Wind storm knocks down many trees

At the 747 trailhead

Lots of trail blocked this way

It took me nearly 20 minutes to navigate my way around this blow down

 I did the 6-mile 747 Loop in the Little Belts Saturday and was stunned to see the amount of trees that were downed by last week's wind storms.

Along the Porphyry ridge line and just below on the west side the uprooted and broken off trees made the first third of Trail 747 nearly impassible.

There were also many trees lying across the Forest Service Road behind Porphyry, the road that leads back to the O'Brien Creek Trail.

I heard that there were trees across the road leading up to the Deadman Creek Road, and also across the Silver Crest trails.  I can't imagine what the O'Brien Creek run looks like.  I can't imagine what it would be like to Mizpah, Ranch Creek or Nugget Creek.

The Forest Service is going to be mighty busy clearing roads and trails of the debris left by winds that were as high as 90 miles per hour and which knocked out power at Showdown Ski Area for two days.

Aside from that, the snow was pretty good, a couple of inches of new powder covered the trails on this bluebird day.

Waldron Creek: the Front needs snow

So little moisture on the flanks of Metis Mountain

We skied in a dark winter shadow 

The upper bowl beneath Mount Lockhart.

 I've sure enjoyed the open days with their blue skies and warm winter temperatures, but gosh, we need snow and we need it badly.

I confirmed this Friday with a trip to the Front for a ski on Waldron Creek.

I've never seen the winter road to the trailhead so clear and free of snow at this time of year.  We didn't encounter much snow at all until we reached the North Fork Bridge.

Approaching the Front the road was entirely snow free and the foothills as well.  We started seeing some snow on the road at about Clary Coulee.

The snow we had on Waldron Creek was deep and good, but could use some refreshing.

We did the 4.5 miles roundtrip, gaining about 1,300 feet to the lower Waldron Bowl beneath Mount Lockhart.

I was surprised by seeing six other back country skiers in the parking area ---- hot shot young skiers headed for the upper bowls on their AT gear.

The trail had been pretty heavily traveled, which caused me some traction problems on my no-wax scales. About half-way where the various branches of the North Fork Waldron come together there were ski and snowshoe tracks in all directions.

We opted for a south side of the creek ascent to the bowl rather than the traditional north side route.  I was pleased to find some of the best snow of the day, and really interesting scenery, the mounds of snow to the creek, the snow bridges and the occasional open ponds of water revealing the fast-flowing creek.

We lunched in the trees and teled our way down ---- rapidly ---- this time on the north side of the creek.

The Teton Pass Ski Area was open, but we didn't see many cars.  One female skier stopped to chat and said the skiing was good, but she, too, said it needed more snow.

Oblivious to Trump mob attack on Capitol while skiing

 

Snow ghosts on the 747 trail

I was happy to see Denise Davies and Brian Kennedy from the Flathead on the trail

Since I was alone, I used my shadow to highlight my ski tracks and great powder

I'm not sure if it was a good thing or bad thing that I missed the Trump Mob's attack on the Capitol Tuesday while I skied out-of-touch in the back country.

I did a 9.4 mile loop in the Little Belts linking Mizpah Bowls with the 747 traverse, a solo run in windless, and bright sun, a peaceful and gorgeous activity in contrast to what was going on in Washington, D.C.

I didn't find out about this attack on our democracy, a coup if you will, until I returned to the car around 4 p.m. and turned on my radio and listened in utter horror.  Needless to say, I've been preoccupied and upset ever since tuning back in.

The wind has been relentless in Great Falls and things are drying out, so my trip to the mountains was to explore whether there was even enough snow to ski.

There was about two inches of fresh powder at Kings Hill Pass, and the sun shone brightly with only the slightest breeze, so I decided to try Mizpah again, a trip I had just taken a mere 10 days ago.  It is one of my favorite back country skis because it takes me to an open ridge, high above snow-covered slopes that sparkle like diamonds when the sun is out, and offering terrific Central Montana views.  Such was the case this Jan. 6.  It was so warm I skied without a hat and clad in a sweatshirt.

As I passed the Trail 747 cutoff I though that I might try to link that trip with Mizpah if I found I had enough energy.

After a delightful lunch at the Mizpah cabin I headed back with that in mind.

Just after I skinned up to climb out of the ridge line's low point, I was met by Denise Davies and Brian Kennedy, Glacier Mountaineering Society climbing friends from the Flathead.  I knew they were staying at the Kings Hill cabin, but figured they were skiing the Showdown hill.  They opted for cross country skiing instead, and followed my tracks.  It was great to see them.

Even though snowmobiles had hit the FS Road 6413, the new snow made the ski run down it less treacherous. 

Kicking and gliding into 2021

 

Wayne Phillips takes a break at the Mount Eureka warming hut at Silver Crest Cross Country Ski Area

New Year's begins on cross country groomers

Katie tends a fire in prep for her Glacier Girls' snowshoe party

We got 2021 off to a good cross country ski start on the Silver Crest Cross Country Ski Area trails on New Year's Day.

I was joined by H. Wayne Phillips, a long-time ski partner who has joined me here on Jan. 1 several times in the past.

The weather was spectacular if you can ignore that the weather has been too warm, the sky too clear and it hasn't snowed significantly in some time.  It was in the 30s and the sky, clear.

What snow is there at about 7,000 feet in this Island Mountain Range is in good shape and I found the skiing enjoyable, if pretty tame.

Wayne and I got in 3.6 miles and about 400 feet in elevation on these groomed trails.  I used my backcountry tele skis with Wayne on that run.  Then, after he left I put on some old classic skinny skis and did a couple of more miles.

We were there because Katie, who begins the year convalescing with a broken little toe, threw a snowshoe party for her Glacier Girls.  She couldn't join them on the trek, but tended a fire and hosted a s'mores and champagne party for them when they got back to the trailhead.

It was really great to see all the people, particularly the families with kids out skiing and snowshoeing at Silver Crest. 

It was a mild, but enjoyable way to begin what we hope will be a better year than the 2020 pandemic year.