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Back Door update
Lower Elk Pass now has lots of snow. Photo by Alf Skrastins
As you may have already read, Conservation Officers were handing out tickets to skiers who were parked on the highway near the Back Door entrance to PLPP. Alf Skrastins has provided photos and a report which show you don’t have to use the back door…
“There is now enough snow on the trails at the Elk Pass and Upper Kananaskis Lake Parking lots, that there is no need to use the “back door” trail access. There is 15-25cm of light snow over a very supportive rain crust. Travel conditions are excellent on and off-trail.”
Skiers prepare the snowshoe trail in PLPP
Making first tracks on the snowshoe trail. Photo by Alf Skrastins
It’s a common occurrence for showshoers to use the Elk Pass ski trail rather than the actual snowshoe trail along Hydroline, to reach the top of Elk Pass. I’ve taken pictures of the snowshoe trail in mid-winter covered with pristine, untracked snow.
As you can see in the photo, Alf Skrastins and his group have skied-in the trail so the first snowshoers have a packed path to follow. A ski track is a magnet for snowshoers, so it should attract the first snowshoers of the season.
The snowshoe trail had no snowshoe tracks on Feb 17, 2016
Alf’s photos also show the lower sections of Elk Pass with lots of snow, so it bodes well for grooming to begin soon. The trail was snowmobile packed with the early snowfall back in October, so there’s a firm base which should allow the snowcat to do its thing.
The leased snowcat was sent back to wherever when the grooming was cancelled and they are awaiting its return this week.
Canmore Nordic Centre
Great news this morning from Georgie Fear: “Hot news!!! Snow guns are ON at the Nordic centre!!!”
Kananaskis Season Pass Sales
Removing blowdown from Fox Creek. Photo by Alf Skrastins
Over 1500 season passes have been purchased. Ken Hewitt also remarked, “Volunteer recruitment is strong – most weekend shifts in PLPP are now filled, and we are concentrating on weekdays, as well as at Ribbon Creek and Mt. Shark. Volunteer training will begin in about 2 weeks.”
Top Photo
When I saw the raptor imprint photo, it reminded me of some of the photos which readers have sent me from our trails in the SkierBob domain. I know MaSid has encountered these imprints in the snow around the Elk Pass meadows.
Irony
The Conservation Officers were concerned with vehicles creating a dangerous situation at the Back Door by parking on the highway…
