Snowy mountain conditions

[hoffmansledder]

Does anyone know of a reliable way to check conditions in the Snowys? We are headed that way 2 weeks from right now. Was hoping to be able to watch and check the conditions before we got there.

[srxsrule]

Two sites.....Backcountryrebels.com and Snowest.com. Both have a Wyoming link and sections about the Snowies. There are dozen of webcams, forecasts, and if you didnt know there is 4 weather stations on the mountain that give hourly weather data, IE: Snow Depth!!

I check the weather daily out there. Thats my riding area, only 750 miles from my door to the parking lot. Eric

FYI, they got just over a foot yesterday.

[nitroman]

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=41.26851730884114&lon=-106.1663818359375&site=cys&smap=1&marine=0&unit=0&lg=en

http://dayweather.com/keystone/weathertext.html

http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/Wyoming/wyoming.html

[snoluver1]

http://www.dayweather.com/keystone/weathertext.html

[snoluver1]

Sorry, didn't see Nitro beat me to it!

[cuzzinolaf]

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=41.26851730884114&lon=-106.1663818359375&site=cys&smap=1&marine=0&unit=0&lg=en


My favorite.

[hoffmansledder]

Thanks for the help

[boatingbent]

We were going to Togwotee Jan 1 but the Lack of snow there has us thinking about the Snowies....Never been to the Snowies before where is the best place to stay where there is the most snow where a f\guy can ride right from the Lodge ......Plese tell me whatever you can

[srxsrule]

We were going to Togwotee Jan 1 but the Lack of snow there has us thinking about the Snowies....Never been to the Snowies before where is the best place to stay where there is the most snow where a f\guy can ride right from the Lodge ......Plese tell me whatever you can


Albany lodge would be your best bet. That is about the only place this year as Snowy Mountain lodge is closed. Albany lodge is in the southern part of the riding area and the trail is right there. Its about 8000 ft at the lodge and you start riding up from there. Most riding is around 10-11,000 ft. The snow gets better as you head north out of albany, 10-20 miles on the trail makes a big difference. Eric

[cuzzinolaf]

Albany lodge would be your best bet. That is about the only place this year as Snowy Mountain lodge is closed. Albany lodge is in the southern part of the riding area and the trail is right there. Its about 8000 ft at the lodge and you start riding up from there. Most riding is around 10-11,000 ft. The snow gets better as you head north out of albany, 10-20 miles on the trail makes a big difference. Eric

Mountain Meadow Cabins is right near the lodge and his best bet.

[srxsrule]

Mountain Meadow Cabins is right near the lodge and his best bet.

I would agree with you but didnt post that option for several reasons. With snowy mountain lodge being closed this year there is no place for Gas or Food on the east side of the mountain. Also the road from the greenrock parking area to snowymountain lodge is almost blown shut because there has been very little effort in trying to keep it plowed this year.

So that would mean if you stay at Mt Medow Cabins you will have to bring in all your food and gas for your entire stay and have to haul it from the greenrock parking lot to the cabins on your sled. Eric

[wideopenlemans]

"cenntenial" spelling? wyoming, 6 mile pull up a big hill to unload. Just got home.
eat at bear tree. the pizza. old c dosent start food till dec 25. freindly store has gas and hot food too. You never know unless you go.....I would be there if I could go back ASAP...park on road end off hwy 130/green rock trail head. I road past SML/ trail goes by there. the YAMAHA TRAILER was there all week plus we seen some sleds we never seen before.....

[srxsrule]

If you open up the options of trailering a few miles each day then you have many places to pick from.

That yamaha trailer next to Snowy Mountain lodge is Codys trailer. He runs Snowy Range tours and has a yamaha dealership in cheyane.

You may have seen some 2011 sleds out there as Yamaha corp may still be over on the west side doing photo shoots. Med Bow lodge where they were staying caught on fire and the lost most of the footage they had and had to start over. Eric

[snoluver1]

Chris at mountain medows will sometimes sell you gas if your staying with him and its not available at the lodge. You just have to ask him real nice. He's done it for us in the past.

[nitroman]

Old Corral! Rooms rock and Ken cooks a mean prime rib, Friendly right next door for gas and beer. The 10 min trailer up is no hassle at all and you are close to the "good stuff". Albany lodge way forces you to find gas mid day if you ride to the top and lets face it grooming is not so good so the 20 mile ride back to Albany after a full day is a bear. Ride from greenrock you get by on one tank of gas and pack a lunch to eat at the warming hut and it's all good!

[fireman35]

If you dont mind trailering when we go in March we just stay in town at the comfort inn, they get 70 a night for a double there all kinds of food and they have free hot breakfast,But you have to trailer 25 miles morning and evening.They have a nice pool and hot tub to chill out in in the evenings. we even made drinks in our rooms and carried them down no one cared

[bigmoose]

I would stay in Laramie and ride Cenntenial. Its about 25 miles out of town. The town has anything that you need for your sleds. Good food and decent hotel rates. I have stayed in the Comfort Inn the last 3 years, nice place

[boatingbent]

Old Corral! Rooms rock and Ken cooks a mean prime rib, Friendly right next door for gas and beer. The 10 min trailer up is no hassle at all and you are close to the "good stuff". Albany lodge way forces you to find gas mid day if you ride to the top and lets face it grooming is not so good so the 20 mile ride back to Albany after a full day is a bear. Ride from greenrock you get by on one tank of gas and pack a lunch to eat at the warming hut and it's all good!


Got me some rooms at Old Coral.....They could not get us in on the 1st of jan but they could for the 2nd .....So we will just stay in Larmrie the 1st night

[ApExWyoming]

The snow conditions up there are great! I live about 30 miles from the mountain range and have been riding since october. Theres about 3-4 feet down but theres a lot of wind. So if you go to the north or the west on the mountain u can find over the hood powder!!! There keeping up with the road well 130 and yes the lodge is closed but mountain medow cabins is an awesome place to stay and will help transport your stuff to the cabins. There is food and gas up there. And its saposed to snow til after chrismas. If you have any questions feel free to ask thanks

they have also been groming the trails every night

[srxsrule]

Where is there food and gas on the east side of the mountain? I'm not talking about down in centennial. Eric

[hoffmansledder]

We are leaving around 4:00am tomorrow to head to the snowies. Staying at the mountain meadow cabins. We are taking plenty of gas cans and filling them before we get there hopefully to last us a few days. I talked to a lady at the cabins on Saturday and she said they had from 28-60 inches of base and was snowing pretty good. Can't wait to get there it is our first trip west.

[snoluver1]

Have fun and be safe Hoffman. I hope your bringing beacons,shovels and probs, and know how to use them. Be sure to check avy conditions before heading out each day. Talk to Chris before you head out and he will point you in the right direction for best riding. Snow is allways best on the west side of mountain. Be prepared to return every year!! Once you ride out west you'll be hooked.
Also, FYI, if anyone in your group has a can on there sled, tell them to leave it at home. You will only loose power at elevation, and Chris will not be shy to "educate" you on the #1 reason for land closures.

[ApExWyoming]

Yeah im not sure about gas up there besides the little gas station next to the corral. And theres no food up there so you got to bring your own or head down the mountain to centenial. The mountain meadow cabins are nice and the snow is great there getting snow up the 29, 30, 1, and the 2nd. I will be up there thursday thru sunday. Have fun and be safe you guys will have a blast!

[boatingbent]

10 of us will be at the old Corral from Saturday til wendesday morning ....Leaving Southeastern Minnesota Friday morning

[ApExWyoming]

yepp i will be staying there too from thursday til sunday even though i live in laramie. all the place at mountain medow cabins were booked!
c yall there

[boatingbent]

Kewl!!!!! We are stying in Laramie Friday night at the Super 8 one exit further west then HWY 130 Exit ...That super 8 pretty nice?????? Then we will just go to the old Corral Saturday morning

This is our 1st time to the Snowies ...In fact its the 1st time for some of us to go out west so this should be lots of Fun .......

I am sure we will see you in the Friendlys Bar in the Evenings .....

My Son and I just bought 2 new Dragon Switchbacks so we are eager to try them

[hoffmansledder]

What an awesome experience in the Snowies!! I'm ruined for riding in Michigan now, but of course I still will because much closer.

[doo_dr]

Just got back from Centennial last night. We rode with Cody and Scott from Snowy Mtn Tours on Friday and Saturday. They hadn't had snow in 10 days so the trails and surrounding area off the trails were a concrete highway. Even with those conditions Cody got us in some good back country riding with moderate fluff on Friday. Saturday it was snowing when we woke up and it never stopped. We left Sunday morning @4am and it was still snowing to "beat the band". Scott took us out Saturday. We had times of complete white out so it was great having a guide that could handle the terrain and conditions. This is a perfect example of why guides are good to have. We would have probably not gone out or if we had, we would have stayed on the trail for fear of being lost. We started out with 6"of fresh snow in the am and by the end of the day we were in 16+" . With the exception of not being able to see some of the scenery, it was one of the best days riding I have ever had. This was the first time to the Snowies!!!! Thanks to the guys and gals at SMT, we'll be back.

[yamaha104]

Just wondering if anyone has stayed here. (www.wintercreekcondos.com) We are wanting to go there in February and Albany is booked. We are looking for a cabin to stay in for at least four people. Thanks for the input.

[doo_dr]

Just wondering if anyone has stayed here. (www.wintercreekcondos.com) We are wanting to go there in February and Albany is booked. We are looking for a cabin to stay in for at least four people. Thanks for the input.

I can't tell you about them. We stayed at The Old Corral. They just changed ownership/managers. It was clean and pretty nice. They were cleaning and repairing things so the kitchen was closed and the hot tub was under repair. The town isn't much to talk about but they have a gas station/cafe and a bar/cafe, both having good food. The motel manager and staff are very nice.

[blutooth]

You can also try www.mtnmeadowcabins.com About 5 miles farther up the mountain and you do have to sled in with your gear about a mile (they come and help), but you can ride from your door. Looks like the Winter Creek Condo requires a 4-5 mile trailer up the hill to get to sledding.

Team Kesslers is heading out to MMC in 3 days 2 hours until departure!

As a side note, everything you need can be found in the small town of Centennial.

Also both Winter Creek, the Old Corral, and MMC are better choices that Albany Lodge as far as sledding goes. To get to the interesting stuff it is a 20 mile sled ride from Albany. That being said I think Albany has a better night life with a bar, but last time we were there there was a group who trailered from Albany every day to ride out of Greenrock...

Blutooth

[attack_06]

can that 20 mile ride on trail be done quickly if going 70

[blutooth]

can that 20 mile ride on trail be done quickly if going 70

Yeah it can be done pretty quickly, but the problem isn't really the time it is the fuel. There aren't any gas stations up on the mountain so you need to bring all of your fuel for the day with you. When you are figuring in 40 miles of trail riding, that is 1/3 of your gas in the tank, and gas goes quickly out there in deep snow.

I'm noot saying that the riding down by Albany is bad, it just doesn't have the changes in elevation like you see out of the Greenrock parking area. I have the trail maps in PDF but it is too big to post, email me if you want it (I can't remember where I found it - I think on Wyoming's website)

http://wyotrails.state.wy.us/Snow/pdf/SnowyRange.pdf this version is chopped up all funny...

[fgsacts]

Snowy Mountain Lodge closing changed alot of things in the Snowys. Have to watch your fuel very closely if staying to far down the mountain away from the "good" spots.

[hoffmansledder]

Do your self a favor and stay with chris at the mountain meadow cabins. Good people, and great cabins. Take and extra 15 gal of fuel in cans per person and leave it in your trailer. when you leave in the morning ride the 1 mile down to your trailer and fill up. That will get you thru about 3-4 days of riding. Then if you have to go to Centennial 1 time to fill up if you have to. Worked for us.

[nitroman]

That 20 mile ride at the end of the day sucks! We switched to Old Corral because of it. They groom the trails somedays but in all of our trips out there I can truly say I never had a good ride back to Albany. You only need to fuel up one time a day if you ride out of greenrock. The downside is if you want to head down to Wycolo it's a haul from greenrock(there is a lot of good spots off of R if you look for them). Albany does have a bar but so does Centenial, the Friendly.

[bru]

Anyone been out there recently? Heading out to Laramie in a week and a half, just wondering what conditions are like.

[RevKev]

We were there a week and half ago, there was plenty of snow, but it was sugar, right after we left and went up to Cooke City Mt, they received about 18in of fresh. We stayed over by Saratoga, at Ten Mile Inn.

[blutooth]

Just got back. Snowed 2-3 feet on the back side last Monday and no one was out riding - on Tuesday and Wednesday combined there were probably only 15 trucks in the parking lot (on the Saturday and Sunday before the storm there were at least 200).

The sun was out and it was nice so it was settling a bit Tues and Wed, but it was fresh everywhere! We had the whole place to ourselves. This weekend it will get tracked up pretty good though.

Here are some pics:
http://www.johndee.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=16694

Blutooth

[bru]

Thanks Blutooth, awesome pics. Heading out in 4 days. Staying in Laramie, too pumped!

[dfrazee]

Got back from the Snowies last weekend and it was awesome !

[dfrazee]

Here's some more....

[hoffmansledder]

I'm already counting the days til next years trip. It is crazy out west. Where did you end up staying?

[bru]

Looks awesome. Packed and ready to roll, headed out tomorrow.

[sledboy1982]

headed to snowies in 2 weeks for the first time. we are staying at albany lodge. any pointers for the newbies?

[nitroman]

Pointers
1: Avy gear have it know how to use it
2: 1 man on the hill at a time it's tempting to want to go up and help your stuck buddy but dont. No one up the hill till he's down
3: GPS and map and know how to use them
4: water and snacks
5: don't ride on Rob Roy there is a reason you don't see tracks on it
6: if you ride to the top side (widow maker area) make sure you leave with enough time gas and oil to make it back to albany. You will need to go to the place or the rendezvous for gas SML is closed so there is no gas on that side.
7:bring a couple snobunje's newb's best tool cause you will get stuck. Also learn to roll the sled over when stuck it saves a load of time and effort. We very rarely pull sleds out anymore unless the snow is hard once you get it down you can do it yourself in very little time with little effort.
8: have fun take pictures and be prepared to become addicted and start making several trips out there.
9: trail N NO and O good stuff there even better when you get off them.
10: good luck finding any fresh snow cause I leave tuesday morning and plan on tracking it all up till sunday!

[Skylar]

A link to some pics from the snowies that were posted on backcountryrebels.com. These were taking ON THE TRAIL LOL.



http://www.backcountryrebels.com/showthread.php?t=4149

[nitroman]

Day one is done had no problems finding untracked snow few stucks and alot of powder with a good base. Trees are awesome right now. Snowed most of the day and still going right now hope to see another 6" of fresh tomorrow morning.

[dhealy8]

Great link/pics Skylar, were heading out next Tuesday, looks like the conditions will be good and they've got more on the way;)

[ult680]

best thing to remember is take your time and dont be in a hurry! When your gassed take a break!

Have fun!

[nitroman]

Rode Wed to Fri this week and except for 3-4 hours of bluebird friday morning it snowed the entire time. Nice little slide at the end of North Gap lake left snow boulders up to the size of my truck in the debries field. Powder everywhere we rode but you gotta get off the beaten path cause everthing near the trails was beat to snot. Minor carnage due to hidden rocks and trees looks like I will need some front end parts now. Old Corral is still great with the new owners and the food was good too! I'd like to give a special thanks to the people that double parked and allowed us to enjoy an extra hour of time at greenrock waiting for you. It was even nicer of the guy that nosed right up to the back of my trailer so while I waited I couldn't even load the sleds you guys are real gems.

[catalac]

Nitro, you must be from Iowa cuz your too dang polite! Ha.