GROOMING SCHEDULE

All Photos on this page by Kenton Shaw

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Tentative 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 Photo Gallery Updated 3-6-04

Grooming Reports for 2003-2004

4-17-04:

Skyway-County Line  No new snow on 58" base. No more grooming for the year, but still plenty of snow for another month of skiing. Off trail crust skiing was excellent today. In the open areas the snow is firm, clean and very smooth. Crust skiing in the trees is still a little soft and trail skiing is a bit rough. Kenton

4-11-04:

Skyway-County Line: 2"-4" new snow on 68" base. Groomed 15k at Skyway and 9k at County Line for Skate and Classic skiing. Another Extra Blue kick wax day until about noon.  Kenton

4-10-04:

Skyway- County Line:   6" new snow overnight plus a little extra during the day on 5 1/2' base.  Groomed 14k at Skyway and 9k at County Line for Skate and Classic skiing.  Excellent track skiing today, probably the best in the last month.  Kick wax of the day: Extra Blue to Sp Violet.

Will groom tomorrow if necessary.  Kenton

4-4-04

Ward System: Ruth and I went skiing today at Ward. Snow is gone on the Ward Cr. Res. bridge but the snow on the other side looked good. We started from Deep Slough pull out and with the 1/2" of new snow it was very good. There was still 32" at the Campground. Fred

 

3-28-04

Skyway-County Line: 3" new snow on 58" base. More like winter today with a high temp. of 26*F. Groomed 12k at Skyway and 10k at County Line for Skate and Classic skiing. Unfortunately the wind filled in much of the classic track in the open, but the good news is most of the 20 day old snowmobile ruts have been covered up too. Many people skied on the trails today, although off trail skiing was almost as good.  Kenton

3-27-04:

Skyway - County Line:  1" of new snow overnight took the edge off of the crust.  The wind today helped to partially fill in the unauthorized snowmobile ruts in the open parks in the closed ski pods.  Areas with minimal snowmobile tracks for good crust skiing are, the open valley between Dog Trail and Loop 3, the open area south of Vista Loop and Scales Lake #1.  Use caution when skiing across lakes and ponds.  Recent grooming on Scales Lake Rd and Kannah Crossing was also good today.  No grooming today.    Kenton

Picture of crust skiing

3-25-04:

Skyway-County Line:  1" new snow Wed. night on a base just under 5'.  No fresh grooming, but crust skiing was very good in the open untracked areas.  Still tough to ski over unauthorized snowmobile tracks that were made 15-20 days ago in the closed ski pods.     I might try grooming some classic track this weekend.  Kenton

3-22-04:

Skyway-County Line:  Volunteer grooming today by Lynda Walters. She groomed about 17k for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line.  Kenton

3-21-04:

Skyway-County Line:  Another great day. Lo temp. 20*F. Temp. at 11:30 am was 50*F. Volunteer grooming today by Greg Randall on Lions, Arroyo and Wills Hill (5k). Crust skiing was stayed good until about 11:30 am.  Kenton

2-20-04:

Ward: There is 42 inches at Ward Campground. I have taken all the equipment and the remaining signs down for the season. Skiing is challenging and fast at Ward. Hope we get some more snow before all the present snow melts, it is going fast on the South side. Thanks to all the people who have helped on Ward this season and those who broke trails for the rest of us. Fred

Skyway - County Line:
   T-shirt and shorts weather -  Klister classic skiing and Crust skiing on 5 1/2 feet of snow.  No grooming due to warm weather and only a few people showing up.  I will keep the grooming equipment on the hill in case it does snow in the next couple of weeks. 

  Off trail crust skiing was good to excellent with good glide and firm pole plants from sunrise to 10:00 am.  After 10:00 am it was better skiing on the trails.  Scales Lake #1 was excellent and the open park that parallels the Dog Trail was good for crust skiing today. Many of the other open areas that would have been good are rutted from all of the recent unauthorized snowmobile traffic.

  If your interested in an early morning crust ski skate tour, let me know.
  This time of the year is also a chance to get a head start on next years trail work.  For those of you interested in doing volunteer trail work, there always seem to be those overhanging limbs that need trimming along the edges of the trails.  And since standing on 5 1/2 feet of snow is much easier than carrying around a ladder in the summer, now is a great time to get some of this yard work done.  I'm sure most of you know of at least a few low hanging limbs that have required a little head ducking.  I have a pole saw hanging on a tree next to the GMNC grooming equipment at Skyway that you are welcome to use.

  Kenton 

3-14-04:

WARD: Skiing was great today, very fast but you could go anywhere. Groomed Ward with Yellowstone grader and filled in the holes on upper Ward Trail near the campground. About 1 p.m. the snow softened and the comb was leaving good marks.  At Ward Creek Reservoir's trail head the sand and dirt were blown on the trail from CDOT snow blower making it a little rough.  Ken Simpson, Grand Mesa Lodge, found a good walkie-talkie on County Line. If you lost one give him a call and ID.  Thanks to Paul Conway (carried nine signs) & Joe Wataha for getting all the signs except at both trail heads, which will be left for a few more weeks. We have renamed the red line WARD deleting Outer Limits and parts of Deep Slough.  Old Ward will become E WARD (east ward). Thanks to Rae Meagher for helping put up new diamonds with the names. Fred

3-13-04:

No new snow on 6' base.  Lo temp. 12*F.  Temp. at noon was 32*F.  Groomed 16k at Skyway and 9k at County Line - skate lanes only.  I have no chance of setting track in this hard snow with the equipment we have.  Groomed the race trail in late afternoon.  Should be a good race on fast snow.  Some spots are a little rough due to tough snow conditions, four wheelers and snowmobiles on the trails.   Kenton

3-11-04:

Skijored Main Ward Trail today from campground to Wild Trial. The trail remains in good shape with about 50" at top and 40" at the bottom.  Came down the Wild Trail which was icy in places. South & west facing parks near Ward Creek Reservoir, are good skiing with crust softening as temperature increases but still bearing weight. Fred

3-10-04:

Lo temp. 23*F. Didn't get the high temp. Snow pack has settled to 75". Groomed skate lanes on all trails at both Skyway and County Line today. The snow is too hard to reset new classic track, but skiing is still very good with some crusting in the colder parts of the day and some sticking and slightly mushy snow during midday in the exposed areas. Speaking of crust, its baking, about a 1/2" thick now, enough to support a small dog. It maybe done in a couple of days. The bad thing is a lot of the good open areas for crust skiing has been tracked up by snowmobilers.  Kenton

3-7-04:

No new snow on 81" base. Lo temp. 5*F. Warmed up to 30*F by 11:00 am. Skiing was good in the morning and late afternoon, but a little sticky during midday.  Groomed skate lanes on all trails. Quit grooming early due to warm temperatures. Then went out and chased snowmobilers off of the ski trails on skis. I observed two different groups in the ski pods, one of which destroyed at least one kilometer of Scales Lake Rd on the County Line side They were out in swarms today. I need your help, the ski pods are off limits to snowmobilers. If you see them in the ski pods, flag them down and tell them they are not welcome and are supposed to stay within 100 ft. of the orange poles that define the snowmobile corridor for 3 miles from Lands End Rd. Better yet, get their registration # and you can turn them in and they will get fined.

Most of all YOU can help by writing to the USFS!!!  

Kenton

3-6-04:

Skyway/County Line:  No new snow on 85" base.   1" new snow during the day  Groomed Loop 3 and the overlook loop at County Line for skate and classic skiing plus touched up the skate lanes on some trails.   31k groomed for skate and classic skiing. Skiing is good to excellent, but some of the track in the open areas has been wind blown in.  Plan to groom tomorrow. Kenton

3-5-04:

Skyway/County Line: 6"-8" new snow on 86" base.   All trails groomed for Skate and Classic skiing at both areas except for Loops 3 & 4 at County Line.  Skiing is good on soft packed powder.  Will groom Loop 3 tomorrow and touch up some of the skate lanes. Kenton

Ward: About 6" of snow on a 60" base at the Campground and 50" at the Reservoir.  The main Ward Trail 7k was groomed by Mary Bohl and crew.   Want to thank Roxanne Koehler, Jill Olson & Sharon Riegel for trimming branches on Staircase and Wild Trails. Fred

We are getting into Sping skiing on Ward but the snow is wonderful, the best in years, you can go about any where. Probably you will find morning skiing the best. Fred  

3-4-04:

Skied by the spillway of Ward Creek Reservoir Wednesday morning. It was open & spilling. All the reservoirs should be used with caution from now on. There is slush or water beneath the snow. The ice will hold you but the skies will get wet & need to be scraped. Snow bridges on live creeks should be suspect.  Ward is planned for grooming on Saturday.  Fred

3-2-04:

Skyway: 1" new snow overnight plus 3" during the day as of 3:00pm. Groomed Loops 1,2 and 3 at County Line for skate and classic skiing. All trials have been groomed in the last two days except Loop 4 and Wills Hill for a total of 30k. Next grooming scheduled for Thursday. Kenton

Ward: Nine inches of new snow at Ward Campground and 7 at the Resevior. A total of 62". Groomed the main Ward Trail 7k. The remaining 11.5k are for tracking out which some have done. Snow is still cold and fluffy and more on the way.  Fred, Sam & Ray groomed today. Fred

 

3-1-04:

Skyway: 8" of new snow overnight bringing the three day storm total to 39". Total snow depth is at 92". Lo temp. 5*F. High temp. ? Groomed 16k at Skyway and 7k at County Line for Skate and Classic skiing.  Should be good skating on Vista, Kannah Crossing and Scales Lake Rd.  Will groom more tomorrow.  Kenton

Ward: Forgot to report last night that yesterday there were 60+ inches at the Campground and 54 inches at the Reservoir. Sam Vasicko and crew groomed the 6 inches of new snow. It was still snowing and wind was blowing when they finished. I hope to go and groom the trail again tomorrow. Skiing was great for back country. Fred

2-29-04:

7" new snow overnight plus 6" during the day.  Snow pack at 7 1/2 feet.   Snowcat grooming on Scale Lake Rd, Dog Trail, Dog Loop, part of Loop 1, Kannah Crossing, NW side of Vista, Arroyo and part of Lions.  Snowmobile grooming on Sunset, Winslow, Lions and Vista.  Loops 1,2,3 and Wills Hill ungroomed.  Will try to groom more tomorrow.  Kenton

2-28-04:

6:21 PM

12"-14" new snow at Ward since Friday's grooming.  Groomed the main Ward Trail about 10' wide.

The Highway was reopened at 3:00 pm today.  Roads are in good shape with the parking lots plowed.         14"-18" new snow at Skyway with the snow marker at 7 feet.

Spent 1 1/2 hours digging out the trailhead entrance and the outhouse's at Skyway.  Did not have time to groom any trails at Skyway or County Line.  Will start grooming the trails tomorrow.  Kenton

8:35a.m.

Kenton called from Grand Mesa Lodge and the road is closed due to avalanches and it may be after 2 p.m. before CDOT has it open.  Kenton and Fred will try and groom Ward's main trail this morning.  Fred

2-27-04:

Ward: Mary Bohl and crew groomed the 7k during heavy snow, some wind and poor visibility.  Reported 4-6 inches of new snow but the drifts made it deeper in places.  I may try and groom tomorrow or Sunday again. Fred

Skyway/County Line: No grooming scheduled today due to the storm passing through. Will groom Saturday. Kenton

2-24-04:

1" new snow on 69" base. Lo temp. 18*F. High temp. 35*F. Groomed skate lanes on all trails and left classic tracks for skiers to ski in. Warm temp in the middle of the day made the trails a little punchy with some sticking reported by some of the touring skiers. Otherwise excellent skiing. Kenton

2-23-04:

2" new snow on 6' base. Lo temp. 17*F. Temp. at 4:30 was 25*F. Groomed all trails for skate and classic with the exception of Will's Hill, Arroyo and Loop 4. About 30k total. Great skiing on soft packed powder and fast snow. Next grooming scheduled for Wednesday. Kenton

2-22-04:

Skyway: Repeat of yesterday. It was clear for the first 3 hrs and I had 3 to 4 trails nicely groomed with fresh track set and then it began to snow around 9:00 am and dumped another 3" by about 1:00. Classic skiing was so-so and skate skiing was a work out, although the snow was fast. Lo temp. 17*F. High Temp. 28*F. 4" new snow overnight and about 3" during the day. Total snow depth at 6'. Kenton

Ward System: About 8" of new snow at the Campground making a total of 48". The Main Ward Trail was groomed 7-8ft wide. Excellent backcountry skiing on all the remaining trails. The snow was cold in the morning, toward afternoon it beginning to get warmer. It snowed most of the day. Sounds like there will be snow all week. Keep in mind this time of year the skiing will be best during the morning. Fred

2-20-04:

Skyway: 4" new snow on 66" base.   Lo temp. 5*F.  High temp. 30*F.  Groomed all trails for skate and classic (31k).  Soft packed powder conditions.  Posted some new snowshoe etiquette signs. Kenton

Ward System: Groomed Ward Creek trail with the roller & Nordic comb to 8' wide. Snow is 10" of powder at the campground & 3" at Ward Creek Reservoir. If you are up to an intermediate area try Ward. Fred

2-19-04:

No new snow overnight on 62" base. Light snow began falling in the afternoon. No grooming today due to new snow in the forecast. Took the repaired roller up today and did some maintenance work. Thanks to Fred Wild for fixing the roller.  Conditions today were hard packed snow with some glazed spots and most of the track in the open has blown in. Screaming fast skiing though if you had skis waxed warm and with good edges.  Kenton

 

2-16-04:

Trace of new snow in the early morning hours on 66" base. All trails groomed for skate and classic skiing except for Loop 4. 31k total. Fresh grooming today on Loops 1,2 and 3 at County Line. Next grooming scheduled for Thursday. Kenton

Snow whale

2-14-04:

No new snow on 66" base.  High temp. 27*F.  Groomed the main Ward Trail from top to bottom about 8' wide.  Touched up some trails at Skyway and County Line.   Skiing was excellent today.  I will be up there tomorrow and groom if needed.   Kenton

2-13-04:

No new snow on 68" base.  Lo temp. -3*F.  Temp at noon was 15*F.   Light winds with some blown in areas.  Skiing was much faster today.  31k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line.  Will groom Ward first thing tomorrow.  Kenton

2-12-04:

Brrrrrrrrrr  One of those days when track skiing was faster than skating.  Lo temp. -19*F.  Hi temp +4*F.  2" -5" new snow on a 70" base.  31k of classic track set and about 20k of skating lanes groomed.  Will groom more tomorrow. Kenton

2-8-04:

Pictures from Ward Trail System

3" new snow overnight, plus about 1"-2" during the day.  Lo temp. -3*F.  High temp. 10*F.  Not many people today, but those who came were treated to some snowcat grooming on Scales Lake Rd, Dog Trail, Dog Loop, west side of Loop 3, Kannah Crossing, west side of Vista Loop, Arroyo and the south side of Lions Loop.   Most all trails groomed for skate and classic skiing at both areas.  About 30k.  Kenton

2-7-04:

No new snow on 6' base.  14k at Skyway and 10k at County Line groomed.  Not all trails have track set.  More grooming scheduled for Sunday.  Thanks again to Tom Ela for spending many hours today grooming the trails.  Kenton

2-6-04:

The road reopened around noon today.  Incredibly another 18" fell since Wed. for a three day storm total of about 3'.  Total snow depth at 78".  Groomed about 9k for skate and classic at Skyway.  Will groom first thing tomorrow at County Line.  Also widened and packed out wind drifts on the Ward Trail at Ward. Kenton

2-5-04:

Ward Trail: About 16" new snow at Ward making a 56" base at the Campground.   SamVasicko and crew groomed the 7k of main Ward Trail.  It was quite difficult because of drifting and blowing snow. Fred

 

2-4-04:

No grooming today due to road closure on top of the Mesa. I will groom tomorrow. Went up yesterday and groomed about 7k at Skyway. There was about 18" of new snow yesterday and 6" or more today. Grand Mesa Lodge reported 31" of new snow from this storm. Ward is scheduled for grooming today at 11:00 am. Kenton

2-1-04:

Skyway/Country Line: 2" new snow for a storm total of about 8" on a base just over 5'. Lo temp. -5*F. High temp. about 18*F. Snow temp. -12*C to -16*C. 31k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line.  Kenton

Ward System: About 6" new snow. 42" base at Campground and 36" at Reservoir. Groomed the main Ward Trail, 7k. The remaining 11k tracked out with either skis or snowshoes. The weather was great and skiing excellent. Fred

1-31-04:

4" new snow overnight and about 3" during the day on a base just over 5'.  Temp. was about 19*F most of the morning, then started to fall in the afternoon.  7k groomed at Skyway for skate and classic skiing.  Will groom more tomorrow.  Kenton

1-30-04:

1" new snow Tues. night and trace of new snow last night on 56" base. Lo temp. 12*F. High temp. 25*F. Graded skate lanes on all trails at both Skyway and County Line. Skiing is great on soft to medium packed powder. Kenton

   

1-27-04:

Much warmer today, Lo temp. 0*F High temp. about 20*F. No new on 58" base at Skyway. Groomed County Line trails for skate and classic and touched up skate lanes on a few trails at Skyway (31k for skate and classic). Graded main Ward trail (7k) about 9' wide. Conditions are soft packed powder at all areas. Kenton

1-26-04:

A little chilly today. Lo temp. -10*F. High temp 8*F. Trace of new snow overnight on 5' base. 20k groomed at Skyway plus Scales Lake Rd. and Kannah Crossing for Skate and Classic skiing. Loop 1,2,3 and Dog Loop at County Line have about 3" of new snow since grooming on 1-25-04. More grooming tomorrow.  Kenton

       

Photos by Kenton Shaw

1-25-04:

7"-9" new snow overnight. Groomed some trails at both areas today with the help of volunteer groomer Richard Hypio. But by the time we returned to the Skyway trailhead it had snowed another 7". So skiing today was basically backcountry. New snow total = 14"-16" on 64" base. Grooming scheduled again for tomorrow. Some pictures from today:  (click on image to enlarge)  Kenton

               

       

Photos by Kenton Shaw

1-24-04:

No new snow on 53" base. No grooming today as trails are still in good shape. Medium to hard packed powder conditions with very few icy spots. Classic skiing kick wax is X-Blue.  Kenton

1-21-04:

Skyway and County Line: 2" of new fluff on 54" base. Lo temp. -6 F. High temp. about 20 F. Barely enough snow to set new track, but it came out pretty good except for an occasional tree bomb bump. 31k freshly groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line.  Kenton

Ward Trail System: Two inches of new snow at the Campground. Roller used to fill in holes and groomed 8 plus feet wide for 7k. Condition Very good. Fred

1-20-04:

1"-2" new snow on 52" base. Groomed a few trails at Skyway, but it kept snowing during the day, so I shut it down and will groom tomorrow. We still have 31k groomed and skiable for skating and classic at both areas. Skating is good to excellent and classic skiing is still good also. Kenton

1-17-04:

About 1/2 inch of new snow on a groomed 7k of Ward. Some snowmoblies have come into the Ward Campground area and up on Twilight Hill some damage done.  The remaining 11.4k trails are tracked.  Very good skiing conditions.  The down tree on Staircase has been removed.  Fred

1-14-04:

No new snow on 55" base. T-shirt weather today. Lo of 18*F. High of 34*F. Groomed Skating lanes on most trails at both areas. Great skiing. Kenton

1-13-04:

No new snow on 55" base. High temp. 30*F. No grooming today. Trails are still in good shape with good to excellent skiing. Classic track is holding up well. Pole plants are still soft in places. May groom the skate lanes tomorrow to loosen it up a little, so it will be a little softer for the touring skiers and to get rid of some of the rough spots.  Kenton

1-10-04:

Skyway and County Line: No new snow on 58" base.  Another sunny day with good to excellent skiing for skate and classic. Temp. at 6:30 was 13*F. Temp at 8:30 was 5*F.  Temp at 12:00 was 30*F.  Groomed skate lanes on most all trails.31k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas.  Kenton

1-9-04:

Skyway and County Line: No new snow on 5' base.  Lo of 13*F.  High of 30*F.   Did some volunteer grooming, tree limbing and fixing signs.  Groomed County Line Overlook Loop.  31k groomed for skate and classic skiing.  Kenton

Ward Trail System:About 4" of new snow since last grooming.   The Main Ward Trail 7k, groomed and rolled by Mary Bohl and crew.  The remaining 11.4k tracked by back country skiers and snowshoers.  Fred

1-8-04:

Nice sunny day today with no wind. Lo temp. 12*F. High temp. 24*F. From the County Line overlook the valley below was on ocean of fog with the mountains sticking up looking like little islands. 5" new snow for a total of 5'. Groomed 16k at Skyway and 14.5k at County Line for skate and classic skiing. Had to groom Winslow and Lions twice due to a herd of snowshoer's that completely wiped out the skating lane  Kenton

1-5-04:

Skyway and County Line:

Slept in a little today and didn't get up on the hill until 7:30.  Went up to groom out snowcat tracks at County Line.  Ken Simpson groomed some of our trails yesterday, but he got lost in the predawn dark out on the west side of Loop 3 and part of Loop 2.  So if you see some strange tracks it was him.  However did come across some unauthorized snowmobile tracks on Dog Loop, Dog Trail and Scales Lake Road and had to regroom these trails.  Also groomed Loop 1,2 and 3 at County Line and touched up some bad spots at Skyway.

  6" new snow Saturday night for a three day storm total of about 3 feet.  Total snow depth at 65".
16k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and 14.5 k groomed for skate and classic skiing at County Line. 

  Lo temp. -10*F.  High temp. 12*F.  A little bit better glide today, especially on the snowcat groomed trails,  but still a green wax day.

Kenton

Ward Trail System: 42" base at Ward Campground and about 36" base at the Ward Cr. Res. The main Ward Trail 7k, groomed and rolled with the help of Sam Vasicko and Ray Tolbert. Thanks for the snowshoers, Mary Pfalzgraff and Melody Willey, breaking a trail yesterday for so the machines could make it down today. Thanks to the rest of you who tracked the remaining trails with skis or snowshoes. Great snow. Fred Wild

1-3-04:

12"-16" new snow overnight plus 3"-4" during the day for a total snow pack of 5 1/2 feet.  My thermometer is buried under all of the new snow, but it seemed pretty warm today, probably in the upper teens or lower 20's. Groomed Loops 2,3 and part of Loop 1 at County Line, about 7k.  Groomed Winslow, Sunset, Vista, Kannah Crossing and some of Lions Loop at Skyway, about 12k.  Hope to have some trails groomed with snowcat tomorrow to go along with our snowmobile packed trails.   Kenton

1-2-04:

9"-14" new snow overnight, plus 3"-4" during the day on 54" base.  Lo temp. 18*F. High temp. ?  Rough groomed about 16k at Skyway and County Line.  CDOT is planning to close the road from Mesa Lakes Resort to Grand Mesa Lodge for avalanche blasting from 8:00 - 11:00 tomorrow.  Kenton

12-31-03:

Skyway & County Line: 5" new snow on 45" base.  Lo temp 15F.  High temp about 22F.  15.5k at Skyway and 12k at County Line groomed for skate and classic skiing.  Wind blown in open areas, but good skiing on trails through the trees. Kenton

Ward System: About 8" new snow since Monday at Ward Campground and 6" at Ward Cr. Res.  Roller groomed 6-8 ft wide on the 7k of Main Ward Trail.   Most of the remaining 11.4k trails are tracked.  Fred Wild

12-29-03:

Skyway & County Line: 33k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line as of 12-29.  Lo temp. -3*F. Hi temp. 18*F.  Soft dry powder conditions and wind blown in open areas.  No grooming today, but will groom tomorrow (12-31).  Kenton

Ward System: The 7k of the Main Ward Trail was groomed with roller.   Snow was falling before Mary and crew finished.  Fred Wild

12-28-03:

1-2" new snow and cold today. -2F at 7:30AM and fought its way up to 15 at 12:30. Excellent trail conditions on all Skyway trails for skate and classic. Also, the same for Scales Lake Road, west leg of Loop #3, Dog Trail and Dog Loop at County Line.  Tom Ela

A total of 10-12" new snow at Ward Campground and 6-10" at Ward Cr. Res.
Rough grooming for the 7k main Ward Trail.  The remaining 11.4k were being used by skiers and snowshoers. Fred Wild

12-27-03:

6-8" new snow but the winds abated. Temp started dropping about noon, down to 15F at 1:30, 10F at 4:00. All Skyway trails groomed for classic and skate. Initial packing complete on Scales Lake Rd., Dog Trail and Dog Loop. More grooming Sunday, 12/28.   Tom Ela

12-26-03:

4-8" new snow but hard to tell because it was blowing like crazy. 21 F at 7:30AM. Winslow and Sunset groomed for classic and skate but trail was rapidly obliterated in open areas. Lions and Vista packed. Snowing hard when leaving at 3:30PM. More grooming on Sat., 12/27. Tom Ela

12-24-03:

Skyway & County Line: No new snow but some windblown. All Skyway and County Line trails in excellent condition for skate and classic skiing except Loop #4 left for back-country. Next grooming scheduled for Friday, 12/26. Tom Ela

Ward System: About a 26" base at Ward Lake Campground and 20" at the Reservoir.  The main Ward Trail, 7k groomed.  The remaining 11.4k, tracked and excellent backcountry. Fred

12-23-03:

4"-6" new snow on 3' base. Lo temp.-3*F. Hi temp. ? We have 33k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas. Thanks to Joe Ramey for spending 3 hrs of his time to help with the grooming today.  Kenton

12-19-03:

No new snow on 3' base.  Lo temp. 5*F.  High temp. 41*F.  33 kilometers groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line X-C Ski Areas.  Skiing is great, a few icy spots on some of the south facing slopes, but 95% of the trails are packed powder.   Kenton

Oh, there seems to be an elf or two decorating trees along some of the trails, they must come out at night.

12-17-03:

Skyway & Country Line: No new snow on 3' base.  Lo temp. 15*F.  High temp. 32*F.  All trails groomed at Skyway and County Line (33k) with the exception of Loop 4, which is for backcountry skiers. Thanks to Tom Ela for volunteering his time to help me groom today and Ken Simpson for the rental of his snowcat to groom Scales Lake Road, Dog Trail, Dog Loop, Kannah Crossing, Arroyo, and portions of Lions Loop, Vista and Loop 1.  Kenton

Ward Trail System: 26" base at Ward Campground and 20" base at Ward Creek Res.  The main Ward Trail, 7k groomed.  The other trails are great backcountry for skiers and snowshoers who like to break their own trails.  The snow is cold and fluffy. Ward system was groomed by Mary Bohl and crew.  Fred Wild

12-16-03:

12"-14" new snow for a total depth of 3 1/2 feet. Lo temp. -4*F. High temp. about 21*F. Groomed Sunset, Winslow and Lions at Skyway (7.5k). Rough groomed Scales Lake Rd, Dog Trail and Dog Loop at County Line (7.8k). More trails will be groomed tomorrow and maybe some snowcat grooming.  Kenton

12-13-03:

No new snow on 30" base.  Temp. at 7:00 am 9*F.  Temp. at 1:00 pm 22*F.  Graded and set new track at County Line.  33k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway and County Line.  Kenton

12-12-03:

1"-2" new snow since Wednesday. Total snow depth at 31".  Temp. at 1:00 pm 16*F.  Temp. at 4:30 pm  8*F.  Graded skate lanes and set new track on the Skyway trails.  Should set up and be great skiing tomorrow.  Will groom County Line trails tomorrow am.  Kenton

12-10-03:

Green wax day. Temp. at 7:00 am 5*F. Temp. at 1:00 pm 22*F. No new snow on 35" base.  17k at Skyway and 16k at County Line groomed for skate and classic skiing. Conditions: soft for skating and the wind has blown in some of the classic track, but other than that it was still good skiing today.  Kenton

Next grooming is scheduled for Friday pm and /or Saturday for Skyway and County Line.  Kenton

12-9-03:

12"-14" new snow for a total of 37". Temp at 7:00 am 15*F. Temp at 4:00 pm 12*F. Groomed 9k for skate and classic at Skyway on Sunset, Winslow, Lions and Scales Lake Rd. Groomed 6.5k for skate and classic at County Line on Scales Lake Rd, Dog Trail, Dog Loop and part of Loop 1. Conditions were soft for skating, but good for classic skiing. Will groom more trails tomorrow. Kenton

Ward had 12" at the Campground and 8" at the Res. 7k of the main Ward Trail was groomed. The remaining 10k are left backcountry.  Fred

12-05-03:

No new snow on 23" base.  Groomed skate lanes and set track for the race at Skyway.  Will groom at County Line tomorrow.  Skiing is excellent on firm packed powder.  Temp. at 4:00 was 29*F.  Kenton

12-04-03:

Upper Ward was icy & a snowmobiler had messed up Skinned Horse from Ward CG to Spruce Lodge.  Discussed this with Mrs Zia the lodge owner .She warns sled renters to keep off the lake.& the Ski Trails.  Went to Co Line .The set track on the dog loop was very good in the morning.  Fred

11-29-03:

No new snow on 26" base.  Excellent skiing on a warm day, almost warmer at 10,500' than in the valley at 4,500'.  Cut and moved a 24" diameter sized tree from Kannah Crossing and got that trail rough groomed.  15k groomed for skate and classic at Skyway and 14k at County line. Touched up the skate lanes on Lions, Vista and Loop 3.  Classic track is still holding up well. Kenton

Saturday November 29:  7k of the Main Ward Trail was groomed about 6 ft wide. All the remaining trails at Ward are tracked out for backcountry skiing.  The snow is great.  Fred

11-28-03:

No new snow on 28" base. 15k groomed for skate and classic at Skyway.  Wills Hill rough groomed.  Tried grooming Kannah Crossing, but had to turn back because of a downed tree.  I will try to get it cut and moved from the trail tomorrow.   All trails groomed at County Line for skate and classic on most trails (about 14k), with the exception of Loop 4 which is for backcountry skiers.   Kenton

11-27-03:

Great day, sunny skies and very little wind.  8"-12" of new white on 30" base.  Most trails groomed at both Skyway and County Line.  15k groomed for skate and classic skiing at Skyway.  7k groomed for skate and classic and 5k groomed for skate skiing at County Line. Conditions were a little soft today, so I will touch up the skating lanes and set some more classic track at County Line tomorrow.   Kenton

11-23-03:

2"-4" new snow overnight on 25" base. 15k groomed for skate and classic at Skyway. 6.5k groomed for skate and classic and 6k groomed for classic skiing at County Line. Kenton

11-22-03

About 4" new snow during the day on 24" base.  12k groomed for Skate and Classic at Skyway.  Groomed Loop 1,2 & 3 at County Line 14' wide with roller.  Kenton