A bunch of us are thinking about coming out to the Black Hills area and riding over Presidents weekend. All of us are first timers to the area. I would like to know the current snow conditions and any local weather reports. I heard a nasty rumor about 60 degree weather that moved thru there...any truth?? What is the trail fee for an out-of-stater? Also, any advice on places to stay, great areas to ride (both on and off-trail) would be greatly appreciated. We would be coming from MN. Thanks!!

sorry man I can't help ya snow hasn't been good yet this year better off checking some resorts out there or dealerships

http://www.sdgfp.info/parks/recreation/sno...ailconHills.asp This is the best place to keep up on the trail conditions. I have not been out there in 2 weekends but I will be out there this weekend. They did get snow Monday and it is forcasted for tonight and Wednesday. How much they will actually get is hard to tell. It will be very cold rest of the week so whatever they have will not go away soon. And yes, we had 60 degree weather one day last week. I will post the conditions after this weekend. Spearfish Canyon is pretty good to put in at as well as Trailshead which is past Lead and Deadwood. Most of the people like to stay in Deadwood just for the fact that it has a good night life and the casinos.

Possibly heading out there as well over Prez weekend... as of the snow conditions check the trail site for south dakota game fish and parks they are perty close to what the actual trails are... The trails out there when good are some of the best marked and groomed trails anywhere.... The highline is a great off trail if it hasn't been riden to death... there are quite a few meadows and stuff that you can find in some unsuspecting places that are good.. best thing to do when you are out there is talk to some of the locals or the people that have been there a while... Rifle Pit has a good area around there as well but with the crappy snow who knows how off trail is.... Hopefully all will turn around and be good...

Where is rifle pit at? What trail is close by?

Good luck finding rooms in Deadwood that weekend-It's the governor's ride weekend usually and I booked over 3 months ago and barely got rooms. Try spearfish, sturgis, or maybe even Rapid if Deadwood is booked!!!

Yeah if the rooms are booked in Deadwood which i would be amazed if they are not sturgis is a good one to stay at... We stayed at the Days Inn there and we headed out right from there... You can get on the highway and head up and it only takes a few minutes to head up from there... Days inn has the fuel and everything there seems like a nice place to stay and they have plug inns for the trucks if you need to keep the wheels warm... I know i appreciated that a bunch...

Rifle pit should be north east of the buckhorn bar... we hit that up after going there and fueling ourselves and the sleds.... it isn't to bad once you wind up in the back country.... any riding is good i guess.... :cat:

RIFLE PIT ROAD IS IN THE SOUTHERN HILLS BY HOT SPRINGS AREA NO TRAIL THERE BUT THERE IS ANOTHER PLACE CALLED RIFLE PIT BY MANY AND ITS A FAVORITE SHOOTING SPOT LOCATED CLOSER TO KEYSTONE BUT THERE AGAIN NO TRAIL NEAR IT SORRY!!!!

BUT THE OTHER GUY IS RIGHT THERE IS RIFLE PIT UP IN WYOMING NOT THAT FAR FROM BUCKHORN

Yeah that is the one that we go up to it is the one by Buckhorn... Seems to be some decent backcountry there... i liked it back there it suited my fancy i guess... it is perty fun wherever you can ride and find a nice meadow and some steep to climb.... i enjoy it... if you go off trail it is perty hard to get lost because the trail system is devised so well you just head east or west and you will come across a trail somewhere... just need to look out for fences.... it is a great time when there is good snow...

Hope you guys find some good snow out there in the next 2 weekends because prez weekend sounds like i will be out there... :cat:

FIRE UP THOSE SLEDS LOOKS GOOD IN THE NORTHERN HILLS FOR THE NEAR FUTURE 4INCHES TODAY AND A WINTER WEATHER ADVISE FOR TOMORROW WITH UP TO 6 INCHES POSS IF THIS HITS THE HILLS WILL BE NICE ALSO IT WAS QUITE WINDY UP NORTH TODAY MAYBE A POSS CORNUS ON YOUR FAVORITE STEEP IM WORKING THE NORTHERN HILLS TOMORROW ILL CHECK IT OUT AND LET YA ALL KNOW

Sounds like the best news i have heard all week!!!! a good 8 inches should help things that is for sure... we could use more but you have to start somewhere... Who is all going out for Pres weekend??? and if you are what will you be riding and with what group... So far the group i will be in is 2-03 F7's 1 standard 1 sno pro... and 1-01 ZR 800 and possibly a few others depending on who we will ride with... Thanks

A couple of us will be out there that weekend. 1- 2001 ZR800 and 1 Polaris SKS 700.

That buckhorn bar is pretty creepy

Who was out this weekend and can give an update we are headed out there this weekend and I would hate to have to buy new hyfaz because we had to ride our summits on the trail all weekend looking for snow. The forecast looked good last week and looks good this week it should be snowing right now actually.

Put on 200 miles Friday/Saturday of this weekend. If you only have a 2" track on those Summits you will be fine. The snow was somewhat marginal in spots, but we were able to find plenty of snow on Saturday and put on about 120 miles.

Are some areas better than others? Did you find any good meadows or are they just not safe yet? How are the logging roads?

Ran south from Rec Springs towards Mallo camp taking as many logging roads and meadows as we possibly could. The meadows don't have any excessive amount of snow (you can see where rocks, stumps, etc are sticking out) but we were the only sets of tracks through them on Saturday so it was pretty good riding.

IT IS SNOWING AND LOOKS TO BE A GOOD AMOUNT TOO EARLY TO TELL BUT COULD REACH 8-10 INCH BEFORE DONE NOW WE GOT 16-18

Thats what I like to hear, keep the word coming.

Any new words, it looks like its gonna keep snowing through the weekend, so we should have some good riding this weekend.

GOT SOME SNOW NOT AS MUCH AS A GUY WOULD LIKE TO SEE BUT ILL TAKE IT PROB 4 INCHES THUS FAR YET THIS ISNT OVER YET FORCAST IS FOR MORE THE SNOW TELL SITE SHOWS 17.5 YET IN REALITY ITS JUST OVER KNEE DEEP WITH A GOOD BASE IN A LOT OF AREAS AVERAGE FOR WHAT I RODE IN WAS CLOSER TO 2 FT HONESTLY THOUGH NOT LIKE LAST YEAR AT ALL BUT STILL A GOOD RIDE ILL BE OUT ON PRESIDENTS WKND ILL BE RIDDING AS A MEDIC FOR THE GOV RIDE BUT AFTER THAT I CAN PLAY I RIDE AN 05 900 RMK 50TH BLUE NOT MANY AROUND ALSO IM EASY TO FIND USUALLY AT ALL CRASH SITES BUT DONT CRASH TO FIND ME ILD RATHER SAY HI AT TRAILS HEAD

We did find some good snow on a couple of our secret spots but it was only about 2ft max, although we made a couple little climbs that had up to 3ft but this was in the trees. The weather man can find a new job it was forecasted to be 23 and snowing on saturday and it was 42 and sunny, wow too hot. Same thing on sunday, although we did not wreck anything but there were a few times the helmet came off and the coat to play a little and thats when you know its too hot.

Also saw some elk, wow those things are big.

Here are a couple pics from our weekend, I read that they got some snow sunday night and more on monday night that should be good for this weekend if it doesnt get to warm

Nice pics!! Good picture of Spearfish Canyon Lodge.

They did not get very much snow the last couple of days. Just a skiff her and there. It has been really cold but will be nice this weekend. They are predicting into the 40's on Saturday and Sunday.

According to the SD trails website-they got anywhere from 2-6 inches Monday night and Tuesday morning, and it was snowing again this morning-1/2 inch to 1 inch and still snowing of the time the website was updated.

just talked to Spearfish Canyon Lodge-they've had at least 10" since Sunday night!!

That's possible but seems kind of high. I know the people that run Trailshead and they only received about 5 inches.

AS OF 6PM THIS EVE TRAILS HEAD AREA RECIVED AN AVERAGE OF 18 INCHES AND SNOWING HEAVY REPORT FROM SNOW PATROL THE SNOW TELL SITE SHOWS 32 INCH TOTAL DEPTH IN THAT AREA THE SOUTHERN HILLS GOT ALOT TOO BUT I DIDNT GET A REAL REPORT ON THAT AREA IT LOOKS LIKE THE 10 INCH MARK SO DEERFIELD TO SPEARFISH AREAS ARE DEFINATLY GOING TO BE NICE AT LEAST TILL THE WEATHER GETS IT

Just returned from our trip to the Black Hills. We rode out of Deadwood on Sat and Sun-sunday it was getting marginal within 2-3 miles of town. The trails had anywhere from 12-30 inches of fresh snow. The meadows it was over knee deep, and sometimes waist deep. We found some areas where it was neck deep, and the off trail riding was unreal!!! It was warm on Saturday, but only melting in Deadwood, not out on the trails. I think it will still be good by next weekend, even with warm temps, and more snow is forecast for next weekend. After this sets up, if they get 4-8 inches of fresh-the riding will be unreal.

We got back today also. Lots of snow but the trails from town got beat to shit. My back is killing me!! I hope it does not get as warm as they are predicting and then get a few more inches to pack on top of the snow from Friday. That will make some very nice riding.

P.S. Did you all see the Arctic Cat factory boys out there is their fancy semi setup? Very nice!!

Yeah-we saw them when we were at Trailshead on Saturday. I guess someone said they were there supplying sleds for some of the big-wigs there for the Governor's ride over the weekend. I'll definitely agree on the trails being beat to shit by Deadwood. The '05 Sno Pro racers were definitely not meant for stutter bumps!!! I survived, but my wife was in pretty tough shape. I'm going to have to put different shocks on hers, and lighten mine up by revalving. She's too damn stubborn to ride anything else-I got her an F-5 last year, she rode it 2 miles and then refused to get on it again-she hates the standard f-series riding position, and loves the racer position. I ended up riding the f-5 then the rest of the trip, and sold it the day we got home!!

Yeah the trails out there usually get hammered perty good that weekend... Did you guys get off into any of the meadows or weave up and through any of the trees... Perty decent snow out there or not... I didn't end up going... Pissed about that.... hopefully going out there in 2 weeks if they ahve any damn snow left or not... today all of ours is melted... can't beleive this crap February and there is no snow left and it feels like it is April out... Crazy ass weather.... Any pics of the trips...

Thanks

We hit quite a few meadows and did some hill climbing. I got stuck once and my dad twice. The shit was up to my waist in some areas. But I am worried that it will all be gone too soon. I will probably go back up in 2 weeks also if there is any left.

Hey Bear sorry you guys didnt make it out, we got back in country about a week ago and have been up there about 4 times now. Here is a pic of my 570 Mt Cat in the powder...

okay... guess i have not figured out how to add pics yet! well will keep trying...

Bad Ram...Welcome back to the states! I didn't make it out there Pres. weekend either. Definately have to go this weekend.

thanks Train, it was pretty good, you can see by the pic in my avatar how the snow was. cant seem to get any pics to upload otherwise right now but am not the smartest man when it comes to computers!

Congrats on getting back stateside.... That is good that you can go and rip it up... Nice looking sled.... Yeah i was pissed that we couldn't go out but that is the stuff that happens.... I hope that it stays around for a while longer i want to get out there and do some riding this year still... Not ready to put mine to bed yet.... Buddies are about ready to put theirs to sleep and i am trying to talk them into heading out for one last weekend... Keep us posted on the conditions out there and hopefully i will make it out there this year... If all else fails i should just go out myself haha...

Thanks

I have some friends going out this weekend-Sunday thru Wednesday. He knows his way around out there as good as anyone, so I should be able to get a good report beginning of next week. We did get out in the trees and meadows-anywhere from waist to neck deep, depending on where you were at.

Who has been watching the weather on the hill, I hope the snow is holding and not getting all crusty and crappy.

We did not bad this weekend it was a little hard in places, but we found some good stuff in the trees, man if they got a foot or more on top of this it could be WOW. I had a balst on our spare sled the indy 440, I finally got it tuned so that it rips in hills, its so much fun I almost like riding it more than my summit.

Has anyone been watching the snowfall this week its could be nice riding if we get more on top of whats there, a foot or foot and half would be perfect.

the SDGFP site shows that they have gotten some new snow up there so things should be good. keep you fingers crossed that the weather man is right with his forecast for more snow...

Has anyone been up this weekend. With the temps and rain predicted do you think there will be snow to ride?

Just got back. They had a blizzard on Friday and received about 8 inches. There is plenty of snow currently but they are predicted to have weather in the 50's all week which will cut it down very quick.

I was planning on heading to the Hills this weekend and was wondering if someone had an update on how much snow they have left. I haven't been there in a couple of weeks. Thanks.

My dad rode Wednesday and said that it is starting to get slushy in spots because it is soooo warm up there right now. I am going to try and ride on Saturday morning before it gets too warm. I would say this is the last possible weekend and that is if the weather does not get too warm today and tomorrow. Unless they get some more snow of course or it cools down.

That is what I figured. I guess I need to go this weekend then to cure the "fix". Looks like snow showers late next week, just hope it is not too late. I'm not ready to pack the sleds away yet.

I too would like to hit the hills yet this year. Looks like a cold front moving through......I wonder if it will bring any snow?

Any updated info would be great from the locals