Steve Riggs was at the Fire Lookout today and sent in the following photos and report:
Kananaskis Fire Lookout. Dec 16, 2009. Photo courtesy of Steve Riggs.
Hi Bob,
Excellent skiing on December 16 at PLPP. We skied Whiskyjack-
Lookout- Hydroline- Fox Creek- Moraine, finding superb conditions
throughout with 5-10 cm of light new snow over the groomed, enough to
give silky smooth skiing but still leaving the tracksets well
defined with good glide. Nice weather too, with temps just below
freezing, and frequent sunny breaks which were especially welcome
for lunch at the fire lookout, before the long run down the south side.
Kananaskis Fire Lookout trail. Dec 16, 2009. Photo courtesy of Steve Riggs.
Last but not least- keep up the good work!
Cheers
Steve Riggs
******
Also in K-Country today was Elaine and she sends this report:
“Norseman Ski Club did Pocaterra,Lynx, Amos, Wheeler, Braille. Lodgepole Wed 16 Dec. New snow so skier set but fabulous conditions and -8 temperatures. Lots of smiling faces today!”
******
West Bragg
Here’s what Chris found on his ski trip:
“West Bragg today: +6 Crystal line, Mountain Road, and connections are in poor condition – lots of debris, exposed ice flows, and a thin base, with exposures here and there. No tracksetting.”
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Cascade Fire Road
Robert and Silvio on Cascade Fire Road. Dec 16, 2009
Cascade Fire Road in Banff was in very good condition today, at least for classic. There’s about 5 cm of new snow, but the tracks were, as Steve describes above, silky smooth and fast. It would be a slog if you were skating however. The Banff Trail Report is still saying it’s in poor condition, but don’t believe it.
The trail is double trackset up to the Cascade River bridge(about 7K) and single trackset for the remainder of the way(a further 8K). Air temp was around -1, but the snow is still cold and in good shape. The worst part is the access on the paved road where it’s wind-blown and your poles hit the pavement. Thankfully, you’re only on the pavement for about 5 minutes. The meadow still has lots of grass, but it isn’t a problem.
The best part of this trail, however, is the apres-ski:
Banff Upper Hot Springs
A dip in the hot springs is a nice way to end the day after a vigourous ski on the Cascade Fire Road. More photos
Thanks for the supportive comments on the previous thread.
