Trails Closed

 We've lost most of our snow over the past 24 hours. Trails are NOT skiable. It looks like we are going to have about a week of this warm weather.

I will not post any further reports until we have new snow.

Not Skiing Weather

 Although it is still possible to ski this morning, it is not a pleasant experience. The current temperature is +3, and it's expected to reach +8 later today, with a chance of drizzle. The snow is wet and packing, and glide is poor.

We will definitely be losing snow over the next few days, as these warm conditions continue.

Last chance to ski in 2022

 Conditions on the trails are still not bad this morning, with a temperature of -2. However, by 11 a.m. it will be up to 0, and we will begin to lose snow. It's going to be very warm over the next few days, so early this morning is your last chance to get in a nice ski before the New Year.

Looks like a nice day

 We had some flurry activity yesterday, bringing 1 to2 cm of additional snow. I will do some "touch-up" grooming this morning to refresh the corduroy in the central trails, which have not been done since Sunday.

My wife rates the trail conditions right now at 6 out of 10, and I agree with her. It's not bad for early season skiing. It's now -8, with a forecast high of -4, and very little wind.

There are still some icy/crusty sections, and lots of small debris from the windstorm.

We're open again

 After 2 days of cleanup, the trails are skiable again. Yesterday, I cleared another dozen fallen trees, and groomed the central portion of the network.

The 2-day blizzard produced a lot of wind, but not much snow. The snow we did receive (about 10 cm total) is distributed very unevenly. There are deep drifts in some places, but there are many places where the new snow is all blown away, and only the old crusty snow from before the storm remains.

On trails I groomed yesterday, skiing is not bad, generally. I will do more grooming today. There is still a lot of debris scattered over the trails - small twigs, pine and spruce needles, etc.

Finally, it looks like we will only have a couple of days to enjoy these skiable conditions; starting on Wednesday, there is a period of warm weather coming in, which will probably destroy our thin snow base.

Yesterday, North Plateau, Before

Yesterday, North Plateau, After

Update 11 a.m. - All trails have now been groomed, either this morning or yesterday. There is some drifting on the open fields. Lots of little sticks to watch out for!

Some Improvement

 There has been some improvement in conditions over yesterday: it's a little warmer (-9), the wind is not blowing quite as hard (40 km/h), and we've had a few centimetres of new snow. However, our trails are still closed until I can check all trail sections and clear fallen trees. Yesterday, I cleared 10 trees, all in the northern portion of the network. I'm sure there are more that I haven't discovered yet, on the southern trails.

I will try to check all remaining trails and clear any obstructions today. If I can get this done, I will post an update. Until then, trails remain closed.

One of the trees I cleared yesterday, on trail #1a

An Inconvenient Truth

 I've been out for a walk around a portion of the trail network. We've had a lot of wind damage. There are multiple trails blocked by fallen trees. It's going to take me a couple of days to clean up this mess.

Trails are closed until further notice.

It's Wild Out There!

 The blizzard finally arrived, not with a lot of snow, but with plenty of wind. The official snowfall yesterday was just 6 cm. However, the powerful wind has been howling now for 24 hours straight. Currently, it's -15 outside, with sustained winds of 55 km/h and gusts to 90 km/h. That means a wind chill of -29.

This is another good day to stay at home.

I am not even going to try to groom today. It's too cold, it's too dangerous, and it would just be pointless. Any grooming I do will disappear within 5 minutes because of the wind. Also, there will undoubtedly be some trees blown down across the trails that will need to be cleared.

Sometimes there are more important things than skiing; hunker down and stay safe!

A Good Day to Stay at Home

 The predicted blizzard has been late arriving, but Environment Canada still says it's coming. Right now, the temperature is +1 and it's raining. We've lost a couple of cm of snow since yesterday morning.

Skiing is poor right now.

By tomorrow at this time, we should have 10 to 20 cm of new snow. Let's wait and see.

Still Calm

 Conditions are still calm here, as we wait for a major storm. This morning, skiing is about the same as the past few days - not great, but tolerable. Trail surfaces are getting a bit hard-packed and slightly icy. Some open field areas are drifted in.

According to the forecast, our main snowfall will start about midnight tonight and continue through Friday. The good news is that they are not calling for much rain, and the temperature should not rise above +2 overnight. Tomorrow will be much colder, and windy.

Calm before the Storm

 Ski conditions remain tolerable on our trails today. It looks like a nice day coming, with sunshine and a high of -3. All trails were groomed within the past 2 days. As there is no new snow to work with, grooming again would not produce any real benefit. Snow cover is thin; rock skis are recommended.

A major storm with mixed precipitation is coming tomorrow and Friday. Depending on whether we get rain, freezing rain, or snow, and how much of each, ski conditions may get either better or worse. We have to wait and see.

Improved again

 After I groomed yesterday, we received another 1 to 2 cm of new snow in the afternoon. Consequently, skiing conditions are improved a bit over yesterday.

There will be no grooming today.

A Slight Improvement

 Starting about 4 p.m. yesterday afternoon, and overnight, we've received about 2 cm of new snow. It's possible we may get about the same again today, through flurries and squalls.

Consequently, trail surfaces are feeling a little less icy than yesterday. On a scale of 1 to10, I would rate today's conditions at 5.

I will be grooming this morning, especially trails in the south end, some of which have not been done since Thursday's snowfall.

11 a.m. Update: All southern and central trails, and the most popular northern trails have been groomed this morning. Open field areas in the north are getting drifted in by brisk westerly winds. It's a nice day for skiing, with sunshine and -3 temperature.

Not great, but not bad

 Most trails were groomed yesterday, leaving a loosely packed granular snow surface, which is a little bit icy.

Trails that were not groomed yesterday were: portions of #7 Around the Pines, and #2 Gazebo, #11 Tamarack and #13 Harmony. Also, #1a could not be groomed because it is blocked by 2 fallen trees. A short stretch of #1 Mainline near the junction with 1a is also blocked by a fallen tree, but there is an easy detour around that.

I will be out with the chainsaw this morning to clear the fallen trees.

We are expecting a bit of new snow today (2 to 4 cm) and possibly some more tonight. Any new powder will be beneficial in softening the trail surfaces and making them ski more comfortably.

9:30 a.m. Update: The three fallen trees have been cleared. Trail #1a is now open and groomed. Open field areas are beginning to see a bit of drifting.

For Experts Only

 Our high temperature yesterday was +1 with sunshine, so the snow became very moist, almost slushy in places. With a cooler temperature of -2 this morning, the snow surface has become crusty. In some places it's quite icy. The forecast says the temperature will continue to drop as the day progresses.

I will try some grooming this morning, to see if I can produce a better surface condition. Only very good skiers should ski here today. Snow cover is thin; rock skis are recommended.

Update: I have groomed about half of the network, all in the southern and central areas. The result is a considerably improved surface. On the groomed trails, you will find predominantly loose-packed granular snow, with some icy/crusty sections. I will groom northern trails later today.

Another update! (2:20 p.m.) All northern trails have now been groomed, except for #1a, which is blocked by fallen trees. Skiers will have to take a detour around 1a until I can clear the trail tomorrow.

Just Enough Snow

Yesterday's "big storm" was a disappointment. It brought us only about 6 or 7 cm of new snow. This gives us a total of just under 10 cm of snow on the ground, which is just enough to ski on. However, I would not recommend skiing today, as the snow is moist and sticky, and the temperature is expected to rise to +1 or +2 by noon.

I will not groom until the temperature has dropped below freezing, late this afternoon or tonight. Packing the snow now would just result in a very firm, icy surface.

Ski conditions should be much better tomorrow morning.

Still Not Enough

 Out total snow accumulation yesterday was less than 5 cm, so that's still not enough to ski on. The next snowfall event in the forecast will be Thursday, and this one might be significant. The Weather Network is predicting 15 to 20 cm. Once again, we will have to wait and see.

Not enough yet

 We have a light dusting of new snow on the ground; definitely not enough to ski on. However, it's continuing to snow and the forecast says we may receive 5 to 10 cm. Let's wait and see.

Snow on the Way?

 The weather forecast says we will get some snow tomorrow. I will let you know if it's enough to ski on.

No Snow Yet

 It's been a few days since my last post, mainly because there has been nothing to report. There is no snow on the trails, so there is no skiing. Looking ahead in the weather forecast, it doesn't look as if there is going to be any real change in the next week.

Snow gone

 Our snow is almost all gone. Definitely no skiing today.

Snow cover shrinking

 We lost more snow yesterday, as the temperature reached +4. The same is likely to happen today.

Trails are closed.

Losing it

 We lost some snow yesterday, as the afternoon temperature reached +3 under sunny skies. We will probably lose more today, as the forecast high is +4.

Trails are closed.

Disappointment

 Yesterday's weather forecast promised us "flurries and snow squalls, at times heavy". It didn't happen. We had a few light flurries, with minimal new accumulation.

There is still not enough snow for safe, enjoyable skiing.

Not Enough

 We've received a small amount of snow overnight, but it's not enough to provide for safe and enjoyable skiing.

Trails are not open for skiing.

Minimal coverage

 Our snow coverage is not really sufficient to have an enjoyable ski. Yesterday afternoon, the temperature reached +1, so there was some melting. And with the ground below the snow still not frozen, snow is also melting from the bottom.

Skiing is not recommended.

November 16 - Snow

 Overnight snow has accumulated to about 4 or 5 cm. Although it would be possible to ski, I would encourage you NOT to come skiing yet. There are many rocks and tree roots hidden just below the surface of the snow. (Also, I have not finished putting up all the ski trail signage, so there's a chance you could get lost!) It would be better to wait until we have at least double this amount of snow.

First Snowfall of the new ski season

 We received our first snowfall of the 2022/23 season overnight. A tiny dusting of very wet snow. It's definitely not enough to ski on, but at least it indicates that winter is coming!

I am busy getting the trails ready - grass mowing, weed-whacking, pruning of trees and bushes along the trail edges.

Closed for the season

 Today is March 31, the temperature today will be +12, and our snow is almost all gone. So, our trails will be officially closed until next winter. 

Considering that we got a very late start this year, with virtually no skiing in December, and not much in the first half of January, the season turned out not too badly. I personally was able to ski on 79 days, which is 3 more than last year.

Please note that trails that were open just for skiing during the winter are NOT open for walking in summer. You are welcome to walk or run on the main Bruce Trail (marked with white rectangular blazes) and the Bruce side trails, marked with blue rectangular blazes.

March 27 - New snow

 We've received some new snow, but it only amounts to about 2 cm. Not enough to ski on.

Trails remain closed.

March 15 - Trails closed

 We lost a lot of snow yesterday, with the +6 temperature in the afternoon. There are many bare spots on the trails.

Trails are closed.

March 14 - Last Chance to ski?

 Ski conditions this morning are not bad. We received a little bit of new snow yesterday afternoon, resulting in a small improvement in trail conditions. However, there are still many thin spots.

If you want to ski today, come as early as possible; by noon the temperature will be above 0, and rain is expected this afternoon.

The rest of the week looks like a washout, with temperatures up to +16 two days in a row. Today might be our last chance to ski this season.

March 13 -

 The snow squalls that were predicted for yesterday afternoon did not occur. We had a few flurries, but no significant new accumulation of snow.

Ski conditions range from fair to almost good. I will pack a few more trails in the north end this morning, in order to better define the trail where there was drifting yesterday afternoon.

UPDATE: Northern trails have been groomed (packed with roller and comb). Trails in the bush are fairly good, but those on the open fields are poor to fair. There are several places where the snow has been totally blown away. The section of #17 that parallels Airport Road has almost no snow on it. The pinnacle at the top end of North Plateau is also very thin and icy. Mainline hill at the east end of the open field between the 2 ends of trail #12 is also icy.

March 12 - Open again

 Yesterday's snowfall accumulation was about 7 cm; just enough to restore skiable conditions on the trails. I've been out this morning, and it was skiing quite nicely.

With this amount of snow, I'm not sure grooming is necessary. I will try some limited grooming this morning, and then assess whether it is worthwhile.

There are still many thin spots, and the old icy crust can be felt just beneath the surface of the new powder. Ski with caution, especially on hills. Rock skis are recommended if you have some.

Late this morning and this afternoon, snow squalls are possible. Additional accumulations of 5 to 10 cm might occur, with blowing and drifting snow and strong northwest winds.

MIDDAY UPDATE: I've groomed all central trails with the roller/comb and they are skiing very nicely. Ski conditions are almost to the point where I would call them "good". As predicted earlier, we are beginning to get some flurries, and the snowsquall watch has been upgraded to a warning. As long as it continues snowing and blowing, I will not do any further grooming.

One further note of caution: the parking lot on the 5 Sideroad is quite icy.

South end of trail #3, after grooming this morning

March 11 - It's snowing

 It's 4 p.m. and it's been snowing moderately since this morning. I think it may be OK to re-open the trails tomorrow morning.

March 9 - still closed

 Trails are still closed, due to lack of snow. Unless we get a major snowstorm, this may be the end of our season.

I will not make any new posts unless there is some good news to report.

March 8 - Not enough snow

 Yesterday's snowfall only amounted to about 2 cm total accumulation. This is not enough to restore skiable conditions on our trails.

Trails remain closed today.

March 7 - Trails Closed

We lost a lot of snow yesterday. There are multiple bare patches and some flooded spots on the trails. Any "snow" that remains is really ice.

Trails are closed until further notice.

We are getting some precipitation today; at the moment it's a mix of freezing rain and ice pellets. This should transition to snow later on. Time will tell whether this will be enough to restore skiable conditions.

Example of one of many bare patches

March 6 - Trails closed

 Trails are closed today, as we experience high winds and high temperatures. It's currently +8 and will hit +14 before starting to drop again. We've already lost some snow, and I'm sure more will disappear before the day is done. Bare spots are beginning to appear on trails.

Please, do not come skiing here today.

March 5

 Ski conditions remain poor to fair. Right now, trail surfaces are hard and icy with just a tiny bit of powder on top. As the temperature reaches the freezing point around noon today, things should soften up a bit, but we will start losing snow at that point. We already have a few very thin spots.

So, things do not look good for skiing today, and tomorrow looks even worse, with a forecast high of +12 degrees.

March 4

 Conditions on the trails remain the same; it's very hard and icy. Skiing is difficult under these conditions. I do not recommend skiing today.

March 3 - small improvement

 With an overnight snowfall of 1 to 2 cm, we see a small improvement in skiing conditions. However, the trails are still very icy. Skiing is only Fair today.

March 2 - Icy

 Yesterday's high temperature was +3. We're now sitting at -4, and the result is that the trails have become quite icy. Skiing is poor to fair. Extreme caution should be used on the larger hills.

March is here

 The arrival of March signals the beginning of the end for skiing in southern Ontario. While it's certainly possible to have significant snowfalls and very good skiing in March, it's more likely that we will see above-freezing temperatures and snow loss.

Today, we start out with about 1 cm of new snow on the ground, and a forecast high of +4. Skiing will be only Fair today, with slow, sticky conditions this afternoon.

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.

Jan. 31 - Looks like a nice day

 With a forecast high of -4, and some flurries, today looks like it will be a nice day to ski. Trails are showing the wear and tear of skier traffic from the weekend, but are still not in bad shape.

Jan. 30 - good skiing again

 It's not quite so cold today (currently -12) so it should be comfortable for skiing. Conditions on the trails remain about the same as yesterday, perhaps not quite as good. We had a lot of skiers and walkers yesterday, so some trail sections got a bit packed down and the tracks that were set are not what they were. Also, a few inconsiderate walkers couldn't stay on their own trails, so you'll find footprints on some ski trails.

Just a reminder that, although there is no fee to ski on Hockleycrest trails, there is a donation box attached to the big sign at the parking lot. We do have some costs, primarily for fuel and maintenance on the groomer, so if you would like to help out, you can make a donation.

Jan. 29 - Good skiing, but very cold

 It's very cold this morning - so cold the snow squeaks when you ski on it. At -25, glide is very slow, but otherwise skiing conditions are good. The trails are well covered with snow, and yesterday's grooming is still looking nice.

Perhaps wait until this afternoon, when the temperature is going to warm up to -11.

Jan. 28 - another cold one

 At -18 degrees, the glide is slow out there this morning, on new powder snow.

There was a lot of snow drifting yesterday, combined with a little bit of new snow from flurries. I will be out on the groomer later this morning, trying to make the trails recognizable again. In the meantime, skiing will be fair to good, tending toward "backcountry" conditions.

MID-DAY UPDATE: I've groomed 95% of the network this morning. Ski conditions will be very good, as long as you don't mind the cold. It's still -18 out there.

South leg of #12, along the fence

#10 Field and Forest

Jan. 27 - Windy

 We have a fairly strong wind this morning. This means two things: first, it feels much colder than the -12 on my thermometer; and second, we have snow drifting.

Some trail sections are already beginning to get drifted in, and this will continue as long as the wind keeps blowing, especially in the open areas.

Skiing will be fair to good today, as the temperature eventually makes it up to about -6.

Jan. 26 - A cool day

 It's currently -18 and we're having a light snow flurry right now. With the cold snow temperature, glide is slow this morning, but that should improve as things warm up later.

Ski conditions on the trails are very good. Yesterday's grooming is still looking good, so I won't be doing anything today.

The north leg of trail #12, yesterday

Jan. 25 - Good skiing

 We received close to 5 cm of new snow in yesterday's flurries, and I did some preparatory work to soften up the hard base on many of the trails.

I will be out with the light snow comb to create some corduroy on the new snow, and I will reset tracks on the central trails.

Skiing will be good today.

MID-DAY UPDATE: All trails have been groomed, with tracks set in the central area. Skiing is very good. It's a beautiful sunny day, temperature - 10.

The Pasture Trail #9

Trail #25 Easy Does It

Jan. 24 - Hoping for a little more snow

 The trails saw a fair amount of traffic over the weekend, and are therefore looking a little bit beaten up. Some trail surfaces are getting quite hard packed, and the track-setting is obliterated in some spots. I was considering doing some grooming to renovate trail surfaces, but I see there is some snow expected this afternoon, so I may wait until after that is done.

This does not look like a major snowfall - probably around 2 to 4 cm - but it would give me something to work with in refreshing the trail surfaces.

Skiing is fair to good today. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 6.

MID-AFTERNOON UPDATE: I've been out grooming with the Piranha, scarifying/softening the base while new snow comes down. We've been having a pretty persistent snow flurry since this morning and it's starting to accumulate. New snow can only make things better!

Jan. 23 - Another Good Day

 We have received a couple of cm of new snow in flurries yesterday afternoon and overnight. This helps to give a softer texture to the surface of the trails, and a more comfortable ski. Conditions will be good today.

We're expecting temperatures steady around -9 all day today, and possibly some more snow flurries.

UPDATE: I will be taking the groomer over a couple of trail sections that are drifted in.

North Plateau this morning

Jan. 22 - A good ski day

 Conditions on our ski trails are still good; perhaps not quite as good as they were a couple of days ago. Snow coverage is more than adequate, but some trails are beginning to get a little bit hard packed and bumpy. These are the trails that get the most traffic, especially those shared with walkers.  If you get off of those onto exclusive ski trails, the surface condition is softer and more comfortable to ski on.

Temperature will be comfortable; it's currently -13 and will go up to -7. We're getting a light snow flurry right now, and expect more flurries this afternoon.

Jan. 21 - Another cool morning

 As I had my early-morning ski around the trails with my dog, it was -21, which is a bit cool. But it's supposed to warm up to -10 under a sunny sky, so it will be a good ski day.

Trail conditions are good, with a firm, packed-powder surface. Yesterday's grooming is still looking pretty good, except for a few places where walkers' footprints have spoiled the surface. I will go out on the groomer later and see if I can restore the track-setting on the central trails.

UPDATE: track-setting on the firmly packed trails was partly successful. The photo shows one of the better spots, on the Stone Hedge trail.

On the negative side, I bumped a gate post with my ATV and did some damage to the ATV. It will need to be repaired before I do any more grooming.

Jan. 20 - Survived the thaw

 We got through yesterday's brief warm spell with little damage to the trails. The snow now has a slightly crusty texture, but is still quite powdery. That's the good news.

The bad news is that we had quite a bit of drifting on some trails. I will be out with the groomer this morning to break through and pack down those drifts. Once I've done that, skiing should be good today.

One down side: it's fairly cold this morning, currently -18. Glide is very slow in these cold temperatures, but should improve as the temperature rises to about -12 later.

The parking lot on 5 Sideroad has now been snowplowed.

UPDATE: I've just finished going over most of the trails with the roller and comb. The drifted areas packed down reasonably well. Skiing is good (still a bit cool out there!)

North Plateau (#20) just after grooming

Jan. 19 - Not quite so good

 We received one or two cm of new snow last night, and this morning it is being blown around by some strong SW winds. The result is considerable drifting of snow onto the trails, and from a direction it doesn't often come from. Compounding the problem is a rise in temperature; it's now 0, and will probably reach +1 or +2 by noon. Snow will become wet and sticky; it will definitely not be as nice to ski on as yesterday's dry powder.

Snow at this temperature cannot be effectively groomed. Running a machine over it now would result in hard-packed ice once the temperature drops again. And it will drop again, this afternoon, accompanied by flurries.

We still have plenty of snow, but I would suggest that skiers wait until this half-day warm spell has passed before heading out to ski.

Good Skiing

 After yesterday's 20 cm snowfall, we have good skiing conditions on the trails today. All trails were packed at least once yesterday, although some were done before the snowfall had completely ended so there is a little bit of loose powder on the surface. Some trails, especially those at the north end, were also getting drifted in as soon as I had packed them, as the wind was quite strong from the north.

I will be out grooming again this morning to tidy up some drifted areas and to set some track.

Mid-day Update: All trails in the southern and central areas were groomed again this morning, and track was set on several of them. Skiing is very good. The sun is out and the temperature is comfortable. It's a beauty day for skiing.

One word of warning: the parking lot is not plowed yet. Skiers are parking on the roadside.

Trail #3, section shared with walkers. Packed wide so there is room for both walkers and skiers

Trail #10 Field and Forest this morning

Jan. 17 - It's Snowing!

 As predicted, it's snowing this morning. We've already received about 5 cm and the snowfall is supposed to last until about noon. So, with any luck, we will end up with about 10 cm total.

I will begin grooming when the snowfall ends. In the meantime, we will have good "backcountry" conditions on new powder snow. There is a fairly strong wind, so there will be some drifting; that means some places where the snow is quite deep, and other spots where it's completely blown away.

Temperature is comfortable, at -8, but driving conditions are poor.

Mid-day update: After a month of complaining that we didn't have enough snow, we now have plenty. I've been out and done a first pass with the groomer on the southern and central trails, but the snowfall has not yet stopped. Based on weather radar, it looks like snow will continue for at least another hour. I will do a first pass on northern trails this afternoon.

When we have this much new snow all at once, it requires more than one pass to achieve adequate compaction.

Yesterday, this measuring stick was showing 5 cm on the ground

Black Cherry trail, in the pine bush.

Jan. 16 - some improvement

 Yesterday afternoon, when the temperature had warmed up to -17, I tried a bit of grooming. My goal was to scarify and break up the ice on the surface of the trails, so that when we receive new snow tomorrow, it would not land on a glare ice surface and simply blow away or get pushed off to the side. I used my home-made piece of grooming equipment that I call the Piranha, and pulled it over the trails in the central part of the network.

The result was better than I expected. I managed to create a fair amount of loose granular snow on the trail surfaces. My wife and daughter went out skiing and confirmed that the grooming had had a beneficial effect.

I will do some more of this today, and then we will be ready for the predicted snowfall tonight and tomorrow.

Trails are still icy and difficult to ski on, and it's still fairly cold out there (right now -18). I would recommend waiting until after we've got our new snow. Hopefully it will measure up to the predictions.

Update: I've scarified the ice on all trails in the south and central sections, up to the north junction of #1 and #3. I hope to be able to finish doing this on the north end trails late this afternoon.

Jan. 15 - No Change

 Conditions remain the same on our ski trails. Snow coverage is extremely thin and the surface is icy. Skiing is poor. On top of that, the temperature is -25 right now, and is expected to "warm up" to only -17.

We're hoping for new snow Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Current predictions suggest we might get about 10 cm. If that is correct, then we would be happy, although more would be better.

Jan. 14

 We received a little bit of freezing rain yesterday. Trail surfaces are icy. Skiing is poor.

We're hoping for some snow starting Sunday night, through Monday into Tuesday. It's too soon to have any confidence in the snowfall amount, but it looks like it might be enough to significantly improve skiing conditions.

Jan. 13 - a little worse

 Yesterday's temperature got up to around 0, and the result is that powder snow that was on the surface has been transformed to an icy, granular texture. Ski conditions are a little worse than before. Trails are icy and very fast this morning, and that's not likely to change over the next couple of days.

Forecasts suggest we may get some snow starting Sunday night and on through next Wednesday. Let's hope they are right.

Jan. 12 More of the same

 Conditions on the ski trails remain the same: poor to fair. Snow cover is thin, with ice just beneath.

Jan. 11 - Brrrr!

 It's cold outside this morning - currently -24C. This means very slow glide, at least until the temperature warms up to -9 later this afternoon.

Through flurries yesterday, we picked up an additional 1 or 2 cm of snow, so conditions on the trails are slightly improved. Winds were strong yesterday, so some trail sections, particularly toward the north end, will be drifted in, while others are blown almost bare.

On a scale of 1 to 10, our ski conditions today would be a 3.

Jan. 10 - a slight improvement

 After yesterday's brief warm spell and mixed precipitation, the temperature has dropped again, and we've received a little new snow. Thus far, it's only 1 or 2 cm, but the flurries and possible squalls are forecast to continue until midday, so we may get some more.

The new powder provides a little bit of a soft cushion between your skis and the icy crust below. Trails are skiable, but extreme caution should be used on hills. On a scale of 1 to 10, today's score would be 2.

I will not be grooming, as there would be no benefit to doing it at this time. I need more snow to work with.

Black Cherry Trail #23 this morning

Jan. 9 - A good day to stay at home

 It's now 0 degrees outside, and the powder snow that was on the surface of our trails yesterday has been transformed into icy granular. Trails are very fast and icy. Even moderate hills will be dangerous under these conditions.

On top of that, we've had some freezing rain, and more is predicted for today, so driving conditions may be difficult.

There is a potential light at the end of the tunnel, however. A sharp cold front will pass through this afternoon, followed by strong NW winds coming off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. This may set up snow squalls, with possible significant snow accumulations. Only time will tell whether we get lucky or not.

Jan. 8 - Fair skiing

 There has been no change in our conditions since yesterday. Skiing is fair. Our snow cover is very thin, but trails are skiable. Use caution on downhill sections, and rock skis are a good idea if you have some.

I will not be grooming today, since yesterday's groom is still looking good.

It's very cool to start with this morning (currently -18), but heading for a high of -5 under sunny skies.

Trail #5 this morning

Jan. 7 - A little more snow

 Yesterday's flurries were nearly continuous through the entire day, resulting in  2 or 3 cm more snow on our trails. The result is somewhat improved conditions for skiing. According to the measuring stick in my yard, we now have about 8 cm of snow on the ground.

I will groom this morning, extending the amount of packed trail, and touching up what I did yesterday. Snow cover is still thin, and extreme caution is required on the bigger hills.

It's cool today; present temperature is -14, with a forecast high of -9.

11 a.m. Update: I've groomed almost the entire network this morning, and even set a very shallow track on some of the central trails. Conditions are now what I would call "fair"; on a scale of 1 to 10, they would rate a 3.

Trail #12 crossing the South Field

Mainline trail toward the north end

Jan. 6 - A slight improvement

We received about 3 or 4 cm of new snow yesterday. As a result, conditions on our ski trails are slightly improved. The snow came on a fairly strong wind, so it's not evenly distributed; there are still places where the snow is very thin, with ice just below. Rock skis are still recommended.

I will try some grooming later this morning, to see if it makes any improvement. 

10 a.m. update: I've packed trails in the central area, and I think this has had some benefit. At least it will help to hold the snow in place, and aid in accumulating more snow. We are having light flurries this morning and the current temperature is -7.

The photos illustrate how thin the snow is in some places.

Jan. 5 - a little snow coming today

 Ski conditions remain the same; we have very thin snow cover, with ice just below the surface. We're hoping for some snow later today and tomorrow. Based on the forecast, it looks like the most we can expect is about 5 cm. I will not groom until after the snowfall has ended, and only if there is sufficient snow.

January 4 - No Change

 There has been no change in our ski conditions. Skiing is still poor.

January 3

 Our snowfall yesterday resulted in a total of about 4 cm of new snow. I tried some skiing in the afternoon; it's possible to ski, but it's not much fun. There is not enough powder snow covering the ice beneath, so it's difficult to ski, and on downhills it would be dangerous.

The temperature this morning is -17, the coldest we've had so far this winter.

I do not recommend skiing here today.

Another Disappointment

 The snowfall that was originally predicted to be 5 to 10 cm has so far given us only 1 cm. It's still snowing lightly, so there may be a little more accumulation before it ends, but I don't think it's going to provide skiable conditions.

Trails remain closed.

New Year's Day - No skiing today; hoping for snow tonight

 The New Year is coming in wet and mild. It's currently +1 with drizzle outside, and this will likely continue through this afternoon.

The forecast is calling for a drop in temperature and the beginning of snowfall this evening. 4 to 8 cm is predicted.

Skiing tomorrow perhaps?