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Our apologies for lagging on the blog posts this year - we’ve been remiss in updating everybody on the epic conditions up at Bell Lake. We’ve had a slew of guests, new and returning, making the Bell Lake Yurt their home for a few nights this winter. Thanks to everybody who’ve made it out to enjoy the yurt!
Here are some images from our last group out over the weekend - Dave, Bill and crew enjoyed sunny skies with a foot of new snow;
Bell Lake, Montana
Fresh Powder Snow
Wave Wall, Bell Lake
Skin Track
Here’s a shot from our Avalanche Level 1 course held at the Bell Lake Yurt in January. We’ve got another 3 day, 2 night course scheduled March 10-12:
Avalanche Level 1 at the Bell Lake Yurt
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Happy Camper
A New Backcountry Yurt in Montana.
by Christina Erb
Last December, Montana Backcountry Adventures’ 450-square-foot canvas yurt—called the Bell Lake Yurt—was heli-dropped deep inside Montana’s 10,000-foot-plus Tobacco Root Mountains, an hour’s drive west of Bozeman. The rudimentary shelter, which can accommodate six skiers and two dogs, comes with cots (bring your own sleeping bag), a wood stove, a propane stove, cookware, and an outhouse a short walk from the wooden deck. The area’s nonmotorized-use rule means no snowmobiles and plenty of fresh lines. On nearby 9,698-foot Branham Peak, there are a half-dozen couloirs and the wide, powder-filled bowls of Bell Lake cirque. Park your car on South Willow Creek Road. From there, they’ll snowmobile you in (for an additional fee) three miles on a Forest Service road, and you’ll skin in the last two and a half miles over 1,700 vertical feet. Staying at the Bell Lake Yurt can be as cheap as $35 per person per day unguided (Level I avy certification required). Or pony up $500 each for a three-day guided, catered trip, where co-owner Andy Goggins will cook you locally raised, grass-fed beef tenderloin filets and, for breakfast, hot huckleberry flapjacks. [Open from mid-December to late June; skimba.com]
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We went up to the yurt in June for a nice weekend of great snow skiing:
Driving the truck to the summer trailhead and hiking up to the snow level at the base of Long Mountain makes the approach to the Bell Lake Yurt easy this time of year.
Flapjacks at 8500ft are best with blueberries. Bob on spatula.
Winter wonderland in June for sure. 8′ probed at the top of Hob Nob.
The vis was pretty poor, but we enjoyed a peek at the blue skies and clouds below us through this sucker hole at the top of Bell Peak: Binger with shorts, The Old DB, and Andy, left to right.
“Peanut Butter Bowl” from Bell Lake.
Peering down “O’Farrell’s Theater” on skier’s left and “Flapjack” on skier’s right; a couple of worthy Bell Lake classics for sure.
Dirty Bob at the top of O’Farrell’s Theater, about to shred the gnar.
Gnar shredded: Andy in the crux.
Bob out on the apron, enjoying smooth corn-pow.
Looking up at “The Green Room” from Bell Lake.
More corn-pow on The Green Room.
The Green Room wave goes on forever. So nice.
Andy getting tubular.
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Simon, Mike, Kent, Peter and Darren were out last weekend and caught some incredible blue-bird skies after the insane dumpage (+/- 4′+) that has blessed the T.Roots the past few weeks. Finally, some good turns off the superb north facing chutes of Branham Pk. Looks like skiing will hold up for a long, healthy corn harvest well into the spring season…
All Photos: Simon Peterson - Outside Bozeman
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We skipped the pond skim and headed out to the yurt last weekend, expecting low vis and variable conditions. Instead, we woke Sunday morning to bluebird skies, cool temps, and calm winds. Stoked, we busted a move into the basin to shred the gnar. Working the East Wall, we ascended the massive Branham Peaks ridge and put in some amazing turns on a dreamy surface of blown-in pow on the northeast face of the Bell Lake Basin. While most aspects pinwheeled in the blazing sun, we got face shots. The Tobacco Roots are tall, tight, and steep, making perfect shelter for cold smoke even when it’s 60 in Bozeman. Pure magic.
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FYI:
On 3/30/09, the USDA NRCS Albro Lake Snotel, just north of Bell Lake, read a snow depth of 95.2 inches. On this same day, the Sacajawea NRCS Snotel in the Bridgers read 53.0 and the Lone Mountain NRCS Snotel read 73.0 inches.
Gotta love Miracle March!
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Myself (Andy) and homies who grew up together in Missoula, taking our annual ski trip almost 10 years running, made it to the Bell Lake Yurt last weekend where we lucked out with a crazy storm. It dumped almost the entire time and mostly stuck to skiing the trees, but had good turns in Sugar Bowl and on the low-angle pitches above the lake. 12 mini-boxes of wine, 1 silver Patrone, and some sort of whisky (oh and some Mondavi wine somebody left behind - thanks) along with rounds of cards kept it entertaining in the down time. For most of the group being married with kids, or kids on the way, we’re not getting out 100 days/winter anymore, so this was a great taste of good old Montana backcountry that left everybody craving more despite the sore legs. Nice work: Hans, Ryan, ET, Byron, Lars, & Andy
Hans - Boosting Large
Slipper friendly route to the Long Drop Latrine is a bonus
Taking full advantage of the Propane Grill with BBQ Bison Short-Ribs
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Matt, just back from his trip, writes: What a great trip! We did a lot of skiing after you left us. We checked out “Flapjack”, which was bulletproof and scary up top but better down in the bowl below. It was a great tour up to the top if nothing else! However, day four was where it was at. We skied the cornice rimmed alpine bowl in the south west corner of the basin and absolutely killed it! We put in eighteen lines and never crossed a track! We dubbed this run the “Peanut Butter Bowl”. I’ve attached a few stellar picks from the trip and we’d be stoked to see them on the blog or your flicker.
With all the food names emerging for the area, I’m guessing folks are eating well up at the yurt.
Here’s his photos:
PB Bowl
Hob Knob, with Toffee Slot in the middle
PB Bowl
