Conditions on the new tracksetting were spectacular. Today’s skiing was as close to perfection as you’ll ever find, and everyone I met was echoing those thoughts.
As Val B reported,
Tyrwhitt
“The Whiskey Jack, Pocaterra, Packers loop was just gorgeous today. The trails had been beautifully groomed and track set this morning (thank you Alberta Parks; you rock). There was no ice, no glazing and it was blissfully sunny, with a steady temperature of minus 3. What a winter! We are so lucky to live in this part of the world!”
Whiskey Jack
Tyrwhitt
In addition to the Whiskey Jack – Pocaterra – Packers loop, I went south on Tyrwhitt as far as the picnic table where I turned around after having a snack. It’s fun to just sit there in the sun and watch the skiers go by. Whiskey Jacks were milling about, trying to mooch food.
Sonya was thrilled with the fabulous conditions
Downhills in both directions on Tyrwhitt were terrific. I met Janice and Charlie as they were starting up Tyrwhitt. They had already been up Packers and Pocaterra and were ultimately heading for the Fire Lookout to take advantage of the fresh snow on the trail to assist with the fast downhills.
All told, I skied 90% of last night’s tracksetting including the Lower Lake which is a delightful trail that nobody seems to know about.
Lower Lake trail
The temperature at 12 noon at Boulton parking was -3ºC and the snow was -6. The characteristics and quality of the snow were A-1 for grip. I used yesterday’s VR50(0/-4) which may have been a notch too warm for the beginning of my ski, but the temperature was warming. I had excellent grip and no icing problems. Three hours later, I still had perfect grip while skiing the Lower Lake trail.
Skiers pass by while I am sitting at the Tyrwhitt picnic table
If you want peace, quiet, and no other people around, the Lower Lake trail would be perfect. I’ve never seen another skier on it but I heard a raven and a squirrel and saw lots of animal tracks.
One of the nice things about this pleasant weather is that it’s easy to chat for an extended length of time with other skiers without anyone getting cold. As you’ll see on my GPS, my stopped time today was 54 minutes.
It was truly a remarkable day.
