Christmas eve in PLPP

 – Brothers Stephen, Daniel, and Ian Murray arrive at the Pocaterra/Whiskey Jack junction – 

Jody groomed far more last night  than I had guessed, and I skied most of the new tracksetting. It didn’t snow at all, so the tracks were pristine.

Bernard on Packers

I started at Boulton creek and headed up Packers which received its first tracks of the season last night. The trail report states, “Thin base with early season hazards, including possible open water or ice,” but I didn’t see anything to be concerned about. Definitely not much to complain about here.

If you’re familiar with Packers, you’ll know it entails a lot of climbing, so by the time I ran into blog reader and commenter Bernard about three-quarters of the way, I was down to my thin shell. I guess I haven’t mentioned the air temperature was -17°C, and the snow was -14°C. A green wax day all around.

Pocaterra at the Lynx junction

When I reached the top of Packers, I spotted something unusual in the trees above the trail marker sign(see photos). I turned south and continued on the new tracks on Pocaterra to the Whiskey Jack junction where I swear it was a lot warmer than -17. Maybe because the sun was shining so bright.

Now for the fun! I put on all my warm clothes and took a fast trip down Pocaterra to the Lynx junction. It only took 17 minutes to cover the 6.1K, which is amazing, considering how cold the snow was. Luckily, I  had a pair of skis which were glide-waxed for these conditions with Swix CH4.

The fireplace was a popular spot at the Pocaterra hut, where Ken, Linda, Ilana, and Tal were enjoying the warmth after skiing(all blog readers, too)

I had not yet skied this winter on Lynx and Amos, so I followed the tracksetting on those trails. Again, excellent conditions. I didn’t spot any “early season hazards” at all. Wheeler, also with new tracksetting, took me back to Boulton creek.

Shaganappi Golf Course – check the trip reports for an update

Canmore Nordic Centre – trails will be groomed every day. Click for more info, and a photo of the Snow Hosts CNC

Merry Christmas, everyone!

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