Geyser Pass Road Conditions: The road is mostly dry dirt with a few sections of packed snow and ice up high. All wheel drive and good tires are recommended.
Grooming: Trails haven't been groomed for over a week. We're experiencing some mechanical difficulties with the equipment.
Friday, January 30 - Saturday, January 31 - Moab Backcountry 101 Class - Our annual local backcountry avalanche class. Click here for information and registration. Moab and Monticello locals can use the discount code MOAB-LOCAL for a 10% discount.
24 Hour Snow: 0" 72 Hour Snow: 0" Season Total Snow: 22" Depth at Gold Basin: 12"
Winds on Pre-Laurel Peak: NW 10-15 Temp: 23° F
Weather
Another warm and sunny day is on tap with mountain temperatures reaching the high 30's. Tonight and tomorrow we should start to see a few clouds move in from the southwest. By Thursday, an open wave trough moves into the region bringing a chance for mountain snow and valley rain. Temperatures remain warm and dynamics are lacking so it doesn't look like much of an event but we may squeeze a few inches out of it.
General Conditions
Jason Ramsdell and I took a trip up to Pre Laurel Peak yesterday. It felt like a beautiful April day in the mountains but with November snow cover. I was surprised by the ease of travel however as the Christmas rain crust has firmed up the surface keeping you above hidden obstacles. The problem, however, is that there are still too many obstacles that aren't covered and conditions are exceedingly thin. I found the Christmas crust to be somewhat variable in thickness and density, and the underlying snowpack remains loose, weak, and faceted. In the long run, I don't think the crust will be much of a barrier to avalanche activity should we ever get a significant load. More on this in the video below.
Snowpack and Weather Data
Pre Laurel Peak wind station at 11,700 feet.
No recent activity has been observed. Click
here for the complete avalanche database.
