This will be one of the hardest trail reports that I have to write this winter….and maybe the longest.
WHAT WE HAD TODAY: We had a morning of early season skiing from 9-12 with a few more thin spots but coverage on the main trails for skiing. It was a bit soft but very skiable. Skiers respected the noon closing to preserve the snow from the 43 degrees.
WHAT HAPPENED TODAY: It started raining pretty steady at noon and it continues to rain at 5 PM. Upon “trail inspection” the water is running from the hills overflowing the drainage ditches, flooding the River and creeks in areas creating small pieces of trail that are skiable separated by bare stretches and flooded portions that may or may not recede and freeze. The base is diminished to 1 inch of saturated snow.
WHAT WE WILL DO: Since the rain is forecast to stop in the next hour or so and temps are forecast to drop below freezing in the early AM hours, I will again assess the trail at 6 AM and see if it is “groomable” and “skiable”. We will make every effort to make 5-10 km of skiable trail for the 9 AM hr and we will report in at 7 AM with an updated report of what we find.
WHAT I THINK: I am not optimistic that we will be able to create safe and enjoyable skiing for Saturday and Sunday without more snow and cold temps. We scared many skiers away on what would be our busiest weekend of the season with honest and predictive reporting over the last several days to help people plan their weekends and not drive long distances to be disappointed.
IF YOU ARE IN TOWN: We will have the Ski shop open with some good sale prices, many of the stores in town have some good shopping, The falls would make a nice hike at Black River, the 5 waterfalls are raging I am told and would be pretty awesome to see.