Monday update: Yoho, Canmore, and owls

The Kicking Horse Ski Club is making some headway with the trails in Yoho. This update was sent today by Marilyn:

Members of the Kicking Horse Ski Club working on the alluvial fan

Winter greetings skiers,
We are still shy on our snow load but we do have quite a few trails open to x-c in Yoho. Yesterday—Bruce and Joe were able to put the bridge in on the top of the alluvial fan.

Taken at Emerald, near the big walking bridge–just coming off the Fan ski trail. So many tracks with this clear weather! We think this is a great horned or great grey owl (5 ‘ wing span) dropping down on a rabbit in the night! Photo by Helen of the Kicking Horse Ski Club

Today—with the help of Pierre, Claude, Helen, Bruce and I shovelling snow and water onto the guard rail bridge—Joe was able to PACK a trail ALL around the Fan. Even got the 2 benches out at the far end! It’s skiable —with some ski set track—but will need new snow to be able to track it nicely. At least we can get out there and enjoy this fabulous sunshine.

Other tracks that are packed and track set—though marginal with lots of twigs and some rocks—are the trail from the INFO to the Natural Bridge, and down the Kicking Horse Fire Road to the Otterhead bench.

Joe also plans to work on the Tak Falls road tomorrow–if all goes well !! Keep posted and enjoy what is there.

Canmore Nordic Centre

Canmore Nordic Centre

It was an off day for the IPC World Cup racers in Canmore today, so I had the run of the entire place which meant about 4K of trails in excellent condition.

Banff trail at 1K. Lots of new snow waiting to be groomed.

If they had been racing today, I would have been restricted to 1K on Banff trail before 3 pm.

At the end of 1K on Banff trail, I observed many large mounds of snow waiting to be smoothed out and groomed, and the snow guns were operating in the distance.

Can you guess which IPC world cup team these people are supporting?

There is an 8-lane practice grid in front of the daylodge.

I had excellent grip with VR55(0/-3) and the air temperature was -1°C.

Thanks to Chuck, we get to see some sights which would otherwise be hidden from our eyes. Today, he was at Merlin Meadows. Check the Trip Reports to see his amazing pictures. 

Snow is in the forecast for Friday!