by DK | Jan 6, 2016 | .
On Tuesday, the 5th of January, everyone’s favorite loop at Alturas Lake – the Trail to the Lake as far as the bridge and back Over the Hill, was packed, widened, flattened and Ginzu groomed for skate and classic. It was skiing great and looked really good, that is, what you could see of it. When ancient groomer, Davinius broke out of the woods and careened across the open meadows near highway 75, “an all-hot half-shot headin’ for the hot spot”, he had to cry out, “Oh, Mama!” as he was suddenly “cut loose like a deuce, blinded by the light”… the undifferentiated, undulating, flat white meadow light that slowed down groomer and skiers alike, straining to see any detail that might reveal the next curve in the trail. Retreating to the woods, Davinius unhitched the ginzu, put the snow-mo into high gear and floored it as he hit the untouched powdered hills of Wapiti, busting through drifts and cutting out the last 6 fallen lodgepoles that had blocked the trail since the Christmas storms. He was rather amazed when he popped out unscathed on the other side of the hilly trail, having lost only his hat. On Wednesday, further grooming is scheduled to roll Wapiti flat for your skiing pleasure. A piston bully beat down is still hopefully going to happen on Thursday with a ginzu grooming touch up scheduled for Saturday morning.
by DK | Jan 5, 2016 | .
On January 5th at 9 a.m., the National Weather Service reported a temperature of 21 degrees in the Sawtooth Valley along with a 30% chance of snow. Banks of grey clouds hugged the mountainsides but blue sky and sunshine were breaking through to dominate the heavenly dome above. On Monday, the 4th, at the Alturas lake ski area, the trail Over the Hill and to the lake was graded and rolled and looked pretty darn good for skating and flat tracking. No classic tracks from the bridge to the lake and one could experience sections of the trail crossing open meadows to drift with loose snow pushed around by capricious winds. South Loop, Sheep Thrills, Over the Hill and the Trail to the Lake as far as the bridge were all groomed for skate and classic. Wapiti not open, North Cabin packed but not nice. Sno-mo-Ginzu grooming is planned for the 5th, and a Piston bully beat down courtesy of the Bully Boys of Smiley Creek is in the works for Thursday the 7th of January.
by DK | Jan 4, 2016 | .
On Monday, the 4th day of the year, a balmy high of 43 degrees is predicted for the Sawtooth ski trails. Spud head skiers will no doubt be jumping for joy, celebrating the 1909 birthdate of Idaho skiing supporter and french fry magnate, J.R. Simplot.
On Sunday, the 3rd, Jeffro and the Yankee Forker met at the Stanley City Park to start work on ski trails there for the school ski program and Davinius groomed the trails to the east of the Creek at Alturas Lake for Skate and Classic. They were reportedly “wonderful”.
by DK | Jan 2, 2016 | .
January Second, 2016, minus 20 degrees… it’s a frigid cold morning. Wood stove smoke glows with golden light as the sun’s first rays break through the needled lodgepole boughs. On this day 1,650 years ago, the chinese monk Lè Zūn had a similar vision of a thousand Buddhas bathed in golden beams of light. He thereupon began the massive task of digging out the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas.
The massive task of digging out and grooming ski lanes has begun again on the Park Creek Trail system. Hooray for that dynamic duo from the Sawtooth Ski Club Posse, Jeffro and Pink, who on the first day of the year 2016, jumped into action, jumped a frozen battery, and climbed on their idling sno-mos for a slo-go around the Park Creek Trail System. Pulling compaction drag and ginzu groomer, they hit all the trails except for Sego and groomed them for both skate and classic. The skate lanes turned out pretty well for the neophyte groomers, but they were said to resemble vintage chenille or perhaps torn velour rather than the ever popular corduroy standard. Hip hip hooray for Jeffro and Pink!
At Alturas lake, the bridge crossing was smoothed out and compacted for the first time and shade guards were put in place on the south side railing to keep the golden light from melting away the snow. The trail to the lake is now a smooth glide all the way.
Recent Comments