Posted 4 April, 2009
Hi Everyone,
The time has finally come to call it quits for the season,
This past week we received 26 inches of fresh snow. We groomed 18
inches of that on Monday and the remaining 8 inches today and set
tracks on all the trails.
It gets quite warm in the afternoons so the best skiing will
be earlier in the day, but it's still very good.
Thanks to all of you that came to enjoy the area this past
season and we look forward to seeing you again next season. Have a
great summer!
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club.
Posted 27 Mar. 2009
Hello Everyone,
There was 8 inches of fresh powder this past week and the
total is now 66 inches. All the trails were groomed today and
tracks set on the upper trails only. The sun came out and the snow
became sticky, however when it was replaced by heavy cloud cover,
the tracks set up and skiing became quite good.
If this is not the end of our grooming efforts, it's very
close.
We will access the situation again next Friday and go from there.
Thanks to you all for supporting our efforts. It has been a
great season.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Posted 20 Mar. 2009 Hello Everybody!
There was 12 inches of fresh snow earlier this week which had
compacted to 5 inches by this morning leaving the total at 62
inches. We groomed all the trails but did not set tracks as it
became too warm.
Whether we groom again this season will depend on the
weather. Stay tuned.. and thanks to all of you for all you do to
support the Chief Joseph Cross Country Ski area.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Posted 13 Mar. 2009
Hello Everybody,
There has been 3 inches of fresh snow this past week and the
total is now 60 inches. All the trails were groomed today and
tracks set. The temperatures have remained cold and snow conditions
are still very good.
How much longer we'll groom depends on daily temperatures
and snow fall but we are getting close to the end of grooming for
the season. Better take advantage to nicely groomed trails while we
still have them.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club.
Posted 6 Mar. 2009Hello Everyone,
There has been 9 inches of fresh powder snow this past week
and the total is now 64 inches. All the trails were groomed today
and tracks set. We have great snow, beautiful trails and it doesn't
get any better than that! Don't miss this weekend on the trails.
These conditions won't be around much longer.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Posted 27 Feb. 2009
Hello Everybody,
There was about 6 inches of fresh snow this past week and
the total is now 60 inches. All the trails were groomed today and
tracks set. Skiing conditions are excellent! Don't miss this
weekend to enjoy some of the finest snow conditions we have had all
season.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Posted 20 Feb. 2009
Everyone..
There has been 4 inches of fresh snow this past week and the
total is now 56 inches. We groomed and reset tracks on all the
trails today. Snow conditions are excellent and skiers were
describing the skiing as "fabulous"
Don't miss this weekend!
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Posted 13 Feb. 2009
Happy Valentines Day!!
There has been 3 inches of fresh snow this past week and the
total is now 54 inches. All the trails were groomed today and
tracks reset. The temperatures are remaining cool, the snow is dry
and the skiing conditions are very good. The snow off trail is firm
and skiing there is very good also.
Come out and enjoy the winter woods at their finest.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Posted 6 Feb. 2009
Hello Everyone!
There was only 1-2 inches of fresh snow this past week and
the total is now 56 inches. All the trails were groomed today and
tracks reset. The temperatures have remained in the teens and low
twenties and the snow conditions are light and fluffy.
You can't use the Super Bowl as an excuse any more so come
on out and enjoy excellent skiing conditions while we still have
them. The season grows short.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Posted 30 Jan. 2009
Hello Everyone!
There has been 10 inches of beautiful light snow this past
week and the total is now 64 inches. We groomed and set track on
all the trails today and skiing is as good as it gets! It was a
clear, sunny day and the temperature as remaining cool so the snow
is in excellent condition.
It's possibly going to be the best weekend of the season to
get out on the trails and enjoy the fantastic scenery to go along
with really great skiing conditions.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Posted 23 Jan. 2009
There has been no new snow this past week and the total is
now 56 inches. The tracks from the previous weeks grooming are
still well set and no other grooming was done today
It was a beautiful sunny day and the temperature at 9 AM was
9 degrees.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Posted 15 Jan. 2009
Hello Cross Country Skiers,
There has been 4-5 inches of fresh snow in the past week and
the total is now 62 inches. All the trails have been groomed,
widened, leveled and tracks set. They are in, by far, the best
condition this season.
There are free ski lessons beginning at 1:00 PM on Saturday
and everyone is welcome. (Click on
TOURS / EVENTS
for more information.)
So get out from under the inversion and come enjoy some
great skiing in a magical place!
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
Posted 10 Jan. 2009
There were 22 inches of fresh snow since Tuesday (34 inches
for the week) and the total is now 72 inches. All the trails were
opened today and widening, smoothing and setting of tracks will
proceed on Saturday. Great snow conditions and sunny weather .
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
__________________________________________________
Posted Jan. 3, 2009
Happy New Year!
There has been 18 inches of fresh snow since Tuesday and the
total is now 54 inches. We broke trail to the Warming hut today
then encountered a blizzard and discontinued our attempts at other
trails.
We'll try again on Saturday
IMPORTANT INFORMATION - PLEASE
READ.
Recently when the parking lot at Chief Joseph was not plowed
a number of vehicles parked along State Route # 43 which is a
reasonable alternative. However one or more vehicles DOUBLE PARKED
blocking the West bound lane. Two trucks traveling in opposite
directions nearly collided as a result of this lane being blocked.
Should this occur in the future the Department of Transportation has
assured us that the
offending vehicles will be towed at owners expense. (probably
to Wisdom or Darby)
DOT's primary responsibility is the State Highway system and
they clean the lot at Chief Joseph at their earliest opportunity.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
____________________________________________________________
Posted 12-26-08
There has been 16 inches of fresh snow
this past week and the total is now 34 inches. We opened all of the
trails today for the first time this season but did not set tracks.
We plan on doing that on Saturday.
Snow conditions are such that skiing conditions are
excellent. So come on out.
Happy New Year from all of us at the Bitterroot Cross
country Ski Club.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
_____________________________________________
Posted 12-20-08
Baby, It's Cold Outside.
Kay & I hosted on December 13th and found 8 inches of much needed
snow. It was cold and the area was deserted. We broke out a couple
trails and enjoyed the beautiful winter scene. By 9 PM the moon was
out but it was -24. While we did a short groom once when it was
-28, we didn't go out on this night. Sunday morning it was -34 and
breezy! The sun came out and by 11: AM it had warmed to -31 so we
got out of there. There
has been little use of the cabin or the area because of the
temperatures.
This has also affected the snow conditions. The snow is very dry
and powdery and the grooming machines go nearly to the ground. The
snow just gets out of the way rather than packing the base we'd
like, it's not covering the stumps, logs and rocks sufficiently for
us to set tracks.
On December 19th we found at total of 24 inches
of snow and opened up most of the upper trails and also ran Joseph
Creek and Middle Fork Trails, but there are many hazards still
uncovered. There was a cow and calf moose bedded down on Joseph
Creek near the bottom and was not anxious to move.
I hope by the time you read this we have been
able to bring the
trails up to the condition that you like and that you've been able
to try out the new skiing equipment that you received for Christmas.
/s/ Mel Mooers
________________________________________________
Report Posted 12-12-08
There has been 6 inches of fresh snow
this past week and the total is now 10 inches. We did some
preliminary grooming on Broadway, Moose, Timber and Solitude
trails. There is still insufficient snow to attempt to set tracks
or open any of the other trails.
We do not recommend anyone attempt to ski Banshee, Middle
Fork or Joseph Creek trails.
Stay tuned!
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
________________________________________________
Report Posted 12-5-08
There has been 2 inches of fresh snow
since Monday (12-1) and the total is 6-8 inches. We did some
preliminary grooming on Broadway, Moose, Timber and Solitude trails
today but tracks were not set. I would not recommend trying to ski
on any of the other trails because of rocks, stumps and other
hazards.
It will take at least another foot of snow before we attempt
normal grooming on the upper trails and about two feet before the
lower trails are opened.
Mel Mooers, Grooming Team Leader
Bitterroot Cross Country Ski Club
The Saddle Mt. snowtel showed two inches of fresh snow last
night which has settled to an inch by this morning (18 inches.)
______________
News release from
United States Department
of Agriculture
Forest Service
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
Contact: Jack de Golia
Office: (406) 683-3984
WISDOM, MONT., Dec. 5, 2008—The
cross-country ski season is starting at Chief Joseph Pass, west of
Wisdom. Volunteer trail groomers report two inches of new snow this
week, with a total base of six to eight inches.
Some preliminary grooming has been done on a few of
the main trails, but no tracks have been set.
The main trails which all follow roads are Broadway,
Moose, Timber, and Solitude. Skiing is not recommended yet on any
other trails.
According to groomers, another foot of snow will have
to fall before they can do much trail grooming.
Volunteers from the Bitterroot Cross-Country Ski Club
groom the ski trails on Fridays and send in a report to the Forest
Service.
Chief Joseph Pass has a 24-kilometer
cross-country-ski-trail system, along the Continental Divide, that’s
open free to the public in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge, Bitterroot, and
Salmon-Challis national forests.
For more information, call the Forest Service in
Wisdom, at (406) 689-3243.
_________________________________________
Trail Report, posted 12-4-08
I hope by the time you read this, we have
received
sufficient snow for us to have started
grooming. This
will be the latest start since I became
involved in that
operation. In ‘03 & ‘05, we first started to
pack a base
on November 14. The elk hunters didn’t like
it but
they walked in our tracks instead of “post
holing” in
the compacted snow.
Kay and I took advantage of the four inches
of
fresh snow on November 21st
and skied on Broadway,
Moose and Timber/Solitude which are roads and
lack
the rocks, stumps and other hazards. It was
great to get
out and enjoy the area again. Do your Holiday
shopping early so you can take advantage of
the snow
once it comes.
/s/ Mel Mooers
____________________________________________________
Posted 11-14-08
Hi guys. Just wanted to let you know I skied Chief Joe today. The
snow was VERY marginal – 3-6” with 6” showing on the marker. I did
fine skiing the CD Road straight-away. Any other trails that aren't
true roads (i.e. trails thru the trees) produced stump bumps and a
few rocks. I hit 6 rocks between the end of the CD Road and the
little spur road that goes down to the Gibbons Pass road. Good
thing I had my $1 beater skis on! Need a few more snow dumps up
there before it will be good – cheers - mw
/s/ Marsha White, Fisher Technician
Salmon Region, ID Dept of Fish & Game
Hi, Mel. Just wanted to let you know that
I got
home from Scotland and Wales this last
weekend in
time to go on my first ski of the season
at Chief Joe on
Monday (10/13/08). Yahoo!!! In 28 years
of skiing
up there, this is a new record for the
earliest first ski!
I skied the CD trail (Broadway? —the long
straight-away, I call it) checked the
cabin/warming
hut, and took a photo of myself there for
the record
using a sawhorse over by the woodpile.
From the west
end of the long straight-away run, I then
turned right
and broke trail out the Gold Medal run
(?) to the hill
where there used to be a bench, only
hitting one rock
on this part. Sorry I don’t know the
names of the
different trails —I’ve skied them too
many years to
keep track of the names anymore. Anyway,
I tested
the snow depth on the CD trail (Broadway)
and got 8-
9 inches using my ski pole. I could tell
from the
covered ski tracks that folks had been
out before me at
least the day before and maybe even two
days before
me. I’ve enclosed the self portrait for
you to see what
it’s looking like up there. Cheers mw
/s/ Marsha White, Fisher Technician
Salmon Region, ID Dept of Fish & Game
BITTERROOT