******, Estimated number of visits to Kananaskis Country, “The 2020 season saw a jump of more than 1.2 million visitors to 5,394,168 compared to 2019. Elkwood was also very busy. Confederation golf course: All trails were groomed and trackset on Feb 27. Photo by Boomer Groomer. Travel on the east section of Mountain road (east of Blue Bridge) is not recommended.”. Comment from Greg regarding the Kananaskis Parking Pass: “$50 is good value. and received 101 replies, a few of which I’ve displayed on this page. If you’re approaching the ice-flow bypass from the south, the trail starts out in the trees and there is a marginal spot with very thin snow. Photo by Chuck. Moose Connector at West Bragg Creek. The grooming report indicates 3 cm of new snow by 4 a.m. and still snowing. The Pinhoti Trail is a Southern Appalachian Mountains long-distance trail, 335 miles (540 km) in length, located in the United States within the states of Alabama and Georgia.The trail's southern terminus is on Flagg Mountain, near Weogufka, Alabama, the southernmost peak in the state that rises over 1,000 feet (300 m). All the S-turns had plenty of snow and were easy to negotiate. Banff: Cascade Valley and UpperBankhead were trackset yesterday. Thank you to all who saved the season.”, Castle Lookout to Baker Creek on Feb 28. Feb 27: West Bragg Creek. The best hiking trail there is Creater Lake. The trail is about 2,200 miles (3,500 km) long, though the exact length changes over time as parts are rerouted or modified. See detour map. With tonight’s expected snow, most of the tracksetting will have some fresh snow on top by morning. Great conditons, but expect a freeze / thaw cycle over the coming days.”. Since Oct 1, 2020 we’ve received 1.48 million visits. Last night’s tracksetting included Pocaterra from the hut to Packers, Lynx, Rolly Road and Come-Along. Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Lake Louise and possibly Mt Shark will hopefully still have cold, waxable-conditions snow. Updated: March 1 , 2021 at 1:20 p.m . Okay, I already said there is one small hill and my VR45(-2/-8) gave me a bit of grip. “After another rewax and refuel at Goat Creek trailhead, I headed out for my last lap, as far as the Spray East/West junction. Groomed trails make a big difference in the lives of young skiers, aspiring athletes, and families looking for a safe and affordable way to get outside in the winter. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the A.T., is a marked hiking trail in the Eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. Increasing temperatures are in the forecast and the effect of this first big warm-up of the season will destabilize the snowpack. here were a lot of cars in the Boulton Creek parking lot. The Bill Milne Trail can be accessed from Kovach Pond Day Use, Evan Thomas Day Use and Wedge Pond Day Use. Best bet if classic skiing to stay on core trails and avoid sun exposed areas. The temperature at the trailhead at 7 a.m. is -5°C . Previous to the decision, as encouragement to the government, I posted the question What do you like about skiing in Kananaskis? The tracks were fast but I don’t know if my wax was working because I double-poled the entire time. I was greeted with a winter wonderland atmosphere when I arrived at Boulton Creek in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park in mid-afternoon. Hard-packed dirt with some great panoramic views. Most forecasts are predicting around 3-5 cm. We will have a limited number of trails track set for Saturday but there has only been a dusting of 2-3mm overnight, so tracks will still be discernible. No wonder there were a lot of cars in the Boulton Creek parking lot. What do you like about skiing in Kananaskis? Not even the high elevations are safe from the heat wave. The reroute is skiable but it’s not pretty on the stretch which parallels the highway due to all the crud from the snowplows. The tree debris disappeared as I made my way up to the Kovach Lookout, and the snow was pristine at the top. The predicted high in PLPP tomorrow(Thursday) is a blistering +7°C and sunny according to the Weather Network. Peter Lougheed Provincial Park: Whiskey Jack, Packers, Upper Pocaterra, and Lower Lake. “A few flakes of snow on Saturday night but no real trace was noticeable on the grooming at the time it was completed. Click on map to see a larger image. Even though it is masterfully constructed and is a maintained trail, don't be deceived by the apparent ease and convenience of hiking it; from beginning to end, the North Kaibab Trail has its challenges. Might be time to start applying sunscreen!”. West Bragg Creek: Every trail has been trackset. The temperature at the trailhead at 7 a.m. is -5°C . Great conditons, but expect a freeze / thaw cycle over the coming. A low-hour used machine costs around $200,000. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The air temperature at Kananaskis Village in mid-afternoon was -1° and the snow was -3 as I started on Terrace trail, heading north. Ski mania continued unabated in February. The efficiency of Nordiq Alberta to put together the infrastructure to collect the fees, and the hours of work by Ken Hewitt and his gang of parking lot volunteers has been amazing. There were a few bottle brushes on the trail from last night’s wind but surprisingly few needles. There was 1-3 cm of new snow on top of the grooming, but it was well skied-in by Jean-Francois and all the other early skiers and was in excellent condition. Dakota Woods Dog Park The temperature at the Lower Lake is -12°C. I skied on last night’s tracksetting: Wheeler, Amos, Woolley, and Meadow with a side trip on Lynx. Though subject to change in the coming days conditions are still very good winter conditions, particularly at elevation.”, “Variable conditions including Slush and ice flows, snow fleas, soft skate lanes due to deep renovation to remediate equestrian damage on Mountain Road, and glazed tracks. The excellent grooming at Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Ribbon Creek, Mt Shark and Sandy McNabb has continued. Instead I’ve skied more than ever. Trail replaced an older route infamous for crossing Bright Angel Creek 94 times (the present -day trail crosses only 6 times). “All trails were groomed Friday evening by one volunteer as it was snowing.”, “The forecast did not live up to expectations but it should be a lovely day of skiing in ‘the creek’ none the less. I’m standing six feet behind Barb for this selfie. Keep in mind the Ribbon Creek snowcat will need to be replaced soon. Kidd RV Park groomed and trackset this evening after 5 to 7 cm new snow. Be wildlife aware! It was nice to see the Ribbon Creek crew was able to get Bill Milne, Wedge, and Evan-Thomas trackset this morning. The predicted high is +3 with wet flurries. Get all the information on the Blog of skier Bobby, Descending the steep hill from the Kovach Lookout. Grooming and Tracksetting: How it’s accomplished. Alberta Parks has a good new map as of 2020 which shows the entire system. With the extremely warm temperatures we are experiencing, you can expect very little tracksetting over the next few days(but I hope I’m wrong). ... Outcrops of crumpled ribbon chert protrude from clay and muddy sandstone. The Rolly Road and Pocaterra training grids were also trackset. A new pilot program is raising funds this winter to bring back ski trail grooming in Ribbon Creek/Kananaskis Valley, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Sandy McNabb and Mount Shark. Photo by Steve Riggs. If you’re looking for cold snow today, Lake Louise is your best bet. Golden, BC: the final day of the Dawn Mountain Challenge is Feb 28. I also skied the Bill Milne trail but I’ll do a separate update for that. The only “inconvenience” I encountered was a bit of tree debris on Lower Kovach but it was mostly embedded in the tracksetting so not a big problem. Most forecasts are predicting around 3-5 cm. With tonight’s expected snow, most of the tracksetting will have some fresh snow on top by morning. Trail conditions are great! Did you get your money’s worth? I have used my Pass over 30 times. Canmore Nordic Centre: Most trails have been trackset over the past two nights. Lake Louise surface, Lake Louise Shoreline, Lower Telemark, and Upper Telemark. ... Just past this point a sign marks the start of the Cooskie Spur trail, which makes a 1.2 mile ascent to the Cooskie Creek trail. Elkwood was also very busy. Mike W skied across the Goat Creek bridge 6 times today. Though subject to change in the coming days conditions are still very good winter conditions, particularly at elevation.”, West Bragg Creek update from Boomer Gromer: “Variable conditions including Slush and ice flows, snow fleas, soft skate lanes due to deep renovation to remediate equestrian damage on Mountain Road, and glazed tracks. The “explosion” in xc skiing caught everyone by surprise. I didn’t realize it in time, but there is a bypass for the bypass which has plenty of snow. If it freezes at night, we might see some grooming in PLPP. Find a new or used NISSAN X-TRAIL for sale in Brisbane, QLD. Expect 1- 2 cm’s of snow on top of Friday night’s grooming, and all other trails will have from almost 5cm’s to possibly 10cm’s, depending on location and when they were last groomed.”. Starting at 7 a.m from Goat Creek trailhead, he did two round trips to Banff, then finished his epic trip as follows…. “Joe just got back from track setting all linked trails between Field, Emerald, Otterhead River(KHFR). An additional $22,000 in donations was also raised. The places which have the best snow early in the season are also the places which will continue to have the best conditions now. The announcement came on Oct 30 that grooming would continue. It also shatters the five-year average of 3,787,166 by more than 1.5 million estimated visitors.”. The Pipestone trails were trackset yesterday. These fellas spent their Saturday night track setting close to 70km of trail for everyone’s enjoyment. March 4, 2021: Nordiq Alberta sent out this news release today and it shows that $60,000 was raised in excess of the required amount. In addition to the usual man-made-snow tracksetting, the following natural snow trails were trackset: Banff trail, Bow, Meadowview, Grey Wolf, Cold Shoulder, Wooded Bliss. Alachua Countyâs new Turkey Creek Preserve, 6300 NW 93rd Ave, in Gainesville cost $4 million. Nordiq Alberta put together a feasible proposal which involved a $50 season pass or a $10 day pass(completely voluntary. Unfortunately, tomorrow(Saturday) is going to be our last day of sub-zero temperatures in Kananaskis. The Mud Lake weather station shows 6 cm overnight. Travel on the east section of Mountain road (east of Blue Bridge) is not recommended.”. I met lots of skiers with big smiles on this spectacular sunny day. Chuck was at Castle Lookout/Baker Creek yesterday where the snow was still cold. I started out on Wheeler, and the first person I met on the trail was Bob Moir, president of the Senior’s Outdoor Club of Calgary. The predicted high on Sunday is +6. Lake Louise: Moraine Lake road and Great Divide. Prepare for larger surf and the possibility of getting wet. Leasing is somewhere around $70,000 per year. The temperature at 2 pm was +1°C and the fresh snow almost scared me into using my twin skins, but I decided to try out the waxable skis first, and I’m glad I did. Grooming will resume tonight when we are not having to dodge around people. “Kananaskis Village trails and Bill Milne trail from Ribbon Creek to Mt. Located in the heart of Tahoe Donner in Truckee, The Lodge Restaurant & Pub is known for offering exquisite bistro-style menus crafted with French and Pacific Rim influences. Always check trail conditions with the BLM before leaving. So far Hay Meadow has been trackset. Gallery Bank Plugin Powered by Tech Banker. Great conditions.â E-book: Avalanche – Guide's guide to safer travel in the mountains. Peter Lougheed Provincial Park Cross-Country Ski Trails. It’s been a difficult winter for all the senior’s groups who usually take buses for mid-week trips to the mountains. He will wait for Yoho Valley Road for a while yet.”. The wind of the past two days has taken a small toll on the trail. When Ruth Ramonas posted her comment on Oct 19, little did she know how prophetic her prediction would turn out to be. I used one layer of VR50(0/-4) covered with one layer of VR40(-4/-12). Goat Creek, Spray River West, and Spray River East were trackset today. Lake Louise Ski Resort indicates 5 cm of new snow in the past 24 hours. The clouds were moving in as I was leaving around 5 pm. Only four months ago, we were still in fear of losing the grooming in Kananaskis. Check Nordic Pulse for the latest WBC grooming information. The trail passes a campsite at just under a quarter mile, steadily gaining elevation to climb a ridge high above the creek. The temperature at the WBC trailhead this morning is +5 with a predicted high of +9. I didn’t get her name, but the young lady in the above photo was descending the steep hill from the Kovach Lookout and she told me she had fallen a couple times, but as you can see, she was still having fun. 25% Off lodging in our Premium Slalom Creek Slopeside Condos w/ Private Hot Tub and Full Kitchen â Minimum 2 night stay; Total Stay only $1,261.50 (incl. Covid-compliant selfies on the Bill Milne trail, Beautiful conditions at Kananaskis Village, E-book: Avalanche – Guide's guide to safer travel in the mountains. The following trails were trackset today(March 3) but a few in PLPP would have been done late on March 2: Bill Milne, Wedge Connector, and Evan Thomas, “Groomed and trackset this AM with 5 cm new snow since last grooming. Starting later today, we will see above freezing temperatures at West Bragg Creek, Ribbon Creek, Canmore, Banff and Calgary. From there you will continue on to the Virgin Dam Aid Station (mile 34.4). Conditions on the Bill Milne trail weren’t quite as good as on the village trails, but it was still enjoyable. In the fall, I thought I’d have to take up snowshoeing. The trails on the west side of the road including Lodgepole, Braille, Sinclair, WWL Access, Spruce Road, and Meadow(partial). There remains a lot of good skiing in the month ahead, but I wanted to post the question while we still have a lot of people reading. Get it while you can as temps are shooting skyward on Sunday relatively early in the day.”. Luckily, it’s just a small hill so I stopped at the top and waited. Required fields are marked *. “Grooming under mostly clear skies on Sunday night, with light intermittent flurries, totalling <1cm of fresh snow by the time grooming was completed at 02:00. The temperature at the Lower Lake this morning at 9 a.m. is zero. Earlier this season I had encountered Janice and Charlie a couple times, but one of us was always zooming downhill and going too fast to stop and talk. I enjoyed meeting Gudrun and Howard from Red Deer at the Lookout. Winter is scheduled to return next week, so I hope some snow will survive. Open Daily Gym | Closed Lap Pool | 6AM-7:30PM for 90-minute lap sessions, subject to change* Popular for a reason: Maroon Bells, Coloradoâs most photographed landscape, and one of the state's best hikes, is even better in living color when the distinctive symmetry of snow-dusted Maroon and North Maroon Peaks are framed by a ribbon of aspens, all reflected on shimmering Maroon Lake. With a huge range of new & used vehicles on carsguide, finding a great deal on your next NISSAN X-TRAIL has never been so easy. The following should have also been included with the above announcement…. Best bet if classic skiing to stay on core trails and avoid sun exposed areas. Darcy already gave you the formula for successful waxing today. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Purple covered with blue. A water station will be set up for you at mile 31.4. This is a great trail overlooking the Virgin River in some areas as you skirt along the rim. Cold Shoulder(pictured) is one of the most scenic trails at CNC. “Feb 26: Ribbon Creek, Coal Mine, Hidden, Hay Meadows, Ruthies, Skogan Screamer, and Lower Skogan groomed and trackset this evening. With up to 5 cm in the forecast, tonight’s snowfall should cover most of the debris. The web cams are showing snow covered roads from Canmore to Lake Louise. Have fun out there!”. Now I know how MAAD does his epic night trips! Best to stay on shaded core trails if you are classic skiing. *****************⦠West Bragg Creek Grooming Report from Boomer Groomer: “A big shout out to volunteer groomers Bill, David, Peter and Jeremy. I can now last a week without skiing until the cold weather and snow hopefully returns!”. **********************************************************, Your email address will not be published. I skied on last night’s tracksetting: Wheeler, Amos, Woolley, and Meadow with a side trip on Lynx. March 1, 2021: Last night’s tracksetting on the Kananaskis Village trails was in great shape and a real treat on which to ski. West Bragg Creek: Every trail has been trackset. The Ribbon Creek Trail System can be accessed from Ribbon Creek Day Use, Kovach Pond day use and Kananaskis Village. Running into renowned poet Janice Perry, who is always way ahead of husband Charlie, was another highlight of my day on the trail. Your email address will not be published. The WBC trailhead temperature at 8:30 a.m. is -13°C. In the comments, tell us what you would do with the excess funds. Check the CNC trail report for details. “Avalanche Canada, in partnership with Parks Canada and Alberta’s Kananaskis Country, is issuing a Special Public Avalanche Warning for recreational backcountry users across a widespread area of BC and Alberta. Between Ribbon Creek and the golf course, 3.9K, there is only one hill on the Bill Milne trail and that’s exactly where we met. Trail Closure: The trail is closed from D Street to Lilydale Road until further notice due to a rockslide . Chuck spent the day in Paradise Valley, where it was cooler and he was able to use wax. The predicted high in Calgary for today(Sunday) is +5°C. This turned out to be a great psychological boost, as skiing by headlamp gives you the sensation of moving at a tremendous speed. It worked perfectly with excellent grip and no sticking. HOURS OF OPERATION. Big Rivers Regional Trail Paved Regional Trail: Open. TROUT CREEK IS A PRIVATE AMENITY AVAILABLE TO TAHOE DONNER MEMBERS AND THEIR GUESTS. “Chinook winds, above zero temps, snow fleas and equestrian damage are all factors contributing to suboptimal ski conditions. The sun was shining but the snow was still cold enough to use purple wax. March 1, 2021: I had to read Mike W’s late night trip report twice before it registered with me that he had just skied 100K on Goat Creek/Spray River. I had not even skied on Woolley and Meadow this season, so it was about time. Be aware of an ice flow on Lower Skogan. Enjoy Spring conditions–careful on the hills. That hill can’t be any longer than about 40 metres with an elevation gain of five metres. 3 axle with front axle air lift, air ride suspension, 17.5 tires at 80%, 48 foot deck. Friday night’s grooming will have 1 to 2 or so cm’s of snow on the surface, and all other trails will have from almost 5cm’s to possibly 10cm’s, depending on location and when they were last groomed.”. There are a few snow drifts where the tracks are filled in and there is some unusual tree debris for about a 100-metre stretch. The descent from the Lookout to the Village was pure enjoyment on the great conditions. My favourite line from one of Janice’s poems: Need to write a letter to the government to lobby Some of the core trails were trackset early today. Lake Louise: Great Divide, Lower Telemark, Moraine Lake Rd, Upper & Lower Tramline. It’s not the usual pine needles but instead it consists of small twigs from the stand of dead trees along the trail. Peter Lougheed Provincial Park Cross-Country Ski Trails. Peter Lougheed Provincial Park tracksetting: Elk Pass(partial), Hydroline, Lookout, and Tyrwhitt. Visitors can check out 5 miles of marked trails. This special warning is in effect immediately and will stay effective through the weekend.”, If you stick to groomed trails, you’re pretty safe, but there is still some risk on a few trails: Groomed trails with avalanche risk. Save my name, email, and site URL in my browser for next time I post a comment. Kananaskis Village and Bill Milne trail: âKananaskis Village trails and Bill Milne trail from Ribbon Creek to Mt. Great conditions.”. Avalanche danger is rated Considerable at Alpine, treeline, and below treeline. (If anyone has more accurate figures, please let us know). Grooming and Tracksetting: How it’s accomplished, “Groomed and trackset this AM with 5 cm new snow since last grooming. Janice and Charlie Perry on Bill Milne trail. Now that I’m on the farewell tour, when I met Barb and her friendly dog Jamie on the trail, she wanted to take a selfie with me. ), There will be a mixed bag of conditions including glazed tracks in sun exposed areas. Feb 27, 2021: A little bit of fresh snow in Calgary and West Bragg Creek, but more in the mountains. I had to stand six feet behind her in order to comply with the pandemic rules. Avalanche warning for Kananaskis, Banff, Yoho, Kootenay. Kananaskis: “All Skogan area trails groomed and trackset this AM after 5 to 7 cm new snow fell last evening and upwards of 20cm new higher up since the last grooming. The clouds were moving in as I was leaving around 5 pm. Kidd RV Park groomed and trackset this evening after 5 to 7 cm new snow. Stoney Trail from Hay Meadows to Wasootch Creek groomed and single trackset as well. The announcement came on Oct 30 that grooming would continue. Hoping to hit 40. I had to pull out my headlamp for the final Goat Creek section. Shaganappi golf course: Track setting was mostly redone Saturday evening. The trail reaches a cave and a small bench at a half mile. The Hay Meadow weather station shows 4 cm and Nakiska reports 7 cm of overnight snow. Back at the trailhead, I was the only car left in the lot, the wind had died down, and stars were out with a nearly-full moon. Check Nordic Pulse for details. As I write this at 7:30 pm, the Ribbon Creek snowcat has begun the Friday night tracksetting. tax) Based on two nights in a Slalom Creek 3 bedroom, sleeps 6 â 8 people; Fully Equipped Unit (full kitchen) with Private Hot Tub; Blackout Dates: Dec 26 â Jan 3, Feb 12 â 20 You didn’t have to pay if you didn’t want to). Price: £989 / $999 Wheel size/travel options: 27.5in and 29in (tested), both with 150mm, 160mm (tested), 170mm and 180mm travel; Weight: 2,019g (29in x ⦠I skied between the golf course and Kovach Pond parking lot which means I had to ski on the ice-flow detour trail for 1K. About 3km from the end, I saw headlights from the other direction that looked like the groomer was coming my way, but it was two fat bikers. All Skogan area trails groomed and trackset this AM after 5 to 7 cm new snow fell last evening and upwards of 20cm new higher up since the last grooming. The daily average of 10,054 unique visits to this blog is up 116% over last year. The warm weather is predicted to continue for the forseeable future. By now, the trail was deserted. Trail conditions are update d as conditions change. Alberta Parks owns the Ribbon Creek Pisten-Bully but leases the PLPP cat. I had not even skied on Woolley and Meadow this season, so it was about time. Alberta Parks has a good new map as of 2020 which shows the entire system. Avoidance of Mountain road is advised if you want to avoid isolated slush/ice flows, snow fleas and soft skate lanes (due to a deep renovation to try to eliminate 6” postholing by a horse. Feb 26 tracksettting: Goat Creek, Spray River West, Spray River East. Be aware of a very shallow snowpack on parts of the northern portion of this trail, which can be accessed via Hay Meadows.”.