14Jan Pine Road- a mixed bag

I hope there weren't too many skaters who left from P16 and cut short their ski in despair.  The grooming started off poorly but after #52 the grooming ranged from very good to excellent.  (I think it was all good news for those going classic particularly after 52.)  The details:

From P16 to Herridge it was poor.  Clearly some kind of machinery had gone over the trail but there remained a trench for much of it.  The trench itself was firm but the sides were very soft, fine on the downhills, tough going up. 

From Herridge to #52 things improved but it still was not great. 

At #52 it became fantastic.  The skate lane was flat and firm and even at 1pm had seen very little traffic.

Grooming remained excellent until about #55.  After 55 it was still flat but kind of chunky on the left (as you headed to P19).  Because the snow was firm this was not a serious problem.

55 to Taylor lake ranged from good to excellent.

Even in the areas where the grooming was excellent it was still "bi leveled".  Typically this reduces the skate lane by 1/3.  Still, this is better than the trench that has developed.  I think this trench is from too much snowmobile traffic in exactly the same place.  The snowmobiles can help firm things up if they are not constantly driven in the same lane all the time.  Seems to me that if a snowmobile needs to use a particular trail it should spread things out a bit.  Maybe it could even play a role in levelling out the trail in those sections that are bi leveled.

Naturally the snow was pretty slow today, more time to enjoy the sun!

11JAN Night Ski P10-Ridge up to 24.

Another fast and fun night ski.  With the wind at one's back it was really easy skiing, a bit cold on the way back though.  Grooming was very good with a few thin spots along Ridge and the Demsis ridge is making a reappearance here and there although this will all be a distant memory this time Friday.

10Jan -night ski P3-P8 and back including 5

What else can I say-it was fast and fun.  No problems on 5.  There were lots of people out there tonight.

8Jan P16-P19, 55, 54

I've always been a big fan of trail 50 and for the last few years consistently disappointed by the grooming.  Unfortunately today was no different.  For some reason the fantastic grooming we saw yesterday was not duplicated in this part of the park. 

One can still ski on the trail and have a great time.  There is some debris in the skate lane and the classic tracks but not so much as to be a real problem.  Today it was pretty fast and firm.  Some might think it is too firm in the skate lane because of the snowmobile traffic (in some areas this has resulted in a kind of trench down the middle of the trail).

From the campground to P19 the trail is on a road yet for some reason the grooming (except for a short stretch) is not nearly as nice as on the parkway system.  I almost wonder if this is because construction equipment is brought in during the week to work on the section that has been washed away?

Trail 55 out to Taylor lake is similar.  It is very skiable but I wonder why a trail on a road can't be flat? 

54 is a real work in progress although no fault of Demsis.  A couple of sections have been washed away and with the usual icy sections on the downhills extreme caution is required particularly as you approach the hay bails on the way down.  (At one point I just walked.)

I am now used to the weak grooming in this part of the park and thus lower my expectations.  Its still a great trail and I am often surprised how little traffic there is between Herridge and the campground.  I would think that those on classic skis would enjoy this trail more than those skating.

P6-Penguin-Fire Tower

In summary conditions were excellent even if it was a little slow in spots.  The details:
P6 to Penguin via Parkway-excellent
Ridge Road from Penguin to #3-very good grooming, a little thin in spots
Ridge from 3 to Lookout-not groomed but skiable, very bumpy, needs more snow
Ridge to 24-excellent
24-couldn't tell if this had been groomed recently with a lot of traffic or just not groomed, bumpy, needs more snow
Ridge from 24 to McKinstry-very good fresh grooming, is thin in spots with a few rocks showing
McKinstry to Tower-Seems to have been groomed yesterday but had a thin layer of slow, new snow, grooming still very good but it did take extra effort.
On the return 1B-has been groomed recently but perhaps not today, bumpy, needs more snow
1B to P6 along the Parkways-excellent

Especially considering the snow this was perhaps the best day of grooming I have seen in a long, long time.  We can't blame the NCC for the lack of snow or the fact that it was slow today at certain points.  I had rock skis because I wasn't sure how Ridge would be further up and I did experience another nick.  Debris is showing as are a few rocks.  One could get away without rock skis.  If the grooming is as good Sunday it will be fantastic as things should speed up a bit.

Night ski 5Jan

I skated from P3 to P8 and back.  On the way out I went on 5.  The parkways were in good shape although the section between P3 and Pink is particularly firm.  5 was more pleasant because it was not as firm. 5 was in good shape with only the odd icy patch.  If we get only another 2-3 cm of the white stuff the skiing will be that much better even if there is no fresh grooming tomorrow.

2JAN12 Evening ski

Skated from p3 up to near P6 and back.  The conditions were firm and fast but not so firm that it was difficult, just lots of fun.  There was about a half cm of fresh snow from a brief snow shower.

I have been away for a few days and saw some complaining about the grooming.  I don't really have a complaint about the parkways I was on tonight.  The website said they had been groomed 6 hours before.  There is a dip in the middle of the road where there is a good skating lane that is pretty flat.  The only issue for some might be the occasional occurrence of the Demsis bump running down the middle of this lane but it really was not much of a problem.