Another day, another tree to clear

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.

Before

After

 

Earth moving

 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.

Things happen, part 2

 Remember those fallen trees that I posted photos of a few days ago? Well, now they have been cleared.

Our trail system is getting bigger!

Entrance to trail #25, Easy Does It, at the junction of #3 and #5

 Good news, especially for less accomplished skiers, who find the hills on trail #1 and trail #4 a bit difficult. I've spoken with my neighbour to the south, and he has agreed to permit a new trail crossing the east end of his property.

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.

Things happen

 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.

If a tree falls in the forest.....

 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.

After the clean-up

Before the clean-up

Starting a new (ski) year

 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.

Levelling out a section of the Hockleycrest trail