" so guys before us had the powder fields like the movies. we just cruised around by the tree line where it wasn't tracked and found two little hills that had fresh lines for us to try. This is not avalanche terrain at all. Now looking South west at the two top ridge line and the approach to the ridge , you could go and guys do just go up up up. Then you are in avalanche terrain. I saw some great lines up there but I couldn't get there even if I tried cause I got zero skills! I did set up a picnic and give one small hill a go that was probably 15-18° and deep and thought I'd just surf right on up and bang some trees into some parks above the open slope in route to ridge line and summit. I made it up all out of control and got really stuck at the top right before trees started . Then I was all sweaty and out of breath and had to go poop real bad! I trudged in the trees about to shi@ myself and sank up to my chin and had a bad wiggle fest and barley got it done before it went bad!!! Then I had my first experience of rolling a snowmobile over down something steepish and that didn't go great but finally I was able to do those beautiful carving turns back down! Yeah that wasn't the way it went lol! When I got back to the picnic my wife was rolling her eyes and laughing. She said it was pretty frickn ugly lol!! For some reason she's doing better than me and she thinks little windy trails are fun. She just kinda goes slow and surfs around and doesn't get stuck as much as me. Now the big flats I did better and its the first time I had full throttle too. So yeah you just need the snow and being there at the right time. The lake area way less snow but has so many giant areas to carve or do trees but there are hidden dangers. I hit some kinda big root or burl trying to miss a tree and even though it looked like I was missed the tree trunk I slammed into it under the snow and I broke my thumb and hand. So day two and three where painful as hell. So from town there's a trail that goes north along the Madison River and on the park border. That goes to flats and to the lake. You can head west out of town and then turn north on black butte trail that goes to the lake and flats. I think that the west end of town going towards lions head must have trails (we trailered) and its all open flats. I just don't know how far a guy can go because we have the little one and we aren't very confident in going fast. The speed limit is 45 so a guy could go a long way that didn't mind going fast on the trails. We are basically tourists with our own sleds so we suck. My wife really liked South plateau trail because she felt like it was like hiking? She liked two top meadows too but she's not used to the whole wot screaming snowmobile thing and guys are up there tearing it up so thats how it is. I'd say you can do anything there you want just don't go up high really. I just have it in my head that iam burandt and wanna go straight up and do tricks! Yahoo! Get up early and pack a good lunch and head out to the lake to the west and while you're going look over South and see for yourself how mellow it is. I wish I could give you a secret spot but I have no real clue!!! There are so many miles of riding i think it would take a lifetime! Check out the thread on here island park conditions. He has several mapped routes near by with pictures of the no tracks wilderness we all dream about. You'll have fun and I think the rental shop guys will turn you on to some secret spots!! Have fun and stay warm its a lot colder there than here!! You'll have a blast and there's hundreds of miles of riding near by to explore next trip!!!

 

[flyinghigh]

Thanks for the write up man....I think we will give it a go! Sounds like headed south out of town on the two top lower loop is probably a good place to start.

 

[flyinghigh]

The rental people are telling me there will not be any powder by the middle of March....is that accurate?

 

[BirdmanID]

Nobody can answer that with 100% accuracy. That said, ive ridden powder days in may.

 

[Pinchecharlie]

Yeah we have big storms in March but I tell ya nows the time. Like next week. We had an awful snow year and this next week with what we got last two weeks may be it for the year the way its been so warm. The old saying in Hawaii is- the surf waits for no man lol! Gotta go when its good or it may not be good!

 

[flyinghigh]

Thanks guys...will try to move the trip up.

 

[FL_NOLE]

Yeah we have big storms in March but I tell ya nows the time. Like next week. We had an awful snow year and this next week with what we got last two weeks may be it for the year the way its been so warm. The old saying in Hawaii is- the surf waits for no man lol! Gotta go when its good or it may not be good!

Appreciate the update. Going to be out there next week ( March 4-5) hoping the weather holds. Forecast looks decent between now and then.

 

[flyinghigh]

So we will be riding on Monday and Tuesday next week March 1 and 2...if anyone wants to go with we would welcome the company.

 

[Pinchecharlie]

Oh man I am at work! I'll be there for my ride Rasmussen style clinic this weekend woot woot! Gonna send it! Shi% love to make some new friends. Maybe I'll call in sick! Iam sending the snow gods a request for you guys. Fingers crossed!!!

 

[flyinghigh]

thanks man! you should stay over...we are getting into town Sat Night...lets connect!

 

[flyinghigh]

Leaving for in the morning...an updates on snow conditions out in West Yellowstone?

 

[Pinchecharlie]

Its been threatening here in bozeman for last two days but only a light dusting of snow and warm daytime temps. Were under a winter storm advisory now with a 60-80% chance of up to 6 inches tonight and advisory through Saturday night. So we may get lucky. I can't for the life of me find a site for west thats updated daily. Its been black that direction for two days but I dunno if they got anything or not? So fingers crossed for you! Could drive into 6-? Inches of new snow ? Iam hoping they got a few inches this week and this storm dumps a foot over the weekend. Fingers crossed and good ju ju sent to gods for snow and safe passage!! I'll call ya when you get here and if its better in island park we'll figure a way over there if we can.

 

[flyinghigh]

sounds good...west yellowstone or bust!

 

[MTsled3]

Its been threatening here in bozeman for last two days but only a light dusting of snow and warm daytime temps. Were under a winter storm advisory now with a 60-80% chance of up to 6 inches tonight and advisory through Saturday night. So we may get lucky. I can't for the life of me find a site for west thats updated daily. Its been black that direction for two days but I dunno if they got anything or not? So fingers crossed for you! Could drive into 6-? Inches of new snow ? Iam hoping they got a few inches this week and this storm dumps a foot over the weekend. Fingers crossed and good ju ju sent to gods for snow and safe passage!! I'll call ya when you get here and if its better in island park we'll figure a way over there if we can.

Snotel sites are the best way to keep an eye on snowfall. Here's an interactive map: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/porta...tiveDate=0&lat=44.6909&lon=-111.2639&zoom=9.6

Or you can look up individual snotel sites. The picture I attached is a screenshot of the ones in the Bozeman/ Big sky/ west Yellowstone area.

 

[flyinghigh]

got out a little early today trails are pretty trashed but we did get some decent powder up at 2 top just beat the heck out of us getting there and coming back hope for better tomorrow

 

[Pinchecharlie]

Yeah man! I got my as$ kicked bad in the ride clinic. Sorry I didn't get in touch. We rode up some gnarly trail yesterday and then did drills and rode all manner of hard terrain (for me) I can hardly walk today. In fact iam lying on ice right now. Theres alot of snow up lion head area but the trail (home-made lol) is pretty ridiculous and I dunno if I'd recommend it. I bet by the lake are stashes of meadows though cause when you find it its prettydeep and soft. Where we went before , Madison arm, I saw no tracks where we usually ride in? Sorry I couldn't help more!! Hope you still are having a good time anyways!