Skis 2014

[Dan L]

Winter has been slow to show but I think it is here now. I put the Carbon Concept straight skis on this time and am hoping the cold lasts and that we get more snow.

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A hoist in the hangar makes changeover easy.

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Back from the first ski flight of 2020.

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This moose seemed to be enjoying the snow too.

[Dan L]

This has been a very poor year for low snow. I put the wheel penetration skis on the first week of January and haven’t made one valley takeoff or landing in snow. But there is plenty up high.

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This is Meadow Creek on the South Fork of the Flathead.

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Spotted Bear also on the South Fork.

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the RAFs Ryan Field

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Fish Lake Idaho. This one I’m very careful to pick my day. Any kind of trouble up here is big trouble in the winter. There’s 6-7 feet of snow already and not too many days in a winter you can get in there. Or back out. The elevation is about 5800’. This day was perfect with zero wind and a cold blue sky. The day before we had a very big wind event with power down all over western Montana. Missoula recorded 125 mph winds at a ridge top. Fish Lake is west of Missoula and I would not be at all surprised if it was blowing 100 at Fish Lake.

Winter is far from over. More to come I hope.

[Springloaded]

This has been a very poor year for low snow. I put the wheel penetration skis on the first week of January and haven’t made one valley takeoff or landing in snow. But there is plenty up high.

BA4F730A-2089-4669-883E-8F026F4A96A1.jpg

This is Meadow Creek on the South Fork of the Flathead.

80F1B9EE-258F-4771-B0F8-2E29969F6984.jpg

F034BFDB-EAD2-4906-9402-5BA50DE704F3.jpg

Spotted Bear also on the South Fork.

AA3BA3E9-6DDF-45BB-832A-8EA2B0156576.jpg


the RAFs Ryan Field

2E99DFD1-404E-4649-87D2-EE264DF883F6.jpg

Fish Lake Idaho. This one I’m very careful to pick my day. Any kind of trouble up here is big trouble in the winter. There’s 6-7 feet of snow already and not too many days in a winter you can get in there. Or back out. The elevation is about 5800’. This day was perfect with zero wind and a cold blue sky. The day before we had a very big wind event with power down all over western Montana. Missoula recorded 125 mph winds at a ridge top. Fish Lake is west of Missoula and I would not be at all surprised if it was blowing 100 at Fish Lake.

Winter is far from over. More to come I hope.

That looks like a lot of fun Dan
Cant imagine 125 mph. I guess you’d be like a balloon at that point,your going we’re ever it is. So much nicer to see plane pictures on the forum.

[Dan L]

It was a big blow alright. Like a Florida hurricane I guess. The big problem for the lower elevations was that it had warmed enough first to thaw the ground and then rained before the wind hit. The ground was saturated and a lot of trees blew down. We had about 75 big ponderosa pines go down.

So it was a big change to calm and sunny in one day. But I took advantage of it.

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For those that have been to Fish Lake, this is the Forest Service cabin at the end of the strip. And this was mid-January with a lot more snow to come before it starts to melt.

[Dan L]

More ski fun yesterday.

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Schafer in the Great Bear wilderness.

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Up at the cabins on the border with BC.

[Dan L]

An early start to ski season this year. I put the straight Carbon Concepts board skis on and was able to find fuel I could taxi to yesterday.

-2 this morning and more snow coming tonight. 😀

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[Dan L]

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Ski flying makes winter fun. For those that have been there in the summer, this is the RAFs Ryan Field and the two new cabins on the west side.

[Springloaded]

Cool pic, Are those cabins you can stay in?

[Dan L]

Cool pic, Are those cabins you can stay in?

Yes they’re open for fly-in campers. There are 5 total now. https://theraf.org/ryan-field/
you can make online reservations from this link.

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I had neighbors when I was there on skis. They were about 100 yards off the south end of the strip.