Ski trails great at Alturas Lake
On Tuesday, December 13th, the trail report for the Sawtooth Valley is just the same as has been for the last week. While at Park Creek a low snow pack has made for poor trail conditions with minimal grooming, at Alturas Lake the trails are looking great. North Cabin is still not open, but Over the Hill, Sheep Thrills, South Loop, Wapiti and the Trail to the Lake are all groomed for skating and classic skiing. The classic tracks are getting to be a a little old in spots but still mostly there. The skating lanes are wide and firm but generally slow due to cold temperatures that have been starting out around zero in the mornings only reaching pleasant levels for skiing by the afternoon. Alturas Lake is now frozen and its clear ice surface is covered bt a bazillion hoar frost crystals. And, wIth its ice thickening and expanding, the lake was in a fine singing voice on Monday afternoon, making it a rare and magical treat for both the eye and the ear of the beholder.
