Wild Cat Hills 3k east of Forestville as seen from the ST bike trail on the shore. Bike track on ice in foreground and ski tracks beyond. Beautiful day in the woods.
Forestville: Andy groomed the skate lanes on the noque and Animoosh to 17k as well as Chiwagi by pass, Gookookoo and Bagwagi.
Fit Strip: Groomed all trails but low snow in the hemlock covered areas. There was enough snow to set classic track on the upper loop.
Big Bay Pathway: Reg reported on the 28th that trails at the Big Bay pathway are in great shape.
Saux Head: All trails rolled and then Ginzu groomed and track set on the 24th. Trails should still be in very good condition.
Snow Bike Trails:
NORTH TRAILS
Last Groomed: 1/28/21 on Upper Loop Trails (Collinsville, BLP Rocks, Blue Heron, Upper Blue Heron, Silver Lead & Peter’s Sandbox) along with Wildcat, Ramblin Man and Midnight Snack). Remainder trails last groomed 1/22/21
Conditions: Continued cold temps have kept the base firm and fast with good coverage. The absence of freeze/thaw cycles since the last snow means less user generated trail degrading such as ruts and potholes to detract from the trail experience. Infrequent rocks/roots showing through, mainly at the lower elevations/ along the river.
Caution Areas: Runoff from the penstock is collecting on the trail in 2 areas of BLP Rocks- in the ‘ice cave’ area under the penstock and further upstream, near the crossing across the river- leaving icy sections of trail that require care. Trail users can throw some sand found in the garbage can under the penstock on the ice to improve traction. Those without studded tires or boot crampons should use caution.
Bottom Line: Trails are in great shape right now
South Trails Grooming:
Rubin cleaned up OCR, Enchantment, Greywalls and Oak Hill Loop on Tuesday night the 26th.
WTLGR: Bikes are more like dogs than people. You can lock it in the garage for days and it is still happy to see you. The north trails were spectacular yesterday. Light air and bright sun made the single digit temperatures feel like 10 or even 12 degrees. I may look into nose and cheek protection (with the full knowledge it will increase the dorky factor). The picture above is one of the spots where bikes and skis share the same view. You can see the ski tracks crossing the pond. One could ski all the way to the Tourist Park but beyond the 5k mark it is rock hard with some dirt. I didn’t ride all the way to the NMU trail head but am sure it is all rideable.
Sondo