Race Status

Updated 1/31/2025 at 9:00 AM

We are closely monitoring the weather as tomorrow approaches to ensure a safe race experience for all. At the present time, the BMT is still expected to take place as planned. As a reminder, we will gauge the probability of holding the race daily using Green, Yellow, and Red ratings. Our safety committee will make assessments today at 4 p.m. and tomorrow, at 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. Green is proceed, yellow is caution, and red is a full stop. Mountain forecasts can change quickly, particularly in Idaho, and we are keeping a careful watch on all conditions that could impact the race. Our goal is to provide you with the best possible information so you can be prepared for whatever Mother Nature delivers.

Weather and Course Conditions

NOAA Winter Storm Warning was issued at 2:20 a.m. today, January 31. According to the forecast, between 11 a.m. today and 5 p.m. Saturday, the racecourse could receive 8 to 15 inches of snowfall, with up to two feet accumulating at Galena Summit (8,701 feet). During race hours on Saturday (10 a.m. – 3 p.m.), forecasts predict an additional 3 to 6 inches of fresh snow on the Harriman Trail, making for soft and potentially challenging ski conditions. The probability of snowfall is rated at 100 percent. 

Temperatures are expected to range from 29 to 35°F, hovering around freezing. A key concern is the rain/snow line, which is expected to rise onto the racecourse for a significant portion of the event. If snow turns to rain, combined with winds of 8–10 mph (gusting to 22–25 mph), it could create a serious hypothermia hazard. This is something we are watching very closely.

Avalanche Risk and Road Safety

Another significant factor we are assessing is avalanche danger. The new snowfall will land on an already weak snowpack. While the Harriman Trail does not cross major avalanche paths, it does intersect several smaller ones that could present a real risk under extreme conditions. We are working closely with the Sawtooth Avalanche Center (SAC) and will reassess conditions late tonight and early Saturday morning. An “extreme” avalanche danger rating is a red flag for us, though SAC currently believes this is unlikely unless we receive the highest forecasted levels of snowfall and wind.

In addition, we are in constant communication with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, Blaine County Recreation District, and the bus companies that provide racer transportation. ITD does an excellent job of maintaining road safety, but severe weather can sometimes push conditions beyond their control. Like the avalanche risk, final road conditions will likely not be clear until late tonight or early tomorrow morning.

To minimize traffic on the highway, we request all racers to take the provided buses rather than getting dropped off at Galena.

Final Thoughts

We understand that this may sound like a lot of uncertainty, but that’s the nature of racing in the mountains. Some storms deliver the perfect ski day, while others present challenges. Regardless of the conditions, we at the Boulder Mountain Tour are committed to transparency in our decision-making and to ensuring a safe, fun, and rewarding experience for all. If you’re excited for an adventure and ready to embrace a snowy day, this could still be an amazing tour!

We truly appreciate your patience, flexibility, and enthusiasm—we will keep you updated as conditions evolve via text and email. Thank you

The BMT Safety Committee and Board of Directors 

Updated 1/30/2025 at 9:20 AM

Safety is priority one for us at the Boulder Mountain Tour.

With this in mind, we want to apprise you of projected weather conditions for this weekend that we are currently monitoring. The forecast calls for heavy snow, a high rain line, and strong winds beginning on Friday.

With the potential for highly adverse conditions, we will gauge the probability of holding the race on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday using Green, Yellow, and Red ratings. Our safety committee will make assessments today and Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. Green is proceed, yellow is caution, and red is a full stop. We will call off the race if the avalanche rating rises to extreme or has the potential to during the race.

The BMT race is not the sole focus of our final determination. The weather must also allow for safe travel and adequate snow removal on Highway 75, area parking lots, and roadways. Galena Summit must remain open. The surrounding snowpack must be stable. The Sawtooth Avalanche Center, Idaho Transportation Department, Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, and other local emergency response agencies are assisting us in this decision-making. If conditions are unsafe for their operations at any time, we will cancel.

Concerns now are a high rain line and wind coupled with deep snow on the course creating the potential for hypothermia. In addition to our racers, we are concerned for volunteers, emergency personnel, and friends.

With this in mind, we respectfully ask for you to consider the following as we go forward:

  • The 2025 BMT may be the slowest you have ever skied. Carry food, water, and fuel accordingly.
  • This Boulder will truly be a tour. Plan for a long day. We highly recommend dressing for wet conditions, i.e., no skinsuits this year; wear warm, waterproof clothing.
  • We cannot accommodate requests to move from the Full Boulder to the Half.

We will communicate via email today and tomorrow. On Saturday morning, the race field will receive a text message announcing a go or no go, followed by an email.

EnjoyWinter
Welcome to EnjoyWinter, the brands of Nordic! We are America's largest independent distributor of cross-country ski equipment. Each of the 20+ brands we import specialize in one product category. Let us help you glide through winter!
SAUCE
Our passion is creating beautiful, high quality and thoughtful products that help people maintain healthy lifestyles. We are fortunate to be headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, where we can field test products throughout the year. Many of our products boast unique features specifically designed for athletic endeavors. Fit and function are as important as a variety of attractive patterns and color options, with original prints embodying our ‘Saucy’ sophisticated style.
Wood River Land Trust
Since 1994, the Land Trust has been a growing and dynamic presence in the Wood River Valley, preserving and protecting the Big Wood River, its tributaries, and the treasured landscapes of central Idaho. Working with a visionary community, we have preserved nearly 27,000 acres, created 16 open preserves and 41 conservation easements. Together, we have celebrated places like the Hailey Greenway, Boxcar Bend, and Howard Preserve, where people can experience healthy activity, pristine waters and a sense of wonder. With local families we have protected thousands of acres of working lands that conserve critical habitat for wildlife, preserve scenic views of our Valley, and contribute to our agricultural economy.
TOKO
We have Toko Tech Team members in Ketchum who will be monitoring the conditions and testing. Additionally I will be in Ketchum and will test Thursday and again on Friday morning before coming to the expo. I'll be at the expo approximately from noon to close to talk about the wax recommendation, say hello, and answer any questions anyone might have. We have done our best to stock the local ski shops with what we expect will be the wax of the day, but this is never a sure thing and often the stores sell out. The current forecast shows overnight lows of around 15f and daytime highs of 38f until Thursday. Then Thursday night a low of 21 and high Friday of 35 with maybe a bit of weather Friday. They are currently forecasting 1.5 inches of snow Friday night with a low of 27f and then a high of 38f Saturday with maybe more precip or maybe it will have passed by then. In the last two hours, the forecast has changed and the incoming weather has changed to earlier. Two days ago, they were saying it wouldn't arrive until Saturday night and Sunday. For this reason, we are going to wait until Thursday morning to make our BMT race wax tip call. We don't want people waxing early and arriving in Ketchum with the completely wrong wax and no means of correcting it. It does look as though our base layers will be BP hot wax Red followed by HP hot wax Red for race day. Despite the forecasted air temperatures and precipitation, I am very reluctant to recommend mixing in Yellow as the BMT snow is notably dry and when there is precipitation, so often it falls dry or even in the form of graupel which acts super dry but most commonly falls at around 32-35f. We have to wait for the forecast to get more reliable before recommending HPLP or not or maybe adding Yellow to the Red hot wax. If it snows Saturday morning and then continues to snow during the race such that there is a hard base of snow with 1-2 inches of ungroomed snow on top, my recommendation is to go with a pair of skis that has a higher stiffer camber. Skis tend to run far better in such conditions when there is less contact of the snow on the base and this is the way to accomplish that. If these are the conditions, I expect flex of the skis (higher stiffer camber) to be the most important factor affecting ski speed. If it snows Friday and Friday evening and then they are able to groom the course overnight and in the morning such that the snow is set up and hard like it will be most of the week (but with more moisture in the air and snow), then "normal" skis will be great. See you at the expo and please look for our race wax recommendation on Thursday morning at around 10mst
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