Lyle from Nipika has good news:
“Trails are ALL OPEN!!! All trails are groomed for classic and skate skiing. This is the earliest opening we have ever had!! With Summer trail work and a great early snowpack we have better skiing already than we had all last winter!”
Update: “Dec 1, we’ve had more snow and conditions are spectacular. 50 Kms groomed to perfection!”
Cheryl and Tessa skiing at Nipika
Nipika is dog-friendly and has built a trail specifically for skiers with dogs. We’ve stayed there with Tessa and I can highly recommend it.
Redearth Creek
The Banff Trail Report shows that Redearth Creek is trackset and in FAIR condition. I’d be very leery – without a good snow cover, the first 2K on Redearth Creek will be rock-strewn. The snow usually gets progressively better as you proceed along the trail and gain elevation.
Ski Club in Okotoks? Nigel Duxbury sent this email:
“I’ve just finished reading an article in my local Okotoks news paper. The article is about a guy, Jim Hiscock, who lives on the Crystal Shores golf course and has been working with the management of the course and the Town of Okotoks to try and start a ski club. I phoned the Jim and expressed my enthusiasm for his idea and he seems quite serious about getting a club started. At the moment he is looking for grooming equipment, a little know-how and support. If anyone is interested, please call Jim Hiscock at 403-829-1113”
West Bragg Creek
Hi Bob,
I squeezed in a quick afterwork ski before dark today, at West Bragg. On the trails that I skied- Sundog, Crystal Line East and West, and Moose Connector, conditions are generally very fine. The recent tracksetting is holding up well, and the snow is still soft and dry despite temperatures slightly above zero. Expect some debris from recent winds in the tracks, and a few rougher spots, but nothing to be concerned about, it’s all good. But then, I’m just happy to be skiing, close to home in Calgary. Kudos to the volunteers of the Greater Bragg Creek Trails Assn., who have made this possible.
Cheers,
Steve Riggs
If you enjoy skiing at West Bragg, consider a membership in the Greater Bragg Creek Trails Association
I just wanted to echo Steve’s comments about the good conditions at West Bragg Creek. I greatly enjoyed the conditions on the Crystal-line, Elbow and Sundog loop this afternoon.
The amount of snow in unpacked areas is 23-27cm, which is about the same as at most of the other XC trail areas in K-Country and Banff. Because the volunteers with the Greater Bragg Creek Trails Association were prompt about packing the snow 2 weeks ago, the snow all stayed put and didn’t get a chance to facet into weak sugary snow. Trail crews elsewhere in Kananaskis and Banff were also right on top of the job of packing snow, which largely explains why we have such good XC ski conditions right now.
Some more snow would be welcome, but it is well worth skiing at West Bragg Creek right now!
Alf