Ft Pierre National Grassland

[Matt V]

Had to decide between the Minneapolis area and the snowcover maps leading me to believe that there was snow just south of Pierre, SD

Pierre won out because of the potential for terrain and being on the way to the Bighorns or Montana if this did not pan out.

But it did pan out. No base here, but 8-12" with 16" on the back side of some of the hills. Some spots grazed down to the turf are only 3" but they are rare. Pretty much everything is kitable with a snowboard. Again, no base, so skis may be too much of a chore to manage the grass. But the landings are plenty soft. Softer than the snowkite Summit in Wyoming. If this packs down, and there is another 4" snow, this place could be "road trip" worthy. It is just so immense! I am scared to get out of sight of telephone poles or roads. It is just endless hills and valleys. Today was out of the east, so riding the ditches next to Hwy 83 was a blast. Lots of wind lips got mowed down.

I will update when conditions change.

That all said - Had I saw the pics of WBL before I left Sioux Falls, and the fact that there was enough to snowboard, I may have headed east instead of west. But again, I am stoked with my decision so far.

[JohnK]

Hey Matt

I grew up in Pierre and have been to the grasslands many times hunting and fishing. The problem there will be getting enough snow coverage. The Pierre area typically does not get a massive amount of snow. If it does it is usually accompanied by high winds, which in the grasslands blows all the base away making some large drifts like you seem to have found.

That being said if the snow conditions were right this place would be amazing to ride. Like you said it is an immense area with rolling hills and flat plains. Glad to hear you checked it out. I have kited closer to Pierre in some farm fields, but haven't yet ventured out to the grasslands.

[Matt V]

Actually, the drifts are somewhat lacking for my tastes. But the bonus is that the snow is 100% all over north of 15. Like I said, the bare spots still have 3" of snow on them. The winds have been mostly light since the snow fell that I am riding. And the grass was grazed just enough to not need 18" of snow to ride, but not as much as most heavily grazed pastures. So you are busting through some stuff but not where you have to pay attention constantly. Yesterday, I was "straight legging it" to save my out of shape quads. Honestly, from a snowboarding stand point, it is perfect minus a 4" base.

Today I am going to see how far I can go and maybe try the other side.

This place is definitely exposed to the wind if it blows and I do not doubt you that most years it would not be possible to catch enough snow without just the right grass height. That said, I still think the Buffalo Ridge gets as much, if not, more wind.

UPDATE 12/29/14: Today was even better with more snow on the east side of the highway. Still North of 15. Wind was a bit light, but doable. Would have been perfect on hard snow, but this powder kind of takes a similar size kite to what you would need on the water.

Update2 12/30/14: Snow is cold setting in the lightish winds and will not blow away anymore. I did find out that since the snow moved so little, the washouts down low can be impassable. You have to find a dam or an old one to get across some of the valleys, so navigation is a crucial piece of kiting here if you intend to do long distance exploring.

Update3 12/31/14: Explored the perimeter of the "Trout Dam" area. Found nice half pipes where the gulleys get big. Wind lips galore too at the sides of the wider washouts. The wind lips are a bit on the soft side and get destroyed pretty easy but are steep. None over 8' tall. Have to watch where you drop into the pipes as there can be a secondary washout that eats you unexpectedly. Would love for this snow to firm up.

Update4 1/3/14: South wind spot had a surprise for me in the form of a sweet valley with big overhangs right next to where I parked. Will see tomorrow how this big blow moved around the snow.

Main area of "Trout Dam"/"Lookout Dam" is at the intersection of Hwy 83 and 226th street.

[Matt V]

Game over man. Game over!

The wind on Saturday turned all of the soft powder into wind blown hard pack. Features are better but go from rock hard to nose in soft in an instant. No soft speed rides on top so looking for someplace else to go. Looks like Spirit Lake, Ia is looking down the barrel of a good snow storm. Been years since I kited there, but it is well worth the wait if this hits there hard and then another one puts the icing on the cake. Almost as many areas to kite there as there are here.

Update: Still at Ft Pierre and happy after yesterday. Lower elevations down the watershed have tons of powder. Cornices are hard with a perfect 2-3inches of powder on them. Never have I had it where you have perfect hard underneath with a cushion on top - especially on the vertical surfaces. Stay away from Hwy 83 as it is rough up there. You have to go slow but it is all passable. When I left yesterday It was snowing so today should be even better.