MJ HALL / SNOWMOBILE - SNOWBOARD & MOUNTAIN BIKE ADVENTURES / TRAVELING

Winter X Games 2012: Shaun White's Perfect 100 Score

2012-01-30T13:49:00.000-06:00

Shaun White doing what he does...

GoPro Snowmobile buried(along with rider)

2012-01-24T03:18:00.000-06:00

No warning...WOW!!

I always have my avalanche beacon on, even if I'm snowboarding in the resorts.

Snowmobilers on Buffalo Pass, Colorado

2012-01-24T02:34:00.000-06:00

This a link to the storyhttp://www.steamboattoday.com/news/2012/jan/22/search-and-rescue-trying-get-stranded-snowmobilers/

This is the area that I was in with a group a month ago in December. It can get nasty up there when it storms and the wind starts blowing. It appears that 2 men got stranded and then got caught in an avalanche while on foot. 1 died and 1 survived.

My condolences to the families.

Burnt Mtn 1 12 2012

2012-01-22T01:33:00.000-06:00

At the Hockey Rink with the Grandkids / #7

2012-01-17T13:32:00.001-06:00

South of the North: Carter Country Trailer

2012-01-07T23:03:00.005-06:00

South of the North: Carter Country Trailer:
CLICK ON ABOVE TO VIEW!!
Carter Country Sizzle Reel from Carter Country on Vimeo .

Saw this video at http://www.southofthenorth.com/ and thought it was entertaining...the dude is livin the life.

Fisher Creek Fatality - 1 Jan 2012

2012-01-05T09:23:00.001-06:00

Cooke City and Southern Montana got dumped on last week 3-4 feet of snow, making for some danger in the mountains.

Hayden Creek Avalanche Fatality - 2 Jan 2012

2012-01-05T09:21:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T20:07:00.000-06:00

Day 4 of Colorado Snowmobile Trip / December 2011

2011-12-22T00:02:00.003-06:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

It was a great 4 day adventure to Northern Colorado. We chased the best snow we could find and didn't decide on our destination till the last minute as we were driving out west. It snowed the first 2 nights and we had clear cold days the whole trip. Everybody came home safe with good memories of riding the powder in the trees and the daily campfire lunch...GOOD TIMES!!

Day 3 of Colorado Snowmobile Trip / December 2011

2011-12-19T12:46:00.003-06:00

My ride, 800 Arctic Cat / 162" long track. 0 miles at the start of this trip, getting miles on it with the good snow.

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

There's a creek under my sled. The sled bucked me off and decided to dive into the hidden creek. It's good to have alot of man power to lift and yank it out.

Another stuck.

Taking a break in trees. Two days ago the big Ski Doo had 0 miles. By the third day it was learning to love the powder. 2012 Ski Doo 800 / 163" long track.

Lunch break in our forest lunchroom, Livin the life...

Another great day in mountains!

Day 2 of Colorado Backcountry Snowmobile Trip / December 2011

2011-12-16T01:47:00.001-06:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

On the road to the mountains,

It was a great day in the mountains. Good snow, everybody came back safe with stories of their day...Good Times!!

1000 Miles + 24 hours + Rain + Snow + Snowmobiles = First Day of Decemeber 2011 Mountain Snowmobile Trip

2011-12-15T02:07:00.002-06:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

There is snow in dem yonder mountains.

New Cats' first day doing what it was built for...transporting me into the mountain powder.

The 2 youngsters wrestling a 11 foot long Ski Doo as darkness falls.

Regrouping in the darkness at the top of the mountain after slaying the powder and bouncing off a few trees, at 10,500 feet.

Once again, Adventure is what one makes of it.

24 hours: 9:00 PM - 9:00 PM...start driving 1000 miles through rain, icy highways, 1 flat tire on a trailer, 2 hours of sleep in the moving truck during the night. Arrive in Wyoming, check out the new Ski Doos in town, grab a quick lunch at a fast food, gas up the sleds on the trailer then drive 60 miles into the mountains. Get a cabin, change into our snowmobile clothes, drive another 20 miles. Unload the sleds, ride up the mountain into a falling snow with darkness approaching. Have a great time riding in the fresh powder, ride down off the mountain in a falling snow in the dark. Load the sleds, drive 20 miles back to town, change clothes, go to the local bowling alley and have some great hamburgers. Walk back to our cabin and call it a day...almost. Turn on computer, go out to the truck grab a cold beer, crack it open and look at the moon and stars in the clear cold night, sit on my sled on the trailer remembering the last 24 hours and come back in and post this blog.

Good Night!

This is Some Serious Winter Weather / Blizzard Warning

2011-11-12T03:05:00.000-06:00

This is the most recent weather forecast for the Steamboat, Colorado area. This is shaping up for a great snow year in the Rockies...

Blizzard Warning

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
958 PM MST FRI NOV 11 2011

...A STRONG WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE REGION THIS WEEKEND WITH
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN THE NORTHERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS...

.A STRONG WINTER STORM WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY
BRINGING SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW TO MUCH OF THE AREA. THIS STORM
WILL BE CAPABLE OF GENERATING UNUSUALLY STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE
NORTHERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS WHICH WILL BRING AN EXTENDED PERIOD
OF WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND RESULTING IN SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS
IN THE MOUNTAINS AND PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWESTERN COLORADO
VALLEYS.

COZ004-013-121300-
/O.CON.KGJT.BZ.W.0002.111112T1300Z-111114T0700Z/
ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS-FLATTOPS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...COLUMBINE...TOPONAS...BUFORD...
TRAPPERS LAKE
958 PM MST FRI NOV 11 2011

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO
MIDNIGHT MST SUNDAY NIGHT...

* WINDS...SOUTHWEST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH SATURDAY
MORNING...SHIFTING TO THE WEST AND INCREASING TO 20 TO 35 MPH
WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 50 MPH OR MORE SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO
SUNDAY.

* VISIBILITY...FREQUENTLY LOWERING TO LESS THAN 1/4 MILE OR LESS
IN BLOWING SNOW SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION...10 TO 20 INCHES OF NEW SNOW EXPECTED BY
MIDNIGHT SUNDAY NIGHT WITH UP TO 24 INCHES ON EXPOSED WEST
FACING RIDGES. DRIFTS FROM 3 TO 4 FEET ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

* IMPACTS...TRAVELERS CAN EXPECT ICY AND SNOWPACKED ROADS
ESPECIALLY OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES. STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE
WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF
YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET
STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

Snow Porn - FK Superspines

2011-11-07T10:48:00.000-06:00

Early Season Snowpack Report From Colorado

2011-11-02T23:59:00.002-05:00

Statewide Avalanche Conditions
Issued: 11/02/2011 8:47 AM by Spencer Logan
Expires: 11/05/2011 12:00 PM 2 2
Highlights

The November 1st storm brought some decent snow to the mountains. Using the 6 AM numbers from remote weather stations, after the majority of accumulation occurred:

* Steamboat Zone 6 to 8"
* Front Range 4 to 6", with more than 12" around Cameron Pass
* Vail Summit 6 to 8"
* Sawatch 4 to 7" with over 10" on Monarch Pass
* Aspen 4 to 8"
* Gunnison 4"
* Grand Mesa 8 to 12"
* North San Juan 6+" Red Mountain Pass to Telluride, less to the south
* South San Juan 2 to 3"
* Sangres still snowing and blowing hard

Winds started from the southwest and shifted to the east. Generally, wind speeds were moderate but strong enough to drift some snow. Local areas saw stronger winds, with reports of 16 inch thick drifts in Telluride and strong valley winds in the Front Range. While not a big load, the new snow fell onto a weak, early season snowpack. Expect to find sensitive storm slabs and wind slabs in steep terrain near and above treeline. Remember the early season mantra "if there is enough snow to ride, there is enough snow to slide." Early season avalanche incidents, and even fatalities, are typical. Unpack your avalanche brain as you get the rest of your winter gear ready.

Please send us your observations and we'll keep the list of Field Reports and Avalanches current.

The November 1st storm brought some decent snow to the mountains. Using the 6 AM numbers from remote weather stations, after the majority of accumulation occurred:

Steamboat Zone 6 to 8"
Front Range 4 to 6", with more than 12" around Cameron Pass
Vail Summit 6 to 8"
Sawatch 4 to 7" with over 10" on Monarch Pass
Aspen 4 to 8"
Gunnison 4"
Grand Mesa 8 to 12"
North San Juan 6+" Red Mountain Pass to Telluride, less to the south
South San Juan 2 to 3"
Sangres still snowing and blowing hard

Winds started from the southwest and shifted to the east. Generally, wind speeds were moderate but strong enough to drift some snow. Local areas saw stronger winds, with reports of 16 inch thick drifts in Telluride and strong valley winds in the Front Range. While not a big load, the new snow fell onto a weak, early season snowpack. Expect to find sensitive storm slabs and wind slabs in steep terrain near and above treeline. Remember the early season mantra "if there is enough snow to ride, there is enough snow to slide." Early season avalanche incidents, and even fatalities, are typical. Unpack your avalanche brain as you get the rest of your winter gear ready.

Please send us your observations and we'll keep the list of Field Reports and Avalanches current.

Twitter 8:44 AM by Spencer Logan: Updated w/ 6AM snow accumulation. Expect sensitive storm and wind slabs near and above treeline.

Weather Discussion

The storm marched nicely across Colorado Tuesday night. The back edge will march eastward across the mountains on Wednesday, with a few scattered snow showers lingering into the afternoon. Northerly flow sets up behind the storm, with gusty north winds through the afternoon. Winds decrease this evening and turn northwesterly as a high-pressure ridge moves in. Daytime temperatures will inch upwards Thursday and Friday. A storm is lining up for this weekend, kicking in Friday night and snowing through the weekend.

Backcountry Weather Forecasts resumed on Nov 1. Details on snow accumulations, winds, and temperatures are available there.

The storm marched nicely across Colorado Tuesday night. The back edge will march eastward across the mountains on Wednesday, with a few scattered snow showers lingering into the afternoon. Northerly flow sets up behind the storm, with gusty north winds through the afternoon. Winds decrease this evening and turn northwesterly as a high-pressure ridge moves in. Daytime temperatures will inch upwards Thursday and Friday. A storm is lining up for this weekend, kicking in Friday night and snowing through the weekend.

Backcountry Weather Forecasts resumed on Nov 1. Details on snow accumulations, winds, and temperatures are available there.

Snowpack & Avalanche Discussion

No avalanche incidents have been reported this season. Yet. Don't be the first.

Observers have reported five unintentionally human-triggered avalanches during or since the last storm in late October. We generally assume reports are a small portion of the number actually triggered. All the slides were on northerly aspects near or above treeline. The slides were relatively small, not surprising for the shallow early season snowpack, but took out most or all of this winter's snowpack.

The Tuesday storm brings several avalanche considerations. Storm slabs are an important consideration. With the new accumulations of snow, storm slabs may form even in wind-sheltered areas. Recall that "slabs" can be soft and powdery, if there is weaker snow underneath. We know weak, faceted old snow is plentiful. Look for subtle changes within the storm snow, too. Storm slabs can break much wider than you anticipate and take out entire slopes.

New wind slabs will be another consideration, mainly near and above treeline. Winds will shift from southwest to north, with some strong gusts along the way. Expect both pockety, discontinuous slabs and widespread slabs in open areas. The slabs will be sitting on that old, faceted snow and avalanches will easily break to the ground.

Cold, clear nights between the early season storms promote faceting. The result is big, sugary, weak snow on shady slopes and high elevations. Many locations now have one to three feet of snow on the colder and more shaded aspects. This weak snow will be the foundation of our snowpack for a while. The weak, faceted snow will not make for a strong snowpack, and early season avalanches will plague us for several more storms. Expect Tuesday's storm to be sensitive and easily triggered on higher elevation, shady slopes.

Anticipation and excitement run high with early season storms. Everyone is eager to get out and play. Be sure to unpack and dust off your avalanche thinking, good travel practices, and safety equipment with the rest of you gear. It is common for October avalanches to catch people every season. An early season encounter with an avalanche will often come with a ride through rocks, downed timber, stumps, or other obstacles which can quickly bring an end to your riding season. Always think of the consequences if you get caught and take a ride in an avalanche.

Fall and Early Winter Avalanche Safety

* Fall and a taste of winter have returned to Colorado’s high country. Snow began to stick on the higher terrain by mid-September. Every season people have encounters with wintertime slab avalanches as early as August or September. Anyone traveling in the mountains, including hikers, hunters, sledders, skiers, riders and ice climbers, needs to be aware of the avalanche threat as soon as snow starts to accumulate on steep slopes.
* People are often misled when they see grass and brush sticking out of the snow surface. You should start thinking about avalanches any time you have snow resting on a steep slope. Remember, all you need is a slab resting on a weak layer of snow. The ground can easily act as a bed surface, even if it’s only a few inches below the snow surface.
* Old summer snow fields can act as the perfect bed surface too. Hard frozen old snow with new snow on top are common culprits in early season avalanche incidents.
* Early in the snow season there is not much snow on the ground. This means that rocks and stumps are near the snow surface. If you get caught in an avalanche you might get tumbled through rocks, stumps, and downed timber. These obstacles can do great bodily harm to backcountry users traveling through them at high speeds. Knee pads, helmets and full body armor may not be a solution to this problem. Even a very small slide can cause great harm if the terrain is unfriendly.Don't let an early-season injury ruin your winter!
* Wind drifts will create thicker slabs. Strong winds can take a three inch snowstorm and quickly build an 18” wind slab. Areas with shallow snow may be very close to deep drifted areas. It may be quite easy to move from a very safe area to a very dangerous area without traveling very far. Wind drifts will be denser than the new snow and thick hard snow on light fluffy snow is a great setup for avalanching.
* Once the sun returns after a storm cycle and warm temperatures cause the new snow to melt, look to see where the pockets of snow remain. The snow that lingers in sheltered areas and shady slopes could be the weak layer after the next snowfall. These areas could also become recurring problem areas throughout the winter depending on how the winter snowpack develops.
* Pockets of instability can develop quickly above early season ice climbs. Climbers should know the terrain above their route as rapid warming or heavy wind loading can quickly work to build slab or loose snow avalanches which can nudge a precariously perched climber into a bad fall.
* Hunters traveling across the high country need to exercise greater caution on steep terrain (steeper than 30 degrees with accumulated snow) when crossing ridges from one valley to another

Winter Storm...Wyoming & Colorado

2011-10-26T09:32:00.001-05:00

Winter Storm Warning

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER CO
609 AM MDT WED OCT 26 2011

...FIRST SNOWSTORM OF THE SEASON CONTINUES FOR THE MOUNTAINS...
FOOTHILLS AND ADJACENT PLAINS AS A STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS
COLORADO...

THROUGH THE NIGHT...THE HEAVIEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS HAS REMAINED NORTH OF
DENVER...ESPECIALLY FROM BOULDER COUNTY NORTHWARD THROUGH LARIMER
AND WELD COUNTIES. SPOTTERS HAVE REPORTED 6 TO 10 INCHES OF NEW
SNOW IN THESE LOCALES. MUCH LIGHTER AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES FROM
DENVER SOUTHWARD. MUCH OF THE AREA CAN STILL EXPECT LIGHT TO
MODERATE SNOWFALL THIS MORNING BEFORE DIMINISHING BY LATER THIS
AFTERNOON. TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED DOWNWARD ADJUSTED
A BIT LOWER FOR LOCATIONS FROM DENVER AND POINTS EAST.

THE SNOW SHOULD GRADUALLY DECREASE BY LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
AND DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS AS THE STORM SYSTEM MOVES
SOUTHEAST OF THE REGION.

THE STORM WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES. HIGH
TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL ONLY BE IN THE LOWER 30S ACROSS THE
PLAINS. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL DROP INTO THE TEENS. SINGLE
DIGIT READINGS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS.

COZ030>037-262015-
/O.CON.KBOU.WS.W.0011.000000T0000Z-111027T0000Z/
JACKSON COUNTY BELOW 9000 FEET-
WEST JACKSON AND WEST GRAND COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
GRAND AND SUMMIT COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND EAST JACKSON/LARIMER/NORTH AND NORTHEAST GRAND/
NORTHWEST BOULDER COUNTIES ABOVE 9000 FEET-
SOUTH AND SOUTHEAST GRAND/WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST BOULDER/
GILPIN/CLEAR CREEK/SUMMIT/NORTH AND WEST PARK COUNTIES ABOVE
9000 FEET-LARIMER AND BOULDER COUNTIES BETWEEN 6000 AND 9000 FEET-
JEFFERSON AND WEST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET/GILPIN/CLEAR
CREEK/NORTHEAST PARK COUNTIES BELOW 9000 FEET-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST PARK COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...GOULD...NORTH PARK...RAND...SPICER...
WALDEN...EAST SLOPES PARK AND NORTHERN GORE RANGES...GORE PASS...
RABBIT EARS PASS...DILLON...FRASER...GRANBY...GRAND LAKE...
HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS...KREMMLING...CAMERON PASS...
LARAMIE AND MEDICINE BOW MOUNTAINS...RABBIT EARS RANGE...
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK...WILLOW CREEK PASS...
BERTHOUD PASS...BRECKENRIDGE...EAST SLOPES MOSQUITO RANGE...
EAST SLOPES SOUTHERN GORE RANGE...EISENHOWER TUNNEL...
INDIAN PEAKS...KENOSHA MOUNTAINS...MOUNT EVANS...
WILLIAMS FORK MOUNTAINS...WINTER PARK...ESTES PARK...GLENDEVEY...
NEDERLAND...RED FEATHER LAKES...BAILEY...CENTRAL CITY...
EVERGREEN...GEORGETOWN...IDAHO SPRINGS...WESTCREEK...FAIRPLAY...
HARTSEL...LAKE GEORGE...SOUTH PARK
609 AM MDT WED OCT 26 2011

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS
EVENING.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL CONTINUE WITH HEAVY SNOW AT TIMES. SNOWFALL
RATES UP TO 1 INCH PER HOUR WILL BE POSSIBLE. SNOW WILL DECREASE
IN THE THE AFTERNOON.

* ACCUMULATION/WIND...TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 15 INCHES
CAN BE EXPECTED BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS
ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SIGNIFICANT WINDS
ARE NOT EXPECTED.

* MAIN IMPACT...ROADS WILL BE ICY AND SNOWPACKED. DEPENDING ON
THE EXACT AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL...DRIVING MAY BECOME DIFFICULT OR
IMPOSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ON SECONDARY ROADS.

* OTHER IMPACTS...SPOTTY POWER OUTAGES WILL BE POSSIBLE
CONSIDERING THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY WET SNOWFALL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

REMEMBER...A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE IMMINENT OR HIGHLY LIKELY. SIGNIFICANT SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS
OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Mountain Biker gets taken out by BUCK - CRAZY Footage - Only in Africa

2011-10-18T14:52:00.001-05:00

I'm sure some of you have seen this video, but if you haven't...check it out.

F150 EcoBoost

2011-10-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

After 260 miles the past week-end on my F150 EB pulling the 28 foot Featherlite enclosed trailer, I ended up with about 9.2 MPG. That included around town about 45 miles and the rest driving 65 -74 MPH highway. The big factor was a head wind of about 20 -25 MPH for about 120 miles. This is a small sample of miles. I have done the same trip in my F150 EB without a trailer and the result was about 17.5 MPG.

I got back from my trip on Monday with my F150 EB, parked my truck and trailer. Jumped into an F350 with the 5.4 gas motor and did a 280 mile round trip pulling an open single car trailer with an F150 on it. 140 miles into a 20 -25 MPH headwind and 140 miles back with a tailwind, 8.8 MPG for the round trip @ 65-75 MPH. I sure missed the power of the EcoBoost, huge difference.

Observations:

The EcoBoost pulls hard from a start to 70 MPH. Did not lose any MPH on inclines even against the wind. Motor has very good torque and low end useable power, minimal downshifting. It has the power I was looking for in a gas motor.

Not much sway from wind gusts, holds it's lane. Good aftermarket tires make all the difference in the world with a trailer this big or any load. The first thing replaced on my new trucks is the tires. The longer 6.5 wheelbase helps also along with Max Tow.

Pulling a trailer into the wind with any truck will always suck the fuel.

The small 26 gallon tank is not good(I was told this is the only tank you can get with the EB unless you order a fleet of trucks, then you can order the 36 gallon)...go figure.

Can't mount a winch on the front because cooling is a factor.

The F150 is a great truck, was gonna buy an F350 with the 6.2 gas. I'm not disappointed in the F150 EB with my set-up. I'm getting 2-5 or 20-40% more MPG than any of my other pick-ups and it's got the best motor.

Ford F150 EcoBoost

2011-10-09T03:08:00.001-05:00

I bought my Ford F150 EB in July. It is the Max Tow - Max Payload, with the 6.5 foot box, it has 3.73 gears. I had a set of 285/70/17 - E-Rated BFG All Terrains with aftermarket wheels installed the day I picked it up. I had a Bull Bar installed and I got creative with the license plate because you cannot block the air flow up front.

The dash MPG computer shows 14.4 since I bought the truck. My driving includes pulling my landscape trailer around town(1500 - 3500 pounds, about 10% of my driving), some fireroad driving locked into 4x4, stop and go city driving and several 300 - 400 mile trips. 2 of the 400 mile trips was pulling my landscape trailer with 3500 pound loads.

When I reset my trip MPG, I get about 14.5 - 16 MPG with everyday driving. On the trips with a mix of 60 - 80 MPH, I get 16 - 18.5 MPG.

I just turned 6000 miles on my new F150 EB. This motor rocks, it creates useable torque, and has plenty of giddy-up and go. It is also the best gas mileage I have got with a 4x4 pick-up.

A couple of my thoughts for what they are worth.

Upgrading the tires, a must if you are going to use the F150 like a truck. Get the Max Tow / Max Trailer. It is not an F350, but I wanted gas mileage and didn't want another diesel.

My previous personal trucks have included 3 different 1 Ton Super Duties, 1 - V10 and 2 - 6.0 diesels and an 06 3/4 ton Dodge with the gas Hemi. I also drive an 09 F350 4x4 gas 5.4 pulling a single car trailer for my job, about 8000 miles a month. That gets anywhere from 8 - 11.5 MPG depending on size of vehicle and wind.

This is the trailer I'm going to use the next 2 days. A 28 foot Featherlite. I will put on about 250 - 300 miles so I'll see how it does. I just drove it about 40 miles today and it was no effort for the truck. No sway and it just jumps up to 70 MPH. I'll be driving between 65 - 75 MPH.

Backcountry Ripper

2011-10-04T03:50:00.000-05:00

New powder sled M8/162

The Art of FLIGHT - The Metal Trailer

2011-08-08T09:59:00.004-05:00

Saw this teaser on Poor Mans Heli site.

Man, winter is just around the bend! Gotta start getting ramped up...

US - Tour de France 2011 - Best of n°1

2011-07-24T17:53:00.003-05:00

Congrats to Cadel Evans, I met him back in 1994 when he was a mountain bike racer.

My best memory of Cadel was when he and my son Jeff finished 8th and 9th at a USA National Mountain Bike Race in Traverse City, Michigan in 1996, 3 weeks before the 96 Olympics. They worked together and moved through the pack.

Later in the summer Jeff raced at the World Championships in Australia and Jeff raced against Cadel...he is a great competitor.

STAGE 21 - Image of the day / L'image du jour

2011-07-24T12:38:00.005-05:00

STAGE 20 - Image of the day / L'image du jour

2011-07-23T23:15:00.003-05:00

Congrats to Cadel Evans!!

I first met Cadel Evans in 1994 at Squaw Valley near Lake Tahoe. It was in a mountain bike race that was called "The North American Championships". My son Jeff Hall and Cadel were both Junior Mountain Bike Racers and 6 weeks later they would both be racing in the World Mountain Bike Championships at Vail, Colorado. We crossed paths with Cadel several times over the years.

Cadel is a class act.

Snowpack near Cooke City - 15 Mar 2011

2011-03-16T11:56:00.002-05:00

Avalanche Pit Bridger Mountains.wmv

2011-03-15T02:28:00.001-05:00

We dug a pit each day in the mountains and found the same basic snowpack. Fairly stable.

Snowboarding Mountain Backcountry Day.wmv

2011-03-11T02:29:00.001-06:00

Bozeman Montana Backcountry

2011-03-10T03:19:00.002-06:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

It was a good day in the mountains.

Mount Bohemia.wmv

2011-03-07T04:46:00.004-06:00

This is last week snowboarding in Upper Michigan...GOOD TIMES!!

Stormin' Snowboard Patrol.wmv

2011-02-21T11:28:00.001-06:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

This was out at Afton the night of the storm on Sunday. The storm dropped about 16-18 inches of new snow with strong winds. Great conditions!!

Sled Deck, Load Em Up Partner

2011-02-20T14:25:00.002-06:00

First time loading the M8 on my truck deck...yeah! No more trailer on the trip out to Montana next month.

Getting ready to go out to the hill for Ski Patrol tonight. It's gonna be a good night, it's dumping and we are supposed to get about 12 - 15 inches of new snow...GOOD TIMES!!

Snowboard Patrol

2011-02-14T14:52:00.000-06:00

Great to be out on the snowboard on a Sunday night without the crowds. GOOD TIMES!!

Road Iowa

2011-02-11T16:25:00.003-06:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

It was a frosty morning departing at 4:00AM, -11 degrees, 740 miles today.

I've been seeing these wind turbine propellers on semis the past few weeks. Traveled past a wind farm in Iowa on Thursday and the props were really spinning with the winds.

It was a solid 740 miles of driving on Thursday, along with 800 miles on Tuesday. I saw of farmland and assortment of semis this week, roads were the driest of the winter.

Widespread Weak Layer - 8 February 2011

2011-02-11T15:02:00.000-06:00

Highway.wmv

2011-02-09T03:10:00.005-06:00

Down and back today to Missouri...ya gotta have tractors and cars.

On the road.

Mount Blackmore Instability - 6 Feb 2011

2011-02-07T11:16:00.001-06:00

Mount Blackmore is located just south of Bozeman, Montana.

Nebraska Road Storm

2011-02-03T13:58:00.005-06:00

These were some of the smaller drifts. Hit some 3 - 5 foot high drifts that engulfed the truck. The F350 4x4 I'm driving just pounded through, just kept on the gas and the wheel straight.

Nebraska / Colder Than a... -11 @ -35 Windchill

2011-02-03T11:34:00.002-06:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

Sunrise in flat farming country at -11 degrees and a north wind with fresh snow. Gotta keep alert.

Truck had just slid off in front of me. If you hit the ditch it's best to keep the steering wheel straight and don't hit the brakes. He will just need to be towed right out. If a driver turns the wheel and hits the brakes, there is a good chance of flipping the rig or jackknifing, that would be much worse.

It is slick and icy in the right lane, but as you know the left lane is waiting to suck a careless car or truck into the ditch. This car must have just gone in because I could see the driver on his cell phone, probably calling for a tow.

Small town Nebraska after a winter storm, it had warmed up to -1 degrees by 9:30AM.

Leaving the Nebraska town and crossing back over the Missouri River. 360 miles to home, 720 miles today, this was a full day starting at 1:00AM and back home enjoying a cold drink by 7:30PM the same day.

I arrived home and Weez had spent all day getting our new place in shape and our apartment looked great. The apartment is really getting comfortable and it feels like Home.

GOOD TIMES!!

Iowa Horse Man / Iron Horse Mustang / Old Iron Jacked...On the Road Again

2011-01-24T23:58:00.007-06:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

Crossing the Mackinaw Bridge in the Dark of the Night

2011-01-24T23:34:00.010-06:00

Crossing the Mackinaw Bridge, 5 miles long & 199 feet above Lake Michigan and Lake Huron under a full moon...

A Trip Around Upper Michigan / Mackinaw Bridge

2011-01-23T22:48:00.005-06:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

This is about 3:30AM heading home, the first 100 miles were powder snow on a 2 lane highway. I have 640 miles to drive this day. Crossed the Mackinaw Bridge on this trip in the dark on the way home with a full moon in the western sky...Good Times!!

A Bit of Snow on the Road

2011-01-18T12:24:00.003-06:00

Stopped to help a guy crawl out of his SUV that had flipped and rolled. He was OK.

400 miles of snow, locked into 4-wheel drive all the way.

Moving Story

2011-01-15T12:32:00.001-06:00

This is the first morning at our new place, we sold the house to down-scale. It was a real challenge to move from a house to a 2 bedroom apartment in a 4-plex. A big plus is having a garage also.

The adventure right now is my job of transporting new cars on a trailer. The trips are 800 to 1500 miles round trip and I haul 1 car out and 1 car back. They are dealer trade sales that swap one new car for another.

Hope to be doing more Ski Patroling the rest of the winter and enjoying the winter conditions now that the move is completed...later

Bacon Rind = Good Stability - 2 Jan 2011

2011-01-03T15:18:00.002-06:00

This video is a great follow-up to the earlier test on Bacon Rind. Bacon Rind is located just northwest of the town, West Yellowstone, south of Big Sky, Montana.

Doug gives a good explanation of how the snowpack can strengthen itself. It is useful to see the snowpack evaluations being done by a pro.

Kicking Off 2011

2011-01-02T13:03:00.002-06:00

2011. Wow time flies, well we are making the big move. Sold the house and Weez and I are down scaling. We didn't get the Colorado trips in December like the years past. Priorities for sure.

The big picture is more freedom to pursue the adventures. I'm still staying on top of the weather reports and receive 4 avalanche reports a day. From Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. I'm chomping on the bit, the snow has been awesome in all the areas we seek out, Buff Pass, in Colorado has been receiving storm after storm and the Snowies are incredible right now. Up in Montana the snow pack is deep and the storms keep rolling through.

A few of my snow tools.

I've got the Ski Patrol season up and running. Got out on the snowboard New Years Eve and did the long Ski Patrol shift till midnight. It was a very good night to snowboard, the weather was brisk, single digit temps and a blustery wind out of the north. Thins the herd, the slopes were uncrowded with just a couple of accidents. It was great to get back on the board!! There is still alot of winter left and many adventures ahead. Keep your head up and board on the snow...later.

Bacon Rind ECTP Zero - 21 Dec 2010

2010-12-26T13:21:00.001-06:00

It's a good idea to keep track of the snow conditions and how it is evolving in the areas that we will be into later this season.

Buck Ridge 19 Dec 2010

2010-12-25T15:16:00.004-06:00

This is from southern Montana. A good photo of a shooting crack in the snowpack.

Saddle Peak Snowpit-30 Nov 2010

2010-12-01T17:43:00.001-06:00

Cherry Hill Avalanche

2010-11-29T13:53:00.004-06:00

This is an avalanche incident that happened in Utah(CLICK ON) over the week-end.

A couple of notes, the aspect/direction of the slope is very important. When you look at the report, notice that the rider entered the bowl at a low angle east facing slope and traveled around into a northerly facing aspect. The snowpack was wind loaded and weaker on the north facing slope. The slope also became slightly steeper. The slope broke several hundred feet above the rider and engulfed him. He was buried about 2 feet below the surface.

The second note relative to this incident was the fact that these 2 riders failed to equip themselves with their beacons. That was a fatal mistake.

I try and learn by reading and being aware of these reports.

I send my condolences to the rider that died and his family. Knowing also that this is a tough situation for this riders buddy to live with. Keep your head up out there.

High Winds in Beehive

2010-11-19T09:52:00.004-06:00

CLICK ON VIDEO TO ENLARGE!!
The snow has been falling in and around the Bozeman, Montana area. The winds kicked up to 60-80 MPH yesterday, moving alot of snow around. There were several avalanches triggered. Nobody was caught but ya gotta keep your heads-up...

This is the Bozeman, Montana avy site http://mtavalanche.com/current

Shak 1 Gang Wyoming Pow.wmv

2010-11-12T04:22:00.003-06:00

I threw this video together while I'm thinking of the snow falling out in the mountains. This is the gang I travel out to Wyoming with every year. we seem to hit the powder every year...GOOD TIMES!!

CLICK ON THE VIDEO TO ENLARGE!!

Colorado Mountain Snow

2010-11-10T10:29:00.004-06:00

The weather map below on the previous post keeps updating and this is turning out to be a good early season storm. The area is located east of Steamboat, Colorado. North of "Rabbit Ears Pass".

CHECK POST BELOW!!

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 40.59°N and Longitude 106.7°W (Elev. 11018 ft)

2010-11-06T22:29:00.003-05:00

7-Day Forecast for Latitude 40.59°N and Longitude 106.7°W (Elev. 11018 ft)

CLICK ON THE WEATHER FORECAST
Snow on the way toward Buff Pass, Colorado...build that base!!

Good Times on the Mountain Bikes.wmv

2010-10-30T22:05:00.002-05:00

Saddle Peak Avalanche, Part 2: Q&A - 4 March 2010

2010-10-26T14:26:00.007-05:00

This is a 2 part video about a large avalanche that ripped down the mountain near Bridger Bowl in Bozeman, Montana last winter (2010). If you do any backcountry boarding or snowmobiling, or you are interested how the snowpack forms and reacts to the mountain winter conditions. Check these 2 videos out. I know they are a bit long, but you will understand what is going on with the snowpack after you see this.

I receive an avalanche update and report each day from the Montana Avalanche Organization each day in the winter. Check out my Montana Postings in the "LABELS" on my Blog. I get up in some of these areas with my snowmobile for some backcountry snowboarding.

PART 1 VIDEO IS POSTED IN PREVIOUS POST BELOW!!

Saddle Peak Avalanche, Part 1: Q&A - 4 March 2010

2010-10-26T14:25:00.005-05:00

Labels

Sweet Singletrack #2

2010-10-24T10:10:00.001-05:00

Sweet Singletrack.wmv

2010-10-08T13:54:00.002-05:00

Weez and I out on some sweet single track. Enjoying some great Fall weather.
CLICK ON VIDEO TO GO TO YouTube.

Backcountry Sled/Shred Exploration

2010-09-21T00:56:00.003-05:00

I was checking out some mountain snowmobile videos and came across this one. These guys really know how to do the whole winter backcountry adventure!!

RIDERS I.wmv / August Singletrack

2010-09-14T12:34:00.005-05:00

A mountain bike ride with Owen and Jeff,. Using the Contour Helmet Cam mounted on my bike.
CLICK ON VIDEO TO ENLARGE!!

The Storming / Snowboard Standard Films Teaser / 2009 - 2010 Snowboard & Snowmobile Season Recap

2010-08-30T14:33:00.011-05:00

I know there is still alot of mountain biking season left...but it doesn't hurt to check out the snow season.

Check out "The Storming" / Snowboard Movie Teaser

A picture recap of our 2009/2010 Season

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!
These are a few pictures from our past snowboard / snowmobile season.

Locked and loaded, ready to go get some Colorado backcountry powder.

It was worth the hike to the top.

Can't get any higher.

Check that snow pack, ya gotta be aware!

Montana powder...

Good Times...

Owen's 7th Birthday Mountain Bike Ride

2010-08-28T00:09:00.013-05:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!

Jeff and Qwen half-way through our ride at Murphy Hannerhan deep in the woods.

Owen and Grandpa Mike/yours truly striking a pose in our...(Jeff's jerseys he won over the years) yellow jerseys. Thanks Jeff.

The truck all loaded up with mountain bikes after a good day on the trails.

Owen at home on his 7th birthday after the ride. Hangn' out with sister Ava and his neighborhood friends.

Hangn' with Chad and His Family / Just Monkeying Around

2010-08-27T03:04:00.008-05:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE
Tyler and I did a little video shoot. So we mounted the Contour camera on his bike and went for a ride.

We were testing the angles and view.

I used a similar set-up on a video that I shot on my motorcycle. It's a good time just messing around with projects. Check out my "Space Truckn" video.
On the drive home from the Grandkids' house.

These are pictures I shot on a dark country road with the bright moon in the sky. The bike is mounted on my truck. I thought it would be a interesting concept...plus I like checking out the night sky out in the country.

Good Times!!

NowHere / Awesome Snowboard Trailer from Absinthe Films

2010-08-25T12:16:00.007-05:00

Click to check out the new snowboard film "NowHere" / Absinthe Films.
Click to check out this, behind the scenes, knarly snowboard drop.

2010 Tour de France

2010-07-24T01:48:00.006-05:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!
Contador leads the Tour de France by 8 seconds with 2 stages left.

Cavendish fires the afterburner to win the stage, that's 4 stage wins for him this Tour.
Picture quality is a bit off...eh.

Just watched the late version of the Tour de France, Cavendish just kicks ass... the stage today was flat as Bob Roll's head.

Lou Dawson Climbs Denali

2010-07-13T02:57:00.005-05:00

This is a great story in the Aspen, CO newspaper that I was following last month about Lou Dawson and his adventure. Lou, his son Louie and 5 other young mountaineers traveled to Alaska to climb Denali. Lou's blog is Wild Snow and you can find it on my links.

Single Track Helmet Cam Day / VholdR @ halln

2010-07-10T00:27:00.009-05:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!
Check out this link to vholdr and search, halln

http://vholdr.com/

Great day to be out in the woods on the bikes with Weez.

Watching the late version of the Tour de France. Rock and roll sprint with Cavendish turnin on the jets and taking the win.

Vholdr Videos / CHECK IT OUT

2010-07-09T01:16:00.005-05:00

I'm posting videos on VholdR site at halln.

Kawasaki Green...Ya Gotta Love It

2010-07-08T03:33:00.002-05:00

1100 miles of riding the KLX 250 this summer and a few memories of the motorcycles through the years.

The first motorcycle I owned was a Kawasaki 350 Bighorn back in 1973, same green. Some great riding on that 350, it was a powerful 2 stroke with about 5 or 6 inches of suspension travel...The time I was hammering up 494 at about 70 MPH and seized the motor, or trail riding at Bald Mountain and tearing down the path along the railroad tracks. I learned how to rebuild the motor top end and was hooked on motorcycles from those early experiences. I went on to trade it for a 1974 Kawasaki 500 triple that just ripped. I saw 114 MPH on that rocket between Chaska and Waconia one summer evening. The next year I traded the 500 in on another enduro, a 1976 400 Yamaha, bright yellow and black. That bike was the street legal enduro rage, power and handling. I hit every river valley trail between Shakopee and Carver and used to find deer trails and blaze my own trails. There is a trail along the river that I would take home each evening from work along corn fields and right on the river bank, always wide open throttle. As I roared between corn fields the flocks of blackbirds would fly out of the fields and I would duck my head and feel the birds bouncing off my helmet and motorcycle, That was a learning experience to not flinch with unexpected obstacles. Those early experiences stuck with me and have save my life several times...don't flinch.

It was becoming a pattern, large enduro motorcycle one year and the next year fast road bike. In 1977 I found a new 1976 500 Kawasaki triple again, I would like to ride one of those rockets again. Early crotch rockets. My theory behind this was that I craved the speed of the fast road bike and became too comfortable with warp speeds, 100+ MPH, so the next year ride a dirt bike. Gain handling skills on the trails then ride fast on the road. AK Kenny Roberts, the primo racer of the 70s and 80s. The next bike was a TT 500 Yamaha, tiny head light and tail light, full knobbies, street legal, barely. Worked nights, so rode that dirt bike back and forth every night, 40 miles round trip from Shakopee to Hopkins. That bike, I learned to lean it over on the edge of the knobs on the roads and feel the slide. Then I took the big ride, a 1976 900 Kawasaki. That bike, set it up with narrow, low road race handlebars and a 4 into 1 exhaust. That bike ROCKED!! Got to the point where I could throw it into a 95 MPH power slide in the corners. This is the motorcycle that I started the back road trips through southern Minnesota, find the curviest roads and ride, also started plugging in a radio ear phone, still do this to this day. I came up with a system of cornering speeds, if it had an arrow and indicated a speed of 50 MPH, I would double it and throw the bike in and go. If the corner had an arrow and no speed indicated, it was at least 110 MPH. With the 900 Kaw I wore out a couple pairs of boots because they were used as lean indicators. The next bike acquired was another crotch rocket, a 1981 GPZ 550 Kawasaki...this was a giant killer. It was as fast as my 900 Kaw, 140 MPH, more ground clearance, lighter and had superior braking power. I rode with a radar detector mounted on the handle bars, it satisfied my need for speed. These were the bikes of the "good old days".

This is just a partial list of the 22 motorcycles I have enjoyed over the years.

This 250 KLX is a blast, fast enough for the highway. It will run up to 85 MPH+ if need be, with over 11 inches of suspension travel front and rear. Looking forward to riding it off-road this summer.
Kinda back where I started 37 years ago on a Kawasaki Green Enduro. GOOD TIMES...

Twisting Away a June Day on the Mountain Bike

2010-06-09T01:45:00.005-05:00

CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!
A much needed mountain bike day. Boy, it sure seems like it was a long time ago when I was prepping Jeffs' bikes for the Nationals and World Cups.

It was a great day to be in the country and enjoying a good mountain bike experience. Giving the bike a quick tune up and gearing up. A 2 hour ride. The trails are all singletrack and constantly twisting up to the ridge tops and then weaving back down with a flow of smooth transitions from pedaling to standing. Keeping a rhythm, and checking out the surroundings as I move through the woods. Soaking it all in.

Some kind of animal that likes to eat hairy critters left his mark on the trail...

With the narrow trails and deep woods, it was bound to happen. I had a near collision with 2 deer on a twisty section of trail. As I approached a sharp corner, deer #1 exploded within inches of my right hand and luckily cut away from me and ran across behind me. Deer #2 shot across within 2-3 feet in front of me. After hitting a deer with my motorcycle last summer at 65 MPH, I guess it wouldn't have been that big of a deal to hit a deer at 15 MPH on my mountain bike...GOOD TIMES!!

Corinth Jump by Robbie Maddison & My New Ride

2010-05-06T23:02:00.003-05:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!
Picked up this KLX 250 Kawasaki last week. It's a blast.

Don't think I'll be jumping over any canals any time soon, but Robbie can.

A Week in the Spring

2010-04-26T00:51:00.008-05:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!
Urban biking with Weez along the lakes on Monday.

City skyline.

A trail off the paved route. Did a nice loop of about 15 miles.

How about a Thursday noon baseball game? Outdoors at the brand new Target Field.

Got to the ball game early and the first thing, gotta have a hot dog.

Soakin' up the afternoon sun in the left field bleachers, 3 rows up from the fence. The boys brought their baseball gloves along. The Indians hit 1 home run just a bit to the side of us.

Kirby...yeah!! Tyler and Tanner strike a pose.

Starting the Spring landscaping season with the new trailer. Bought it Friday, I added the wood sides. Painted em black on Friday night and bolted them in Saturday night. Sunday the trailer starts to earn its keep with 2000 pounds of mulch, 76 bags.

Funny thing happened on the way to the job sight, bought a 250 KLX Kawasaki enduro. This is why a guy needs a 3/4 ton pick-up and trailer...to haul stuff. Ya never know.

Speed Riding an Avalanche >> Click on title for full page

2010-04-25T10:26:00.005-05:00

Speed Riding - Antoine Montant - Can't Stop
CLICK ON TITLE FOR FULL PAGE!!

Digging a Snow Pit in Montana / Avalanche Pit > Recapping the Last Day in Montana

2010-04-09T00:30:00.013-05:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!
5 mile ride in to the mountain slopes, for some snowshoing and snowboarding.

Base of the ridge that I started snowshoing up.

As I got up onto the ridge and it started to get a bit steeper, I dug a pit to check the snowpack. The avalanche danger was considerable so I was staying off open steep faces with any kind of rollovers.

I dug a pit and noticed the 2 pronounced crusts. The first one about 15 inches below the surface and the second layer 12 inches below that. At the bottom of the snowpack was faceted snow from earlier this winter.

I checked for hardness with my finger, the top 2 layers were soft and below the second layer it was considerably harder and compacted. At the bottom was sugar snow, coarse grain, with no structure.

The crust.

I isolated a block and did a compression test, it took 27 hits on my shovel to propagate a failure. It was not a clean shear, but it did fail on the crust. I was able to pull a block off with my shovel. at the lower crust. I decided that the snowpack was safe on this particular slope. When I snowboarded down, I stayed up high on the ridge and did not drop into the small bowl off the ridge. Better to be safe than sorry. It's all good experience.

One last look back on the mountain range. The trail in is a forest road and was full of moguls, but gotta have the sled for the 12 mile round trip.

The sleds travel in my enclosed trailer, 14 foot double axle FLOE trailer. Keeps them out of the road grime. Check out the video below. This was in the middle of the night on the way home. Road grime...

Hit the play button, kinda dark...

Sledboarding in the Bridger Range / Day 5 > Road Trip

2010-04-04T19:35:00.017-05:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!
This day started out good as I was headed up north of Bridger Bowl with the snowmobile. The plan was to ride in the 5 or 6 miles to the mountains and check out the snow conditions and get in a snowboard run if avalanche conditions allow.

I pulled into the trailhead that I had used 2 years ago. It had 20 inches of new snow from the past 2 days. Well as I pulled into the lot I swung the truck to the right and hit a ridge of hard pack snow from a previous plowing that was covered with new snow. The front wheels popped over and started spinning so I hit the brakes. The solution was to drop the trailer and get the truck repositioned, hook the trailer back up and get it turned around and out of there. Got back on the county road and crossed over to another trailhead.

One always has to be ready to adjust to situations in the mountains, this made me very aware of the need to check my surroundings right from the get go. As I prepared the sled and my gear, a couple drove into the trailhead. It turned out that they were going up to check the snotel site at Brackets Creek. It was good to talk to these local people who knew the area. We discussed the avalanche conditions. They identified some of the areas I had explored on previous trips to that area, it is good to take advantage of any information I can garner from local people at the trailhead. Backcountry snowmobilers are very approachable and offer good info on snow conditions and area information.

The Polaris Dragon is loaded and ready to access the Bridger Mountains. I brought my Burton Fish for this trip, the relevant thing with the Fish is that I purchased it from World Boards, located in Bozeman, Montana.

We visited World Boards on Monday evening after a day at Bridger Bowl, they are right on Main Street in Bozeman. Great people to talk snowboarding with.

Some great up close views of the Bridger Range.

I was snowshoeing up a ridge with my snowboard and looked back down. With the avalanche rating at considerable, I checked out a couple of areas and decided on a ridge that rose out of this creek area. I decided that snowshoing up the ridge and snowboarding back down would be the best route. This was a ridge line that I had seen a few years back.

Looking across from the ridge, I could see the mountainside that I had snowboarded on 2 years ago.

This is a snowpit that I dug into the hillside that I was climbing to check for avalanche conditions. Note the 2 pronounced layers, also I probed the snowpack to check for hardness.

Snow saw.

This is the ridge I climbed up.

Snowshoes back on the pack and ready to drop in.

Played it safe and snowboarded along the route I climbed up along the ridge.

A view from the trail on the way back to the truck. It would be great to spend more time in the area. Every trip I learn a bit more about the Bridger Range.

Gota' have gear...the trailer packed.

The road down from Bridger, it was snowing as we left. I read that they received over a foot of new snow the day after we left. The Spring storms in Bozeman are the best.

Hiking the Ridge at Bridger Bowl / Day 4 > Road Trip

2010-04-01T09:33:00.007-05:00

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE!!
View down the mountain from the top of the ridge.

The hike up... straight up! It's about 600 vertical feet to the top of the ridge from the lift. You need to have an avalanche transceiver and shovel.

Happy to be on top!

Yours truly on the ridge.

View to the south.

View to the north, on the face we descended.

Me off the top.

Weez dropping into a steep section.

Have a good day...later.

Road Trip / Bozeman, Montana < Day 3

2010-03-31T00:40:00.014-05:00

Click on pictures to enlarge!!
The lift to the top of the bowl, all black-diamond and double black-diamond terrain.

The snow was piling up and making for a good day on the mountain.

Bridger Bowl has good steep terrain and when it dumps, there isn't a better resort to be in. You want chutes, it's here, you want double-black rock cliff steeps, you want natural half-pipe ravines...yup it's here. When the Spring storms come blasting in they don't measure in inches, it's feet. It snowed all day!

Natural half pipe.

Mom dropping in behind son into double-black diamond tree run.

Mom riding back up with her son. Gotta get the last chair of the day, ya know.
It's going to just keep dumping, check it out below. We've already got 18 inches in the last 24 hours.

Overnight

Snow

Lo 17 °F

Wednesday

Snow
Likely
Hi 28 °F

Wednesday
Night

Snow
Likely
Lo 15 °F

Thursday

Snow
Likely
Hi 24 °F

Thursday
Night

Chance
Snow
Lo 15 °F

Friday

Chance
Snow
Hi 26 °F

Friday
Night

Chance
Snow
Lo 16 °F

Saturday

Chance
Snow
Hi 25 °F

Saturday
Night

Chance
Snow
Lo 17 °F

Hazardous weather condition(s):

Winter Weather Advisory
Hazardous Weather Outlook

Overnight: Snow. Low around 17. West wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Wednesday: Snow showers likely, mainly after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28. West wind between 11 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Wednesday Night: Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. Calm wind becoming north northeast between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Thursday: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 24. North northwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. Northwest wind between 5 and 7 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

The Snow Dance Worked = This is Why We Drive 1000 Miles

2010-03-30T10:20:00.004-05:00

Today

Snow

Hi 36 °F

Tonight

Snow

Lo 20 °F

Wednesday

Chance
Snow
Hi 30 °F

Wednesday
Night

Snow
Likely
Lo 16 °F

Thursday

Snow
Likely
Hi 25 °F

Thursday
Night

Chance
Snow
Lo 17 °F

Friday

Chance
Snow
Hi 28 °F

Friday
Night

Chance
Snow
Lo 19 °F

Saturday

Chance
Snow
Hi 27 °F

Hazardous weather condition(s):

Winter Storm Warning
Winter Weather Advisory
Hazardous Weather Outlook

Today: Snow showers. High near 36. West wind between 14 and 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Tonight: Snow showers. Low around 20. West southwest wind between 14 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Wednesday: A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30. West wind between 11 and 13 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Wednesday Night: Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16. North northwest wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Thursday: Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 25. North northwest wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Thursday Night: A 40 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 17. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Road Trip / Bozeman, Montana < Day 2

2010-03-29T23:07:00.011-05:00

Click on the pictures to enlarge!!
We have been traveling to Bridger Bowl for the last 12 years. It was always a Spring trip in late March or early April the first few years. Then we came out in January, over New Years a couple times. It has been the Spring trips that we have had some good snow storms, with 20 - 30 inches of powder. Well it is the Spring season again.

Always a good view across the valley.

Weez cranking on her Never Summer snowboard.

It was good to get out on the mountain and get the legs moving. After the 15 hour drive yesterday it took a bit to loosen up.

With wind gusts up to 65 MPH a couple lifts were closed. So we made our way to the south lift and found some good runs. Finished the day on the mountain with a steep, double-black diamond drop and a run to the base lodge. It was a good first day in the mountains. It was overcast all day with storm clouds to the south and east. The possibility of a spring snow storm is in the air, the more the better.

OUT of HERE...Road Trip: Bozeman, Montana / March 2010

2010-03-29T10:20:00.010-05:00

Click on pictures to enlarge!!
Road Trip...passing another semi.

The North Dakota Badlands.

Drove straight thru, 1000 miles. Left at 10:30AM Sunday and arrived at 12:45 AM Monday morning in Bozeman, Montana. Hauled the snowmobiles and brought the snowboards. Going to be a good trip.

Pictures of the inside the hotel in Bozeman that we are staying at,unloaded a few duffel bags then enjoyed a few beers to acknowledge a safe 15 hour drive. Got to bed by 2:30AM Monday...yeah!

Going up to the mountain this morning to snowboard..later.

dizzle packing bowls

2010-03-22T11:34:00.001-05:00

Spring Board

2010-03-06T00:15:00.009-06:00

Click on pictures to enlarge!!

It was a good day snowboarding with the March sun softening the snow and we were able to get out all afternoon. Weez and I have been getting out and Snowboard Patroling a couple times a week all month.

Weez and I have enjoyed having her brother and his wife out to the slopes and seeing them get back into skiing this winter.

The Spring is always a time to get some good snowboarding, along with travel out to the mountains...and that is just what we are going to do. The end of March we will be heading to the Bozeman, Montana area. It will be a snowboarding, snowmobiling and snowshoing adventure. We will hit Bridger Bowl and some of the backcountry in that area.

A good day on the snow, yeah.

Deeper Ep. 6

2010-02-12T12:45:00.000-06:00

Deeper Ep. 6

A Day on the Mountain / Spencer

2010-02-10T10:13:00.008-06:00

Wyoming / Shak Gang / Day 4

2010-02-08T02:44:00.012-06:00

Click on pictures to enlarge.
This was the third and final day of riding. The clouds moved in overnight and dropped several inches of fresh snow along with increased winds. It is always a bit wilder in the mountains when the winds pick up and start moving the snow around. We had periods of heavy snow and then it would taper off.

We rode to an area that Jake and I had found on day one. It was up top, on one of the mountains with a good climb to access and good wind drifts to bust over.

Deep powder this day and some occasional snowing.

This was in an area that was challenging with a steep ravine and a creek in the middle. It took a little sawing to free Alex's sled from a tree.

This is good boonedocking, where we were weaving our way through the trees, up and down ravines, with a creek adding a challenge. A few good climbs and a few steep descents, this all makes a great day exploring untracked mountain powder.

In the middle of nowhere, just where we wanted to be. Making our own trails. GOOD TIMES!!

We all made it back from this trip safe. Found new territory and returned to some areas that are always different from year to year with varying weather conditions. With fresh snow for two days before our arrival and bright sun the first 2 days, we were able to access some great areas, ride untracked powder and see what our surroundings looked like. The 3rd day of riding, with the new snow and the winds, started a new cycle of powder. The beauty of the mountains, it keeps drawing us back.

Thanks for checking out my adventures.

Wyoming / Shak Gang / Day 3

2010-02-03T20:13:00.013-06:00

Ghost Rider
One of the Gang got bucked off at the top and could only watch as the 2 pine trees jumped out in front of his sled. The little tree went first but big buddy tree stood his ground. The group was able to repair the damage. After all that excitement we all gathered for a mountain lunch and basked in the 30 degrees and sunshine...GOOD TIMES!!

Click on pictures to enlarge.
Another sunny mild day in the mountains. We explored an area that I saw for the first time 6 years ago on my first trip with the Shak Gang. That year I was one of 3 rookies on rented sleds. I had brought my snowboard and even snowboarded in this area that year. We have been back on these mountains 1 or 2 times since. It is a hard place to get into when it is storming, it requires alot of sidehilling and climbing to access. It is well worth it. The untouched powder was incredible and the sights were great. It was a good day in the mountains. We had 1 incident that involved a sled but the rider was not in the saddle at the time and so everybody was OK and with a little backcountry repair the sled was restored to order with a few battle wounds.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

I will be back with the sleds and snowboards in the future. We were able to climb to the top of several mountains and the snow boarding will be great.

Later...

Wyoming / Shak Gang / Day 2 / Vid

2010-02-03T00:16:00.007-06:00

Wyoming / Shak Gang / Day 2

2010-02-02T23:53:00.009-06:00

Throwing on some pictures of the day. 2 - 3 feet of fresh powder and bright sunlight makes for a good day on the mountain.

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Monday Morning - Feb 1 / Wyoming Bound

2010-02-01T07:05:00.007-06:00

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Nebraska / blowing snow and semi trucks...ya!

On the road at midnight Sunday, hooked up with rest of the group in Omaha, Tim and his sons left Sunday and stay at relatives in Omaha. We've got two trucks heading west with 4 guys in each truck pulling two 4 place trailers. We are 500 miles into mid Nebraska as of 7:30 AM. It is about 1000 miles to our destination in Wyoming.

This is a yearly trip to Wyoming that started back in the spring of 2005 for me. The group dynamics changes each year with varying numbers and 1 or 2 new guys each trip. The largest group was 10 guys, the smallest group I went with was 6 one year. I missed the year that I broke my face in the spring of 2008. The core of the group, Tim, Brian, Alex, Spencer and I are back along with 3 new guys, 1 of which is a rookie. The other 2 guys, Andy and Jake have been out west several times with other groups. We like to get off the trail and boonedock. With different snow conditions each year we take what we get. With over 4 feet of fresh snow while we were out there last year we didn't put on as many miles, but everywhere we rode it was deep untracked powder. A few years back when the snow was deep, but it was set up more, then we were able to explore more areas further off the trail and with better visibility you can see the areas and sights. This year looks to be a bit of both conditions, with the mountains receiving about 4 feet of snow last week. The temps will be mild, low 20's during the day. Compared to the December trips where we saw daytime temps in the minus 0 figures.It's going to be a good trip, I'll be riding the M8 this trip. 4 other guys are riding Mountain Cats this year, This group used to be all Polaris except Craig with his Thunder Cat. GOOD TIMES!!

Wyoming... Why Not

2010-01-19T10:23:00.008-06:00

Click on pictures to enlarge.
A few shots from last years pow trip.

Leaving on the 31st of January, almost let January slide by. Got the call a couple days ago and it's on. Just checked the National Weather Map and it's starting to snow again. It's been a little dry spell for a couple weeks, but that is OK, the snow pack will set-up and then pile some fresh powder on top and it will be a powder feast...ya! Starting to get the gear in order again and ramp it up for another adventure.

Cooke City, MT - SummitHD Films - S2: HANGFIRE Teaser

2010-01-16T19:36:00.002-06:00

BC Slide

2010-01-15T09:52:00.001-06:00

Slide on avalanche crest - Jan 9 2009 from Tyler Wilkes on Vimeo.

Winter in the Valley

2010-01-12T08:22:00.007-06:00

Click on pictures to enlarge.
The River still open at -5 degrees. It was all froze over 4 days later, but you wouldn't see me trying to cross it.

We cleared a winter bike trail last week in sub zero temps. It took about 4.5 hours to go down and back on it. This first day was to blast a trail through all the snow we've got this year. It was a solid snow pack and took much effort, but worth it.

I went back down after a fresh 3" snow on Friday. I was able to go down and back in less than 3 hours with the snowblower and added another 150 yards to the far end of the trail.

There were fox tracks and the deer have been on the path. I did see a herd of deer off to the side in the woods watching me. They had no fear of me or the running snowblower. People have been also hiking the trail. It is always interesting after a fresh snow to see all the tracks and trails. I saw where a fox had wandered along and then you could see where he pounced in the deep snow and stuck his head into the snow to possibly catch a mouse for a quick meal.

WINTER

That is the beauty of the winter, the tracks that tell the stories, the animals and their daily life and death scenarios that are played out during the nights and early mornings. Then the new snow comes and it is a clean canvas, to be tracked upon again. Being an avid hunter for many years and a hiker, I learned many years ago from my Grandpas and Dad about the signs from the tracks, they tell a story, one just has to interpret the sign. That is a large part of the winter mountain adventures, the new snow and a fresh day to lay your own tracks, whether it is on snowshoes, snowboards or snowmobile. Or even on the overnight drives into the mountains and laying the first tire tracks on some remote road. Maybe pulling over and shut the truck off, get out, stand and watch the snow flakes come drifting down in the dark. It is a powerful force in my life and I feel it every time I get out in the winter. I look for the adventure, whether it is a couple miles from my house or 1500 miles from my house, it is what you make of it. The night and fresh snow, it doesn't get much better than that. GOOD TIMES!!

Thanks to Steve and Q for the use of the snowblower.

Avalanche on the Throne

2010-01-07T15:34:00.003-06:00

This is an area that I have snowboarded on in the past. I always dig a pit and check conditions. It is a 5-6 mile snowmobile ride in and then a hike up for snowboarding. Many different faces and possibilities in this area.

This year is going to be a sketchy year in the backcountry with the cold early season temps and the facets buried deep in the snowpack. We saw the same conditions back in December in Wyoming and northern Colorado. Watch yourself out there, take the time to dig a pit and check the snowpack.

Later.

Ski Patroling / New Years Eve 2010

2010-01-06T11:06:00.008-06:00

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Under the lights.

Got the first run of 2010, at 12:02 AM January 1, 2010.

Avalanche Investigation at Crown Butte--28 Dec 2009

2009-12-31T10:25:00.002-06:00

Colorado / 12-18-09

2009-12-23T01:01:00.007-06:00

Click on pictures to enlarge.
The views from above Berthoud Pass. The snowpack was still a bit sketchy, so we decided to stay in safe zones, and get as much powder as we could.

Yours Truly showing off the Burton Fish from "World Boards". This is a great powder board that darts through the trees and transitions quick on the steeps. You only have to shift slightly to the rear and the nose just surfs.

Weez is rocking on her own Burton Fish. She was really cranking in the powder having a good time.

Steve has 2 speeds, idle and FULL SPEED AHEAD.

Jay was feeling the powder.

We got in 3 good runs on this day. Weez and I use the Atlas Backcountry Snowshoes, they have the lift for your heel which makes climbing the steep much less effort.

Steve making it look easy, he got in 4 runs on the day.

Big Fish little Fish standing in the snow.

Switching from up mode to down. It is when you put your outer layer of clothes and gloves back on. As you step out of your snowshoes into your snowboard you can enjoy the view and grab a drink before the descent, the reward for your effort.

We got into a steeper tree area on our last run.

The snow was great and we darted in and out of the trees.

The last run of Weezs' and my trip was the best. Steve and Jay stayed 2 more days, so they were right in the middle of their trip.

We finally got the powder runs that we had hunted for all week, everybody came home safe and it was a "GOOD TIMES" adventure. We had 3 days on the snowmobiles on top of Buff Pass in some untracked powder. One day snowboarding in the resort at Copper Mountain with fresh snow. A good day of hiking and shredding some powder at Berthoud Pass the last day. Even the freezing rain and snow storms on the drive out set the tone for the week, don't let your guard down.

Ya just have to be prepared for whatever the weather throws at you and don't force your plans, be flexible. With the red light avalanche conditions and thousands of miles driven we made the right decisions "knock on wood" this month. We met interesting people, laughed, downed a few cold ones and lived the life. Weez and I thank Steve and Jay for their companionship and good humor.

The kicker is, another storm is ramping up out west and we could gas up the truck and do it all over again. Yikes!! I better have a beer and go to bed, it's 3:07 AM!

Colorado

2009-12-22T12:17:00.003-06:00

I've got one more day of the Colorado trip I'll post tonite. Been busy since I got home so, have a good one and thanks for following.

Copper Mountain / 12-17-09

2009-12-21T13:07:00.012-06:00

Click on pictures to enlarge.
Ya gotta' have gear.

We snowboarded at Copper Mountain on Thursday with Steve and Jay, 2 fellow Ski Patrols. The plan had been to do some backcountry snowboarding and skiing, but with the avalanche prone snowpack ( Check the link to Colorado Avalanche ) we decided to stay in the resort. It was all good, with it snowing all morning and a chance to get in many runs.

Weez and Jay.

Top of the palma lift at Copper.

Steve and Jay, snowing and blowing pretty good at the top.

It was a good day on the snow. To get the feel for the board and work the muscles for snowboarding, it is good to ride the resort. One can get many runs together and work on the speed, along with working the edges of the board.