Open, 20º at 7 am, 4 inches of snow, and still snowing. The forecast is for snow turning into a freezing mix. We are not grooming today. You can come and ski any trail as is. We may need to be closed tomorrow, check back here before you head out.

We are happy to finally be getting some more snow, it was getting thin in a few spots and Tuesdays warm weather and subsequent refreeze made the snow very quick and firm. We shoveled a few areas to patch up the trail base, and coverage is generally good.

We have a snowy, stormy bit of weather Thursday and Friday. The forecast is for freezing rain and possibly just plain rain in the middle of the storm, so we will not be grooming this first round of snow.

On Friday, the freezing rain will turn back to snow and we will hopefully get a few more inches. Looks like a net gain from the storm, which is good news and something to get excited about, considering how this winter has been. The groomers will go out early Saturday morning, it’s going to be a great ski weekend!.

Open, 25º at 7 am and cloudy. The forecast high for today 28º and partly cloudy. Ian is in a grooming on the Turkey, Woodcock and Snow Goose. About 8 km of loose frozen granular, thin cover. Some skiers will find it too fast and hard and some skiers will find it fast and fun.

The groomed snow will be good skiing for experienced skiers. And very fast for beginners or timid skiers. The ungroomed trails will be very hard and fast!

And tomorrow, according to the forecast the skiing changes!!!!! SNOW in the forecast. How much? Who knows? My best guess by Saturday morning. 6-12 inches of new snow and sleet. The skiing will improve. If you are a Chickadee skier this would be a great weekend to plan a Chickadee ski.

Photo above it thanks to Jill, Gus’s mom. Gus’s skiing has improved so much this year. Gus has been skiing 3 or 4 days a week this year, a couple of hours at a time. And he just skis and skis, and that, folks, is how you get better. Lessons help and you can get pointers and tips to work on. But really, practice is how to improve.

Open, 26º and mostly cloudy. The forecast high is 38º and cloudy. 20 km skiing, plus 6 km of skate skiing. The skiing on the 90% of the low trails is really good, the other a little thin in a few spots. The Chickadee will be bumpier, but beautiful and Loon bumpiest with a fast downhill.

I love seeing anything from a different point of view. Look at all the snow. We could use more, everything would be easier. But we really have enough to have good skiing.

Carl wrote yesterday on Instagram, “The skiing was great today!”

The conditions today will be a little more variable, because the temperature will be warmer.

I get asked many times a day about the weather forecast. Right now, according to the forecast, there are weather events coming for Wednesday night, Thursday and Friday. When I look at the weather channel app forecast pictures it all looks easy to talk about. When I read the paragraphs and pages the local weather guys put out, it is really complicated and we won’t know the totals until it is over.

Open, 26º and partly cloudy with a dusting of snow overnight. 20 km skiing, plus 6 km of skate skiing. The skiing on the 90% of the low trails is really good, the other a little thin in a few spots. The Chickadee will be bumpier, but beautiful and Loon bumpiest with a fast downhill.

Photo above courtesy Lela Hatfield Hughes. First trip around the Chickadee with their 7 and 9 year olds. The skiing up there is also 90% fabulous and 10% a few thin spots. I have heard there are a lot of animal tracks up on the Chickadee and Loon. Snowshoe hare, coyote, fox and maybe bobcat, and the little tracks, mouse, squirrel, and there have been some fisher cat tracks sighted. I have also been out and smelled the musky, skunky smell from a mink, fisher cat or fox.

Photo below thanks to Gus Sheets. This is a great snowplow. What every newer skier, or a skier who is having a hard time with the snowplow, needs to study in this snowplow picture: low hands, ski poles behind, snowplow from the hips, feet flat on the ski, which then gets you naturally to the inner edge of the ski. And smile.