Grooming Reports for 2007-2008
Photo by Marci Nolan Photo by Lee Gelatt
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Trail grooming for Skyway and County Line is done after snowfall of 2" or more, with touch - up grooming as needed between storms.
Our standard grooming is 14' wide with skate lane and classic track on all trails.
Help us keep the trails in good condition! PLEASE follow the standard X-C etiquette rules and signs posted at the trailheads. And kindly educate others of the intended proper use of our cross country ski trails. Report to the GMNC any unusual activity, such as snowmobiles on the ski trails or obstacles like fallen trees.
Send your questions and comments to the GMNC in care of Kenton Shaw at kshaw4062 at msn.com
Downed trees on Ward Trail System? Please notify Fred Wild at 874-8318 or email fredwild at q.com
04-12-08: Ward Trail System Al said Ward Campground had 88" of snow and 55" at Ward Creek Reservoir. He went down and back on the 7k of Ward Trail where he picked up some signs. Al planned to trim branches off some of the trees. Thanks to John Burgevin for getting signs also. Ward should be good skiing for several more weeks just pick your time. Fred
04-12-08: Skyway/County Line Groomed about 18k for skate and classic skiing today mostly at Skyway. Had to track pack first with the snowcat, then went around a second time on everything with the tiller down. Jon will groom at County Line tomorrow morning. Skiing should be great in the morning and then later in the evenings. Kenton
04-11-08: Skyway/County Line I did make it up to the top of the Mesa, but it was very late in the afternoon. I dug out the Snowcat and that was it. There was 30" of new snow from this last storm with the total depth a little over 9 1/2'. I will groom trails first thing tomorrow and Jon will groom on Sunday if needed. And this will be the last of the grooming for this year. Kenton
04-10-08: 9:00 AM Skyway/County Line ROAD CLOSED Highway 65 is currently closed on top of the Mesa. I'll let you know if I have any more information. Kenton
04-08-08: Skyway/County Line 6" of fresh powder on a base close to 8'. Groomed about 10k at both areas today for skate and classic skiing. Skiing was excellent. I've got to say the trails are lonely and they miss YOU! Next grooming day is Friday. Kenton
04-06-08: Skyway/County Line Jon groomed most all trails at Skyway and County Line yesterday. Next grooming is scheduled for tomorrow morning (Tuesday).
04-06-08: Ward Trail System Skied Twilight 1-2" new powder on crust. Metal edge skis required. There was no grooming. You can ski anywhere now. Five cars of skiers on Ward in the morning. When there is little new snow it is best to go in the afternoon when the snow has softened. Fred
04-05-08: Skyway/County Line 3-4" of new snow on 7 1/2' base. I apologize for not grooming on Friday as planned. I did groom a few trails at Skyway today and will groom again tomorrow morning. Kenton
04-01-08: Skyway/County Line 10" of new snow on 7 1/2' base. Winter like conditions in the morning turning to spring conditions by midday. Groomed all trails, plus a bit more by snowcat today (32k). Skating was great today, but classic skiing was a little trickier to get the right wax. Next grooming will be Friday, if needed. Kenton
04-01-08: Ward Trail System About 6"- 4" new snow making a total of 76" at Campground and 54" at the Ward Reservoir. The backcountry skiing was great you could go anywhere. The upper parking lot was plowed and 6 cars could park there. Twilight was excellent. The Wild Trail was great. Possible grooming Friday. Fred
03-28-08: Skyway/County Line Only a trace of new snow this week on a 7' base. I went up today, but didn't do any grooming as the trails are still in pretty good shape. The snow has changed from packed powder to firm hard snow.
The best news though is that crust skiing was excellent this morning. Only a few soft places on north facing slopes and very shady areas. It's a great time to get off the trails and see new places.
No grooming is planned for this weekend, but I may groom Tuesday after this next storm passes. Kenton03-22-08: Skyway/County Line Groomed all trails (32k) with the snowcat early Saturday morning. Skiing was excellent, some of the best skiing of the year was reported by many people. Kenton
03-21-08: Skyway/County Line 2" of new snow on 7 1/2' base. Groomed skating lanes on most trails at both areas today. Windy conditions didn't warrant setting new classic tracks. Will groom early tomorrow morning. Kenton
03-18-08: Ward Trail System We went skiing at Ward today and it was great with 1-2" of new snow. There is room for 2 cars at the top of Twilight and about 4 cars at Campground. Grooming wasn't needed and the two tracks were still visible which Al set Monday. Fred
03-18-08: Skyway/County Line 7" of new snow on a base a touch below 8'. Lo temp. 3*F. High temp. 28*F. All trails (32k) were freshly groomed today with the snowcat. Great skiing with a little bit of wind blown in the classic tracks. Still winter like conditions.
Next grooming will be either Friday afternoon and/or Saturday morning. Kenton03-18-08: Ward Trail System There was 2-3" of new snow at Ward. Al groomed with roller the 7k setting track on both sides. He used the snowmobile on the 1.7k of E. Ward. It was beginning to get icy and crusty. So the best times to probably ski will be after noon when it is soft. Fred
03-15-08: Skyway/County Line 7" of new snow on 7 1/2' base. Lo temp. -9*F. High near 28*F. Groomed all trails at both areas for skate and classic skiing. (32k). Skiing was excellent on packed powder. Next grooming is scheduled for Tuesday morning. Kenton
03-15-08: Ward Trail System Al groomed with roller and set track on 7k of Ward Trail including the loop below the Campground. Only about 2" of new snow. At Campground the depth is 74". Fred
03-14-08: Skyway/County Line Snowcat grooming is scheduled for early tomorrow morning at Skyway and County Line. Should have all trails groomed by noon. Kenton
03-11-08: Skyway/County Line 2-3" of new snow Monday night on 7 1/2' base. Groomed 4k with the snowcat at Skyway for skate and classic. Groomed 7k with snowmobile at County Line for skate and classic. Also groomed skating lanes on many of the other trails. While I was grooming I talked with several people about why I was grooming with the snowmobile instead of the snowcat. The main reason is an attempt to save money. To groom all trails with the snowcat costs between $500 - $600 per day. As you know our operating budget comes from your memberships and donations. The donation box at County Line last month yielded only $112.00. Most of you who read this are probably great supporters of the GMNC, but if you have forgotten to send in your membership (season pass) or want to contribute more please do so. And your support is tax deductable.
Our mailing address is GMNC, PO Box 266, Cory, CO. 81414
Thank You for you continued support
Kenton Shaw03-10-08: Ward Trail System Al groomed 7k of Ward Trail with roller and set track. He also tracked out E. Ward. There was about an inch of new snow making 74" at the campground. Very good skiing but can get a little sticky about noon. Fred
03-09-08: Skyway/County Line Trace of new snow overnight. Groomed approximately 25 K for skate and classic skiing today. Still excellent skiing to be had as temp. are still below 32. Next grooming will be Tuesday. Kenton
03-08-08: Skyway/County Line 2-3" of new snow during the day. I groomed a few trails at Skyway late in the afternoon and will try to finish grooming the remaining trails at both areas tomorrow. I want to thank everyone who called the sheriff today about the two trucks that tried to drive on the ski trails at Skyway and promptly got stuck. They were fined by the USFS Law Enforcement Officers and they have been towed out.
03-07-08: Skyway/County Line 6" of new snow on a base just below 8'. Lo temp. 1*F. High temp. 26*F. Groomed all trails at both areas for skate and classic skiing by 3:00 pm after 9 hours of grooming. Had a couple of mechanical problems that set me back. But it was a fine large day and skiing was especially good later in the day after the snow had time to set up. I may groom tomorrow afternoon for the race on Sunday and will most likely have to groom on Sunday too. Kenton
03-07-08: Ward Trail System Al groomed 7k of Ward Trail and set track on the way down which made it easier plus made the alignment better. It was a beautiful day and the snow was great and skiing was excellent. Al rolled out the upper loop below the Campground. About 76" at the campground and 50" at the Reservoir. Estimated 4-5" of new snow at the Campground. Fred
03-05-08: Highway 65 CLOSED:I received a call from CDOT that Highway 65 will be closed tomorrow morning for mitigation control. So I will groom ski trails on Friday instead of tomorrow as planned. Kenton
03-03-08: Skyway/County Line 9" of new snow overnight for a total snow depth of 100". Lo temp. -5*F to -15*F. High temp. around 27*F. Groomed all trails at both areas for skate and classic skiing. Classic skiing was great and skating was pretty good but a little soft in places. Next grooming is scheduled for Thursday. Kenton
03-03-08: Ward Trail System About 4" of new snow at the campground. Al rolled, pulled the grader and set track on the Ward Trail. Skiing and the weather were great. Fred
03-02-08: Skyway/County Line Jon reported 14" of new snow Saturday night with continuing snow showers during the day (Sunday). He groomed several trails at Skyway for skate and classic skiing. I will groom Monday morning. Kenton
02-29-08: Skyway/County Line No new snow on 7' base. Al groomed the skating lanes on trails at County Line today. I groomed Sunset, Winslow and loops for the Barnelopet kids late this afternoon at Skyway. All other trails for the most part are still in excellent shape on firm packed powder. Next grooming will be Sunday morning. Kenton
02-26-08: Skyway/County Line About 12" of new snow on 7 1/2' base. Groomed all trails today at both areas with the snowcat for skate and classic skiing. Also groomed most of the trails at Skyway a second time late in the afternoon to provide a firmer surface. Should be great skiing for the next couple of days. Kenton
02-26-08: Ward Trail System Ward Campground had about 6" of new snow making a depth of 78" and 54" at the Reservoir. Al Fournier groomed 7k of Ward Trail with the roller and grader setting track. There was some drifted areas but the snow cat track of ten days ago made an excellent base. Fred
02-23-08: Skyway/County Line 6-8" of new snow on 7' base. Groomed all trails at both areas for skate and classic skiing in the morning. Light snow showers continued until about 1:30. Warmer temperatures made for faster snow and it was great skiing. I may groom a tiny bit Sunday, but the next grooming day will be Tuesday after this next storm passes. Kenton
02-22-08: Skyway/County Line 4" of new snow since Wednesday, plus continuing snow during the day today. Lo temp. 13*F. High temp. 22*F. Only groomed a few trails at Skyway today as the snow kept falling. Also had some equipment problems, but should be ready to groom again tomorrow and Sunday for skiers and snowshoers. Kenton
02-22-08: Ward Trail System Al Fournier ran the roller down and back on the 7k of the Ward Trail. It snowed all day but was nice skiing. Ward Campground had 70" of snow and Ward Reservoir had 54". It looks like there could be several inches of new snow through Monday. Depending on the weather it looks like the next grooming on Ward will be Tuesday.
02-18-08: Skyway/County Line No new snow overnight. Lo temp. -9*F. High temp. 27*F. All trails (32k) were groomed this morning with the snowcat, at both areas. Skiing was excellent today with only minor wind drifting filling in the classic tracks in a few places. As of now it looks like the next grooming day will be Friday. Kenton
02-17-08: Skyway/County Line Jon reported 2-3" of new snow during the day with brisk winds yesterday. He did do some snowcat grooming, mainly at County Line. I will groom as needed today. Kenton
02-16-08: Skyway/County Line No new snow on 6 1/2' base. Groomed skate lanes at County Line and parts of Skyway this morning with the grader. Skiing is good to excellent on medium packed powder. Since there is a slight chance of snow tonight, Jon will go up tomorrow morning and groom as needed. Kenton
02-15-08: Skyway/County Line Sunny warm day. Skiing was good on 7" of new fresh packed powder. Groomed Skyway trails with snowcat and County Line trails with snowmobile today. That's 32k total groomed for skate and classic skiing. Will do touch up work tomorrow to get the skate lanes firmer at County Line. Kenton
02-15-08: Ward Trail System History was made today at Ward. With the 4" of new snow, making a total of 70", the GMNC snow cat was able to do the 7k of the Ward Trail. Jon Canty drove with Al Fournier getting out cutting branches, after about 6 hours they were able to complete the trip down and back. A total of 8 hours was needed for the round trip from Skyway to Ward Creek Reservoir and back. Thanks to Jon and Al for their hard work and finish at 9 P.M. it is appreciated. Fred
02-12-08: Skyway/County Line No grooming was necessary today, as there was no new snow and the trails are still in pretty good condition. Skiing today was fast and quick on firm packed powder. Next grooming will be Friday morning. Kenton
02-09-08: Skyway/County Line Trace of new snow overnight on 7' base. Groomed a few trails today to firm them up and erase unwanted snowmobile tracks. Skiing was great today. Next grooming will be Tuesday. Kenton
02-09-08: Ward Trail System Al snowmobile tracked East Ward Trail after removing 7 trees. There were 6 vehicles in the upper Ward parking lot. Fred
02-08-08: Skyway/County Line 5" of new snow since Wednesday. Groomed all trails at both areas for skate and classic skiing (32k). Skiing was very good on some trails, a little punchy on others. Unfortunately Scales Lake Road and parts of Dog Loop got trashed by a couple of snowmobiles who took off from the County Line parking lot. If you saw them and have their vehicle license plate number, registration number or any other information on the out-of bounds snowmobiles please call the USFS Crime Hotline number 874-6714. Will groom tomorrow morning to fix the problem areas. Kenton
02-08-08: Ward Trail System Al groomed 7k of Ward Trail with roller and grader setting track. There is a down tree on E. Ward. Fred
02-06-08: Skyway/County Line Groomed County Line trails this morning, packing out the 18" from the last storm. Then the next storm immediately started and dumped 2-3" by 2:00 pm. Skiing was still pretty good though. So officially all trails have been groomed for skate and classic skiing within the last two days. Next grooming will be Friday. Kenton
02-06-08: Ward Trail System Al Fournier roller packed the 7k of Ward Trail. The Loop below campground isn't done nor E. Ward. Possibly the next grooming will be Friday. Fred
02-05-08: Skyway/County Line New snow ... knee deep. Snow marker is at 7'. Groomed the Dog Loop at County Line with snowmobile and roller in the morning. Then groomed Skyway trails in the afternoon with the snowcat. Will groom County Line tomorrow with the snowcat. Kenton
02-05-08: Ward Trail System Al arrived at the upper Ward Trail as did the CDOT Operator with a new front end loader. The parking lot is plowed with a swath into the trail taking down the bank. There is 72" at the top & 57" at the bottom of the trail. Snow drifts made snowshoeing between the campground areas necessary to move the machine through. There is one machine track on the main trail. Grooming will continue tomorrow. Fred
02-03-08: Skyway/County Line Jon did go up Sunday and groomed Sunset-Winslow trails, but the wind and snow was so bad that it was not a good day for grooming, skiing, driving or finding a place to park. Hwy-65 is closed Monday 2-4-08 and scheduled to reopen sometime in the afternoon. Next grooming will be Tuesday. Kenton
02-02-08: Skyway/County Line I did groom many of the trails at both areas, but it eventually became useless as 6" of new snow fell between 9:00 and noon. Jon will go up tomorrow (Sunday) and groom as necessary. Kenton
02-01-08: Skyway/County Line 1" of new snow overnight on 6 1/2' base. About 1-2" of new snow during the day. Lo temp. 5*F. High temp 10*F. Groomed County Line trails with snowcat today. Will groom again tomorrow. Kenton
01-31-08: Skyway/County Line 18" of new snow since last grooming. Low temp. -31*F @ 6:30. High temp. about 9* F.
Had trouble getting the snowcat started on such a cold morning, so I packed out Loops 1 & 2 at County Line with snowmobile and roller in the morning. That was after spending 3 hours digging out the equipment that was buried in the drifted snow. Finally the cat started at noon and I groomed most of Skyway for skate and classic skiing. Will go up tomorrow and try to get a head start for the weekend. Kenton01-31-08: Ward Trail System Al Fournier did the grooming today. Haven't had a chance to talk to him so not sure about the amount of new snow. But Trickle Park has about 89". Al did pack and roll 7k of Ward Trail. Fred
01-29-08: Skyway/County Line No grooming today because of the road closure. Next grooming will be Thursday.
01-26-08: Skyway/County Line 2" of new snow overnight. Lo temp. 2*F. High temp. 28*F. Groomed most trails today for skate and classic skiing. Jon will groom a little tomorrow for the ski race and then the next grooming will be after the next storm passes on Tuesday.
01-26-08: Ward Trail System Ward had 6-10" of snow since the last grooming. About 56" at Ward Campground and 45" at Ward Cr. Reservoir. Jon groomed with roller and grader setting track on 7k of Ward and 1.5k of East Ward. It was a great day to ski. Fred
01-25-08: Skyway/County Line 12-14" of new snow on 6 1/2' base. Groomed all trails mainly in the afternoon today. Will groom again tomorrow morning to touch up soft spots. Kenton
01-22-08: Skyway/County Line 10" of new snow on 6' base. Lo temp. 2*F, High temp. 15*F. Groomed all trails at both areas (32k) for skate and classic skiing. It was excellent skiing today and should be good tomorrow and Thursday morning too, until the next storm arrives. Next grooming might happen Friday afternoon, but for sure we will groom on Saturday. Kenton
01-22-08: Ward Trail System There was 50" at Ward Campground with about 8" of new powder snow. Jon used the grader and set track on 7k of Ward Trail and 1.5k of East Ward. Found avalanche shovel handle at Ward Creek. Call 874-8318 and identify. Fred
01-19-08: Skyway/County Line Trace of new snow overnight. Jon groomed most of the trails at both areas for skate and classic skiing. Next grooming will be Tuesday.
01-18-08: Skyway/County Line 2" of new snow on 5 1/2' base. High temp. 7*F. Jon and I did go up this afternoon to groom, but snow continued to fall so very little grooming was done. Jon will groom first thing Saturday morning. Kenton
01-18-08: Ward Trail System Since Jon was up on the Mesa today he ran the grader on Ward and East Ward taking down some of the snow drifts. A snowmobile came in on the Ward system from Ward Creek Reservoir going up old staircase and made a few loops on Deep Slough then went back out the same way. Jon said he crossed the trail and traveled on it a short distance but didn't do much damage. He didn't set track because it was snowing.
Anyone seeing snowmobiles in the systems should try and get the permit # plus vehicle License # and turning it into the Law-enforcement Officer Julian Madrid at 970-433-8509. He will contact them if possible, if ticketed they could face a fine or jail time. Fred01-16-08: Skyway/County Line 5" of new snow on 5 1/2' base. Lo temp. -17*F. High temp. 0*F. Groomed all trails today for 32k of skate and classic skiing. Some drifting in the open areas, but otherwise good skiing and should be better tomorrow with warmer temperatures. Next grooming will be Friday afternoon and possibly Saturday morning if necessary. Kenton
01-16-08: Ward Trail System There was 48" of snow at the campground and 37" at Ward Reservoir. Jon groomed 7k Ward Trail and 1.5k of East Ward with the grader and set track this afternoon. Fred
01-12-08: Skyway/County Line 2-3" of new snow on 6' base. Low temp. -3*F at the Skyway Parking Lot at 6:00 am. Low temp. in the Arroyo was -22*F at 7: 30. High temp. was in the 20's. Turned out to be a great day. Groomed all trails at both areas for skate and classic skiing. 32k Next grooming will be mid-week.
01-12-08: Ward Trail System 51" at the Campground. Jon Canty used the grader and set track on the 7k of Ward and 1.5k of East Ward. The remaining 8k trails are good back country trails and well tracked out by skiers and snowshoers. The snow is the best it has been in several years. Fred
01-11-08: Ward Trail System Al was able to finish using the roller on 1.5k of East Ward. Jon will use the grader and set track tomorrow on the 7k Ward trail. Snow depth at the Campground is 51" Fred
01-10-08: Skyway/County Line18" of new snow since Tuesday on 6 1/4' base. Lo temp. -5*F. High temp. 15*F. Groomed all trails at both areas for skate and classic skiing (32k). Next grooming will be Saturday morning. Kenton
01-10-08: Ward Trail System There was 5" of new snow making 53" at the Campground. Al groomed 7k of Main Ward Trail with the roller. and most of East Ward has been tracked out with the snowmobile. The snow is drifted below Twilight and other open areas making the first pass very difficult. Fred
01-09-08: Skyway/County Line We do plan to groom trails tomorrow morning. Kenton
01-08-08: Ward Trail System A total of 48" of snow at the Campground. Al did some snowmobile packing on the Main Ward Trail. The snow was wonderful today making for great skiing on the hills, excellent powder. Fred
01-06-08: Ward Trail System The main Ward Trail was snowmobile packed by Jon Canty by noon. The wind was quite high at Twilight & the campground areas. There was 38" of snow at Ward Creek Reservoir. Fred
01-05-08: Skyway/County Line Just received word from CDOT that Highway 65 will be closed overnight for avalanche control and they will try to reopen by 10:00 am tomorrow. (Note: Highway 65 didn't reopen until 01-07-08 at 2:30 PM)
01-05-08: Skyway/County Line Plans for grooming today at Skyway and County Line have been cancelled due to extreme weather conditions predicted. We will groom the trails first thing tomorrow (Sunday). Kenton
01-04-08: Ward Trail System There was 5"-6" of new snow. Jon used the grader and track setter on 7k of Ward and 1.5k of East Ward. More snow is expected tomorrow. Fred
01-04-08: Skyway/County Line 5" of new snow overnight, plus 2-3" curing the day on 4 1/2' base. Lo temp. 18*F. High temp. 23*F. Groomed a few trails at County Line and most of the trails at Skyway today for skate and classic skiing. Will groom again tomorrow and on Sunday.
12-31-07: Skyway/County Line 6-8" of new snow overnight on 4 1/2' base. Lo temp. -8*F. High temp. 5*F. Chilly today but tomorrow should be warmer with afternoon temp near 25*. All trails at both areas were groomed today for skate and classic skiing with the snowcat (32k). Should be great skiing for the next couple of days. Next grooming is tentatively set for Friday.
12-31-07: Ward Trail System Jon Canty used the roller on the Ward Trail finishing about 1 pm. Fred
12-30-07: Skyway/County Line 2" of new snow overnight, plus 3-4" during the day on 4 1/4' base. Lo temp. 5*F. High near 15*F. Jon and I groomed trails at both areas that are mainly in the trees today because of the windy conditions. We will groom again tomorrow.
12-29-07: Skyway/County Line Trace of new snow with light snow during the day. Lo temp. -3*F. High temp. 10*F. Groomed a few trails at Skyway today. Skiing was good in the morning for skate and classic. Will groom tomorrow as necessary.
12-28-07: Skyway/County Line 3-5" of new snow in the last 48 hours on 4' base. Lo temp. -16*F. High temp. 9*F. All trails are open and skiable for skate and classic skiing. County Line was freshly groomed with snowmobiles and most of Skyway was groomed with the snowcat today.
12-28-07: Ward Trail System At Ward Campground it reads 34". Jon ran the grader and set track on Ward and E. Ward. The wind had blown and there is some wind crust on backcountry trails and hills. CDOT has done a nice job plowing the parking lot at Ward Campground and pushed the snow out of the way at the trailhead. They have also pushed the snow back and there is room for a couple of cars at the top of Twilight. Fred
12-26-07: Skyway/County Line 4-8" of new snow on 4 1/4' base. Lo temp. -14*F. High temp. +14*F. All trails at County Line were groomed and some trails were groomed at Skyway today. Next grooming will be Friday morning. Kenton
12-26-07: Ward Trail System About 2" of new snow and the trails in the open were drifted. Jon ran the roller down Ward Trail and East Ward in the afternoon. The next groom will be after the next significant snow. Fred
12-24-07: Ward Trail System Jon used the grader and set track on 7k of Ward Trail which includes the upper loop and 1.7k of East Ward. The next grooming on Ward will be Wednesday. Merry Christmas and Happy Skiing Fred
12-22-07: Skyway/County Line All major trails groomed at both areas this morning with snowcat at Skyway and snowmobile at County Line. Perimeter trails including Scales Lake, Loop 3, Dog Loop, Kannah Crossing, and Vista groomed by snowcat this evening.
Next grooming scheduled for Monday following forecast snow Sunday/Sunday night. Jerry Evans, GMNC12-22-07: Ward Trail System About 2" of powder on a base of 38". Jon Canty groomed 7k Ward and 1.5k of East Ward with the roller. Fred
12-21-07: Skyway/County Line No grooming on Friday due to avalanche control on hwy 65 and the ongoing snow. Snowcat grooming operations will be underway on Skyway Saturday morning and at County Line Saturday afternoon. Be aware of snowcat grooming starting on Sunset and Winslow Trails, continuing to Scales, Kannah Crossing and Vista.
Snowmobile grooming will be conducted on County Line Saturday morning starting on Dog Loop and continuing to Loops 1 & 2. Snowcat grooming will be conducted on Scales, Dog trail, Dog Loop, and Loop 3 Saturday afternoon. Jerry Evans, GMNC12-20-07: Skyway/County Line No grooming today. Got word from CDOT this afternoon that Hwy 65 will be closed tonight and until about 10:00 am tomorrow for avalanche control.
12-20-07: Ward Trail System There was about 38" at the Campground with 2" of new snow. It was snowing this morning. Al Fournier snowmobile tracked the 7k of the Ward Trail and the 1.5k of the East Ward Trail. He removed a fallen tree on lower Ward and cut an opening in a fallen tree on Sheep. Strong gusts of wind is predicted for tonight so we may have more trees down tomorrow. We tentatively plan to do roller grooming on Sat. Fred
12-19-07: Skyway/County Line Trace of new snow overnight, with about 1"-2" in the afternoon today on a 4' base. Didn't do much grooming today because of the snow flurries in the afternoon. Skiing is still pretty good for skating and the classic track is still good in the trees. May do a little grooming tomorrow morning, but the next major grooming will Saturday morning. Kenton
12-17-07: Skyway/County Line No new snow on 4' base. Lo temp. 12*F. High temp. mid 20's. Did touch-up on skating lanes today. Classic tracks are still in good shape with the exception of a few blown in areas. 32K groomed for skate and classic skiing. Next grooming will be Wednesday afternoon. Kenton
12-15-07: Ward Trail System Jon Canty groomed 7k Ward Trail with roller. He also did East Ward with roller making a nice groomed loop around Deep Slough which is an additional 1.7k now groomed. He also improved the Ward Creel Reservoir trailhead and shoveled Ward Campground's entrance. Fred
12-14-07: Skyway/County Line 3" of new snow on 4 1/2' base. Lo temp. 3*F. High temp. 5*F. All trails at both areas are groomed (32k). Kenton
12-13-07: Skyway/County Line No new snow on 5' base. Lo temp. 4*F. High temp. 22*F. Jon and I rough packed Loop 3 and Kannah Crossing with the snowcat. We also put up blue posts on Vista and Arroyo. We will be up there tomorrow putting up signs, cutting trees and grooming. Kenton
12-13-07: Ward Trail System Jon Canty returned late this afternoon to cut and remove the down trees which were across the Ward Trail. He finished roller grooming the 7k. He also groomed the part of the upper Ward Trail which has has been closed for 2 years because of down trees. They were removed this fall as part of the timber sale at Ward Lake. Fred
12-12-07: Skyway/County Line 9" of new snow on 5' base. Lo Temp. 3*F. Hi temp. 24*F. Great day, blue skies and no wind. Everything has been groomed with Snowcat for Skate and Classic skiing (24K), with the exception of Kannah Crossing, Wills Hill and Loop 3. Will work on getting these trails opened up tomorrow. Kenton
12-12-07: Ward Trail System About 10" of new snow making total about 46". Jon Canty groomed with roller down about half way where a tree stopped him from going further with the roller. The lower part of Ward was packed with snowmobile, 4 wide and another tree was across the trail by the reservoir. He groomed late afternoon. Fred
12-9-07: Skyway/County Line 8" of new snow overnight, plus 3" during the day, bringing the total depth to 4 1/2'. Groomed 6k at Skyway and 9k at County Line for Skate and Classic skiing. Kenton
12-9-07: Ward Trail System A beautiful day with 36" at the Campground as well as at Ward Cr. Reservoir. The Main Ward Trail, 7k, was groomed today by Jon Canty with the roller making it double wide in many places. Due to the snow and the amount of work, CDOT didn't plow the Ward Campground parking lot. Skied the Wild Trail and found 3 new trees which fell across the trail but a person can ski around. We will try to get the branches cut off this week. We will also get the "You Are Here" signs up. Fred
12-8-07: Skyway/County Line 24" - 30" of new snow bringing the total depth to 4 feet. Jon and I groomed 9k at Skyway and 5k at County Line for Skate and Classic skiing. Will groom again tomorrow. Kenton
12-5-07: Skyway/County Line No new snow on 2 1/2 ft base. Jon and Al groomed the remainder of trails at Skyway today. Next grooming will be tomorrow and then again on Saturday. Kenton
12-4-07: Ward Trail System I ran the snowmobile down and back 6k of the Ward Trail. The lower part does have snowshoe tracks. A tree is down at the end of Ward Cr. Campground, on the downhill curve, will try and get it cleared in a couple of days. Fred
12-3-07: Skyway/County Line No new snow on 30" base. Al and I groomed 9k at County Line today. Currently 15k groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at County Line and 5k groomed for Skate and Classic at Skyway. Kenton
12-2-07: Skyway/County Line 2 1/2 feet of new snow on 4" base. Jon and I groomed 5k at Skyway and 6k at County Line for Skate and Classic skiing. More grooming is scheduled for tomorrow. Kenton
12-1-07 Skyway/County Line The Nordic Council will begin grooming the trails Sunday Morning 12-2-07. Kenton