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Trip Reports – Dec
Tell us about your December ski trip
This page is for readers to share information on trail conditions. If you have photos, upload them to a photo-sharing site such as Flickr or Picasa, and leave a link with your comment. Periodically, as time permits, I will feature your report and a photo on the home page.
{ 133 comments… read them below or add one }
Rhonda, it sounds like you might not quite have been in the right place for the start of the Pipestone trails.
When heading west on the Trans Canada Highway, go past the exit to Lake Louise village. About 500m past that exit (before the turn-off to the Icefields parkway), take the right turn off the highway (Slate Rd.) This road will bend to the left and shortly after, you should see the Pipestone trail parking lot on your right. It is plowed and has trailhead signs. There is a gate that you go through where the wildlife fence that keeps animals off the Trans Canada Highway rims the start of the Pipestone trails.
Thank you Kelly. I was on Slate and stopped at what looked like a parking lot and thought that’s where I started the only other time I’d been there. Next time I’ll know to drive further on Slate for the trail head. Much Gracias. Thing was there was a wildlife fence with a gate and chain there too which is what threw me off.
Lake Louise was heaven as usual today! The Pipestone trails are in A-1 mint condition, having been just groomed this afternoon, the snow soft and beautiful
I went to pipestone on the morning of the 31st. I’d only been there once so I wasn’t sure I was in the correct spot…there were construction trailers in the parking lot and the lot wasn’t plowed. Was I in the wrong place?
Thanks, Rhonda
Fantastic day on the Goat Creek/Spray River trail today. Swix blue worked a charm all day long. Beautiful snow. The track is pretty much scraped flat for the first two km from the Goat Creek trailhead, but after that it is great with a few spots where the sides of the track have been scraped off just for a foot or two. About an inch of snow since the track was set, and well packed by skiers now. (Your favourite rock at the bottom of the first hill is nowhere to be seen, Bob.) Wished I’d had sharp carbide tips on my poles, though, as beneath the two inches of groomed/packed snow is a sheet of ice, virtually the whole way, and my poles were slipping a lot. An alternative to track setting for the next couple of weeks would be to plow the trail and everyone could wear hockey skates for a quick trip from Canmore to Banff!
A great ski to Banff, with cappucino and french onion soup in Rundle lounge at the Springs for a coffe break, and then a (slower) ski back to Goat Creek trailhead.
Conditions on Cascade Valley were quite nice today. Swix VR40 was quite acceptable with air temps of -5 C. The tracks were OK (not great), and reasonably fast. The skating lane was packed but still pretty soft according to the skaters. It would make a good ski for New Year day!
As someone ‘from away’, I love reading Bob’s reports, as well as the trail and trip reports by all the avid skiers in Alberta. I wanted to spoof your trail reports, so here goes.
Conditions for the Springett parking lot (some of you will guess the location). Temperature was 6 C, with only trace amounts of snow remaining. There had been a heavy rain last night.
Lot condition was excellent, with just a few pieces of debris, but mainly clear of stones.
Wish I could be on your trails instead!!! Have a great new year in the Rockies.
December 31, 2011
Not really an actual trail report, but I just called the Barrier Lake Visitor Information Centre about conditions at Ribbon Creek. The did not get any of the snow that fell further south, so trail conditions are still pretty poor.
From Duane: Started out of the parking lot up Red Earth Ck on Fri, Dec 30. As experienced by others, waxing was problematic. We started with 2 kicker coats of SkiGo HF (-1 to -20C) which usually works all winter everywhere. The air temp was -4C, but the kickers iced up allowing no slide. We scraped the wax right off, which worked reasonably well. At Shadow Lk turnoff, we were looking at 30-40 cm of fresh powder (one very faint track). Since I was on a mission, I put the “kicker skins” on our skis, and started up the steep trail. Very pretty, but tough going. About 0.5 km from the Shadow Lk cabins, we veered off piste a bit, but managed to home in on the cabins at 3:30 PM. Carol was wondering about me at that point (maybe a lot sooner!). I pulled out tea, and asked her to put her down coat on to stay warm.
From Carol: While sipping B&B fortified tea, Duane reached into his pack and pulled out a diamond ring! Talk about taking my breath away. With a resounding, breathless Wow, I slid the ring on. Return ski was a blurred alpine glow. The skis glided fairly easily now, and using a headlamp reached the car by 6:00pm . Wow. He broke trail to win my hand and heart. What a GREAT ski day!
Hope link to a couple of pics works below. Happy New Years! Duane& Carol
https://picasaweb.google.com/114460863389688957164/ShadowDec302011?authkey=Gv1sRgCIXRssq6oaT4twE
Well isn’t that a lovely story…
I think you two might take the romance trophy for 2011…
Beats my ‘snowshoeing’ endeavour of 2006.
Thank you for the advice, Val. Much appreciated.
I do have a Rode violet wax I bought recently. It shows a temperature range for “Middle Europe snow, 0 to – 2 degrees” and also for “North Europe snow, -3 to – 5 degrees”. I wasn’t sure whether to treat our area like Middle or North Europe. Also, I wasn’t sure whether the temperatures referred to air or snow temperature. I am new to this brand but grateful for any comments shared by others.
Hoping that you all have more great days outdoors in 2012!
Help, please. Imagine the snow temperature is 0 degrees at the trailhead and there’s lots of new fallen snow, not yet tracked again, and there is lots of fresh wet falling snow. What wax would you use?
I have been stymied this year with waxing when it is zero degrees and the snow falling has a high moisture content.
Lots of fresh snow at Boulton Creek heading to Elk Pass. Skiers resetting the tracks. Watch the edges of the road as we had to pull one car out of the ditch, as there was so much snow, it was hard to tell where the drop off into the ditch was.
Kelly, I don’t know if there is a good answer to that one. I’ve spent many a ski trip scraping ice, snow and wax from my skis after big clumps of snow had built up in the wax pocket. I would then apply a colder wax, only to have no grip at all. We have readers with more experience and knowledge than I have, so I hope we get some suggestions. In situations like that, I now use waxless skis, if I have them along. -Bob
Conditions like this is when it’s nice to have a pair of waxless skis! Rode waxes are your best bet for fresh moist snow and ‘zero’ conditions. If you don’t have Rode in your wax kit try using a colder/harder wax than you would normally use for the temperature , eg swix blue. Swix has a good website for wax advice, I think it is called the ‘wax magician’.
Skied Pocaterra today with family & friends. Trails were great, skier set tracks – some by our group- in 15-20 cm of new snow. A glorious day with light snow falling, great conditions, and great company.
Ski’d Pipestone today. Trails were skier track set only. I imagine the track setters were concentrating on the trails around the Chateau with another 12 cm of snow had fallen overnight in Lake Louise according to the visitor center guide. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my ski just as much as the pristine winter scenery was breath-taking. Thanks Bob for the update on Canmore. Hope the snow keeps coming there.
Red Earth Creek Trail Creek Trail on Thursday December 29th. Cindy, Chris, Kirsten, Jocelyn and Scott. We were the first ones into the parking lot to access the ski trails. There was about 5 cm of fresh snow at the parking lot and 0 Celsius. Some of our group of 5 opted for VR45 and others VR40. The first 1.5 km are fairly steep uphill and the grip was very good. There is a very nice snowman at the 1 km mark welcoming skiers to the trail. As we continued on the trail all of us were having trouble with icing and stopped repeatedly to scrape of the ice. Towards the halfway point the new snow was at least 10cm deep and because the sides of the track were soft it was a bit difficult to stay on top of the firm track beneath the snow. Had a snack at the warden’s cabin and then headed back down. The return trip was fast and smooth sailing especially after meeting a dozen or so skiers headed up the hill. Icing was much less of a problem as long as we kept moving. It was starting to snow again as we packed back into the vehicle to head home. All in all great snow, track was on ok condition and the skiing was very nice.
It’s snowing in Canmore this morning; about 1 cm so far and still coming down. Temperature is -3. It appears from the weather forecast that the snow should stay cold for the next three days.
Chip sent this email regarding conditions at Ribbon Creek:
I needed a good ski yesterday but didn’t want to drive to Lake Louise, so I went to Ribbon Creek, not knowing what to expect. The mercury read +5 when I arrived. I opted for my waxless skis and was quite happy. The Ribbon Creek Trail was ice, with a skiff of snow to help out. Once I got onto Kovach, there was new snow to a depth of about 5 cm. It made for a gentle run down from the top of Kovach. Aspen was in good shape, too. For marginal conditions, it was really very nice.
We skied to Boom Lake today. At the parking lot we drove through 20 cm of new snow. Trail is skier tracked all the way to the lake (1 person snowshoeing and at least 20 skiers on the trail today); there’s a trail straight across the lake, while we skied up the north side to the end of the track. Although it was snowing steadily, it wasn’t too windy. The fresh powder made the run back down just great. Swix extra blue worked for the waxables. Should be good skiing for the next few days.
Was there much new snow on the highway around redearth Creek? -Bob
To be honest, Bob, I wasn’t driving so cannot recall if there was new snow at the Redearth Creek parking lot. However, I think there was new snow on the trees bordering the highway as we approached the Kootenay turnoff.
Just back from Emerald Lake where we spent the last three days. We got about 20 cm of fresh snow while we where there, so it’s a beautiful winter wonderland over there right now. The trail around the lake was trackset with a detour across the lake to avoid the avalanche area. There is also a loop trackset on the lake itself that’s excellent for a short workout before breakfast.
Today we skied the Emerald Connector, which wasn’t groomed after last night’s snowfall so we had a good workout breaking trail. There was a sign at Emerald Lake warning about some rough sections on the trail, but we didn’t find anything posing any problems. Maybe the new snow covered those areas.
Skied the Kananaskis Lakes Trails today. The recent tracksetting is covered by up to 20cm new snow (at the top of Blueberry Hill). We started at Boulton and skied Moraine – Fox Creek – Elk Pass – Blueberry Hill. Conditions were quite beautiful, but slow, in the new snow, its going to be awesome up there this weekend.
Spent the last 2 days skiing in Lake Louise and I am in awe as to why there aren’t more people here. It hasn’t stopped snowing all week. The track setting teams can’t keep up because as soon as they groom they have to start over again the next day! Temperature has been hovering around -3C which in my books spells perfection. Yesterday ski’d Moraine Lake Road and Fairview loop and today Peyto, Great Divide and lower Telemark. All trails had just been track set this morning. Used V40 Blue Extra both days and was pretty effective except in the short snow blizzard I encountered when I reached the Lake O’Hara Parking lot. Highly recommend you get your b_tts out here. Tomorrow will try Pipestone and head home
.
Has anyone ski’d Canmore Nordic Center in the last day or two? Have they had any new snow?
Rhonda sent this email:
Hi Bob,
Skied mt shark today. The snow was falling slightly but enough to make it slow for skate skiing and classic. I was skating and passed friends who were classic skiing and frustrated with not being able to get their wax right. They tried red and then purple and they had no glide with snow collecting in their kick zone. I love going there since I can take my dog. Will be back soon. I imagine it will be groomed soon after the new snow. Thanks, Rhonda
Rhonda – thanks for the post. Have the rules changed at Mt. Shark where they now allow dogs? Cheers!
You can have dogs on leash at Mt Shark. There are signs in the area. For the fews years I’ve been going there that is the way it’s been. Having said that, all of the dogs I see there are off leash, including mine because he stays close. If I thought he was getting in someone’s way or chasing or luring wildlife I wouldn’t have him off. I’m sure I’ll get some nasty replies to this confession.
A few years ago i was at the parking area at King creek and noticed a woman’s lab chasing a bighorn sheep uphill above the creek. Before i knew it a parks truck pulled up and a fish and wildlife officer jumped out with a rifle and ordered the person to get control of the dog or else he would shoot it! A bit scary but they are very serious when it comes to protecting the wildlife!
Wow!
I have always cross-country skied with my dogs off-leash while living in B.C.. It seemed pretty easy to find designated dog trails at groomed cross-country ski areas. Now that I am living in Calgary, I am finding it difficult to find anywhere to take them. Other than Bragg Creek, is there anywhere I can take them xc skiing off-leash?
PLPP
I skied from the Visitor centre on the following trails with a friend new to PLPP. We started from the Visitors Centre Parking lot and skied the following trails: Meadow, Wheeler, Amos, Wooley and back on Meadow.
They were track set on a shallow base i.e. if you pulled up a snow cluster on your ski due to picking to warm of a wax you would see grass. If you had the proper wax selected however they were great. Today was a challenge to pick the right wax due to temperature and the warm wet snow that fell. This is a nice area to ski lots of variety.
Now it’s your turn ;-{ ) Have fun.
Enjoy
Spent the day @ CNC w/ wife & our 2 kids (5&8)… rather warm out there all day @ ~+3 to 5C but overcast whole time. At least it didn’t rain on us, and wind was fairly light w/ odd blustery bit. Fairly busy day w/ all the holiday folks and training adults/kids. First time for our 5yr old on XC skis (klister) and she did phenomenal… skiid happily for total of 2 hours!! 8yr old on rented waxless also did awesome and also skiid total 2hrs. Once a couple km’s down Banff trail my wife said tracks were awfully icey & slippy even w/ +3C klister (aka bubble gum) and warned me before my turn. I put the classics back in the car and grabbed the skate skis and huffed-n-puffed my way around a 10km loop – had -3 to -10C glide wax and it felt slow. Found some back trails w/ fresh pow and I got slower. Coming back the last 3km on Banff trail I relatively easily double poled from the tracks – ie quite icy so once temps drop it could be frustrating. Overall had a great family day, but am concerned about ski conditions until new snow falls.
December 28, 2011
Skied Cascade this morning. A bit of fresh snow was falling. +3 Sticky snow. Wax-less skis worked well although not the greatest conditions due to the warmth. There was enough snow to ski, tracks still set. Busy place as we left.
Lots of happy dogs with their families out at Mount Shark parking lot today. Did all the loops off on the right and a great workout in lots of fresh powder, minus 1 to start and 0 at picnic table just before junction 9. Waxing was a challenge however and we even tried glide after scraping off as much as we could of our VR45 kick wax. Swung onto Watridge Lake Trail and while the trail has not been recently trackset, a large group of snowshoers cut a path 5-6 ft wide on the trail. Blue skies peaked out at end of our day @ 2pm.
Dec 26 2011 Our snowshoeing group enjoyed fantastic snow and weather conditions on Black Prince/Warspite Cirque. Fresh snow, no wind, clear skies and great company. I can’t ask for anything more. I hope you won’t mind me asking something from all of you in the hopes of positively making improvements to a growing sport, snowshoeing.
As a snowshoer (and among our group we do have some x-country skiers) I want to understand how we can better share the trails with x-country skiers. We do keep off all set tracks. We do yield to uphill and downshill skiers. We move to the the edge of the trail or step off if narrow. We yell “skier” as soon as we spot any skier. We’d love it if you would yell “skier” when you see us and we will give you lots of space. We don’t stop in the middle of the trail to chat, take a break or deal with whatever issues may come up. Everytime I bring new people I tell them about trail etiquette. They are told skiers mover faster than snowshoers so it is us that have to yield. Your perspective and issues will help us understand better.
We just like you want to explore the trails Kananaskis has to offer and I know it can be done. It reminds me of the time when snowboarders gained momentum on the slopes and we had to figure how two sporting activities could co-exist. So if you have suggestions that I can pass along as to how to best share trails I would greatly appreciate it. I’m really looking for positive feedback. Thank you.
CASCADE VALLEY
Gusty wind conditions up the Cascade Valley today, but in the trees it was beautiful, especially with the Christmas Ornaments hung by those who love to share their Christmas Cheer.
See for yourself by checking out the 4 pictures at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14228638@N07/sets/72157628597360687/
ps Thanks Don for your amazing work continually grooming our trails near Banff.
Is Cascade Valley the same as Cascade fire road?
Thanks, Rhonda
Yes. I was referring to it as Cascade Fire Road until about a month ago when Chuck set me straight. It’s officially known as Cascade Valley now. Your question was a reminder for me to change the name on the tag cloud, thanks.-Bob
Conditions were ideal for our traditional Boxing Day “turkeyburner”ski loop- WhiskeyJack-Lookout-Hydroline-Fox Creek-Moraine.
We’ve been co-ordinating this annual event among friends for about 15 years now, and today was one of the better ones.
The weather was great for a picnic at the top, and bit of new snow made for smooth skiing, easy waxing and an effortless descent of the sometimes steep south side of the Lookout trail.
Some pictures here-
https://picasaweb.google.com/steveandjoriggs/FireLookout2011
Skied Cascade Fire Road today, and conditions were near perfect, approx. -2C and blue skys with scattered clouds. Because the fresh snow from yesterday hadn’t been packed down yet, it was a fair bit of work skating, but it was still beautiful out there! Tracks looked to be in excellent condition, also.
Ski’d Cascade Fire road yesterday. No doubt the best conditions I’ve seen yet. It snowed all day so waxing was a challenge but don’t let that stop you. I plan to go back and skate it tomorrow.
Skied Tyrwhitt yesterday starting from Boulton Bridge parking lot. Overall the trails were in good to very good condition, Tyrwhitt being the best. Hardly anybody out. The wind had covered the tracks on Hydroline and Boulton Creek trail needs more snow. It was snowing most of the day so it should be even better today. No better way to spend Christmas day!
Beautiful trip into Paradise Valley for Christmas Day. From Lake Louise parking lot via Fairview to the Paradise Valley access trail. Turned west onto this access trail; everything beyond this is ‘backcountry travel’ by ski or snowshoe. It is not maintained or groomed and tracks are skier-set. It snowed steadily most of the day and with temps around -3C yesterday’s purple wax was fine throughout, maybe even a little slow. Skied to the end of the broken trail just beyond the Lake Annette turnoff using the Paradise Creek trail going up and the summer hiking trail coming out. Returned to Lake Louise on the upper portion of Fairview. Heavenly conditions on all, up and down!
Skied the “Village” side of the Ribbon Creek trails today. Most of these trails were groomed on Dec 22 and the tracksetting was excellent. We started on Swix Violet Special in the morning and had to re-wax for more grip with Violet Extra in the afternoon. The snow was generally hard-packed, not icy, but very abrasive. Wax wore off quickly.
The strong winds of the past couple of days had littered the trails with needles, twigs, lichen and cones. In more open areas or among aspen groves, this was not a big problem, but it was an issue in areas of denser conifer forest. One of the worst areas was the Kovach trail, as it descends to Ribbon Creek, where the trail was littered with debris, including a large spruce tree!
The Ribbon Creek trail is in really poor shape, with little snow and extensive sections of skating rink hard ice. Best to avoid this trail altogether until we get about 20cm more snow.
Alf
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=askrasti&target=ALBUM&id=5689942267273100545&authkey=Gv1sRgCKy4p6CBr5rrrQE&feat=email
We skied Ribbon Creek today (Christmas Day) and yep, it’s still horrible. Unfortunately it was our first trip to the Kananaskis Village area to ski (we’d planned to go to PLPP but were late getting up), and we decided on Ribbon Creek as a snap decision to save time, and because we’d seen several people skiing out and apparently enjoying themselves as we arrived at the parking lot. Still, it looks like a nice little area, and we’ll be back.
The good news is: it was snowing heavily while we were out, so fingers crossed, things will be better tomorrow.
Skied Red Earth Creek this afternoon – the trail is in great condition! Recently track-set, fast but not icy. Great choice if you want to burn some of those holiday meal calories tomorrow.
Skied to Skogan Pass on this nice Saturday afternoon. Hardly any wind with just a little at the Pass which was really surprising. Temp. around 0C-Swix Red (0C to +2C} worked OK. Started from the North Parking Lot which was just a sheet of glare ice-thinking I should have bought my skates and hockey stick. Anyways all the trails up to the North end of Skogan Loop were just recently groomed and trackset and in pretty good condition. Snow was hard packed with no ice. Some pine needles and tree debris but not a problem. Trail from the end of the Loop to the Pass just skier trackset thru 8-9 inches of beautiful powder. Trip down very fast and exhilarating. Merry Chistmas everyone!
The Pipestone Loop was lovely today…wonderfully groomed and trackset yesterday (many thanks to the Lake Louise area groomers and trackers…trails are in great shape this year!). Nice & quick on the downhills, double-poling on the flats, mid-purple wax worked well. Set a supplementary track on the east side of Pipestone Pond, connecting to Drummond (trail 22)…the views of Temple, Fairview and Lake Louise area peaks are fabulous from that side.
Ski’d Nordic Center today and wouldn’t recommend it unless you have no other options. Big deterioration from one week ago. No new snow and lots of debris on the trail. Headed out on Bow Trail skating since the site said it had been groomed. When I realized the conditions I contemplated removing my ski’s and walking myself off the trail. It got a little better for Meadow-view but not by much. If you do go, bring your rock ski’s. I’m going to do a snow dance tonight and pray for snow.
CASCADE VALLEY
Nice to get back to some real snow today on the Cascade!
Check out the one picture that captures it at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14228638@N07/sets/72157628545198211
….and make sure you check the base.
Skied the Telemarks this afternoon. Glorious weather and conditions. Quite fast on settled crisp snow requiring an effective snowplow in places. Lower trail was groomed yesterday, still perfect, so it was nice and quick. Not too many people around up here today generally, and I did not meet anyone else on the trails.
Thanks for the update on L Louise trails. Pipestone probably gives me a good idea of the answer to my question, but: has anyone been on the trail to Skoki in the last couple of days. I’ll be setting out tomorrow, just wondering what to expect re snow conditions now.
December 23. I skied the Elbow / Iron Springs trail at West Bragg Creek today. The conditions were decent. Recent grooming / track setting has made the most out of the sparse snow fall. There were not very many hazards except a lot of boot holes south of the last Iron Springs junction. It seems as though that is a far as most of the hikers coming north from Alan Bill get.
Skied Hector, Pipestone, Merlin and Drummond at Lake Louise today. Pretty worn out tracks, so not really something for the lycra-wearing speed demons among us, but very nice for touring. Temperatures around -10. Soft snow on good base. No icy sections. Had a great day!
SPRAY RIVER BRIDGE OPEN
Construction complete… an amazing accomplishment!
The crew were leaving…. so we had to do our own Ribbon Cutting!
Very thin conditions west of the bridge due to earlier ploughing for construction, but lots of snow east of the new Spray River Bridge. East of the bridge, the skidoo has only gone up and down the trail, but at least your poles get a solid plant. A magnificent wolf stopped us in our tracks on this section. Then it was his tracks we had to follow for the last half Km, because nothing has been done to the trail east of the National Park Boundary. Kananaskis Park needs to remove their closed sign from the Goat Creek trailhead.
See for yourself by checking out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14228638@N07/sets/72157628532579043
We are a friendly & respectful group of snowshoers that would like to get out as well. In particular we would like to snowshoe 10 to 15 kms on trails dedicated or not because we really are nice people who stay to the side and yield to all xc skiers. Planning trip around New Years and we’d like to try West Bragg Creek be it Snowshoe Hare, Moose Loop, or whereever. What are your suggestions?
Mutual respect on the trails is essential and appreciated, and so easy to do. With more families out on the trails, us adults really need to show the younger generations how respect works.
Although I have yet to snow shoe here, I’ve heard good things about West Bragg and will be heading there w/ family this holiday season.
Seems to be a popular destination for Calgarians. Here’s a link to check out:
http://www.braggcreek.ca/kananaskis/snowshoe.htm
This 2nd link also talks about some ‘shoeing ideas if you look through the past couple years of entries: http://kananaskisblog.com/snowshoe-hare/2010/ Having mountain biked some of the new West Bragg trails, I’m 100% certain some of the shorter loops would make exceptional snowshoe routes too.
Bob – would you please consider adding a “snowshoe” section to the “Trip Reports”?
Rosemary, the Greater Bragg Creek Trails Association has just spent the whole summer constructing over 30 km of new trails. These trails are designed for summer hiking and mountain biking, but many of them are also great snowshoe trails. These trails are laid out in such a way that they do not conflict with the existing XC ski trails and generally offer better views from meadows and ridge-tops than the XC trails do. It is easy to put together loops of 10 to 15km.
You can get maps at: http://www.braggcreekski.org/GBCTA_Ski/Trail_Maps.html
A couple more options in the area to consider are:
-Hwy #66 beyond Elbow Falls, up to Rainy Summit Pass and the Mustang Hills.
-The Powderface Creek-Prairie Link-Prairie Creek Loop, also from Elbow Falls.
-The Eagle Hill trail in the Sibbald Lake area
-There are several designated snowshoe trails in the Ribbon Creek area and the Evan-Thomas Creek trail is also a good snowshoe trail
-There are several designated snowshoe trails in the Kananaskis Lakes and Spray/Smith-Dorrien Valleys, including a network of loops between the Chester Lake and Sawmill trailheads.
Hope that helps!
Good suggestions. I’ve done a number of the Smith Dorien trails and I’d like some trails for those days when I need to do less driving. You’ve given me that. Thanks. I will report back once I get out there.
Just in time for the Holiday break, the Greater Bragg Creek Trails association has released two maps showing both the XC ski trails and the new hiking, biking, equestrian, snowshoe trails. One map covers the area north of the West Bragg parking lot, the other shows the area between West Bragg Creek and Allen Bill Pond. Here’s the link:
http://kananaskisblog.com/west-bragg-maps/2011/
Great Divide/Lower Telemark was great yesterday and 8 of us (3 different groups) reveled in fabulous snow on Pipestone trails today. Minus 8 at onset and minus 4 when finished. Snow wonderful.
Skied from Elk Pass parking lot over the Pass and down to the Elk Lk cabin. Trails were all skier track-set but in good shape. Some nice new snow. Nice to take a little diversion from the usual trails. Round trip about 4 hours. About 480 meters of total elevation gain.
Skied out at Mt. Shark…. Fabulous conditions. Did the 10km loop. It appears to have been track set before but with the 10cm of fresh snow we were plowing through.. Great fun and even seen ouf Olympian Becky Scott on the trails with the family. Can’t wait to get back out there
I skied West Bragg Ck. today Dec. 20 and I thought it was Becky Scott with a Blue heeler hound and a young gentleman ( in tow) :-{ )
Just for the record, Bragg Ck. was skier set with a layer of 5 cm of slightly heavy snow.
No bare spots, a few bushes showing though, had a pleasant ski none the less.
Hope they get another dump of snow like they had last time.
50 km out of Calgary sure beats, 150 km to PLPP and 200 km. to Lake Louise. Leaves more time for skiing. :-{ )
Thanks for the post Pat! I was thinking of heading out today and/or tomorrow, but wasn’t sure how the warm temps have affected trails (I was there last on fri.) Great to hear the trails are in good shape
Skied Pipestone today on good skier set trails. Trails had been trackset on Thursday but they have had 10-15 cm. of snow since. On our way back to the parking lot we met the track-setter in action so conditions tomorrow should be fabulous!
Skied Pipestone on Sat.Dec16. Temp was just below freezing and the trails were excellent. The only flaw was few pine needles here and there. It started snowing Sat. night and by morning there was 10 to 15 cm of fairly moist snow. That caused me to get out the snowboard and head up to the ski hill(outstanding!)but I’m sure all Louise area trails are in great shape
DESPERATE TO SKI THE SPRAY?
You can!
Parks tells me that they do not need to plow the West Spray. All the earth work has been done, and the rest of the work will be done by air.
The Spray is only closed from the Goat Creek turnoff to the Park Boundry.
We were the only ones to go beyond the picnic table at the 6 km bridge yesterday, and that is where the skiing gets worthwhile! The signage is difficult to understand for those not familiar with the area. It was so nice for us to ski right from our door.
Check out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14228638@N07/sets/72157628484630631/
update: Helicopters are busy!
Banff Park just tweeted that Goat Creek Bridge is done; trail open, snowmobile packed.
Yes, we skied it today… from Banff to the Goat Creek trailhead and back to Banff!
Skied Ribbon Creek area trails today. 10 cm or so of fresh powder on top of crunchy slush sometimes. Good skiing on skier-set track on upper Ribbon Creek & on Kovach. Terrace similar to Ribbon Creek but last downhill into Ribbon Creek valley will be icy tomorrow AM.
Snowed like crazy all day in Lac Des Arcs area. Had to drive into Banff in am and it snowed alot there too. Canmore less so. Roads good at 70-90 kph. Imagine both Cascade and Ribbon would be like “skiing on ripe avocados” (to steal an expression from a girlfriend in the east).
Skied from Boulton Ck. bridge parking lot up Packer, groomed, then on to Pocatterra/Tyrwhitt, groomed and track set, over to junction of Hydroline and Elk pass then back on Tyrwhitt/Pocaterra and down on Whiskey Jack
and then back to parking lot. The trails were very good, a few needles from
the wind in the trees. It is shaping up to be the start of a good season in PLPP.
Now it’s your turn.
Enjoy.
We were also at Boulton area today and it was AWESOME!! Tons of snow and temps around -2 to -4 and snowing (big flakes), with snow temps at the parking lot around -1.7. Tracks were all skier set. K Country got 10 cm + over night. When we left there were only 16 cars in the parking lot so not very busy at all (even though that area absorbs people very well). All in all a Grrrrrreat (in your best “Tony the Tiger” voice) day!!
Peter
What a warm day in PLPP today! Started at 10am at around +4ºC and when we finished skiing around 4:30pm it was +6ºC.
A few of us took a hills ski lesson at Meadows. The trail was groomed and not trackset, but noone had been on it yet, so it had gotten a little crusty. There were also lots of pine needles from all the wind. I used V60 red, which worked very well all morning.
Later in the afternoon three of us decided to head over to Elkwood parking lot and skied a clockwise loop of Moraine and Boulton Creek. There I had to rewax (V60, because it’s the warmest I have). Moraine was pretty in the trees, and conditions seemed decent, though not great. Again, lots of pine needles and the tracks getting worn out. Conditions at Boulton were worse in some stretches – crusty/a bit of ice, combined with downhill curves, worn out tracks and a creek at the bottom … but we survived with our newly applied skills. Definitely fun trails, but these ones need more fresh snow and tracksetting.
Was anyone out at West Bragg Creek today? I’d like to head there tomorrow, so curious what conditions are like. Which trail(s) there would you recommend?
I skied the Cascade Valley trail today out to the end of the trackset. My overall impression is that the tracks are getting a little shallow, and there are many places where there is “tail wash” – tracks getting wider where a ski has slid out of the track, thereby widening the track. The snow conditions varied all over the place. Sometimes the snow/tracks were excellent, other places there was snow blown into the tracks, and in many locations past the bridge there was a really good covering of needles and other debris from the sometimes vicious winds. Also, in the last 4-5 km there is a “crust” of snow and my poles would frequently break through the crust.
Having said all that I had a wonderful ski. It was +2 when I left and +6 when I returned. I use VR50 and felt that I had good kick and glide in almost every location/snow condition. The only exception was in the very open area as you start back up the “paved” section to the parking lot. Here it had been much too warm, and the VR50 was decidely slippy. Also, I thought my kick zones would be a mass of conifer needles. Much to my surprise there were only a couple by the end of the day. Was that the snow/temperature or was it the VR50?
If I had the time, I’d ski it again tomorrow!
Excellent skate skiing at Canmore Nordic Centre this am. Warm temps made for what I call “creamy” texture and good glide. I skied the manmade snow on the Banff Trail Loop – excellent coverage – and the natural snow on the Banff Trail – a little thinner but definitely skiable, no rocks and only occasional twigs and pine needles. My husband said Meadowview was also in good shape for skating, but neither of us has ventured onto the Bow Trail yet because of it’s lower elevation.
West Bragg Creek- Skied Telephone Loop on a pretty warm Fri. afternoon.Swix Red(0Cto+2C)finally worked OK.Area has not rec’d any new snow since last weekend.The skier-set track was not too bad though it was getting a little thin espec. on the east side which also had quite a few rocks espec. on the hills. North and west sides were not too bad. I think it would do this trail a lot of good if a couple of passes by a Ski-doo were made just to set up a good base for the rest of the year. Also counted about a dozen trees down over the trail. Returned on the Moose Connector and West Crystal trails which were previously groomed and trackset and were in pretty good condition.
Cascade Valley even better today (faster) than Tuesday. Blue skies, no wind whatsoever. Ski this trail while it’s still good.
Bragg Creek no good. Not there today, but COC cancelled tomorrow’s trip due to marginal conditions. Coordinator skied it today, and reported +5 degrees when he left.
Hi Peter. Shocked to read “Bragg Creek no good” You’d think I should have been wearing my hiking boots or hip waders instead of my skiis. As I reported above, after skiing the Telephone Loop CCW I returned to the parking lot via the Moose Connector and Crystal West.It was about 4:00PM and I estimated the temp. to be just below 0C.(didn’t have my thermometer)I found the conditions on these two trails to be pretty good considering the early season and location.Sure there were some weeds and twigs showing thru the tracks but nothing serious.This COC coordinator- what trails did he ski on and what were his reasons for calling the trails marginal? As I side note I think the volunteer groomers do a very good job providing us with skiiable trails considering the limited snowfall this area receives and the very variable weather conditions.
Hi Tom. After speaking with a few folks, realized I shouldn’t have passed on “hearsay” evidence. The COC coordinator did not specify trails, only that conditions were “marginal”, and that it was +5 degrees when he left. I certainly appreciate what the volunteer groomers accomplish with limited resources, and the newly expanded trail system looks very promising.
Tuesday, December 13, saw a group of adventurous seniors, head out
from Calgary bus to test their mettle against predicted temperatures
of -22C to -10C in the Lake O’Hara and Lake Louise areas. At the
Lake Louise Information Centre, a group of snowshoers were dropped
off to stride the Village Road and mount the Pedestrian Overpass to
visit the Pipestone Trails. The skiers, stayed on the bus and went
to the Lake O’Hara trail head and the terminus of the Great Divide
Trail. Those who went on the Great Divide were greeted by a
hoarfrost-laden set track. At the end, some went up the Chateau for
a visit and then down the Tramway Trail while others immediately
headed down the Tramway and warmed-up at the Information Centre.
The five skiers who went up Lake O’Hara Fire road were introduced
to what appeared to be a dog’s breakfast of random snowmobile and
skier-set tracks, covered routinely by layers of fresh snow dropped
over the preceding weeks. The snow on our day was fresh with several
skier tracks snaking their way up the road.The climb up the road was
swift and sure, hampered only by the cold air entering our lungs.
Marvelously, the temperature warmed up to an unpredicted, -4C by the
time we reached the cabin just below the lodge.A leisurely lunch was
had and then a swift return was made through barely, chartered snow
where unlike a set track, the skier had to reach down and find his
base.The previous track became squigglly in some areas due to the
absence of track-setting but otherwise, the snow was perfect!
Just came back from Confederation Park. Trails were awesome, only one or two grassy patches and those were in areas that multiple trails merged. Most areas had two tracks running parallel so bring your friends! Lots of snowshoe tracks running parallel to the XC tracks as well. Overall a good trip, especially because I live within walking distance of the course
Yes, the trails are fairly good at west Bragg Creek. Some thin areas yet, and some twigs, grass, a few rocks showing through. One more good snowfall will fix things up for Xmas. A reminder to go to http://www.braggcreekski.org to donate online to suport our volunteer tracksetting expenses and to help replace our aging Alpine snowmobile. We can’t do it without your support.
We were interested in going skiing on Ribbon Creek trail. I was wondering if anyone has been there after last weekend’s snowfall and might let us know if the current snow coverage/conditions are pretty good. Thanks.
Hi Lynn,
The lower trails around Ribbon Creek recieved about 5cm of new snow in this last storm. Ribbon Creek trail has just enough snow to trackset and it was done yesterday Dec 12. Once you climb up onto the trails around the Kananaskis Village the snow conditions are very good for this time of year.
Thanks, Jeff. Helpful!
Lynn… some friends and I braved the scary Sunday icerink…er…highway and were out there Sunday morning. At that time there was a good 2-4″ of snow already on the existing trails and it snowed the whole time we were there. We started at the Kananaskis lodge and essentially skiied the whole loop counter-clockwise. Most trails had been trackset (before the snow) and were in decent shape. Ribbon Creek was only skiier-tracked and on an icy base – I’m not sure how much grooming would have done for it. ALL the other trails had good coverage (on south side of the road). The lookout was a good climb but spectacular coming down. So, in short, it was good conditions then and now after grooming probably fantastic. Am thinking of going back this weekend. I am honestly surprised that this area isn’t busier.
Trevor has more on West Bragg Creek:
GBCTA volunteers trackset the main trails (all except Telephone and Hostel) today. New this year is attempt to trackset wide enough on several trails for skating in the middle with classic ski tracks on the either edge, plus new and ‘reclaimed’ trails. Trails are in excellent early season condition. Moose loop is stunning – especially for a full moon ski which I’m just heading out for!
P.S. Love your website!
West Bragg Creek: The groomer(s) were out in full force Monday Afternoon. Skied Sundog,Elbow to Allen Bill and back on Iron Springs, and East and West Crystal. All were groomed and trackset except the last section to Allen Bill,which had a good skier set track. Some weeds and twigs showing thru the tracks but overall I would say the conditions are very good and the groomer did a very good job considering the area hasn’t received an abundance of snow. Beautiful, cloudless, windless day with temp. around -10C.Swix purple on my skiis from my last trip worked perfectly.
CASCADE VALLEY TRACK SET TODAY
Conditions greatly improved with the new snow, and today’s track setting.
Check out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14228638@N07/sets/72157628393180369
The emails keep coming:
Hi Bob
I am glad I found your site before I came to the Rockies (from
Winnipeg) to do some XC skiing. Tons of very helpful info. Thanks for all your hard work. Skied on Sat Dec 10 at PLPP (Elk Pass + a couple kms past the trail end into BC, Tyrwhitt, Whiskey Jack, Boulton). Have to say that it is an amazing place to ski. A big two thumbs up to the people who do the grooming!! I also skied (Thur) the Moraine Lake Rd, another fantastic trail and on Fri I skied into Lake O’Hara. Had an awesome ski holiday!!
Cheers, Rod
Lots of emails today. Here’s one from Will Ratliffe
First family ski of the year!
Just back from a short weekend at Lake Louise. Arrived mid afternoon Saturday, skated on the lake then off to the hotel so the kids could swim. Saturday night – full moon ski on the lake. None of us (me, my wife, and our kids (8 and 11)) could understand why every skier in the province was not out there, but we had the lake to ourselves. If you have never skied on Lake Louise under a full moon, add it to the list.
Obviously not a technical challenge, but what a view. The kids have brand new skis, and were FAST.
Sunday – breakfast at Laggan’s bakery then messed around on a bunch of the Lake Louise trails in the falling snow. Conditions are amazing. A little slow until things get packed again, but deep and beautiful. I love my mountains.
If you missed it, here’s a trip report from West Bragg Creek from Peter:
Went out to West Bragg for a burn this morning/afternoon… Lots of snow but not much of a base (which wasn’t a big deal with the amount of snow)… All tracks were skier set (and ruined by all the walkers). It was snowing and about -4 (snow temp was between -4 & -4.5). Wax was weird as blue (-3/-7) wasn’t cutting it for some reason so we were slipping. All the dogs had a ball and got along very well. One person did make a passive aggressive comment when they skied by in the opposite direction about the dogs walking in the track which I didn’t appreciate very much as it’s one of the few dog friendly areas!!
Waxing today was weird. What did you have success with? I moved to a warmer wax, which gave me grip but not much glide. I needed the grip more than the glide though, because I was towing a chariot with a 2 and a half year old.
Davo, we just toughed it out with the Blue, but did hear from a few other skiers that they had more success with a wamer (red) wax… I usually bring one warmer and one colder with me, but didn’t think we would need it as my thermometer is ususally pretty accurate… A lesson learned, for next time!
Email from Chip:
Hi Bob,
A quick update on the Ribbon Creek area. We skied some of the trails today in temperatures that hovered around -3C, with several cm of new snow on the ground and more falling. The Coal Mine Trail was superb, with just enough powder for fast, controlled descents. The Terrace Trail was also excellent. With colder temperatures predicted for the next few days, I would say it’s a great time to do these trails.
Chip
I just got back from West Bragg Creek. Snowed all day out there! I hope they bust those groomers out soon. The trails could use some loving, especially with all this new pow. It was a fun day regardless. Watch for large dips on the trails, they really test your balance, especially with speed.
It seems like most of the established trails have enough snow on them, I don’t recall hitting anything solid.
Skied with my family today in Peter Lougheed. We started at the visitor info center and skied along Meadow which was packed but not trackset. It was a bit icy so conditions weren’t great. We continued to Woolley trail which was skier set and not groomed. We followed it to the first downhill where we decided to head back to the visitor center for lunch. After lunch we drove down the road to Elkwood parking and skied Wheeler which was slightly better as it was trackset but still had an icy crust on the track. Fresh snow and cooler temps would improve things (hopefully!)
Can someone give advice on how to wax for the crusty, icy conditions at PLPP right now. It seems as though the old snow melted then refroze. I googled the topic and a suggestion was to use “blue klister”. I’d prefer to avoid klister. Any other suggestions?
We noticed that it took more wax than usual when at PLPP yesterday, and it still slipped a bit. Even if the snow is cold, you may need to use a fairly “warm” temperature wax. Yesterday, the snow temp was -10, but we were using VR45, which is rated for -2/-8. -Bob
Interesting that Donna reported “crusty, icy”. Was that on the lower trails at northern end of park? On higher elevation trails (Tyrwhitt loop) we found no icy, crusty trails at all, just firm tracks, which facilitate good technique. Also used Swix VR45, which gave excellent grip. The air temperature did warm considerably from a low of -12 to about -2 when we finished at 2 pm, so grip with that wax would deteriorate a bit later in the afternoon.
On Friday we were at the lower trails at the south end of the park after parking at Boulton Creek (our first mistake). We don’t know the trails at PLPP very well but want to explore them this winter as we keep reading about how great they are in your blog. We decided we need to return to the south end trails with someone who has been there before, and when our skills improve. Thanks for your advice.
Blue and the cooler green klister is quite different from the warmer klisters, ie, they are not that sticky when applied and can have wax applied over them once set. Some of the klister labels suggest them as a base for wax. Many years ago there was a winter where hoarfrost (frozen dew) was a prominent feature on the trails and blue klister worked very well. The aerosol klisters work very well.
Boulton Trading Post-Whiskey Jack-Pocaterra-Tyrwhitt-Elk Pass-Moraine-Fox loop in excellent shape. Fine tracksetting everywhere. Little sign of debris on Whiskey Jack as reported by Bob yesterday. Some pine needles on Moraine as you get close to Boulton, but not a problem. Unique experience at PLPP Visitor Info Centre: Carol recruited group of us to shout at top of our lungs at two moose hanging around too close to Centre. They moved away… slowly.
I saw the same two moose giving free car washes this morning (with their tongues of course!) at the visitor centre parking lot.
Apparently our shouting was feeble. Learned that the moose returned in the afternoon, and conservation officers had to employ “stun grenades”…
Skied to the end (Stoney bridge) and back today on Cascade. Good snow conditions, poor grooming. Except for some grass in the field, no other issues with the coverage. Not even any rocks on the hill. The tracksetting is quite bad though, especially for a couple of km’s after the Cascade bridge. it seems Parks (around Banff, I know LL does a great job) really believes that if it doesn’t snow, there is no need to regroom. With probably at least 100 people skiing it throughout the day today, I would wait until they report that they have groomed it before going again. Of course if you don’t care about having decent grooming, then the coverage is just fine.
Don has always done a great job grooming as much as he can , alone, with ancient equipment and no buget, and very irregular snow fall. I think he could use some respect, and some help.
I’m not blaming anybody individually. I have no idea who does the actual grooming, and for all I know, he is told by some one higher up when to groom. However, I have lived in Banff for 12 years now, and it has always been the same. If it doesn’t snow, they don’t groom. That doesn’t mean the tracks don’t need resetting though. Right now, there is only one trail that is skiable, so I don’t see why it can’t be well taken care of. The grooming around Lake Louise is always very quick after a snowfall, and that is Parks as well, so I don’t see why Banff should be much different. I don’t expect CNC quality grooming, especially for skating, but they could put in a much better set of tracks with the equipment they have. When the Banff sector of Parks does as good as job of grooming as the Lake Louise sector, they will earn my respect. Lake Louise already has it.
Speaking from experience working in low snow areas with ancient snowmobile implements, I can tell you that when you have to refresh tracks that haven’t received new snow it can be not only time consuming but in the end you can end up with a product much worse than you started with. Snow is much the same as dirt the more you work it the denser it gets. In the case of snow eventually it ends up much like ice.
The length of the Cascade Fire road and the size of the groomer (5′-6′) means that at best they set a track up and a track down, if they had to make multiple passes over each track just to get a decent track it wold at least double the amount of trips and if no new snow then triple and so on.
The groomers out there do a wonderful job with what they have and all of them put a lot of hours into making the cross country trails into some of the finest you will find anywhere.
My suggestion is if you want to ski pristine perfect tracks then we have so many places that are groomed to perfection.
There are many factors and variables to consider regarding track setting as pointed out by both John and Jeff such as snowfall and accumulation to name just a few. It would be nice if Banff had the wonderful equipment that Lake Louise and PLPP have but considering what they have they do a pretty fine job.
Thanks for careing,and noticing how good thing are in Louise , but the guy in Banff honestly has nothing to work with, maybe you could start an Occupy movement to get him some support , and don’t forget the respect.
Shark Mountain – we checked it out late this afternoon. Excellent shape for skate skiers but not much track setting done for classic skiers. Skier-set tracks on Watridge Road.
Email from Tracksetter Jeff
re: Skogan Pass:
I just wanted to pass on the there is fresh grooming and track setting on all the trails above Skogan Pass/ Marmot Jct. Skogan Loop groomed and track set. Skogan Pass groomed to the top of the pass, Sunburst and High Level groomed only. All trails have excellent snow.“
As quoted on the Alberta TPR website ski report:
” Kananaskis Information Staff endeavour to get updated reports to you as quickly as possible, but
from time to time operational priorities prevent prompt posting of reports. For additional information consider
visiting everyone’s favourite cross-country ski blog at http://www.skihere.ca”
There’s no stopping you now bob!
Gord
Just finished a figure 8 today starting from Boulton up Whiskey Jack to Tyrrwhit, down Elk Pass then Fox Creek to Moraine to Packers to Pocaterra then to Pocaterra Lodge.
Tip top conditions. The Fox and Moraine leg was groomed but tracksetting there was a little older than the pristine tracksetting on Whiskyjack, Tyrrwhit and Elk Pass. Faster than usual in sections due to the wind assist from the chinook whipping through the valley.
Only tough section was Packers, pretty deep and messy, no grooming at all, just a few hardy souls have pushed through.
Interesting how one person’s deep and messy can be another person’s bliss! Would love to hear about more areas that are not trackset but still with good snow!! Love the blog! Cindy
Just skied at the Nordic Centre. They’ve opened another section of Banff Trail, now all the way to the Banff Loop junction (second junction, just past the first bridge). After that you can continue on Bow Trail, but the conditions are marginal, which made things interesting for me in the dark. The trails in and around the Stadium are in awesome shape and the snow machines are out in full force now that we’re getting some really cold temperatures. I’m sure by the weekend we should see more trails open up.
Happy Trails!
The new trail report for Lake Louise shows some more trails have now been trackset, including Upper and Lower Telemark, and the Bow River loop. Pipestone has been packed.
Anyone skiing in Calgary??
With the wonderful dump of snow Saturday, I was wondering if anyone has been out to either Confederation of Shaganappi golf courses (or other Calgary areas) and can provide a report. COP is still saying mid-December for xc skiing.
Thanks!
Hi Shelli, I checked the trailhead of Shaganappi and it’s still closed for the time being. They need more base so the golf course doesn’t get damaged.
Thanks!
On Monday evening, the Confederation golf course was ski-able but wasn’t ideal – plenty of grass patches, and a combination of some icy bits and some loose snow bits – hard to guage at times. However, Canmore Park across 19th Street has better coverage and more consistent conditions so it’s a better ski on that side of the street.
Solo tour up to Skogan Loop on Sunday afternoon-
After running the gauntlet of cat tracks and snow guns on the way through Nakiska, I broke trail to the highpoint of Skogan Loop (aka Grandview Lookout, where the pines could use a trim to restore the view). It was easy going in 10-15 cm of light new fluff over a firm groomed base, but I did need to put the climbing skins onto my light tele skis, as all that new snow was not providing much purchase for wax on the long hills that characterize this route. Rather than completing the loop from the top, I opted to descend the way I had come up, on the sunny west leg of the loop, rather than dropping into the deeply shaded east side, as it was quite cool up there, only minus 15 in mid-afternoon. Snow conditions were great throughout, combined with no wind and bright sun it made for a perfect afternoon of skiing, with lots of turns in the powder on the descent. The High Level-Sunburst side loop has seen no packing yet, it would be slow going for sure.
A few pics of my afternoon-
https://picasaweb.google.com/steveandjoriggs/SkoganDecember4
Good conditions at West Bragg Creek today. I skiied Sundog and Elbow Trail both of which were snowmobile packed, no tracksetting yet however. The snow base was generally pretty good, there were just a few spots where a little dirt had been kicked up. Very enjoyable skiing through the snow laden trees.
Lovely day in PLPP III: Did the Tyrwhitt Loop in the “proper”, i.e. clockwise direction from Boulton Trading Post. 5-10 cm new snow covered all recent tracksetting, except on Elk Pass, Fox Creek, and Moraine, where skier traffic uncovered it. Moraine is a winter wonderland; the trees heavy with snow. The snow base is the best we can remember seeing here for a very long time.
Just wanted to alert everyone planning to ski Cascade Valley in the next few days – please be careful in the car park! The combination of thin snow cover, and pressure caused by cars and walkers has turned some parts of the car park (particularly near the washrooms) into sheet ice, which is hard going when you are walking in your ski boots. I took a horrid (think cartoon character style) fall flat on my back today on a patch of ice which took the wind completely out of me and made the ski pretty painful. The skiing was great fun (blue sky, fast snow) but I’d like to spare everyone else the bruises if possible – please be very careful as you try to get from the car to the start of the tracksetting.
Skied to Boom lake with my family today. Conditions were good although the trail was a bit rough due to snowshoe traffic. The temp was around -8 c and there was plenty of snow and no rocks to worry about. We passed a large group of skiers on the way in and also a large group of snowshoers. When we arrived at the lake we had it all to ourselves (except for the whiskeyjacks!) and had a short snack before heading back. I took a short detour on the way to carve a few turns on an open slope (I had my tele skis on today) then caught up with my wife and kids who were having fun gliding down the trail. My youngest daughter (5) had a great time and managed to get down most of the return hills on her own without crashing. I helped her on a few of the steeper bits and before we knew it we were back to the parking lot. Another great day in paradise!
Lovely day in PLPP II: Starting from Boulton Trading Post, Moraine Trail is perfectly trackset, as are Fox Creek and Elk Pass. Tyrwhitt groomed but not trackset until Lookout junction. Snow on Tyrwhitt is still “hollow” or soft, so small pole baskets will sometimes puncture surface. Use bigger baskets if you have a choice. Nice tracksetting from Lookout Jct to Whiskey Jack, where we turned down. Trip leader had obviously not read Bob’s advice to ascend, rather than descend Whiskey Jack, but we all made it down in one piece. I crashed just once.
Cascade… 3 firsts today…
All worth it for a 15km outing w/ friends.
1. Met THE famous Bob on the trail. I think I embarrassed him… sorry buddy. Really appreciated the friendly response and smiles. Great website, reports, and discussions from everyone.
2. First time ever on Cascade despite XC’ing for years. Still hard pack first ~km or so, surprised at the long climb up but it was beautiful up there today w/ the sun on the mountains and soft powder-covered trees.
3. First XC of the year… it’s not a question of *if* I will pay for this tomorrow, it’s *how much* will it hurt?
PLPP trails are shaping up. Skied a circuit up Elk Pass and Hydroline, Tyrwhitt, Whiskey Jack and Moraine back to the Elk Pass parking lot. All in good shape. Tyrwhitt was a bit soft (seems to be formed by a layer of packed groomed snow over a hollow or very soft underlayer).
Cascade valley is in great shape! The first part of the trail – down the road and across the grassy meadow is fast and hard (glazed) however up the first hill it gets better and better. Along the top is very good for classic and skate. After a fast downhill to the first bridge the skating and classic is great all the way to Stoney Creek.
LAKE O’HARA
If you want great snow from the get go, you won’t go wrong with a trip up to Lake O’Hara. We were the only ones up there today.
It is only skier tracked, so use your light touring skis. The track is solid, but might be blown in close to the parking lot.
The wind often howls through Wapta Pass, but invariably you will hit an inversion before you get around the corner at the Ross Lake turnoff.
Powder days are here!
Just skied the Shark trails and with a dusting of snow over the groomed trails it was great. “Mooselick” cleaned our car while we were skiing – great service! The tracks do not go down to Watridge lake or beyond the junction. The lower loops also have only been packed with the piston bully treads. However,one can ski up and around the biathlon range as well. Two other cars in the lot when we returned. One can skate in dust on crust or classic on well groomed tracks. Enjoy!