Track Report

The classic track is pretty sad, but the skate track is remarkably nice if you can get out early in the day or later on when the snow isn't too soft.  Doug has done a good job tuning up the course.  Enjoy!

Grooming & Track Report

Here's a grooming report from Doug early this afternoon :

The track it is about as good as it can be for what we have to work with.  The light was good this morning and I went out and made one trip around.  I think if you stay in that area it should be good skiing and set up well. It was set up enough that I was not removing all of the ski marks.

The classic track has snow in the bottom most of the time which is better than anytime this winter.  Please encourage classic skiers to stay in the track and not down the middle of the skate track.  It was bad this morning.

Then Doug reported on the track later this afternoon:

Just had a very enjoyable time skiing.  The track has formed up and the snow does not slide on top of the ice.  The ride is more stable and smooth.  There are still a few spots where rocks are near the surface, i.e. cart paths and along the south bank of the river.  So you better get out because the snow is coming tomorrow and I will be in West tomorrow.   Thursday evening I may get out again if we get good snow.

THANK YOU, DOUG!

Track Report

It snowed after Doug groomed the course.  The snow hadn't settled when I went out, so it was soft skiing and the track was hard to see (flat light didn't help).  I did see classic tracks set, but I don't know how firm they are.  The soft snow is resting on a layer of ice in many parts, so it's hard to get a bite on your pole tips - they skip out a lot.  Hopefully it will all set up nicely soon.

Meanwhile, it's great to be outside and the soft, slow snow is a good time to practice technique (you sorta end up skiing in slow-motion, so you can focus on form differently than when you're skiing quickly).

Happy Trails.

Grooming Report

Doug spent his afternoon grooming the course yesterday.  The Ski Club kids were making their own track, and half-way through grooming Doug came by on the fancy 4-Track.  There were lots of whoops and hollers as the kids got to ski fresh corduroy - even though it was soft and hadn't set, it was better than the snow-shoeing they were doing.  Doug was gracious enough to go back and clean up the mess our skis made on the fresh groom.
I don't know if he set the classic track after we left, but I plan to go check it out later today and will report.
The snow is still thin, so watch out for gravel - it tripped up my son pretty good and tore off a piece of my edge.  Rock skis are still in order. More snow is coming, though.  I read that the second half of our winter was going to be a lot wetter than the first half.  That'd be great, as long as the temps stay down.
Happy Trails.

Track Report - Teton Lakes Reborn!

Just an update on the ski track. I spent time today tuning and somewhat resurrecting the thing.  There are a few detours but for the most part it is good skating and the conventional track is okay where I could find ungroomed snow to work in.  It is not the same track in many places like on the hill out east by the freeway I had to be creative, so follow the groomer tracks not your old mind set.  But you can still get a good work out.  Cart paths and bridges need precaution but for the most part it still works and the snow is very fast.   Have fun and pray for snow.

Doug

Cupid Cup CANCELLED

We’re sad to announce that the Cupid Cup is officially cancelled due to lack of snow.  

We’re hopeful that we may have better cooperation from Mother Nature in the years to come. 

Toko Wax Recommendations - Cupid Cup 2018

WAX RECOMMENDATION

Cupid Cup
Teton Lakes Golf Course, Rexburg, ID Saturday, January 20
10 A.M.
5/10K, Skate or Classic

Mass start, 2 Laps

Forecast/Conditions: Overnight low of 19, 22 at start, rain/snow mix likely Friday. An 80 percent cloud cover, 30 percent chance of new precipitation during race, 90 percent relative humidity. Track will be hard, transformed snow possibly covered with 1-2” of new snow. Groomers will loosen up surface of skate lanes prior to start. Due to conditions classic lanes likely will be non-existent.

Glidewax: Apply LF Black, scrape and brush, then apply HF Blue, scrape and brush. Finish by crayoning JetStream blue, iron hot (320F)with a layer of fiberlene under the iron, traveling slowly (60 seconds) tip to tail. Brush with a dedicated nylon polishing brush and polish with a

Gripwax: Roughen base with 150 grit sandpaper, apply Nordic Base Klister Green, let cool and apply Nordic Klister Blue/Klister Red mixed 1:1, let cool. If course is covered in new snow, roughen base with 150 grit sandpaper, apply Nordic Base Wax green, let cool. Then apply 2 layers GripWax Red covered with 1 layer of GripWax Blue, corking between layers. If using skin skis, see our skin treatment options for best results.

Structure: A fine structure covered by one pass with the Blue Structurite tool (before JetStream application) will best suit these conditions.

Created by Randy Anderson, Toko Tech Team member since 2015.
Randy@TokoUS.com
 
Check the Wax Tips page at TokoUS.com before all of your races for the latest waxing information. The Toko Race Wax Tips offer racers precise waxing advice on how to make your skis perform optimally for a given event. For racers who don’t have top end waxes, skip the Fluorocarbon (JetStream or HelX) and substitute the LF or NF wax of the same color (Yellow, Red or Blue). To see optimal application procedures for both Glidewax and Gripwax, go to the How To link at TokoUS.com.

Track Report

Watch for a few puddles throughout the course, especially by the parking lot and the first stretch along the west side of the course.  If you're there early, those parts will be icy.  If you go later in the day, you may run into mush or free-standing water.  In between those areas, however, the track is pretty good.  Doug has skirted around some of the bare patches to create some viable skiing.  The classic track is not holding up as well as the skate track.  I'd suggest taking skis off and walking carefully across the bridge if you head into the Cow Pasture section.  

Early in the day, crust cruising is another option.  Just be wise, and realize that cross-country skiing isn't always perfect.  :)

As of now, we are still planning on the Cupid Cup Race on Saturday.  The course may need to be adjusted, but we won't know until Friday.

Grooming?

Doug sent this very helpful (and hopeful) report just now:

I groomed yesterday and to be honest it turned out better than I thought it would.  Just finished skiing this morning.  For the most part it was good.  There are ice patches where you should be on skates, but that is better than puddles or lakes.   With just an inch of snow it would be fantastic.  Let’s pray for a little snow and no rain or warm weather.   Some cold nights would help also.  If people ski they should do it early in the morning, and not ski when it is warm and leaves deep tracks.  The trail could be altered to new areas if we do not get new snow and that will depend on having cold weather to freeze the lakes under the snow.  For now we wait!

Track Report

It's raining, and we expect rain all day. Ugh.
The track is holding up though, and it should snow later tonight and tomorrow, so hopefully we there's not a lot of track damage, and that we recover from today's rain quickly.
Still, the skate track is pretty good right now.  The classic track is mostly okay, but falling apart in places.

Think nice, cold, snowy thoughts...

Grooming Report

Doug worked on the track (yippee! and THANK YOU) and sent this report:

Saturday’s snow was not much, but enough to make skating very good.  Most everything is covered, the base hard and firm, the surface is just soft enough to give a great ride, the temperature and texture makes the snow very fast.  I will tune it Monday morning and it should be good until it snows Wednesday morning.  The classic track still has bare spots but not as many as before.  Next snow should fix all.

Jeff and Randy put out the kiosk yesterday (Saturday) so the map is up for your convenience.  We will post a Cupid Cup poster on the board, too.  Please join us for the Cupid Cup (scroll down to a previous post with the details). This is a fun race on a fast course with lots of really nice people.

Happy trails.

Track Report and Etiquette

If you've been out at all this week, you'll know that the skate track is hard packed, icy and rutted, with grass and rocks here and there.  Additionally, the icy classic track now has some grass showing through.  It's kind of tough skiing.  Skiing on the hard pack will fatigue your muscles quickly and any falling won't be on soft snow, so just know what to expect.  However, it's pretty fun if you're just double poling.  It's fast (until you hit a patch of grass)!

Doug has done a great job creating some diversions around the worst parts.  You can definitely ski, but it's kind of like you're ice-skating.  There's not a lot that can be done until we get new snow.  If we were to try to tune up the track right now, we'd risk tearing it all up into big ice chunks and/or puncturing through to the grass below.  Because this is a golf course, we are very careful not to damage the grass.   All we need is a little bit of new snow, however, and we're back to great skiing.  We're supposed to get snow this weekend.

Heads up, our resident moose is back.  Please treat the wildlife with respect and do NOT try to approach any animals.  We prefer no dogs on the track (in order to keep the track nice and protect other skiers and wildlife).  If you choose to take your dog, please keep it under your control at all times and off the track or to the far side as much as possible.

And as always, please don't walk or snowshoe on the groomed skate or classic track.  Please try only to skate on the skate track and classic ski in the classic track.  Our groomers volunteer all their time, equipment and gas - we don't want to mess things up that they've worked so hard to create.

Happy trails!

Cupid Cup 2018 Poster

Cupid Cup 2018!

Cupid Cup 2018

We're happy to announce this year's edition of the Cupid Cup: January 20, 2018!

All Registrants for the Teen Races on up will receive a special edition Cupid Cup Krieg Multiclava
This is alone is a $25 Value - we'll have plenty of prizes and
raffle items as well!

When:  January, 2018

• Registration - Click Here - Open until 9AM January 20th.  Same Day Registrations will be available at 9AM on Race Day.
• Start Times
• Little Kids  10:00 AM
• 5 & 10K Classic 10:30 AM 
• 10K Skate 11:00 AM 
• Teen 2.6K 11:15 AM

Where:  Teton Lakes Course

What:

• Little Cupid Race - Kids Loop
• Teen Race ~2.5K
• 10 K Classic, timed (2 laps on the Perimeter; optional 5K by finishing one lap only)
• 10 Freestyle, timed
• Cocoa, Cider, Tunes and Party Atmosphere

Why: Because Nordic Skiing is literally COOL!