December 31 - Blame the Weatherman

 Today is not a ski day.

Environment Canada really blew it yesterday. They predicted a snowfall of 5 to 10 cm; instead, we had rain with a high of 3 degrees. So, rather than increasing our snow cover, we lost some. The snow we have left on our trails is very icy.

Do not ski here today.

The weather forecast looking ahead for the next week is not very encouraging: some rain, some snow, some freezing rain, with temperatures above and below 0. I may be a while before we get back to good skiing conditions.

December 30 - some improvement

 Day 14 of skiing this season.

We received about 2 cm of new snow overnight, and skiing is noticeably better as a result. You will still find ice not far below the surface in many places, but the top dressing of new snow definitely helps. The current temperature is -4.

The forecast for today is also improved over what they were predicting yesterday. Snowfall is supposed to continue through the day, possibly mixed with freezing rain this afternoon as the temperature reaches a high of about +1.(Yesterday they were saying +3 with rain)

Skiing today will be best first thing this morning, when the temperature is still below 0. Both skiing and driving conditions may become difficult this afternoon.

I will not be grooming until after this weather event has finished.

December 29 - cooler

 Day 13 of skiing this season

We survived yesterday's rain and mild temperature, and managed to retain snow cover on most trails. Places that had good snow cover before yesterday will still have reasonable cover. Places that were thin, under conifers for example, will be very thin today with some possible bare spots.

24 hours ago, there was a lot of water and slush under the snow. As far as I can see, this has now frozen, and we received about 2 cm of new snow to cover the old. I have not been out over the whole network to check it, but I suspect there may still be some wet spots. Trails will be icy and fast today; not a good day for beginners.

I will do some grooming later this morning and will file an update after that.

UPDATE: I've done a partial groom this morning, trying to improve conditions on the trails that were in the worst shape. Generally, these are the ones that saw a lot of hiker traffic over the past 2 days. Sunday's footprints in the snow have become today's lumpy, bumpy ice. The 2 or 3 cm of fresh powder on top is not a lot to work with in trying to eliminate this annoying situation. Nevertheless, I think I've made some improvement.

If you can stick mainly to trails that are used only by skiers, then conditions are not too bad.

December 28 - Not a ski day

 The temperature is currently +2 with light rain falling. While it would be possible to ski under these conditions, I am going to declare today "not a ski day". In fact, skier traffic on the trails when the snow is this wet will only cause damage to the snow base, and make it more difficult to restore good conditions after the temperature has dropped. So, I'm asking that skiers stay off the trails today.

The temperature is forecast to drop to -3 by this afternoon, with a few cm of snow tonight, so if we're lucky, we may be back to skiing tomorrow.

December 27 - more snow

 Day 12 of skiing this season.

We got a little more snow yesterday afternoon and overnight, which brings our total snowfall since Thursday afternoon to about 23 cm. I will be grooming again this morning, to pack the new snow and try to smooth out the areas where inconsiderate hikers trampled the trail yesterday.

Skiing will be good today.

It looks like we will have a weak warm front passing through tonight and tomorrow morning, bringing some mixed precipitation as the temperature briefly rises above freezing, and then drops again tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, there won't be much rain.

Noon Update: most trails were groomed again this morning. The overnight snow was just enough to cover and smooth out sections that got trampled yesterday. Skiing is good; probably the best we've had so far this year.

Trail #17 Northfield Circuit. This trail was obliterated by drifting yesterday afternoon.

#21 Ash Grove, just after track-setting

December 26 - Boxing Day Bonus

 Day 11 of skiing this season.

We received more snow yesterday afternoon and overnight. According to the measuring stick on my front lawn, we now have 20 cm of snow on the ground. This packs down to about 10 cm on the trails. Skiing is now good throughout the network.

I will not re-groom everything today, but I will touch up the northern trails, where some areas were getting drifted in yesterday afternoon. In addition, I may try some track-setting in the central section.

Noon Update: I groomed all the northern trails this morning, and set track on some of the flatter central trails. However, it has not stopped snowing, and there is some very active drifting going on out there, so some of the newly groomed trails are again covered by fresh powder. In particular, trail #12, #17, and the part of #1 between the ends of #12 are badly drifted in.

December 25 - A Christmas gift

 This is Day 10 of skiing this season.

We received about 8 cm of snow since yesterday afternoon. Snow is still falling, and the forecast says we may get 5 to 10 cm more today.

It is now possible to ski on our trails. There are still a few thin spots; rock skis are recommended if you have them. I will be grooming later today: packing only, as there is not enough snow depth to set a track.

Noon update: All trails have now been groomed. Our total snow on the ground (before packing) is about 10 cm on average, but this varies depending on location. Trails through dense conifers have less snow cover. Trail #1, between #1a and the north junction of #3, is quite thin where it passes under a stand of hemlock trees. Snowfall is still continuing intermittently, so we may get a few more centimetres.

Trail #3 just after grooming this morning

December 24 - snow is coming

 We started the day at +5. Snowfall began at 1 p.m. when the temperature was still +2, so no accumulation on the ground. Snowfall increased about 4 p.m. and began to stay on the ground, as the temperature had dropped to -2.

How much will we have by tomorrow morning? It's anybody's guess, but Environment Canada thinks it will be 10 to 15 cm. Let's hope they are right.

December 22 - tiny improvement

 We received about 1 cm of new snow overnight. Still not enough to ski on. Waiting anxiously to see what we get on Thursday and Friday.

December 21 - backsliding

 Yesterday's high temperature was +2, so there was some melting, and we definitely lost some snow. Skiing is not possible today. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day look promising for a snowfall. Fingers crossed!

December 20 - incremental improvement

 Yesterday afternoon and evening, we received about 3 cm of new snow. The ground is now completely covered, but it's still not enough to ski on. The forecast for the next five days shows some precipitation, but with temperatures hovering around the freezing mark, it remains to be seen whether this will be rain or snow.

December 15 - on the road to recovery

 Today is not a ski day, but at least we now have some new snow on the ground. Flurries yesterday and last night left us with 2 to 3 cm of new snow. Not enough to ski on, but it's a step in the right direction.

December 13 - Have we turned a corner?

 In my previous post,  I said I would  not report again until I had some good news. Well, today we have some very modest good news: the melting has stopped. After 4 days of warm weather including yesterday's day-long rainfall, the temperature has dropped below freezing, and it looks like it will stay there for the next week.

On the negative side, we have lost about 90% of our snow base, and there is no significant snowfall in the forecast. Until we get a good snowfall, there will be no skiing here at Hockleycrest.

December 10 - No skiing today

 Trails are not in good enough condition to ski today, and probably not for the next several days. It looks like colder weather will return on Monday, but there is no significant snowfall in the long range forecast.

I will not make any further posts until I have some good news to report.

December 9 - warm weather ahead

 Day 9 of skiing this season.

The trails are still skiable here at Hockleycrest, but I don't know how much longer that will last. It's currently -1 here with a light snowfall. The new fallen snow is a bit sticky. The forecast high for today is +3, and the next 4 days will all be above freezing, with 2 days reaching +6. That will certainly do some damage to our base.

December 8 - nothing new

 Day 8 of skiing this season.

 Our conditions remain about the same. The snow on the trails is a bit thin, and it's icy in quite a few places. Temperature this morning is -7.

December 7 - waiting for more snow

 Day 7 of skiing this season.

It's possible to ski today, but conditions are only poor to fair. Quite a few trail sections are icy, and our snow cover is thin. I tried a bit of grooming yesterday, but it wasn't very effective, as there is just not enough snow to work with.

Weatherwise, the week ahead looks like a mixed bag, with temperatures above and below freezing, and a couple of days of mixed precipitation. If we can hold onto the base we have now, it should provide good support for the next snowfall, which might arrive next weekend.

December 6 - No change

 It's Day 6 of skiing this season.

Conditions remain about the same here. Trails are skiable, in fair condition, with a few icy spots and a few thin spots. We could use some additional snow, but it doesn't look like we're going to get any for a while. At least the temperature is now in a better range than a couple of days ago; it's currently -6 and should reach about -2 this afternoon.

December 5 - Skiable

 Day 5 of skiing this season.

It's possible to ski today, although conditions are only fair. We received a few cm of new snow yesterday, but we also had some melting, as the temperature reached +2 in the afternoon. This morning's temperature is -2, so the snow firmed up a bit overnight, and there is decent glide right now.

We've still not had a good hard freeze, so our base is wet, and there are a few thin spots.

December 4 - Not a ski day

 Ski conditions are poor this morning. This is not due to lack of snow, but rather, the temperature. It's currently 0, with light snow falling. This is a wet, sticky, packing snow that loves to accumulate on the bottom of your skis and totally prevent you from gliding.

The forecast predicts 2 to 4 cm of new snow accumulation, with a high of +1. Once the snowfall stops, and the temperature drops overnight, conditions should be better.

December 3 - holding on

 Day 4 of skiing this season.

Conditions remain about the same this morning, with a temperature of -2. We had a small amount of melting yesterday afternoon in the sun, but it only affected a few areas that were already thinly covered. With a predicted high of +1 under cloudy skies today, we should be able to hold onto most of our snow.

The weather forecast looking ahead for the next several days looks quite good: 2 to 4 cm of snow on Friday, daytime highs below freezing and overnight lows down to about -5. This should help us retain the snow we have, and hopefully freeze the wet base.

Skiing  is fair this morning.

December 2 - a little more snow

 Day 3 of skiing this season.

We picked up about 5 cm of additional snow since yesterday. Temperature is now -3, predicted to reach 0 later today. I will be grooming again this morning. I don't think we have enough base yet to set any track, so it will be rolled and combed only.

Skiing is fair to good.

Noon update: Most trails have been groomed again this morning, and a number of fallen trees and branches cleared. It's now sunny; a great looking day. The first photo below is our newest trail, #22 Plateau Extension, just built and opened this year. The second is the long, winding downhill on Mainline just north of #12.

December 1 - Snow has returned

 Day 2 of skiing this season. We've received between 10 and 15 cm of snow since yesterday afternoon, and it's still snowing. The forecast predicts an additional 10 to 15 cm will fall today and tonight. Because the precipitation started as rain, the base layer is very wet. I will make a first pass over the trails with the roller this morning, so that skis will ride on top of the snow rather than sinking down to the bottom.

11:30 a.m. update: The entire network, with a couple of tiny exceptions, has now been rolled for the first time. Snow continues to fall, and the temperature is just below freezing. There are a few thin spots, and a few areas where moisture is soaking through from the bottom. The worst spot for moisture is on Mainline between #1a and the north junction of #3. Hopefully, now that it's been packed, the wet area will freeze and be covered by the new snow.

Mainline trail in central area of network

November 26 - No skiing

 We've lost most of our snow. Definitely no skiing today. I will not post again until I have some good news to report.

November 25 - Not a ski day

 We've received a tiny bit of wet snow overnight, but the temperature has already risen to 0, and it will continue to climb to +5 today. The snow is changing over to rain. Skiing is not recommended today.

November 24 - skiing not recommended

 We had quite a bit of melting yesterday, and consequently there are lots of thin spots, even some bare spots. After yesterday's warmth, the temperature dropped below freezing overnight, so the remaining snow is crusty. I do not recommend skiing here today.

November 23 - first official day of skiing

 I've been out skiing this morning. We received about 12 cm of snow yesterday.  Because the ground is not yet frozen, the bottom layer of snow is quite wet. Skiing will be best early in the day, as the temperature is predicted to reach +3 this afternoon. However, it's going to drop to -5 overnight tonight, so we may still have skiing tomorrow.

The network will not be fully groomed today, but I may do a little bit of rolling in the central area.

November 22 - We're getting snow.

 Well folks, the weather forecast for today was pretty accurate. It began snowing about 10 a.m. and hasn't stopped since then. Currently (just after 4 p.m.) we have about 7 or 8 cm on the ground. It will probably be possible to ski first thing tomorrow morning. The predicted high for tomorrow is +3, so snow conditions will probably deteriorate quickly. I will not be grooming this snowfall, since it looks like the snow will be gone within a few days.

November 16 - Skiing draws closer

 Well naturally, that November 2 snow didn't last very long. It was gone within 2 days. However, the time is approaching when we will be able to get out on the trails and ski.

After yesterday's tremendous wind storm, I've spent the morning walking the trails and picking up branches and trees that have fallen on the trail. Most were small, but some will require a chainsaw to clear them.

While we are waiting for snow, I've been keeping busy levelling and correcting crossfall on some trail sections that had a distinct side-to-side slope.

Levelling of trail near 5 Sideroad

A couple of trees that will need to be cleared

Trail widening and crossfall correction

Tree to be cleared on Mainline near The Pasture

November 2 - First snowfall of the season

 We have our first snowfall of the 2020/2021 ski season. It started yesterday afternoon and continued overnight. We have about 5 cm of snow on the ground. It would be possible to ski this morning, but I would not recommend it. The ground below is not frozen, so this snow will melt from the bottom up. By Wednesday, it will all be gone.

Nevertheless, it's a good omen for the upcoming season.

October 21 - getting ready

 Well folks, we're into the latter part of October, and it may not be long until the snow is flying. I've been getting ready, by mowing grass, chopping down weeds, clearing fallen trees, correcting cross slopes on some trails, and building a couple of new trail sections.

The two major projects I've undertaken since last ski season are:

- a new trail link, about 200 metres in length, connecting the North Plateau trail to the Mainline trail, up at the north end of the network. This one will be called the Plateau Extension, and will give skiers a different way of exiting, or entering the North Plateau loop.

- a revised route for the Tamarack trail, near the south end, making it 30m longer, and adding a small hill for more interest and challenge.

Plateau Extension trail, May 2020

I will be putting up signage during the month of November, with a goal of having everything done by December 1. With Covid travel restrictions in place this year, I will not be travelling to any far-flung ski destinations, so I will be onsite and able to groom throughout the winter.

Let's hope we have lots of snow, and very little warm weather!

March 29 - signs down

Over the past few days, I've been taking down the ski trail signs. I believe I've got them all down now: total of 355. I usually find one or two more that I've missed, later on.
While walking the trails, I also look at things I want to do to improve conditions for next year. Things I've noted so far include: additional snow fence in one location; earth grading to level trail sections with a cross-slope; potential small reroutes on the Harmony and Tamarack trails.

March 25

Well, I think our ski season is finished for this year. The snow is gone, maple syrup season is done, and we've moved into the season of mud.
However, the work of maintaining our ski trails does not end. I've been taking advantage of social distancing to do some improvements that will hopefully benefit us all next winter. On the Black Cherry trail #23, today I did some pruning, limbing, and removal of trees to facilitate my own form of "flattening the curve". Specifically, by removing some branches and some entire trees, I will be able to straighten out some of the sharpest curves on the trail, so it will be easier to groom, and easier to ski with a smoother flowing diagonal stride.
This work also constitutes a form of forest management, as I select the appropriate treatment for various types of trees. Any ash tree that is growing close to the edge of the trail is removed, since it will likely die from the effects of the Emerald Ash Borer within the next 5 years. Wild apple trees near the trail are also being removed, as I have an over-abundance of them. The Black Cherry trees, after which the trail is named, are being retained but pruned to remove low, spreading branches that grow out into the trail. Multiple trunks on the cherries are also being removed, in order to concentrate all the energy into a single strong trunk. The apple and cherry twigs, which were up in the air, are now lying on the ground where they will feed the rabbits.

March 10 - No skiing

This might be the end of our skiing for this year. We've lost a lot of snow over the past 2 days. It's currently +7 and raining outside. There are numerous bare spots on our trails. Definitely no skiing today.
Whether there may be a resumption of skiing after a period of time remains to be seen. Occasionally, we will get a good sized snowstorm in late March or even early April, and this would enable us to ski again for another few days. We'll have to wait and see if that happens this year.
Ski trails are closed today, and until further notice. I will not be posting conditions again, unless there is some good news to report.

March 9 - beginning of the end

I skied a little bit this morning, but conditions are poor. Yesterday's warmth and sunshine took its toll on our trails. The melting continued overnight, as the low temperature was +6. We have lost a lot of snow; what remains is either slush, or ice.
Please don't ski here today.

March 8

Today is Day 74 of skiing this season.
The skiing is still tolerable on our trails this morning. I was surprised on my early-morning ski that, in spite of yesterday's warmth and sunshine, some of the snow is still quite soft and powdery. But there are also some icy sections too. With a predicted high of +8 and sunshine, the snow will definitely get soft and wet this afternoon.

March 7 - Hurry!

Today is Day 73 of skiing this season.
 Yesterday's snow flurry started about 9 a.m. and continued until about 6 p.m. As a result, we have 3 to 4 cm of soft powder on our trails, over a very firm base. The skiing is not bad. According to the forecast, the temperature will remain below freezing until about noon. If you can get here this morning, you could have a fairly nice ski, under sunny, blue skies. After lunch, I think the snow conditions will become more challenging.

March 6

Not a ski day.
Conditions are essentially the same today as yesterday: very icy this morning, possibly softening up this afternoon if the temperature gets high enough. The snowfall that was predicted for last night has not happened.

March 5

Once again today, I'm not going to call this a ski day.
After another warm afternoon, the temperature fell to -5 overnight, and consequently the trails are very icy this morning. The forecast high today is +2 with a mix of sun and cloud, so things might soften up this afternoon. Nevertheless, I would not recommend skiing today.
There is the possibility of snow tonight and tomorrow. We'll wait and see what happens.

March 4 - Don't ski

I skied this morning, but it was not fun. After yesterday's warmth and rain, it froze overnight, so the trails are very icy. With a predicted high of just +1, I don't think the icy crust is going to soften up much. Therefore, I'm going to say today is not a ski day.
The forecast calls for flurries with the potential of 2 cm of snow later today. If that happens, it could change things, but it cannot be depended on.

March 3

This is Day 72 of skiing this season.
It will be possible to ski today, but I would not recommend it. We are definitely into spring skiing conditions. After hitting +5 with some rain yesterday, the overnight temperature dropped to -2. The trails right now are icy and very fast. The snow will get softer and slower later on, as the temperature again goes up to about +4, with possible rain or drizzle. It doesn't look like a great day to go skiing.

March 2

Today is Day 71 of skiing this season.
The skiing first thing this morning is surprisingly not bad. Yesterday afternoon's warmth and sunshine did not do very much damage to the trails. Current temperature is +2, which is actually a good thing, because it means we do not have ice. I encountered a few glazed sections in the ski tracks, but generally the snow is still fairly soft and powdery.
The glide is slow, and will get slower as the temperature rises to +5, with some rain expected later.

March 1 - Nice!

Today is Day 70 of skiing this season. (Remarkable, considering that there was almost no skiing in January)
It looks like today could be a near-perfect ski day: clear skies, no wind, comfortable temperature, and perfect snow. The trails are groomed and in good shape. I did some touch-up grooming on a few drifted sections late yesterday afternoon.
The one problem with today will be the predicted temperature. Forecast high is +1, which will occur at about noon and throughout the afternoon. My suggestion would be to come as early as possible, and get your skiing done in the morning, when it's still below freezing.
UPDATE: If you haven't been out to ski yet today, then you've missed your best opportunity. The golden hour of perfect snow has passed, as the temperature has reached 0, and the snow is beginning to get sticky. You will also notice significant difference in glide between sunny places and shady ones.

Trail #10 Field and Forest, earlier this morning

February 29 - Good skiing

Today is day 69 of skiing this season.
The snowfall finally ended about 7 p.m. last night. Yesterday's squalls brought us about 15 cm of additional snow, on top of what we received Wednesday and Thursday. It's been hard keeping up with grooming, when it wouldn't stop snowing and the wind wouldn't stop blowing. Now, it's calm and cool out there  (current temperature -18).
I groomed northern and some central trails late yesterday afternoon, so those trails have a couple of centimeters of powder over a packed base, and will ski nicely today. I will groom the southern, and remaining central trails this morning. Once that's done, the skiing should be excellent today.

February 28 - wild and windy

Today is Day 68 of skiing this season.
Ski conditions remain about the same as yesterday; they range from fair to good, depending on where you are in the trail network. We have plenty of beautiful powder snow; the problem is that the wind has blown it around and deposited it in giant snow drifts in exposed locations. Much of the grooming I did yesterday cannot be seen. Setting tracks is a waste of time, because the tracks fill in with drifted snow within a very short time.
I will be out on the groomer again this morning, trying to bust through the drifts and re-establish trails that are at least visible.
We are also under a snow squall warning, and an additional 10 to 15 cm of snow is possible.
MID-MORNING UPDATE: I've been over most of the trails with the groomer again, and busted through some pretty big drifts, so things are improved. Having said that, the wind is still blowing (although not as hard as yesterday) and it's still snowing, so the grooming will not stay perfect for very long. Overall, conditions on the trails are good, with a few spots that are drifted in, and few places where all the snow has blown away.

February 27 - Afternoon update

I've just come in from skiing. Wow, what a wild day it is out there. I'm going to change my assessment of the ski conditions. They are Fair to Good. Although we have lots of beautiful, dry, powder snow, we also have very strong winds blowing that snow around and piling it up into big drifts. Much of the grooming I did this morning is unrecognizable. We have big drifts in all the usual places; but I'm also seeing big drifts in places where I've never seen them before. Until this wind stops blowing, I can't really make things any better.

February 27 - abundant snow

Today is Day 67 of skiing this season.
We received about 15 cm of snow over the past 24 hours, and it's still snowing lightly. Skiing will be very good, once this new powder has been groomed.
I did some initial grooming late yesterday afternoon, covering all the major trails from south to north. These trails will ski nicely this morning, with about 5 cm of new powder over the packed surface. I will be grooming everything again this morning.
The forecast says there will be strong winds from the west and northwest, so we may get squalls with additional snow, and there will be drifting. Even the trails that are groomed this morning may have drifted sections on them, which can't be helped.
Overall, ski conditions should be very good today.
MID-DAY UPDATE: all trails have been rolled and combed at least once. In addition, the central trails have been track-set. However, the wind is really blowing, and there is active drifting happening in many places on the trails, so in some cases the groomed trail will have disappeared. I was in virtual white-outs a couple of times this morning on the groomer. I had to stop for a moment, because I just couldn't see where I was going.
There is blowing, drifting snow on the roads in the area as well.

The Pasture trail, about 10 this morning

The hill on Mainline, just south of the Gazebo

February 26 - new snow coming

Today is Day 66 of skiing this season.
We have survived 3 days of very warm weather and still have a good snow base on our trails. New snow has now begun to fall, and is expected to continue all day and tonight. Ski conditions are already improved, with just a couple of centimeters of new snow over the old hard-packed base. Things should continue to get better as the day progresses. The forecasts suggest we will probably receive a total of about 20 cm. Assuming that happens, then I will begin grooming when the snow depth reaches about 10 cm, so that we get good compaction of the new snow, in two passes.
Driving conditions will not be good today; perhaps it's best to wait until tomorrow to come skiing.

February 25 - changes are coming

Today is Day 65 of skiing this season.
The story is much the same today as yesterday; it's possible to ski, but right now skiing is not very good. Another warm day yesterday, with freezing temperatures this morning, leaves us with icy conditions. We did receive about 1 cm of new snow overnight, which softens the surface a little, but it's not enough to make a significant difference.
Tomorrow, however, may be a different story. Depending on which forecast you look at, we should receive somewhere between 7 and 20 cm of new snow Wednesday, running into Thursday, accompanied by much cooler temperatures. If that happens, then we should have much better skiing from Thursday through the weekend.

February 24

This is Day 64 of skiing this season.
It is possible to ski this morning, but I would not recommend it. The temperature reached +7 yesterday afternoon, and  it's now -1, so our trails are very icy. The "snow" will soften up later today, as the temperature again climbs to above freezing. Right now, I'd rate the skiing as Poor - 2 out of 10.

February 23 - springlike

Today is Day 63 of skiing this season.
Although it's not officially spring, it looks like we have spring skiing today and tomorrow. Personally, I'm not a big fan of spring skiing. Typically, it will be fast and icy in the mornings, slow and slushy in the afternoons. That's what you can expect here today; not great skiing but tolerable.
On the bright side, I managed to tap all my maple trees yesterday, and we had some sap flowing.
The forecast suggests we will have a return to more wintery conditions with some new snow around the middle of the week. Let's hope it's correct.

Sap buckets along Trail #3

February 22

This is Day 62 of skiing this season.
Our ski conditions are only Fair today. Trails are firmly packed and icy, as a result of last Tuesday's warm temperatures and rain. We have not had enough new snow to fully recover. Today is not a day for beginner skiers; only very good skiers should tackle the trails today.
We have some very warm weather coming in over the next few days. I will probably be tapping my maple trees today, as I expect the sap will be flowing by Monday.

February 21

Today is Day 61 of skiing this season.
Although we received a couple of centimeters of new snow yesterday, conditions on the trails remain icy. In my update yesterday, I think I was a bit generous in rating the skiing at 6, on a scale from 1 to 10. Having skied yesterday afternoon and again this morning, I think it should only be a 5 out of 10.
At the moment it's rather cold outside, with temperature of -11 and some wind. We have another period of warm temperatures coming in over the weekend, with a return of colder weather and the prospect of some new snow the middle of next week.

February 20

Today is day 60 of skiing this season.
Conditions are fair again today on our trails. We have loose granular snow on top of a firmly packed base.(In other words, its rather icy).
While grooming yesterday, I noticed that a number of people had been walking on the ski trails, throughout the network. This does not help me to maintain good, safe conditions for skiers. I realize I am probably preaching to the wrong audience, but I will issue a reminder anyway: THE TRAILS IN THIS NETWORK ARE PREDOMINANTLY FOR SKIING ONLY. The main Bruce Trail (blazed with white rectangular markers), the Bruce Trail side trails (marked with blue rectangular blazes) and Peter's Path snowshoe trail are the only trails on which walking is permitted. So, if you are one of the people who has been walking on ski trails, please stop, and limit yourself to the walking trails.
UPDATE: We had a persistent snow flurry from 7:30 until 9:30 this morning, bringing us about 2 cm of new snow. I've been out and reset the tracks on several of the flatter trails in the central area, and these are now skiing very nicely. Consequently, I'm going to upgrade my assessment of the ski conditions. I'd now say they are Fair To Good; on a scale of 1 to 10, I would say about 6.

February 19 - recovering

Today is Day 59 of skiing this season.
After yesterday's warmth and rain, followed by a return to freezing temperatures, the trails are definitely icy today. I would rate conditions as Fair. Yesterday's weather event began with a few centimeters of snow, and where that snow was not disturbed (packed) by skiers or walkers, there is still a bit of softness to it. Trails that are relatively flat are not bad, but the bigger hills will be exciting today.
I will take the groomer out and try to improve the surface conditions, but I can't promise much.
The weather forecast for today and tomorrow is promising flurries and maybe even some squalls. If that happens, then the skiing could improve significantly.
UPDATE: Trails in the south and central areas have been graded to loosen and level the surface snow. There will be no set track, but hopefully the result is a relatively flat surface with loose granular snow over a firm base. Still fast, but I think more manageable than before the grading, and it will be a good base for future snowfalls. I will do the same to the northern trails this afternoon.
UPDATE #2: All trails have now been graded.  In addition, we're beginning to get some new snow. All of this helps to improve our skiing.

February 18 - watching the weather

Today is Day 58 of skiing this season, but with a caveat.
Right now, with the temperature sitting at -2, skiing is quite nice on the trails. We've had about 3 cm of new snow overnight. However, if the weather forecast is correct, it will soon be above 0 with a chance of rain, mixed with snow. If that happens, ski conditions will deteriorate rapidly, and it would really be better for the trails if nobody skied them.
Things should freeze up again as a cold front moves through late this afternoon. Only then will I be able to assess what damage has been done to the trail surface, and do some corrective grooming.

February 17 - Family Day

Today is Day 57 of skiing this season.
Skiing should be good again today. The temperature is a comfortable -8 right now, expected to rise to -2 this afternoon under a mix of sun and cloud.
The central trails that were track-set yesterday are holding up well. Other trails, which were groomed either Friday or Saturday, still have a reasonably good surface, with a few drifted spots, and lots of ski tracks from yesterday's traffic. Yesterday afternoon, the temperature rose to just above freezing for a couple of hours, so you may find the trail surface slightly icy in places.
I will not be grooming today, as I have a volunteer commitment at Mono Nordic Ski Club, over at Monora Park, all day long.
We're in for a messy mix of precipitation over the next 36 hours, including snow, and possibly rain or freezing drizzle, with high temperature Tuesday forecast at +2. We will have to wait and see what effect it has on our skiing, after it cools down again on Wednesday.

February 16 - still good

Today is Day 56 of skiing this season.
Trail conditions remain very good. We received a small snowfall last night - approximately 2 cm. The snow was accompanied by some wind, so portions of some trails are a bit drifted in. Nevertheless, the skiing is very nice this morning, with excellent glide. I may do some touch-up grooming later on, to re-establish the set tracks.
Current temperature -2. Expected high -1.
Update: I've now re-set the tracks on trails in the central area.

February 15

This is Day 55 of skiing this season.
With more comfortable temperatures and good snow, this should be a great ski day. Temperature this morning is -12, forecast to reach -4. The trails are in good condition, all having been groomed over the past 2 days. I will do a small amount of grooming in the north end this morning, to tidy up some wind-blown, drifted areas.
Some new snowfall is expected to come in this afternoon and evening; current estimates say 2 to 4 cm.

Trail #3, yesterday afternoon

Late morning update: drifted trails in open areas at the north end were groomed again this morning. However, there is still active drifting taking place (it's definitely breezy out there) so they will probably drift in again.

February 14 - a cool start

Today is Day 54 of skiing this season.
It's very cold outside this morning: -24 on my thermometer when I went out to ski. But our ski conditions are very good. Yesterday's snowfall of about 7 cm was just what the doctor ordered. Our central trails were combed and track-set late yesterday morning and are still skiing very nicely. The northern trails were rolled and combed in the late afternoon, just as the snowfall was ending, and they turned out really nice. I will be doing the southern trails later this morning, and then they should be excellent too.
At temperatures like this, the glide is quite slow, and you really need to take care dressing in layers. I would suggest waiting until about noon. By then, it will be quite a bit warmer, and skiing will be better.

Northfield Circuit yesterday afternoon

Mid-day update: southern trails have been groomed, as well as new track-setting on a couple of central trails. Temperature has warmed up to -10, and skiing is excellent.

February 13 - some new snow

This is Day 53 of skiing this season.
We've received about 2 cm of new snow overnight, and it's continuing to snow lightly. Trail conditions are very good this morning, with a layer of soft powder over a packed base. It's a very comfortable -3 outside right now, but temperatures are going to drop during the day, with wind picking up this afternoon.
I will not groom the trails until the snow more-or-less stops, and I see how much total accumulation there is. If it's less than 5 cm, I may not groom at all.
LATE MORNING UPDATE: Snow continues to fall at a moderate rate. The snow was getting deep enough that the groomed tracks were getting filled in and hard to see, so I've gone out and reset tracks in the central area.
Late Afternoon Update: Snowfall continued until about 4 p.m. and the total accumulation was about 7 cm. I groomed all the northern trails just as the snow was ending, and the result was spectacular. This snow groomed up beautifully, just firm enough, with a nice soft top, good grip, great glide and perfect control. It doesn't get much better than this.

February 12

Today is Day 52 of skiing this season.
Skiing conditions continue good on our trails today. Current temperature is -5, with a forecast high of 0, so skiing will probably be better in the morning than after noon. The trail surface is firmly packed. The forecast calls for some new snow tonight, so hopefully that will give the trails a slightly softer, more forgiving feel.

Trail #19, yesterday afternoon

February 11 - That's better

Today is Day 51 of skiing this season.
With the current temperature sitting at -3, skiing is good on our trails this morning. The trails that I groomed yesterday are firm, but with just a touch of softness on the surface. I will go out this morning and pack the rest of the trails, and set some track in the central area.
The forecast high is 0, so things might get sticky later on.

The view over the groomer - Mainline trail this morning

February 10 - from the sublime to the ridiculous

I'm going to change my assessment of today's conditions. It is possible to ski today, so this is Day 50 of skiing this season.
Yesterday's conditions were near perfect, but not today.
We received about 8 cm of new snow overnight, and normally that would be good news. However, this snow is a pretty sticky packing snow, and very difficult to ski on. I went out to ski this morning, and gave up after 10 minutes. The snow was just sticking to the bottom of my skis in giant clumps.
It would be excellent for making a snowman, but it's terrible stuff to ski on.
Nevertheless,  I went out to shovel off the front porch and noticed that the snow was more powdery than I initially thought. So, I took out the groomer and gave it a try, and the result was not bad. I did not groom everything, but did do all the major trails, with roller and snow comb.
The result is there is a relatively flat packed surface, which at the moment is rather moist. When cooler temperatures return tonight, it will probably get a little bit crunchy. At least it will be flat, and will provide a good base for future snowfalls.

February 9 - Nice!

Day 49 of skiing this season.
Today looks like it's going to be a perfect ski day. We received 10 cm of new snow Thursday/Friday, and a tiny bit more overnight. Current temperature is -8, with a forecast high of -2.
Trails in the central area were groomed last night, and the rest will be done this morning. Conditions are very good right now.
Mid-morning update: All trails have now been rolled and combed. If I have time, I will do some track-setting later today. Skiing is very good.

February 8 - much better!

Day 48 of skiing this season.
We received about 10 cm of new snow over the past couple of days, so skiing conditions are much improved. I've been off-site, and just returned this afternoon, so the trails still need some grooming. I've rolled and packed trails in the central area, and will do the rest of the network tomorrow morning. Once this new snow is packed, conditions will be good.

February 6

Day 46 of skiing this season.
We are supposed to get some snow today and tomorrow. Forecast says about 5 cm; time will tell if it's enough to bring our ski conditions back to where they were a couple of weeks ago. In the meantime, things remain about the same - poor to fair with ice. I have a busy couple of days ahead, and won't be able to groom until probably Sunday.

February 4

Day 44 of skiing this season.
After hitting a high of +3 yesterday, it looks like we will have one more mild day today, with a high of +1. Consequently, our trail conditions remain about the same - poor to fair.
Some good cool temperatures should arrive tomorrow, followed by some snow on Thursday. If that happens as predicted, then we might be back into some good skiing for the weekend.

February 3 - another mild day

Day 43 of skiing this season.
Yesterday's light snowfall was welcome, but followed by mixed precipitation and above-freezing temperatures, so it did not result in much improvement to the skiing conditions. Today is going to be quite warm: it's 0 now and may go up as high as +4. We won't see a real cooling trend until Wednesday. It looks like we may get a real snowfall Thursday/Friday.
So, for today, skiing is still only fair, with ice just below the surface and extreme caution required on the downhills.

February 2 - another slight improvement

Day 42 of skiing this season.
Some persistent flurries yesterday brought us another 1 or 2 cm of snow. Conditions on the trails are slightly better as a result. I would rate things as Fair today. Relatively level trail sections are skiing nicely with the new powder over a firm base; downhills are still very challenging because of ice.
The next couple of days will be critical; today's forecast calls for mixed precipitation (snow, rain, freezing drizzle) at a temperature near the freezing point. Monday's forecast says it will be warmer, possibly as high as +4. That could do serious damage to our trails.

February 1 - a tiny improvement

Day 41 of skiing this season.
We had some persistent flurries yesterday afternoon and evening, resulting in about 1 cm of new snow accumulation. Consequently, there is a slight improvement in our skiing conditions. The icy crust is still not far below the surface, and the steeper hills are very challenging. Extreme caution is still required on downhills.
A bit more snow is called for in tomorrow's forecast, but Monday looks to be a warm day, so whatever we gain may be lost.

January 31 - still icy

Day 40 of skiing this season.
Trail conditions remain poor to fair, as we have not had any new snow since last weekend's melt and re-freeze. Downhill sections should be skied with extreme caution. Only expert skiers should tackle the trails under these conditions.

January 30 - more of the same

Today is Day 39 of skiing.
I'm getting tired of writing the same thing every day. Please read yesterday's post; nothing has changed.

January 29 - more of the same

This is Day 38 of skiing this season.
Conditions on the trails remain the same as they have been for the past couple of days: poor to fair. It is possible to ski, but not enjoyable because the trails are very icy. Extreme caution should be used on downhill sections. It's very difficult to control speed and direction.
One bright spot is that the temperature is trending cooler - closer to where it should be at this time of year. The next significant snowfall in the forecast is next Tuesday and Wednesday. We will have to wait and see if it materializes. Until then, trail conditions will remain very challenging.

January 28 - still in the doldrums

Today is Day 37 of skiing this season.
Conditions remain the same on our trails. It's possible to ski, but not much fun because of the ice. I would rate the conditions as Poor to Fair.  It's not too bad on the level sections, but downhill sections are especially challenging (scary).
I do NOT recommend skiing here today.

January 27 - be cautious

I'm going to say today is a skiable day, so it's Day 36 of skiing this season.
I've been out skiing this morning, and it's possible, though not good. We received about 1 cm of new snow yesterday and overnight; just enough to create a tiny soft cushion between your skis and the icy crust below. Adding to the challenge is the fact that the temperature is currently -1 and is predicted to hit 0 later today, so waxing will be difficult and glide will probably not be good.
Conditions are difficult, and skiing here today should only be attempted by expert skiers.
I will try some grooming later this morning, to see if I can make things any better.

January 26 - We're closed.

Today is not a ski day. Yesterday's predicted snowfall did not happen. Instead, we had rain with a temperature of about +2 most of the day. Overnight, the temperature has dropped to just below 0, and the snow has frozen into an icy crust.
My grooming equipment is not able to deal with ice. The trails will be dangerous today, so please do not come here skiing.
If we can get a minimum of 7 or 8 cm of new snow, then what we have on the ground now will make an excellent firm base. But until that happens, ski conditions are going to be poor.

January 25 - Not a ski day

Today is not a day for skiing.
I skied a little bit first thing this morning, but it was not enjoyable. There was rain, and the temperature remained above freezing overnight. Current temperature is +1, with some light drizzle. The snow pack has softened and settled and is now tending toward slush.  It would be better for the trails if skiers stayed off them today. Please don't come skiing, until temperatures have dropped and we've had some new snow.

January 24 - not too bad

Today is Day 35 of skiing.
Conditions here first thing this morning are not bad, considering that our temperature went up to +2 yesterday afternoon. We're currently sitting at -3, and the snow surface is surprisingly soft. It's not quite powder, but it's also not the icy crust that I was expecting. The forecast high for today is 0. Skiing will be best this morning, before the temperature hits the freezing point.

January 23 - things may be changing

Today is Day 34 of skiing.
Ski conditions remain very good here this morning. However, the weather forecast is not favourable for skiing over the next few days, as temperatures are predicted to rise above freezing starting today. Environment Canada shows highs of +2, with the possibility of rain Friday night, and wet snow Saturday. The Weather Network is a little more palatable (from a skiing perspective), as they show highs of 0, no rain, and 5 to 10 cm of snow Saturday. Both are indicating a slight drop in temperatures starting Sunday. All we can do is wait and see what happens.
This morning, I will be freshening up some of the grooming in the south end. One area near the sugar shack on the Tai Chi property got a bit messed up by their tractor, so I'll be trying to remedy that.
If you plan on skiing today, I suggest you come as early as possible, to get here before the temperature reaches 0. It's currently -4.
Mid-morning Update: I've cleaned up the grooming on a number of the southern trails, pruned a few low-hanging trees, and reset tracks in several areas. I also have a confession to make: I've been saying that all trails were groomed, but in fact one trail #8 Get Down was not done. Now it is. I also pruned a couple of low-hanging branches on that one. Conditions are very good right now, but I can't guarantee the future.

January 22 - still nice

Today is Day 33 of skiing this season.
Conditions remain good on our trails. It looks like today will be the last day of good temperatures from a skiing perspective, as some milder air will move in tomorrow and over the weekend. The snow may get a little moist and sticky, as the high temperature reaches +1 for several days in a row.
There are a few drifted spots on our trails, mainly on the open fields at the north end. I will take the groomer over these today to re-establish a packed snow surface.

After noon update: drifted areas at the north end have been re-packed, and some tracks reset in the central area.

Trail #3 after resetting tracks. Walking area to the left.

January 21 - nice again

Today is Day 32 of skiing this season.
 Conditions remain very good on our trails. I did a little touch-up grooming yesterday, and added some more track. The wet spot at the far north end of Mainline, near Airport Road, is still wet in spite of my efforts to cover it with snow, so watch for it if you're up that way.
Today should be an excellent ski day; currently -8, forecast high -5. There is a little bit of light flurry activity right now.

January 20 - Nice!

Today is Day 31 of skiing this season.
It's -15 outside this morning. Skiing conditions are very good. There was a dusting of fresh snow overnight. All trails were groomed yesterday. I will be doing a bit of "touch-up" grooming today, refreshing a few areas and re-setting tracks. There is one tiny fly in the ointment: at the very north end of the Mainline trail, just as it reaches Airport Road, there is a persistent wet spot. Hopefully, with the cold temperature this morning, it will have frozen. I will go up there with a snow shovel and throw some powder snow on top.
Enjoy these great conditions while you can; we don't know how long they will last.

January 19 - Finally real snow!

Today is Day 30 of skiing this season.
Yesterday's snowfall did not disappoint; between 15 and 20 cm of nice, fluffy powder. Right now, we have excellent back-country conditions. Trails that I packed yesterday afternoon (which was most of the network) are skiing nicely with about 8 cm of powder on top of a firm base. I will be out to groom again as soon as there is enough daylight.
The temperature is comfortable, at -5, and is forecast to drop to -8 this afternoon. The skiing will be very good today.
  Update 10:20 a.m. South end and central trails have been groomed, including some track-setting, mostly in the central area. North end trails will be packed soon.

Afternoon update: All trails have been groomed today. I've been out skiing to assess the conditions, and they are excellent. It doesn't get much better than this. Today is a near-perfect ski day; nice comfortable temperature, and packed powder snow. The temperature is at the perfect point where your skis have good grip and great glide. You can get up some nice speed on the downhills, but the packed powder surface allows you to control speed effortlessly.
The weather forecast looks great for the next few days, so these great conditions should continue until at least Thursday.

January 18 - Ready and waiting

Today is Day 29 of skiing this season.
We are ready and waiting for the snowfall. The weather office is predicting 15 to 20 cm of snow for our area. Hopefully they will be correct this time.
I will begin grooming when the snow depth has reached about 10 cm. in order to stay ahead of it, and to achieve better compaction. Trails will probably require 2 passes of the groomer.
Afternoon Update: We have snow! It's been snowing since about 9 this morning, and is still snowing fairly hard. So far, we've gotten about 10 cm. This afternoon, I packed most of the trails. The only ones not done are #14, #19, #21 and #23. Everything else has had at least one pass of the roller. Next grooming will be after the snowfall stops, probably tomorrow morning.

January 17 - finally, winter

Today is Day 28 of skiing this season.
After about 3 weeks when the temperature barely went below freezing, colder temperatures have arrived.  It's -18 outside this morning, but with no wind it doesn't feel too bad.
We received another 1 to 2 cm of snow yesterday and overnight, so there's a slightly softer surface over the ice. There is still not enough snow to make grooming practical; however, it looks like that is going to change tomorrow. All the forecasts are predicting a snowfall in the range of 10 to 20 cm.  It's about time!
If you come skiing today, make sure to dress for the cold, and be aware that there may still be a few tree branches on the trails. Debris continues to fall, as a result of last Saturday's ice storm.

January 16 - slight improvement

Today is Day 27 of skiing this season.
Last night's snowfall was a disappointment; it was supposed to be 5 cm but has only amounted to 1 or 2 cm. Nevertheless, ski conditions are a little better as a result, with the surface now covered by a soft powder layer. The situation is also improved with regard to ice storm damage; above-freezing temperatures yesterday afternoon allowed ice to melt off of some trees (although much still remains), and I cleared fallen debris from trails, for the second time. Broken branches continue to fall, so be prepared for possible obstructions.
Today's forecast calls for dropping temperatures, and possible snow squall activity.

January 15 - more of the same

Not much has changed on our trails since yesterday. I guess I have to count yesterday as a "skiable" day, since I saw one skier on the trails, and she said it wasn't too bad. So that means yesterday was Day 25 of skiing this season, and today is Day 26.
It got a bit mild yesterday afternoon and overnight, so the snow got a bit moist. Ice is beginning to fall off the trees and shower the ground with little nuggets. It's possible to ski on this, but it's not the soft powder that you might like to have. There are newly fallen branches on some of the trails I've already cleared; I will be out later to remove these. Trail #5 has some wet areas; best to avoid it until we get more snow.
On that subject, the forecast says we will get 5 cm of snow  tonight, and a more significant snowfall on Saturday. Let's hope it proves to be correct.

January 14 - cleanup continues

Three days after the ice storm, and we are still cleaning up fallen trees and limbs. Yesterday, I completed all the north end and most of the south. Only Gazebo #2 and a small portion of Around the Pines #7 remain uncleared. However, this does not guarantee a clear trail, as new debris is continuing to fall.
Skiing is possible, but snow cover is very thin (about 3 cm over the ice) and conditions are not good.
Mid-day update: all trails have now been cleared at least once, but there could be newly fallen debris anywhere. Also a reminder that trail #5 West Side Story has a number of wet spots. These are currently frozen over, but if the temperature rises above freezing, as predicted, then the wet surface may return, and skis could ice up as a result. Probably best to avoid #5 until we have more snow cover.

January 13 - In clean-up mode

We are recovering from Saturday's ice storm. The power is back on, after an outage of about 18 hours. All the trees are still heavily laden with ice. I have cleared debris from some of the trails, but not all. I will be out today, trying to clear the rest.
It's snowing lightly here now, and it would be possible to ski, but I would not recommend it yet.
Mid-day update: I've cleared debris from all trails in the central and northern parts of the network. The south end remains to be done, this afternoon or tomorrow.

January 12 - good news, bad news

The good news is that the freezing rain has ended, it is now snowing lightly, and there is a small amount of new snow on top of the ice: about 2 to 3 cm. It probably would be possible to ski on this.
BUT, here's the bad news: there are numerous tree branches and limbs down on the trails, and many more hanging down low into the trails. I haven't been around the whole network yet, to see how bad things are, but I expect it will take me a couple of days to have everything cleared. In addition, there are a few spots that are flooded from all the rain we got before the temperature dropped. Once again, I haven't been able to do a complete assessment, but I'm pretty sure that the SW corner of trail #5, between # 6 and #3, will be wet.
Current temperature is -8, and the forecast for the week ahead looks pretty good, so after we clear away this mess, we might actually have some decent skiing.

January 11 - Yuck!

It's raining outside. This afternoon, it's expected to change to freezing rain. No skiing again today.

January 10 - no skiing, again

The temperature rose to +4 overnight, and we have already lost much of the little snow we had. No skiing today.

January 9

Our conditions remain much the same. The snow cover is very thin; trails are skiable, but just barely. Rock skis recommended.
The weather system coming in on the weekend does not look favourable for skiing.

January 8 - little change

This is day 23 of skiable conditions. Not much has changed since yesterday. The high yesterday was a bit above 0, so there was a tiny bit of snow loss, but we received a little new snow overnight, so conditions are about the same; not good, but tolerable. Rock skis recommended.

January 7 - a little more snow

We had some pretty persistent flurries yesterday, especially in the late afternoon/early evening, and that brought us 1 to 2 cm of additional snow. It's now possible to ski here, although the snow cover is very thin. Conditions are not good, but are tolerable. Rock skis are recommended.
This is day 22 of skiable conditions this season.

January 6 - a little snow

We received about 3 cm of snow overnight. It would be possible to ski, but conditions are not good. I would not recommend skiing here today.

January 4

No change. No skiing again today.

January 3 - too warm

Yesterday's high temperature reached +4, and the overnight temperature was +2. Consequently, we've lost most of our snow. Another day without skiing.
It looks like things may improve over the next few days.

January 2

There has been no change here. Skiing conditions are poor.

January 1, 2020 - Happy New Year

Yesterday's snowfall left us with about 3 to 4 cm of snow on the ground; not enough to ski on, but a step in the right direction. The forecast says we will have a couple more days of mild temperatures before a return to seasonable cool weather.