Rendezvous Ski Trails West Yellowstone, MT
Trail Length: 35K	Maps:    [ Google Maps ]
Groomed: Skating/Classical	Lighted: N
Contact: 406-599-4465	Weather: [ NWS ]
Notes:   Gently rolling trails that wind through tall stands of lodgepole pine and open meadows. Trailhead located on the south end of town.

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1 to 5 of 7    Month: Dec | Nov | Oct
Monday, December 10, 2012  posted: 12/10/2012 9:28:23 PM
	Conditions: Grooming has been underway on Rendezvous Trails for the past week, and it's time to get out the good skis! The snow gods are once again smiling on West Yellowstone. Enough snow fell last week to allow a successful North America Cup #2 Sprint & Pursuit Biathlon competition Dec 8-9th, and Sunday night it started snowing in earnest, continuing well into Monday morning. For those of you familiar with Rendezvous Trails, the attached photos were taken on Dead Dog a few hours after it was groomed. Photos:   (Laurie Shammel)
Friday, November 23, 2012  posted: 11/23/2012 8:48:52 PM
	Conditions: Skied-in hard pack conditions. I skied the Rendezvous Loop mid-morning. I parked in the main lot and skied to the trail via the In and Out Loop which is in fair to poor condition. It has small pinecones and rocked scattered throughout which can dead-stop your ski pretty quick, but most can be avoided if you take care. The Rendezvous Loop itself ranged from fair to good in places. It has not been formally groomed but has been well-skied in and is hard-packed but still offers an edge. There are still sections with deep ruts, dirt, rocks or grass showing through, so care is needed. All in all, it offers a decent option is you are unable to get up to the Plateau. Skiers have also skied in other loops shooting off the Rendezvous Loop, but they seemed generally to have had less traffic. Photos:   (Margaret Adelsman)
Monday, November 19, 2012  posted: 11/19/2012 11:56:31 PM
	Conditions: Fresh snow over crust: morning conditions. I skate skied the Rendezvous Loop and the small Volunteer Loop this morning. Things had frozen up over night and we got about an inch of new snow on top. It certainly made everything look much better. The underlying ruts made for tough going on the Volunteer Loop (skating), but Rendezvous was better since it has seen the most traffic thus far. Most of the grooming effort has had to focus on the South Plateau trails with the superior snow conditions, but some skiing can still be found in town. (Margaret Adelsman)
Sunday, November 18, 2012  posted: 11/18/2012 6:58:28 PM
	Conditions: Very thin in the sections closest to the trail head. More skiable snow on trails that have not yet been groomed. What a difference a day (and some rain) makes. Rendezvous Trails definitely took a beating since yesterday, with a light rain causing very wet and heavy snow, with accumulations of water in the lower layers of some sections. Classic skiing was very laborious but still possible. I skied the main Rendezvous Loop and then Dead Dog. Dead Dog was in better shape in terms of snow depth as it had not seen nearly as much traffic, but it was still very slow going. It was raining when I went out at about 9:00 a.m. but it sounds like that precip. may have added a few inches of snow to the Plateau. Folks are trying to get as much as they can out of the sparse coverage, but we really need more snow for the lower trails right now. Photos:   (Margaret Adelsman)
Saturday, November 17, 2012  posted: 11/17/2012 9:43:05 PM
	Conditions: Thin, rock ski conditions, maybe 3-4" of wet snow in areas not yet rolled. We arrived in West Yellowstone mid-afternoon with a slight rain following us for a brief spell. You could tell each rain drop was trying so hard to be a snowflake, but no dice. While many folks were heading up to the South Plateau and more snow depth, I checked out the Rendezvous Trails with my sturdy waxless skis and had quite a nice ski. The entrance and exit trails are in pretty poor shape with the most use and sun exposure, but the Rendezvous Trail itself was better once you got past the first main intersection. It is very thin and definitely rock ski conditions, but you can navigate your way through so far. Other spur trails appear not to have been rolled yet, but some have been skied in. A few downhills have some ski-grabber sections, so it's good to keep your eyes open for those. It is quite an experience to see people running, rollerskiing, and snow skiing all in the same area. We hope for fresh snow to help support the thin base and the volume of skiers expected. Photos:   (Margaret Adelsman)