Jeff Douglas
Lake Louise will be one of the only skiable places on Saturday. It appears that everything else has turned to ice. There’s 2-4 cm of snow in the forecast for Kananaskis, Canmore, and Banff. That might help rejuvenate some trails.
We’ve had trip reports regarding Moraine Lake road from Chuck and Hugh. The next report comes to us courtesy of Chateau tracksetter Jeff Douglas:
Hi All!
Here is an update of the trail conditions around the Chateau
Fairview Loop (#2) Double trackset, Dec. 10. Good condition.
Upper Tramline (#3): Double trackset, Dec. 10. Good condition.
Shoreline (#4): Double Trackset, Dec. 11. Good condition.
Moraine Lake road. Photo by Chuck O’Callaghan
Lake Trail (#4): This warm weather has made the slush on the lake even worse, we need some cold temps for it to begin to freeze. We have started to sled pack the width of the lake, but this will take time to freeze thoroughly and then we will need snow to cover it. Travel is NOT recommended.
Upper Telemark and Peyto Trails (#5&7): Sled packed and leveled Dec. 12. Poor condition. We will trackset this tomorrow afternoon!
Teaching Grid: 8 Lanes, Dec. 10. Good condition.
Notes: There is great skiing to be had on the trackset trails, but still use caution, there isn’t much of a packed base and there are some hazards underneath that could cause some problems. Ski with care!
Updates from other areas
Kananaskis village/Ribbon creek: Rain fell throughout the week both during the day and overnight, and chinook winds deposited tree debris throughout the area. At this time skiing is not recommended due to spring-like conditions.
PLPP: Rain fell throughout the week both during the day and overnight, and chinook winds deposited tree debris throughout the area. If venturing out for a ski, anticipate spring-like conditions. If the snow in the forecast for Saturday materializes, conditions should improve but at this time, waxless skis may be beneficial.
Canmore Nordic Centre: After recent reports, please be aware that conditions are VERY ICY due to the warm weather, particularly on the Banff Loop past Junction #5 and natural snow trails beyond that – we do not recommend skiing on natural trails today. Please be aware of unmarked hazards due to warm temperatures. Many trees have come down due to high winds and created more debris on trails. The snow is not softening and icy conditions also exist on machine-made snow trails. Please ski with caution.
Banff: Dangerous conditions on the cross-country ski trails, especially in the morning and evening.
