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.
by DK | Dec 31, 2015 | .
On the last day of 2015, the cross country ski trails at Alturas Lake are looking very good and skiing well. All trails except for Wapiti and North Cabin are sporting a fresh corduroy surface suitable for skating and flat tracking. The last 200 yard stretch of trail along the east side of Alturas Lake creek and the bridge crossing itself are scheduled to be worked on today. Although classic tracks have not yet been set, they are our next priority.
At Park Creek, progress has stalled momentarily with the loss of our vintage groomer, Thaddeus Sardonicus. He has decided to move on from grooming and combing snowflakes for the skiing public to devote his time to more artistic pursuits. We expect to be back on the trail there very soon with a new grooming team for the dawning of the happy new year of 2016.
by DK | Dec 28, 2015 | .
Cold, cold temperatures settled into the Sawtooth Valley over the Christmas weekend, helping to firm up ski trails but also sending even the bravest flat trackers shuffling quickly back to their cars after short sojourns into the woods. Trails at Park Creek were reported to be very good looking but frigidly sticky. As the cold settled in on the evening of the feast of El Nino, a rare full Christmas moon rose over the White Cloud mountains and filled the valley. “The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow, gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.”
On Sunday at Alturas Lake, the Trail to the Lake as far as bridge junction, Over the Hill and South loop looked good after they were widened and flattened with the heavy duty compaction drag. However, Sheep Thrills resisted this treatment and the drag had to be abandoned on the trail for the night after sinking into the first soft uphill grade. Additional forces are being gathered there to retrieve the drag, force Sheep Thrills and Wapiti trails into submission and to push on to the lake later this week.
by DK | Dec 24, 2015 | .
On Tuesday afternoon, the heroic Woodsman, Robertus, and two his helpers cut massive blockages of lodgepole downfall from several trails at Park Creek, clearing Lupine loop and opening the way for a pleasant decent to the Park Creek Ski trail system. Geriatric skiers will no longer have to descend the scary sledding hill. This should make grooming easier for Thaddeus Sardonicus as well and portends good conditions for flat trackers and maybe even skaters over the holidays.
On Wednesday, at the Alturas Lake ski area, Over the Hill, the Trail to the Lake as far as Bridge Junction and South Loop were packed, rolled and suitable for flat track touring. Sheep Thrills and Wapiti are scheduled for work on the 24th. Divinius, the weary old groomer, was feeling sea sick from rocking and rolling through deep drifts that struck like frozen powder waves on the sea of snow. Still, he was determined to tame Sheep Thrills before Christmas. He was worried about the annual midnight visit of St. Nicholas and his companion Krampus. Last year Davinius had received wonderful gifts as a reward for his grooming from Old Saint Nick, only to have them snatched up by Krampus who stuffed them away in his sack along with two naughty raccoons and a beaver, leaving Davinius with only a slightly chewed beaver stick as a rememberance. “Guess you can’t please everyone,” Davinius concluded, as he turned the key to the snowmobile one more time.
by DK | Dec 23, 2015 | .
Snow is once again falling quietly but steadily on the Sawtooth Valley ski trails. The trails at Park Creek look pretty good and can be recommended for flat tracking for sure, but at Alturas Lake, strong winds have totally obscured trails with shifting drifting snow. Grooming there is scheduled for today, the 23rd of December…. the day upon which, 127 years ago, Vincent Van Gogh sliced off his ear. in a swirl of psychosis and general delirium. He described experiencing “Sometimes moods of indescribable anguish, sometimes moments when the veil of time and fatality of circumstances seemed to be torn apart for an instant.” ”
“Hmm, that sounds familiar” thought Divinius as he pulled his stocking cap down firmly over both of his ears, turned the snowmobile key and rode off to groom through the drifting white snow under the swirling pulsing sky.
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