I was pleased to see the Tweet from Banff National Park this morning saying Moraine Lake road is now closed to vehicle traffic. MLR usually has the first skiable snow in early November.

The Highline trail had about 5 cm of fresh snow near the top. Oct 10, 2016
The earliest I’ve skied on Moraine Lake road was Oct 26. That was back in 2012 and there was good coverage. The snow had been roller packed but not yet trackset.
Well, hold on, there is some earlier skiing. In one week the trucks will descend upon the Canmore Nordic Centre to “deliver” Frozen Thunder. We can expect about 2K of ski trails on opening day, Sat Oct 22.
Frozen Thunder is geared more towards racers and training, and was originally intended to give the national team skiers a headstart on the season. The track is reserved for training from 9 a.m. to noon on weekdays, but otherwise, the public is welcome including all day on Saturdays and Sundays.

Click for larger image
I hiked the Highline trail yesterday, curious to see if there was more snow at the top. At my house which is at 1402 metres elevation there’s about 2-3 cm of snow. At the top, in open areas, there was closer to 5 cm. The highest elevation of the Highline is 1600 metres.
I don’t expect any of this snow to stick around but it sure gets skiers in the mood.
I’m excited about all the contests we’ll be having on the blog this winter. The graphic above mentions a few, and I’m still lining up more.
A reminder that individual season passes for the Canmore Nordic Centre are 10% off until Oct 31, and can be purchased online Buy a season pass for 10% off.
Lyle Wilson at Nipika Mountain Resort has announced the dates and itinerary for Ski Week. It will be held Jan 15 – 20, 2017. It gets booked up quickly, so click over and check it out now. Ski Week at Nipika.
WONDERFUL BLOG, THANK YOU BOB!!!!!!!!!!!
KEEP IT UP.
EMRY