Let’s get started

While we’re waiting for the snow, we can at least fantasize with these photos. Can you guess which trails are pictured here? I’ve posted six photos, and five of them should be pretty easy. Click on any photo for a larger image. Georgina might be the only one who knows where the fridge is.

Welcome!

For all readers who are new to this blog, I want to point out a few of the important features which you’ll want to make use of this winter.

On the main menu, the most popular pages are:

• Trip Reports – first hand accounts of trail conditions from skiers
• Trail Reports – Reports from K-Country and Banff National Park(and others)
• Groomer’s Reports – Straight from the tracksetters themselves
• Web cams – You can see the snow(or lack of) in dozens of locations.

On the sidebars, you can go to Categories and look up all sorts of things, such as Backpack contents for lots of helpful suggestions on what to carry in your backpack.

Another popular category is Waxless or Waxable. It will bring up eight posts concerning the criteria for deciding what type of skis to buy.

Also on the sidebar, check Places to ski to read about specific trails. If you click on Moraine Lake Road, you’ll see 95 entries where I’ve posted about that trail.

Are your skis ready?

In addition to dusting them off, what maintenance do you perform on your skis at the start of the season?

At the end of ski season I applied storage wax to my skis. I’ve been busy scraping it off now, and applying glide wax which is more suitable for colder temperatures. I have three pairs of skis which I use regularly and usually have them prepared for three different temperatures.

If you don’t do your own hot waxing, you would be well-advised to have them waxed at a ski shop such as Lifesport, Norseman, or Trail Sports in Canmore.

I learned something important last year about skis. You’ve probably noticed your bases(tips and tails) turning white after a couple trips? It’s partially because they need to be waxed, but after many hot waxings, and lots of skiing, skis don’t hold the wax as well.

Previous to last winter, I never gave much thought to stone grinding, but I’m now sold on its effectiveness. Last fall, I stone ground a pair of skis which were three years old and I was amazed at how well they held wax throughout the season. The bases never seemed to turn white, and it goes without saying they were faster.

Yesterday, I took my fish scale waxless skis to Geret at The Grinders and asked for a coarse grind. I only use those skis in wet snow conditions, so I’m hoping a coarse grind will mitigate the issue of “bogging down,” especially on the downhills.

If you have a real good pair of skis which have seen a few years of use, it’s probably worthwhile to have them stone ground.

Starting out with new boots?

If you go skiing for the first time this winter with new boots, take along some first-aid for blisters, or plan a short trip to see how they feel. It’s no fun to reach the end of Moraine Lake road and realize your feet have blisters.

Bear warning in K-Country

If you’re still hiking, please heed this warning in K-Country. Injured Grizzly bear. It’s believed the 23-year-old female grizzly severely injured herself while breaking into a camper in Mt Kidd RV Park.

Wolves in Banff

“Wolves are formidable predators and they are taking advantage of abundant elk and deer to make a living on the fringes of the Banff townsite.” This is a story about the new wolf pack which has formed near the Banff townsite.

You only have until Oct 31 to purchase your Canmore Nordic Centre season pass at a 10% discount. You can buy them online. Go to my Canmore Nordic Centre page for the links.