Episode 3 of the UAC podcast is live. We talk with UDOT Avalanche Program Supervisor Bill Nalli on how he and his teams keep the Greatest Snow on Earth from avalanching over the open roads and highways of the state. Check it out on ITunes, Stitcher, the UAC blog, or wherever you get your podcasts.
I'm sorry to see we've had to cancel our Backcountry 101 classes due to lack of snow.
The UAC Marketplace is online. The holiday auction is closed, but our online marketplace still has deals on skis, packs, airbag packs, beacons, snowshoes, soft goods and much more.
The mountains picked up a quick shot of snow last night totaling 4-5". Southerly winds blew in the moderate to strong range yesterday afternoon, then shifted to the WNW around 2:00 a.m. They are currently averaging 15 mph with gusts near 30. It's 14 degrees at the Geyser Pass Trailhead.
In my travels on Tuesday, the reality set in that in spite of receiving up to 16" of snow last weekend, there still just isn't enough base for safe skiing and riding conditions off the groomed trails and roads. Sunday's storm snow has settled out and the base depth at Geyser Pass Trailhead is 16". Overall coverage ranges from about a foot on sun exposed slopes, to up 20" in favored locations. Hard core enthusiasts tracked out the lower angle, grassy slopes over the weekend, but for now, the best game in town continues to be on groomed trails and roads.
New snow totals in Gold Basin.
Snow totals at the Geyser Pass Trailhead, (9600')
Wind, temperature, and humidity on Pre Laurel Peak (11,700')
Road conditions to Geyser Pass Trailhead: Expect to fond a few inches of new snow on the road today.
Grooming conditions: New and drifted snow will cover the track today.