Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Snow, snow, Moose Day, more snow...

It seems like it has not stopped snowing in weeks! Highways are closed, avalanche danger is high, and the current Winter Storm Warning is not set to expire until 5:00 pm today.  Even snow, it will likely continue snowing until the end of the week... or longer, so stay safe out there.

Normal snow removal operations are going well, but we are running about of places to pile it!  Grooming operations have been limited to the trail due to the quantities and consistent nature of the snowfall.  We will resume classic track grooming as soon as snow conditions allow for the proper operation of our grooming equipment.

With deep snow conditions valley wide, the area's moose have been confining themselves to residential areas and trails which allow for easier travel.  This was very apparent on Saturday when the club counted moose on the property to help the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation with their annual Moose Day.  Please be alert as it is very common to see moose on or near the trails when these snow conditions exists.  It is a critical time of year for moose and the species of large mammals in our area.  Winter fat reserves are running low and new snow has made it increasing difficult to find forage.  As always, please give the wildlife the right of way, it could make a difference this time of year in terms of winter survival!

Though deep, about 3 feet on average, snow pack conditions are favorable for the turf at this point in the winter.  Lots of "sugar snow" at the bottom of the snow pack, with little to no ice formation is a good sign. See pictures below for a representative sample.

  

And if your curious, extended column and compression tests were also performed on the golf course snow pack.  Zero failures were observed, probably because the slope was 0 degrees...  However, multiple layers were observed, so had this be done on a slope, the results would likely be much different. 

Be careful on the roads and in the backcountry, make informed decisions, and pray for spring because I'd like to play golf at some point! 

No comments:

Post a Comment