Photos

A few photos I took this afternoon:


Trail #5 West Side Story

Trail #12 Southfield

Trail #19 Stonehedge

Trail #9 The Pasture

Saturday midday

I've been out grooming the drifted areas in the north part of the system. Most sections are now good. One short section of Mainline, about 0.5 km east of Airport Road is still rough due to huge snow drifts. Take Northfield Circuit as an alternate route; all of it has been packed and track-set.
The thermometer on the sunny side of the house (though not in the direct sun) is showing -4 right now. The sun is strong, and the wind is light, so it's a gorgeous day for a ski outing.

Saturday Feb. 28 - Nice

I've just come in from my sunrise ski. It is -17 out there, but with no wind and sunshine it is quite nice. The predicted high for today is -7, which will feel balmy compared to recent temperatures. Ski conditions are still very good on most trails. There has been some snow drifting on trails in the open areas, but it's not bad. I will try to get out and groom the drifted areas later today.

Friday, Feb. 27 - Warmer weather coming over the weekend

I am not on site at Hockleycrest today, but I expect very little has changed since yesterday. I will be checking the trails tomorrow morning.
The weather forecast calls for some warmer temperatures over the weekend - not above freezing (we don't want that!) but in around -5 which is really comfortable for skiing.

Thurs. Feb. 26 - Good conditions, with a couple of exceptions

I had some friends over yesterday and we skied most of the network. Conditions generally are very good. The only exceptions are the open areas, especially toward the north end, where drifting of snow was still a factor. You may find short sections of Mainline, Southfield and Northfield where the groomed surface has been covered by drifted snow.
There is a spot on Mainline near the northeast corner of Northfield Circuit where the snow drift was so big that my grooming machine slid right off the trail into the bush. This spot is quite a mess and would be difficult skiing right now. However, there is an easy detour out through the break in the trees onto Northfield and west for about 100 metres. I will be trying on the weekend to move and reshape some of that drifted snow.

Wed. Feb. 25 - A nice looking day

It's sunny and -15 this morning. Things have calmed down a lot since yesterday afternoon, when we had near blizzard conditions with blowing drifting snow. There is still some wind out there, but not nearly as strong as yesterday.
I have groomed most of the trails this morning. I did not do Field and Forest or Stone Hedge, as these areas still have active snow drifting.

This picture was taken this morning at the north end of The Ash Grove

Tues. Feb. 24 - a little snow expected

It's cold out there, but should warm up later today. A light snowfall is expected this afternoon and tonight, perhaps only a couple of cm. Winds may cause some drifting in the open areas. I will be on site and will groom if necessary.
Update 4:15 p.m. It is now snowing moderately and blowing hard. Lots of blowing, drifting snow, and deteriorating driving conditions.
No point going out to groom ski trails until this ends.

Monday Feb. 23 - No News is Good News

There is really nothing new to report, which is good, because skiing is great. According to the weather forecast, things should remain good for at least another week. A small snowfall of about 5 cm is expected tomorrow.
Bundle up warmly and get out to enjoy the trails.

Sunday morning, February 22

I'm just back from my early morning ski with the dog. It is -9 and snowing very lightly, with no wind. Predicted high is -7 so it should be a very comfortable day to ski. The trails are in great shape.

Saturday Afternoon

The snowfall has pretty well ended, and the temperature is up to -9. I've groomed everything, and skiing is excellent. Roads are not too bad. Come on out and enjoy the great conditions.

Saturday morning, first light

I've just come in from my early morning ski. It is -15 with a moderate snowfall, but no wind. There has been about 2 cm of new snow so far. The forecast calls for only 4 cm of snow, but it looks to me as if there will be more. Once the snow has stopped, I will be out grooming. Skiing is excellent. (Roads may not be very good however.)

Friday, Feb. 20 - More snow coming

February has been a wonderful month for skiers! The weather forecast calls for a bit more snow tonight and tomorrow: 5 to 7 cm is the current prediction. If there is sufficient snow to warrant it, I will groom again late Saturday or Sunday.

Wednesday, Feb. 18 - Great Conditions continue

This stretch of continuous cold weather with occasional light snowfalls makes for great ski conditions. Today, I groomed 3 short trail sections that didn't get done yesterday, and went over the Pasture trail again to make sure it is well packed where the big snow drifts were. After a short ski I can confirm that conditions are excellent.
Today I also did some back-country skiing with a couple of friends in the northern portion of Hockley Valley Provincial Nature Reserve, about 15 minutes drive to the west of Hockleycrest. Breaking trail through the deep snow is physically demanding, but definitely worthwhile.

Tuesday, Feb 17 - Groomed again

The new snow and drifting over the weekend affected some trails more than others. Today I groomed all trails, with a couple of small exceptions. Skiing is very good.
I'd like to know who has been telemarking down among the trees; I'm impressed (and I won't be responsible for any injuries!)
I took this photo this afternoon, after I finished grooming.

West Side Story, looking south

Monday, Feb. 16 - Family Day

I returned from Ottawa last night, and have just come in from skiing here at Hockleycrest. We received a bit of new snow Friday night and there was a lot of drifting yesterday with those strong north winds. So the skiing is not as good as it was. The set tracks are mostly filled in and some trail sections are drifted over. I will not be able to groom again until tomorrow.
Currently it's -27 outside, which is very cold, but there is no wind this morning, so it doesn't feel too bad. Because of the cold temperature, the snow is very slow; glide will be very poor until the temperature rises. Nevertheless, if you're a fanatic, the skiing is not bad.

Friday, Feb. 13

I will be away over the weekend in Ottawa, taking part in the Gatineau Loppet ski race. I'm doing the 51 km Classic on Saturday. Here at home the forecast calls for a small snowfall tonight into Saturday, accompanied by some strong winds. I will not be grooming, but ski conditions should remain generally very good. Trails through open areas, such as #12, #17, and #19 will likely experience some snow drifting.

Thursday Feb 12

We received about 2 cm of new snow yesterday afternoon and evening. This will just soften up the surface a little. The skiing remains excellent.

Wednesday Feb 11

I have a group of about 10 skiers from Mono Nordic Ski Club coming for a guided tour today. Looks like we have a nice day for it. A little bit of snow is predicted for later today, just enough to soften up the surface.
The skiing continues to be excellent.

Late Tuesday

As predicted, skiing was excellent today. Blue sky, sunshine and trees coated with snow and hoar frost made for a beautiful experience. I groomed all trails in the central and northern portion of the system. I also skied the southern part and it is still very good.

West Side Story trail #5

Here is the grooming "train" sitting on Hockleycrest trail #3 next to my maple syrup trees

Trail #10 Field and Forest, showing the frosty trees in the background
 

Tues. Feb. 10 - Great skiing continues

The snow is still great, and temperatures are going to be comfortable today. We might even see some sunshine. I will be skiing the trails today and will groom if necessary.

North end of Trail #10, taken Sunday Feb. 7

A portion of The Pasture, taken Sunday Feb. 7

Monday, Feb. 9 - Winter Wonderland

Snowfall continued all day yesterday. Total accumulation over the weekend was about 15 cm. Late yesterday afternoon, I groomed again, setting track on a significant portion of the network. Skiing will be excellent today.

Sunday, Feb. 8 - continuing snow

Light snow continues to fall. We received about 2 to 3 cm of new snow overnight. I've been out skiing and it is beautiful. There may have been a tiny bit of freezing drizzle as well: not enough to adversely affect the ski conditions, but the trees are all coated with a sort of hoar frost. Very pretty. Temperature is colder today: now sitting at about -10. I have groomed most of the trails with roller and snow-comb; I will not track-set until the snowfall ends. Skiing is excellent. Road conditions on the way here may not be so good.
The weather forecast continues to warm of freezing drizzle. I have not seen any freezing drizzle here today, and at the moment (noon) a very nice light snow is falling.

Saturday Late Afternoon

I just came in from skiing the whole network. Snow continues to fall, but there is not too much on top of the groomed surface. The skiing is fantastic. I met 4 nice folks on the trail, who came up from Toronto to ski; they were really enjoying it.
There's no telling how long these great conditions are going to last. Get out and enjoy while things are at their best!

Saturday Feb. 7, lunchtime

It is still snowing lightly and the temperature is -4. With a couple of very small exceptions, all trails have been groomed this morning. Skiing is excellent!

Saturday morning

I've been out skiing and the conditions are excellent. It is -6 and snowing right now (8 a.m.) Snowfall is expected to continue throughout today and tomorrow, with total accumulations of about 15 cm. I will groom later this morning.

Friday, Feb. 6 - snowfall continues

We continue to get small snowfalls, and a more significant accumulation is predicted for tomorrow. I will groom Saturday morning. Ski conditions should be excellent for the weekend (with comfortable temperatures too!).

Thurs. Feb. 5 - Great skiing continues

Light snowfall continued for a couple of hours last night, leaving 1 or 2 cm of powder on top of the groomed track. There was also some drifting of snow onto the groomed trail in the open field areas at the north end. Nevertheless, ski conditions remain very good.

These pictures were taken last weekend, before our most recent snowfall. Skiing was good then, but now it's even better.
I will probably not groom again until Saturday.
Enjoy!

Wednesday Feb. 4 - excellent conditions

It is -4 and snowing lightly. All trails have been packed and combed. I saw a couple of deer while grooming. Trails in the central area have also been track-set. Skiing is excellent. It doesn't get much better than this!
I see from the tracks that a few people skied yesterday; hope to see more folks out enjoying these great conditions.
The only negative today is that, within an hour of my grooming, a couple of inconsiderate groups of snowshoers came through and trampled portions of the Mainline and Hockleycrest trails.

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015

Yesterday's snowfall gave us 15 to 20 cm of soft powdery snow. I have not had time yet to groom, but will do that tomorrow morning. Right now, we have excellent back country conditions. Tomorrow, with grooming, should be even better.

Finally, a real snowfall

Trails will be very good "backcountry" skiing today. I will not get this new snow groomed until tomorrow.
In the meantime, driving is difficult out there, and there is an extreme cold warning in effect today. You might want to wait until tomorrow when driving conditions are better and the temperature is a little warmer.

Sunday Feb. 1

The snowfall here on Thursday was about 4 cm - just enough to improve conditions significantly. I've been out on skis and on the groomer. All trails have been groomed at least with the roller and snow comb. This packs the loose snow and leaves a more uniform surface. Some trails in the central area were track-set; this was only a partial success because the loose surface snow was not deep enough to set a full-depth track. Right now, conditions range from fair in some sections to very good on others. The larger hills are now manageable, and not as dangerous as they were a week ago.
It is cold out there: the temperature has been sitting at -15 all day, and there is a wind blowing.
The forecast calls for 5 to 10 cm of new snow tonight. If that is correct, then conditions will be even better tomorrow.