Season ending trip in review - West Yellowstone - Island Park - Lolo Pass

[thebreeze]

Myself, TurboMatt, and BigBorePat loaded up and headed west on April 7th for our annual Spring ride. We spend 5 days riding the West Yellowstone / Island Park area, and the final two days riding out of Lolo Pass. It was a great trip with lots of sun, 50-55 degree temps on the hill, and plenty of snow. The snow was melting out very quickly down low, but the snow-pack up high was holding up well, and 6-8 ft depth was relatively common place. We were typically riding rock hard snow in the morning, but in the afternoon 6" to 8" of snow cone softened up things nicely allowing you to hold side-hills, and climb to some incredible places. On the last day of the trip we attended HM Turbo Days in Lolo pass, and got to try out a bunch of different HM Turbo setups on the Pro RMK 600's and 800's. That was a lot of fun and we got to see hour turbos stacked up against the HM setups. I hope you enjoy the pics and videos. What a great way to end the season!

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[attack_06]

Hey where are they

 

[thebreeze]

 

[thebreeze]

Round 1 of pics.

1. Rae's Peak, Island Park
2. Lionhead, Continental Divide
3. A few day old AVY on the valley ride up. Those trees that are snapped clean off are 25 feet tall, and 12+ inches in diameter. Its amazing the forces the avy's can have. Lionshead
4. Looking down the continental divide, and the way in, and out for the day. Lionshead
5. Looking at the Chute we named "The Lionshead 90" Turbo Matt made it look effortless. CRAZY pull!

 

[thebreeze]

Round 2
1. Skokum Butte lookout. 7500 ft. peak appx and one heck of a view. Lolo Pass, MT
2. The Chute we named "Easy Street" Once again, TurboMatt took care of business with impressive style, and a large set of marbles. Chute Creek, Lolo Pass, MT
3. TurboMatt rolling on the boost! Elk Meadows, Lolo Pass, MT.
4. 16 O.Z. Can of Rainer chilling in the snow. Island Park, ID. And I drank it right there.

 

[thebreeze]

Round 3.
1. TurboMatt showing off the guns, and keeping up on the tan. Lionshead, West Yellowstone, MT
2. Impressive peak, and cliff band. Lionshead, West Yellowstone, MT
3. Exploring a steep valley in Island Park, ID
4. BigBorePat with the gunshow sidehill

 

[thebreeze]

A few more
1. Missoula Snowgoers warming hut. Lolo Pass, MT
2. Cool chute we found in Island Park.
3. Turbo Matt's line from the top of the "Lionhead 90"

 

[thebreeze]

Big Bore Pat with a little something for the ladies!!

 

[Skylar]

Awesome, what a way to end the season eh? Read your's and Matts post on sw, sounds like a blast. How long of a drive to Lolo?

 

[thebreeze]

It takes about 23 hours from just west of Milwaukee. It is about 1 hour more travel time compared to Cooke City, to give you an idea. We put on just over 3300 miles on the truck going from Hartford, WI to West Yellowstone, to Lolo Pass, back to Hartford including the trailering around town. Lolo really is a great riding area if you are willing to ride 8-10 miles to access the good stuff. West Yellowstone and Island Park ended up being better than I had expected as well. The town is reminiscent of the Wisconsin Dells, but you have access to three or four large riding areas within a 30 mile radius.

It really is a great way to end the season.

 

[Skylar]

It takes about 23 hours from just west of Milwaukee. It is about 1 hour more travel time compared to Cooke City, to give you an idea. We put on just over 3300 miles on the truck going from Hartford, WI to West Yellowstone, to Lolo Pass, back to Hartford including the trailering around town. Lolo really is a great riding area if you are willing to ride 8-10 miles to access the good stuff. West Yellowstone and Island Park ended up being better than I had expected as well. The town is reminiscent of the Wisconsin Dells, but you have access to three or four large riding areas within a 30 mile radius.


It really is a great way to end the season.

Cool, I could shave an hour and a half off of that then, Portage to Milwaukee is about an hour and a half. Thanks for the info.

 

[TurboMatt]

The snow conditions definately weren't ideal, but man did we have fun! I almost want to say it was one of the most relaxing and most fun trips I have been on out west(although it seems a lot of times the last trip you were on always seems like the best for some reason,LOL). We did a ton of exploring, rode a bunch of different areas & didn't get stuck more than what, a couple times? When I was in WY/IP in March the fog was so thick you couldnt go anywhere(this was my first time in the area). It was nice to be able to get out an really see the area. WY/IP has some amazing terrian and is now at the top of my favorite places to ride list. Think Cooke City terrain only 20 times more of it. You do have to tailer OR trail ride a bit to get out there tho(Which obviously you don't have to do much of in Cooke).

 

[cooksend]

How about your opinions on Lolo? Nice pull on the Easy Street by the way!

 

[Jonger1150]

What size tracks are those?

 

[thebreeze]

The Pro is a stock 163. My M8 turbo is a 153" powerclaw, and the M1000 is a 162 challenger 2.25.

 

[snoluver1]

Awesome!!!

I think a flatlander invasion on Lolo pass may be in order next year! Can't wait to get back there!!

 

[thebreeze]

That would be a fun time for sure. We could take over The Lodge, and whoever shows up shows up. The warming hut is really the icing on the cake for me when it comes to the riding area, and diversity of terrain is fantastic. Mile to as wild as you want to get.

 

[TurboMatt]

How about your opinions on Lolo? Nice pull on the Easy Street by the way!

I liked the area and will definately go back. The lower elevation was nice, you could breathe a little easier. There's a very good diversity of terrain. The lodge is kind of expensive for my taste, but it is nice and you do get access to hot springs,I'm just a cheap *** when it comes to snowmobile lodging is the main problem. At this point I wouldn't call it my absolute favorite place to ride, but its up near the top of the list. The amount of trail riding you have to do to get out to the play areas kinda sux, but man that warming hut is the best thing to happen to snowmobiling since turbos!

I'm really hoping to make a trip north of the boarder next season.

 

[Jonger1150]

So do you own a couple sets of sleds, because I highly doubt those work well on Wisconsin trails.

 

[thebreeze]

I have 2 M8 153's. They get ridden in the up and out west but do serve trail duty when necessary in northern Wisconsin when my mom or sister want to go for a quick run on the two ups. It's no big deal, but I do have to chuckle a bit when I roll up to the bar with two two ups and am on a turbo m8!