Feb. 28 - skiing still OK

 We received 2 or 3 cm of new snow in flurries yesterday, but also experienced a lot of drifting from strong north winds. As a result, the snow is not evenly distributed; in some spots it's deep, while in other places it's thin.

Overall, conditions are between Fair and Good. I will do some touch-up grooming later today, to see if I can improve the surface condition.

It's cold right now (-18), but should warm up to -5 with sunshine later on.

MIDDAY UPDATE: I have tried some grooming with the light snow comb (I don't want to compact the snow further by taking the roller over it), and I set some shallow tracks on trails in the central section. I think this made a slight improvement, but not enough to warrant going over the entire network again.

Feb. 27 - Continuing Fair to Good

 Conditions on the trails continue much the same as yesterday: generally good, but with a few thin and icy spots. We've had a tiny bit of new snow overnight and flurries are expected to continue, with possibly up to 2 cm accumulation. If that happens, it would be beneficial.

No grooming today, as I really don't have enough snow to work with; no tracks are set.

Feb. 26 - Nice conditions

 Yesterday's 10 cm snowfall was just enough to restore good ski conditions on the trails. The grooming I did around midday yesterday is still looking quite good in most places. There was some snow drifting on the open fields near the north end yesterday afternoon; I will do a small amount of grooming this morning to touch up these areas.

There are a few thin spots where you will feel the old icy crust just below the surface.

Trail #25 is closed for the rest of the season.

Plateau Extension yesterday afternoon

UPDATE: The drifted-in trails and bigger hills in the north end have been regroomed this morning. The sky has also clouded over and we're getting a few light snow flurries. This will be beneficial to the trails, not because the flurries will produce any new snow accumulation, but because the clouds will prevent the sun from eating away at our snow. We've reached the time of year (almost March) when the sunshine is becoming much stronger. Even when the air temperature is below 0, the warmth of the sun on exposed snow can cause melting.

Feb. 25 - A little new snow

 So far, the predicted snowfall has been a bit of a disappointment; we've received only 2 or 3 cm of new snow. This makes conditions slightly better, so trails are again skiable, but not great. The snowfall is continuing, and according to forecasts we may get up to 5 cm more this morning.

I will groom only after the snowfall ends, and only if there is sufficient snow to make it worthwhile.

Right now, ski conditions are poor to fair.

The southwest corner of trail #5 is still closed due to flooding between #23 and #6. Trail #25 is also closed and will remain closed for the rest of the season.

 UPDATE: Soon after I made my initial post this morning, the snowfall intensity increased, and it has snowed fairly heavily for about 2 hours. We now have about 10 cm of new powder snow. I will be starting to groom soon, to pack down and hold this snow in place.

One other piece of good news: the flooded section on trail #5 has now frozen solidly enough that it's possible to groom and ski over it. This section is now re-opened.

Ski conditions are upgraded to Fair to Good. You will still find some thin spots and you will still feel the ice under the new powder, but things are much improved over yesterday.

UPDATE #2: Trails are now rolled and combed and for the most part, conditions are good. It's a beauty day, with sunshine and temperature of -9.

The big hill, on Mainline near the south end.

Feb. 24 - Trails still closed

 Our ski trails are still closed, due to very icy conditions.

I will try some grooming today with the Piranha, to try to pulverize some of that ice and level out the humps and bumps. I'm hoping that this will be covered by some new snow tonight and tomorrow morning; they are predicting 7 to 9 cm of snow. Let's hope we get at least that much.

Trails Closed

 As expected, after yesterday's warmth and rain, the temperature has dropped and trail surfaces have turned to ice. Do not attempt skiing under these conditions.

Trails are closed until we get some new snow. This might happen Thursday night and Friday, as a potentially significant snowfall is in the forecast.

Feb. 22 - Not a ski day

After yesterday's warmth, the temperature dropped to -3 overnight, so conditions on the trails right now are very icy. This will not last for long, however, as we are expecting very warm temperatures again today, with significant rainfall.

Skiing under these conditions will not only be unpleasant, but it will damage the remaining snow base; so I ask that you NOT come to ski today.

A change in the weather

 After reaching a high of +3 late yesterday, the temperature has dropped to -1 this morning. So, early today, you will find the trails a bit icy and fast. By late this morning, we will be above freezing again, and the snow will soften up and become slower. The expected high today is +5.

The high winds over the weekend have left many of the trails drifted in. With the current snow conditions, I cannot groom effectively, so things will remain as they are. Skiing will be only fair today.

The southwest corner of trail #5 is still closed due to flooding, between #23 and #6.

Feb. 20 - clean up

 We received some additional snow yesterday through squalls, but the big story was the wind. Powerful gusts from the northwest stripped away powder snow from some areas, and piled it up into deep drifts in others.

I will be out grooming again this morning, tidying up the trails generally and crashing through some of those big drifts. Skiing will be generally very good, although you will find a few icy spots in exposed areas where the newer snow has been blown away.

Some more strong winds are expected today, but from the southwest. Some milder weather is moving in and the temperature may reach the freezing point late this afternoon. Skiing will be best in the late morning and early afternoon.

UPDATE: I've been over most of the trails with the light snow comb, and raked out big drifts wherever I found them. Some of these areas will drift in again, as the wind is still blowing. I set track on several trails in the central area, and it went in very nicely in most cases. (However some of this will get drifted in too.)

There is still a flooded section at the southwest corner of trail #5, so it's closed between #23 and #6.

Trail #10, Field and Forest

Feb. 19 - More snow

 We received another snowfall of close to 10 cm overnight. More flurries and blowing snow are forecast for the remainder of today.

I will begin grooming right after breakfast, but some areas will undoubtedly get drifted in again due to the strong west winds.

The southwest corner of trail #5 remains closed between #6 and #23, due to flooding. Trail closed signs are in place; please do not try to ski through this section. Otherwise, skiing should be good today, although it will be variable because of wind and drifting.

UPDATE: The forecast said "flurries, at times heavy" and they weren't kidding. although I would characterize these flurries as "blizzards". We're now under a snow squall warning and receiving regular intervals of heavy snow on winds gusting to 72 km/hr.

If you can get here, you will find pretty good ski conditions. I've rolled/packed all the trails so there is a firm base under variable amounts of new powder. I did not bother to set any tracks, because they would disappear within 5 minutes.

Temperature is -10, with a wind chill of -21, so dress accordingly.

Feb. 18 - New Snow

 We've survived the brief thaw, and we have new snow to cover the old icy crust. The general accumulation of new powder appears to be about 10 cm - not quite as much as was forecast, but enough to get us back to skiing again. Snow depth is variable because of the wind; there are places that are drifted quite deep, and other places where all the new snow is blown away, down to the old crust.

I will be starting grooming soon, and I think after that's done we will have generally good ski conditions. There was a lot of water lying around yesterday, so there are a couple of spots I need to check to see if they are still wet.

Current temperature is -12, with predicted high of -6.

UPDATE: Trails are groomed, and for the most part the skiing will be very good. There are a few spots where the wind has blown all the new snow away, leaving just the crusty old snow. Also a few spots in the north end where the groomed trail is being drifted in.

There is one significant problem to report: the southwest corner of Trail #5 Westside (between #6 Central Park and #23 Black Cherry) is flooded, so I have closed it. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SKI THROUGH THIS SECTION.

Mainline trail in the central area

Northern portion of #5 Westside

Feb. 17 - Poor conditions right now

 We are part way through the "melt-down". It's still +4 outside, raining a bit, and the snow has been changed to slush. Yesterday morning, we had 30 cm of snow on the ground; today we have only 20 cm.

Trails are closed today.

If the forecast is correct, then the temperature will drop to 0 by late this morning, and continue dropping, and snowfall will begin. Most of the snow will come overnight tonight. With luck, we will have 15 to 20 cm of new snow tomorrow morning.

Feb. 16 - Crazy weather

Ski conditions right now remain the same as they have been over the past several days: we have plenty of snow, but trail surfaces are icy. That is all about to change, due to a weather system that will pass through later today and overnight.

By mid-morning, the temperature will be above freezing, and by tonight it will be around +7. Significant rainfall is also expected overnight. This will definitely result in some snow loss.

After that, we're expecting a snowfall, possibly in the range of 10 to 20 cm, so if we're lucky, we may end up with better conditions than we started out with. But we won't know that until Friday.

In the meantime, I would ask that skiers stay off the trails during the time that the temperature is above freezing, so that we can preserve as much of the base as possible.

Feb. 15 - Still icy

 Ski conditions remain about the same today; we've had a light dusting of new snow, but not enough to make a difference in the icy trail conditions.

Skiing is fair on the flatter trails, but hills are challenging when the snow is this crusty.

It looks like we might get a significant snowfall on Thursday, after Wednesday's warm spell.

Feb. 14 - icy and cold - again

 Our conditions remain the same as yesterday: the trails are still icy, and it's cold outside. Current temperature is -20, hoping to warm up to -11.

Skiing will be tricky again today; hills should be skied with extreme caution, or avoided altogether. I don't see any improvement coming until perhaps Thursday, when we are supposed to get 5 cm of new snow.

Feb. 13 - Cold and icy

 It's a cool morning out there: -22 as I write this. Skiing is basically the same as yesterday; it's definitely on the icy side. Crunchy, granular snow with not much "give" to it. Conditions are tolerable on the flatter areas, but larger hills should be skied with extreme caution, or avoided altogether.

I won't be grooming today, as there is nothing more I can do with this snow. It's just not workable.

Feb. 12 - Icy

 It snowed for the entire day yesterday, but with almost no accumulation. Much of the snow came while the temperature was above 0, and it melted on contact with the ground.

The temperature has now fallen to -4, and the result is icy conditions on the trails. I will go out with the Piranha later this morning and try to pulverize the icy crust, but it will not produce packed powder conditions. Skiing will be tricky today.

UPDATE: I've been over the entire network with the Piranha (some sections more than once). The one skier that I met while grooming told me that this had been beneficial; the groomed sections were easier to ski on, with better control, than those that hadn't been done yet. So this is the best I can do with the equipment I have. Skiing is fair.

Temperature is dropping (as predicted); it's now -10.

Feb. 11 - a mixed bag of weather

 In spite of my efforts yesterday, the trails are definitely a bit icy this morning. I would rate the skiing as "fair" right now.

We are expecting some snow later this morning, which might help to improve the skiing. However, that is to be followed by a brief warming trend this afternoon and evening, when wet snow, rain or drizzle might also occur. We will have to wait and see what the conditions are like after all that is done.

MID MORNING UPDATE: It's been snowing here since about 7:30 this morning, and skiing is improved as a result. However, the conditions are extremely variable, depending on how the wind has deposited the snow, and the amount of tree canopy overhead. Some places are very soft and powdery; others are still quite icy.

I expect that conditions will continue to change throughout the day, as the temperature rises, and the snow may transition to rain or drizzle.

Feb. 10 - Tricky conditions

 Yesterday's high temperature was +4 with sunshine, so the snow definitely started to melt. We've dropped to -1 now, so that snow has re-frozen into an icy, granular texture. We're now getting some flurries of new, wet snow which tends to be slow and sticky. Result: difficult conditions for skiing.

The forecast says today's temperature will just reach 0 and then begin to fall this afternoon, with flurries continuing; so things might improve late in the day, but it's impossible to know for sure.

UPDATE, 5 P.M. Our temperature did indeed drop this afternoon. Once it was clearly below 0, I got out with the Piranha and scarified most of the trails. This broke up the icy crust and left a small amount of loose snow on the surface. So the skiing right now is slightly improved, and we have a better base for the snow that will hopefully come tomorrow.

Feb. 9 - Mild weather

 Today is the first of 3 days of mild weather which will definitely affect the ski conditions. Although skiing is good right now, by mid morning our temperature will be up to 0 and snow will become sticky and difficult.

The forecast includes the possibility of rain, freezing drizzle and light snow, as the temperature hovers just above the freezing mark.

Today is probably not a good day to come skiing.

Feb. 8 - We got lucky!

 The temperature yesterday got up to just below 0, but did not go above. Consequently, our snow remains powdery, and has not become icy. Skiing is good today on most trails, and the temperature is very comfortable.

A few trail sections have become hard-packed from heavy skier traffic. I will be going out this morning with the piranha to loosen up the surfaces, especially on the larger hills.

UPDATE: I've gone over about half the network with the piranha, and I think the skiing is improved as a result.. We're getting drifting on some trails in open areas, especially #17 Northfield Circuit. I've been over these with the groomer, but they may drift in again. Otherwise, skiing is quite good.

Trail #17, after treatment with the Piranha

Feb. 7 - Good skiing this morning

 With a current temperature of -5, ski conditions are still good on our trails. As usual, after the heavy traffic of a weekend, trail surfaces are a little bit "beaten up", but not bad.

We will have to watch the temperature. The forecast has been revised so that it's showing milder weather this week. It might reach 0 this afternoon, and perhaps as high as +3 on Wednesday. If that happens, then there will be a deterioration of ski conditions, as the snow transforms to an icy granular texture.

Feb. 6 - Very good skiing

 Those of you who read my last post know that I was away for a few days, so no grooming was done since Wednesday's snowfall. I arrived back late yesterday afternoon, and started immediately to groom the 15 cm of powder on the trails. All the central area was rolled and combed. I will be grooming again this morning, starting with the southern section, and then moving to the north.

With a forecast high of -4 today, skiing will be very good. However, it is a bit windy, so it will feel colder than it is.

The photo below was NOT taken on our Hockleycrest trails, but rather at Stokely Creek Lodge in Algoma, where I had a brief vacation. If you ever want to take a XC ski holiday, that is the place to do it.

MIDDAY UPDATE: southern and northern trails have all been packed, and a shallow track was set in the central section. Trails that are shared with walkers are a little bit lumpy and bumpy because so many walkers got on them before I could groom; otherwise the skiing is very good.

Feb. 3 - Snowfall is finished

 We received close to 15 cm of snow in yesterday's storm. The snowfall appears to be pretty well finished; there may be a few flurries later in the day.

Unfortunately, I will be away from Hockleycrest today and tomorrow, so I won't have a chance to groom this snow until the weekend. Conditions on the trails should be good for "backcountry" skiing.

Looking ahead in the weather forecast, it looks like cool temperatures will remain with us for at least another week, so we should be able to retain this snow for quite a while.

Feb. 2 - A messy day

 Our temperature is still above 0 and we're getting a mix of rain and snow. As the temperature drops this afternoon and tonight, a significant snowfall is expected. Skiing (and driving) will be difficult.

If we get the 25 cm of snow they are predicting, it will take some time to clean up and get everything groomed.

Feb. 1 - A challenging few days ahead

 If you want to ski today, do it this morning. By afternoon, the temperature will be above freezing; snow will get heavy and sticky.

This will be followed by some rain, and eventually on Wednesday and Thursday, quite a bit of snow. Snow is good, but when it comes in large quantities all at once, it makes the grooming difficult. So we may be skiing in "backcountry" conditions for a couple of days.