Fire
Backcountry
The Bacon Rind fire in the Northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park started on July 20th and has grown slowly to 1,400 acres. A crew of 20 firefighters, a helicopter, and three fire engines have been working to suppress the blaze. A lightning strike is listed as the cause.
The fire has slowly been creeping towards the west side of Highway 191 and even managed to jump to a peak on the eastern side Wednesday. So far the road remains open, but traffic delays are to be expected.
Bacon Rind is a super popular backcountry ski spot about 25 miles south of Big Sky, Montana. Relax, it’s in the local guide book, so I’m not giving up any secret stash here. Car to car it’s only about 2 miles round trip for over 2,000 vertical feet of skiing. No epic adventure, but perfect for a quick powder lap
The main ski line through Bacon Rind is commonly known as “the skillet”. After a very steep skin track, you’re rewarded with a nice wide meadow at the top that narrows down into a gully through thick timber.
It will be interesting to see how the fire has changed the landscape this winter. I’m sure more than a few backcountry skiers are licking their chops at the prospect of some new ski lines in the area.
As of the latest reports, the fire is not threatening any structures. That’s good news.
