Beartooth Pass conditions?

[m2711c]

that is disappointing. been wanting to do that poma forever with no luck. when i got the time, the snows be scarce... if i gots no time, the snows be plentiful.





someday.

[Djongo Unchained]

that is disappointing. been wanting to do that poma forever with no luck. when i got the time, the snows be scarce... if i gots no time, the snows be plentiful.





someday.

To be fair, my opinion has been based on the last 5 or so years and almost always opening weekend. So it's gonna be a junkshow, always was tbh.

In a fat spring, 2 weeks in on a Tuesday, it could be sick lonely corn skiing on some sweet steeps with a honkin view. I've a kajillion Beartooth stories to motervate yas.

Every soul skier should experience Beartooth Pass/ and the basin poma. That lift is a maneater. The hike-to skiing and hike-out of skiing is so big and stunning.
The lower poma rope may snap on yas at any minute, and the upper poma, you are praying to God that it doesn't.

[anotherVTskibum]

To be fair, my opinion has been based on the last 5 or so years and almost always opening weekend. So it's gonna be a junkshow, always was tbh.

In a fat spring, 2 weeks in on a Tuesday, it could be sick lonely corn skiing on some sweet steeps with a honkin view. I've a kajillion Beartooth stories to motervate yas.

Every soul skier should experience Beartooth Pass/ and the basin poma. That lift is a maneater. The hike-to skiing and hike-out of skiing is so big and stunning.
The lower poma rope may snap on yas at any minute, and the upper poma, you are praying to God that it doesn't.

...and also praying that if the disc snaps off on the rider in front of you, they manage to get out of the way before they collect you.

When I lived out there, I had a lot of days in June that I saw almost no one (and some where I saw exactly zero other people) buzzing up for after-work earned turns.

I will admit to enjoying the opening day circus as well, even if doing so requires embracing the insanity.

[lifelinksplit]

I remember going up opening weekend for 12 years or so when I first moved to MT. It was always a shitshow but I remember it like Djongo. The usual spots/headwalls were the places most people hit and I remember lots of freeride camp kids at the poma. I don't even remember too many people dropping 57 Chevy but who knows, I was always pretty stoned. It did start to harsh the vibe when too many folks didn't give the terrain the respect it deserved and started seeing way too many slide for life situations. However just as many rad cornice hucking sessions went down from groms way better than me.

Beartooths will always be rad.

/cool story bro.

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[uglymoney]

The lift served area has never been a shit show for us during the week. Maybe on a weekend, but I've only done weekdays. The place is rad af, and the park kids bring a good vibe. I've not smelled even a single wiff of anti stoke or overcrowding.

Sorry to see they aren't spinning em up this year. The daughter and I had a good run, so glad we pounced on our opportunities to go. This year, she gets to fly to Timberline without me for her June turns.

[CHAIR_97]

https://youtu.be/_PzPjp9YNMg?si=_o0Ilh6mWA6NcNrW

Fun little edit from my buddy Andreas
Skilikealandscaper

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[byates1]

Sick

[nest]

https://youtu.be/_PzPjp9YNMg?si=_o0Ilh6mWA6NcNrW

Fun little edit from my buddy Andreas
Skilikealandscaper

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Usdatele sending some shit! Nice dude.

[byates1]

https://snowbrains.com/beartooth-hig...o-open-may-24/

[Djongo Unchained]

Plows made it up to the State line on the 13th and Dunraven pass is already open in the park. That says a lot about the coverage but we don't know what we can't see.

Got a skiff of snow at 6200' here in the Hole last night...

[byates1]

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2024/05...-this-weekend/

[east or bust]

[stealurface831]

lets cowboy the fuck up fellas.

[byates1]

Holy shit

[NBABUCKS1]

i wonder what the asking price is for a resort that only opens a few weekends a year if you are lucky.

[byates1]

Red lodge should take it over

[Djongo Unchained]

I had to drive thru the park yesterday as Teton pass is still jacked.

The snow from the day prior had closed the Beartooth for the day.
With those 2 closed, the amount of peeps entering at west Jelly was crazy. I'd say 7 miles of 5 mph traffic, from gate towards the Firehole.

Doesn't surprise me to see ownership changing. Those folks were cool but they always seemed to just be hanging by a thread. They coulda had Sublette for a song and put that in.
Tough row to hoe tho, by any standard.
Next season is La Nina, cornice will be open to hucking if no basin lifts run.

[anotherVTskibum]

Red lodge should take it over

The town or the ski area? Both are probably bad ideas, but taking it non-profit and making it community owned could make sense. I think RLM is too corporate (and probably wouldn't be interested given the revenue track record). Now, a lottery winner forming a non-profit and then operating both RLM and the Basin with the primary goal of providing as much good skiing as possible...that would be cool.

Interesting that the permit is for year-round operations. The logistical hurdles are significant, but winter ops would be badass.

[Whiteroom_Guardian]

I assume when there isn't snow it's talus? Even on a bad year it's actually snow free for like a month? 6 weeks?

[anotherVTskibum]

I assume when there isn't snow it's talus? Even on a bad year it's actually snow free for like a month? 6 weeks?

Talus galore. Unfortunately, I can't find a low-snow photo; the attached one is August 3, 2017, which was a pretty damn good snow year (solstice skiing was awesome).

My recollection is that chute 2 generally has skiable snow, but there's a big difference between "skiable" and "suitable for opening to the public as a ski area." The lift tracks are a big piece of the equation--you need solid coverage under the uphill side of the track. I'll try to see tomorrow if I can find any 2015 photos; iirc, even by early July, there was far less snow than the August photo I did find.

As far as the idea of installing aerial lifts there, I suspect it would be a net loss of operational days because of the wind impact. You also need to have adequate staff to perform an evac and a secondary power source (plus I'm not sure how much more juice it takes to run an aerial lift vs a poma), and I'm guessing the maintenance load would be higher.

[yeahman]

I like the place. But it wouldn't break my heart if it were dismantled. It just doesn't seem very feasible to run a small ski area up there.

[m2711c]

just hoping it don't close till i get a few runs in there...

[byates1]

Someone needs to get the ear of the GoPro dude in the YC. Would Be a perfect write of for someone to consistently lose a couple hundred grand a season

[anotherVTskibum]

I like the place. But it wouldn't break my heart if it were dismantled. It just doesn't seem very feasible to run a small ski area up there.

Running a small ski area up there is perfectly doable; they have been for decades.

Running one profitably, on the other hand, seems quite the challenge. As byates suggested, it seems like the ideal opportunity for a traditional ski area owner: someone who's looking for an annual loss to offset gains elsewhere.

I hope it works out, but unfortunately the TGR lotto pool failed to buy the correct ticket, so I can't help.

[Djongo Unchained]

Running a small ski area up there is perfectly doable; they have been for decades.

Running one profitably, on the other hand, seems quite the challenge. As byates suggested, it seems like the ideal opportunity for a traditional ski area owner: someone who's looking for an annual loss to offset gains elsewhere.

I hope it works out, but unfortunately the TGR lotto pool failed to buy the correct ticket, so I can't help.

The new owners of JHMR comes immediately to mind...


My first trip up was in '93 methinks and it's been there since then at least, but running very inconsistently. It was never like it was the past 5ish years. I never saw that lot full until EastorBust and I went up about 3 years ago.

Beartooth is soooooo much more than that basin and lift.

Anyone ever ski Gardiner Headwall then get the sled ride back up to the parking lot?

I was leaving one Sunday morning, debating a lap over there. I get there and 2 dudes skiing and 1 shuttling with the snomo.
They had a rope with 2 loops and a poma platter at the end. It was hang on for the ascent mode fosho.

It's about 7 am and sun just baking her up. They say join us and I ended up making 6 laps before 9 am. Fucking stellar morning...

And yeah, my idea of Sublette up there was a literal pipe dream. Energy to run it alone would be a major hurdle.