Starting out on the Lake Minnewanka road
Yesterday I said I was finished skiing for the season, but I really mean it this time. I’ve never seen Banff tracksetting in April, so I wanted to verify it with my own eyes.
Lorna and Melissa on the Lake Minnewanka road
It’s true, Cascade Valley and Upper Bankhead were groomed and trackset today. I climbed the big hill on my Fischer Twinskins with excellent grip. The snow looked a bit too damp for wax to perform well, but I was pleasantly surprised at how fast the tracks were. The skier in front of me was pulling divots out of the track with wax that was too sticky.
Cascade Valley beyond the big hill
I didn’t ski as far as the bridge, but Dave and Faye had gone beyond the bridge and reported a good skier-set track.
The Lake Minnewanka road has excellent coverage as does the meadow. With freezing temperatures tonight, the tracks and skating lane will be ultra-fast in the morning and a bit crusty.
It was nice to see Chuck at the trailhead as I was starting out. He had just finished the Upper Bankhead trail which is also freshly groomed and trackset.
The temperature was +2°C at 4 pm.
