Fresh snow

Nice to finally get out on some real snow after the last couple of weeks of somewhat marginal ski conditions. Add to that that I can ski out of more than just P10 (probably skied more from P10 in the last 2 weeks than I will the rest of the winter)and the season is finally starting to ramp up. Last weekend’s rain/freezing rain event was not good to be sure but we’ve had a few decent snowfalls since and the base is now deep enough that good skiing can be had on the parkways and even the main arterial trails are reasonably covered. The snow is so good that I’ve finally put the rock skis away and brought out the good boards. Hopefully the rockers will remain in the basement until springtime.

Quiet summer entry gate at Lac Phillippe
Skied last night out of P19 on a rare evening ski up at Lac Phillippe. Man, it’s a whole lot darker at night up there than in the main part of the park. Of course it’s a whole lot further away from the city so there’s a lot less ambient light to be had. Still, with a headlamp the skiing was fine. Add a little moonlight and you’d have a recipe for a great night ski. Met quite a few more people on the trails than I expected. Several small groups still making their way into the huts for the night and a few folks like me out for an evening ski. I guess on weeknights people still work during the day and then head up to take advantage of the half price fees for a hut stay during the week. Snow conditions were really good. The main trails had all been groomed for classic and skate. The side trails had just had an initial rolling. Perhaps still a little too thin to be doing a full groom on them just yet but there’s more snow coming down tonight so the park should be in good shape by Christmas.

Snowy ski rack