Whittaker Mountaineering just recieved information about the MTTA Trail Conditions here it is. For those who don't know the trail system is just above Whittaker Mountaineering.
Trail Report
November 29, 2007
Today there was 8” of snow at the 92 road snow park and 2 feet up at Copper Creek Hut. The trails should all be groomed tomorrow and the road to the snow park is scheduled to be plowed today. We are in great need of donations to pay for grooming fuel (currently almost $4 per gallon in Ashford)!!!! Our funds are very low because of the unexpected need to purchase a plow blade to keep the snow park access roads open.
You might want to check out the High Hut web cam after 6 pm today, with luck and some adjustments we may have a current picture of the snow conditions at High Hut. Also see the copper creek picture attached for a pic taken today.
Are your skis and snowshoe’s ready? Today we had three inches of snow at the 92 road snow park and the forecast calls for snow on and off the rest of the week. Copper Creek hut is ready for the winter, the solar panel is charging the batteries, the propane tank is full, and all the new renovations (laminated wood floors, new tables & chairs, etc.) are ready for your use. New trail post and signs have been installed! Most of the trails between the snow park and the hut have been brushed out. All we need is snow and we are ready for business.
The long lead forecast for the entire winter calls for an excellent snow pack, good skiing all winter.
All of MTTA’s grooming equipment is ready to go and our new snow cat will be out on the trail by January 1, 2008. We still have $10,500 in sales tax to pay on the new snow cat. This by its self is a good reason to mail a donation.
For our trail to be successful we need three components to come together. The Hut must be in good order to handle our visitors, the trails from the snow park to the hut need to be groomed, and the roads from the main highway to the snow parking area needs to be plowed. Because of your help and donations we have all the major components in place.
One surprise that came upon us late this fall was our road plow contractor going out of business. Many of you may not understand how the roads to the snow parks are kept plowed. You purchase a snow park permit and those funds are used to plow the roads. This plowing is accomplished by private contractors hired by the agencies receiving grant funds. The Dept. of Natural Resources has received grants to plow the MTTA access road for many years. When their contractor informed them he would not be plowing this season they had to put out a request for snow plow bids. They did this twice and received no bids. Without a private contractor to do the plowing we (MTTA & DNR) were faced with a major problem.
DNR and MTTA have developed a partnership which is able to adapt to problems. DNR didn’t have any money in their budget to purchase a plow blade, but they did have a truck available. MTTA purchased a blade and DNR installed the blade. This year a DNR employee will be plowing the road with their truck and the (yellow) plow blade which MTTA purchased. If you can’t get to the snow parking areas, you have no trail!
Because of you donations of cash and volunteer labor we have a new snow cat to groom the trails. With DNR’s help we have a solution to keep the access roads plowed.
MTTA had to spend $6000 to purchase the new plow blade and this has left us very short on cash. With fuel running almost $4 per gallon we need your help to keep things running. Please consider mailing a donation today, Make checks payable to: MTTA and mail to P O BOX 206, Ashford, WA 98304. You can also go to our web page and use PayPal to make a donation via your credit card.
See you on the trail!
Regards,
Bob Brown
Trail Operations Coordinator
Mount Tahoma Trails Association
mtta@skimtta.org
www.skimtta.org
November 29, 2007
Today there was 8” of snow at the 92 road snow park and 2 feet up at Copper Creek Hut. The trails should all be groomed tomorrow and the road to the snow park is scheduled to be plowed today. We are in great need of donations to pay for grooming fuel (currently almost $4 per gallon in Ashford)!!!! Our funds are very low because of the unexpected need to purchase a plow blade to keep the snow park access roads open.
You might want to check out the High Hut web cam after 6 pm today, with luck and some adjustments we may have a current picture of the snow conditions at High Hut. Also see the copper creek picture attached for a pic taken today.
Are your skis and snowshoe’s ready? Today we had three inches of snow at the 92 road snow park and the forecast calls for snow on and off the rest of the week. Copper Creek hut is ready for the winter, the solar panel is charging the batteries, the propane tank is full, and all the new renovations (laminated wood floors, new tables & chairs, etc.) are ready for your use. New trail post and signs have been installed! Most of the trails between the snow park and the hut have been brushed out. All we need is snow and we are ready for business.
The long lead forecast for the entire winter calls for an excellent snow pack, good skiing all winter.
All of MTTA’s grooming equipment is ready to go and our new snow cat will be out on the trail by January 1, 2008. We still have $10,500 in sales tax to pay on the new snow cat. This by its self is a good reason to mail a donation.
For our trail to be successful we need three components to come together. The Hut must be in good order to handle our visitors, the trails from the snow park to the hut need to be groomed, and the roads from the main highway to the snow parking area needs to be plowed. Because of your help and donations we have all the major components in place.
One surprise that came upon us late this fall was our road plow contractor going out of business. Many of you may not understand how the roads to the snow parks are kept plowed. You purchase a snow park permit and those funds are used to plow the roads. This plowing is accomplished by private contractors hired by the agencies receiving grant funds. The Dept. of Natural Resources has received grants to plow the MTTA access road for many years. When their contractor informed them he would not be plowing this season they had to put out a request for snow plow bids. They did this twice and received no bids. Without a private contractor to do the plowing we (MTTA & DNR) were faced with a major problem.
DNR and MTTA have developed a partnership which is able to adapt to problems. DNR didn’t have any money in their budget to purchase a plow blade, but they did have a truck available. MTTA purchased a blade and DNR installed the blade. This year a DNR employee will be plowing the road with their truck and the (yellow) plow blade which MTTA purchased. If you can’t get to the snow parking areas, you have no trail!
Because of you donations of cash and volunteer labor we have a new snow cat to groom the trails. With DNR’s help we have a solution to keep the access roads plowed.
MTTA had to spend $6000 to purchase the new plow blade and this has left us very short on cash. With fuel running almost $4 per gallon we need your help to keep things running. Please consider mailing a donation today, Make checks payable to: MTTA and mail to P O BOX 206, Ashford, WA 98304. You can also go to our web page and use PayPal to make a donation via your credit card.
See you on the trail!
Regards,
Bob Brown
Trail Operations Coordinator
Mount Tahoma Trails Association
mtta@skimtta.org
www.skimtta.org
2 comments:
I just noticed that a few mountaineering classics are finally available on DVD through Amazon (that's the only place I've seen them so far) - Everest North Wall, Karakoram, Three Flags Over Everest and The Winds of Everest. They all have the great Whittaker brothers and Jim Wickwire. These are great movies if you haven't seen them. I also noticed a DVD of Fairweather and Ascent combined together. I was amped to find those released. Pass it on!
I am wondering what the snow conditions on the MTTA trails typically is like the first week of May. Can anyone comment on the past several years? Thank you!
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