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 :-(

Grooming Report - Huddleston to Logan Valley 2/3/17

Cat 1 ran from Huddleston on the 101 to the 064 and1648 to High Lakes and back on the 1640 to the 16 and back to parking on the 135.

The snow has set up very well and on trail or off it is in excellent condition with few tracks up high. Near whiteout conditions up high today but should be great when the storm passs.

Blue line on map is todays grooming. 

Cheers

Dave

 

 

Starr Ridge Off Trail Day - 1/2/17

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Location: Hwy 395 to starr ridge snopark;  FR333-456- 4920- various off trail -082- 462 to sno park

Road & Trail Conditions:  in a.m. 395 sketchy all the way even with gravel & slow - fishtailed on turns; better in p.m.-still patchy.

Snow Conditions: solid 3' base with powder; groomed trails excellent condition; off trail solid base, 1-2' powder drop

Skis on & temperature:  11am 22°  (JD 26° )

Skis off & temperature:  3pm 26°  (JD 30° )

Distance: 8 miles, 1600' elevation

Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 10

Comments: went for a day of backcountry skis & off trail.  sno base is solid with powder making great practice conditions.

off trail, deep sno tracks

all of the starr ridge groomed trails of the last 2 weeks look fab: 333, 4920, 453, 353, 196, 3925 etc etc. saw no snomo tracks & lots of ski tracks. if conditions hold well thru weekend, there are multiple short medium & longer loops that can be combined from these trails.

fr 4920

end of last season became enthralled with venturing off trail, especially around strawberry mtn - high lake & onion creek & from the east side 101-125 to 1649 jct & off. today was a practice & conditioning run for later, higher elevations, like dixie.  went well.  started on baby bunny slopes & finished with descent down from 4920 along the powerlines.  wide, deep, steep, few obstacles.

long skinny touring skis don's fare well in the deep, off trail powder.  they sink & tips nosedive, boots can't hold turns.  backcountry skis are wider, metal edge, bigger tip angle - combine to float on top of sno easier.  boots are also heavier & more stout. basically halfway between nordic touring & alpine downhill.

while an advantage in the deep, off trail, bc gear is slower & more effort on groomed.  getting uphill is more work - thus the saying - you earn your (downhill) turns.

finished the day with several runs down the sledding hill; good practice in various conditions on downslope. getting better downhill control, especially with backcountry skis.

sledding hill at starr ridge summit

Grooming Report - Starr Ridge & West 2/1/17

> Feb. 1, 2017:  Kobe Essex groomed with Cat #2 from Starr Snowpark, completed the Windfall Loop with FR 353, groomed FR 4955 to FR 21, from the map it looks like a portion of the east end of 2470 (Burma Road) and FR 2195 to Bear Valley Work Center.  Sorry can't give more detail the only information I have is the orange line on the map.  GJ
>
>

Grooming Report - Starr Ridge & West 1/31/17

> 1/31/17:  Travis Heiple and Glen Johnston with Cat #2 from the Starr Snowpark west on FR 333 to FR 49, then north to Forest Boundary, back to FR 094, east to FR 4920, continuing east to U.S. 395, the south on FR 456 to the beginning

FR 196 - Starr Ridge to Dry Soda Lookout 1/30/17

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Location: Hwy 395 to Starr Ridge Summit; east on 196, 1mile on 3920 to Dry Soda Lookout

Road & Trail Conditions: Hwy 395 clear; patchy ice on curves toward summit

Snow Conditions: 3+' base, groomed sunday, skate ski tracks for 2 miles, snomo for 1; pristine groom thereafter

Skis on & temperature: 9:30am  20° (JD 26°  )

Skis off & temperature: 4:30pm  29°  (JD 34° )

Distance: 17 miles; maybe 1500' elevation with lots of up & down

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Rating (1-10; 10 awesome): 9.5 (-.5 for sticky sno in aftn.)

Comments: groomed on sunday, super fresh & smooth, thanks to bill prophet. on the edge of sticky until about 2:30 & maxiglide wax applied then helped; also sno firmed up within 30 mins.  snotel showed 36 at 3 & dropped steadily thereafter. there is the line....

solid base allowed venturing off trail, only dropping 1-2"

off trail

skied to this same lookout from other direction 12/31.  entire road, 395 to FR 15 was plowed in dec. for logging; some activity started, looking like on pause for the moment.  more on the way.

you can also start at FR15 & ski west to lookout, a few miles shorter, less elevation up & down.

this road is the southern edge of the canyon burn & it is very educational to watch the process each year.

lots of good views, north to strawberry range & south to antelope & bear valley.  great views from lookout; today was overcast.

on return trip saw clouds started to break up through a gap with some great light on strawberry toward sunset.

forecast has chance of 1-2" at elevation each day this week.  great time to get out.....

Grooming Report - Starr Ridge 1/29/17

Bill Prophet in Cat #2 groomed FR 3925 from FR 15 To FR 196 (Slaughter Ridge) to Starr Ridge, groomed the sledding hill, then groomed to the Starr Snowpark.