Redearth Creek at 8K
It was a good omen meeting Andrea on the trail because the snow started falling exactly the moment I took her picture. Environment Canada is predicting 5 cm of snow in Banff tonight. One cm of had already accumulated at Redearth Creek parking lot when I finished skiing around 4 pm.
Redearth Creek, 300 metres south of the campground
Kellen Westman, who sent the Pipestone photo yesterday, was skiing at Moraine Lake road today and said it was snowing heavily around 3 pm. Groomers were rolling the skating lane. Lake Louise is supposed to be getting 12 cm according to the Snow Forecast.
The Peterson’s were enjoying a family outing on Redearth Ceek. This is near Lost Horse Creek at 6.8K
Driving west around 12:30 pm, it sure looked like a system was moving in. The Redearth parking lot had 10 vehicles which I assumed belonged to skiers.
Indeed, there were quite a few skiers on Redearth Creek today. I had only gone about 600 metres when I met Lisa and her troop of eight skiers and one fat biker. The first kilometre has a couple exposed rocks. There’s a bit of fresh snow on the trail at low elevation, maybe 3-4 cm, but past the campground it’s closer to 10-12 cm.
Andrea at 4k on Redearth Creek
The tracks aren’t perfect but are still in reasonably good shape. It’s been eight days since it was trackset. Some pine needles adorn the trail up to the 2.5K mark, but thereafter they were clean. Tonight’s snow will cover them up.
Jeff on his fat bike, near the beginning of Redearth Creek
I had many pleasant chats with blog readers today. Andrea, who brought the snow, and Brian who was returning from the warden’s cabin when I met him about 300 metres past the campground. I passed Chuck and Jaclyn at about 5K, just a bit before the first high point at 5.4K. Jaclyn said she really enjoyed the non-skiing blog posts about my speeding ticket which I fought and won. I always like the feedback.
The final K before you reach the Shadow Lake junction at 10.3K seems to be skier-set track and there’s not much of a base for your poles, as my left pole was breaking right through.
The air temperature was -6°C and VR45(-2/-8) worked well. Coming back was soft, silent, and safe with the new snow on the trail.
Traffic in Banff is insane.
Swix wax to give away
Free grip wax
If you see me on the trail, and if you need a tube of Swix wax, stop me and ask. I have some to give away as you can see in the photo at the right. The only stipulation is that I get to take your picture(now you’re a double winner!).
Mt Shark Grooming Report: On Dec 28th, Watridge Lake Trail, to the Spray River, as well as to the Helipad were all trackset, as well as the Blue 2km loop. All other trails were groomed only and more early season natural hazards exist on these trails.
Dec 30 is the final day to enter the Emerald Lake Lodge contest.
Never having experience with a Fat Bike, I always wonder about them. I bike that road on a regular basis in the fall, and round trip is a few hours. Are fat bikers simply someone that never learned to ski, or is there another appeal to them that has eluded us who have not had the benefit or trying them?
I’m guessing that they are dependent on travel on groomed trails as well, so in a sense could Fat biking offroad be construed as ‘cheating’?