Countdown to ski season

 – Skiers on Moraine Lake road – 

Have you started preparing for our favourite time of year? When I look across the valley, I already see snow on Lady MacDonald and Grotto.

I absolutely love this autumn weather. The days are getting noticeably shorter and the nights are considerably cooler.  The aspen and poplar leaves are turning yellow. It is with eager anticipation that I await the beginning of ski season.

Frozen thunder is open for skiing at the Canmore Nordic Centre

Canmore Nordic Centre’s Frozen thunder. (file photo)

When does it start, anyway? Around here, we’re lucky enough to have guaranteed snow on Canmore’s Frozen Thunder on Oct 19. If you want to wait for the snow which falls from the sky, we are usually skiing on Moraine lake road at Lake Louise by the first week in November.

Last winter, Elk pass was trackset for the first time on Nov 16. The previous year it was Nov 26.

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The Kicking Horse Ski Club in Yoho has just taken delivery of their new snowmobile and grooming implement. It arrived yesterday!  The club will be in charge of tracksetting the Emerald Lake and Yoho trails this winter. Thank you to everyone who bought a membership or contributed. Read more We’re lucky to have skiing at Emerald Lake this winter.

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I’m anxious to hear from Alf Skrastins. I’m curious to know if his record of skiing every month of the year is still intact. He was at 132 consecutive months last year.

To get everyone even more excited, next month I’ll be posting some photos for “Guess the trail.”

2 Comments:

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  1. I too am looking forward to the fluffy white stuff hitting the ground. Saw some nice flakes in the air while driving from Jasper to Lake Louise last weekend while on a mini vacation. Some peaks are starting to show some accumulation. Even went as far as pulling the snowshoes out of their summer home in my basement to make sure they are good to go eventhough it will be a couple months or so yet before they get to go. Yeah, I am ready for the winter wonderland of fun!

  2. Yes Bob, I have indeed kept skiing every month for the past year. We did a ski on the Goat Glacier on September 13, bringing the total to 144 consecutive months or 12 years of year-round skiing. Looks like I should have waited for another week, since the recent snowfalls have really refreshed places like the Goat Glacier.
    https://picasaweb.google.com/112757355578245802406/GoatGlSept132013?authkey=Gv1sRgCOT40Jees66XcQ&gsessionid=U-skLuqmtFz9FUK5NsFhHQ

    Thanks for the update. Truly remarkable! -Bob

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