Ate too much yesterday? Need some vigorous exercise? With the recent snow, many new trails have been groomed and/or trackset, so skip the malls and go skiing!
There is skiable snow at Pocaterra hut. The hut is open from 8 am – 8 pm daily. Photo from Dec 17, so there’s even more snow now.
I know that skiers with children especially enjoy places like Pocaterra because of the hut. Lower Pocaterra(first 4K) has been packed and is skiable. Of course, the higher you get, the better it gets. West Bragg also has a “warming structure” in the parking lot.
High temperatures for today are forecast to be in the vicinity of -10°C. It’s -11 at SkiHere’s world headquarters in Canmore this morning.
West Bragg Creek on Dec 26. Photo by Groomer Jeff.
West Bragg Creek:
- Today! Dec 26 @10:58 a.m. from Groomer Jeff: “All of the Crystal lines, Sundog, Iron Springs North, Mountain Road and Moose Connector were groomed and track set this morning. Conditions generally are good with some hazards in thin areas. Watch for ice flows on Lower West Crystal and Stairway to Heaven.”
- Report from Alf Skrastins on Dec 25: “Conditions were very nice at West Bragg Creek, for a mid-afternoon Christmas ski. There was some new snow on top of yesterdays grooming on West & Middle Crystal Line, Mountain View and Mountain Road. The double trackset on Hostel Loop was mostly holding up, except on hills and turns.”
- Jan skied Moose Loop on Dec 25… “It has been groomed not yet trackset, and was wonderful. Recommend skiing this loop counterclockwise just now due to some ice and a few exposed rocks, easily navigated, on uphill slopes going in this direction.”
PLPP:
- Some “middle” trails were groomed and/or trackset on Dec 24 including Whiskey Jack, Pocaterra, Lynx, Amos(partial), and Wheeler. Packers was groomed but is not recommended. Check the Live Grooming Report for details. The south trails have the most snow and should be in excellent shape including Elk Pass and Blueberry Hill.
Kananaskis Village/Ribbon Creek/Bill Milne/Skogan pass
- Still a thin snow pack but these trails are skiable and some have been groomed. “The trails around the Kananaskis Village have just enough new snow to cover up the needle debris from last weeks winds. Expect skier set track over a groomed base.” Check the Live Grooming Report for details.
Banff:
- Cascade Valley, Upper Bankhead, Spray River West and Goat Creek have been recently trackset. Redearth Creek is trackset and has been in good shape for quite a while.
Canmore Nordic Centre:
- Excellent conditions on man-made snow. Warming hut at 2.5K is open. A late afternoon Trip Report on Dec 24 from Charles Curtis indicates that natural snow on Banff trail, Bow, and Meadowview were roller packed.
Lake Louise
- Moraine Lake road was trackset on Dec 25. The Great Divide, Fairview, Tramline, Shoreline are all options. Campground and Bow River loops are closed due to flooding.
Yoho, Emerald Lake:
- Kicking Horse river, Emerald Lake, and the Alluvial Fan have all been trackset according to the Yoho National Park trail report. Marilyn skied on Dec 24 and reports “Tracks at Emerald are wonderful–single loop on the lake ice, double track to the back, Fan is pretty good and so is the Horse trail.”
Mount Shark
- It was trackset, but I’m not sure what condition it’s in. We’ve had reports that the dog sledders have pretty much ruined Watridge Lake road.
Confederation Golf Course, report on Dec 24:
- “Let the city skiing truly begin with this dump of powdery snow! Confederation Golf Course at 10am today had good coverage of asphalt and gravel paths, all currently skier set. A pleasure to ski it compared with the thin patchy coverage of the past week or so.” -Elaine B
