Michael Richmond
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beartoothskier.bsky.social
Michael Richmond
@beartoothskier.bsky.social
190 followers 110 following 360 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
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
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Warmest/driest fall I've ever seen Beartooth Front. 30-day Temp/Precip. anomalies extreme here east of the Divide in MT. Seeing high snow levels 3000-3200m in mid Nov., scary. It as if we have moved S in latitude from 45N to 36N. No ice Palisades run. #climate #running #dogs #montana #photography
mild 12C in here lite N breeze. makes things easy, no glove/hat for me, but I love and miss winter running. frightening. when we have been getting ridging free air freezing levels get up to 3200m +. NW MT at least has been moist, tho still warm. No real snow there yet. Don't know what our ski area will do, they are trying to make snow, but even at nite up there most of the time, above 0C. No big cold systems likely for some t looking NNE tiny blue dot of Cooney Reservoir way out. few snags on the trails all the wind events over the past month. not one bit of ice anywhere 2000m-2230m even in the shaded all day sections.
November 18, 2025 at 12:00 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Warmest/driest fall I've ever seen Beartooth Front. 30-day Temp/Precip. anomalies extreme here east of the Divide in MT. Seeing high snow levels 3000-3200m in mid Nov., scary. It as if we have moved S in latitude from 45N to 36N. No ice Palisades run. #climate #running #dogs #montana #photography
looking ESE into WY, dropping down to Bighorn Basin desert 1100-1400m then Bighorns far distance. Medicine Wheel is back there. the mud pit in mid summer is better now, but still messy. he had to tho at 10C. Both European and US forecast modeling keep trying to forecast a strong cold jet/NW flow pattern developing here 8 or more days out. Been doing this for a few weeks! Some climatology influence at work, seems like. What we are getting are very weak systems, splitting apart, and containing a warm Pacific airmass. So I have low confidence in this pattern developing around Thanksgiving. Springer NM at 36N east of the Divide, in MT at similar elevation to Red Lodge. Our Nov. high here so far about like that. Much warmer nights here.
November 17, 2025 at 11:56 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Mtn. wave wind gusts 100-110kph this morn. Beartooth Front, 15C. -RA later even near 2900m Beartooth Hwy run, 7C at 2300m start. Just ran to 2500m in that. Rocks on road usual places, slide chutes are slipping. Glad for moisture, dry in the strong winds this a.m.🔥 #climate #running #dogs #montana
Looking NW up Rock Canyon, you can see the snow level. not too windy here thankfully. A weak upper trough/surface cold front, but so thankful for the moisture. we did get a slight break toward our turn-back at 2500m which was nice. but started raining harder on our return, good to get out with slide potential. seeing this this morning was unusual to say the least. Warmed to 16C one point 0800. 0900 here winds a little lighter, just gale force. -RA over high terrain blowing out from clouds in strong SW winds, far enough off the Beartooth Front to do this. you can see a much bigger but lower footprint a month ago. Now just a tiny area above 2900m of real snowpack, with nothing lower.
November 14, 2025 at 11:29 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Mtn. wave wind gusts 100-110kph this morn. Beartooth Front, 15C. -RA later even near 2900m Beartooth Hwy run, 7C at 2300m start. Just ran to 2500m in that. Rocks on road usual places, slide chutes are slipping. Glad for moisture, dry in the strong winds this a.m.🔥 #climate #running #dogs #montana
looks like accumulating snow only above 2900m looking at the Beartooth Plateau 3200m +. never seen snow level that high in Nov. here before. that is a big rock off the tallest chute. small rocks were sliding occasionally. Sundance was going a little slow for my taste thru it, so on return we were all leashed, and stayed near the guardrail. started raining a little harder too, which encouraged a faster return. chaotic mountain wave wind sky this morning. strong SW-W downsloping winds off 3200m + Plateaus accelerate coming down. Nervous for sure this morning with 100-110 kph gusts, but this was a light one. Which I expected looking at the NWS HRRR model yesterday. https://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/hrrr/HRRR/Welcome.cgi?
November 14, 2025 at 11:26 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Hard to believe how little snow/ice there is now below 2600m. Camp Senia trail starts 2400m in W-fork Cyn. Then gulches to Red Lodge Crk. Plateau 3200m +. Got to 2900m on shaded NE facing slope up to 1m drifts, turned back. Bull moose 5K in, took off. #hiking #dogs #wildlife #montana #mountains
there is the bull moose 50m away leaving. they know it is hunting season, smart that way 👍🏽. June-Sept probably would block the trail, charge 😜 gets real deep quickly heading up the shaded NE slope. did not go much further. Lots beautiful Whitebark Pines here because of the shading, cool/moist. turned back just a bit further up from here 2900m. not real cold, maybe 5C w increasing W wind. going to be quite windy up there tonite/tomorrow. OK here is last nite too, from the Red Lodge of MT, and our backyard. best I've ever seen in lower 48.
November 13, 2025 at 11:56 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
Hard to believe how little snow/ice there is now below 2600m. Camp Senia trail starts 2400m in W-fork Cyn. Then gulches to Red Lodge Crk. Plateau 3200m +. Got to 2900m on shaded NE facing slope up to 1m drifts, turned back. Bull moose 5K in, took off. #hiking #dogs #wildlife #montana #mountains
looking S from 2800m to Silver Run Plateau 3800m + way in back, Westfork Canyon precedes it. 2850m solid snow cover on this NE facing slope. across the way that WSW facing one completely bare. N-facing wall of the main W-fork Canyon only little bit ice. Almost all snow gone. First snow for Sundance was 2730m, turning the corner out of the W-fork Canyon S-facing wall. so sparse even highest elevations 3800m +. looking west into W-fork Canyon from 2600m on the return. westerly winds picking up, got out just in time. Possibly bit of new snow in here tomorrow and then Mon/Tue next week. Sure hope so.
November 13, 2025 at 11:53 PM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
El Sol she is angry at the wickedness we are suffering. Auroral band directly over Red Lodge MT latitude 45.2N.
November 12, 2025 at 3:50 AM
beartoothskier.bsky.social
2350m Mystic Lake, is dammed w small hydropower station, fills upper reaches of W. Rosebud Canyon. MT's highest terrain both sides. Short 11km out/back from 2000m trailhead. Steep and rocky below dam, down to the lake. No snow/ice below 2500m, no surprise. #climate #hiking #dogs #montana #mountains
this steep NW facing wall shaded most of the day usually is iced by now here at 2380m. got to go over 2400m pass to then drop down to the lake. gale force westerly winds here but around 5C, cold but not frostbite dangerous. Nicest beach in MT we think. Flathead Lake has nice ones, but not with this subalpine/alpine terrain. does get busy in summer. looking SE up to 3200-3800m + Froze to Death Plateau. very skimpy snowpack. we got to Phantom Crk. trail 1km down the lake. gets you up there quickly, probably could have got past 2600m. turned back because of the wind.
November 11, 2025 at 11:29 PM