I wasn’t able to ski today, so I drove Cheryl to Boulton Creek parking lot. She skied up Whiskey Jack then proceeded to do the long fun downhill on Pocaterra back to the hut where I was waiting for her. Some fresh snow on ‘Jack but the tracks were still in pretty nice condition.
Whiskey Jack Jan 6, 2009
She reports the tracks on Pocaterra were really fast between Whiskey Jack and Lynx junction and that I missed a great 6K downhill – no poling required. From Lynx back to the hut the trail was covered with pine needles and debris from the recent strong winds. Taking a sideways glance at Packers as she was flying through the intersection, it didn’t look like any recent grooming had been done. Lynx was trackset and looked excellent. The trail report shows that Lynx, Amos, Wheeler were the most recent trails trackset. Looking south toward Tyrwhitt, all looked pretty good as well. Click here to see more photos.
The groomer was at Mt Shark yesterday according to the Kananaskis trail report. Everything groomed, with tracksetting on Watridge Lake Road.
Novice Skiers take note:
Cheryl related an incident that occurred as she was climbing ‘Jack that made me want to cry. She passed two women who were also on the trail going up. They were carrying their skis, and crying. The trail was just too difficult for them. Whiskey Jack has some brutal hills on it. I remember the year I learned to ski. It was the first time I did a long ski(at that time, I consdered 12K to be a gargantuan undertaking). We were on the Meadow/Woolley trail, where the hills are miniscule in size compared to Whiskey Jack, and I recall taking my skis off in frustration and walking. I was unfit, I couldn’t manouevre my way down the steeper sections without falling, and it only became worse as I got more fatigued. My gloves and clothes were getting wet and I was getting cold. I liked the activity well enough to persevere, but it was not without occasional frustrations. Luckily, I stuck to easy trails most of that winter and most of my experiences left me wanting more.
I relate the above for the benefit of all beginners. If you are a novice skier, try to learn as much as you can about the trails you’re skiing on beforehand. Try not to bite off more than you can chew. There are plenty of trails which are great for beginners and novices. Ribbon Creek is where I cut my teeth and it is in good shape for skiing right now.
Cheryl asked the women if she could help them, and they just asked her if she could tell them the best way to get down. It turns out they were with two others who were already sitting at the picnic table at the top. I hope they found their way back safely.
If you want an opinion on the difficulty level of a certain trail, send in a comment. I’m sure a reader of this blog who has done the trail will be happy to help you. Click on Comments below to ask a question or to give us a report on trail conditions.
