All trails are open and conditions are excellent. With the forecast of 3 days of thaw, urgency is in order.
This morning, we set a classic track everywhere except C-loop, which still has an excellent Silver Spoon track, and H-loop. H-loop is not wide enough for skate-skiing when it also has a classic track, so the skaters have been granted a reprieve this week. B-loop looked unlikely to benefit from skate grooming and was left as is. Later and too late for skate grooming, we noticed that the orienteering crowd had snow-ploughed down "The Wall" and other hills and left ridges of snow in awkward places. If you are a skater and you object to this abuse of the trail, please join me in making sure the club executive know your view.
It is hazardous to ski the trails in the reverse direction and against club policy. It is likely that the club does not publicize this policy sufficiently. Ski teachers especially should emphazise skiing in the clockwise direction on all loops and e.g. never practice downhill techniques in the backward direction. The small circuit up S from Cox's Corner to The Top and down H to the link back to S is perfect for hill instruction, with only the very short right turn off S to return to Cox's.
