December 13, 2019 Grooming Report
THE TRAIL HEAD CHALET IS OPEN! Chalet hours are 7 AM to 10 PM and rental equipment is available between 10 and 4. Space is still limited during construction but come in and enjoy the fire and company. I should add, I have studied the etymology of “chalet” and think our facility is close enough. So, without grooming report critics objection, I say, it is a chalet, not “the trail head building”.
Check out some shots from yesterday. Related comments in the WTLGR below.
Forestville: Andy Ginzu groomed and track set on
TRAIL – First Priority
Noque to 17k
Lower Animoosh groomed and tracked 12/14/19
groomed and tracked 12/14/19
Upper Animoosh groomed and tracked 12/14/19
Boozoo groomed and tracked 12/14/19
Zhing groomed and tracked 12/14/19
Papasay groomed and tracked 12/14/19
Gookookoo groomed and tracked 12/14/19
Bagwagi Deep snow on trail
Chiwagi by pass groomed and tracked 12/14/19
Chiwagi Hills Deep snow on trail
Migizi groomed and tracked 12/14/19
Waaban groomed and tracked 12/14/19
Mukwa groomed and tracked 12/14/19
Connectors groomed and tracked 12/14/19
TRAIL 2nd Priority
Noque from 17 to 510 Deep snow on trail
Way too long grooming report: So I went out with an ax yesterday to brush one of the few sections of blocked trail. I never go off piste without a compass but rarely get to use it. So I thought, how cool is this. I was taken back to the day my son learned Father Knows Best is the name of a ‘60s tv show and not a statement of fact. This was before they put lift service into the Harmony bowl at Whistler. It was a legendary year with good snow all the way to the village. We saved the back country climb until the end of the day so as to make full use of the lift service. The climb to Harmony ridge added several hundred feet to the 5,280 feet of advertised vertical skiing. Normally one gets to the bottom of the bowl and you skin several hundred vertical feet back to the piste for the return to the village. In a big snow year you can keep going down through into the tree line for thousands of feet. Skiing in untracked bottomless powder through giant gladed trees was intoxicating. However, with about 1,000 feet of vertical left, the downed trees became an obstacle and travel became what can only be called difficult. We were in a pile of match sticks of trees 6’ in diameter. Finally we got to the valley bottom trail and were able to put our skies back on. The snow plow down gutter shaped narrow path for several miles to the village had our legs burning. If you have skied Whistler you know the smart (and not so smart) guys park at one of the ski-in-ski-out parking lots outside the village. So, it was about 9:00 PM when we began the long walk up the road from the village. I was so thankful a kind gentleman stopped to give us a lift that I didn’t care if he was going to rob us. So, although it was not quite dark, I had the same feeling of relief when I reached the groomed section of Chiwagi bypass to ski out. There is more work to do. See the phone number or web link below if you wish to volunteer for NTN.
Saux Head: All trails were rolled Thursday night to set up and then groomed and track set Friday. Trails are in excellent shape.
Big Bay Pathway: Groomers are working but no report by press time.
Fit Strip: Fit strip was groomed and tracked Friday morning and in excellent shape. Neil reports it is the best he has ever seen.
Snow Bike South Trails:
East of 553 plowed, variable conditions.
Main and Greywalls were plowed Friday afternoon.
Snow Bike North Trails: All North Winter Trails except Wild Cat are groomed, some sections groomed multiple times. Riders recommend low tire pressure 3 – 4.5 psi. If unsure, try The Pine – Penstock – BLP Rocks first with 4 – 4.5 psi pressure.
Equipment and Facilities Update: If you have been to Forestville for the early November skiing you will have seen lots going on. We are expanding the trail head and will be done soon. We plan to be open before Christmas. New grooming equipment has been purchased for both skiing and snow bike grooming. We will detail equipment and trail head facilities over the next few weeks.
To learn more about the NTN, to join, volunteer, become a sponsor or make a comment, please visit www.noquetrails.org .
Sondo