Nice Up High

Check out the incredible conditions "up high" on the Harrison Creek trail at Rabbit Ears Pass:

October 4th? Really? Pinch me :)
Beautiful snow as we follow a snowmobile trail through the forest.

Ok, now before you jump in your car for a road trip to Harrison Creek, let me temper your enthusiasm. As incredible as the previous photo looks, here's what we encountered on the way to the nice snow up high...

(1) Wide water crossings.... Large (partially frozen) puddles dominated the terrain for the first 1/3 of the outing.

Just enough snow & ice to cross this large puddle to the right.

(2) Narrow "ribbons of death"... Narrow patches of snow weaving through ice & water on both sides of us dominated the terrain for the middle 1/3 of the outing.

Just close your eyes and let Max & Zorro guide you through - they will ALWAYS avoid water
and keep me on the most suitable terrain.

Ok, "enthusiasm tempered", now back to the incredible conditions for the upper 1/3 of the outing. Watch today's short & fun video clip of immaculate conditions up high for October 4th...

[watch on youtube if no video loads below]

It was well worth the sketchy conditions down low to get onto the perfect conditions up high. As a bonus, we were treated to bear tracks along the way. It is only early/late season (Oct or May/Jun) that we get to inspect bear tracks on the trail:

Max's nose in a bear track (Zorro's too, but you cannot see his nose).
Another bear track to the left of my ski tip.
"Sniff, sniff - we don't get this nose treat often!" say the track inspecting pair.

Sketchy down low, narrow in the middle and perfect up high: 8.4 miles traveled with 800 feet of elevation climbed and a top speed of 18 MPH.

2017/2018 Season to Date: 2 days on the trails covering 17.2 miles with 1900 feet of elevation climbed.