Stanley Idaho, Stanley Sawtooth Chamber of Commerce

April Steelhead Report

david — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:59:56 +0000

With over 1000 Steelhead in at the Sawtooth Hatchery our season is in full swing. With night time temps in the high 20′s the water is clear. There are plenty of fish throughout the system and we expect the next couple of weeks to be prime fishing. Steelhead season on the upper Salmon River closes on April 30th.

Jane McCoy
McCoy’s Tackle and Gift Shop

WARM RAIN DRENCHES SKI TRAILS FRIDAY NIGHT

ski — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:16:58 +0000

A steady heavy rain fell all through the night from Friday into Saturday in the Sawtooth Valley. Sun was shining again on Saturday morning but the temperature was already over 40 degrees by 9 a.m. and heading to pass 50. Unfortunately, that leaves the ski trails ungroomable for today as they meltamorphize on their own into a rather funky condition. The trails would probably still be suitable for ski touring since the base is still pretty solid… the top couple inches will just be wet and smushy as it merges back into the snowscape and the earth below. Sunday is scheduled to be the last day of grooming trails for this season at both Park Creek and Alturas Lake. Hopefully cooler temperatures will allow for some morning grooming as we pull in our equipment. Once again, as the redwing blackbirds sing ever louder in a grand chorus and the sun rises ever higher in the sky, it becomes apparent that it is time to surrender the ski trails to the coming of spring.

Wet weather express hits ski trails on last weekend of grooming

ski — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:06:44 +0000

A wet weather express is blowing through the Sawtooths on Friday, the 30th of March… grey skies extend down to the valley floor, snow falls fitfully with an accumulation of a couple inches by 10 a.m. and the temperature already well above freezing. This weather pattern threatens to continue through this weekend, our final weekend for grooming at Park Creek and Alturas for this season. Trails at Park Creek were groomed on Tuesday and at Alturas Lake on Thursday. Over the Hill, South Loop, Sheep Thrills and the trail to the lake as far as the bridge junction were rolled and classic tracks set as far as the junction and back over the hill. Additional grooming is scheduled for Friday or Saturday as weather permits. Trail bases are still firm but can get smushy and grabby on top when temperatures soar.

Steelhead Fishing Report

david — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:44:38 +0000

Steelhead fishing is in full swing on the Upper Salmon River near Stanley. Water temps have been running at 36 degrees. Fish and Game counts report that average fish catch rates are at 5 hours per fish. Fish are throughout the river system with the majority of fish below Sunbeam.
McCoy’s Tackle Shop in Stanley is open for Steelhead Season Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8:00am-6:00pm.

Sun morphs ski trails

ski — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 15:48:33 +0000

On Saturday morning, ski trails were groomed at both Park Creek and Alturas Lake.

On Sunday morning, a brilliant warm sun rising in the clear blue sky began its daily morphing of those trails. In the early morning they are pretty hard and icy but by 10 a.m. the temperature can hit 40 and the trail surface begins to soften and things get rather smushy, edges blur and the trail begins merging into the surrounding snowscape. The trail base is still plenty firm and skiing can be recommended to the tourist, flat tracker or slogging skater who likes it warm and does not mind the sun’s overpowering influence on the snowpack. New classic tracks at Alturas extend only over the hill and back along the creek. Wapiti and Sheep thrills were not groomed Saturday but one report claimed they were skiing better than the freshly groomed trails.

Warm temperatures hit ski trails

ski — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:08:52 +0000

Apparently it did not freeze last night. Thursday morning, just before dawn, the temperature in the Sawtooth Valley at 7,250 feet above sea level was already 37 degrees above zero. Golden clouds rose in brilliant illumination against a red horizon. The sky has since faded to a uniform grey. At Alturas Lake all the trails were rolled on Wednesday. Some classic tracks were set on Over the Hill trail and the Trail to the Lake as far as the bridge junction. The trails are pretty well compacted and could be pleasantly skied, however, warm afternoons can turn snow mushy soft and glommy.

Park Creek Ski Trails Groomed

ski — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:58:46 +0000

On Tuesday, all trails at Park Creek were groomed for Skate and Classic. Grooming is scheduled for Wednesday morning at Alturas lake.

ski — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:51:57 +0000

On the spring equinox, Tuesday, March 20th, 2012, the temperature had risen to somewhere between 11 and 15 degrees by 10:30 am in the Sawtooths. On Monday, at Alturas Lake, the Trail to the Lake from the bridge to the lake, and Sheep Thrills trail were rolled but rough. South Loop, Over the Hill, Wapiti and the Lake trail as far as the bridge were groomed for skate and classic and looked smooth and inviting although the underlying base could become softly tenuous with rising temperatures. At Park Creek, Sego, Larkspur, and Skyrocket were packed and groomed on Monday. Unfortunately, due to a blown fuse no new classic track was set.

SKI TRAILS IMPROVING

ski — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:03:51 +0000

On Sunday at Park Creek…. lupine, shooting star and camas trails were packed, rolled and groomed before it got too warm. So those trails are good for both skate and classic, although conditions are extremely soft. All other trails still effectively closed.

At Alturas Lake on Sunday… South Loop, Over the Hill, Wapiti and the Trail to the Lake as far as the bridge junction were packed and rolled. On Monday morning packing the rest of the Trail to the Lake is planned. The snow pack is firming up but expect trails to be very soft.

Grooming resumes at ski trails

ski — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:12:23 +0000

After a 5 day snow/rain extravaganza in the Stanley Basin and Sawtooth Valley, grooming will resume on Sunday morning at the Park Creek and Alturas Lake ski areas in an attempt to pack and roll some trails.