A few of us with “rock skis” afoot were able to get a little
skiing in before the skies let loose with three feet of very
cold, dry snow, followed by a procession of lesser storms.  The
Department of Transportation was unable to uncover the lot until
last Friday, December 26th.  The weekend followed with another
approximate foot and a half of snow and a closed lot again.

These conditions have made it very difficult to get equipment
into the area to groom the deep snow.  Slow progress is being
made as this is written, but it will remain to be seen if the
snow gods will let us have a free ski day as scheduled for
Saturday, January 3rd.

 Skiing is available at Farragut State Park, but the snow has
come so fast that their staff is packing it as best they can, but
are not setting much track.  I have skied 15 kilometers at
Farragut this past week and only about one hundred yards have
been on trail with a track set.

 

On the bright side, one needs to go no further than their front
door to put on the skis for a trip.  A recent news photo featured
two of our members doing just such a ski around downtown Coeur
d’Alene.  I have actively skied the roads along Hayden Lake’s
south shore, typically one step in front of the road grader.
Much like last winter, these heavy snows give us the opportunity
to ski and snowshoe places typically not available.

 

Of course, you need to have some energy left after shoveling all
that snow from the walks, driveways, and roofs.  This deluge of
snow will end and we’ll have the area in shape for our typical
winter activities, just a little later than I could have imagined
a short three weeks ago, when I was wondering, when oh when, will
it ever snow.

 

 

 

Our January meeting will be Tuesday, the sixth. The program
promises to be excellent. Noted outdoor sportsman and writer for
the Spokesman Review, Rich Landers will be presenting a talk on
his last winter trip to Yellowstone Park.  Some folks in the club
have skied Yellowstone during the winter season, but I suspect
not to the areas Rich visited and likely not with the quality of
photographic documentation.  Rich is an entertaining speaker.
This is a chance to see backcountry skiing in a beautiful
setting.  If you have friends interested in skiing or the winter
beauty of Yellowstone, you might want to suggest this talk to
them.  My intention is to keep the club business to the bare
essential reports and trip organization in order to maximize the
time for this program.