Lake O’Hara Fire Road (click for a larger image)
Bruce Millar, innkeeper at Lake O’Hara Lodge reports:
“Just to let you know we groomed and trackset the road today. Conditions are great with e the addition of the new snow from the last few days, a lack of wind and sunny skies.”
If you want to know more about this trail, here are a couple blog posts from the last two winters: Lake O’Hara fire road excellent and Lake O’Hara fire road
The Lake O’Hara Lodge will be open for lunch on weekends starting Sat Jan 31.
In Banff, Sundance Canyon and Healy Creek were trackset today.
I observed this coyote on the shore of Lower Kananaskis Lake a couple years ago
I believe that most of my readers have a healthy respect for wildlife and would find this event disgusting. In my opinion, the organizer of this Alberta coyote-killing contest is the scum of the earth, as are the landowners who allow it on their property. Human garbage.
The Kananskis coyote soon found his dinner
Hey ……………. let’s kill the coyotes. Later, there are too many mice and gophers around. What happened? Let’s poison them. Later, I can’t believe the dead birds. Where are the owls and eagles? Later, man there are even more mice and gophers around. Now what.
Later, let’s re-introduce some natural predators. How about coyotes.
I am interested in skiing to Lake O’Hara but wonder if classic XC skis, without metal edges, are suitable. Particularly for decending.
I’ve done in on wooden XC skis with 75mm bindings many moons ago.
The road is nice and wide, and the grooming/tracksetting looks great.
I don’t recall the details of the downhills, but here is a U of C Outdoor club video that seems to show that the section just above the parking lot is perhaps the steepest. On a wide road, you should be able to run out into the soft snow to slow yourself down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzdxmsjinZM
I love watching sped up skiing videos to good music!
Skier Bob bloggers do this road quite often, so you should hear from them.
U of A, not ‘C’
Great video Henry… now that is fast!
Hi Paul,
Classic XC skis without metal edges are perfect now, especially with the new grooming. However, make sure you control your speed on the descent. Do not expect to slow yourself down by going into the snow on the side… that is a recipe for disaster!
Chuck, I don’t see the problem with running ‘off the tracks’ in the softer snow in order to control speed. But I will take your point, in that it is a matter of the level of skier and whether we are talking about them being initially in control or out of control -)
This may be a topic that you active skiers could discuss, now that a lot of beginners will be out there on your wonderful new snow pack – snow plowing, zig-zagging, pole dragging. heck and even the parallel turn/stop and finally sitting down safely.
I would never want to be the one who sends someone out on a trip that is too challenging for their skill level. But the point I want to make is that the Lake O’Hara road is probably a great trip for the skier who wants to try the back country experience. For such a beginner though, we would have to point out that they have to have some physical conditioning if they intend to ski the full 12km (400m elevation gain).
So go out and enjoy one of this trip, which is in one of the most beautiful areas in the world!
And Chuck, thanks for all that you do to promote skiing and for your great trip photo essays.
Hi Henry,
Sorry for my poor choice of words. I just wanted to emphasize that it is dangerous to expect NICE soft snow on the sides if you want to slow your descent. Quite often that can be bottomless, but I was also pointing out (without words) what my pictures would show… a solid bank!
And it should be noted that there is no soft snow between the tracks. It is hard packed and actually feels like corduroy coming down. The track is effectively only as wide as that huge machine, which is a lot narrower than what we know is a wide road.
Thank you for taking the time to describe the control options so perfectly… I can see a picture!
And thanks for your compliments on my photo essays.