-On some days no matter what wax you use the grip is just not there-
Post your caption for this photo in the comments.
On my way to ski Skogan pass, I parked at Stoney trailhead to avoid the crowds at Ribbon creek. I talked to one skier who confirmed that I made a good choice when he told me Ribbon creek was a zoo.
As I skied up Troll falls trail, I soon observed the tracks on the groomed ski trail. At the Skogan pass junction, I saw the Jeep. He must have realized he was getting in too deep, and tried to escape by backing his way out. He is not only an idiot, but also a poor driver. How do people like this ever get a driver’s licence?
On my way home, at the Trans Canada intersection, glad I was turning towards Canmore, but sympathetic to all of you who were caught up in the traffic snarl going east.
Traffic heading towards Calgary. I’m on the bridge at the casino intersection
“Hey dealership, is ski trail damage covered under warranty?”
Sometimes 2X2 > 4X4
ah I like 4×4 but there will always be someone to abuse something good
It’s BS that there’s no laws to enforce skiers only on ski trails. There are laws to prevent any kind of damage to public property and parks property, but the unfortunately the parks person wasn’t interested which is all too typical. If the Parks staff are disinterested in this issue then the responsibility falls to us skiers to make them interested. Speak up to Parks when you see people abusing trails. Speak up to everyone caught in the act of abusing a trail, just like you would if you caught them littering. If you don’t speak up you are just as much a part of the problem.
I have observed the failure of multi-use ski trails in other parts of Canada when they are slowly taken over by walkers, snowshoers, horseback riders, etc (but that’s the first jeep, lol). After a while the grooming and tracksetting stops because its a futile effort. It all starts with the first set of footprints on the trail, and then others naturally follow. The only practical way to prevent this is to keep them off the trail in the first place by having good signage and enforcement. So let’s make this point to Parks!
My photo caption is: “The new warming hut! Let’s start a fire inside”
Yield to downhill skiers.
“The moment I got stuck, I realized that I am destined to become a cross-country skier.”
Caption: “multi-use” trails 😉
“Bleepin’ Jeep creep lands in steep, deep bleep.”
I actually talked to the guy as he was winching the Jeep out, he sheepishly told us that, “it looked like a road last night”…
Did he appear to be sober? That’s what scares me..he probably was. This may have been normal everyday behavior.
Another pesky skier in my way.
Skidiot!!!…..idiot on a ski trail, not the first, won’t be the last!
Jeepers, I’m having a bad day!
These trails are brutal! Never enough room to classic,skate and jimmy all at the same spot!
Perhaps I can interest you in one of our snowmobiles? Or – for a more economical option – maybe you’d be interested in a macho winch? Still too expensive? How about an AMA Plus membership?
“I just HAD to try cross-country skiing…”
Nice red Jeep though
“Whoah Canyonero, WHOAH!”
…well it goes real slow with the hammer down, it the countryfied truck endorsed by a clown…. Canyonero….
…well she blinds everybody with her super hi-beams, she’s a squirrel squashin’ deer-smackin’ drivin’ machine.. Cayonero…. Cayoner-er-ro
Alas, The Simpson’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZeFDe44Ddo
I was going to add what I thought was a funny comment until I watched the video. You nailed it Cheeky. I bow out gracefully.
Cheers
Nice contextual fit, eh?
Rest assured if it needed skewering, the Simpson’s writers likely did it – exquisitely. The writers of todays truck commercials with those stupid, egregiously contrived cowboy-voices need some serious ridicule next.
My alternate caption: “Stereotypes Exist for a Reason”
“It’s a Jeep thing”.
On some days no matter what wax you use the grip is just not there.
This one has my vote!
Last week in Calgary I got stuck in that Bus Trap, and now this phew !
what luck!
Should leave it there for the year!!
I was stuck in the traffic jam. Took me 50 minutes to go 3km from the casino turn-off east, from about 4:05pm to 4:55pm. Even after that, at one icy section, vehicles didn’t slow down. Some will never learn.
Still a magnificent first day of skiing! I was amazed at how few people there were in PLPP. When I pulled in to the Elk Pass parking lot just before noon, there were 15 vehicles. I saw 4 people on my ski to Blueberry Junction. On the way back I took Fox Creek to check it out. It wasn’t trackset, so involved a bit of dodging trees at turns, but that babbling creek was so soothing. I just love that winter wonderland and all the snow pillow up Elk Pass.
And in response to Skier Bob’s post last night, the Pocaterra parking lot was plowed. Roads were great and mostly dry south of Nakiska.
“I thought I was driving a Pisten-Bully”
We nearly got stuck in that traffic jam on our way home from Banff. Fortunately we were able to turn around at the hwy 40 turnoff and we drove back to Calgary on the hwy 1A.
Downhill skiing is expensive but cross country skiing is “Jeeper”
I vote for Jeff for best caption!
Caption: “It said it’s a multi-use trail!”
Honestly, I swear, my GPS told me to turn here. As I was driving I even took a photo of the GPS screen so I can prove that I’m not lying!!
“What? You don’t like my tracks?”
I was at Ribbon Creek today and can confirm it was busy. Got an early start and finish so we missed the Hwy 1 traffic snarl above. Instead we hit the one in the morning west bound just before the Casino. People need to slow down and pay attention.
There was some fresh grooming and the new Ribbon Creek trail was fun, although there are getting to be some thin spots already. In normal Ribbon Creek conditions of less snow and icy conditions this will be a challenging trail.
There were multiple users on the trails today: cross country skiers, snowshoers and winter hikers. The closer one got to the Village the more abused the tracks became. I stopped and checked the trailhead map at the village to see if there are any guidelines on trail use. There are two maps with conflicting information. The older and larger map indicates that the trails are for cross country skiing and hiking, the newer but smaller snowshoe map clearly shows separate snowshoe trails and cross country trails; these being the usual Kovak, Aspen, Terrace etc. I chatted with one skier who felt the ski trails were for skiers only, I indicated that they must be multi-use as there is nothing clearly stating they were for skiers only.
Next we stopped at the Barrier Lake Info Centre to inquire. The information person there said they are designated for cross-country skiers only and was surprised to hear about all of the multi-users. After further inquiries they said there is no law to enforce the skiers only statement. So it looks like as skiers we will need to be patient and perhaps politely educate users along the trail on how to use the trails without destroying the grooming and track setting.
I also picked up the new (Nov 2015) Ribbon creek map at the info centre and see it includes the new rerouted Ribbon Creek trail. There is one major change to the trail usage on the map that even the Information Officer was surprised to see. According to the map all trails (village, skogan, Ribbon creek and wedge areas) are now dog free, thus dogs are now prohibited. The Information Officer has an inquiry into HQ to find out more info as the map was the first he had heard about it. So Bob you might also want to inquire with Parks HQ as well to find out the scoop on dogs on these trails and you may need to update the Dog Friendly Trails page here on the blog.
btw, I checked the Alberta Parks website and they still have the 2013 map posted that permits dogs on these trails, so you need to pick up the new hard copy map to see the changes.
I’m curious about the “After further inquiries they said there is no law to enforce the skiers only statement.” bit, it really could do with some clarification, it seems to imply that any human access restriction on open trails on that type of land use area in Kananaskis is unenforceable (other than the motorized vehicles on trails thing of course).
I really doubt they would make a change to not allow dogs in that area. They allow Skiing, post holing, horses, sleigh’s, toboggans, hockey sticks, snowshoes and pond skating. The website has not changed and the norm is dogs are allowed in pretty much all parks EXCEPT CNC and PLPP. I suspect it was an oops.
…and I hope he got a ticket too!
Excuse me, I think I missed the turn off for the Starbucks drive through!
My caption: “Must be a downhill skier”