It was with a renewed appreciation for this wonderful place that we took to the ski trails at Ribbon Creek this afternoon.
Ribbon Creek trailhead. Dec 20, 2009
As most of you know from reading this blog, Kananaskis Country was not going to be grooming the trails here this winter due to budget cutbacks. We’re thrilled to say that is no longer the situation.
It was a pleasant day, air temp around -8. The trail was double trackset and in good shape. Best of all, we were able to take Tessa on her first ski trip of the season(she’s the one in the above photo with the blue boots).
Being close to the village, the trails around here get a lot of foot traffic, and you’ll have to tolerate some footprints in the tracks, but it’s a minor inconvenience compared to the luxury of having these trails to ski on again.
Skiers on Ribbon Creek. Dec 20, 2009
With Tessa along, we didn’t want to overdo it, so Christine came along and drove the car to the village where we would meet her in about an hour or so. We started at the Ribbon Creek trailhead, skied to the 2.5K point(it’s not groomed beyond this), went down the steep hill, over the bridge and onto Link.
At the Link-Kovach junction, we decided to take a right turn and make the steep climb up to the lookout(the alternative is to take a left on Kovach where you can return to Ribbon Creek trailhead, or take an easier route to the village).
Kovach lookout. Dec 20, 2009
From the lookout, it’s a fun and fast downhill for 4K to the village with a series of the most delightful and enjoyable S-turns you’ll ever encounter.
The first people I talked to today at the trailhead were out skiing because they read about the trails being trackset on this blog. Moreover, I’m thrilled to be able to remove the page off the sidebar which said “No grooming at Ribbon Creek.” Yay!!!!
Click here for More photos from Ribbon Creek(check out the horses!)
Hey Bob,
Thanks for the news, information and sheer excitement for skiing that your site provides. Who knows, it may have even helped K-Country management realize the mistake they make by initially deciding not to groom the Ribbon Creek trails this season. I want to thank the trail crew who put in a great effort to groom these trails on Dec 19 & 20. I spent the day enjoying the upper trails in the Skogan Loop – Sunburst Lookout area on Monday. The trails were in superb shape and the snow just got better as you gained elevation.
Lots of great skiing here, with half the driving time of PLPP or Mt. Shark Trails!
Alf
Great to hear about Ribbon Creek. I didn’t have much hope that K-Country would come to their senses, but stranger things have happened. Haven’t had a chance to get on the freshly set trails yet as my weekend was spent enjoying the good backcountry conditions in Banff and Kananaskis.