Moraine Lake road on Saturday, Nov 17
Thanks for all the comments over the weekend. Glad to hear about the good skiing at Elk Pass. The photos from Steve Riggs were the first we’ve seen since it was trackset.
Tom Jones was skiing on Moraine Lake road on Saturday and sends this email:
“…great to see hundreds of skiers out on the trails.
Skiers from 8 to 80!! It would be nice if the training/lesson groups would be a little more courteous and aware of other skiers on the trail. This should be related from the coaches/instructors to their athletes/students. In many places the uphill classic track was wiped out completely in less than an hour and groups were standing on the classic track with pretty much total disregard of those of us who were classic skiing uphill. Hey, I always step into the middle (skate lane) and pass slower skiers – I don’t have a problem with that but the groups need to be more courteous. There’s every kind of skier from hard core racers to general fitness skiers to very slow tourers and we all need to get along. BTW, in many places the classic track had been needlessly wiped out by people skating as well. Heads up people!
Keep’em gliding!”
Tom Jones
Calgary
Nice, let’s get the whining going really early this year that the tracks are being ruined by people out using the trails that you haven’t paid a cent to use. It is early season, just get over it and enjoy the great skiing on the limited trails.
Bruce: Not whining at all. It is early season and excellent that so many people are out skiing. Given the conditions at Canmore etc., the Lake Louise trails are very popular and crowded. The groomers have done an excellent job given the relatively warm temperatures that have not allowed the tracks to set up as firm as they would had it been colder. In these conditions, tracks are soft and easily wiped out. No, I and everyone else have not paid a cent to use the trails but I gladly would. I hold seasons passes every year at Canmore, Silver Star and Soverign Lakes.
Mt point was, be aware and be courteous.
Tom
And I will never go near Lake Louise at Loppet time. I learned that from many same club members. Regardless the trails are public each and every day, I sure heard that they felt differently.
I agree with Judi’s comment about courtesy on the trails. I ski PLPP on a regular basis and have noticed groups blocking junctions or stopping on hills in the way of other skiers. They usually appear to be “seasoned” skiers but have lost the awareness of safety and trail etiquette. Certainly instructors should teach learners the ” rules” but it appears as though groups and experienced skiers need to remember to be aware of others on the trail. I also have encountered a large group of skiers at the Packers junction of Pocaterra all with the same ski club jackets totally blocking that junction and appearing unaware of other skiers.
I just read a comment on Facebook from someone who skied the Great Divide yesterday, presumably on fresh tracks:
“The Great Divide was awesome on the way out, but had been decimated by all the large groups on the way home. I guess having so many XC skiers out is a victory no matter what the side effects are.”
I emphatically agree with the comment about group trail etiquette. I understand the fun of skiing with friends and have no problem in stepping out of my track to pass. Lots of smiles and greetings is the norm. HOWEVER, more and more often groups/ski clubs seem to feel that trail junction areas belong only to them. It seems that the common sense of staying to the side of the trail to take your snack or social break is now the exception. Last season, my skiing partner and I routinely encountered large weekday groups from the Calgary Ski Club, many on their yellow fischer skies socializing at the junctions. The only way for us to continue through on our track would be for us to come to complete stops, step out of the track, “excuse ourselves”, ask for room to get through, etc. This happened repeatedly. Week after week. Trail after trail. Other times it would be groups of young skiers being led by adults. The adult leaders, seemed oblivious of the dangers of allowing their students to stop to rest at the bottom of downhills or junctions and would make no efforts to educate the kids to safety, trail etiquette behaviour. Let’s keep the trails fun and safe for everyone!
Before we implicate a specific club, I’d like you to clarify something. When you say “Calgary Ski Club,” do you specifically mean that one and only club, or are you referring to Calgary ski clubs in general? I’d be very surprised if the Calgary Ski Club had large weekday groups on the trails. What trail(s) did it occur on? -Bob
Well, I have no legal proof, but many were wearing gear labelled Calgary Ski Club. They may not have been official outings, could have been just members getting together on their own. But they were definitely large groups (often 10 to 15 people when 2 groups met at junctions as they seemed to do). The days were usually on Fridays. PLPP- Pocaterra and area trails were the worst for absolute takeover of junctions. Groups of younger skiers with adult leaders seemed to favour Elk Pass area trails.