It’s Thursday evening now and we are just getting back from Hodges.  Actually most of them didn’t want to leave and stayed back for another couple hours.  This group has been here before and know how different it can be just 10 km North.  Still they were blown away by the difference…it’s like someone turned on the snow switch at about 1000ft up.  Here at the chalets there is no fresh snow and we had to pick around exposed dirt here and there to get in.  However, 20 minutes later we were carving 6 inches or fresh powder on a bottomless base of snow.  As said on previous posts there are a few places where the wind took most of the snow off of the tops of hills but as you can see from the pictures it is still winter wonderland here.  The same group is headed to the Gaff Topsails (White Hills area) tomorrow.  If Hodges blew them away with the riding the Gaff surely will.  Expect a testimonial later this evening on the blog from them about todays trip.  We had a few stucks today climbing around the hills!  Enjoy the pics!

Yes.  The title is correct!  At the end of our ride we ran into a friend who lives on Dawes Pond.  Yesterday, a meteorite landed in front his cabin in Dawes Pond.  He didn’t see it but people heard it.  The hole is about 10 feet wide and maybe 100 feet long so it was small and came down at a low angle from the North East.  It is an amazing site!  You can see where the hole was made in the picture as well as where the water splashed out and froze. For something that apparently was traveling at 1000s of mile an hour is is a neat hole…almost like a lazer had cut it.   Amazing to see!   I would expect international coverage within a couple days.  Now to the riding conditions on the Gaff.  Today was a personal ride and I must say, one of the best ride of my life.  The Northwest end of the Gaff is absolutely buried and the riding is amazing as you can see from the pictures!  The first pic is taken not far from the highway on Dawes Pond Road…obviously lots of snow!  Hills, bowls and ravines to challenge just about anyone.  I can’t wait to go back!   That’s me straightening out my handlebar after I crested a hill (not the one in the picture….much larger and steeper!) and lost my line.  I had to stop but the brakes did nothing as I was not far off 45 degrees and it was not powder but I couldn’t bury it.  I had two choices….bail and let her  go back or try to go forward in which case the machine and me would have likely dropped over a 30 foot cliff just to my right before a long tumble.  Of course I bailed and down she went.  A long slide backwards over a near vertical climb, 6 rolls, back on her feet and then rolled on her own for another hundred feet.  I slid behind it the whole way.  Main thing is we got the carnage on video…well worth the cost of the handlebars! Tough machine though (Freeride) with the only damage being bent handlebars on one side.  If that had been my Expedition she would have been in pieces! 

If anyone want to go see where the meteorite landed and do a Gaff run while are at it I would be happy to take you.  Might as well capitalize on it LOL!

I was in around Hodges today and was relieved to see there is still lots of snow….especially on the higher elevations.

Peace Valley has had a lot of water in in most of which has run off now although we had to skip across a few spots. Both side of the hill are great for climbing now….probably too easy though with the dense snow so if you want a challenge you will have to go steeper.

All cold weather in the forecast which is good but as the snow dries out it will get harder.

For this reason I decided to downgrade to good. Saw about 50 caribou on 9 Mile again today in two herds.

Looks like we survived the rain!  I was on the West Coast doing a sledding course on Sunday and it rained on us all day.  All the brooks are running wild….lot of damage but still lots of snow left in the higher country.  All the way back on Monday morning you can see  the vast amount of snow lost.  I was getting pretty worried  but the closer I got to central the brooks were not running as bad.  Aspen Brook and most of the others around are running over the ice but are not out.  Had a tour on the Gaff today and the riding was better than good so I am going to leave it at excellent as it is only going to improve as the water runs off.  Had a beautiful day with light snow but a great cook up of ham and beans.  Really we never got the rain the East and West got.  At least here around Badger it was mostly just steady mist.  I am headed into Hodges on tour tomorrow but looking at the road and also talking to a friend who was in today….I expect much the same.  We are safe again! 

The conditions are awesome!  We just had two days of clear skies with temps just below zero and no wind.  Saturday we broke a good portion of trails and the riding was just perfect.  Lots of stucks while up on Hodges and a sore back today!  Got some great pics too.  We had 8 people out and we all had a ball.  They will be back!  Today I took Keith Small out from Destination Labrador to show him where we tour.  He was very impressed to say the least.  We saw lots caribou on 9 mile bog and Monica Bog as well as lot of tracks in Peace Valley.  Fox and coyote were everywhere as well as a fresh set of lynx tracks.  On Saturday a cross huge fox ran across right in front of me in Peace Valley and another was hanging around the chalets.  The nice weather brings out the wildlife for sure!  Hodges again tomorrow and the Gaff on Wednesday.  I am having a ball!  Lotsa great pics over the last two days.  It was hard to pic a few to post!

Let it snow!  After two recent storms we are in awesome shape!  The backcountry is buried and you can go anywhere you want.  The ride today was absolutely perfect!   After a heavy snowfall last night followed by a small amount of freezing rain which knocked the powder down just right.   It snowed off and on all day in the backcountry with a few flurries at the chalets.  It is steadily accumulating with snow coming all week.  And, to boot, the groomer is out! 

The snow going into Hodges yesterday was deep and heavy….hard day for the machine.  Lots of snow although not so much around Peace Valley.  Seems like it was colder in there for the bulk of the storm and blew into drifts and the woods.  Still plenty though.  I got stuck twice getting over the hump by Peace Pond.  If it were powder I would have blasted on though I am sure.  The old ‘stick in the throttle’ trick got me through it though.  After last nights cold and cold forecast the snow will improve immensely.   Gotta big tour on Saturday and trails to break through the backcountry….should be fun!

We didn’t get the snow that seemed to fall around us but the roads and trails are, for the most part, excellent going.  Hodges received a lot more snow that Grand Falls-Windsor but not nearly as much as Badger lake and the Gaff Topsails.  We left the Chalets last evening for a night ride and were blasting through two feet of powder and huge drifts all the way around Badger Lake area!  The closer we got to Hodges the snow was not as deep but still lots of powder and awesome riding.  Here and there there are still signs of that very disappointing wind melt we had two weeks ago but easily avoided.  The ridge road leading to the Hodges trailhead had excellent ditch banging all the way today….I had a a lot of fun diving deep into the powder and blasting out!  All around any lakes or open areas there are plenty big drifts for play.  The lakes and ponds are excellent too…get the right speed going and you hop across like a seadoo.  We still need lots more to open up all the options and to be fully care free when banging around the ditches but I must say….today was an excellent ride!  I should have taken more care in getting pictures as my sled saw great air many times today but I was having too much fun to stop for snaps.  As for the Gaff I wasn’t up there since this last snow but it has to be awesome up there now. 

I took a 1/2 an hour to dart in as far as Cornfield this afternoon and except for the trucks having the road rutted things are looking good.  I wish I had the time to do the Ridge Road but I did not.  I suspect that all the roads are in pretty good shape now except for parts of Ten Mile and the parts of the Eastern end of Ridge Road.  These roads had a few bare spots from the warm wind we had a while back.  Although they might be fine. All in all I think the roads and trails are in pretty good shape.  I think I should upgrade to good…Jason will upgrade the site conditions tomorrow.   After Saturday afternoon….up to 40cm….we will be in great shape!  Sunday is going to be a great day!