Feb 08 2014 Bonneville Yurt BC Trip

Created 10-Feb-14

12 photos

John Schmidt and Mike Engle skied to the Bonneville Yurt on Friday night during Winter Storm warnings for the area. The skiing was still relatively soft as the windy conditions hadn't picked up yet. Despite the heavy packs, the best skiing of the weekend was during the long descent to the Bonneville Yurt on Friday night where we found soft and consistent fresh powder.

The storm blew in hard on Friday night while we were safe and warm in the yurt. Saturday's skiing was marginal on wind blown crust. Avalanche conditions were moderately high and the pit we dug showed a bottom layer of sugary non-consolidated snow and hard frozen layer with about 2 feet of normal snow on top. Unfortunately there was about a 3" wind crust on the very top that failed the pillar test.

On Saturday night, the storm turned warm and we heard rain through the night on our yurt @ 7,250'!

Our Sunday ski out was a major slog with 1,800' vertical in about a mile and half while we did our best to thread a ski track in the sparse trees through avalanche terrain.

Info from ISU Outdoor Rec Pgm on the Regional Yurt System

John Schmidt at the top of Skyline lift getting ready for the short skin up to the top Bonneville Peak

John Schmidt ready to descent to Bonneville Yurt

Deep, thick powder at the start of our descent

John ripping the fresh pow with a heavy pack.

John Schmidt getting decent freshies. — at Pebble Creek Back Country

Zeroing in the Bonneville Yurt as the terrain begins to ease in slope. John's GPS was very handy. We skied directly to the yurt.

John Schmidt negotiating the breakable crust on Saturday. The skiing wasn't worth the hike that day.

John Schmidt skinning up for the long slog back to Pebble Creek.

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