We have a winner
I just received an email from Norm at Lifesport. The winner of the Home Wax Set-up is Willie Bridge from Exshaw. Congratulations, Willie!
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Thanks for all the trip reports today, and for all 224 reports in January! This year, more than ever, your reports have greatly assisted readers in finding some snow on which to ski. I enjoyed reading that PLPP received the snow which was predicted.
That reminds me, I better put up the Feb trip reports page.
Unique visits to this blog in January were up 31% compared to last year. On an average day, 3869 visits were logged(2952 last year). Thanks for reading!
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Can you figure this one out?
Tyrwhitt picnic table. Where are the tracks? (Click for larger image)
Trails groomed on Thursday night
Yesterday, as I pulled up to the Tyrwhitt picnic table, and before I made any bootprints on the freshly-groomed snow, I wondered: How did tracksetter Jody manage to place the table back into position without leaving any bootprints in the snow? Explain the procedure, and how many times would he be required to get out of the snowcat to do this?
Part 2. How many times would he have to go through this same procedure on a grooming run such as the one on Thursday night?
He uses the hydraulics of the track setter to lift the table up, carries it while grooming where it was sitting and then sets it back down so no time lost, and doesn’t have to lift a hand. At least that is the way I would be doing it!
All that grooming on Thursday – me thinks Jody worked some overtime, including managing five picnic tables – Elk Pass / Tyrwhitt (my favourite) / Lookout / Blueberry (top) / Blueberry (bottom).
I like Pete’s answer – Jody is truly a magician! The clue to placing the tables is in the impact and skid marks in the snow. Great picture Bob!
Looks as if it’d been flipped upside down. Maybe he first flips it, grooms beside it, then flips it back and then grooms the printed side. That’s twice per table.
I think there’s tables on Tyrwhitt, South end of Hydroline/ElkPass, Blueberry/ElkPass, Blueberry summit, and Lookout summit (took three years to amass the skills and courage to see that last table with my own eyes only a few weeks ago… thrilling!)
That’s five tables me thinks – and amounts to climbing out at least ten times; did I miss one?
Hey there S. Holmes – the Hydroline/Elk Pass table is of wood construction, so this would be more difficult to move by flipping without damage. I agree with your observation for the other four aluminum tables.
Either zero or 1. If cat cannot do initial lift then 1. If cat can do initial lift zero. Jodi does mint get out to drop table off..
He not only does magic with grooming the trails, he also does it with picnic tables!
Maybe groom, then place table, then groom right up to the table so any tracks are gone. Or the pistenbully has a grabber.