Grooming Report - Bear Valley/Murderers Creek 2/3/17

Report just in from Bill Prophet: FR 2180 to FR 21 (Murderers Cr), north to Billy Fields Campground (Fields Creek), turnaround groomed FR 21 to Izee Hwy at Gander Ranch.  Snow turned bad in afternoon Raining, 39 degrees F :-(

FR 31 - Bear Valley 1/19/17

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Location: Hwy 395 south to Co 63 west, 12 miles to FR 31 jct

Road & Trail Conditions: 395 hazardous in am; much improved by pm.  63 plowed, packed ice.

Snow Conditions: fr31 groomed tues, with 4-6" since.

Skis on & temperature: 10am  32

Skis off & temperature: 4:30pm 33

Distance: 11 miles; 800+' elevation

Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 9

Comments: with as much recent snow, finding groomed or snomo tracks is helpful.  even with groomed there was still 4-6" to break trail.  slightly warm temps made sno sticky, even with maxiglide before & during trip.  return in my tracks was much easier.

this is a lovely trip, all gentle climb at first & downhill on return. once at the top of ridge, flat for several miles, many open meadow areas, as 31 continues down toward FR 37.

can connect with snowshoe trail loop from 31; looked 2+' deep & no tracks when i went by

Snowshoe Trail - Bear Valley 12/11/16

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Location: Hwy 395 south to Co. 63 west 12+ miles

Road & Trail Conditions: 395 plowed with icy patches, Co 63 plowed & packed; FR 4920 from starr ridge campground has several ski tracks & sno looks good

Snow Conditions: 12" powder starting to form base, continued sno thruout day,

Skis on & temperature:  9:30am 29°

Skis off & temperature: 12:30pm  29°

Distance: 6 miles

Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 10+

Comments: allen taylor & i ventured out to the first run on his favorite trail in bear valley.

alternating blue skies:

and moderate sno. there is one hill in the first mile, 100 yds, a little steep, with todays deeper sno required some herring bone technique.

not too long, good conditioning, the remainder of trail basically flat to slight downhill:

we finished the loop going from fr31 to 63 & back to 014 as last section is not well marked & requires stream crossings.  will map this out in detail later.

there is also a side road, 650 at the highest point that leads out to a lovely lookout east toward south fork john day. passed on this today, too cloudy.

can access this trail from Co. 63 & fr 014 jct (easier to see fr 594 up to flagtail mtn. on other side of road) or down fr 31. easier to climb the elevation from 014.

there are some lovely aspen & pine stands along the creeks on the east side: