Stanley Idaho News and BlogSki Report’ Category
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Alturas trails still amazingly great
On Tuesday, December 20th, the trail conditions in the Sawtooth Valley remain essentially the same as they have been for the last 2 weeks or more. No new snow has fallen. At Park Creek, 7 miles west of Stanley, abundant sage brush pokes through a low snow pack to bask in the radiant sunshine. This has made grooming all but impossible, and the few rough trails there are probably only suitable for rustic touring enthusiasts. We continue to recommend the trails at Alturas Lake which 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. These frozen grooves are not being reset at this time because of the low snowpack. However we are continuing to provide a light touch grooming to the skating lanes which are wide and firm. We have been getting 100% positive feedback from skiers who are rating their experience on the trails at Alturas as “a delight”, “magical”, “unbelievable” and even “lifechanging”. Alturas Lake is now frozen and its clear ice surface is covered with hoar frost crystals the size of goose feathers. And, wIth its ice thickening and expanding, the lake was still singing on Monday, the 19th when our last “light touch” grooming took place.
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 ... Read More →
ALTURAS SKI TRAILS NICE BUT COLD
On Wednesday morning, December 7th, the sun is shining full force on the Sawtooth Valley but the temperatures are still cold…only a few degrees above zero at 10 a.m. Low snow conditions have forced the curtailment of grooming at Park Creek where packed trails are rough and not recommended. However, at the Alturas Lake ski ... Read More →
FIRST GOOD SKI WEEKEND??
The trails at Alturas lake should offer some good early season ski opportunities this weekend despite a thin snowpack, soft shoulders and predicted cold temperatures. South Loop, Over the Hill and The Trail to the Lake as far as the bridge junction have been groomed for skate and classic. Wapiti is groomed for skate only. ... Read More →
Sawtooth Ski Trails Taking Shape
Trail grooming has begun for the 2011-2012 cross country ski season at both the Park Creek and Alturas Lake ski areas. Early season weather fluctuations first dumped a good amount of snow on the trails, then reduced it to a thin coverage after some 45 degree afternoon melts. This has led to typical early season ... Read More →
