La Sal Mountains Winter Condition Update January 22, 2017

La Sal Mountains Winter Condition Update, January 22, 2017 from Moab, Utah

Nordic Grooming

Loads of new snow have limit our access to the trailhead, therefore there will be no grooming this weekend. Seems like the perfect opportunity to go somewhere new and unexplored. Here are some suggestions for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing.

Oowah Lake – 3 miles one way from the Loop Road up to the Oowah Campground
Warner Lake – 5.3 miles one way from the Loop Road up to Warner Campground
La Sal Pass – Many routes to explore. Follow the signs east of La Sal, Ut
Abajo Mountains – Monticello has grooming equipment now too, and they have finally received enough snow to pack some tracks. Head west out of Monticello 5 miles to Dalton Springs. Fun groomed trails loop through the oak right out of the parking lot. The Hart’s Draw Road is also groomed for 2 miles up to 70s flat. Here is a map of the new trail system:

Road

Geyser pass road has not been plowed since 1-13-2017. There has been significant snowfall since then. The Utah Avalanche Center is reporting that some vehicles have made it to the trailhead with chains and to not expect plowing until at least Tuesday.

Don’t feel like getting stuck today? Want to go skiing instead of waiting for a someone else who got stuck? The La Sal Mountains are vast, and the options are endless. Go explore! The best part about the road behind impassable is that it means there is snow everywhere! We are well stocked in Nordic touring gear that makes exploring off trail easy and fun. We have wide Nordic skis with metal edges and backcountry bindings. We are open from 8 to 6 everyday, come in and say hi!

Weather

ANOTHER storm will affect us today through Tuesday. The mountains are under a winter storm warning until Monday Night and many inches of snowfall is expected. Moab should see some rain/snow mix.

Avalanche

With new snow comes increased avalanche risk. If you choose to head into avalanche terrain, please use extreme caution. Or just stay off the steeps for a few days and enjoy some stress free laps throughout the numerous low angle meadows scattered around the mountains. Stop by the shop for suggestions or to look at our new map. Don’t forget to visit our own LOCAL avalanche forecast: https://utahavalanchecenter.org/advisory/moab. There you can also find weather, road, grooming, and backcountry ski conditions.

Snowpack

Snowfall late in 2016 was all well below average, but fortunately we have an abundance of the white stuff in most of the mountain ranges of the west since the later half of December onward.

La Sals – Currently, the La Sal Snotel site is ranked #2 for Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) with 172% of MEdian. Records have been kept since 1980. Keep in mind this could change if the later half of the winter is below average. Even if it doesn’t snow AT ALL, we have already received the average for the year.