Happy Labor Day weekend, folks! All trailheads are still accessible. Be prepared for muddy conditions (even trails turned into streams) out of any trailhead after the rain we've been having lately.
It's going to be another windy weekend. Thursday and Friday in particular will have gusts of wind up to 41 mph. Into Saturday and Sunday you can still expect gusts of wind up to 30 mph, but it looks like the rain might give us a reprieve until Sunday afternoon, with sunny days Thursday - Saturday. Expect highs in the 40s and low 50s, and lows in the low 30s.
The Bridger-Teton National Forest fire ban has been lifted. With the high winds this weekend, please be especially careful if you plan to have a fire in the back country. Use only already established fire rings, stay away from dry grasses or dead tree branches, and make sure your fire is completely out before leaving it.
An update on Gannett:
Unfortunately we have not gotten any new updates on Gannett Peak this week, so please note that this information is not current. It's late season and the route finding is becoming trickier. On the popular Gooseneck Glacier route, as the season progresses the key snowbridge covering the bergschrund melts out. Without being on the mountain, it is always difficult for us to determine the exact state of the snowbridge and we rely on secondhand information gathered from climbers after their trips.
As of early last week we received mixed reports on the state of the snowbridge, with one group indicating that they were able to cross the bergschrund via remnants of the snowbridge, and another group indicating that they could not find passage and opted to climb 5.4 rock on Gooseneck Pinnacle to skirt the bergschrund.
As the bridge melts, crossing becomes a judgement call, which is probably why we received differing reports. As new reports come in we will be sure to provide updates.
Please use caution if you are attempting to summit Gannett this late in the season. Extensive research, route finding knowledge and proper equipment are a must. If you go, please consider sharing the conditions with us when you get back, especially any pictures of the bergschrund.
If you find these reports useful, please consider contributing infomation from your recent trips:
