New Years Eve Grooming Report

Doug went out late last night and re-set the classic tracks and did one pass on the skate lanes.  He's on his way out again this morning with his son to stake the edge of the skate lane and make another pass.  

A hearty thanks is not nearly enough to acknowledge the many many hours spent keeping the track in world class shape!

Grooming and an Introduction

Jeff is on his way out to tune up the course right now (8pm Tuesday). It will take 2-3 hours to groom the skate course and reset the classic tracks.  It’s bitterly cold, so it may take a bit longer than usual for the snow to set up. Tomorrow should be good skiing as it will be a little warmer. We expect some light snow in the afternoon, which should be fun to ski in.

For those who have asked, here’s a brief introduction of our grooming crew:

Doug grooms every couple of days and keeps a very close eye on the course. Randy has spent countless hours also grooming over the years. The two of them actually started the whole ski course many years ago by pulling box springs behind a snowmobile to groom a skate course. They eventually purchased grooming equipment of their own and turned Teton Lakes into a winter wonderland for cross-country skiers. Jeff (my husband) helps out when he can. Six years or so ago, Steve and I started a youth ski club, and Joel came aboard early on to help coach. The club is now run by the Rexburg Recreation Department. The City stepped in a couple of years ago and officially turned the golf course into Teton Lakes Winter Park - skiing, sled hill, snowshoeing off the track - although grooming for cross-country skiing continues to be done on a volunteer basis. The Cupid Cup ski race has been run by volunteers since its inception as an Eagle Project by Parker A. Some years the race doesn’t happen, but when it does it’s a fun event.

Many thanks to Doug, Randy and Jeff - and to all those involved with the City Rec. Dept., ski rentals and Redd’s Grill in the Clubhouse, and the County for snow removal - for providing such a service to the community. It has turned into a team effort. We appreciate all of you for enjoying and caring about the Winter Park. Happy trails!

Track report

 The classic tracks are set and the skate track is groomed nicely. Skating is kind of slow right now and is still cold and soft; it could use some sunshine and time to transform. Bill (on his cool sit-ski) and Debbie were out in the classic tracks and reported similar slow snow there. But the sun is shining so it’ll be great skiing in no time at all (or perhaps not until later this afternoon or tomorrow).

Also - please feel free to submit your own reports. I don’t get out everyday and sometimes don’t know how it is. You can text me at 208 317 1365. Let me know your name and what time you’re out and I’ll do my best to post your updates.

Track

 I suspect the track will be groomed early tomorrow morning, but I’m not certain. 

I hope it goes without saying, but please remember that the Cross-country ski trails are groomed for skiing only. Absolutely no fat bikes (those ruin the trails faster than anything!), walking, dogs, or snowshoeing on the groomed trails. Our groomers volunteer a great deal of time to create wonderful trails just for skiing, with Classic tracks for traditional skiing, and a groomed deck for skate skiing. Thank you all for respecting their work.

Grooming

Doug went out earlier today and Jeff is out right now (Wednesday 8pm), tuning up the course. The classic tracks are set and the corduroy is calling the skate skiers. Should be good skiing tomorrow. Dress warmly. Thanks to Doug and Jeff for their great work!

Note: a reminder to please not walk on the ski trails, and the City/Golf Course does not allow dogs on the course.

Please stay off today

 Doug asked that I encourage skiers to stay off the course today. It’s just too warm. He wrote:

It will be extremely soft and I don’t see snow for a few days which will make it impossible to fix until new snow.  If we stay off today I will be able to fix it this evening if there are no deep ruts.  Just ask them to wait a day.  Thanks

Track Report

 After so many skiers today, the classic tracks are really well-set, which is great. The skate track was skied out, though, so Jeff spent a couple of hours tonight tuning up the track. Thank you, Jeff! 

Grooming report

Great news - Doug groomed the skate track again late last night, and the classic tracks are all set. It takes a long time to do all that work and we really appreciate it. Thank you, Doug! 

Track

 Looks like the track is groomed and ready for skiing. Have fun!

Track Update

 I just got this report (below) from Doug. Thank you, Doug! 

Doug texted: We are skiing with both skating and conventional tracks. The snow is quite soft, so it will take a few days of grooming to get a base established. Things are covered well, so I think our skies are safe. Get the crowd coming. The City plans to open the Club House Saturday for rentals.  The winter appears to be off to a good start.

Track Update

 Good news from (and thanks to!) Doug:

The trail was rolled this evening and it is looking well covered.  I will run the groomer tomorrow after the snow stops.  Two or three more inches  and we will be skiing on great snow.  It is still soft.  The snow is very cold and is not packing well.  If we can get skiers on it they will fix that.  Get them out here to ski .  Winter will go by before we know it.

Track Update

 Randy texted me this afternoon that he will roll the course out this evening. Thank you, Randy! We expect more snow next week, so we should have some great skiing coming up!