Beartooth Pass conditions?

[yeahman]

BB has been quiet on social media.

Yeah I sent them a FB message asking about this season and never heard back. They're likely still doing other stuff.

[anotherVTskibum]

All that wind had to have helped fill things in.

BB has been quiet on social media. Not unusual for this time of year though. Would expect them to start posting soon.

What is a good snow stake to look at in the area?

No good snow stake available. The Cole Creek snotel might be the closest geographically but doesn't necessarily correspond with the situation up high. The snow and wind patterns are different up there, and while long-time locals might be able to make more educated guesses, four years living nearby wasn't enough for me to figure anything out without getting a visual on things up high.

With that said, once MDOT starts working on the road, the videos they'll post to YouTube provide pretty good intel.

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[SirVicSmasher]

Yeah, thinking this last storm put down a good layer and hopefully more between now and then.
Best skiing and camping is on weekdays up there. Less people and quiet at night.

Would love to do some headwall laps this year with ya. I'm try to pull off 2 separate trips this year.

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[Djongo Unchained]

Would love to do some headwall laps this year with ya. I'm try to pull off 2 separate trips this year.

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Hell. Yes.

We need to some ski time, it's been a while.

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Those dudes running the lift area are surely somewhere else pulling tubes and invoking ullr.

One of the enduring mysteries has always been what's it gonna look like on Friday.
Before the snow clearing drone videos, it was always an educated guess at best.

Hell, I've driven up there, decided it was shite, then drove home an hour later. After a pleasant sit by the raging creek, burning a nug, mind you.

[uglymoney]

I have a bunch of shots from 2021 that were never posted on here. Here is a few.

I took a bunch of them working on that cursed upper poma, changing the motor. Had a lot of time to burn since they let my daughter ski, but not me, so it was unusual for us. We originally only really only got her into racing so we could keep skiing, something new and fun.





People were hiking up that first day. We arrived right after the shaft snapped and too late for my girl to jump into the camp so we went hiking. We'd been distracted by a young moose in our campsite, trying to get out safely took a bit of time. I think this was Monday. They had it back running on Thursday.









I think it was Powdork asking about the packs going down the hill in the morning. This is a good shot of the base area where everyone lounges, has beers, snacks, whatevs.



Glamping base camp. The better camping is free, as BB natives here know well, but the family demands some luxury since we aren't backpacking anyway.

[Djongo Unchained]

That shit skis steeper than it looks.

On opening day, those guys were telling us the far face wasn't gonna open for fear of the cornice breaking off.
I wanted to tell them they could drive that Groomer off the lip and it wasn't gonna crack.
They let me and Eastorbust go open it after about 20 minutes and a few locs poaching it.

Fucking rocketing down in about 1/4" of corn on the first lap. Turns? just barely.
Then the sketchballz ride back up the poma. If you dropped it on that thing, you'd be deep in the Kim Chi fosho.

[MontuckyFried]

That shit skis steeper than it looks.

Then the sketchballz ride back up the poma. If you dropped it on that thing, you'd be deep in the Kim Chi fosho.

For real. That place is epic but the pucker factor in some spots is no joke.

I also fell off the poma my first time and had to do the slide/ski of shame to get back on. Thankfully the lifties and crowds were incredibly kind and gave me some pointers. Wouldve been a good laugh so I wouldn't have blamed them if they had. Good times. Seriously. Place is magical.

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[anotherVTskibum]

For real. That place is epic but the pucker factor in some spots is no joke.

I also fell off the poma my first time and had to do the slide/ski of shame to get back on. Thankfully the lifties and crowds were incredibly kind and gave me some pointers. Wouldve been a good laugh so I wouldn't have blamed them if they had. Good times. Seriously. Place is magical.

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Thankfully, I've only come off the Poma when the disc broke off the carrier, and I managed to not slide into the person behind me or stop in their way. Those last two towers to the top are legitimately steep and do an excellent job of keeping one attentive all the way to the top.

RLM just wrapped their lift served season today, so I'd hazard the guess that most of the basin crew have yet to switch over to that mode. Usually they wait until the MDOT crew is up to the plateau before really getting after it; I gather it's a much easier sled commute at that point.

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[byates1]

First time I rode that poma it was slide for life firm and I was like holy fuck.

[Djongo Unchained]

I don't think we saw a slider offa the big poma but I recall Eastorbust saw someone have a platter pull off of the lower one. Guy might've gotten a group laugh or applause.

And we discussed all the potential carnage beforehand. It was 110% a slide for lifer for the first 6 towers skiing down, and hitting riders behind you if falling at the last two on the way up, would be catastrophic.

Most skiers were pretty strong considering but there were some full tilt gapers too.
The first guy in made 2 marginal turns, got his tails below his tips and started sliding backwards.
We both thought fer sure he was going, but no, he saved it and continued to slip/slide/turn his way down; before eventually eating shit about 2 towers from the bottom. Think his legs twerked.
It was a fun day if not a bit weathery on top. Down in the basin was perfectly comfy.
There were about 6 super strong rippers too, all 45-55 yrs old.

I've driven the distance enough times to not really care about the conditions. It's a ritual, a time to center myself.
Like most of my skiing anymore, the overall experience is more valuable than the highlights.


For the first time last year, I drove around via Cody back to Jackson and did it in the same 5 hours the Park usually takes. That was easy and way less driving in the shitshow of YNP/GT during a spring holiday weekend.

[uglymoney]

BB website is now updated and listing opening day as May 27th, 2022.

Based on the continued promising spring weather and that Djongo mang stoking the fires here uglymoney and daughter odds of going have increased from 50% to 75%. It would be 100% save for the 15 hour drive.

https://beartoothbasin.com/

[SirVicSmasher]

Plan on being there early this year. Season will be 2 weeks tops. Sorry don't shoot the messenger

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[byates1]

No shit. Thx for the heads up

[shafty85]

Plan on being there early this year. Season will be 2 weeks tops. Sorry don't shoot the messenger

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Why is that? Lack of snow? Or...?

[whipski]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzFDzkWCkCA

[MegaStoke]

Yikes, looking mighty thin this season

[Djongo Unchained]

Here's a pretty good view of the Rock Creek chutes.

[uglymoney]

Edit so video is visible in app.

Here's a pretty good view of the Rock Creek chutes.
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[Ted26]

Idk looks pretty average to me. Usual stuff should be plenty filled in

[East2West]

[wolfelot]

Whoa. Might not open? That’s rough.

[Djongo Unchained]

With over 3 weeks until the holiday, it could be slim pickins. I'd ski the hell outta that thing right now though, looks tasty.

Beartooth pass really doesn't revolve around that Poma lift though. It's been there for decades, yet only recently have they made it viable enough to become a popular destination for spring.

I'll still be up there, if just for the camping, Red Lodge, and the vibe of southern Montana.

[total_immortal]

Beartooth pass really doesn't revolve around that Poma lift though

Gardiner headwall will still be in play even if the basin doesn't open. Rock Creek headwall will probably require a little hiking to get back to the road, and the farther flung lines will still be an option. The beartooth front has been getting hammered by these late storms with another one brewing tomorrow. My money is on classic low-tide conditions.

I'll still be up there, if just for the camping, Red Lodge, and the vibe of southern Montana.

Don't forget about the pig races...

[dookeyXXX]

It's nice to know I'm not the only one who has fallen off the poma...


Only been there once, but I tell people about it every chance I get.
Realist Old School "resort" skiing experience I've had in decades.

I mean how can you not love a hill where you have to ski down what is essentially a black diamond run just to get to the "beginners" area/poma?

Or whose only amenities include two porta potties mounted on a flatbed?

Or when you ask patrol about the stuff outside the poma area and their reply is "Sure, you can ski it, but if you get hurt we ain't coming to get you."

Or whose "lodge" is an airstream trailer?

And has insane side/backcountry access all around it?

Looking forward to another visit.

In the meantime, do they make "I Survived Beartooth Basin's Poma" shirts?

[Djongo Unchained]

Gardiner headwall will still be in play even if the basin doesn't open. Rock Creek headwall will probably require a little hiking to get back to the road, and the farther flung lines will still be an option. The beartooth front has been getting hammered by these late storms with another one brewing tomorrow. My money is on classic low-tide conditions.



Don't forget about the pig races...

Exactly, on all counts.
As much as I don't enjoy the grunt outta Gardiner, it is the essence of the skiing there.

The fact that you can make turn number 1 about 100 paces from the car seat is good though.

I'd rather hoof it across the tundra over to RC but I've gotten off course plenty o times and had to skirt back to the entries.
And bony? fuck yeah, sometimes it's a long damn way through those janky rocks and debris back to the turnout.

I had forgotten about the pig races, thanks for the reminder. I'm gunna git sum.

It's nice to know I'm not the only one who has fallen off the poma...


Only been there once, but I tell people about it every chance I get.
Realist Old School "resort" skiing experience I've had in decades.

I mean how can you not love a hill where you have to ski down what is essentially a black diamond run just to get to the "beginners" area/poma?

Or whose only amenities include two porta potties mounted on a flatbed?

Or when you ask patrol about the stuff outside the poma area and their reply is "Sure, you can ski it, but if you get hurt we ain't coming to get you."

Or whose "lodge" is an airstream trailer?

And has insane side/backcountry access all around it?

Looking forward to another visit.

In the meantime, do they make "I Survived Beartooth Basin's Poma" shirts?

I suspect shitloads have of people have either fallen off or had a platter pop off or maybe even a rope break.
That first pitch is legit expert skiing even in good conditions. Throw in some super sketch ice and it's a slide for life at the drop of a hat.
Thank goodness for those shitters, it'd be a long haul to the next one, at the campgrounds; raced to those before.

They do have some sweet shirts but I'll ask them about that line, it'd sell out I bet.

Anybody wants a shirt or stickers, holla and we'll see what's up.