We might be pushing the season a bit, but we machine-packed the Syncline trails yesterday - that's on top of two snowfalls over the previous 10 or so days. Skiers have already been out and returned with positive reports. (Sadly, I hear, today it rained a bit.) The packing follows two days of clearing the trails of deadfall, mowing down the brush with our new tow-along brusher and fixing up the signage (though more needs to be done). Have fun.

New snow!

Lots of snow overnight Thursday-Friday: 6" at Beaver Mines and Pincher Creek, and it seems to have climbed to significantly more at CMR (28 cm).

So, we've called out the packer and he should be working it today, Saturday. This on top of a deteriorating base. 

Hopefully, this will give us more days of X-C skiing in the season.

Don't forget you can see and print the Syncline X-C Trails skiing/hiking map: just look for the link on the right hand side of these postings, a little ways down from the top.

Happy Trails

As of Sunday, March 10 - Fair conditions, firm underneath with places with little snow especially under the trees, some place with 2 inches of snow....

We skied up the River Loop and then did the Lake Loop (total of 7.06 km).  We left the parking lot at 10:30 and the day had already started to warm up.  Going in was fine as long as your skis stayed on the snowmobile track.  We saw very large cougar tracks, maybe a day old along the River Loop.  The snow was soft.  My friend used a red 'bubble-gum' wax and I used a klister (10 to -3 range).  Both worked well.  However, glide was intermittent through sunny and shady areas.  The Lake Loop had some bare patches that we had to walk through and the snow along the lake was very soft (our dog was sinking to his belly when he ventured away from the ski tracks).  At one point, it appeared that there had been a moose fight.....lots of deep randomly scattered tracks in a tight patch (we concurred that this time of year they might have been enjoying recreational sex :) We got back to the parking lot at 1:00 

 

The folks at the Beaver Mines store showed me a printout from an internet weather channel and it would appear that we could get significant snow in the coming week. 

Today, Sunday, starts sunny and cool. Some new snow at Castle Mountain apparently, but not likely at the Syncline Trails. It will likely be crusty for the first couple of hours.

Don't forget a trail map posted on this blog on January 26, 2013.

The Syncline Trails are quite good, a decent base with about three inches of new snow on top - now skied over somewhat.

Unfortunately, our trail packer is on a two week holiday. We are working on finding a substitute while he's gone, but if it snows lots in the next two weeks, it'll be the winter outdoor version of aquasize, i.e. snowasize.

Happy trails.

Regardless of how little it has snowed outside the mountains, our scouts say the skiing is very good on the Syncline X-C trails, about 4 inches of new snow over the last couple of days.
We've posted a trail map of the ski area today, so you can print and carry it as you go.

Syncline X- Country Ski Trail map

SCaT Map by cfischbuch

though the trails at Syncline could use more snow, apparently the skiing and snowshoeing are still quite acceptable.

Six inches of new snow on the Syncline Trails last weekend. But not over much of a base. Those cold temperatures are gone for a while, so it might be worth an outing now.

Out yesterday and looked at the Syncline Cross-Country trails, but there's still not enough snow, unless you're using your rock skis.
However, we kept driving to Castle Mountain Resort and though they don't have quite enough to open for alpine skiing, there was plenty in the valley bottom for cross-country. So, we skied up the valley to the first big opening, on snowmobile tracks, and put up with a little bit of snowmobile traffic.

We went out 3 weeks ago and it was great skiing but now we need snow again.
Our group has been out 3 times to clear the trails and put up signs. More signs have been ordered to replace old or missing signs.
New trail maps are being printed off and ready in a couple weeks – coming from a member in Medicine Hat. We will have them in the brochure box at the main parking lot and at the Beaver Mines store, just west of Pincher Creek on the way to the Syncline X-C trails.
With enough new snow, we'll be packing the trails throughout the winter.
Pray for snow.

There's now very good snow out on the Syncline Trails and more falling as I write. The trails will be packed tomorrow, Saturday.

Have fun

Alas, the ski season might well be over on the Syncline trails. I was out on Sunday last and there's close to no snow under the evergreen trees, sometimes a little ice. The rest of the system had good coverage, though if it rained there much in the last few days it too might be gone.
I understand the Chinook Allison trails are still decent and, of course, going high (like into Waterton's Cameron Lake) you'll find good snow too.

I managed to wangle the day off today and got out on the Syncline Trails this afternoon - after a 45 minute long blizzard dropped snow nearby.

Strangely, though about 3" had fallen in Beaver Mines, only half that at the Trails. Nevertheless, the skiing was very good: that new snow over a well established base. It should be well worth your effort to get out.

Not too bad

Out skiing on the Syncline Trails this afternoon, and it wasn't too bad: a solid base with an inch and a half of new snow on top. A little skimpy under a thick overhang of conifers, the downhill sections might get skied out too soon, but with caution they should be alright.

Have fun.