Yankee Hill/Alice side 5/4/14

[glacierpaul]

Went scouting on the ATV with my son Aidan yesterday, decided to check out Yankee Hill. We made it past the trailhead this time :) It is still just passable via ATV. There were big tire tracks where I posted pics of in previous posts, still did not get past the hill before the trailhead. Honestly I didn't stop and get pics at first (trailhead), had the machine gunned to the first dry ground spot to stop and go "woo-hoo!" First pic is the main drift past the trail head, this took a few attempts, but made it with out winching. third pic is 175.3 the route over to Central City. We turned around there, to check out the 271 routes as they melt off faster. Still major drifts everywhere on the East/South side of Yankee, obviously North/West are buried but things are melting fast. We ended up on 271.1F and were stopped by an enormous drift, had a snack, played around for awhile then headed back full well knowing I had to go back uphill in even softer snow :). Good thing I carry lots of straps:rolleyes: Was a total blast! Had the place to ourselves:).

[glacierpaul]

more pics..the last pic on this page....see Aidan running (he wanted to race me) in the background. I told him I was going to walk the machine across this section, but as I got on top of the snow it held up and I jumped on and gunned it. Dad won that one:lmao:

[glacierpaul]

This last pic is looking back into Alice from the trailhead. Was fun cruising on top of many drifts for long stretches, Aidan loves that. He's not so keen on getting stuck anymore:) Many times I end up walking the machine over to try and alleviate sinking in, and winching. I would like to point out, we always stay the trail. There were plenty of "options" for me not to winch, we choose the right path :).

[Max]

Looks nice, you'll have to set up a run after it's clear for our rigs!

[xaza]

you and Aidan have so much fun up there, look forward to joining you again this year. Thanks for the report

[Brad]

As always, thanks Paul! I cannot wait to get up there!

[Max]

How's it now Paul? There's a group that is planning on going up Saturday morning and I'd like to tell them they're crazy. :D

[glacierpaul]

Max, we have lost ground :). I checked out Mine Rd. access to Yankee again tonight. We got 28" last Sat into Sunday, 4" Mon. and scattered snow showers everyday thru out the days. Things are melting, but that just made more ice under the existing snow. I don't know how much better I would do chaining up, but even if I made it up to the glacier overlook and where we made it to on the atv, it is a stuck and winch fest for sure in a vehicle. And there is absolutely no way to get from one side to the other(Alice-Central City-Apex), at least not in a vehicle, atv/utv maybe. Here are the pics of what I found tonight. Good luck to the group making an attempt, they had better bring a lunch and dinner, and plan for breakfast :).

[glacierpaul]

here are some other pics...the first few are from the 12th, the next few are from Cumberland Gulch, it will look the same now even a little more snow now too. The last 2 are from the spot I am reporting on tonight, we have actually lost ground:rolleyes:. Flexed the hell out of the YJ, it was stuck there actually, I need to do the locker in the rear. The passenger rear was on the pavement. That whole berm of dirty snow was from that mornings plow!

[glacierpaul]

I suppose I could always plow the trail open.......:smokin: