Christmas Ski - Summit Prairie - FR 16 12/25/17

fr 16 & 1651 jct looking west; tire tracks with 1-2" powder

Location: Co. 62 rd from prairie city south to FR 16 jct.

Road & Trail Conditions: packed snow & ice. not plowed to summit.  4-8"

Snow Conditions: 1-3" base; 4-12" fresh powder on top

Skis on & temperature: 11am 26 degrees

Skis off & temperature: 2pm 32 degrees; occasional wind dropped 15 degrees

Distance: 7 miles

Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 10

Comments:

beautiful day, blue skies, sunny. lots of fresh powder.

started out down 16 S., got too deep breaking trail 8-12". backtracked & headed west on 16.

no grooming, a few tire tracks. two snomos passed me heading west as i was returning east on 16.  looks like they started at huddleston, came down 153, a ways down 16 S & then back to 16 west to logan valley.  there are some older & newer tracks to follow.

outside the tracks, it is 8-12" of breaking trail.

kona in the deep stuff

 i don't mind skiing in tracks.

16 west is flat for about 3 miles (jct 1651) then 3 miles of rolling hills into logan valley, returning to flat.

 

Windy Skylline Ridge FR 101 - 3/30/17

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Location: Co. 62 to Summit 101-125-skyline ridge

Road & Trail Conditions: 62 icy going up, clear going down

Snow Conditions: 3-4" new overnite over 3' solid base

Skis on & temperature: 12:30pm  27°    (JD 36° )

Skis off & temperature: 5:30 pm 30°  (JD 42° )

Distance: 12+ miles, 1600' elevation

Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 8 for wind & ice on ridge

Comments: windchill was intense for whole trip, 20mph consistent, regular gusts 30-35, peak gusts at 50. kept temps. at 10-15 at lowest, 20 consistent.  headwind forced kick on downhill.  tailwind pushed me uphill, double poling. kind of crazy.

lots of tree debris blow down.  rock ski season.

first time i considered returning home.  in 4 winters, haven't seen this kind of wind up there.

where wind swept new powder away was pretty icy.  some of the descent on 125 was difficult.

101 had some sweet powder.  125 started getting crusty.  ridgeline alternated powder with firm ice.  tough to move thru.  in a rare wise moment, decided to skip going down east slope & backtrack.

still looking for a loop to jump off ridge & come in on 101 before skyline trailhead.  getting thru the trees is the challenge.

Sheep Mtn. - off trail - 3/2/17

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Location: Co. 62 to huddelston snopark

Road & Trail Conditions: 62 mostly clear, patchy ice in shade. 1665 groomed 1/4 mile, then 6" powder over 4' firm base. some crust on top = breaking trail

Snow Conditions: several thaw & refreezes makes a little crusty depending on elevation, sun exposure & time of day.

Skis on & temperature: 9am  31°

Skis off & temperature: 6 pm  36°

Distance: 14 miles +/-

Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 8 (-2 for crusty sno)

Comments: another offtrail adventure.  sno was marginal.  got up to explore new area for future trips.
from ridgeline saw 4 snomos take off south on fr 14. didn't see or hear them rest of day.

met sean at the snopark, an rn at burns hospital, his wife is the d.o. family doc there. skied together & learned a lot about telemarking.  the gear he had is what i've been lusting after. great connection, even if the sno wasn't premium. you may see him around here.

Skyline Trail - Huddleston - off trail 2/23/17

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Location: Co. 62 to summit; FR 101 west

Road & Trail Conditions:  Co. 62 bare to forest, plowed with variable clear, thin ice, powder over both

Snow Conditions: solid base, 4-8" new powder

Skis on & temperature: 8am 20°  (JD 28° )

Skis off & temperature: 5:30pm 19° (JD 32° )

Distance: 12 miles

Rating (1-10; 10 awesome):  10

Comments: there's a lot of great powder out there.  starr ridge looks a little thin & wet.  summit prairie is great.  hasn't been any grooming & saw no snomo tracks.  means breaking trail thru powder - i love it.

another of my off trail adventures. tough climb thru trees & then switchbacking up slope.  there is an easier way up to this ridgeline (101 to 125).  decided to go straight up for fun.  one tired puppy getting up there.  great downhill thru powder & trees on the way back. even with gps & maps, lost some of the marked roads on return. don't necessarily recommend this exact route.

winds were intense all day: 20mpg sustained, 35 mph gusts. windchill varied from 0-10. snow squalls every hour. happy for ski goggles & balaclava. shortened segment along ridge due to headwind.  at top sno is deep & beautiful:

Summit Rock: 16-1660 revisted 12/25/16

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Location: Co. 62 to FR 16 Summit Prairie.  FR 16 south, at summit 600 east...630...1660 uphill to Summit Rock; backtrack down 1660 to 16 & start

Road & Trail Conditions: AM; Hwy 26 patchy sno  & ice PM mostly clear; Co. 62 plowed packed sno & ice, more ice at lower elevation

Snow Conditions: almost 3' base, 3-12" new over previous grooming

Skis on & temperature: 10am 18° (JD 25° )

Skis off & temperature: 4:30pm 0° (PC 10° ; JD 17° )

Distance: 14 miles;  elevation 1600+

elevation chart:

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Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 10 (of course)

Comments: lovely start of day: blue skies & sunny with an east wind blowing lazy sno flurries.  ahhhh.....

limited ski options today. 6-12" new sno since last grooming made many trails too deep.  surprisingly, not many snomo tracks since then either.  followed some from fri or sat. with new sno on top.  saw no one today.

started out on the same course as 12/22, south on 16 as it was into the sun & there was one clean, flat snomo track with 1-2" powder on top. the only other option looked to be the 16 west into logan valley. had several snomo tracks with lots of crossing chop. also in the shade.

temp. wasn't too cold, occasional brisk east wind dropped windchill fast +/- 0.  wore most of my layers & first day for balaclava:

found it very useful, especially at end of day, sun down, shadows, wind & downhill.  broke out heated mitts for second time as fingertips were getting pretty cold.

more sno than thurs., breaking trail slows things down; no herringbone needed on top of 630:

 1660 downhill on thurs. was 15mph; today 7.  i like slower.

this is a day where you follow whoever was kind enough to lay some tracks down.  the first set on  600-630 ended 1 mile short of the 1660.  broke trail for that mile & found more tracks both up & down 1660. at summit rock, no tracks down 1665 to huddleston, so backtracked.

went up for the view & some pics:

Graham Mtn.

summit prairie FR 16 west into logan valley

l-r strawberry to graham mtns.

Strawberry mtn. - se face

above treeline wind can easily cover over groom or tracks:

Solstice Ski - Summit Prairie FR16 -600...1660 etc. Loop 12/22/16

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Location: Co. 62 to FR 16 Summit Prairie.  FR 16 south, at summit 600 east...630...1660 north...625...598 west 135 south back to start

Road & Trail Conditions: Hwy 26 finally clear. Co.62 clear to forest boundary then packed ice. snoplow & gravel truck working as i went up

Snow Conditions: 2'+' base

Skis on & temperature: 9:30 0° (JD 14° )

Skis off & temperature: 2:30 20° (PC 24° JD 27° )

Distance: 12+ miles; 1500'

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

Comments:  another fabulous day skiing grant county!  blue & sunny & cold to begin, clouds moved in mid morning with warming, finished with blue & sun.

this is starting to feel like my own private ski resort. fresh untouched groomed trails, several days old groomed with 1"+ powder. no snomobiles. very gratitude.

FR 16 south summit. snomo tracks to right along 16; older groomed with 1" powder along 606 to left

this is a lovely loop, that can be modified into smaller segments taking the 1660 back to 16.  the elevation climb is easy except for some herring bone technique for 50+ yds. at the peak of the 630:

the payoff for the elevation work is a zippy, long & fun downhill run along the 1660.  today had 1"+ of powder on older groomed.  wide road, easy curves. 15mph, only wobbled a few times; no crash & burn.  great downhill control practice.

a few down trees, probably will be removed shortly. 2 on the 598 easy to get around. one on the 625:

no way around on skis. be careful stepping into drifts & off road.  easily went up to knees & higher.

please take care going fast downhill around blind curves.  came up on this turning downhill, from 625 to 598: shaded, icy & around a curve.

here is a sight i haven't seen:

the 135 from huddleston to 16, untouched by snomo tracks, flat smooth, fun.  this is usually pretty chewed up & choppy.

FR 16 west into logan valley has been groomed with tracks on top:

snack break & map check on the 625

Summit & Wickiup Creeks - FR 1651, 1410 etc. 12/18/16

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Location: Co 62 to Summit Prairie.  FR 16 west to 1651 south to 1410 east to 368 to 1410 to 14 north 16 north back to summit prairie

Road & Trail Conditions: Hwy 26 worst in shaded curves east of JD. Co. 62 plowed, packed, blowing sno

Snow Conditions: solid 24" base froze recently, groomed trails are fab! no new on top

Skis on & temperature: 10am -8° (not sure this is accurate, maybe it was 0; tacoma pickup sensor may be freaking out a little) JD 8°  PC 12°

Skis off & temperature: 4:30pm 8° PC 14°  JD 16°

Distance: 16+ miles 1500' elevation

Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 10+; this trip calls for a new scale

Comments: this was an awesome trip. blue sky, full sun, no wind.  remember sunscreen, for lips, too & sunglasses.

longest distance & highest climb of the season. started out and ended cold, in between, good while moving or in the sun.  shadows got cold quickly. forecast wind did not drive windchill further down.  summit creek section mainly sunny.  wickiup creek section mainly shadows.

ungroomed 16 west with snomo tracks; 1651 to left

these roads were recently groomed.  only first 2 mile section of 16 west had 2 snomobile tracks; the rest were pristine.  could have used some kick wax on the steep section of 368; just ordered online, should be here wed. ready for thurs. ski.

pristine 1651 heading down summit creek from fr 16

the rd along summit creek is gorgeous & flat:

turning east on 1410 starts a gradual climb that gets a little steep after transition to 368:

 the sno so firm, can't hardly see ski tracks.

can't say enough about this loop. need some good legs; today needed some good layering.

saw one snomobile on a trailer at huddleston.  no tracks, no nothing.

the climb up 368 was a little steep.  the downhill to fr 14 was zippy, fun, enough traction to be in control - something i need to practice.  1mph going up; 10mph coming down.

pausing at the highest point, it was so quiet......................

frosty the ski bum

i gauge the cold by the thickness of breath condensation ice on beard. switched from hydration bladder as the tube froze last trip.  this time water bottle button froze, unscrewed cap.  later, cap froze. need a new system.

this is some of the best conditions i've seen in 4 winters of skiing here. forecast shows 1-3" on monday;  2-4" mon. nite; 1-3" tues.

have a lovely............

Crane Prairie - FR 14 12/5/16

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Location: South of Summit Prairie: FR 16 to 14 jct, then south to 185 jct

Road & Trail Conditions: hwy 26 packed sno-ice until a few miles east of JD, then clear. Co. 62 clear to reynolds creek rd. packed sno-ice, plowing started as i went up, ends at summit prairie.  FR 16 west not plowed. wouldn't take anything less than 4wd up the FR 16 from summit prairie to 14 jct.

a few snowmobiles have ventured out from huddleston

Snow Conditions: new 5" powder over another 5" base forming

Skis on & temperature: 11:15am 12° (JD 18° )

Skis off & temperature: 2:15pm 22°  (JD 33°)

Distance: 7.5 miles, slight up & down, basically flat

Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 10

FR 16 continues to left, 14 due south

Comments: good cold temp conditioning run. drove, then skied in tracks. hey, it's grant county.   sno is a little deep at this elevation to break trail.  a base is forming and may be able to break trail later.

 lovely with sun out, clouds turned it quite cold.  an occasional, short breeze dropped 10° quickly.

FR 14 continues left; 185 to right

 




learning how to drive the tacoma in the deep stuff.  haven't got stuck - new standard for a good trip

Spring Ski ! Huddleston to Skyline Trail 3/7/16

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Location: Co. 62 rd to Huddleston snopark

Road & Trail Conditions: Co. 62 1-2" new snow in am, melted by pm.

159 to 101 to 125 to 1649 Jct. then off trail up ridgeline to ? Skyline Trail.

followed grooming today by Glen Johnston (thank you!) to 101/171 jct. then 1-2" new snow over pack/compressed icy base.  break trail past 1649 jct., actually easier than on road, except for windblown icy patches.



Snow Conditions: almost perfect. a few sticky patches with sun exposure & warming into aftn.

Skis on & temperature: 9:30am 28° (JD 35° )

Skis off & temperature: 3pm 36° (JD 48° )

Distance: 13 miles, 2200' elev.  here's the elevation profile:

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Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 9 (only for a few sticky snow stretches)

Comments: First true spring skiing. a few weeks of warming temps & rain.  snobase compacts.  a 1-2' snow overnite made for a great day. forecast has 1-3" more in next 2 days (then rain on thurs.)

off trail along ridgeline

good conditioning run with elevation.  great to get off trail & explore up ridge toward skyline trail. another way to go toward slide mtn./lake & strawberry. higher elevation gives fab views:

south toward logan valley

ne toward dixie butte

nw toward slide mtn & strawberry

the 125 & 159 downhill coming back have some steep sections.



on other occasions i have continued west on 1649 (also steep downhill) to 702 (rarely groomed or traveled - could be a lot of breaking trail) coming back to 101 & start. comes closer to 20 miles.

125 & 1649 jct

you can also begin where the 101 connects with co. 62 & skip the 159.  couldn't resist the just groomed out of huddleston snopark.

Groomed Trails - Summit Prairie 2/3/16

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The Orange line is todays grooming, 2 3 16
Took cat 1 from Huddleston up 169, 101, 1649, 064, 1648, 1640 back to the 16. Walked cat on 16rd to Seneca, groomed the drag strip with cat 2 driven by Garrett.
Blue line is old groom from last week.
Cheers
Dave Hannibal

Groomed Trails - Summit Prairie 1/30/16

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Groomed Trails - Summit Prairie 1/29/16

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Groomed Trails - Summit Prairie 1/26/16

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from glen johnston:

> Dan groomed with Cat #1 today out of Huddleston.  Blue line on map.  Thanks Dan!  GJ
>