Nordic Pulse

Dec 16th:  After around 20 to over 50 cm's (on Blueberry Hill) of snow over a week, leading up to last Friday, air temperatures climbed above freezing on Saturday and stayed there until overnight Monday, with lots of rain on Monday, heavy at times, accompanied by high winds. Grooming was able to resume during the day Tuesday, however the shrunken base and moist conditions limited grooming to 1 pass in most areas, with very little tracksetting done.

Last week all trails were either snowmobile rolled or snowcat groomed (south of Packers).  The northernmost section of Lodgepole was not groomed due to thin ice existing on the marsh area.  Packers and Lower Lake group were snowmobile packed only.

The packed base at lower elevations, including all trailheads, is still quite thin, with a much better base at higher elevations where there was already a packed base before the late November snow. Though conditions greatly improved with the snowcat grooming, especially at higher elevations, a wide array of early season hazards exist on much of the trail system, including dips and uneven surfaces, possible open water and/or ice, exposed brush, and possible exposed ground and rocks. With recent and continuing high winds, downed trees are also likely, and many have been removed during grooming this week.

Click on the computer icon above to access the Alberta Parks report and information on individual trails.