Monday’s weather was looking good. Clear skies and cool but warming temperatures. In fact the overnight low in Lake Placid was supposed to be -4C so Mike and I figured that would do a number on the blackflies… perfect! Plenty of sunshine as we drove down from Ottawa but the high peaks were still overcast. No worries as we were sure the clouds would blow through as we climbed giving us warm sunny skies when we reached the summit. Decided to do a shorter hike as one more tune up for the full on big peak hiking season and Mike had one on his list… but damned if I can remember the name. Sadly it appears on my map right on the fold so the name is a bit obscured… can’t quite recall what the trail head sign said… ah well.

For the most part the climbing was good. Nice soft trail. There was a beautiful waterfall just off the trail as we got up higher. Bit of a narrow gully to scramble in to the falls made worse by spring times higher than normal water level but it was well worth it. Equally big scramble out of the gully but soon enough we were on our way again on the main trail. The trail had many switchbacks making the ascent more gentle than the terrain implied. Also made it tricky to spot all the twists and turns as clearly many folks missed the back and forth turns making little extensions of the trail at each bend before retracing their steps to the trail proper.



The climbing never really got terribly steep as we went along. Just prior to the summit the mountain tried to impress us with some rocky rooty trail but it was over before it got too tough so all in all a pretty easy hike. Tremendous view as we came out on the open ridge. High peaks galore spread out before us and all were resplendent in their spring time shades of green. No sun though as the clouds remained locked over the high peaks. Not much wind either so while hardly warm it wasn’t too cold to sit and enjoy the view. We found a spot on the rocks to have a bite to eat while sharing the summit with a couple of ladies from Quebec (not a holiday in Quebec was it?). Apart from them we didn’t really see anyone else all day – work day for the Americans I suppose. I’m sure they’ll all be out next Monday.


After lunch and plenty of photos we headed down again, pretty smooth sailing as the trail was smooth and soft. Back to the car in plenty of time to make the drive home and watch Sid take down the Canes. Wish I could remember the peak name as I would definitely hike it again – pound for pound it’s probably one of the better hikes I’ve done in the high peaks. Oh and on the drive home we got brilliant blue skies as we drove into Saranac Lake. Just where we'd left the blue skies when we drove down in the morning, sigh...

Sun setting on Meech lake
Originally uploaded by kenmores

Pretty weak long weekend considering it is proclaimed the unofficial start to summer. Saturday it rained most of the day - sometimes a bunch. I still managed to go for a (wet) ride in the park as the mountainbike trails officially opened on Friday. This after a month to let the snows melt and the tracks dry out a little. On the plus side, the showers kept the ever increasing population of blackflies at bay. I hadn't been up to the park since Easter weekend so it was nice to get back in the local woods for a - somewhat soggy - ride. In the evening I had hopped to find some fireworks to photograph but was clearly unprepared, looking in the wrong spots and found nothing more than a few neighbourhood local roman candle fests. Some hope (weatherwise) did appear at the end of the day as the clouds started to push out but Saturday night was pretty frosty with the mercury dipping below zero. Another ride on Sunday felt more like November but so it goes. Lots of people taking in the sunny weather to get in a hike or a ride in the park.

Mike and I had debated heading down to the Adirondacks on Monday to get in another early season hike. With cold overnight temperatures forecast this bode well for killing off the black flies and providing cool weather to climb in. Things were finally looking up...

Sunday I headed down to the Adrirondacks to get in an early season hike. Saturday was spent marking ‘k’ markers for the upcoming Race Weekend so I wanted to take advantage of the predicted rain free weather and get in a hike on Sunday. As it turns out Pete had finally cleared his schedule and wanted to get in a winter hike! I know, I know... Pete’s schedule is sometimes a little... umm, shifted. I recommended he start work on freeing his schedule for a hike next weekend and maybe he’d be ready to go in January. While this would be a “winter hike” for Pete I recommended that he leave the snowshoes at home… you know, take a chance on bare booting. I was looking to do a relaxing hike and – opposed to my long day hike in March – a shorter one to ease into the hiking season rather than do a trial by fire marathon type hike. Fortunately the Adirondacks have lots of great options for some excellent short hikes. Pitchoff, Hurricane, Hopkins, Jay, Ampersand... – all great climbs. On the drive down we discussed some of the options, weighed the pros and cons and settled on the idea of Catamount. It’s definetely a shorter hike but it purportedly has some really nice scrambly bits and a nice open summit - and it didn't dissapoint.

Unfortunately overnight rains left the morning sky overcast and gray. But it was no longer raining so we loaded up and hit the trail. Temperature was a brisk +12C - perfect weather for a winter hike. Tricky trailhead to find as it doesn’t have a sign but rather just a couple of red painted trees by the side of the road. We were the first to arrive so no parked cars tipped us off but we found it none the less. The first kilometer is dead flat but soon enough it started up in a pretty steep manner. Nearing the top of a nice little sub summit the trail goes pretty vertical with a cool little chimney to claw up and then some nice little crags to clamber through. At this point the views opened up as well with a nice look over to nearby Whiteface and Esther. Once on the sub summit we took a break. Had to find a sheltered spot as a cold wind was blowing(to be expected on a winter hike) but behind some scrubby trees we were quite comfortable.

The climb up to the summit was equally nice with lots of rocky little chutes to negotiate through and in short order we were on top. Had a little stroll around and took some photos before sitting down for an early lunch. At this point there was no sign that the clouds were going to break up – so after a good rest on the summit we started down. Equally fun descending the crags and boulders. Back at the chimney we met up with our first group of hikers coming up. It was certainly nice having the peak to ourselves but we would discover that Catamount in springtime is no secret with local hikers as we met some 30 folks in different groups working their way up. We even came across some guys clearing the blowdown. They had some little hand saws with them and while there were only a few trees across the trail they were pretty big ones so it must have been hard work – many thanks. Roundtrip was only 11 or 12km so we were back at the car by 1:30. This left us plenty of time to hit the patio for a post hike beverage and watch some of the Wings/Ducks games… wrapping it up like any good “winter hike” with a little hockey on the big screen. Excellent day out. Sadly the sun broke out as we drove home but the morning hike was a good one in spite of the cloudy cool weather. We’ll get you out in your snowshoes yet Pete!

Catamount - definetely worth the trip

Saturday was “take 2” on the annual Luskville falls/firetower hike. Unfortunately the last minute change of date meant Mike (still) couldn’t make it and Dave was tied up with “new home renovation” work. As it turned out Bryan was able to convince (bribe?) his family to come along so we had an official “party” to put this one in the books. Turned out to be a spectacular day. Soon the bugs will be out but Saturday it got up to the mid 20’s and was sunny for the morning anyway so it felt like full on summer (sans bugs). I had to get up extra early to do a distance certification ride for the MDS Nordion 10k (all is in order now so here’s hoping we get a world record run on the course). As it turned out that worked out well as Bryan could only rouse his family later in the morning so I headed straight up to the Luskville parking lot and met up with them there.

Quick gearing up and we were off…. Stop! Sara had to demonstrate genetics rule by immediately nabbing a snake (like father, like daughter). Even more interesting was no sooner had she nabbed the snake then she had also named it (Edward) and started work to convince Mom and Dad they should take it home to join the family collection of pets (it proved no sale and Edward the snake was returned to his (her?) habitat). From there we were off in earnest and up, up up we went. Several nice breaks on the climb to take in the views and with no leaves on the trees yet there were lots of views to be had. Finally at the upper lookout we stopped for a well earned snack break. Here Bryan deployed some interesting treats from his pack. Chocolates, and several kinds of sweets were dispensed keeping the crew happy. I notice he doesn't carry that kind of stuff when he hikes with just us... I felt like a bit of a fool with my carrots and triscuits. From there we headed up to the tower proper. Clouds had rolled in and a few patches of rain fell but they only served to cool us down and never lasted more than a minute or two. Another good break at the tower and then it was time to head down. By now a lot of people were heading up the trail so we must have picked a pretty good time to head up, beating the hordes who were looking to take advantage of the beautiful (albeit now cloudy) day. No sign of Edward at the base so it was off to the local poutine shack (part of Bryan’s bribery agreement I understand). As it turns out this shack has the “meilleur poutine du monde” (it said so right on the sign by the road so it must be true). Who would have thought, in all of the world, we would stumble across the best poutine anywhere – lucky days indeed! An excellent hike with a good crew. Glad we were able to get this hike in the books pre-black flies.

The ski season has now wrapped up for me. Most of my skis are cleaned up, storage wax applied and put away so it was time to think about other activities. After a weekend of lethargy (following last weeks "work" chaos - an exhausting week where nothing seemed to go as planned) Monday was to be the annual hike up to the Luskville fire tower. Bryan had booked it months ago but – as with anything booked months in advance – turns out one of the regulars couldn’t make it and the weather looked a little sketchy so we decided on another option. Instead we headed to P16 , dropped a car and then drove up to P15 to hike the snowshoe trail into Healy and Herridge shelters with an exit route down the Pine road to the first car. Turned out to be a nice little loop. The snowshoe trail still had a few spots where the snow was pretty deep but the trail “spine” was solid so walking was easy. There were also a few flooded sections but short bushwhacks were not too tough. We met up with three gentlemen who were pre-hiking the trail, checking the trail condition in advance of a larger group coming in on Wednesday. They were busy building up “bridges” where there was water to cross and dragging off blown down branches to clear up the trail. I wonder if the NCC was giving them a fee for the hard work. Probably not but they were doing a fine job so we let them go ahead of us :). Once at Healy we enjoyed lunch in the dwindling sunshine. After lunch, I noticed a live animal trap had been placed behind the shelter. Whoever had dropped it had clearly forgotten it as the trap had been sprung and the victim had expired inside the trap. In fact the poor thing had been mostly devoured by other creatures that had managed to pull it bit by bit through the bars of the cage… talk about picking at your food. Not a good way to go. On to Herridge (Dave’s first visit) where we inspected the bird feeder which was a busy spot as always. By this time the clouds had rolled over and the temperature was dropping so we didn’t stay long and were soon on our way down the trail for home. Scattered along the ski trail on Pine road a few patches had a lot of snow - over a foot deep in spots. Not too good for skiing though as there were long stretches with no snow at all followed by 2 or 300 meters of good skiing. Clearly we’d made the right choice by walking today. Firetower or no this was a good start to the hiking season.

Even the snakes would give a thumbs up for spring(if they could)...

Truly a beautiful Easter weekend. The sun shone, the birds sang… and the skiing was pretty good. Alas, all good things must come to an end and I fear, as this weekend draws to a close, so too does the ski season. I skied all 4 days and little by little the snow is starting to recede. No word from the snow gods regarding my last plea for more snow. I think they’ve started their journey to the southern hemisphere so we won’t be seeing them again for a while. Double digit temperatures all this week with lots of sun in the forecast. Doesn't bode well for the snowpack.

Skiing from P10 today the walks were getting longer. Small gaps in the snow that were 5 steps on Sunday were 25 steps on Monday. In spots the snow is really nice. Above the Khyber pass and then again out towards trail 24 things were good - at times really good - but somewhere in between those two spots things are a little ugly with rocks and gravel poking through. I also skied out Ridge road from Keogan towards Penguin a ways and there the trail has reasonable coverage but was somewhat uneven thanks to hikers tromping along the trail. In fact today I think skiers were outnumbered by hikers. I guess most people have had enough of skiing for another year and are moving on to other pursuits. Bit of a melancholy ski back to the car. I don’t think the remaining snow, for me, is worth the drive up before work to get in some quick pre-work skis. Even with the short week this week I don't think there will be much snow to speak of next weekend. Maybe a little tele will be possible on the slopes of Camp Fortune but other than that I think the inevitable has come and it’s time to pack the skis away for another season. So it goes. It's been a good and surprisingly long season from October until now. Time to get the hiking gear out, scan some maps and plan a few trips… Clean up the bike and see how she rolls. And of course there is lots to do before the end of May so a lot of my time is already spoken for in the next little while. Apparently some pretty fast guys are chomping at the bit for some prize money so we've gotta get out and confirm the distances and make sure all is in order before race day arrives.

Spring is arriving so it's time to embrace it.

Signs of spring

Signs of spring
Originally uploaded by kenmores

Took another ski today. Thanks to tips from several other internet trail reporters I decided to wait until things warmed up a little letting the track soften up a bit. Got to P10 around noon and skied out to the trail 24 junction. Conditions were pretty good all the way with the snow providing enough texture to get a decent edge. A couple of thin spots here and there (including a nice "F1 style" gravel trap starting to open up at the bottom of the Khyber pass) but I didn't have to take my skis off except as I went past the Brule and Huron lookouts. It was a bit windy to find somewhere to sit and take full advantage of the sun today but the skiing was fine. Things were opening up a bit on my ski back so the season is clearly wrapping up. Another day or two and then who knows. Last time I "called it" we got 4 or 5 inches of fresh snow... Any chance the weather gods are listening again with another trick up their sleeve?

With some fresh snow falling during the week I managed to convince Mike and Bryan to dig their skis out of storage (yeah, like they’ve already gotten around to storing their skis) for one last ski. While the snow was probably the best around P10 and P12, the guys seemed intent on one last mission up to Lusk cabin… and who am I to argue. Sunny day, beautiful cabin by the lake…. let’s go! Seems like Lac Phillippe got a lot less snow than further into town near Fortune Lake but there was still skiable snow (after a short walk from the parking lot). It was a little cool when we started (-2C) and the snow pack was icy fast. It was also pretty badly chewed up by a truck that must have driven up the campground roads… but there was still good snow along the sides. Cruising along we found a few spots we had to portage but they were mostly short and painless. It was clear that some of the walks were likely going to be a little longer on the way out though as the snow was melting fast. Once at the turn off to Lusk cabin we had good snow all the way up to the lake – nice frozen base and skidoo/ATV tracks compacting the snow to give some easy skiing. In fact we met the ATV coming down from the cabin as we skied up. He had a big box of birdseed on the back so I guess today was time to refill the feeders. Clearly the birdseed they give to the birds at Lusk cabin must be like crack for birds as the chickadees at Lusk seem to be the most aggressive birds I’ve ever met at looking for handouts. Not just “Will you feed me? Tweet, tweet…” but more “Hey, buddy! Hand over your sandwich… and anything else you got in your pack. Do it now and no one gets hurt!!” Kind of like getting mugged by little birds.

Marauder demanding his due
Once up to the cabin we took up positions on the deck and enjoyed some lunch and the warm sunshine. Beautiful spot to spend a little time, read the cabin log book, eat (quickly before the birds steal your lunch) and enjoy a beverage. Finally it was either head back to the car or stretch out in one of the bunks for a nap so we strapped on the boards and headed down. Things were much easier on the descent. The warmth of the day had turned the top layer of the icy base into a nice layer of velvet. Quick stop at Renaud and then we headed back to the cars. Lots of people on foot along the campground roads – even a family on bicycles (walking them across the snow) and we came across the ATV again, this time hauling baggage into one of the huts (the guests don’t carry their own bags?). Longer stretches of asphalt on the way out but the warm sunny day made these seem like no big deal. I expect I’ll get out for some skiing tomorrow but, if today was any indication, this weeks last blast of winter is melting fast.

Groomed

Prefered parking
Originally uploaded by kenmores

And I’m not referring to my stylish new haircut. I’ll have to check with Ms Morrisette but I find it somewhat ironic that after my last post declaring it likely my last ski of the season… it promptly snows for three days. I headed up this morning with a renewed chance to get some more tracks in. While the city has only seen a dusting of snow stay on the ground, the park has received 4 or 5 inches of fresh powder. Exposed asphalt, rocks and roots are now once more buried under a white carpet. Conditions were amazingly good. I’d almost forgotten how good skiing fresh powder can be as we haven’t seen this much fresh snow since February. I brought my classic skis expecting to have only a hard fought "skied in" classic track to follow thanks to my fellow skiers. Much to my surprise – like the early October snowfall some months ago – I found a groomed track. Okay no classic tracks but nice smooth corduroy up the center of the parkway. Nice of Demsis to get out there some 10 days after the official “end of the season” and almost 2 weeks after the last sighting of the groomers. Turns out they had worked the Parkway from P8, around the Doldrums and up to the “T” as well as a little of Ridge road…. But it’s better than nothing. Slow work too as they only had the skidoos out pulling a grooming sled so it took many passes to get a wide enough track for skating. As I had my classic skis with me I skied in the "skied in" track left from my fellow skiers last night (thanks for your efforts). There were signs that some individuals had skated through the deep slow snow last night. For their heroic efforts I mostly left the corduroy for someone more deserving to cut in the first tracks. Met the work crews up at gossip corner and Shilly Shally as I worked my way around for a loop. Last season, in spite of mounds of snow the skiing ended abruptly with some sustained +20C days. This year its felt like the season has been wrapping up since early March… but it keeps on ticking along. Easter skiing here we come.

A sunny Sunday

The Champlain parkway
Originally uploaded by kenmores

Went for a ski this morning. Wasn’t sure what to expect and wasn’t feeling too good to boot so I opted for P6 as a starting point. Might have been a better guarantee of snow higher up in the park but as it turns out the parkway was in pretty good shape (all things considered). I probably could have done a lap of the parkway and only had a handful of short walks to contend with (although the Doldrums might be pretty thin by now). A nice light snow had fallen overnight and the base was still pretty fast so skiing wasn’t too bad. I skied from P6 up to the” T” and for the most part had first (ski) tracks despite my late start. It was also a good chance to spot a few of the parks other inhabitants’ tracks left behind in the fresh snow. I saw a lot of familiar ones (geese, deer, rabbits, maybe a coyote (but probably a dog)) and a few that I couldn’t identify (what do we have that has a long thin tail?). Certainly “name that track” made the time pass as I climbed the Black Lake hill. At the top of the hill there was the only long stretch of exposed roadway but the portage along the grass was a nice change of pace. There were also other skiers tracks (coming from P10) once I got back on the snow but in the end I only saw one other skier. There were however a number of people out walking around MacKenzie King and they gave me bemused looks as I skied past. As luck would have it the sun came out while I skied and it was a nice chance to be out and enjoy the day. It may prove to be my last ski of the year though as things are getting pretty thin. In fact small patches of exposed asphalt as I skied out to the T were noticeably bigger when I skied back. We have some more rain in the forecast this week. I suppose Ridge road may still have snow next weekend but once the hiking from one snow patch to the next gets to be more than the skiing I tend to call it a season… we’ll see what happens.

Too early

Ridge road
Originally uploaded by kenmores

With the promise of a nice sunny morning I headed up to the park to get in another ski. Alas with work commitments I had to go pretty early and in the end it proved too early for good conditions. A cool night coupled with yesterdays rain left the tracks frozen solid and icy. I skied up from P7... well, skied might be the wrong term. Skittered and scraped my way up might better define it. Up top on the ridge conditions were better but the descents were pretty fast and a little bit harrowing. Once to gossip corner I turned back with thoughts of a tough descent back to the parking lot. I walked some of it and could have used my crampons at that. Its too bad as an hour or two later conditions would be excellent as the warm sun softened the tracks making for some great skiing - and I would be sitting at my desk looking longingly out at the hills. Only saw one farmiliar car at P5 as I was driving out so I assume most of the other folks were wise enough - and didn't have any early meetings - to let the tracks soften a little before heading up for a morning ski. Rain on the schedule for the next couple of days.... what will happen to the trails then...

No foolin'

I guess skiing is free now?
Originally uploaded by kenmores

Went for a ski this morning… and it was actually quite nice. I also had a nice ski last night. Between the two outings I probably skied on roughly 30km of trails and only really had to “portage” twice over some exposed mud and no more than a few steps at that. Last Sunday’s rain smoothed everything out (and probably helped melt some of it away) but there is still lots of good snow to be had. Should be able to get some skiing in this weekend although at this time of the year you can never be too sure. As I pulled out from home this morning a bold red sun was rising in the east. That’s bad news for sailors but as a skier I was undeterred. Before I got up to the park the clouds had rolled over so in fact the trails were a little icy(no warm morning sun to soften the tracks). That said the trails weren’t too badly rutted and skiing was fast and easy. Once again I was alone on the trails with one other skier starting out as I arrived back at the lot. Quite a difference from Saturday’s crowd scene at P10 with an overflowing lot but of course that's to be expected. I also met some Demsis staff (at least I hope that’s who it was ;-) removing the trail fee pay box… so I guess I can leave my ski pass at home from now on. Nothing better than free skiing…

The weatherman called for the rain to start overnight and basically rain all day but when I got up it wasn’t raining at all. I made periodic reviews of the satellite shots while I was watching the Australian Grand Prix and it looked like, if I hurried, I might get a ski in before the rain got underway. Loaded up the rock skis and raced up to the park deciding on P16 as a nice alternative to P10 (where I’ve started the last few days).

Under grey skies I skied up the first big hill (getting thin) and sure enough once into the trees the snow was excellent. Pine Road hasn’t been groomed in a while (some may say that's the best thing for it based on the comments of shoddy grooming along here I've read about) so the classic track was mostly melted away but this left a nice extra wide, smooth track for skating… Just excellent. I skied out to Lac Phillippe finding a few muddy spots that required portaging but with my rock skis on I just picked the softest, grassiest line and trotted across. They were never more than a few steps and I was off and skiing again in short order. After Healy/Herridge I noticed that Demsis had made their (presumably) last visit to the huts today on Quad bikes which had left some nasty ruts in the track but it wasn’t too bad. In fact the biggest headache was crossing sections of pine needles that littered the track in spots. It was certainly easy to understand how Pine road got its name. I haven’t yet figured the wax that glides well(or at all) over pine needles. Suffice to say purple wax isn’t the right choice. Fortunately the worst sections of needles were relatively short, few and far between so the skiing was for the most part fast and easy.

Once I got to the lake – as Mr. Murphy would have told me – the heavy rain started to fall which made my decision easy to turn for home. Passed a couple of other people out for a soggy ski as I worked my way along, getting back to the car somewhat drenched but never cold or uncomfortable so another good ski. It rained pretty hard the rest of the day so we’ll see what that does to the ski track in the days to come. The snow base along Pine road was still pretty good most of the way along so, like Ridge road, I expect it’ll last for a while… but no big snow dumps in the forecast that I can see.

Spring time

Burma road
Originally uploaded by kenmores

Today was pretty much a carbon copy of yesterday. Glorious sunshine, great trails... maybe a little less wind but all in all a great chance to be out on the skis. I skied out from P10 again. Strangely there was no grooming today so yesterdays ruts and slush on the Parkway were pretty choppy but still skiable. Surprisingly Ridge road was in excellent shape. I skied out to the Wolf trail and the track was solid, wide and beautiful to ski. Lots of folks out making a last, long ski of the season to the firetower. Having just been there a couple of days ago I opted to turn back and take some more sun at Brule lookout before taking one more ski down Burma road. Burma was still skiable but the couple of muddy gaps were noticably wider than yesterday. Tomorrow its going to rain... a bunch :( That will likely eat significantly into the snow on the Parkways but Ridge road might survive. That'll mean a bit of walking to get to some skiing... but the more hardy souls won't be phased. I think tomorrow I'll clean up my good skis and put on some storage wax for the season. I'll still keep a couple of pairs of rock skis ready by the door though, just in case...

Sunny skies meant a chance to get out and get some vitamin D. Mike and Bryan wanted to get a spring ski in so I met up with them around 10:30 at P10 and we headed off to Huron. Conditions were pretty firm with the top layer starting to melt down… but no one was in a rush today. Time to enjoy the warm weather. To my surprise we were hardly around the first bend when a fleet of groomers came rolling down the parkway. I guess they were finishing up there mornings grooming but by now the snow was already transforming into a slushy surface. Seems like they were a bit late today. Hopefully on Saturday they’ll get after it a little earlier with the big weekend crowds sure to be up for one last ski. Oh well, I’m not a grooming expert (nor do I play one on TV) so I guess they have a plan. We made our way along the parkway and – to my further surprise - the big parkway groomer caught up to us again at gossip corner and parked to chat with a friend. No time to see where he was going so we skied along Ridge road, took a quick pit stop at Shilly Shally before climbing up to Huron lookout. Ridge road was in excellent shape indeed. Upon arriving at the lookout I pulled out the cell phone to call my friend Pete at work. Nothing is funnier then chatting with a friend who is chained to his cubicle while you are basking in the sun on a great ski day. Unfortunately it backfired slightly as he was at home “sick”. Sounded like he was on his patio enjoying a beverage himself… but I can’t be sure of that ;-)

Time for lunch and a cold beverage of our own to toast the season that was. A bit of a breeze blowing but the warm sun was out now and much time was spent enjoying the rays, discussing the season that was and debating plans for the upcoming hiking season. Finally I had to push on (had to get back to work for a few minutes to make it look like I was there;-) so I left the guys at Ridge and took a quick ski down Burma road. It was actually quite nice. It hadn’t been groomed in a while but the base was firm with occasional slushy bits in the sunny spots. Once back to the parkway things were downright sloppy with water over the boots as I splashed my way back to P10. No regrets though as it was a beautiful day out in the sun… Hopefully tomorrow will be more of the same.

Skiing in the rain

Still good coverage at P10
Originally uploaded by kenmores

Another morning ski today. This time a light drizzle was falling and temperatures never really fell below freezing overnight. That meant no grooming (too wet) although the groomer garages were a beehive of activity when I drove past (spring chores before parking the groomers for the summer?). In fact the worst part of the ski was the drive up. With the drizzle falling the road surface was just cold enough for a thin layer of ice to form and I skidded a few times on the road boosting my adrenaline before I had even strapped on the skis. No one in P10 this morning but the trails were actually pretty nice. No big ruts from yesterday’s skiers and the base had frozen (from the bottom up) overnight so skiing was fast and effortless. I did a short tour up to the lookouts where the snow stopped and then dodged back into the woods to loop 1A and 1B before heading back down to the lot. One other car pulled in as I was taking my ski boots off. I guess not too much excitement to ski in the rain today... but too soon the snow will be gone so I’ll try to ski a few more times before packing the skis away.

Went for a ski after work last night. The sun is staying up a little longer now and conditions remained cold all day so I was hopeful for some nice tracks. Got more than I bargained for when I pulled into P12. The groomer had been by in the afternoon and no one else had skied since. I had untouched corduroy all to myself – Sweet! While technically the trail up from P12 is “classic only” I chose to skate the fresh tracks. Most of the trail is too steep for the groomer to put in double tracks and the flat spots that do have classic tracks I double poled. Besides, I was the only one out there. Time to be a little self indulgent. Once up the escarpment and on to 24 and Ridge road, others had found the fresh grooming so I had to share…. But it was still pretty nice. I skied out to McKinstry as the sun was setting. Conditions were beautiful all the way out. A couple of the south facing, exposed hills were a little icy but for the most part it was excellent snow. Once to McKinstry the fresh grooming stopped but the track beyond looked totally skiable. I decided not venture on to the firetower as it was starting to get dark. I still had a ways to go and while I know the trail well enough that I could probably ski it with my eyes shut I’d rather not have to prove that fact. There’s not much moon currently and out here there isn’t much ambient light from the city so once it got dark… it got pretty dark. The ski back was pretty nice though - more downhill than up made for some fast skiing.

As I was descending the second last steep hill to the parking lot (almost home) I noticed a dark low figure rumbling up the trail towards me. I was moving pretty fast and sudden evasive action was required, not to mention my adrenaline shot through the roof. It was pretty dark and what light there was was dead flat. I hadn’t seen another soul on my entire ski and suddenly something was coming out of the gloom at me and it clearly wasn’t a skier! I was in the woods here after all and it was just a week ago that this roaming fella was spotted over at the Luskville falls (none too far from where I was). Before I could do much the two of us were hurtled together and desperately trying to avoid each other in a flurry of skis and limbs and poles. Turns out it was a big lovable dog trying to be friends… and picking the wrong time and space to do it. Its owner came running up apologizing profusely (he wasn’t on skis either!)… but come on! The ski trails are supposed to be dog free and especially not unleashed dogs for just this reason – to prevent sudden impacts at high speed protecting both skiers and dogs. I'm a dog lover and certainly don’t want to skewer some poor dog with my ski poles – something I was preparing to do if it proved to be a marauding bear coming back from a garbage bin raid along the Meech lake road. The dog owner did park next to my car so they must have known a skier was out there. Sigh, no harm done to either of us thankfully so it was a beautiful ski with some excitement thrown in. Never a dull moment.

Warm days

Warm days
Originally uploaded by kenmores

I got a good ski in on Sunday. Sadly I had to work on Saturday so I missed out on the really warm sunny day this weekend - but I rarely have to work on weekends so no complaints. Sunday was a little cooler, never making it above zero.... you know, kinda winterlike. The trails were in pretty good shape considering the weather we've had. The climb up from P7 was a bit dirty but once on top the track was groomed and had a nice texture to it. Even though it was cold, the sun worked its magic turning the top of the track into a nice velvety corn while the base stayed firm and fast. I skied a ways out Ridge and then back via the parkways. The lookouts are starting to show a lot of exposed asphalt but they're always the first to go with their southern exposure. It was surprising to me how the parkways deteriorated pretty quickly since my Friday ski. Still pretty good but some of the hills have become pretty icy (no yellow line peeking through the ice yet though). From Black Lake hill I made the short jaunt across trail 8 back to P7. A few of the creeks have opened up so I may be the last one to ski across there this year. Warm days this week and rain forecast for the weekend could spell the end of the season. March may be going out like a lion.... but it looks like it will be a wet, grumpy lion. Long range forecasts suggest some snow in April. Might be a little too late - fingers crossed though.

Morning ski

Nice fresh tracks
Originally uploaded by kenmores

Went for a ski this morning before work. The parkway loop was nicely groomed so I did a lap. As I skied I could hear groomers working off to the sides renovating other trails so their should be some nice skiing this weekend. For the most part the parkways were in good shape. No asphalt peeking out yet and only a few icy spots to contend with. If the current weather continues we should get skiable snow until April but some more rainy days or hot weather could wash it all away. The long range forecast doesn't seem to suggest a late season dump of snow, but I remain hopeful. Parking at P10 I saw one other skier as I started and no one else until I looped past P8 where a few other skiers were getting set. While I skied the loop alone, I did have one set of ski tracks on the fresh corduroy to follow. Someone was out earlier than I it seems and had set a nice pace to follow. Left me forever peering around the next bend to see if I was catching them... but I remained (as is often the case) forever chasing.

Lusk Lake Cabin
Originally uploaded by kenmores

A little late in my posting but… Sunday morning I got up pretty slowly. Things were pretty stiff and sore after Saturday’s big hike. That said, the spring skiing was bound to be sublime so I felt compelled to get suited up and hit the trails. Okay, pulling on my ski gear was another exercise in discomfort but I finally got underway with a pair of skis and a lunch in my pack. Spring skiing is all about timing. Go too early and the overnight freeze renders the tracks frozen solid ice. Go too late and the warm sun turns the trails into slush. With my slow start I was a little off in my timing but overall not too bad. Decided to head up to Lac Phillippe. I knew there would be less people up there and, with the warming sun, there would be fewer skis to turn the softening tracks into a pile of slop. True enough the lot was ¾ full when I pulled in at 11. The trails were still reasonably firm with the parts exposed to full sun starting to get slushy so I skied up to Lusk lake which is mostly a shady trail. Found the ski rack pretty full but rather strangely there were two families inside the hut clustered around the wood stove…. What the?!? It was about +8C and sunny! More room on the front porch for me I guess so I took up my station and had half my lunch while basking in the sun. Inside the kids were screeching and hollering and having a great time. Fun for them but it kind of broke the wilderness silence for me so I packed up, stripped down to my t-shirt and skied off to do a bit of a circumnavigation of Lusk Lake. With the firm base, the crust cruising was excellent and I was able to lap the lake in short order before returning to the main trail to descend off to Taylor lake where I found a nice picnic bench (no screaming kids) and enjoyed the second half of my lunch and my last Blackberry Wheat (now available year round!! but only in the states :( ) before having a snooze in the sun. Time to roll home and by then (about 2:30pm) the tracks were decaying rapidly into a slush fest. The last couple of hills while not too big certainly took their toll and after yesterdays hike and today’s ski I was glad to get to my car for the drive home. Beautiful weekend indeed. Unfortunately I discovered mid trail that my camera has had a critical breakdown so this is an old pic of the Lusk Lake cabin (it still looks the same ;-). You’ll just have to imagine how nice the day was for your self…