Mountain Trails Grooming Association: January 2026

Welcome

Welcome to the Mountain Trails Grooming Association website. While sledding is good, please be aware every trail has a hazard of some kind eg. water, ice, washout/slide areas, and trees. Ride with caution and be safe. We are working as fast as possible with our small crew to clear the trails and keep them clear. If you carry a saw, feel free to help cut trees if you come across one. The grooming schedule is evolving as we can get trails open. You can view the schedule by clicking on the Schedule tab.

1/22 Grooming Report

Removing moguls on lower Harts Pass. We also groomed Hwy 20 this chilly morning with a temperature of 4° at Cutthroat. The Harts Pass trail to Ballard has 2 washout/slide areas and 1 area that has had water in the trail but is now frozen with patchy snow. The snow is thin which prohibits completely removing the moguls, so we anticipate they will be back soon. We just need more snow!

1/21 Grooming Report

Beautiful chilly 11° morning on the way to Buck Lake. Tree removal was completed today on the Sherwood Forest Loop. A big thanks to Methow Valley Snowmobile Club members for cutting the trees.

There has been lots of water on this section of trail. Most of it is frozen now but will return with warmer temperatures. Be careful crossing Ortell Creek, it is currently running a lot of water for this time of year and there is not enough snow for a snow bridge.

We also groomed from Eightmile to Sweetgrass today. The trail is holding up well. The drifts on top are still a little bumpy. Even Sweetgrass needs more snow!

Trees

MVSA cutting trees

Sherwood Forest

Water Crossing

Cub Pass

Sweetgrass

1/20 Grooming Report

Today we groomed W. Buttermilk Rd to Black Pine Lake, Poorman Creek, Libby Creek and to Foggy Dew. Temperatures were 12° at the start. We removed 15 trees and several rocks from the trails. The snow is light at lower elevations and a little better higher up. There is dirt showing on the trail in Poorman Creek. This trail will not be groomed again until we receive more snow.

Black Pine Lake

Wheeled Vehicles in Libby Creek

Libby Creek

Between Libby Crk and Gold Crk

Poorman Creek

1/20 Grooming Report

Today we groomed West Buttermilk to Black Pine Lake, Libby Creek, Foggy Dew and Poorman Creek. The starting temperature this morning was 12°. Snow depth varied with a little more on top. We removed several trees and rocks from the trail.

It's a nice ride right now but needs more snow!

1/18 Trail Condition Update

Tree removal is continuing with more scheduled for this week. Most of our trails need more snow before we can groom them again. Hopefully the predicted snow later this week will give us what we need.

Boulder SP – Groomed on 1/2 to Roger Lake Y. Low snow depth of 6” – 8”. Not enough snow to build the berm from the snopark to the trailhead or to fill the cattle guards. The county was scheduled to groom over Lone Frank to Roger Lake on 1/7.

Cub Creek TH(new) – 1/10 groomed to Sweetgrass.

Eightmile SP -

Eightmile to Sweetgrass – Groomed on 1/10. There has been water over the road and it has narrowed the road in the Ortell area. Sherwood Forest has trees down and is scheduled for clearing on 1/21.

Cub Pass & Banker Pass – are open and groomed.

Chewuch Loop – Groomed on 1/9 low snow depth. Trees were removed and trail was groomed. The creek crossing is not frozen over and there is water flowing.

Goat Creek SP – The lower section was groomed on 1/15 after the propane haul to Flagg Mountain. The snow is very thin on the lower section and we were not able to fully remove the moguls. Water is continuing to flow on the road in several places. Whiteface Creek has created a large ravine that is now covered with a snow bridge – ride with caution in this area.

Silver Star SP – Groomed 1/15 and scheduled for 1/22

Twisp River Area – Groomed 1/16. Tree removal is complete on the North side of the river. There is one large pine tree partially blocking the trail, water on the road and a washed-out culvert on the North side. The crew ran into a couple areas of slides, washouts and big rocks on the South side of the river making it impassable after the War Creek bridge.

Poorman Creek TH – Scheduled for tree removal and grooming on 1/20 to Black Pine Lake and W. Buttermilk Rd.

Yellow Jacket SP – Not groomed. Good snow depth has been reported along with lots of trees down in the trail. The second hairpin above the Snopark has 8-10 large trees across the road. These will block the path for the groomer. There is a decent sled-only bypass however.

Harts Pass – Scheduled for grooming on 1/22 to Ballard. Reports of slides and washout between Robinson and Monument trails and again at Cache Creek. Trail is challenging but passable with enough snow.

1/16 Grooming Report

Twisp River received extensive damage from the atmospheric river storms last month. There were over a hundred trees down and several washout areas on this trail which has made the South side impassable above the War Creek bridge.

We have completed the tree removal and groomed the trail from the snopark to the War Creek bridge on the South side and then up the North side to Gilbert Trailhead.

Ride with caution, there is still a large pine tree blocking part of the trail, water/mud on the road and a washed out culvert(see picture below) that extends well into the trail.

Washed out culvert in the trail

Flagged Culvert

1/15 Grooming Report

Groomed Goat Creek today after the propane haul earlier in the week. The snow is too thin to remove the moguls in the lower sections. There is good snow on top. We made it a short distance toward Yellowjacket Pass but came across a large tree that will have to wait for another day. Sleds are able to pass but not the groomer.

There are several areas with water on the trail and the snow has turned to mud. See pictures below.

1/11 Grooming Report

We groomed Goat Creek today to Blackpine Hut and Whiteface. There was light snow falling this morning and temperatures were cold to start but warmed up to 33° by mid morning. The snow conditions are thin at lower elevations with dirt and water showing in the trail. Snow depth is good at higher elevations and the trail there is in great shape.

Reminder: Okanogan County Energy is doing several propane hauls to Flagg Mtn on Monday and Tuesday 1/12-1/13.

Currently the snow bridge is holding however are expecting warmer temperatures and a possibility of rain early in the week. Please ride with caution in this area.

1/10 Grooming Report

We groomed from the Cub Creek Trailhead to Cub Pass, Sweetgrass and down to Eightmile SP. While the valley was fogged in, it was sunny and clear on Sweetgrass.

Snow conditions are beginning to warm up some after our nice cooler spell but riding is excellent on the trail.

1/9 Trail Condition Update

We are expecting another atmospheric river next week. Along with rain and warm temperatures the freezing level is expected to rise to 7000’ which will stop all grooming. This could impact the already critically low snow depths at lower elevations.

Cub Creek TH(new) – 1/10 scheduled to be groomed to Sweetgrass

Eightmile SP -

Eightmile to Sweetgrass – Scheduled to groom on 1/10. There has been water over the road and it has narrowed the road in the Ortell area. Sherwood Forest has trees down and is not groomed.

Cub Pass & Banker Pass – are open and groomed.

Chewuch Loop – Groomed on 1/9 low snow depth. Trees were removed and trail was groomed. The creek crossing is not frozen over and there is water flowing.

Goat Creek SP – Grooming is scheduled for January 15^th. Please be aware, there will be a snowcat operator freighting propane from Goat Creek Snopark to Flag Mountain on Monday 1/12 and possibly into Tuesday 1/13. Our grooming is planned for after this heavy use. Goat has open access to Eightmile trails. Whiteface Creek has created a large ravine that is now covered with a snow bridge – ride with caution in this area.

Silver Star SP – Grooming is scheduled for 1/13.

Twisp River Area – Tree removal will continue 1/11 – 14 on the North side of the river. The crew ran into a couple areas of slides, washouts and big rocks on the South side of the river making it impassable after the first bridge.

Poorman Creek TH – There are a couple trees down on the Poorman trail. Conditions are unknown to Buttermilk and Libby Creek/Foggy Dew.

Harts Pass – Not groomed. Reports of slides and washout between Robinson and Monument trails and again at Cache Creek. Trail is challenging but passable with enough snow.

1/9 Grooming Report

Chewuch Loop - We removed the downed trees and several rocks from the trail. It groomed up nice but needs more snow. The ford is not frozen over but is passable. The road out of Eightmile is groomed on the left side to the trailhead. On the Boulder side, the road is compact snow from the trailhead to Boulder SP. There is not enough snow to build the berm to the snopark.

Chewuch River

Ford

Trees

More trees...

1/3 Trail Condition Update

All of our trails were impacted by the winter storms resulting in lots of trees down making many of them impassable. Water has been freely flowing over the roads and eroding edges of the trails. With current lower temperatures we are seeing less water flow. Ride with caution and be safe!

Boulder SP – Groomed to Roger Lake Y. Low snow depth of 6” – 8”. Not enough snow to build the berm from the snopark to the trailhead or to fill the cattle guards. The trail to Baldy Pass is clear but ungroomed. The county is not grooming from the other side because of low snow conditions and trees down.

Cub Creek TH(new) - Trail up the 100 road is clear and ungroomed to the intersection to Cub Pass.

Eightmile SP -

Eightmile to Sweetgrass – Groomed. There has been water over the road and it has narrowed the road in the Ortell area. Sherwood Forest has trees down and is not groomed.

Cub Pass & Banker Pass – are open and groomed.

Chewuch Loop – Not groomed. Snow depth is 10”. Lots of trees down but the have been cut up on the West side and on the East side above the ford. There are trees needing cut below the ford.

Goat Creek SP – Groomed. Grooming was done to Blackpine Hut, Goat Peak TH, the Beaver slide, Whiteface, Vanderpool crossing and Banker Pass. Goat has open access to Eightmile trails. Whiteface Creek has created a large ravine that is now covered with a snow bridge – ride with caution in this area.

Silver Star SP – Not groomed. Hwy 20 to the snopark opened on 1/2, a grooming date has not been set.

Twisp River Area – Tree removal has begun. The crew ran into a couple areas of slides, washouts and big rocks on the South side of the river making it impassable above the first bridge. Good progress was made on the North side in getting all the trees cut. We will need a couple more days to complete the portion of the trail that can be groomed this season.

Poorman Creek TH – conditions are unknown to Black Pine Lake, Buttermilk and Libby Creek.

Yellow Jacket SP – Not groomed. Good snow depth has been reported along with lots of trees down in the trail. There has been lots of water also reported on the trail.

Harts Pass – Not groomed. Reports of slides and washout between Robinson and Monument trails and again at Cache Creek. Trail is challenging but passable with enough snow.

Twisp River

Banker Pass

Twisp River

Eightmile-Ortell

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