Ralph's Montana Ski Report as of Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Last Montana Ski Report for the 2012 - 2013 Season.
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Spring is definitely beginning to show. Ski areas are reporting warm conditions. Skiing remains good but the best times each day are hard to predict and often short lived.
Montana Snow Depth Map
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Just before the start of my 30th American Birkebeiner ski race from Cable to Hayward, Wisconsin on February 21, 2009
I completed my 33rd race on February 25, 2012.
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Location
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Conditions
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Lone Mountain Ranch at Big Sky
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Wednesday March 13: 25 F at 8:00am. Current Weather: Partly cloudy.
Forecast: Partly sunny with a high of 51 F
85k of Cross Country Ski Trails Open!
Groomed and Open: Boomerang, Dutch's Detour, Walkin' Jim's Way, Mongolia, Mountain View, Ridge Run, Schaap's Schuss, Siberia, Sluice Box, Summit, North Fork.
Open: Carlin's Cruise, Fanny's Fling, Joy's Loop, Ranch Loop, Andesite, To Golf Course, Tunnel, Antler Ridge, Beaver Slide, Far East, Middle Fork, Silverbow, Tree Farm, Yellowstone, Ouse Falls/Town Center, Ralph's Outlook (snowshoe trail).
Total Snowfall this season so far: 132" recorded at the Outdoor Shop, 159"+ Upper Trails
Photo: Steve and Juliane Bantz skiing the Ranch Loop at Lone Mountain Ranch, February 12, 2009.
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Rendezvous Trails in West Yellowstone
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Wednesday March 13: Groomed Rendezvous and Dead Dog this evening, skate and classic. Spring conditions. Still lots of snow in West Yellowstone.
Photo: Skiing Windy Ridge to Doug's Doodle, December 31, 2011.
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Bohart Ranch near Bozeman |
Wednesday March 13: 6:15 am Temp: 37 F with no new snow.
Cond: Spring
Trails 100% Open / All Groomed
Spring conditions / firm to softening as temp warms.
Yesterday high 40 F, Prinoth sno-cat grooming today. |
Silver Crest Trails
near Neihart, Montana |
Friday March 8: Nice day for skiing at Silver Crest today. All trails were groomed and track set. A few groomer tracks, especially on E trail, but otherwise really great skiing and conditions. Should be a great weekend.
Silver Crest Trails Association
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Stillwater Lodge near Whitefish |
Sunday March 3: Spring conditions exist! Best conditions most likely mid-morning when it has softened up a bit. The connector between the Lake and the Hellroaring Highway is currently very icy. Call 862-7004 for the most current conditions. |
Homestake Lodge near Butte |
Wednesday March 13: 36 degrees @ 07:00. Spring Skiing. No grooming due to warm overnight temp's.
Skier Appreciation Day Saturday, March 16th: Free skiing on Saturday. Big discounts on everything in the ski shop. $5.00 Lunch with hamburgers, veggie burgers, chips and beer. Season pass skiers get lunch free. Giveaways of leftover race schwag like coffee mugs and t-shirts and a few other chestnuts to the first arrivals.
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Glacier Nordic Center on the
Whitefish Golf Course |
Wednesday March 13: Closed for the season. |
Red Lodge Nordic Center
Anna skiing at
Red Lodge Nordic Center.
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Tuesday March 12: 5 in. of new snow was tracked and groomed today on the near side. Warm weather is in the forecast but mornings should be good for a bit.
For more information on these trails go to the Red Lodge Nordic Center.
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Other trails I have reports from:
Please note the date at the end of each report.
Looks like things are winding down on the groomed trail systems.
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Seeley Lake: Week day grooming has ceased at Seeley Lake. Depending on the weather this week, maybe Saturday. But I doubt it. Lynn (03/11/2013)
Pattee Canyon: 1/4" new snow this a.m. I didn't groom it, but the skiing should be good. I'll check tomorrow to see if there are people out there who still want to ski. If it isn't tracked up, I'll probably stop grooming for the season. (03/11/2013)
Lubrecht Trails: Did some grooming out there today. . . Conditions were good! We're already looking at some corn snow skiing, but if you hit it within the warmth window (10-1ish) you'll find some fast skiing and great spring snow. The upper trails looked great, and the lower trails were still in good shape. I groomed A,B,C, and F-E-D loop today. Things should be in great shape out there with exception of a few areas. . . Have a great, warm and sunny, weekend. (03/08/2013)
Rattlesnake Trails: No report since February 2. (03/06/2013)
Lolo Pass: No recent report. (03/06/2013)
Mount Haggin: We classic skied California, upper Crooked John and Sugar Loaf loops late Sunday, March 10th. Track was well defined and firm, with temps in low 40's and transitional fresh snow with ice/corn snow on parts of the track. The track is turning hard and corny, so use caution on the downhills and turns as it is fast. We suspect skiing should be good for a few more weeks, but did note that our snowfall is down compared to years' past. (03/11/2013)
Como Trails near Hamilton: We pulled most of the equipment down last night. We have left one snowmobile and drag up in the top of the system. We will keep upper and middle roads groomed as long as possible. (03/12/2013)
Chief Joseph Pass: No report this week. (03/13/2013)
Moulton near Butte: No recent report. (03/06/2013)
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Back Country Ski Conditions
Avalanche forecasts and conditions at the Flathead Avalanche Center and Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. Forecasts are usually posted on Friday and Tuesday. |
Wednesday March 13: Plenty of new snow this past week. Some new snow is in the forecast for the coming weekend. Check the avalanche conditions carefully and proceed with caution. |
The New North American Avalanche danger Scale is now in use. Click HERE to see the specifics of this better way of reporting potential avalanche Danger.
The scene on Flattop Mountain near Glacier National Park on March 13, 2009.
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The National Weather Service Map for West Central Montana:
The winds will pick up on the Rocky Mountain Front, nothing unusual there. The Hazardous Weather Forecast is hinting at accumulating mountain snow for the weekend and a chance of rain on the plains.
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Western Montana Snow Depth
The map below shows this weeks snow depth across western Montana.
Mid to late March is usually the time when our mountain snow pack reaches its maximum.
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