Closed, 9º at 6:30am. Clear sky and cold. The 4 inches of snow settled down to about 3 inches.
The tracks are on the Ranger and it is ready to work. Ian used the Ranger to pull the roller around the Peregrine. There is so little snow, the roller was banging on the rocks and was really loud. The noise is a reminder of just how many rocks are on the trails, and how the nice heavy snow expected at the end of the week will give us good base. Snow dance for snow/sleet or sleet/snow. The combo is amazing base. And while we are asking for something over which we have no control, we’d really like 8-12 inches of the amazing base building white stuff.
All of a sudden the warm fall temperatures are gone and winter seems to be making an appearance.Snow is in the forecast. As of Monday afternoon The Weather Channel is saying 3-5 inches, Tuesday night and 3-5 inches Wednesday. The National Weather Service is saying 1-2 inches and then mixed precipitation on Wednesday. The Skiology Community page is saying 4-6 inches of snow. So we will end up with something. As Chuck would say, “I’ll tell you on Wednesday afternoon how much it snowed.”
The snow tires are on our car. The truck goes to get it’s snow tires on Wednesday, road conditions allowing. This year we have been working on picking up outside for days. The long fall gave us ample opportunity to get the spring/summer/fall picked up and not have too many surprises next spring. Yet, we still found items to pick up this morning. Moving some picnic tables, moving some culverts, picking up cones. You have your own list I’m sure. Those were all things on my list I can cross off.
If you buy a season pass here’s your reminder. (Online link.) Put it on your list, buy the pass and you can cross it off!
Spring, summer and fall are spent getting ready for next winter season. This year has been the most off season trail work we’ve done in many years. There are always sticks, branches and trees down. From rot and/or too much rain, too little rain, or too much wind. This year on March 30 and 31st we had an ice storm and Peru took the prize. We were the winners on the highest power outage map. So much damage!
The power went out early in the day on Sunday the 30th of March. Ice had accumulated in the trees on the ground etc. The temperatures were expected to go up, and the prediction was for the ice to start falling out of the trees. The temperature did not go up. The freezing rain continued, and Monday, the 31st, we woke up to more ice, branches heavier, trees and branches bending and breaking. The noise of trees falling and breaking was constant to the point of being outside feeling dangerous.
Ian cleaned up the Turkey, Woodcock and Snow Goose by April 3rd and 4th. The upper trails were another story. The storm ice damage was more severe at certain elevations. Birch, beech, moose maple(also called stripped maple), service berry (also called shad) and yellow birch trees took a beating, bending into the trail, mostly one or two at a time, but in a couple spots 50 to 80 trees down in a mess. Tops of maple trees broke, big old messy branches. I worked at cleaning the downed mess a chunk of trail at a time. With grand kids, especially Wyatt, in tow we sawed and threw branches off the Peregrine and Middle Blue Jay. Mike, Jon, and Jonathan helped me clean up Chickadee, Waite’s Place Loop, Loon and Upper Blue Jay. Whew, the 4 of us cut our way through in 4 hours. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words. Here are a few photos.
Down track.Cankered beech trees.Middle Blue Jay.Middle Blue Jay.There’s a trail under there!Chickadee at the entrance to Loon.On the Upper Blue Jay, work in progress.
Now, on to mowing and weed eating getting trails smooth and ski ready. Firewood cut, split, and moved. And all the other little chores we need to get done.
We are closed as of today. If the temperatures drop at night again, along with some new snow we will look at opening for another day or two. I will let you know.
Yesterday was a good day. It was warm but the snow stayed nice. Not too much mashed potatoey.
Two more names on the “1 Day All Trail Ski” list. Reid turned 9 in February and he was determined to get his name on the list. They skied Chickadee and Loon first, then Middle and Upper Blue Jay. (They even skied the part of Middle Blue Jay we aren’t using right now.) Then down for lunch. The green trails next. And finished with the Grouse, Goshawk and Peregrine. He was even still smiling. He did admit he was very happy to sit down.
If you would like to keep skiing, Viking and Prospect are both on paved roads, check them out.
Thanks to all of you, and all the work of our great staff, we have had another great year. Heres to another real winter next year!
Open at 9 am. The temperature at 7:30 am is 30º. The forecast high is 58º and sun!
Another good ol’ spring ski day. Get it while you can. We are open today. This could be the last day. We will be closed on Sunday. The temperature is going to stay warm tonight, the humidity is going to go up (melts everything faster), the road won’t refreeze and it will be yucky.
All the trails are open. Ian did some grooming last night. Photos; on the left sunrise this morning, and on the right photo credit to Andy as he and Hilary get another round on the Blue Jays.
This has been a good old fashioned winter. A winter I would like to have every year. It has been long, stayed cold, and we have had snow! It has been long enough we are looking forward to spring.
How do we know winter is coming to a close? We haven’t seen robins or red wing black birds. But we have seen other sign. The road is muddy, sap buckets are out. The snow machine is overheating because it is just too warm out. The snow is dirty. My bedroom window open wide for a week. Changed out the flannel sheets for the summer sheets. Appointments have been made for the winter/summer tire switch. And you only want to walk the dogs on the dirt/mud road before 9 am. Winter is coming to a close. The earth is waking up.
Open at 9. The temperature at 7:30 am is 23º. The forecast high is 52º and the sun is shining.
Photo on the right is from last night, grooming with the snow cat on the Turkey, Woodcock, Snow Goose, and Grouse. Photo on the left is snow mobile grooming on the Chickadee and Loon. So, groomed 2 days ago, but not last night; Middle and Upper Blue Jay, and Peregrine and Goshawk.
It is spring skiing at it’s finest. Trails groomed last night will be loose frozen granular this morning, fast and skiable. Trails not groomed last night will be better after the sun hits them and the temperature goes up, about 11 am.
Hope you saw the lunar eclipse last night. The stars were putting on quite a show too. I did get up and go out once, but I also had a view from my bedroom window.
With spring skiing comes mud season. The road today has some ruts and some wash boards and some pot holes. The condition of the road can be what causes us to close down. I will post that here. If or when it happens. But for now, mud season driving; drive slow, aim high, don’t stop. Some folks have no problem with mud and others find it quite intimidating.
The plan as of this morning is to be open today. Open Saturday. Wait and see what is happening for Sunday.
Trail mowing has started. If you want to walk the trails; mowed trails Woodcock, Snow Goose (all but the farthest outer loop), Grouse, part of Peregrine. All trails can be hiked, they just aren't all mowed.
Carry a knapsack. If you overdress you can carry your extra clothes.
When Nordic skiing we all warm up quite a bit. So that makes it a great sport for cold weather (No chairlift). Sweating does happen. A dry shirt to wear for your second lap and/or to wear home is really nice.
