As winter approaches (hopefully), we have been doing some work on the trails. Three items are noteworthy:
1. A new trail has been added in the central area of the network, running north/south from Westside Story (5) to Hockleycrest (3), and also intersecting Central Park (6) and Field and Forest (10). This is an easy trail through pine plantation and across a regenerating field where a lot of cherry trees are found. It has been named Black Cherry, and numbered 23.
2. The section of Mainline (1) trail in the southeast corner of the network east of Tamarack, has been modified so that it is now skiable in both directions. A bypass route has been built around a steep twisty hill, so this trail can now be skied northbound as well as southbound.
3. The skate trails are being discontinued. These trails added a lot of effort on maintenance, and the section on the open field near trail #12 was almost impossible to keep groomed because of constant drifting. Only one skier was using the skate trails, and he has gone away to university, so there is not much point in maintaining them.
Otherwise, the network will be much the same as last year. We have been busy mowing grass and whacking weeds, and some levelling of the trail platform has been done in a couple of spots. Protruding rocks have been removed where possible, and wood chips have been spread in a couple of places to cover obstacles.
Now all we need is snow and consistent cool temperatures. I sure hope the weather will be better this year than it was last year.
