Better late than never, here is an account of our excellent cross-country skiing adventure along Bacon Rind Creek in Yellowstone Natl Park.
Chris finally got a Saturday off so he, my beautiful wife, and I decided to head down to XC ski Bacon Rind Creek in YNP, something we had been meaning to do for a long time. After the almost hour long drive, Chris is ready to get going:
With fresh snowfall the night before, the trail immediately was greeted with some beautiful scenery. The forest was full of whiteness:
That fresh snow and scenery came with a price, however. The most extensive avalanche cycle in years was plaguing the southern Madison Range due to the cold temps from late October and early December producing weak layers of sugary facets near the base of the snowpack. As we skiied we heard lots of whumphing and collapsing sounds. We kept to the flat terrain in the middle of the valley where things were safe. Being prepared for the conditions with the new shovel my bro got me for Christmas also meant I was prepared to shovel out a nice seating area for lunch, a cold beer, and some hot chocolate. Mmmm what a combo!:
Our lonely tracks show just how quiet and full of solitude it was out there:
Finally we headed back to towards the car, passing through more beautiful forest:
It was a great time and most importantly, we stayed safe. Mad props go to the folks from the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center whose daily updates on the condition of the snowpack keep everyone aware of what's going on. This beer's for you!
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