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asolo

Booting up
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Dec 25, 2018
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138
Is Beartooth Basin (next to Yellowstone) any good?

How is Timberline (Mt.Hood) this year with apparently low snowpack? I assume it has to freeze overnight (a function of clear skies) for the hardpack skiing conditions to form. Early July?

Is Bariloche worth a $1500 plane ticket?
 

Bill Miles

Old Man Groomer Zoomer
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Nov 16, 2015
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Hailey, Idaho
Never been to Beartooth.
Timberline is open in summer, but limited. Sharing the top chair with race camps. I went in early June several years ago and didn't think it was worth it. Didn't freeze and pretty sloppyeven though more was open than later in the summer.
Never been to South America, but from what I have read Bariloche is snow challengeed. Las Lenas is hit or miss, the Sanitago areas (Portillo andf Valle Nevado) are more reliable.
 

James

Out There
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Dec 2, 2015
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You could go to France, Austria, Switzerland and combine it with a sight seeing trip etc. Summer in the Northern hemisphere means half days. I've been to Les Deux Alpes in France one week in July. You ski like 7:30 -1. Or maybe the lift opens at 7:30, can't remember. It will be close to 1/2 hour before you're at the top.
A great time. Kind of like Abasin in May, but not that good. You never know what the weather will be.
They didn't use salt, Mt Hood uses salt.
 

stan51

Putting on skis
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Jun 26, 2017
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59
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Missoula, MT
Skied Beartooth this past Thursday. It was fun, though conditions were a bit challenging. A freeze with about an inch plus of graupel provided dust on crust conditions at the top, though it was softer near the bottom. Lots of teenage ski racers practicing, a big mountain comp happening, and moguls freestyle practice going on as well. Access was a bit tricky due to road conditions on the Wyoming side of the Beartooth Highway. Although the Montana side was perfectly clear to the state line, the gate was closed when we arrived. It opened about an hour later, fortunately. Friday, no such luck. We got up to the gate and heard from someone that was in touch with the Basin that they weren't going to be able to open that day because the road was closed... snow and blowing snow the previous night with a forecast for more of the same. We decided to take the long way around through Cody WY and head through Yellowstone Park, which was also fun.
 

sparty

Out on the slopes
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Feb 15, 2018
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1,005
The Basin doesn't have a lot of acreage, but it's got plenty of pitch and packs a lot of interesting skiing for its size.

In a good snow year, especially in June, there are also a decent number of nearly roadside lines along the higher parts of US 212. If you're willing to put in a little bit of work, you could easily spend a few days to a week skiing the Pass and not get bored.

The weather is a crapshoot, particularly as the Wyoming side of the road is maintained by NPS, and they never seem to be in a hurry to open it when a storm comes through.

Even after the ski area shuts down for the year, there's skiable snow near the road, but unless you had another reason to be there (like a Yellowstone trip or maybe backpacking in the CGNF, which is very special in its own right), the travel challenge to vertical foot ratio isn't ideal.
 

BS Slarver

Making fresh tracks
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Nov 20, 2015
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Biggest skiing in America
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Hit up BT basin over the weekend in the Sprinter for the first overnight camping excursion. The Beartooth Highway is well worth the trip if you’re in the region regardless of the skiing.

For those who haven’t been there, the basin is tiny at best but packs a punch right out of the parking area with a mandatory cornice as your warm up as the facility has ticket and boot up above the lifts.

Tickets and mountain ops pictured below
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The day had great snow and vibe for those of us jonesing for some end of season turns on a budget. Tickets start at $20 for Power hour, 1/2 day is 35 and FD $45.
Forget the high speed lifts, the 2 surface lifts make sure your legs never get a break.

Note to self, the weather can be very volatile. Conditions for us went from sunny and bluebird to hail storms and lightning in short order so come with clothes from 20 - 80 degrees, low that night was 35 with 30-40 mile gusts.

After we left the ski area we stumbled upon some great backcountry lines which now have me looking for a long tracked BC mountain sled and some adjustments to the camping gear.
 

John Webb

mdskier
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Nov 14, 2015
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Nevada City CA
Watched someone at Tuck's once slide down the upper snowfield, over the lip head first, then the entire length of
the lower snowfield past lunch rocks to a stop 5 feet from rocks at the end. Did not move for 5 minutes.
I thought he was dead but he finally got up and appeared "all-right". Scariest fall I ever saw ! :eek::eek::eek:
 

Tony

tseeb
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Jan 17, 2016
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1,284
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Northern CA
If you bought a base Ikon Pass in the spring, is summer skiing included?
The answer for Mammoth is YES. I'm surprised nobody answered this for you. My excuse is that I was at Mammoth 7/1-3 without a keyboard and somewhat limited Internet. Next year's Ikon is/was valid for this Spring/Summer at Mammoth beginning sometime in April. Aspen is the only place AFAIK that charged additional for Ikon passholders to ski there when they re-opened in late Spring.

While Mammoth plans to be open into August, skiing has become more limited after last weekend. Not only were they unable to keep a WROD to base of chair 2 (Stump Alley/The Mill where you can park close to lift), chair 1 is down for repairs so the only way up the lower mountain is gondola and the only way down AFAIK is Broadway. Edit to say it sounds like they lost Broadway and that for now St Anton is only way down lower mountain. The upper mountain has chairs 3 and 23 in addition to gondola and a most of it is steep and N-facing so it's skiable even it is warm.
 
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skibum4ever

Making fresh tracks
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Nov 18, 2015
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871
Heard a report today that St. Anton is very narrow and rocky toward the bottom.

We plan to ski tomorrow. I think downloading on the Gondola is in my future.
 

John Webb

mdskier
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Nov 14, 2015
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Nevada City CA
Glad I went 3 weeks ago when Stump alley, chair 1, &11 were open. Top will likely stay good
especially the Dropouts, Cornice & maybe Climax and Wipouts till the end.
Yes, downloading by the Gondola is in the near future. They kept Stump (lift 2) open a week
or 2 longer than expected.
 

wyowindrunner

Getting off the lift
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Aug 26, 2016
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430
Skied Beartooth Basin 6-29. pics on camera at the house. snow was slushy, slidey. little ran mixed in. lots of smiles from every one there- quite a few Red Lodge locals. If you are coming for the west the drive thru the park is tedious with the traffic this time of year. Was a lot easier when we lived on the Montana side. Don't remember the cornice running the full length of the headwall like it is now but after the first couple of drops you get kinda used to it. Think today was the last day of the year for operations though.
 

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