It is hard to say whether March came in like a lion or a lamb this year. Moderate temperatures, partly cloudy skies with some wind that brought in light flurries with little accumulation heralded the beginning of the month. Perhaps this would be the predictor of a...
XC BC Report 2/19/20
As the snowbanks pile up to monumental heights, and snow-covered streets are narrowed to tighter lanes for travel, we are starting to look more like a classic mountain town, ensconced deeply in Ullr’s wintry embrace. The trails, likewise, are laden with a thick...
Powder XC Skiing!
There is a LOT of snow out there, and it just keeps coming! Weather disturbances have just lined up to drop their load of white fluff upon us with little pause for us to come up for air. Between the skiing and the shoveling, snow sliding devotees have been kept busy...
Mid-Winter Cross-Country Report
We sit, one month into the new decade, perched on the fence of fate. Shall we drop to the inside and maintain the status quo, or do we venture forth into the unknown future with hopes that change will bring us good fortune and good times? I’m talking of course, about...
Continued Cooler Temps and Refreshing Snow Showers
The winter seems to be flying by without taking a pause for a breather. No warm spells, no dry spells, just continued cooler temperatures and periodic refreshening snow showers. There! Just jinxed it for all of those who are ready for a reprieve from the frosty icy...
Reliability of Groomed Trails in Grand County
Ullr has been kind to our little winter hamlet amidst the Rocky Mountains, providing both frequent moisture and low temperatures that can keep a skier smiling. A few bouts of wind, some waves of moisture from the west, and the snowpack just keeps piling up. The...
Back Tracks – XC Backcountry Trails Christmas week
Merry Christmas from the trails! We have had a wonderful gift of 18-24” of white fun on the ground upon which to glide to our hearts content. A cold front brought us up through mid-December to the Solstice with crystal-preserving lows and highs that only dallied...
Christmas in the Fraser Valley
We are nigh onto Christmas and it is certain to be a white one here in the Fraser Valley. Snow cover pervades the landscape and grooming on community trails has begun. First passes have been made on the Fraser River trail from Safeway south to Rendezvous, in the old...
Unstable Snowpack – Use Caution
As we move into the meat of the Holiday Season, waves of snow are starting to add up to a thicker snowpack. From November 25th to December 2 the Colorado Avalanche Information Center recorded 186 avalanches, by happy chance without any fatal skier-triggered events....
Variable Snow Conditions Off-Trail
November has come and gone, and both of these events were marked with a strong taste of Winter’s power. Technically, October brought the winter chill, but it was so close to the beginning of the 11th month that it seems like a technicality. The pre-Thanksgiving...