Up, up into the storm clouds! (Keith Hammer photos)

Nine Swan Rangers skied Peters Ridge Road under threatening skies on Saturday, January 11, 2014!

With true Ranger charm (or dumb luck), the outing took place between morning drizzle and an afternoon rain!

Click here for a free Forest Service PDF map of Peters Ridge Road and Trail.

Click here for Flathead National Forest District maps (free as PDFs).

The Swan Rangers, dressed as though they trust their rain gear more than their special charm!

An outing sandwiched between earth and sky!

Two Rangers dug an avalanche test pit to determine whether they'd head into the backcountry on Sunday.

The first test failed at about a foot deep and across the entire column, on a buried icy crust layer.

The second test failed all the way to the ground on pockets of depth hoar!

You can read James' snow pack observations on the Flathead Avalanche Center's web site.

The Swan Rangers meet every Saturday at the Echo Lake Cafe for breakfast at 8:30, leaving at 9:30 for a partial day outing in the northern Swan Mountains and foothills.

They carpool from the Swan River School parking lot next to the Cafe.

Everyone is welcome!