GROOMING SCHEDULE
Photo by Kenton Shaw
Schedule for grooming at County Line and Skyway X-C Ski Areas will be on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays with volunteer grooming on Sundays. Schedule may change due to weather conditions, events and holidays.
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. If you have a large group coming up to Ski or Snowshoe, please let us know ahead of time, so we can assist and groom accordingly.
Send your questions and comments to the GMNC in care of Kenton Shaw at [email protected]
Grooming Reports for 2003-2004
11-8-03:There is about 9" - 12" of snow on the ground. Lots of people skiing everywhere. I was caught off guard. Still doing trail work and not prepared for grooming this weekend. However I might go up tomorrow and pull the track setter behind my pickup from Skyway to the Microwave Tower if anybody is interested in some type of grooming? The official start for grooming will be Nov. 15th., weather permitting. Kenton
Grooming Reports for 2002-2003
May 21, 2003
It is still lovely up on the Mesa top with 0-3+ feet of crusty dirty
snow. Skating is fast before 9AM; from County Line to the Uncompahgre
scenic overlook only took me 15 minutes at an unathletic pace. Rocks
and a few patches of dirt are already exposed and these will expand
quickly over the next couple of weeks. The ponds are already opening
up and the snow along their edges is wet and slow even in the early
morning.
A ridge of High Pressure is building in this week, and afternoon
temperatures on top will climb into the lower 60s. Probably by late
next week, skiing will be an island hopping experience. Joe Ramey
May 7, 2003
From Joe Ramey, Meteorologist, National Weather Service
Well, I am struggling with this active Spring weather. Here is the
thinking for today at your friendly NWS office: only slight freeze-
thaw action both thursday and friday for little modification of the
crust. winds will be brisk...from the sw at 15-25 mph. snow showers
should produce little or no accumulation. but by friday night into
saturday...another relatively cold pacific storm blows thru producing
some significant snowfall...2-5". Thunderstorms could produce
significant local snow amounts...say up 12". this will probably mess
up weekend skate skiing. But you might want to put some red hard wax
on your classics and kick-n-glide. sunday morning should be dry and
cold for possible blue kick wax. (watch your garden plants if you live
in the lower valley elevations.)
With lower confidence...there is some evidence that we may be
transitioning to a drier and warmer pattern next week. The crust will
firm up and get fast again, never fear.
For the latest: www.crh.noaa.gov/gjt
May 6, 2003
The top of the mesa looks like early March with about a foot of snow on top of the old crust. The new snow is setting up, but as of Tuesday morning the surface was breakable crust. A person could stay on top of it by spreading weight evenly over the skis and not making any sudden moves or loud noises. The crust skiing by this weekend or even later this week should be fantastic on a smooth clean surface, depending on how cold it is the next several nights - check with your local skier/forecaster at the NWS for that prognosis. Jerry Evans
Pictures by Jerry Evans
May 3, 2003
Saturday, May 3rd; still plenty of snow for crust skiing. Conditions are good until about 10am and a bit slow after that as the snow softens. Snow is getting a bit dirty, but there may be some new snow after storms Saturday night. The mudhole known as the Skyway Trailhead Parking in the winter months was actually starting to dry in a couple spots - keep bugging the USFS about that when the opportunities arise; maybe they would consider spreading a few sprinkles of gravel or recycled asphalt someday. - Jerry Evans
April 26, 2003
4-26-03 Sat. Spring crust skiing is good to excellent on 5 1/2 feet of snow. Snow surface is very flat but a little dirty. The crust is firm but not icy and easy to get an edge. Skate skiing today in the open areas between Skyway and County Line was fast with some great gliding until about 10:00 A.M. when it started to get slow and mushy. Even the snowmobile corridor was good with only a few tracks to negotiate.
Of interest today was a fair number of Monarch Butterflies apparently making a rest stop on the Mesa in their migration to ....wherever.
Also remember for your safety, the " You are Here" signs and the temporary trail markers have been taken down for the season and the lakes and streams will soon become hazards, so as always, be aware and ski at your own risk. Kenton
April 19, 2003
4-19-03 Sat. About 6" of fresh new white over the older crusty snow with total depth at just under 6 feet. Set 10k of classic track and groomed 5k for skating. Track skiing was actually fairly good today with Sp. Violet, Violet and Violet Extra working for kick wax. Kenton
April 14, 2003
4-14-03: As Kenton said, the crust skiing is great. Throw down your garden
trowel and get out your older skate skis. Put in as much structure as
possible and some soft fluro wax; it is whoopee fast up there! In
spite of Kenton's grooming, the classic track have sun-melt eroded.
Forecast: expect windy conditions (S-SW 15-30G40mph) monday afternoon
into tuesday. Light snow to start early tuesday morning, with 2-4
inches falling tuesday afternoon and evening. Perhaps more with the
convective nature of this storm. Two inches would make a skate
wonderland with a soft layer on top of the crust. Another Pacific
disturbance to bring wind and snow on friday. Joe Ramey
April 12, 2003
4-12-03 Sat. Am I that crazy or missing out on something else? I seemed to be the only one enjoying the great crust skiing between 9:00 and noon today. The snow surface was fast, flat and firm with only small ripples and dimples that had little effect on glide or stability. Skiing the open parks and valleys around Skyway and County Line was excellent. Skiing on the trails was much more variable and not as good with ridges and softer mushy snow, especially in the trees. Kenton
April 9, 2003
4-8-03 Tues. 4"-6" new snow since Sunday and well over 2 feet of new snow in the last 4 days. Total depth = 7 feet. Low temp. -8*F at 6:30A.M. and high temp. 35*F in the shade and 71*F in the sun at 3:30 P.M. 20k groomed for skate and classic skiing mainly at Skyway X-C ski area. Didn't get to County Line due to the warm temperatures. Skiing is good to excellent in the mornings and evening hours and fair from about 11:00 to 4:00. And grooming will most likely wind down with the warm temps.
The good news is that the second ski season is about to begin. I predict the crust ski season will start by this Friday. And with 7 feet of snow the season should last close to the end of May. Kenton
April 5, 2003
Jan & Morrie Rupp Picked up signs today. They skied down Skinned Horse,Sheep& back up Ward on 6" of new snow over crust it was very good. Fred Wild
4-5-03 Sat. 6"-12" new snow in the last few days on 80" base. Groomed mainly trails in the trees due to windy conditions today. 4k at Skyway and 7k at County Line groomed for skate and classic skiing. Kenton
March 29, 2003
3-29-03 Sat. Low temp. -6*F. 32k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Classic skiing was good today on extra blue wax with variable conditions. Skating was soft and slow, but should be faster tomorrow. Kenton
March 28, 2003
3-28-03 Fri. 14" light new snow in the last 48 hrs on 86" base. Various trails groomed at both Skyway and County Line for skate and classic skiing. Will groom more tomorrow. Heavy use of the trails lately mainly by snowshoe hares, squirrels and a few coyotes. Kenton
March 21, 2003
3-21-03 Fri. 4" new snow on 81" base. Groomed 16.8k for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and 11k for skate and classic skiing at County Line. Skiing is still great on soft packed powder. Kenton
March 20, 2003
3-20-03 Th. No new snow on 78" base. Set classic track in open areas and at County Line. Skating was great on Snowcat groomed trails - Scales Lake Rd and Vista Loop. Used Purple Extra for kick wax during the middle of the day. Was pretty warm and many people with waxless skis were sticking. Would suggest skiing earlier or later in the day and making sure the kick zone on waxless skis are waxed with Swix easy glide or Toko grip and glide.
The snowshoe group today did a great job of walking on the edge of the skating lane. Thank you!!!
I would like to encourage snowshoer's to join the Nordic Council and help with summer trail work to widen the trails, thus providing more space on the trail for the different disciplines. And speaking of trail work, now is a great time of the year to trim limbs. With the extra 7' of snow height its a lot easier to do trimming than carrying a step ladder during the summer. If anyone wants to do some trimming let me know and I will lend them my pole saw.
Kenton.
March 20, 2003
3-19-03 Wed. Trace of new snow on 80" base. Groomed all trails at both Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Did not set track on the County Line trails due to windy conditions. Skiing is good to excellent on soft packed powder.
Highlights - The trees on the Mesa today were covered with a thick white heavy frost. The aspen trees were especially spectacular with each little twig and branch delicately coated. I was also skiing around the Sunset trail after grooming today and came upon a red fox. I kept skiing and he would run a ways down the trail and stop and look back. This happened several times, finally I stopped and stepped to the side of the trail and he quickly ran around me and back the other way.
Lowlights - Spent 2hrs grooming over snowshoe tracks that had damaged about 5k of the ski trails at Skyway. Kenton
March 18, 2003
3-18-03 Tues. 8" new on 82" base. 14k groomed for skate and classic skiing today at Skyway. Skiing was good in the trees, but wind blown in the open. Kenton
March 17, 2003
3-17-03 Mon. 6"-9" new snow in the last 48 hrs. Total snow depth - 78". Groomed skate lane width on 1/2 of the trails at both Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Set classic track on Sunset and Winslow trails at Skyway.
Then in the afternoon the classic track on Sunset was partially destroyed and the skate lane was totally obliterated by five people on snowshoes. Please, if you are snowshoeing on Cross-Country Ski Trails groomed by the Grand Mesa Nordic Council, follow the proper snowshoe etiquette. Kenton
March 15, 2003
3-15-03 Sat. 1" new snow on 72" base at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Trails. No grooming today as most trails were in pretty good shape from Tuesdays grooming. Skiing is still very good with extra blue kick wax in the early mornings. Crust skiing is not quite there, still a little soft.
We have had a noticeable increase of snowmobile usage within the designated non-motorized closed ski pods at Skyway and County Line. Snowmobiles are supposed to stay within 100 yds of the orange posts from Lands End Road for 2.5 miles as they pass through the two ski pods . If you observe any snowmobiles in the ski areas please inform them that they are in a closed area. The Grand Mesa Nordic Council is currently working with the USFS to find a solution to this problem. Please express your opinion and concerns to the USFS, it will help. USFS Recreation manager for the Grand Mesa is Loren Paulson, [email protected]. Kenton
March 11, 2003
3-11-03 Tues. No new snow on 76" base. Groomed skate lane on some trails at Skyway and County Line to loosen up some of the crusty spots and pulled some fresh snow in from the sides of the trails. Skiing is still good to excellent on firm packed powder with some glazing and mushy snow in places. Classic track is wind blown in spots but still holding its shape very well. Kenton
March 7, 2003
3-7-03 Fri. Dusting of new snow on 83" base. All trails are groomed at both Skyway and County Line X-C ski areas. Classic track set on most trails. Skating is still a little soft due to the new snow and the warm temp. today. Should be good skating in the mornings and then soft in the afternoons if the warm temp. continue. Kenton
March 6, 2003
3-6-03 Thursday. 0" new snow on 86" base. Groomed Scales Lake Rd, Kannah Crossing, Loop 2, Loop 3 and part of Loop 1 at County Line today. Still only have 9k of track set and everything else is wide enough for Skating (25k) although its pretty soft. Kenton
Thursday, 3/6/03, Since the last grooming there has been about 48" of new snow. Would like to thank all the snowshoers and skiers who have help track out the trails. Today I had to track out from the campground to Staircase on snowshoes so Charles Stoner could get the snowmobile through. And thanks to another couple who tracked the lower part of Ward. The Main Ward trail is packed about 40" wide.
For all the people who live in Delta and Montrose counties CDOT has a radio station reporting weather 24 hrs a day on FM 99.1. Fred Wild
March 5, 2003
3-5-03 Wed. New snow - 21". Total depth - 92". 9.0k groomed for skate and classic skiing and 5.5k groomed for skate skiing at Skyway X-C Ski Area. Will groom tomorrow at County Line. Kenton
GMNC's meteorologist Joe Ramey reports:
The majority of snow dump is done for awhile. Powderhorn reported 21
inches (since 6AM tuesday) this wednesday morning, so I would imagine
at least that much new on the trails. Expect soft track this week and
for the race.
Tonight-Friday: with the jet stream dipping into northern Colorado,
light snow is possible. I would expect only light accumulations,
generally 1-5 inches total through the remainder of the workweek. West
winds of 25-30 mph will cause drifting problems in the open areas.
Friday night-Saturday: the jet lifts north so the Mesa will dry out
and winds will diminish. For saturday...low temp 8-12F, max temp 32-
36F, 11AM temp 26-30F but with a colder snow temperture (17-22F?).
Low RH, light west winds, perhaps to 15 mph in open areas.
Again...soft track expected.
Outlook: dry and sunny Sunday with the next snow/wind system expected
on Monday into Tuesday. First guess is significant new snow
accumulation (7-15 inches?). Low confidence thereafter...but dry
through next Friday with another Pacific storm for the weekend (16-
17March).
March 1, 2003
3-1-03 Sat. Nice and clear for most of the day, but did get 2" new snow during the day and 3" overnight. The total depth however dropped to 82". Regroomed Skyway trails (16.8k) for Skate and Classic skiing. Groomed Loop 1, Dog Trail and Dog Loop at County Line for Skate and Classic skiing (8.2k). Kenton
February 28, 2003
2-28-03 Fri. 6"-8" new snow on 83" base. All trails at Skyway groomed for Skate and Classic skiing (16.8k). Loop 2, 3 and connecting trails groomed at County Line for Skate and Classic skiing (9.5k). Conditions are soft packed powder. Kenton
Today, 2/28/03. At Ward Campground total depth about 50" and at Ward Creek Res. about 36-40". New snow about 24" at top and bottom there were drifts of 40" in places. The main Ward Trail was tracked out with snowshoes to Staircase and down to the Res. Would like to thank Jim and Jeannie Schroeder of Austin for helping it should helped on Staircase. If there are any other snowshoers who would like to help by tracking the lower part of The Main Ward trail it would be greatly appreciated. The snowmobile will not be available until Tuesday and we need help. Fred
February 27, 2003
2-27-03 Thursday. 6" new snow for a total depth of 80". Managed to pack down the heavy snow from Tuesdays storm on all trails at both Skyway and County Line in the last two days. Some trails are still pretty rough and some are good. Will groom again tomorrow.Kenton
February 26, 2003
2-26-03 Wed. 12" - 18" new snow on 77" base. Rough groomed about 10k at Skyway and 7k at County Line 15' wide. Some track set although its probably covered by now as it was snowing off and on during the day. Will groom more tomorrow. Kenton
February 25, 2003
GMNC's own meteorologist reports on current storm From: "Joe Ramey" Date: 2/25/03 10:50AM Subject: 25 Feb Dump
From reports received here at the Weather Service this Tuesday morning... heavy snowfall continues at Skyway at about 2 inches/hour. Kenton's nice groom job from last Sunday is buried under 18 inches new with another 5-12 inches on the way this afternoon-tonight. and snow chances stay high into Saturday. It will be soft track for awhile, and crust skiing galore this Spring!
February 24, 2003
Monday, 2/24/03. 8"-10" at Ward Campground since Friday. Snowmobile packed with track set on the Main Ward Trail plus Ward on east side of Deep Slough 7.8k. The remaining 8.3k tracked for back country. Fred
February 23, 2003
2-23-03 Sunday. 9" - 12" new snow on 67" base. All trails groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at both Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas (32k). Conditions are soft packed powder. Kenton
February 21, 2003
2/21/03: Since Monday's grooming there has been about 10" of new snow at Ward campground. Today snowmobile packed 7.8k of trails, Main Ward Trail plus the east side of Deep Slough. The remaining 8.2k is good for back country. Fred Wild
2-21-03 Fri. 2-3" new snow on 61" base. 32 kilometers at County Line and Skyway X-C Ski Areas freshly groomed 15' wide for Skate and Classic skiing. Skiing is good to excellent. Kenton.
February 18, 2003
2-18-03 Tues. 6"-8" new snow since Sunday for a total of 5 feet. 32k groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Kenton Shaw
February 17, 2003
Sunday evening 4" of new snow fell at Ward Campground. Today, 2/17/03, 7k of the Main Ward Trail groomed. The remaining 9k was being tracked by back country skiers. Fred Wild
February 15, 2003
2-15-03 Sat. 1" new snow on 58" base. All trails groomed for Skate and Classic skiing (32k) at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Kenton Shaw
February 14, 2003
2-14-03 Fri. 12" new snow with total snow depth at 58". Lo temp. 23*F. Hi temp. 30*F. All trails at both Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas are open with 7.5k classic track set and 32k of skate lane groomed. Should have more classic track set tomorrow. Kenton Shaw
February 11, 2003
2-11-03 Tues. 0" new snow on 49" base. Groomed skating lane at both Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Classic track is good in the trees, but windblown out in the open areas. Kenton Shaw
February 7, 2003
2-7-03 Fri. No new snow on 51" base. High temp. 20*F. All trails groomed (32k) for skate and classic skiing at both Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Kenton Shaw
February 6, 2003
2-6-03 Th. 2" new snow on 51" base. Low temp. -13*F. High temp. 18*F. All trails at Skyway plus Dog Loop and Dog Trail at County Line groomed for skate and classic skiing with some snowcat grooming. (25k) Kenton Shaw
2/6/03 Thursday, half inch to one inch of new snow. Groomed main Ward Trail, 7k, 6 ft. wide roller with comb. The remaining 9k is back country and excellent skiing. Fred Wild
February 5, 2003
2/5/03 About 8" of new snow at Ward Campground and 4" at Ward Creek Res. Groomed 8.1k, Main Ward Trail plus Ward Trail on East side of Deep Slough. Leaving for back country about 9k. The snow was great, probably the best so far this year on Ward. Fred Wild
February 4, 2003
2-4-03: Skyway has 10 inches of new snow. All of Skyway except Vista Loop was groomed for skate & track skiing. Fred Wild
February 2, 2003
No new snow Sun. morning but very windy. All Skyway trails graded to smooth and knock down drifting (snow is getting fairly crusted so drifting was not substantial). Looks like new snow arrived in the afternoon. Tom Ela
January 25, 2003
1-25-03 Sat. 1" new snow on 45" base. Groomed all classic track at both areas. Skating lane groomed on Skyway trails and Dog Loop and Dog Trail at County Line. Kenton Shaw
January 24, 2003
1-24-03 Fri. Trace of new snow yesterday and again today on 45" base. Minimal grooming done as most trails are in good shape with 32k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Kenton Shaw
January 18, 2003
1-18-03 Sat. No new snow on 46" base. Lo temp. 5*F. High temp. ? Fresh grooming today with new track set on Vista Loop. Skiing is good to excellent for both skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas with 32k groomed. Kenton Shaw
January 17, 2003
Friday, 1/17/03, No new snow. Main Ward trail, 7k groomed 4+ ft wide. TheWard trail on the east side of Deep Slough, 1.1k, was groomed 28 inches wide. A little icy in the sunny areas but good in the trees.
The remaining 9k tracked for back country sking. Fred Wild
January 13, 2003
1-15-03 Wed. No new snow today on 47" base. Lo temp. 16*F. High temp 20* F. Kick wax- Extra Blue. All trails open at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas, with 31.4k groomed for skate and classic skiing and 1.8k for backcountry. Breezy and dense fog most of today with some blown in track. Skiing was still good though. Will groom tomorrow as needed. Full Moon-Sat. Kenton Shaw
January 12, 2003
1-12-03 Sun. No new snow on 50" base. All trails groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at both Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas, with the exception of Loop 4 and parts of Loop 1 & 2. (about 31k total) Skate skiing was fair today, due to soft conditions. Classic skiing was good to excellent. Kenton Shaw
Sunday, 1/12/03: The main Ward trail, 7k, was groomed five feet wide to make room for skiers and snowshoers. About 10-12" new snow at the campground and 6" at the Res. Great back country skiing on 11k of ungroomed trails. The conditions were excellent today, one of the best so far for this year. Fred Wild
January 11, 2003
1-11-03 Sat. 12" new snow overnight plus 3" in the morning for 50" base. Skate and Classic skiing at Skyway. Kannah Crossing, Scales Lake Rd, Dog Trail and Dog Loop groomed at County Line. Kenton Shaw
January 10, 2003
1-10-03 Friday. Lo temp. 17*F. High temp about 28*F. Moderate winds and light snow during the day with about 1-2" by midday at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. No grooming today but skiing was still good on most trails. Will groom tomorrow. Kenton Shaw
January 8, 2003
Wednesday 1-8-03 No new snow. Lo temp 18*F. High temp 40*F. Kick wax- Violet Sp.
Touched up some trails at Skyway and opened up the small Overlook Trail at County Line X-C Ski Area. All trails groomed for Skate and Classic skiing (31,4k), except Loop 4 at County Line. Some icing on south facing slopes and at the outhouse, so be careful. Kenton Shaw
January 6, 2003
1-6-03 Mon. 2" new snow on 39" base. All trails freshly groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Great skiing for both skate and classic. Kenton Shaw
January 3, 2003
1-3-03 Fri. 0" new snow on 38" base. Lo temp 19*F. High temp 35*F. Midday snow temp. -5*C to -10*C. All trails groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas (31.4k). Kenton Shaw
January 3, 2003
Friday, 1/3/03: The main Ward Trail, 6.4k groomed. All other trails, 14.4k for back-country sking. Fred Wild
January 2, 2003
1-2-03 Thur. No new snow on 38" base. Lo 7* F. High 25* F. 31.4k groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at County Line and Skyway X-C Ski Areas. Had the magic groomer level the drifts on Scales Lake Road. Kenton Shaw
January 1, 2003
1-1-03 Wed. 7"-10" new snow. 9k of Skate and Classic at Skyway. About 14k of skating lane rough groomed at County Line and connecting trails to Skyway. Should have more groomed tomorrow. Kenton Shaw
December 31, 2002
Tues. 12-31-02. 3-4" new snow in early morning. Minimal grooming today due to high winds and blowing snow. 4k groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at Skyway X-C Ski Area. Will groom tomorrow A.M. Kenton Shaw
December 30, 2002
Monday 12-30-02. 2" new snow on 38" base. Low temp. 0� F. High temp about 24� F. 25k out of 32k freshly groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Kenton Shaw
December 28, 2002
Fri 12-28-02 2"-3" new snow on Monday and Wednesday on 39" base. Volunteer grooming this week by Tom Ela. 31.4k groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at County Line and Skyway X-C Ski Areas. Kenton Shaw
December 25, 2002
Ward Trail System: Christmas Day, 2-3 inches of new snow. The main Ward Trail was groomed to 5 ft wide. The other trails were tracked out, excellent back country skiing. Fred Wild
December 22, 2002
Back Country skiing was great on the Ward system. Almost all the trail are tracked out. Caution should be taken on the lily pond on the Skinned Horse trail because of some unfrozen water. The main Ward trail has been groomed. Fred Wild
December 21, 2002
Sat. 12-21-02 5" new snow on 42" base. Groomed most trails at both Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Approximately 27k groomed for Skate and Classic skiing. Kenton Shaw
December 19, 2002
The Main Trail from Ward Creek Campground to Ward Creek Res. was groomed today. Fred Wild.
December 19, 2002
Thur. 12-19-02. 5" new snow on 45" base. Low temp. zero, high temp 25 deg. Regroomed trails at Skyway for 14k of Skate and Classic skiing. Groomed Skate lane on Scales Lake Rd., Dog Trail, Dog Loop and part of Loop 1 at County Line. Kenton Shaw
December 18, 2002
Ward campground 16 new inches, Ward Creek Res one foot new snow. Trail tracked out Wednesday with seven skiers. Plan to groom this Thursday AM. Slide rock is skiable on lower end of staircase . Do not tarry on tracks crossing Ward creek as snow bridges are still fragile. Fred Wild
December 18, 2002
Wed. 12-18-02 19" new snow for a total depth of 43". 14k groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at Skyway X-C Ski Area. Should have some trails groomed at County Line tomorrow. Kenton Shaw
December 13, 2002
Fri 12-13 No new snow on 24" base. Low temp. 4 deg. F, high temp. 29 deg. F. at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Skate and Classic skiing is good to excellent with 31.4k groomed.
Someone was kind enough to decorate two small trees, see if you can find them. Kenton Shaw.
December 12, 2002
Thurs. 12-12. 1"-3" new snow last night and today on 24" base at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Groomed skating lanes on all trails except Loop 4. Will set classic track tomorrow where its needed. Kenton Shaw
December 6, 2002
Fri. 12-6. No new snow on 24" base. Groomed Kannah Crossing today, so we now have 31.4k groomed for skate and classic skiing at County Line and Skyway X-C Ski Areas. The snow is holding up very well with very few icy spots. Skiing is good to excellent on firm packed powder. Kenton Shaw
December 4, 2002
12-3 Tuesday. 24" base with no new snow at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. 29.6k groomed for skate and classic skiing. Skating is good to excellent on firm packed powder and classic skiing is fair to excellent. Groomers choice for best trail - Vista Loop. Kenton Shaw
December 1, 2002
Sun. 12-1. 1"-2" new snow on 24" base at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. 14.3k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway. Classic track set in the afternoon after the wind died down. Next grooming scheduled for Tuesday. Kenton Shaw
November 29, 2002
11-29 Friday. No new snow on 23" base at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Graded skate lane on most trails. Classic track is holding up very well. 29.6k groomed for skate and classic skiing. Good to excellent skiing. Next grooming will be Sunday A.M. Kenton Shaw
November 27, 2002
Wednesday 11-27. No new snow on 24" base at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Graded some trails. Most trails still in good condition on firm packed powder with some wind blown areas in the open. 29.6k groomed for Skate and Classic skiing. Kenton Shaw.
November 25, 2002
Monday 11-25. 2" new snow on 25" base. 29.6k out of 33.6k groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Conditions are good to excellent on packed powder. Best trail is still Scales Lake Road from Skyway Trailhead to the Microwave Tower. Kenton Shaw.
November 23, 2002
Sat. Nov 23rd. No new snow on 25" base. Same trails groomed as last Sunday. Some trails have deteriorated due to the warm weather with some icy spots on south facing slopes. Graded Skating Lane to loosen up the snow. Still good to excellent skiing on Sunset, Vista, Dog Loop and parts of Scales Lake Road. Kenton Shaw
November 19, 2002
Tuesday Nov. 19th Trace of new snow on 27" base. Touched up and widened some trails at Skyway and County Line. Same trails and kilometers groomed as Sunday. Kenton Shaw
November 18, 2002
The main Ward Trail which is the red line on the map plus Wild Trail and old. Staircase were groomed today, Monday November 18. A total of 8.6k. There was about 18 inches of packed snow at the Ward Campground and about 10 inches at Ward Cr. Res. Fred Wild
November 17, 2002
Sunday Nov. 17th. 0" new snow on 27" base. County Line: Skate and Classic - 7.4k. Skate - 6.8k. Backcountry - 2.5k. Skyway: Skate and Classic - 15.7k. Backcountry - 1.1k. Kenton Shaw
November 16, 2002
Saturday Nov. 16th. 9" new snow since Wednesday. 29" base. 14.2k groomed 10'-12' wide at County Line. 7.4k groomed for Skate and Classic and 8.3k for Skate at Skyway. Should have more Classic track set tomorrow. Kenton Shaw
November 13, 2002
Wednesday Nov 13th 3" new snow since Sunday with total snow pack of 23" . 11.5k groomed for Skate and Classic at Skyway. 12k roughly groomed at County Line. Kenton Shaw
November 10, 2002
Sunday Nov 10th. 4" new snow for a total snow pack of 25". 11.5k groomed for Skate and Classic from Skyway parking lot. Includes Sunset, Winslow, Lions, Scales Lake Road and a portion of Loop 3. Kenton Shaw
November 9, 2002
Saturday Nov 9th 8" new snow overnight, 6" new snow during the day.
10.5k groomed on Lions Loop and Scales Lake Road. Kenton Shaw.
November 4, 2002
Sunday Nov. 3rd. 3" new snow on 19" base. 7k groomed for Skate and Classic from Skyway parking lot. Kenton Shaw
November 3, 2002
2" new snow overnight on 18" base. 5.2k groomed for Skate and Classic at Skyway from Lions to Scales Lake to the Microwave Tower. Should have more groomed tomorrow. Kenton Shaw
October 28, 2002
Monday 10-29, the skiing was good to very good on Lions and Scales Lake Road. 6-8 inches on Scales Lake Rd, but County Line area had around 8-12 inches. There is more snow off the road. I skied from the Skyway parking lot to the Microwave tower on County Line in under an hour using F4 glide wax. It was well tracked. The snow off track was heavy. I did take a few pictures along the way. In the 6+ miles round trip I never hit any rocks. I only saw one young lady with her white dog. She said she saw 5 people skiing on Sunday. Attached is a picture.
I live in Grand Junction. I enjoy trail and off trail skiing, and I'm quite familiar with the Grand Mesa. If anyone is interested in car pooling give me a call. I prefer Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday, but I'm flexible. If interested give Jim a call 245-7643. Jim DuBois. Posted 10-28-02
Photo by Jim Dubois
October 27, 2002
Trail grooming is scheduled to start on Nov 15th. Current conditions -
8" new snow. Total depth 12 " Skiing is fair to good in skier packed trails. Lions Loop to Scales Lake being the best and pretty much rock free. Kenton Shaw. Posted Sunday 7:15 AM
