Album Snow and Winter Shots

[Ugly]

I thought I was doing better with exposure.....until you posted this one!!! Thanks @Ugly

It's only a couple, maybe... maybe... "few" hundred feet.

 

[Perry]

From a section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail today... snow in the Northern Wasatch is beginning to pull back a bit.

 

[Craig F.]

Valles Caldera

 

[SteveR]

It's always interesting to see the local inhabitant's presence revealed by fresh snow. In this case, we followed the wanderings of a wolf pack as they meandered alongside an xc ski trail, one morning this week. These were the largest tracks. For reference, the ski tips are 50mm wide.

 

[mike_offerman]

Foggy and frosty.

 

[Titans]

@mike_offerman - Incredible photos. We had the same idea, post a winter photo.

A cold winter morning in the Needles. Good memories!

 

[SteveR]

Those frost pix!
After enduring a few days of very unseasonable full on winter in Alberta- Sunday was possibly the best xc ski day of an already great season on our local foothills trails:

 

[John Morrow]

Staying (Covid) close to home:

Monday 3/30: Old powder

Outback 1 by John Morrow, on Flickr


Outback 2 by John Morrow, on Flickr


April 1: April snowfall, warming day, sun breaks and high avy hazard mean ski in the trees



Rock Mtn enshrouded by John Morrow, on Flickr


Jake 2 Nason by John Morrow, on Flickr


Jake 3 Nason by John Morrow, on Flickr


Headed down by John Morrow, on Flickr


Skiing trees by John Morrow, on Flickr


Jake 5 by John Morrow, on Flickr


Nason Ridge 1 by John Morrow, on Flickr

A few more pics of winter:

2020 Feb-April 1 Central Cascade ski touring shots

Not a banner year for skiing for me but a day with Jake is always a good one. From three days this winter.

www.flickr.com

 

[SteveR]

Nice, JM! And a telemarker too- an endangered species around here. I do most of my backcountry on AT now, but like to fire off a tele or two sometimes on my XC skis, just for old times sake. In a normal ski season around the Canadian Rockies- mid March to early May would be prime time for long days ski touring and turning amongst the high peaks and glaciers along the divide. Not so this year, as all of that terrain west of Calgary is found in the national parks or the Kananaskis provincial parks- all effectively closed. A lot of public land akin to BLM is still open in the foothills but is not great for powder turns due to a low and weak snowpack- but still good for some xc style touring, especially as we have been back into unseasonable winter weather this week, after a taste of spring last weekend.

A return to Winter Wonderland.

A few days later- more snow, but grooming done for the season, Still, very good skier tracked conditions.

Glad to see others have been getting out, despite gov't making it more difficult by keeping this area open, but closing the main parking lots.
Makes sense to potentially squeeze people who want some responsible, health and sanity maintaining outdoor activity into the small trailhead areas remaining. Right??? With that in mind- we've been avoiding this area the last two weekends. I think that I could get used to being (semi) retired!

Another day- a link up of off-trail meadows and ski trails.

Delightful skiing on an undulating old logging road.

A return to the roots of xc skiing-meadow skipping on the light touring setup.

 

[John Morrow]

Nice, JM! And a telemarker too- an endangered species around here. I do most of my backcountry on AT now, but like to fire off a tele or two sometimes on my XC skis, just for old times sake. In a normal ski season around the Canadian Rockies- mid March to early May would be prime time for long days ski touring and turning amongst the high peaks and glaciers along the divide. Not so this year, as all of that terrain west of Calgary is found in the national parks or the Kananaskis provincial parks- all effectively closed. A lot of public land akin to BLM is still open in the foothills but is not great for powder turns due to a low and weak snowpack- but still good for some xc style touring, especially as we have been back into unseasonable winter weather this week, after a taste of spring last weekend.

View attachment 87702

A return to the roots of xc skiing-meadow skipping on the light touring setup.

Looks dreamy, @SteveR!

Thanks for the tele comments. I am at the age now where I think it may be time to go AT, too. However, other than poor parallel turns on the tele gear I have no alpine experience. Late season powder in the backyard was a case in point. Took a few falls when the shaded dry snow instantly turned wet from earlier sun. Face plant! Great day in the home hills, though:


Jake breaking on ridge by John Morrow, on Flickr


Great snow! by John Morrow, on Flickr


Natalie and Ethan, new friends by John Morrow, on Flickr


Back at Lichtenberg by John Morrow, on Flickr


Jake heads down by John Morrow, on Flickr

A few more pics of winter in the Central Cascades scenery:

Lichtenberg Mtn-Mount McCausland Ski traverse 4-5-20

Jake and I set out for late season powder. Shared the tour with a couple new ski friends.

www.flickr.com

Could have been the last day of winter. Warm clear high pressure on the way. Temps skyrocketing. Always sad to see powder go away.

 

[John Morrow]

How to not time it right for spring corn. We were probably 1.5 to 2 hours late to ski this sun baked south slope/face of Jove Peak:


Ski cut point release wet slides on Jove by John Morrow, on Flickr


Labyrinth Mountain by John Morrow, on Flickr


Final East Ridge, summiting Jove Peak by John Morrow, on Flickr


South from Jove summit by John Morrow, on Flickr


Jake at the toe by John Morrow, on Flickr


single ski cut does a number by John Morrow, on Flickr

 

[Wanderlust073]

Did you guys kick off that wet slide?

 

[John Morrow]

Yeah we did, by the time we reached the top of the slope, we were 95% certain it was unskiable. One quick ski cut confirmed our thoughts. 0830 start at the TH was 2 hours too late. This one has a long approach of 6 miles of snow covered road and forest. Surface was probably frozen 2 inches thick overnight with the clear sky. The west slope would have skied well but would have put us another mile from the car and another climb out.

 

[regehr]

top of Neff's Canyon overlooking Mill B North Fork, last Tuesday. I like all the avalanche tracks, I stopped counting at 50.

 

[SteveR]

Winter is loosening it's grip on the foothills west of Calgary. Fortunately- the Alberta provincial parks and rec areas were re-opened on May 1 after closing due to covid in mid-March- just in time for a bike ride out to the mountains on the closed in winter (until May 15) Sheep River road, and a short walk to Sheep Falls along the way.

The reason for the Nov 30- May 15 road closure- the Sheep river valley is an important wintering area for wildlife- Bighorn Sheep in particular. These nonchalant grazers were part of a herd of about 50 females and immature sheep meandering along and above the road. Bonus for cyclists is the once the snow melts in April- there is a window for a great 45 km ride, with no traffic.

 

[danger02ward]

Saturday May 9th was a beautiful Day to get out and enjoy Deseret peak via the twin couloirs. The gate was open.

View of the temple couloir on the way in.

View of the twin couloirs

The west twin had a lot of rock debris. East twin was free and clear but had skiers in it. So we climbed up the west twin and slid down the East twin.
Looking up the west twin.

Looking down the rock debris strewn west twin about halfway up.
L
Looking down the west twin from the top.

Looking over towards Deseret peak. We hit the peak before descending the East twin.

View looking down the top of the East twin in anticipation of the exciting glissade.

Looking back up the East twin after the exciting glissade.

A look at the beautiful Deseret twin couloirs.

One last look in the setting sun.

 

[TractorDoc]

Per usual I never know which "category" to post in. This time I went with snow.

A late spring flurry left a dusting on new plant growth; in this case some apple blossoms.







Too soon to tell if the apple crop is compromised, but at least the sun peeked out and melted most of the cold stuff off after it fell.

 

[danger02ward]

Tuesday May 19th I had the great pleasure of hitting south timp from the aspen Grove trailhead.
View looking up from the trail down below

View of the timp ridgeline from south timp

view looking back up the “timp glacier” after a fun slide down.

 

[danger02ward]

Saturday May 23rd I had the great pleasure of hitting cascade mountain for the first time up the Beautiful upper pole couloir.
View looking down from part way up the couloir

enjoying the beautiful steep Snow in the couloir

looking up at the beautiful blue sky

looking down from the top of the upper pole couloir

the cloud covered cornice rimmed ridgeline on the way to the summit of cascade mountain.

 

[Yvonne]

I guess I can post the first images for this year. We had a wonderful snowstorm on Labor Day in Yellowstone and the Tetons and I took advantage and took some shots in the Tetons.
That's the earliest snow I have encountered so far and I was smiling all day long because my wish was granted.