No sitting, getting prepared or hanging out in the Daylodge. No bag storage inside the lodge. Use your vehicle to store your clothes and gear while skiing.
Racks are available outside for equipment storage. Wearing a mask is required in all inside facilities. Please consider wearing a mask outside at all times when not skiing. Maintain physical distancing at ALL TIMES. If you can touch a person with your ski pole, you are too close. Do not gather or socialize on trails with friends or family who are not part of your immediate household or your two selected contacts if you live alone. ******
Lake O’Hara fire road. Photo by Chuck
On yesterday’s Trip Reports, you can read about conditions on the following trails:
- Lake O’Hara(2)
- Yoho Valley road
- Pipestone
- Mt Shark
- Fairview and Moraine lake road
- West Bragg Creek
- North end of PLPP
- South end of PLPP(3)
Cathedral mountain. Photo by Chuck
Thanks to everyone who submitted a report.
******
New tracksetting in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park:
As predicted, tracksetting occurred Saturday evening on Elk Pass, Blueberry Hill, Patterson, and grooming on Upper Lake connector. Some light snow was falling during tracksetting, so early skiers will be polishing the tracks.
If Elk Pass parking lot is full, you can park at the Upper Lake and ski the 900-metre Upper Lake connector to Elk Pass.
All the trackset trails in the south end should be in primo condition. Besides the above, that includes Whiskey Jack, Tyrwhitt, Hydroline, Lookout, and Upper Pocaterra. The single track trails of Moraine, Fox Creek, Boulton Creek have plenty of clean snow but have not been trackset. They have reasonably good skier-set tracks.
Reports from skiers on the north end roller-packed trails have been positive. For example this one from Alf Skrastins… “North of Packers, Pocaterra was roller packed/groomed but not track set, as was Lynx, Amos and Wheeler. Very good conditions on all of those.”
Beware of Packers if you’re descending: “Exercise extreme caution coming down Packers, many ice hazards in the top half.” -Chris S
The PLPP Discovery Centre is open daily from 10-3, but effective today, services will be reduced to information and washrooms. The lounge will be closed.
Pocaterra Hut is open(at least it still was yesterday) with a limit of 10 people. Move along so others can make use of the facilities for changing clothes and using washrooms.
The temperature at the PLPP maintenance compound at 8 a.m. this morning is -17°C.
Have you purchased your Kananaskis parking pass?
******
Bear Spray question
Mark is asking if he should carry bear spray in PLPP:
“I’m going to PLPP tomorrow, alone, and I’m wondering if I should bring spray for cougar etc. The trails can be tricky, and if I wipe out I don’t know if I want to be carrying a compressed can of bear irritant. How busy are the trails usually, on a Monday?”
Re. Pocaterra Hut: hate to be a spoil sport, but Pocaterra Hut should not remain open at all, unless they choose to leave the indoor bathrooms available. Even Lake Louise Ski Hill is not allowing backpackers to eat indoors. As per most recent guidelines:
Mandatory restriction – Provincewide – Effective Dec. 8
All indoor and outdoor social gatherings – public and private – are prohibited
Helen, I didn’t stop at the hut but when I was at the Discovery Centre there were signs “prohibiting the consumption of food.”