• With the end of the ski season, it is time to reassess your gear. Is it time to trade in some of it, or perhaps shift to a little different focus for next winter's activities? While your at it, how is the gear for the summer activities? Is the camping, fishing, backpacking, biking, kayaking, canoeing, rollerblading gear ready for action? BRORA is here to help! The annual gear swap will be May 30, as part of the BEARiverFest event. Dust off the stuff you are not using or have outgrown and bring it down to the gear swap. While you are there, take a look at what may be an inexpensive way to upgrade or get involved in a new outdoor activity.

• It looks like another busy summer for the trail and yurt workdays. The plans for replacement of the warming hut are complete and the work is ready to be done. The new warming hut will be a bit more substantial and there will be a bathroom set nearby. The hut will be a log structure. The logs have been purchased, but need to be peeled. If you would like to get an early start on accruing your work day credits for early reservations, etc., take a look at Mike's post on the blog. He explains where they are located and what needs to be done.

• The BRORA work days have been set for the summer. Participation in the work days come with a number of benefits. First and foremost, they are fun. How does it get better than getting out in the forest to commune with nature and your fellow "BRORAites". A workday does not have to be all work either. Taking along a fishing rod or your rock climbing gear for use after the work is done is not out of the question. Getting the yurts and trails ready for next winter is rewarding, too. But, the work credits that you gain are a pretty good incentive, too. Work day credits apply to getting a free fee area permit from the USFS. 16 hours of credit will qualify you for a $40 pass. Concurrently, a work day credit will let you participate in the early reservation period for next years yurts. Two work day credits will also earn you a discount on those reservations, too. ($25) Come on up and enjoy the Uintas.

• The work days are set for:

  • June 6, National Trails Day, will focus on rebuilding the warming hut
  • July 11, regular work day
  • August 15, regular work day
  • September 12, regular work day
  • September 26, regular work day

• The work days begin at the Lily Lake Trail Head, on the North Slope Road at 10:00 AM. Bring your lunch, water, work gloves, work clothes etc.

• If the designated work days are not convenient, work day credits can be accrued with independent work days by working on approved projects and proper documentation. Call Mike Kessinich for details.

  
  

New Tie Hack Trail Head

Its official!

Current Conditions at Lily Lake

There is a SNOTEL located just above Lily Lake. (Near the “CC” on the map) It remotely reports weather conditions there once an hour. Checking this site before you go up will give you an idea of what current conditions are at Lily Lake. This snotel is part of a statewide system that can be accessed here to get a sense of the current conditions in the whole area.

BRORA has also contributed to the installation of a weather station at Moffat Peak south of the ski area.  The unit is being relocated at present and is not active.  It will be relinked when it is operational.  Both of these real time weather stations are important inputs into the avalanche forecasting work of the Utah Avalanche Center. The Lily Lake trail system is in an area of fairly low avalanche danger, but if you are going to go off the main trails be sure to check this link. It is a year of very unstable snow pack and high avalanche danger.

BRORA Web Log

Because of problems keeping the trail conditions postings current, we have changed to a web log format for updates. Any time you go to the North Slope of the Uintas, the Purple Sage Nordic Center, the Bear River State Park or the BEAR pathway for recreation, please post your observations of the conditions of the trail, etc. to the BRORA blog. Due to the high volume of spam postings, we have abandon the direct posting function. Please email your posts to BRORA@allwest.net. Format the posting as you would like it to appear on the web log. i.e. the Subject line will show as the subject of the post, the greeting line should be left off, paragraphs, etc. will show as you have written them. New postings are updated daily, rather than immediately as before. Keep your posts brief and informative. We do not edit posts.

Announcements from the Board of Directors

• Please participate in the web log above.  Although Ted trys to keep the conditions updated weekly throughout the ski season, the blog can only reach its full potential if you supply the input.  Daily postings would be best. Any time you have been out on the trails, or have an observation about the conditions, please post them by sending an email to brora@allwest.net.  I try to post your input to the blog every day.

• The Evanston Recreation Center handles the yurt reservations. You must have reservations and a trip permit in order to stay at one of the yurts. Call Marilee at (307) 789 1770 to make the arrangements for your yurt trip.  You can download the forms necessary in the next section of the page.  Filling them out ahead of time will make it much easier to get your trip permit and quicker to get out on the trail.