-Cynthia(green jacket) and her friends on Moraine Lake road-
Hundreds of enthusiastic cross-country skiers are on the search for skiable snow this weekend. Where will they find it? With the only groomed snow for miles around, Lake Louise and Canmore Nordic Centre will be busy on Saturday.
Evelyn and Janice on Moraine Lake road
You’ve read the Trip reports re: Moraine Lake road from Helen and Frank so I will provide the photos and fill in a few blanks.
No tracksetting has occurred on Moraine Lake road, but the snow is excellent quality. The snow temperature was -9°C and it was firm and fast. As Helen mentioned, there is a shallow skier-set track which occasionally gets completely washed out.
The snow was cold on Moraine Lake road
Janice, with an optimistic attitude, thought Parks might trackset early in the morning, working in the last few cm of new snow that might fall tonight.
It was a pleasure to meet our newest Trip Reporter, Anna Elkins. You can read about her ski into Paradise Valley on the Backcountry reports.
I started at the top of Tramline, and as Frank said, it’s a bit uneven and rutted, but I didn’t see any exposed dirt or hazards. The air temperature at 2 pm was -5°C. When I got to the first high point on MLR, about 6K out and 210 metres elevation, the air temperature was -10°C and the snow was -9.
I used VR40(-4/-12) and had excellent grip all the way up the hill. I’ve shortened the wax pocket on my new skis and now have excellent glide, too.
Tramline
Don’t forget about the Great Divide trail. The conditions aren’t quite as good as Moraine Lake road, but from all reports it very skiable. You might even catch a bear napping in the middle of the trail. He doesn’t sound aggressive, but take bear spray just in case.
Thank you to everyone who has left a Trip report. It’s nice to see many of the regulars are back to inform us, and I’d like to welcome any new Trip Reporters. Anna Elkins has left a very interesting Backcountry report from her trip into Paradise Valley today.
Today might be the first time in history that we had more Backcountry reports than “groomed trail” reports.
When I went into the Parks Canada info center at Lake Louise and asked if Moraine Lake road was groomed, the response from the woman behind the counter was sanctimonious and condescending including, “you do know this is early season” and the tone of why would anyone ski this early in the season? Needless to say the road was only skier set, excellent cold snow in abundant amounts. Grooming should have occurred days earlier. The terse lip service from the surly Parks employee was unfounded and I enjoyed the skiing thoroughly as did the multitude of skiers including from what I saw, level 4 CANSI skiers, ski team members, Olympic course designers (Don Gardiner), ex Olympians, senior citizens and other athletes. Does Parks Canada not know about local economic stimulation from established recreational infrastructure? Who do they have to roust off a couch to fire up a ski doo and groom a simple road?