Salmon, Idaho Cross-Country Ski Trip Reports
Winter” 2008 – 2009

Author: Cliff Keene     Latest revision: 1211/08 Search for * (asterisk) to find any changes from 10/17/08 and ** for any future minor changes.

Click on the following links for previous year trip reports: Last Winter 2007-2008 or 2006-2007 or 2005-2006 or 2004-2005 or 2003-2004 Trips.

 When you read these reports, it may help to learn more about our trails using the following

Williams Cr. Area Ski Trails Links: (Hit the refresh button if one of these seems to stop loading.)
   Trail Descriptions     Trailhead Locations     Trail Map       Trail Segment table

Chief Joseph Lost Trail Pass Area Trail Links:  Lost Trail Chief Joseph Un-groomed Trail Segment Table

  Chief Joseph Groomed Trails Map or  Chief Joseph Area Un-Groomed Touring Trails Map <- This is an excellent map.

Click on one of the following to jump to that section. Hit the Back button to return here.

A. MARCH - APRIL 2009 TRIPS    (To see late March & April trips click on February and scroll upward)

B. FEBRUARY, 2009 TRIPS                 (To see late February trips click on January and scroll upward)

C. JANUARY, 2009 TRIPS                   (To see late January trips, click on “December” and scroll upward)

A. DECEMBER, 2008 TRIPS                     (To see late December trips, click on “November” and scroll upward)

E.  NOVEMBER 2008 TRIPS                (To see late November trips, click on “June” and scroll upward)

B.  July 2008 – November 2008 (Work Days)   (To see late October trips, click on Web Site Statistics and scroll up.)

C. . Web Site Statistics

 

MARCH - APRIL 2009 TRIPS       (Scroll Down for April )

 

April, 2009 TRIPS

 

May, 2009 TRIPS

 

Ski Year 2008/2009 Wrap-Up

 

FEBRUARY, 2009 TRIPS            

 

JANUARY, 2008 TRIPS         

 

DECEMBER, 2008 TRIPS           

* 12/10/08

01 Tues. Pvt. Ski: Cliff makes 1st ski trip of the season. Last weekend the road was treacherously slippery. If possible always use high clearance 4 wheel drive with studded tires. With the new snow and my studded tires it wasn’t too bad. The county was scraping the road above Cougar Point so it was good above that point. However beware because they don’t do any plowing on weekends. I stopped at the Meadow TH (see links at the top of the page) and found 8” of snow. I was optimistic. But that mood soon changed as I found some areas that hardly had an inch of snow and I hit several rocks and stumps. I skied the right fork of the Meadow Trail to the Wapiti Loop and back in my tracks. I did not ski the loop. This only took 40 minutes. I then drove to William’s Cr Summit where it looked like there was probably a good snowpack on the Ridge Road, but it looked like there was still truck traffic so it didn’t look like a fun ski.

I drove 1.5 miles down the other side to the Lower Mukluk Trailhead. There was only 7” of snow, but I found it more consistent. I skied about 0.20 miles past two spur roads to the left and continued to about 0.25 miles to the road to the right, I’ll probably call Spur C. This road was opened last year for beginning skiers. I only skied a short distance, but it looked like this would be skiable. One skis out to a dead end and back. I then skied back to the 1st junction (I call it Spur A) and skied right east and immediately took another track bearing right marked with blue flagging. We may call it Spur B. It makes a counter clockwise loop back to Spur A. There were a few stumps and rocks on this loop. I then skied east on Spur A to the point where it gets steep and the new flatter (but still steep) by-pass starts. I then skied back to the Mukluk TH taking a total of 40 minutes. If I’d skied out the end of the Spur C (1st road to the right – west) Id have take over an hour. If you have “rock skis” you could safely ski the lower Mukluk Trail and Spurs A and C. To get proper exercise you’d want to make a couple of trips. Beginning skiers should not ski up the Mukluk Trail past the 1st road to the right as the main trail gets quite steep. Conversely, after we get another foot or two of snow this is a fun ski for more advanced skiers.

 

 

 

 

  NOVEMBER 2008 TRIPS            

 

July 2008 – November 2008 (Work Days)

 05/15/08

53 Sat. Pvt. Ski: Cliff and Tim skied the last day of the 2007/2008 Season. Go to: http://home.custertel.net/~ckeene41/skitriprpt07_08.htm for last years report.

 07/23/08 
  Wed

01w Wrk. Day: Cliff joined FS employees (Jamie and ___) to do a condition survey of the Deep Cr. Ridge Trail (up to the Upper Shoshoni TH) and the Upper and Lower Shoshoni Trails.

 07/29/08 
  Tue

01w Wrk. Day: Cliff & Nancy joined FS employees (Jamie and ___) to do a condition survey of the Aspen Loop Trail including the portion that’s co-located with the William’s Cr. Trail.

Later Cliff & Nancy did recon on a route to by-pass the very steep top portion of the William’s Cr. Trail.

 08/24/08 
  Sun

03w Wrk. Day: Cliff & Marlene worked on the Spur B (1st to left) of the Horse-Log Trail.

 09/07/08 
  Wed

04w Wrk. Day: Cliff & Marlene did recon and.

09/07/08 
  Wed

05w Wrk. Day: Date = ? Cliff & Bob check out flag line on upper William’s Cr Trail. Make a few adjustment and GPS the route.

 10/14/08 
  Sat

06w Wrk. Day: Cliff & Nancy cut limbs on Upper Aspen Loop.

 

 

 

 

 

Abbreviations Used In the Above: 

Cr.

Creek.

Grp. Ski

One of our scheduled group trips. Some may only want to read the group ski reports. Do a Find - Grp to do this.

CJ

Chief Joseph Pass On Montana HWY 43 which actually starts in Idaho at Lost Trail Pass entering Montana at Milepost 1.0 at Chief Joseph Pass.

Mt.

Mountain.

Pvt. Ski

Not a group ski. Anyone that has an interesting trip should let me know and I'll add it. If possible indicate the snow depths and conditions. I keep track of the number of Grp. Ski and Pvt. Ski days that I attend with a number just before the Grp. or Wrk. Designation.

Rd.

Road.          

TH

Trailhead.

Wrk. Day

A day where we work on the trails, or scout out new trail locations or re-routes. I keep track of the number of work days separately from the number of ski days.

 

  Web Site Statistics

 Word Count: 702

  Web Location

 http://home.custertel.net/~ckeene41/skitriprpt.htm

*  Last revised on web: 1/

 12/11/2008 16:35 PM  

  Previously revised on web:

 10/17/2008 16:15 PM  

  Home Page Location

 http://home.custertel.net/~ckeene41/

  Contact:

 Email is: ckeene41-b4 followed by an @ and then yahoo.com
 (Cliff Keene, 1405 Tendoy Ave, Salmon, ID 83467)
 (Tel: (208) 756-2085)

  1/    Items with an "*" were added since previous revision.
      Two ** indicate minor update between ski reports.