Medicine Bow Nordic Ski Patrol
Patrol Log:  Sat. March 28, 2009:  B. Howell


On Saturday March 28, 2009 Bob Howell skied the Potholes route from 
Green Rock to where it ascends the steep face of the second esker, about
1/2 way to Brooklyn Lake. At the start conditions were sunny with a
temperature of 35F and moderately high winds -- but OK in the trees.
There were approximately 10 inches of new snow, probably from Thursday's
storm. It was getting slightly crusty where it was exposed to the sun
but in general conditions were good all along the route. I met two
skiers near the start who were returning from skiing the lower open
meadows. Beyond those meadows, where the route enters the trees and
partially levels off, there were no tracks since the storm, and I was
breaking trail. I re-marked the trail using blue flagging from Green
Rock to that 2nd esker. The old flagging was almost gone in the lower
and upper parts I covered, but preserved more in the middle where it was
better protected by the trees. I expect the upper half of the trail
beyond the 2nd esker also needs to be reflagged, but couldn't get that
far today given the trail-breaking and flagging. By the time I reached
my turn-around point weather conditions were deteriorating, with rising
wind even in the trees, and light snow falling. By the time I returned
to Green Rock, conditions there were approaching a white-out. Snow was
confined to the mountains and after I left the Centennial Valley
returning to Laramie, it was sunny although windy.

Parking was a problem at Green Rock. The Green Rock Picnic Ground lot
had not been plowed and although snow in it didn't look very deep, the
plowing of the highway had sealed off the entrances. At 10:30 AM the
shoulders of the main highway were filled from Snowy Range lodge to a
considerable distance below the Barber Lake Road. The following are the
~10:15 AM car counts:

With Trailers Without Trailers
Corner Mountain 0 2
Little Laramie 0 1
Below Cattle Guard 71 1
Below Turn-Around 31 4
Below Snowy Range Lodge 29 15
Green Rock Picnic Gnd Blocked by snow

Totals 131 23
 



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Page last modified March 31, 2009
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