We ran the track setter around all of our trails this evening. This is a first for this season! There is only about half-enough new snow to make a good track, but we did not turn up much ice, so klister wax should not be necessary. (Don't quote me!) We also rolled M, H and S for skating.
Everything is very hard underneath the new snow. C and S are barely civilized and B is ridiculously bumpy.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
There it was -- gone.
This morning, it is a challenge to write positive sentences. The Jackrabbit program is in the process of being cancelled for today. The wind chill is -22C, the snow is still very wet under the surface and the blowing snow will immediately wipe out any benefits of grooming -- if wet snow were groomable in the first place.
And so, the best skiing for 20 years on the DRXC trails lasted just about one week. Not very many skiers were here to experience it.
Grooming will proceed in stages as personnel and conditions permit.
And so, the best skiing for 20 years on the DRXC trails lasted just about one week. Not very many skiers were here to experience it.
Grooming will proceed in stages as personnel and conditions permit.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Peaceful skiing, beautiful clear days
M, H and S have now been restored to service for classic + skate skiers. H is reasonably flat, but S is still extremely bumpy with unexpected soft spots because of the very uneven ground underneath the snow. B is still ungroomed and it also is extremely rough. The surface water trouble spots seem to be frozen at last, but there are only 2 or 3 cm of fluffy snow on top of the ice. We may attempt to open B-loop this week.
D, R and X still have the excellent Silver Spoon track with this week's new snow on top and further grooming will not improve the skiing. If it snows some more, a new track will be set. C-loop still cannot be set with the new grooming equipment. If some helpers can be convinced to come out and shovel for most of a day, we may be able to subdue this pesky loop. No promises.
In view of the predicted several days with above-zero daytime highs and the very small number of skiers this week, the skiing will probably last longer with minimum grooming -- better to leave some fluffy snow around to groom on top of the boiler plate.
D, R and X still have the excellent Silver Spoon track with this week's new snow on top and further grooming will not improve the skiing. If it snows some more, a new track will be set. C-loop still cannot be set with the new grooming equipment. If some helpers can be convinced to come out and shovel for most of a day, we may be able to subdue this pesky loop. No promises.
In view of the predicted several days with above-zero daytime highs and the very small number of skiers this week, the skiing will probably last longer with minimum grooming -- better to leave some fluffy snow around to groom on top of the boiler plate.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
A brief update
The Silver Spoon Ski Fest and orienteering events have now run their courses and the trails are in many respects as good as they get. The tracks on D, R and X are heavily used, but appear to be in very good condition. C-loop remains skied only and not track-set recently, but is reported to be quite friendly and fun.
M-loop has the Silver Spoon classic track on "best racing line"; translated, the track is on average in the middle of the trail and cuts the corners gently. Very short sections of the track have been crushed by the team that retrieved the race signs, not much of a problem in general, and most of the track is like new. The bottom of the M-loop track is glazed and will be very hard after the temperature drops. M-loop is, at last, much smoother than previously and skate-skiing is as good as it gets except for the placement of the classic track.
The first ascent on S-loop and the first descent on H-loop remain in excellent skating condition with no classic track. The back sections of S and H have the recent snowfall relatively intact, with a reasonable classic track, but deep-snow skating. B remains ungroomed.
Had the weekend's temperature been colder, additional grooming would have been possible today. Since it is very detrimental to drive the machines on damp or wet snow, grooming will resume over the coming week on cold snow.
M-loop has the Silver Spoon classic track on "best racing line"; translated, the track is on average in the middle of the trail and cuts the corners gently. Very short sections of the track have been crushed by the team that retrieved the race signs, not much of a problem in general, and most of the track is like new. The bottom of the M-loop track is glazed and will be very hard after the temperature drops. M-loop is, at last, much smoother than previously and skate-skiing is as good as it gets except for the placement of the classic track.
The first ascent on S-loop and the first descent on H-loop remain in excellent skating condition with no classic track. The back sections of S and H have the recent snowfall relatively intact, with a reasonable classic track, but deep-snow skating. B remains ungroomed.
Had the weekend's temperature been colder, additional grooming would have been possible today. Since it is very detrimental to drive the machines on damp or wet snow, grooming will resume over the coming week on cold snow.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Is it REALLY snowing?
The snow is coming at a really awkward time, but someone said "Nature is a Mother".
The Mackenzie High School Invitational (skate-ski) race goes on M, S, H and K loops tomorrow from 0900h until 1400h. There will be mobs of young people having fun around the chalet and many vehicles on the road until mid-afternoon. (This race was postponed from today, Feb.2, because of a school bus snow day.) In addition, signage for the Silver Spoon race will go out on the trails tomorrow and/or Friday, which will cause minor inconvenience to touring skiers.
M-loop has no track now and will not have one until late Friday. Apologies for this, but M is so rough that nasty things are still not well covered and experience tells us that we will only get one chance to set a track.
D, R and X loops are in the best condition for years right now, but will not be groomed up again until late Friday.
DRXC members and others are respectfully requested to keep strictly off freshly set tracks on the race course from late Friday afternoon until Saturday morning.
If you are one of those people who think that fresh snow on a ski trail is heaven, you are in luck.
The Mackenzie High School Invitational (skate-ski) race goes on M, S, H and K loops tomorrow from 0900h until 1400h. There will be mobs of young people having fun around the chalet and many vehicles on the road until mid-afternoon. (This race was postponed from today, Feb.2, because of a school bus snow day.) In addition, signage for the Silver Spoon race will go out on the trails tomorrow and/or Friday, which will cause minor inconvenience to touring skiers.
M-loop has no track now and will not have one until late Friday. Apologies for this, but M is so rough that nasty things are still not well covered and experience tells us that we will only get one chance to set a track.
D, R and X loops are in the best condition for years right now, but will not be groomed up again until late Friday.
DRXC members and others are respectfully requested to keep strictly off freshly set tracks on the race course from late Friday afternoon until Saturday morning.
If you are one of those people who think that fresh snow on a ski trail is heaven, you are in luck.
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