On December 8th at Alturas Lake, we celebrate Bhodi Day, the day that Siddhartha Gautama became the fully enlightened Buddha. Groomer Davinius and his buddy Shakyamuni, invite you to shake your booty too and seek enlightenment through the duality of kick and glide on the Alturas Lake ski trails. North Cabin Creek Trail is flooded and a wet mess. Otherwise all trails are rolled and that is all… no tracks, no signs, no maps, no matter, no borders, no limits… oooohhhhmmmm…..
On December 6th, the official feast day of that jolly gift giving ski bum Saint Nicholas, some limited cross country ski trails at Park Creek and Alturas Lake have been rolled flat, but rocks and sage brush still punctuate the rough surface. With the temperature this morning at minus 25 degrees, skiing is predicted to be rough and excruciatingly cold. It is recommended only for those who just can’t wait for better days and trails. Weather permitting, further grooming will expand the skiing opportunities but more snow and grooming is definitely necessary before trails reach their usual quality. No directional signs or classic tracks are in place yet. That all said, much pleasure may be found by those who expect little.
Reports of a skier attacked by a cat or possibly a jackalope at the Alturas Lake Ski Area on Sunday, the first of April, have been found to be one more instance of “fake news”. The disheveled gentleman and feline in question were none other than old groomer Davinius and his much beloved pet “Kitty Boy” walking out of the woods after removing trail markers and directional signs and parking grooming equipment for the last time this season. In the process of shutting things down, skate lanes were groomed on all trails to the east of the creek, although the 6 inches of snow that fell later that night proved the old fool’s last corduroyed trails to be short lived. Park Creek’s groomer, Adam, was also wrapping things up on a great rookie season with a few last signs and trail markers to be pulled this week before predicted rains could turn trails to mush. Thanks go out to these stalwart groomers, the Sawtooth Ski Club, the City of Stanley, Blaine County Rec., the US Forest Service and all the great skiers and volunteers that brought these trails to life for another season. Don’t be blue, it’s how you ski the trail of life that counts, happy trails to you, until we meet again…
On Saturday, the 24th, skate lanes on all trails east of Alturas lake creek were groomed plus new classic tracks were laid down on Sheep Thrills and South loop. At Park Creek, trails were touched up on Saturday and skiing was still good. Crust cruising has firmed up and is now possible in the valley. Grooming of the Sawtooth ski trails is planned to end by April fool’s day.
On Wednesday, the 21st, all trails to the east of Alturas Lake Creek were groomed for skate and classic except Sheep Thrills where the skate lane alone was groomed. On Thursday, wet snow and rain resulted in very soggy trails. On Friday, the trail from the bridge to the lake was rolled on a frozen crust and skate lanes east of the creek were touched up on south loop, lake trail and over the hill.
Sunday, March 18th, marked the 440th birthday of the German Artist Adam Elsheimer, whose 1609 painting of the milky way is thought to be the first naturalistic rendering of the night sky. It reminds us of these words from The Paradiso of Dante Alighieri, “As, pricked out with less and greater lights, between the poles of the universe, the Milky Way so gleameth white as to set very sages questioning.” On Sunday, all trails to the east of Alturas Lake Creek were groomed for skating with classic tracks on all except Wapiti and Sheep Thrills. At Park Creek all trails except for a few short connectors were groomed for skate and classic.
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