Open, -4º at 7am. Another clear sunny day. Really good skiing. The skiing is about as good as it gets. 25 km classic and 5 km skate.

Ian re-groomed the Chickadee, groomed the Loon and Waite’s Place Loop. He shoveled up on the Loon and Waite’s Place like crazy to fill in low spots and level out bumps and assures me that all his work means we are getting a dumping of snow from the Saturday night/Sunday storm.

About the storm, the snow forecast  is for over a foot Saturday night, and over a foot on Sunday. New snow is amazing. “Snow is like kindness, it beautifies everything it covers.” The skiing will be amazing. Now the caveat, new snow is a lot of work!!!!!!! For us in moving it around and packing it out. Work for you, as in a slower, softer ski. We will be grooming the entire time. New snow takes time to set up. We will work to get it set up as quickly as possible. The new snow will be soft, slow and gentle. The woods will be silent with snow. (Until the wind blows.)  So plan on slowing down, and enjoying the new snow as is. After a few days, it will firm up, and speed up and we can go back to our hurried days. But, enjoy the slow down while it is here with fresh new snow.

Watch for the return to Nordic Center signs if you need to return more quickly.

And the temperature is going to drop. Cross country skiing is a warmer sport, you’ll help yourself stay warm with movement. Dressing smart helps. Plan now. All those warm clothes you own, bring them along.

• Layers. Dry layers. A dry shirt to drive home in is really nice.
• Sweaty socks mean cold feet. And don’t come out in short cotton socks.
• Wind proof outer layer.
• Down and wool are great additions.
• Mittens are warmer than gloves.
• A neck warmer.
• A hat and a hood.
• Dry socks. Your feet sweat.
• And if you need it hand and toe warmers.

Open, 22º at 7am, the skies are cloudy and the air feels warms. Expected high 27º, cloudy with a chance of snow showers.  Wonderful skiing today! Cold tonight and great skiing again tomorrow!

The tracks……..1/13/2019

This is what the track looks like. Ian put a new track in on the Low Trails last night. Fresh grooming on the Woodcock, Snow Goose, Turkey, Grouse, Goshawk and Peregrine. (Chickadee, Upper and Middle Blue Jay were re-groomed yesterday). I had a friend once tell me there is nothing wrong with a good rut. Well, I’ll take the rut we’re in right now any day. Great skiing, really nice tracks, firm skate lanes. The temperature, I could talk about the temperature all day. It has been perfect. Staying below 30º. The teens are perfect, the days are sunny, the nights clear. And now, a forecast only a skier will love. Lots of snow in the forecast, looks like Saturday night and Sunday.

Monday Ian and Dick worked on the Waite’s Place Loop. Yesterday Ian worked on the Loon. On the Loon yesterday in the afternoon, he was shoveling. but yesterday morning he put new signs up on the Peregrine. He carries a backpack, along with a shovel, small saw and clippers. And yesterday he did all of his work from skis. Verses taking a snow machine.

Working with lots of equipment, means lots to keep track of. Yesterday he left a hammer on the Loon. It was nicely reported by two women and we knew to go back and look. Ian came in and we said, “Oh, the hammer, is on the Loon, stuck in the snow.” He said, “No, went back to look and it isn’t there. Don’t know where I lost it.” And then a very nice fella came in, “this was on the Loon.” Thank you!!! He had a backpack and carried it in.

Thank you all the helpers, it really does take a village.

Another skier yesterday came in and said, “There are a pair of earphones on the upper part of Peregrine stuck in a “Y” in a tree.” We knew the headphones were missing, had no idea where to look. So, the headphones are also found. Now if only someone could find my the pencil for my ipad, and the little microchip for Ian’s camera.

On the Chickadee, just before the second road crossing. 1/11/2019

Open, 7º, at 7am, and clear beautiful starry skies. Partly cloudy skies and a high of 25º expected. The skiing, it is great. All trails open. 25km classic and 5km skate. The skate lane has firmed up nicely and the classic tracks are solid and really good skiing.

Ian and Dick worked on the Waite’s Place Loop yesterday. Five hours of shoveling. No photos. Too much work to do. The loop is up on the Chickadee, it was last year’s logging job. It is just about ready to ski.

Chickadee is wonderful, Loon still ungroomed. Please note there are people lobbying for the Loon to stay ungroomed as long as Ian can let it be ungroomed. And there are people lobbying for him to groom it soon. As of Tuesday and Wednesday it will not be groomed. If you love it ungroomed you have a few more days to ski it ungroomed. If you want it groomed you have to wait few more days until it is groomed

Magic happens early on sunny mornings. 1/14/2019

Woodcock, Snow Goose, Turkey, Grouse, Goshawk and Peregrine are all really nice hard pack. The powdery snow has firmed up and the skiing isn’t quite as slow. Middle and Upper Blue Jay, that is where the daytime magic is happening.

Magic also happens at the end of the day. 1/14/2019

There is talk of a storm this weekend and the forecast look good. Come up for the weekend and you just may get to stay an extra day for a snow day.