Conditions remain the same on our trails: about 1 cm of ice on the bottom, with about 1 cm of powder snow on top. This is not enough to ski on, but should make a decent base when we finally get a real snowfall.
The forecast is still calling for snow on the evening of New Year's Day, and again on Wednesday. Let's hope it's right.
There has been no real change in our ski conditions. Yesterday was mild (+1) with a little drizzle. So ski conditions remain poor.
I'm looking ahead at 2 potentially significant snowfalls: one Saturday night, and another next Thursday. If these turn out as currently predicted, then we could be skiing again in a few days.
From a skier's perspective, things are not looking good. We got a little bit of new snow last night, but less than 1 cm. I tried a short ski outing this morning, and conditions are poor. There is plenty of ice just below the light coating of powder snow.
Looking ahead at the weather forecast, I see mild temperatures continuing over the next 4 days. So there's not likely to be any improvement until after the New Year.
Our snowfall yesterday amounted to only about 2 cm of snow: not enough to restore skiable conditions on our trails.
Trails will remain closed until we get more snow.
We have not received any new snow yet, and consequently trails remain unskiable. The forecast calls for 5 cm of snow today; however, it is to be followed by some freezing rain or drizzle. It is impossible to predict what conditions will be like after that.
Over the past 2 days, we've lost most of our snow. What remains is an icy crust, with many bare spots. So, no skiing again today.
We are expecting some snow tomorrow. Depending on which forecast you look at, there might be as much as 5 cm. If that happens, then we might be back in business. Only time will tell.
As I write this, I've just come in from a short ski, the temperature is +1 and it's raining. Today is not going to be a ski day. You would be better off to stay home and eat turkey.
It's going to remain warm, with possible rain or drizzle, for the rest of the day. We will definitely lose some of our meagre snow base as a result.
The skiing was quite nice yesterday, and we received about 2 cm of new snow last night. That's the good news.
The bad news is that this is not likely to last. Our temperature is forecast to rise to +3 today, and continue rising to +6 by tomorrow morning, with chance of rain.
So, if you want to get in a final ski before Santa drops in tonight, I suggest you get here as early as you can this morning, before the temperature reaches 0. I will not be grooming today.
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| Mainline yesterday, near #12 |
We received about 4 cm of new snow yesterday. I groomed the central trails last night, and even managed to put in a shallow track. I will pack the southern and northern portions of the network this morning.
So, conditions have improved a bit, but our snow coverage is still thin. Rock skis are recommended. Ski with caution, especially on the more difficult hills. Rocks and tree roots are lurking just below the snow surface.
Today looks like a nice day to ski, with current temperature -9 and a predicted high of -3. Things are not looking so good for tomorrow and Saturday: above-freezing temperatures and chance of rain.
11 a.m. Update: all trails have now been packed with the roller and comb. Here are a couple of photos I took while grooming.
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| Trail #18 Roller Coaster |
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| View from the Grooming machine - trail #12 |
Yesterday's high temperature was again around the freezing mark, but we didn't lose much snow. This morning, we have a little bit of new snow to compensate for any losses of the past 2 days.
The forecast says we will have more flurries today, with the possibility of squalls this afternoon and evening, and possibly up to 5 cm of new snow. Let's hope it's correct.
Our trails are still skiable on thin snow cover. I won't be doing any grooming until we have more snow to work with.
Conditions on our trails remain about the same: thin but tolerable. Yesterday's high temperature was +1, but there was no noticeable snow loss. Today's predicted high is 0 (currently sitting at -2)
All trails were packed, either yesterday or the day before. There is not much more I can do until we get more snow. And it looks like we may get some tomorrow.
If you come, bring your old rock skis, and ski with caution.
Today, hopefully, we'll be holding on to the little bit of snow we have.
Yesterday's skiing was not bad, and I was pleased to see lots of ski tracks on the trails. Unfortunately, lots of stupid, inconsiderate walkers also came yesterday. These people are unable to read and follow simple instructions, such as "Walk on Left; Ski on Right", or "Skiers Only; No Walking". Consequently some of our ski trails have quite a few boot prints on them.
This morning, I will pack the northern trails that were not done yesterday.
The temperature rose overnight, from a low of -12 about 9 p.m. last night, to a current reading of -5. The predicted high for today is +1, so skiing will be best first thing this morning, before the snow starts to get wet and sticky.
Remember to wear your rock skis and to ski with caution, as our snow coverage is thin.
Yesterday's snowfall amounted to about 9 cm, which is just enough to ski on. I have packed all trails in the central area, and will do the south end this morning. The temperature is nice; currently -7.
This is early season skiing; the coverage is thin in many places. Rocks and tree roots are just below the surface. Rock skis are recommended.
9:30 update: I've packed the southern trails and part of the north. There is no grooming north of the north junction of #1 and #3. The hills on Mainline going down to the bridge between #1a and #3, where we have issues with water and rocks, are very thin. Ski with caution.
Here's a photo from the Pasture trail #9.
After Thursday's +15 temperature and winds gusting to 83 km/h, things have settled down, and we currently have a temperature of -3. Snow is predicted for later today; they are saying 2 to 4 cm, but we can hope for more.
I will let you know when our trails are skiable.
I haven't posted anything lately, because there has been very little to report. We have had continuous mild weather, and there is no snow on the ground.
Last Saturday night, there was a powerful wind storm, which knocked down numerous trees. Since then, I've cleared 11 fallen trees from our trails.
Today is very mild (currently +10) and again windy. Our best hope for snow comes on Saturday, when 5 cm is predicted. After that, it looks like we may get an extended period of colder temperatures.
DO THE SNOW DANCE!
The little bit of snow we've had on the ground over the past few days is about to disappear. The temperature right now is 0 and it's likely to be +10 by this time tomorrow, accompanied by rain.
We will have to wait a bit longer before we have good skiing.
We received about 5 cm of snow last night. It's a beginning, but not really enough to ski on. Looking ahead in the forecast, we have 3 warm days coming, starting on Friday night, so I don't think this snow is going to last.
Our weather today is a bit like being on a roller coaster. We started out yesterday at a temperature of -3, and in the afternoon and early evening we received close to 10 cm of snow. However, by 8 p.m. last night, the temperature was above 0 and the snow had changed to rain. Temperatures rose to +6 overnight, and about half the snow has melted. We expect the melting to continue until about 4 p.m. today, when a cold front will come through with strong winds, and more snow. Accumulations might be significant by tomorrow morning.
We might be skiing tomorrow; we'll have to wait and see!
We have lost almost all our snow. Our current temperature is +4 and it's going to continue warm all day.
There will be no skiing until we get a significant snowfall.
Today does not look like a ski day. We lost a bit of snow yesterday, as the temperature reached +1 and there was some melting from the bottom up, as the ground is still unfrozen beneath the snow.
The forecast high for today is +4, so conditions will only get worse.
Day 2 of skiing this season.
We have essentially the same amount of snow as yesterday. Because the ground is not frozen beneath the snow, there was some settling of the snowpack yesterday, but this has been replaced by a little bit of new snow this morning.
Skiing is possible, but coverage is thin, especially in conifer plantations. I would suggest using old skis and staying away from the more challenging trails where rocks and roots are not far below the surface. For example, Mainline trail in the north end, between #1a and #3 is not very good.
Mid-day update: our temperature has reached 0. Snow is now wet, packing, and very sticky. I do not recommend skiing this afternoon.
If you are really keen to get out skiing and you have some old rock skis, then it would be possible to give it a try today.
We are receiving our first measurable snowfall of the season this morning. We have 2 to 3 cm at the moment. It's not enough to ski on, so please don't come to ski. But we're definitely heading in the right direction.
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| Trail #5 at noon today |
The ski season is getting closer! We've had a few light snow flurries, with a small accumulation on the ground, although it has melted later in the day.
About 95% of the signage is now up on the trails. Some of the signs have to wait until December 1, when we officially close a portion of the Bruce Trail and open the winter alternate route and snowshoe trail.
We now have our revised map for the coming season; laminated versions will be going up soon at 12 "You are here" locations throughout the network.
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| New sign advising walkers to stay off the ski trail |
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| Small plywood bridge on Trail #3 |
On the Pasture trail #9, a dead ash tree fell over a year ago, but got hung up in a big maple and did not fall all the way to the ground. I've been watching it, waiting for it to fall all the way to the ground. It was suspended, directly over the trail, at the gateway that leads from the pasture into the forest. Finally, in the past few days, it came the rest of the way down.
On a beautiful autumn afternoon with a temperature near 20, I went out and cleared the debris.
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| After the clean-up |
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| before the clean-up |
One of the things we do in the fall to get ready for skiing is to whack the weeds on trails that have not been maintained over the summer. This afternoon, I cleared the Plateau Extension and part of North Plateau.
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| Plateau Extension near its junction with Mainline |
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| Near the middle of Plateau Extension, after whacking the weeds |
Our work continues as we prepare for the upcoming ski season. This fallen pine tree was cleared from trail #12, near its north junction with the Mainline trail.
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| Before |
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| After |
Work continues as we prepare for the upcoming ski season. Every year, in the off-season, I try to make a few improvements to the trails, which will make for safer and more pleasant skiing. Yesterday, I tackled a small area near the north end of the network, where there were a couple of deep depressions in the trail surface, separated by a tree stump and associated roots. This area generally fills in with drifted snow as the season progresses, but in the early part of the season, it can be a bit tricky. I moved earth from the side of the trail to fill in the low spots.
The photo doesn't show the result very well, because of deep shade and bright patches of sunshine.
Remember those fallen trees that I posted photos of a few days ago? Well, now they have been cleared.
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| Entrance to trail #25, Easy Does It, at the junction of #3 and #5 |
The new trail, which will be number 25 and will be named "Easy Does It", will be parallel to and just west of trail #4. Although it will be only 150m long, it will be an important addition to our network, because it is very flat and easy to ski, so it will provide a nice gentle connection from the easy trails in the south (such as #7) to the easy trails in the central area, such as #3, #5, #6, #19, #21, and #23.
Although we only ski on these trails in the winter, things happen on them all year round. Three more fallen trees to be cleared: all on the North Plateau trail.
There is an old riddle that goes something like this: if a tree falls in the forest and there is nobody there to hear it, does it make a sound?
I think it does, but regardless of the answer to that question, a tree that falls on a ski trail definitely makes a mess, and creates a barrier that needs to be removed.
That's what I did this morning, clearing a fallen dead ash tree from the boardwalk on the Hockleycrest trail. It's all part of the process of getting ready for ski season.
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| After the clean-up |
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| Before the clean-up |
It's September, and summer is almost finished. So it's time to begin preparing our trails for the winter. Today, a very generous friend brought his Bobcat over and regraded a couple of places on the trails, where there was a slope across the trail from one side to the other. Hopefully, this will make for better grooming and better skiing once the snow arrives.
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| Levelling out a section of the Hockleycrest trail |
We've had an extended period of very mild weather. Looking ahead in the long range forecast, it doesn't look like there is a significant snowfall headed our way, so it appears our ski season has come to an end.
It was a good year, skiing-wise. We had 77 days of skiable conditions, which is 3 more than last year. The number of people who came out to enjoy the trails was certainly much higher than a year ago.
I want to thank those of you who made donations toward the upkeep of the trails. My operating costs for the groomer were about $500 ($300 for fuel and $200 for maintenance). I am going to spend about $400 on new signage for next year. Any donation money left over after these expenses are paid will be given to the Bruce Trail Conservancy to acquire more land to expand and improve the Trail.
Plans for next season include:
- more aggressive pruning and limbing of spruce and pine trees to allow snow to penetrate through the canopy to the trail surface;
- widening of one very narrow spot in the spruce plantation on trail #23 (this has already been done);
- some levelling of trail sections where there is a cross-slope on the trail;
- improved signage to keep walkers off the ski trails.
I am also going to explore possibilities with one additional landowner to see if we might be able to have a new trail that would enable skiers to avoid one of the most difficult hills in the southern part of the trail network. This is a "long shot", but if successful, it would make the trails much more accessible to beginner level skiers.
PLEASE NOTE: ONCE THE SKI TRAILS AND SNOWSHOW TRAIL ARE CLOSED FOR THE SEASON, THEY ARE CLOSED TO ALL USERS. THESE TRAILS ARE NOT OPEN FOR WALKING IN THE SUMMER.
I will begin taking down ski trail signage, as time permits, over the next couple of weeks.
We have received no new snow, so our trails remain closed.
I am going to stop making daily posts, until conditions change. If we get a major snowfall which allows us to re-open, then I will post it.
The forecast is calling for snow this morning, but I haven't seen any yet. Our trails are closed again today, due to lack of snow.
At a temperature of -11 this morning, it's certainly cold enough for skiing. But we have no snow. Trails remain closed.
Our trails remain closed, due to lack of snow. The photo below is an example.
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| Black Cherry trail #23, at 6:30 this morning |
We have lost almost all our snow. It would be impossible to ski here today.
Today is not a ski day.
We have lost a huge amount of snow since yesterday morning. I don't believe I've ever seen so much snow disappear in one day. Yesterday's high was +14, and the temperature only dropped to +10 overnight, so the melting continued. With a forecast high today of +16, things will not get better.
There are now numerous thin spots and bare spots on our trails. Other places, where the snow was packed very hard, are now glare ice.
Consequently, trails are closed.
Whether this is the end of our season remains to be seen. It is not unusual to have a significant snowfall in later March, or even early April, so it is possible we may get one or two more days of skiing in. However, for the foreseeable future, there will be no skiing here.
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| Trail #3, about 6:30 this morning |
Day 77 of skiing this season.
Yesterday afternoon, we had what I consider to be good spring skiing; trail surfaces were predominantly soft and controllable, but not too slow. Shady spots were still a little bit icy. I expect it will be about the same again today.
But timing is everything! Don't come too early. Right now, with the temperature sitting at 0, the trails are very icy and fast. You will need to wait until late morning or early afternoon for the trails to soften up again. We are expecting sunny skies with a high of +12, so it should be very pleasant out on the trails this afternoon, if you enjoy spring skiing.
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| Yesterday afternoon - the uphill climb to the lookout point on North Plateau |
Day 76 of skiing this season.
With a current temperature of 0, the trails are icy and fast right now. But as the temperature rises to +9 under sunshine, trails will soften up. This afternoon, it will be slow and slushy.
We still have adequate snow cover on all our trails, but as the spring-like weather continues, you may begin to see a few thin spots. This is the reality of spring skiing.
Late afternoon update: this afternoon, we have what I consider to be good spring skiing. Trails in sunny areas were soft and manageable, without being excessively slow. Trails in shaded areas were still a touch icy, but tolerable.
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| Trail #12, on the downhill section in the open field |
Day 75 of skiing this season.
This morning, conditions are still very icy and fast, so trails will remain closed. However, our temperature is going to rise to +7 later on, so trail surfaces should soften up and slow down. I plan to open the trails at about noon.
Conditions will still be challenging. Only very good skiers should come here today.
We have seen no improvement over yesterday's conditions. Trails are very icy, and not skiable.
We went to bed last night with a snow squall warning in effect, but woke up this morning to find we had received virtually no new snow: perhaps a half centimeter. This is not enough to make our trails skiable. Trail surfaces are still very icy and dangerous.
Trails are closed again today.
We still have plenty of snow on the ground, but after so many freeze-thaw cycles it has been transformed into ice. Trails are very icy and dangerous, so they remain closed today.
There is a chance that things may get better for tomorrow. Snow squalls are forecast for this area tonight and on Saturday morning. These could bring significant new snow accumulation. But snow squalls can be very localized and very unpredictable. We will have to wait and see what things look like tomorrow morning.
With warm temperatures and sunshine yesterday afternoon, it was possible to ski for a few hours. But that was yesterday. This morning we are back below freezing, and it will remain there all day. The result is that trails are once again very icy and dangerous.
Trails are closed today, and based on the forecast, they will probably remain closed until Monday.
Our trails are closed again today, due to extremely icy conditions. If the temperature reaches the forecast high of +5, then it may become possible to ski this afternoon.
I will post an update around noon.
UPDATE: It's now warm enough and sunny enough that the icy surface of the trails has partly melted and softened up. It would now be possible to ski - spring conditions.
Our trails are closed again today. Although we had some snow flurries yesterday, there was no measurable accumulation, so trail surfaces remain very icy.
Please do NOT ski here today.
After yesterday's warmth and rain, the temperature has again dropped below freezing, and will remain there throughout the day. Our trails are extremely icy; attempting to ski under these conditions would be dangerous.
Ski trails are closed today. I will be putting up a Trails Closed sign at the entrance on 5 Sideroad within the next hour. Please do not come here to ski today.
Day 71 of skiing this season.
It's possible to ski today, but it may not be a whole lot of fun. Currently, at a temperature of -1, trail surfaces are frozen, icy, and very fast. As the temperature warms up to +6, trails will begin to melt, got softer and much slower. This afternoon, there is a chance of rain showers, and maybe even a thunder storm. Perhaps not the best day to go skiing.
Day 70 of skiing this season.
We received about 2 cm of new snow overnight. As of right now, with the temperature at -1, skiing is not bad; better than yesterday in fact. But conditions are going to be very changeable today. Precipitation is continuing, but has begun to transition toward rain. There may be some periods of ice pellets or freezing rain mixed in. The temperature is supposed to top out at +3, so it may get quite slow and sticky this afternoon. This is the reality of spring skiing.
Speaking of spring, I tapped my maple trees yesterday, and immediately had sap flowing. If you do come skiing over the next couple of weeks, you may notice the buckets along Trail #3 and #5.
7:10 a.m. Update: I just looked out the window, and big, fat, fluffy snowflakes are coming down. When this finishes, there will definitely be more than 2 cm of new snow on the trails.
Conditions on the trails remain essentially the same as they were yesterday: very icy and fast. So, at least for this morning, I'm going to keep the trails closed, out of concern for skiers' safety.
However, if the forecast is correct, then by noon the temperature will be above freezing under sunny skies, and trail surfaces will probably start to melt and soften up. If this happens, then it may be possible to ski this afternoon.
1 p.m. Update: I've taken down the Trails Closed sign at the entrance, and we will now count this as Day 69 of skiing for this season. The sunshine and above-freezing temperature have softened the trail surface sufficiently that it's now skiable. Caution is still required on hills.
We're expecting some snow overnight and into tomorrow morning, which may or may not be a good thing. By tomorrow morning, the temperature will be near or above 0, so the new snow may be very slow and sticky. Time will tell.
This is the first day that's not skiable in about 6 weeks.
I've been out on skis this morning, and trails are very, very icy. Trying to ski any kind of hill under these conditions would be very dangerous, so I am closing the trails for today.
I will go out with the Piranha and try to scarify the surface and create some soft powder there, but I cannot guarantee the result will be skiable. There is a chance of some flurries later today; even a couple of cm of new snow would make a huge difference.
I will post an update here after I've groomed.
10:30 a.m. Update: I've been over the southern and central trails with the Piranha, making 2 passes on most sections and even 3 passes on a few. In my opinion, the trails are still not skiable. I've put up a Trails Closed sign at the entrance on 5 Sideroad. Please do not come skiing today.
It's a nice day to go for a walk (but NOT on the ski trails please!)
Day 68 of skiing this season.
Ski conditions are poor to fair again today. Right now, at a temperature of -1, trails are icy and very fast (i.e. dangerous). Later today, as the temperature rises to about +5, trail surfaces will become soft, wet and slow.
There will be no grooming today, as snow conditions are not suitable.
I do not recommend skiing here today.
Colder weather returns tonight. Hopefully, I can get out tomorrow morning and create some decent ski conditions for Thursday and Friday.
Day 67 of skiing this season.
I'm hesitant to call this a ski day. We have plenty of snow, but conditions are only poor to fair. The problem is temperature: yesterday afternoon, we reached +3 as wet snow continued to fall. Right now, it's -1 so the snow surface is frozen and icy. Very fast. Our temperature is set to rise to +4 again today, with wet snow mixed with rain. So, by mid-morning, we will be skiing in slush.
I will not be grooming today, as the snow temperature is not suitable.
I would not recommend skiing here today.
Day 66 of skiing this season.
We've received 3 to 4 cm of snow overnight, and it's still snowing fairly hard, on a moderate wind from the south. This is expected to continue until about noon. The temperature is forecast to rise to the freezing mark by mid-morning.
Skiing right now is good, on an ungroomed surface of new-fallen snow. I will start grooming about 8 a.m., and hope to get most of the network done before it warms up. One of the rules of grooming is that it's not a good idea to pack snow at temperatures above freezing.
10:15 a.m. Update: The snowfall has just about ended, and the temperature is just reaching 0. I managed to groom almost all trails with the roller and comb. No track-setting today. Only the NE portion of trail #17 was not done. Trails are in good condition, but the warmer snow will probably be sticky on the bottom of skis today.
Now we wait and see what the next 2 days bring: some more snow, maybe some rain, temperatures a little above 0 are predicted.
4:30 p.m. The snow has become very moist and packing. It would be better, both for you and for the trails, if you did NOT come skiing under these conditions.
Day 65 of skiing this season.
Skiing will be good again today, but not quite as good as yesterday. The trails were very busy yesterday, with both skiers and hikers. So, the more popular trails are trampled and starting to get hard packed. The bigger hills are getting scraped off from people snowplowing. In addition, we have come to that time of the season when the sun is getting much stronger, so that even if the air temperature is -4, you may begin to see some melting snow in sunny areas, especially south-facing slopes. By late afternoon yesterday, the tracks were getting noticeably glazed.
I will be out on the groomer starting about 8 a.m. trying to clean things up as best I can.
10:30 a.m. Update: most trails in the south and north areas have been touched up with the roller/comb. Central trails that are track-set were mostly left as-is; only a couple of these were re-set.
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| Hill leading to the viewpoint on North Plateau, after grooming |
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| The Pasture after one pass of the roller/comb (I made a second pass after taking the photo) |
Day 64 of skiing this season.
Skiing is very good again today. Yesterday's grooming is still in good shape, so I'm not going to groom today. There is nothing I can do to improve on this. We had a persistent snow flurry yesterday, that lasted through the afternoon; so you will find one or two centimetres of soft powder on trail surfaces. This is not detrimental; it may even be beneficial.
The weather is also co-operating. It's currently -8, with a predicted high of -5 with light winds.
Noon hour update: we got an unexpected bonus this morning: brilliant sunshine!
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| Trail #10 - Field and Forest |
Day 63 of skiing this season.
We've received a couple of centimetres of new snow overnight, and snow is still falling. It looks like the snowfall may continue until about 11 a.m.
I will be grooming the entire network this morning, but I am going to wait until about 9 a.m.to start, so that most of the new snowfall will have finished. Skiing will be very good today, even if there is a small amount of new powder over the groomed surface. This new snow seems to be a bit slow on the glide, which will be good news to those of you who find some of the downhills a bit too fast.
Temperature is comfortable for skiing: currently -9, heading for a high of about -4, with light winds.
There is some warmer weather on the horizon: above-freezing temperatures forecast for next Monday and Tuesday. Skiing conditions may begin to deteriorate as a result, so if you want to experience really nice, powder skiing, I suggest you get out on the trails before Monday.
Noon Update: The snow continued to fall at a moderate rate all morning, and is just now tapering off as the sun comes out. Total accumulation from this event was about 5 cm. All trails have been packed, and central trails have been track-set as well. Some that were done earlier (mainly the southern ones) will have 1 or 2 cm of soft powder on the surface.
Photo below shows trail #3, in a section where it is shared with hikers. The wide, packed corduroy surface on the left is to encourage hikers to walk there, rather than on the ski track.
Day 62 of skiing this season.
Skiing will be very good again today. I will do a little bit of tidying up with the groomer on some of the more heavily used trails this morning.
Good temperatures for skiing, and more snow heading our way tonight.
10 a.m. Update: About half the southern trails, and a couple in the northern section have been cleaned up with the groomer.
TRAIL ROUTING NOTICE: THIS MORNING, I'VE PUT UP SIGNS ON TRAIL #1, BETWEEN #16 AND #3, MAKING IT ONE-WAY NORTHBOUND. This is to avoid the problem of northbound skiers heading down a challenging hill and encountering skiers climbing up the hill. I also put up 2 signs indicating that the return route to the parking area is via Trail #4, which is One-Way southbound.
Day 61 of skiing this season.
The skiing will be very good today. Yesterday's abundant snow has all been groomed, and very few skiers (or walkers) were on the trails yesterday. I did a final pass with the roller/comb about 3:30 yesterday afternoon, on some of the trails in the north end, where there had been considerable drifting.
I will not be grooming today; I really can't make it any better than it is right now.
The weather is also quite nice: currently -11, with predicted high of -5, and there is no wind at the moment.
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| Trail #5 |
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| Trail #3 Hockleycrest, this morning |
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| Trail #19 Stone Hedge, yesterday |
Last night's snowfall was a bit of a disappointment, bringing us only about 1 cm up till now. However, it is still snowing, and the forecast says it will continue until about noon. A much heavier snowfall is predicted for tonight, extending into tomorrow morning.
Skiing conditions on our trails are good. I will probably not groom today. Yesterday's groomed surface, with a few cm of fresh powder on top, should be very pleasant to ski on. The temperature is also comfortable, currently -9.
Day 58 of skiing this season.
We received about 4 cm of new snow last night. Ski conditions should be very good today. I will do a light grooming this morning. It's currently -15, but with the possibility of some sunshine and a high of about -5, it looks like it could be a near perfect ski day.
The weather forecast says there will be more snow tomorrow - maybe a significant amount.
11 a.m. Update: Trails have been groomed, and skiing is very good.
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| Mainline trail near Harmony |
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| Westside Story trail |
Day 57 of skiing this season.
The temperature is -17 this morning, and it's not expected to go above -13 today. We're hoping for some snow later today, most likely this afternoon and evening.
Conditions on the trails range from fair to good today. Some trails have gotten quite hard packed, especially the most heavily used ones at the south end. I will be grooming with the Piranha this morning, trying to soften up the trail surfaces.
10:30 a.m. Update: All southern trails and most of the north end have been scarified with the Piranha.
The photo below is of trail #22, Plateau Extension. It was taken Thursday afternoon, but looks about the same today (minus the sunshine).
Day 56 of skiing this season.
Conditions remain good on the trails. I will be doing some grooming with the Piranha on the faster hills in the south end today, to loosen up the surface snow.
It's cold today; currently -17, with a forecast high of -10.
It looks like we may get some snow tomorrow, possibly about 5 cm. Let's hope the forecast is right, because we could use a bit of fresh powder to soften up trail surfaces.
Day 55 of skiing this season.
The skiing conditions continue to be good on the trails. Some of the bigger hills are getting a bit scraped off by skiers doing snowplow, so they are fast. I will do some work with the Piranha this morning to soften up surfaces on some of the northern trails.
It's currently -12, with a forecast high of -7, sunshine and light winds.
10:30 a.m. Update: all the northern trails have been scarified with the Piranha, and should ski very nicely today.
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| Mainline trail |
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| North Plateau |
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| Trail #10 Field and Forest, noon today |
Day 53 of skiing this season.
The forecast 2 cm snowfall overnight was a bit of a disappointment. Instead, we received a very light dusting of perhaps half a cm. Still, it's enough to provide some softness on the surface of the trails.
The skiing conditions are good on our trails. Yesterday's grooming was reasonably effective at softening up the hard packed surfaces, and there was not a lot of skier traffic, so things have remained pretty much the same. I don't plan on grooming today.
Again, it's a bit cool at a temperature of -12, but there is no wind. I very much prefer this kind of weather to what we had earlier in the winter, when I got up every morning wondering if it would be above or below freezing. The forecast looking ahead looks good, with a chance of a significant snowfall on the weekend.
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| The "humpity bumps", part of the Roller Coaster trail, yesterday during grooming |
Day 52 of skiing this season.
Skiing is good again today, but not quite as good as a couple of days ago. Heavy skier traffic over the weekend has packed the snow hard on the busier trails. I will be out later this morning, trying to loosen it up a bit.
It's cool this morning, at -14, but there is no wind so it doesn't feel too bad.
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| Yesterday afternoon, on trail #19 |
Day 51 of skiing this season.
We received a couple of cm of new snow overnight. There was also quite a bit of drifting snow yesterday, so many of the trails will need to be cleaned up this morning. I will be doing a light grooming, starting about 8 a.m. The forecast says there will be wind again today, but right now it's pretty calm outside. It's a bit cool: currently -10, with a forecast high of -8.
Skiing should be very good again today.
Update: all major trails have been cleaned up and major drifted areas rectified (for the moment). Track has been reset in the central area. We do have a bit of wind, so there will be some drifting again today, in the open field areas.
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| Trail #12 this morning. |
Day 50 of skiing this season.
When I got up this morning, I expected that I would be doing some touch-up grooming to tidy up drifted trail sections, after yesterday's strong winds. That all changed when I went out the back door and discovered there has been a general snowfall overnight, of 2 or 3 cm. This is a very nice, dry, powder snow with good glide characteristics.
I will be starting a complete grooming of the entire network about 8 this morning. Once that is finished, ski conditions will be very good. Two things to keep in mind: first, it is cool today (currently -11) with a forecast high of -8; and second, we still have some wind (sustained 30 km/h with gusts to 50) so there will be drifting on some trail sections, even after grooming.
11 a.m. update: All major trails have been packed, and central trails have been track-set. We still have snow flurry activity here, and lots of blowing drifting snow, so some trails will be covered by new snow. Nevertheless, the skiing is very good.
Within 5 minutes after grooming was done, the Black Cherry trail was walked on by a bunch of ignorant walkers, destroying the beautiful track that had just been laid. If you are skiing here and see walkers on a ski-only trail (which is almost all the trails) please speak to them and ask them to stay on walking trails.
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| Black Cherry trail #23, shortly after grooming, damaged by thoughtless walkers. |
Day 49 of skiing this season.
We received a bit of new snow overnight and it's still snowing. Looks like it will amount to about 5 cm when it's all done. The temperature is very close to 0 at the moment, so the snow is a bit slow and sticky. That should improve as the temperature drops during the day. The wind is also blowing quite hard, currently from the southwest, but that will swing around to the northwest later.
I will be grooming this morning, with one of the goals being to hold this snow in place so it doesn't blow away.
This snowfall wasn't as big as we were hoping for, but it's just enough to provide a soft packed powder on top of our base. Skiing should be good by this afternoon.
10 a.m. UPDATE: I've packed all the southern trails, and Mainline all the way up to the north end, plus one pass on the Pasture. I will complete more trails later today. However, it is a wild day out there. The temperature has dropped to -5, the wind is howling, the snow is blowing, and there is still some snow falling. Some of the trails will drift in within a few minutes after being groomed. Driving conditions are probably not great either.
2 p.m. Update: all trails have been packed, with track-setting on most of the central trails. Skiing is generally very good. However, snow is drifting onto some of the trails. Nothing can be done about this until the wind stops blowing.
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| Trail #5 after track-setting |
Day 48 of skiing this season.
Conditions on our trails range from fair to good this morning. Trail surfaces are hard packed in places. The temperature is going to rise to +3 this afternoon, under sunshine, so the snow will get softer and slower.
Colder air returns tonight, and with it, some new snow. A snowfall of 5 to 10 cm is expected over the next 36 hours.
I will be doing some grooming with the Piranha this morning, mainly in the central section of the network.
Day 47 of skiing this season.
Conditions on the trails continue to range from fair to good. Snow coverage is good; the only problem is that the trail surfaces have become hard packed and fast. The grooming I did yesterday had some benefit in softening the surface and creating some loose powder on top.
I will not be grooming today.
We are looking forward to some new snow after a brief warm spell tomorrow.
Here is a little information about grooming equipment. Yesterday, I mentioned a groomer that I call the Piranha. I put it together about 2 weeks ago, when we had very little snow and lots of ice. The goal was to build something that could dig into the hard icy surface and scratch up some soft, fine-grained powder on top. It started with a frame, made with an old pair of skis that I found in somebody's garbage. Mounted within this frame is a hinged, weighted flap covered with galvanized steel, through which the tips of 105 concrete nails protrude.(This is the origin of the nickname Piranha) These nails stick out about 2 cm, are very sharp, and very rigid (i.e. they don't bend). Thus far, I've been pleased with the results when I use it. A small track-setter can also be attached behind it.
It's not perfect, but it's certainly better than doing nothing.
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| The underside of the hinged, weighted flap |
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| Overall view of the Piranha |