Michael Richmond
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beartoothskier.bsky.social
Michael Richmond
@beartoothskier.bsky.social
190 followers 110 following 370 posts
Wilderness/outdoor and science oriented living in and documenting the changes we are seeing with environmental/climate collapse in the GYE. Live in Red Lodge, MT since 2020 with my two helpers Sundance (the big one) and Otter (the littler one).
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beartoothskier.bsky.social
Was not able to ski in Westfork Canyon, what little snowpack there was on winter-closed road only 2-4cm melting slush atop pavement. Even w my rock skis would be ludicrous. Hiked up Basin Lakes trail to 2200m instead, quiet, no one in lately 👍🏽. Warm 10C 1900m start. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana
Westfork Rd. just in from 1900m start. thin, pavement underneath. that would ruin even my rock skis. Probably was doable yest. West Fork of Rock Crk. 2000m here mostly open it was 10C at 1900m start, parking area but much cooler here in the shady gulch 2150m. just a lite W breeze Atmospheric River firehose from WA into Nrn Rockies/GYE has been producing well to the west, in areas that get good upslope in SW-W flow. Like Cooke City, or Beartooth Lake SNOTEL, on W side of the Beartooth Plateau. On the E side, our poor Cole Crk. 2400m in the ski area, very little. and still well-below average.
December 9, 2025 at 11:52 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Was not able to ski in Westfork Canyon, what little snowpack there was on winter-closed road only 2-4cm melting slush atop pavement. Even w my rock skis would be ludicrous. Hiked up Basin Lakes trail to 2200m instead, quiet, no one in lately 👍🏽. Warm 10C 1900m start. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana
trail goes up S wall of W-fork Canyon, here, into side gulch that Basin Lakes crk. drops thru. turned back near here, only about 10cm melting powder. Basin Crk falls 2100m in deep shaded gulch have melted out considerably. almost no direct lite in here all day. moose sign around here but did not see one
December 9, 2025 at 11:49 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
We (PNW-Northern Rockies-GYE) are entering into extreme weather week.Plenty to worry about for us, but the PNW will be hard-hit w AR heavy rain and high snow levels. Strong winds here biggest worry, just starting our Nichols Crk. run 1850m-2200m mild 4-7C. #climate #weather #running #dogs #montana
the Beartooth Front high peaks looking WNW from our place this morn. and aftn. slowly deeping snowpack up there from a week ago. turbulent windy sky and it will be furious up there tonight. this is a steep run at times, when it gets icy, treacherous without spikes. I always wear them in snow cover, icy patches underneath can occur without warning. the NWS official NDFD total precip. forecast ending 1700 MST thu. Look at those amounts over the Cascades down into Nrn OR. High snow levels, this will be serious.
December 9, 2025 at 12:16 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
We (PNW-Northern Rockies-GYE) are entering into extreme weather week.Plenty to worry about for us, but the PNW will be hard-hit w AR heavy rain and high snow levels. Strong winds here biggest worry, just starting our Nichols Crk. run 1850m-2200m mild 4-7C. #climate #weather #running #dogs #montana
took side detour up to 2200m viewpoint, thank goodness for the ski track, made it much easier. the 500mb (upper air) forecast late tonight. that is an extremely strong flow w impressive temperature gradients. look how squeezed together and turbulent the contours are over WA/N ID/MT. that very strong/warm upper ridging is a global heating signature. big change in last 10 years. NWS Portland (l) and Billings (r) front pages this aftn. Not good either place, or in between. I hope that is as strong of winds we get. viewpoint we ran to 2200m 10-15cm base. mild 4C NW breeze
December 9, 2025 at 12:12 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Was amazed no-one had been up Ingles Crk. trail since heavier snowfall. Nice run up off main W-fork Canyon start 1850m to 2nd stream crossing on Ingles 2250m. 10-15cm powder to break thru between 1st/2nd creek crossings. No moose around, can be exciting. #climate #running #dogs #montana #winter
dark on the lower Silver Run trail in W-fork Canyon. trail broken by a few bikes. Otter (r) breaking trail on Ingles 2050m. second stream crossing on Ingles (l) good thick ice. Otter also breaking trail (r) toward second stream crossing 2250m second stream crossing (l) 2250m. solid cover no worries. went up just a bit past that but harder, little deeper. So got at least a 12K run in. the west fork of Rock Creek icing up.
December 6, 2025 at 12:00 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
The Rock Crk. Canyon Rd. not skiable yet. Only 5-7cm base on rocky gravel road. From 2220m start got in to about 2500m. Canyon widens there great views. Also open to strong SW-W winds. Gale force -4C where we did abrupt return, had to get back to timbered area, good. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana
Hellroaring Plateau (l) 3100-3800m often lives up to its name, certainly today could not imagine. Beartooth Plateau 3200m + (r). The 3334m pass on the highway is back there. trouble here gale force W wind -4C. turned around just past corner up there 2500m, could not feel my face. ran 4-5 min. to lower timbered area. all better. Otter was being blown a bit, sliding sometimes. ice under thin snow, my spikes did great today 👍🏽 You can see a strong NW flow pattern in this 4km res. 5-day total snowfall forecast. WA North ID/NW MT. Note how much lower ours is downslope from so many mtn. ranges in that flow. OR Cascades unfortunately missing out, they need it badly, we all do. what a relief to be out of that wind heading back, but wish it had been on skis. probably our fav. of the local areas, much more wild. no moose today tho.
December 5, 2025 at 12:22 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
The Rock Crk. Canyon Rd. not skiable yet. Only 5-7cm base on rocky gravel road. From 2220m start got in to about 2500m. Canyon widens there great views. Also open to strong SW-W winds. Gale force -4C where we did abrupt return, had to get back to timbered area, good. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana
this sheltered area around M-K campground is narrow part of the canyon good timber, keeps snow 👍🏽. skiable briefly here (left). looking downstream Rock Crk. from 2250m, Beartooth Plateau on right. solid ice on this slow section of Rock Crk. 2430m. 2250m here not far from the start. this wide open part of the canyon also is very windy, which is why it is bare. Not too bad yet here 1100. you can see how the road blows out this windy area near the start. only skiable just after snowfall a day or two.
December 5, 2025 at 12:18 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
In old climatic regime, thru 2020, Beartooth Front used to get first big snow dump in fall between mid Sept. to late Oct. Finally got first 10cm + last evening, 12-15cm around our place from NW flow upper trough. We all made most of it, skiing even. 👍🏽 #climatechange #skiing #hiking #dogs #montana
the high peaks 3500-3800m + look better but still skimpy. mild NW flow system last nite, only dropped to -6C this morn. our place. Otter is built for speed Sundance would be an amazing freight hauling dog. If it ever came to that 😜 -1C with just a lite N breeze, nice in the shade. thick powder thought it would get sticky but remained decent 👍🏽. not enough base yet to make big loops like I wanted, but glad I could at least do this. used my old rock skis 2019 Rossignol BC-70s metal edged. fish scales about worn out so hard on uphills. have brand new pair from last spring, need to wait before using those. 12-15cm new powder looks to me. wind effects make it hard to measure here.
December 3, 2025 at 11:13 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Been few weeks since last Beartooth Hwy run from 2300m closure gate to 2630m. Still skimpy, snowpack blown out windy areas. Not skiable. 6th winter here and seems like it is less so every one. 0C at start, cool air from next trough trickling in. ❄️ ❄️ in town now 👍🏽. #climate #running #dogs #montana
definitely prefer skiing on this but it was easy running with such thin snowpack sheltered areas. 0C at start -3C here 2630m but just lite NE breeze 👍🏽 slide area first switchback not far from closure gate. avalanches and rock slides steep narrow long chute. now how large rock even by the guardrail. heavy snow dumps can produce 3-5m thick slides all the way across. got up partially on 3rd switchback to 2630m so about a 14K run. looking down on 2nd switchback sheltered area from 2620m. Rock Crk Canyon upstream from 2450m. still pretty skimpy even way back there 3500m +. but at least a little is occurring.
December 2, 2025 at 11:49 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Been few weeks since last Beartooth Hwy run from 2300m closure gate to 2630m. Still skimpy, snowpack blown out windy areas. Not skiable. 6th winter here and seems like it is less so every one. 0C at start, cool air from next trough trickling in. ❄️ ❄️ in town now 👍🏽. #climate #running #dogs #montana
Rock Crk Canyon upstream from 2450m. still pretty skimpy even way back there 3500m +. but at least a little is occurring. this wind-sheltered gulch on 2nd switchback 2550m only 10-15cm base. snowier winters like 2022-23 it would be 1.5m deep by Feb. not even a hint of cornices up there yet 3200m + Beartooth Plateau little stream near the start frozen over, shaded all day.
December 2, 2025 at 11:44 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
2nd lowest snowpacks PNW/Nrn. Rockies/GYE/Bighorns entire period of record (around 1965) for this date. Yet Billings got 20cm dump last system, but just 7-8 Beartooth Front, usually it is other way round. Thus quite precarious driving even I-90 solid ice this morn. #climate #dogs #hiking #montana
if I had my ski boots, it would not have been bad here. odd these giant fields surrounded by medical facilities and giant apt./townhome complexes. these will be filled in soon I'm sure. By REI w side of town. dismal indeed this season so far. 1987 then was sure frightening. which was borne out in the GYE summer 1988 🔥 -1C around noon there today still good powder 👍🏽 back home got everyone out to pond across the road. 5-8m deep in the middle. great ice on it now 10-15c m solid w bubbles in it. would be perfect skating if it were cleared. Our friend Wallace did not go on it thankfully. He would have slid out immediately. More snow is coming for us during the next week, thank goodness. Not enough to catch up, but at least something.
December 1, 2025 at 11:56 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Ice pans on the mighty Yellowstone R. this morn., on way to Billings monthly Costco. Some shore-fast ice, fairly deep. We all stayed on the bank-top. Nice to watch tho, relaxing 👍🏽. Got to -20 to -25C all along river there few nites ago. -6C this morning stiff W wind. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana
December 1, 2025 at 11:38 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Our first real cold upper trough passage yesterday NW flow did not deliver much Beartooth Front around Red Lodge. Only 4-5cm new lite powder, tho temp. dropped -18C this morn. 👍🏽 Warmed to -8C for our run on E Bench behind town. Expansive views all directions here. #climate #running #dogs #montana
looking east from East Bench 1800m down to the dry desert basin 1100-1200m. Pryors way in back, wild horse country. strong inversion, all of Billings emissions are pushing in there in lite low-level N flow. Up here east winds. what is most striking looking at last year this time vs. this year for SWE/Snowpack is how much lower it is over all the GYE and the Bighorns. SW MT too, Pintlers 2500-3200m where I used to love skiing along the Divide almost nothing. -8C w the stiff E breeze was quite refreshing w the proper gear. almost all of MT at least had some snow cover this morning, light as it is.
November 29, 2025 at 11:52 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Our first real cold upper trough passage yesterday NW flow did not deliver much Beartooth Front around Red Lodge. Only 4-5cm new lite powder, tho temp. dropped -18C this morn. 👍🏽 Warmed to -8C for our run on E Bench behind town. Expansive views all directions here. #climate #running #dogs #montana
higher peaks this morn. 3800m + still look skimpy but at least some fresh. all that burned way back there in 12000 ha Robertson Draw fire on 15JUN2021. 35C hot dry S winds 40-70 kph RH's 5-10%. Terrifying view from town. wind dropped off just in time as weak cool front came thru 👍🏽 Rock Creek is starting to freeze up, since it was -18C or so this morning. bridge here I was on 12JUN2022 was shaking. next morning it broke loose and was destroyed in the flood. new one is much nicer, wider. East Bench of Rock Creek Gulch, 1800m here. very windy place. stiff E breeze today. Red Lodge is in the gulch on right. about same new snow as our place, 4-5cm.
November 29, 2025 at 11:49 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Cold air trickled in to complex terrain behind Beartooth Front from the N today for Silver Run road/trail hike. Side gulch off W-fork Canyon, start 1850m. Turned back 2300m where it gets steep. Got back into town before ❄️ from next system arrived. -9C N wind ❄️❄️ now. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana
looking down (E) the gulch of Silver Run Crk. from 2150m, cold air/stratus filtering in from the east. In town stronger N winds, here just lite E breeze 👍🏽 little side stream 2200m (left) completely frozen over. turn-back spot (R) 2300m where trail gets really steep. goes all the way up to Silver Run Plateau 3000m + in only 2K from here. 5-6cm snowpack left over from Monday's snowburst. -2C here 2250m right behind is where trail gets very steep. lots of Christmas tree cutters down lower, O and S met new people. Otter is very sociable but Sundance is shy, warms up more slowly. W fork of Rock Crk. here 1850m just starting to ice up. but already -9C now and will be cold next few days, so much more soon.
November 28, 2025 at 11:23 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Deeper/colder upper trough gave 7-8cm ❄️ in town yest. Less than half that fell to S and SW Rock Crk./Lakefork Canyons. Lakefork low start 2100m to just past falls base 2450m. -6C at the start on the cold shaded side whole way. Narrow and deep. Surprised see no moose. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana
storm total from yesterday's 2 hr. snowburst 7-8cm 👍🏽. across street from our place, wind-sheltered. -11C early this morning, coldest of the season so far. heading back, almost done 2130m. heavily shaded here our SNOTEL site 2400m at the ski area has only 11% of average SWE, top. Because in SW-WNW flow it is all downsloped, which is what we have had most of OCT til now. Beartooth Lake, further west gets good upslope from SW-W flow, doing much better. around -7C here 2450m. shallow stream portion, freezing up.
November 26, 2025 at 12:08 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Deeper/colder upper trough gave 7-8cm ❄️ in town yest. Less than half that fell to S and SW Rock Crk./Lakefork Canyons. Lakefork low start 2100m to just past falls base 2450m. -6C at the start on the cold shaded side whole way. Narrow and deep. Surprised see no moose. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana
deep shade all day here 2150m, starting to freeze up more, the pristine waters of the Lake Fork of Rock Crk. Our fav., it has the most flow, draining very high country of Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness 👍🏽 only about 3cm here near the Lions Camp start 2100m. just lite W breeze, thank goodness. this morning's vis sat image shows a great northerly upslope snow footprint along the Beartooth Front and out over the higher plains. Right over our area. the low-level northerly upslope winds are blocked by two plateaus in the canyons. So glad we got the moisture here. really sparse even up there on the dry downslope side of the Beartooth Plateau 3100m.
November 26, 2025 at 12:05 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
On edge of highest 🏔️ in MT, means dangerous weather happens quickly. Strong upper trough/sfc cold front swept thru 1400-1600, gale force winds/cold temps./SN. Looks about over now, probably 5cm new snow total -2C still dropping. Good Palisades hike earlier. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana #weather
1515 and 1530 MDT. about over now. Winter-time stronger jet stream is taking shape with systems in stronger WNW flow now possibly for a few weeks. Strong winds from pre-frontal mountain wave wind events and heavy snow/blizzards can happen in this pattern. My bedroom window exploded while I was gone 16NOV2021, no good outcomes had we been in there then. Probably 200 kph gusts. Our next good shot of snow will start some time Fri, into Sun. Looking NNE out onto the Plains in the mild SW flow slightly unstable pre-frontal environment. from this at 1345 MDT. edge of front, winds, snow way back behind those ridges but coming fast. carried lots extra gear in case system got here earlier. NWS HRRR model is our go-to source, really good parameters to choose from, on a regional scale. Worked great today, so thankful. https://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/hrrr/HRRR/Welcome.cgi?
November 25, 2025 at 12:10 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
On edge of highest 🏔️ in MT, means dangerous weather happens quickly. Strong upper trough/sfc cold front swept thru 1400-1600, gale force winds/cold temps./SN. Looks about over now, probably 5cm new snow total -2C still dropping. Good Palisades hike earlier. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana #weather
looking SSE into WY and Bighorns far distance which have skimpy snowpacks as well. healthy upper trough in fast WNW flow, strong cold front with convective snowbands in it. power went out briefly, OK now. I bet US 212 was horrible N and S, hopefully no bad accidents. 200m visibility slushy freezing snow on the road. the calm before the storm. 9C nice sun hiked from campground 1850m up to 2030m and back, muddy in sections. what happened make this Ponderosa Pine do that? Ground shift?
November 25, 2025 at 12:06 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Disturbing seeing Rock Crk. Canyon 2200-2500m snow/ice free this late. Warming chinook day, moderate dry W winds 8C at hike start. Only barely below or near freezing above 3400m for sparse blowing snow. 2230m Greenough "Lake" has a 2-4cm skin of ice all across. #hiking #climate #dogs #montana
Beartooth Plateau 3100-3300m where highway ends up top, right. harsh world up there, so windy. very skimpy snowpack. the big natural meadow on Parkside Trail perfect for them to open up. fast loops around me. Key is not to move, tho your instincts are to. they know better and are faster. Have to go all the way back to 1999 to find a comparable low snowpack fall. We are a little better here than 1999 in snowpack water-equivalent terms (SWE) on this date. For the PNW and Northern Rockies as a whole probably worse. some help is coming, but not a huge amount, yet. the meadow on Parkside Trail gives great views of Rock Crk Canyon, also will be windiest area, could be related.
November 22, 2025 at 12:13 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Disturbing seeing Rock Crk. Canyon 2200-2500m snow/ice free this late. Warming chinook day, moderate dry W winds 8C at hike start. Only barely below or near freezing above 3400m for sparse blowing snow. 2230m Greenough "Lake" has a 2-4cm skin of ice all across. #hiking #climate #dogs #montana
Just a tiny bit of BLSN way back there above 3400m, thin snowpack. No snow/ice at all below 2500m. the ice on Greenough Lake. solid. lots of little trout underneath, only a few larger ones. so dry on the lower portions of Beartooth Plateau 3000-3100m. All downsloped in SW-W flow, much warmer and drier on it's east side.
November 22, 2025 at 12:07 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
3 warm dry weeks erased the snow in W-fork Canyon, even shaded N-facing wall up to 2500m. Allowed short/steep 16K hike up to 2950m Timberline Lake and back. Cool 0C start, bitter -9C Timberline Lake, deep shaded bowl wrapped by Silver Run Plateau up to 3824m 👍🏽. #climatechange #hiking #dogs #montana
2710m here Beartrack trail merge, what a difference in 3 weeks. 3-4 more warm dry days, then thankfully we may actually get some snow after that. Westfork Canyon 2500m shaded side, which has much less conifer re-growth than the sunny side. there was 4-8cm snowpack here 3 weeks ago. we have not had measurable snow in Red Lodge in Oct and up to now. this could be un-precedented, but NWS RL coop observer records here have a lot of missing data. skimpy snowpack here 2950-3800m +.  such a bitter place, wind-scoured Timberline Lake. -9C w a faint breeze, we did not stay long. that we could even easily get here this late is sad, actually.
November 21, 2025 at 12:08 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
3 warm dry weeks erased the snow in W-fork Canyon, even shaded N-facing wall up to 2500m. Allowed short/steep 16K hike up to 2950m Timberline Lake and back. Cool 0C start, bitter -9C Timberline Lake, deep shaded bowl wrapped by Silver Run Plateau up to 3824m 👍🏽. #climatechange #hiking #dogs #montana
Beartrack Trail Junction 2710m, put spikes on here. This is the Beartrack trail up to Silver Run Plateau, not for us. up here 2900m, so glad it'd got some traffic last weekend. so sparse the snowpacks even up to 3800m +. lake is frozen, this is a deeply shaded bowl, radiates out highly this time of year. so wind-scoured up there 2950m near Timberline Lake. sometimes 1m drifts, then almost bare. and dark.
November 21, 2025 at 12:05 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Weird this extreme warm/dry spell we are in, winter darkness, yet still so mild. Even at night. 24K hike W-fork Cyn trail from 2400m then 3K up Lake Mary trail which faces S, so bare to 2840m. Got to 3000m turned back 1km from lake, snowpack. Mild 1C lite W wind. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana
could not see the highest peaks with clouds but Sundance's 3365m Pass was just in the clear. Sundance's 3365m Pass is rite in the middle back there. now that would be difficult, there would be drifts getting up. that is a 34km day hike on W-fork trail getting up and back. We all love it up there. turned back near here 3000m on Lake Mary trail. mild 1C. I went slow up this steep trail so as not to get sweated up. which helps stay warm on the fast return. W-fork trail was snow/ice free quite a bit further than last week, crazy. hardly any icing on the stream here 2650m, amazing.
November 19, 2025 at 12:13 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Weird this extreme warm/dry spell we are in, winter darkness, yet still so mild. Even at night. 24K hike W-fork Cyn trail from 2400m then 3K up Lake Mary trail which faces S, so bare to 2840m. Got to 3000m turned back 1km from lake, snowpack. Mild 1C lite W wind. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana
the little pond 4K in at 2500m W-fork trail is mostly frozen and can support a Sundance. quite shaded here. Beautiful lighting in this deep N-S oriented portion of the canyon at Quinnebaugh Meadows. highest elevations on E facing wall 3800m + Lake Mary trail is quite steep. No snow (L) 2750m. Continuous snowpack (R) here at 2850m but thin. Up in the Whitebark Pines. hardly any ice on the West Fork of Rock Creek here at Calamity Falls. low flow.
November 19, 2025 at 12:07 AM