December 28 Thursday

 Sadly we haven’t had any new snow and we are anticipating warmer day temperatures over the next few days. The overnight temperatures are low enough to hold the track pretty well through the morning tomorrow (Friday), but be careful. The snow is very thin. If you do try skiing, watch for gravel and use your old rock skis if you have some.

December 24

Doug sent this today. Hooray!

 Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a trail update.  We received an unexpected snow yesterday and it turned a sad looking trail into a very nice skating track and an Ok conventional track.  I am not sure why it turned out as good as it did but the grass is covered 90% on the skate track and about 70% in the bottoms of the conventional tracks.  I think what happened was the early snow was wet, almost slush and it fell on a frozen grassy base coating the grass in ice.  Then we received a couple of inches of lighter cold snow that stuck to the glazed over grass. We ended with an amazing base and a skiable trail for the holiday.  The conventional track out of necessity moved away from the skate track in places try to find deeper snow.  The golf guys may be unhappy if I leave it there but for now until we get more snow it will allow us to ski.  Come try it out and the Lord will bless us with more snow soon.  Have a great holiday.

Teton Canyon option

If you can drive ~45 minutes to Teton Canyon, you’ll find some good skiing. Brian skied there today. Here’s his report:

Skiing in Teton Canyon is excellent! Adequate coverage and not punchy at all. I imagine it will hold up for a while especially the further you ski in. Lots of people out on the trail. 

Wednesday morning

You’ll be happier skiing in West Yellowstone or Teton Canyon right now (or wherever you find groomed snow). Doug just sent this:

Our snow is not holding well. Watch for rocks on car paths and dome grass skiing. Sorry, but it is what it is.  Pray for more snow.

Tuesday morning report

We’ve got the beginnings of a great track! However, the snow is very thin with grass, weeds, golf balls,  and rocks showing through. Keep a close eye on the trail. If you don’t have rock skis, you may want to wait for some more snow cover or just ski very carefully.

Unfortunately, someone has been out on a fat bike right down the center of the trail, starting on the north end of the course. The rut is deep enough to trip you up, so again be careful. There are also boot prints from walkers. Hopefully the City can get some signs out regarding trail use.

We are groomed only for skate skiing right now. We need more snow in order to set a classic track. If you go out in classic skis, just stick to one side and please avoid skiing in the center. Thanks!

December 11 First Groom

 Welcome back to winter! We finally have enough snow to start our grooming. Here’s this morning’s report from Doug:

Grooming update - we have a ski trail. It has been rolled twice and the groomer will go over the trail and be finished about 3:00 pm. Not a lot of snow but enough to set a skate track. It will take another good snow to have conventional tracks, happy skiing

Bonus Tune-up April 6, 8:30

 Wow. Doug went out again this morning! Here’s his report:

I groomed one more time and it will make for great skating if out before noon. The conventional (classic) tracks are not great, the snow is like ice in many areas and I cannot soften the snow enough to allow the track setters to do their job. There are are areas where the track was altered to stay on snow.  So watch for those places and there is grass showing up in places on south facing hills watch before heading down hills.  Have a great day!

Final Tune-up, Wednesday April 5, 7am

 This is the last grooming for this season. A huge thanks to Doug for all his work. And many thanks to Jeff and Randy for their contributions. It’s been a great season. The track will probably last through the rest of this week, although you’ll want to ski early on Friday and Saturday. 

Here’s Doug’s 7am report this morning:

One last day, I have tuned up the skate track and will see what can be done with the classic track. Have a great spring and we will be back when it snows again.

And here’s his 9am update:

I did make an attempt at putting in new conventional tracks. They are good in most areas but shaky where snow was like ice. I think all will have a good morning,  after lunch it will be too soft to enjoy.

Tuesday morning April 4 track report

 The skate track is a little rutted and icy, but it’s actually not bad. You can skate the entire course, although the Cow Pasture hasn’t been groomed since last Friday. Everything else was groomed yesterday and is holding up.

There is only one bare patch that I saw. Watch for grass as you come down the hill alongside the highway,  near the highway sign. Classic tracks are fading away, but are still visible.

I suspect this may be the final week of skiing, with a chance of getting into next week. We’re so lucky to have this extra month of really great skiing here. Meanwhile, there is still plenty of snow in other nearby Nordic ski areas. Have fun!

March Weather Recap

 With permission, I’m posting this monthly email report from the Rexburg Weather Group. Interesting info!

Temperature High temperatures: 33.3 / 11.7 degrees below normal      Coldest March highs on record, smashing the record of 35.6 from 1985 Low temperatures: 15.4 / 8.4 degrees below normal      3rd coldest March lows ever and the coldest since 1985 Highest wind gust: 60 mph on the 10th Number of windy days: 6     Normal: 8.0 Highest temperature: 47 on the 29th Lowest temperature: -1 on the 8th Daily temp records set: High  0    Low  11    • We were also headed for the coldest March low temps ever until the final three nights, when snow-filled clouds held up our night-time temps and kept us from breaking this record. However, the mean March temperature was also easily our coldest ever.    • It’s been an amazingly long-lived dominant weather pattern since mid-January, when California-sent atmospheric rivers were replaced by a strong northerly flow. In the 77 days since then, only 8 (10 percent) have seen above normal high temps, including streaks of 15, 8, 20 and, currently, 20 straight days below normal.     • In addition to the monthly records smashed, we broke or tied 11 daily records, covering a span of 52 years of weather data. For reference, in the midst of last summer’s record-breaking heat, we also broke 11 daily high-temp records. What last August was to hot, March was to cold.    • But guess what? After another chilly work-week mostly in the 30s, our Easter Sunday high is predicted to be 51! This is 2 degrees below normal, but we’ll take it. It would also be the first 50-degree day since November 5 — 155 days! Precipitation Precipitation: 1.68 / 165 percent of average      5th most March precipitation on record Snowfall: 22.2 / 358 percent of average      Most March snow ever, breaking the record of 17.2 inches from 1985 2022-23 water year precipitation (6 of 12 months): 6.80 / 114 percent of average 2023 annual precipitation (3 of 12 months): 3.78 / 134 percent of average 2022-23 season snowfall: 79.4 / 143 percent of average 2023 annual snowfall: 53.4 / 179 percent of average Thunderstorm days: 0     Fog days: 22 Daily precip records set: Precip  1    Snow  2   Drought status: D0 (Pre- or Post-Drought)    • Because of all this cold, the vast majority of our generous March precip fell as snow, which accounts for that eye-popping percentage above, and the eye-popping amount of snow still hanging around well into April. We have far more snow cover on this date than any other year since I started keeping snow records in 1997.    • Our high-country snowpack still measures in at healthily above normal, not anywhere near the all-time-record amount now in Utah. Speaking of which, as I’m writing this, the Wasatch Front is being pummeled by a Winter Storm Warning-grade system that decided to just graze us (we’ll see maybe an inch). They’re supposed to receive 6-12 inches from this storm, just in the valleys. Aren’t you glad we won’t be dealing with this on top of all that snow we already have!    • We’ve already clinched our heaviest seasonal snowfall in 12 years, and if we add on the normal April 3 inches, this would be our best winter's snowfall in 15 seasons. •  •  • You’ll hear from me quite a bit this week: On Wednesday I’ll send out the final Winter Score for the rollicking season just passed, so you can see how this one compared to winters of yore. And Thursday or Friday will come the quarterly drought update, and there’s plenty of good news to share!         You received this message because you are a member of the Rexburg Weather Group. Unsubscribe • Update Email Address • View Online

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April 3, Monday 8am

This is not an April Fool’s post - but it’s still crazy that we’re skiing this late! 

Doug just sent this grooming report.

I learned that a track that was a beat up can still be fixed and made new with a little work. All is good with the golf guys. I spoke with them after tuning the skate track this morning and they acknowledged our track made clearing the greens much easier and said for the next few days they would avoid the trail as much as possible except where they need to cross. And by the way skiing should be great this morning. Enjoy!

Saturday April 1, Grooming Report

We have it on good authority that the real reason for the multiple tracks and trenches laid across the skate lanes yesterday were to facilitate the placement of a rope tow for the remainder of the season around the perimeter trail.  No info yet about when this will be up and running, but we'll keep you posted!  

April Fool’s Day addendum: Jeff posted this in my name, just so you know. There’s no rope tow. 

March 30, Friday 9:45am

Doug just sent this report (thank you, Doug!)

New experience today as I had to groom with my RZR,  the Maverick was no place to be found.  They have cut several trees down and they have fallen on the trail so beware.  There was heavy fog early making it difficult  to know where you were, but that being said it was a good trail until the golf guys decided to pull a trailer with snow blowers down the trail so I don’t know how much damage that will do.  Get out early and enjoy the places where they have not driven on.  I will see if we can make it work tomorrow.

March 29 Wednesday Track Report

Morning: The track is pretty good (actually, pretty great for this time of year). If you ski in the mornings, it will be hard and a little icy. By late morning the track will soften up, and by mid afternoon it may be a little soggy in parts. Everything is still covered, but the track is beginning to get a little thin in places. There is a detour by the pump house (below the Club House) and a little deviation alongside the freeway, but other than that everything is the same. We still have ~10km so groomed skating and classic tracks. I skied this morning and had the whole course to myself, except for some guys working on the trees. Come ski!

NOTE: Just got this mid-day report from Brian:

Just skied out at the golf course. Timed it just right, the course was smooth and fast. Heads up if you go out or to anyone going, they are trimming trees and working on the greens in the clover leaf area, tree limbs and a bit of mud on the track in places. Otherwise it is incredible skiing for the end of March!

Pictures from this morning:

March 27 Monday 10am

 Many thanks to Doug for his continued volunteer grooming that makes it possible for us to have so much fun! 

Here’s his morning report:

 Trail was tuned up this morning. It is amazing for March 27 but the snow was light and fluffy. Skating should be ok. The classic track will not hold up. I will redo it this evening.

Saturday, March 25th 11 AM

Doug is now out after spelling me off. I’d hoped that by starting early I could see the remnants of the last track with the headlights. My master plan would have worked out perfectly if it had stopped snowing at 8 AM as forecast. 

As it was the snow just kept coming - even heavier almost totally covering the initial classic track I laid down and filling in the skate lane as soon as I made a pass. 

In the end made four passes on both the Clover Leaf and the Cow Pasture trails, and two passes on the Perimeter trail before making another pass to lay down a new set of classic tracks. Doug’s finishing the last leg of that and will likely make a pass or two on the Perimeter skate lanes. 

It’s still snowing, but just a touch now and hopefully will stay clear and cold to let this setup.

March 25, Sat 8am

 Jeff is grooming (he’s been out for a couple of hours already). It’s still snowing, so there will likely be a skiff of fresh snow over the groomed trails by the time he finishes.

March 23, Thursday night

 Just heard from Doug:

I tuned it up tonight and it should be free of tractors now (the golf course grass-prep is hopefully on hold now, so the tractors won’t be pushing snow off the greens nor ruining the ski track). Any even the classic track looks good.  Will be fast and icy in the morning. Don’t speed through the gullies. I think we can stretch it out a couple of weeks, have fun!

March 22, Wednesday 9:30pm

 Jeff spent the last couple of hours working on the track. Here’s his report:

Had to pick up the groomer down by the golf shed. Ended up able to clean up. The skate track pretty well. Little sloppy in parts and going over the tracks from the tractor in the Cloverleaf is particularly tricky. People will have to keep a lookout when they go skating. If it snows again, tomorrow probably we will need to go out and clean things up once again. However, pretty great skating for this late in the season!

March 22, Wednesday noon

 From Doug:

Randy tuned up the skate track and I made a conventional track from the parking lot around to the bridge at my house and back to the parking lot. About a half Loop.  The track has been run on with tractors and skid-steer which is very abusive.  It took several hours just to get it to the point I felt it was safe to ski on.  Keep your eyes and mind alert for problems on the track.  You will encounter the most problems near the greens where they are blowing snow.   I just looked out to observe the tractor driving over the newly groomed trail.   Be careful because conditions are changing as I write.

I think the best strategy is to wait until all greens are clear & exposed, and then go back in and piece the track back together for a week or so. As I look at the daily temperature we have a couple of weeks of snow left.  It will not be golf weather until the snow is gone.  Their concern now is to get the snow off the greens so grass is not killed with snow mold.  

March 22 morning

Randy negotiated our use of the City-owned Maverick to pull the groomer in the evenings (the City is using it during the day to prep the golf course). But heads up, the golf course people will likely use the track as their access, so there might be tire ruts. I don’t know if Doug went out last night.

Alternatively, conditions look favorable for crust cruising if you get out before the sun softens the snow midday. You’re not bound to a trail so it’s a lot of fun to explore the golf course. 

March 21 morning

 We have plenty of snow, that’s for sure. I just came in from an hour of snow blowing (is it really March 21!?). However, we’re not sure about the grooming. This is from Doug:

Our problem is the golf course took the Maverick to snow blow the greens and I do not know if they want us off  or what our status is at this point.  I will be in touch.

March 18, noon

The classic track is holding up. Doug groomed for skating yesterday. Jeff went out again this morning to tune it up. It should be great skiing if you can get out before it turns soft - probably go out in the next two hours or so, and again later when it cools down. Try to avoid skiing when it’s super soft if you can - it leaves big ruts when it freezes again. However, it’s understandable that sometimes you just have to go when you have the time.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Grooming Report March 16th Evening

With help from the Rexburg City Rec crew Doug was able to get the Ginzu groomer unstuck earlier today.

Just now back from tuning things up as best as possible.  For the most part the skate track should be in good shape with newly tilled transformed snow.  We had to make some detours, but with Ryan and Bo's help as trailblazers, we found our way around the slushy patches and ponds.   

You'll notice that the golf course grounds crew was out with a tractor to uncover the greens and left quite a few ruts and snow piles in their wake.  There is a major detour cutting off the southwest corner of the perimeter loop, but everything else is still accessible, including the Cow Pasture loop.

The skate deck looks to be in great shape, the classic tracks are a little more sketchy, but skiable.  Watch out for soft spots, particularly on the new detours and south facing slopes.  So long as it keeps cold at night we should be skiing for a while yet!

March 16 Thursday afternoon

We survived the warm snap & rain these past few days. Although it’s still skiable, the track isn’t great right now. Doug started grooming this morning, but the groomer got stuck. Currently only some of the track is groomed for skate, and none for classic. The City helped pull out the groomer this afternoon. Jeff and Ryan are going to work on the track this evening. Hopefully, we will have a good track for tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the spring golf course prep has begun. I skied today with a big old tractor on my right - it was plowing snow off putting greens. If you go out now, you’ll see deep tire tracks from the tractor, bare grass in a few spots, a partially groomed trail before the groomer got stuck, and a big puddle near the parking lot at the end of the ski loop.

If you don’t mind a few obstacles, it is still skiable and possible that it’ll be great after tonight’s grooming. We’re looking at crust cruising any day now

 .

March 14 Tuesday morning

 The track is pretty soft right now. I’d suggest not trying to ski today. We will see how much damage we get from today’s predicted rain. Hopefully we can get it groomed again once temperatures cool again (maybe tomorrow?) 🤞🏻

Friday, March 10 Grooming Report

With Ryan's invaluable help running the roller right ahead of me in the Ginzu groomer we were able to set a decent skate track.  The classic tracks however are not nearly as nice.  The sticky snow didn't lend itself well to setting those tracks, but hopefully we'll have things freeze down nicely overnight and it won't be too icy tomorrow.

March 9, Thursday midday

Teton Lakes has been beautifully groomed this morning. There’s fresh corduroy for skate, and the classic tracks are looking good. Thanks, Doug!

March 6, Monday 6pm

 Just heard that the Temple track was groomed. Thanks for the update, Scott!

March 6, Monday morning

 Doug has been hard at work all morning. He just sent this report:

Just finished Re-building the track,  It is soft and will need tuning this evening, but  for today should ski Ok.  Enjoy

March 4, Saturday noon

 Sorry for the late update. Randy told me yesterday afternoon that he planned to groom last night. We’re away for a race, so I’m not sure how the grooming went or how it looks. I’m sure it’s great! Looks like we have more snow coming. Enjoy these bonus days of winter skiing. 

March 1, Wednesday 9pm

 Jeff is out right now, grooming the skate track and setting classic tracks. Should be good skiing tomorrow. Thanks, Jeff!

March 1, 3pm

 Everything except the Cow Pasture has been groomed with one pass. The skate track isn't wide, but it's pleasant. There are a few punchy places that are pretty obvious. Because the snow is still soft, the skiing is slow and gentle. 

No classic tracks have been set so you will  need to kick your own trail or stay far to the side of the skate track.

Many thanks to Doug for all the hours he has spent grooming.

Feb. 27 Monday morning

I found some keys on the bridge to the Cow Pasture. They’re clipped to one of the signs at the trailhead at the parking lot (north side of parking lot).

 Things have been tuned up nicely. The skate track is beautiful corduroy and the classic tracks are holding up great. There are a few places where the wind has blown snow over the tracks, especially on the Cow Pasture.

Have fun!

February 25 Temple Grooming

 Just got this update from Scott. Enjoy the trail by Temple!

Skate track groomed in the two fields by the temple. The lower field off pole line is out for the season as the plowed our access to get the hay stacks our. No classic as our track setter is having trouble 

February 23, Thursday 10:30 pm

Jeff is grooming right now; he started around 9 pm (thank you, Jeff!). It will take 3-4 hours tonight to put the track back together after all the new snow and wind we’ve had. Jeff also took our chainsaw out to remove a large, downed tree on the track. Things should be skiable tomorrow, although probably soft until things set up. Have fun!

February 20, Monday 9am

Many thanks to Doug for his hard work this morning (and all season long). Here’s his report:

The track has been restored after the weekend snow.  Both tracks should be great skiing until the winds come.  Get out and enjoy 

Feb. 17, morning

 Just got this update (thank you so much, Doug) - 

The track was tuned up this morning.  Smoothed up and made to look like before the wind.  Skating should be good.  

The classic track was not too bad last night.  I skied  from home to my right and saw that the tracks were less than ideal. So this morning, I rebuilt the one side which may have been a mistake. It was so cold the snow was not setting. They will not hold up if they don’t set. I will watch and if they need resetting we can do that this evening.  

Get out and ski the season will come to an abrupt end when Mother Nature decides she is tired of the cold and the golfers want their play ground back. We appreciate them letting us use it.

Wednesday Feb 15 10am

Doug has been working on the track all morning, and has run into some challenges. Here’s what I’ve heard so far: 

Having one of those days, I am sitting in snow drift waiting for my neighbor to bring  a RZR to pull me out.  It will take a day or two to put the track back in shape but it is more ski worthy again.  Bounteous new snow and wind makes for challenging Grooming.  I will add a couple of pics.

The track will ski ok until we have time to tune it up and use the tines to level the surface.  One more note, with being stuck half the morning I did not get the cow pasture.  I will work on that later to day.

Tuesday Feb 14 noon - Temple Track

 Just heard this update on the Temple Track:

From Steve (thank you, Steve!) who groomed - 

I groomed this morning after last nights snow.  The Temple field has a perimeter skate track and classic track.  There is also a skate track in the middle of the perimeter track.  For anyone interested the Temple perimeter track is 1 mile.

I also rolled skate tracks in the middle field. 

Then we had a mechanical question on the snowmobile so we stopped for now.

Friday, Feb 9th Evening

Just back from tuning up the skate track this evening.  The classic tracks remain in great shape, and with the cold temps should continue to ski well.

With Ryan's help we did some testing to figure out what settings would be optimal for setting the skate track with the Ginzu groomer.  I've had a sneaking suspicion for some time that trying to groom more quickly leads to a less compact track, and with snow temps in the single digits this is definitely true.  The ginzu blades do a wonderful job of refreshing the hard pack that results from lots of traffic, but one also has to be mindful of the overlap when making two passes with the groomer so as to minimize any mid-track hump.  

Hopefully our time testing different grooming speeds and overlap widths will be noticeable over the weekend, and helpful in the future as we continue to make Teton Lakes a *great place to ski*™ 😉

Monday morning, Feb. 6

Thanks to Randy, who just finished tuning up the track (10:30am). The new snow should set up nicely in this warmer weather. Both skate and classic skiing will be great. Enjoy!

February 3, Friday 9am

Doug cleaned things up this morning and the track is beautiful! Doug, Randy and Jeff have all worked on it the past seven days. Doug reset the classic track today. The skate track is still great from Wednesday’s tune-up. Enjoy!

January 31, Tuesday: Temple track

 Scott groomed the track to the south and West of the Temple. Thank you, Scott!

I hope everyone is enjoying this great winter, although it’s been too cold for many of us the last two days. We had an official low temp at the airport of -27F yesterday, and not much warmer today. Windchill is still around a low of -35F. Brrr. Daytime temps have been a little more tolerable, but still it is hard to ski when the snow is so cold. Stay warm and safe!

January 28 Saturday night

Thanks to Randy who just finished tuning up the skate track. He said it looks good and should ski hold up for the coming week. The classic tracks are holding up nicely. 

Saturday January 28 morning

8:30am: Jeff rolled the deep, fresh snow yesterday afternoon (to pack it down), and then Doug groomed late last night or early this morning. I was out at 7:30 this morning and it was lovely. The skate track is still soft but will set up throughput the morning. The classic tracks are beautiful. It’s the Rexburg Winter Festival today at Teton Lakes. Should be a perfect day for winter fun. Enjoy!

11am: just heard from Doug - 

The track worked up beautifully, best looking classic track this season. Skate track looked good but is soft and may not hold up. Randy is on board to tune up the skate track this evening making skiing ready for next week. Should be a great day for Winter Fest.

Jan 27 Mid-day Grooming Update

Just finished making a few passes on the skate lane to try and compact the snow for grooming later tonight.  Tomorrow is the Rexburg Snow-Fest, and so Doug will be hard at work with the Ginzu groomer getting things tuned up for Saturday.  Right now the snow is very soft despite the rolling.  There's a remnant of a skier defined classic track, but nothing formal.  

We're grateful for the snow, but will wait until it stops before we commit to more work on the track.

New Signs Coming Soon

 My daughter designed some new signs for the Winter Park (see below). They were delivered today so we will try to set them out this weekend. 

Hopefully we can educate people on trail etiquette. We are so thankful for the volunteer grooming and don’t want to create unnecessary extra work (repairing damaged tracks). Hopefully the signs will remind skiers to stay in their respective tracks, keep walkers and snowshoers off the groomed trails, and clearly educate people that fat bikes & dogs aren’t allowed. If only the deer and moose would also behave… :)

Thursday January 26

The ski trails at Teton Lakes Winter Park and also by the Temple have all been tuned up. The skiing is great. Enjoy!

1/25 Wednesday 11am Skier Report

 Dave just sent this report:

Here now. Cold and windy. Fresh grooming skate and classic. I'm a little surprised at the amount of traffic already on the skate track but it is obviously fresh corduroy from grooming perhaps early this morning.

Monday January 23 (belated report)

I somehow overlooked this report and didn’t get it posted Monday (sorry!). Doug groomed everything Monday mid-day. He wrote:

I tuned the skate track and rebuilt the conventional track around the cow pasture. Skiing conditions are very good. Enjoy

Please help spread the word

Please help us keep the track skiable and honor the time our groomers donate.

 Just got this text from a skier:

Hi Steph. Would you please ask people skiing at Teton Lakes to speak up when they see people walking, biking, snowshoeing, bringing dogs, etc. on the ski course? Today there were snowmobiles that came through the fence on the south side of the course by the Cow Pasture. They rode for a ways on the groomed trail. We all need to speak up or else it will be ruined. Thanks!

January 21, 8am

 Doug worked hard last night (thank you!!!). Here’s his report he sent at 1:30am -

The tracks were all rebuilt, but it became too late to finish so the cow pasture will wait for another day.  Skiing will be good every where. Enjoy and please know your groom. We have people walking and snow shoeing on the tracks. It makes it very hard to keep the tracks ski worthy when that is going on.

January 18 5pm - tune up and Temple Track

 Looks like Doug tuned up the skate track with one pass all around. It’s skiing very well, and the classic tracks are holding up great.

The Temple track was groomed today for both skate and classic. As a reminder, you can park in the church parking lot just down the hill (west) of the Temple to access the trail. If you have campus parking or are parking after hours, I believe you can also park in the lot that accesses the ropes course and playing fields . Enjoy!

January 16 morning

 Doug just sent this report:

The track is tuned up and ready for all. The new snow be a little soft but I think will ski ok. The base is hard and snow covers everywhere. Have a great “Human Rights Day”

January 14, morning report

 Many thanks to Doug for working so hard! Wether or not the trail is perfect, we’re just grateful for a place to go. Here’s his report:

We are struggling to get the perfect track this year. Last night when the grooming was finished, it was a good as I has seen this year. But as I was completing the last round it began to rain and snow just lightly. When I started the temperature was 26 and by the time I finished it was up to 31. You could tell a weather change was coming. As I finished, I thought, “Well, a little rain won’t matter.” This morning, I see a half inch of new snow and that matters! But at 36 degrees, I will do more harm than good if I try to groom. Enjoy the beauty and being outside. Next week we will have the perfect trail!

January 12, 2pm

See the latest update from Doug below (see yesterday’s post for the backstory). Also, Please spread the word kindly to help people know which tracks to ski on. Classic skiers will be happier staying in the classic tracks, and skate skiers will be happier having the skate deck free from deep ruts. No walking at all & no dogs on the trails, please.

From Doug: The groomer just needed to thaw out and get the moisture out. While in the shop, James put new primary combs on to replace where I had some unfortunate encounters with a steel post poking up through the snow and bolts on the bridge. I took out parts of combs at each encounter.  We should be ready to develop the perfect track for Saturday. I will let you know when I finish. Thanks for keeping the blog up to date, the more that read it and maintain our trails with courtesy and knowing which track to be on will help all to have a great time skiing. Enjoy a great Rexburg outdoor winter.

January 12, 3pm report

Doug just sent an update. I’ll summarize: he started grooming at 4:30 this morning (!?!) but ran into mechanical problems. I told him we’re all sympathetic and appreciative.

Here’s his full text:

Sorry about this late report. I have been dealing with equipment problem. I started to groom this morning about 4:30.  It took time to defrost and get on the trail and once I did, I tried putting front tines down to soften and smooth ski marks out. However, nothing happened; the tines were not moving. I did the best I could without the tines to smooth the snow. I put 2 sets of convention/classic in and groomed the skate track as best I could. With the new snow, it turned out pretty good. The groomer is being fixed. We have our own Grooming mechanic from the City (James). He is  wonderful and can fix anything. We are hoping the tines were only frozen. It is in the shop warming up.  I will let you know more when I hear. The roller was having problems yesterday not wanting to roll and James has it also, and he is diagnosing the problem. I ask for patience until we get things fixed.       

Doug

January 11 evening - Teton Lakes and Temple Tracks

 I originally posted that I didn’t know the state of the track, but Doug just texted me:

“I rolled the skate track between 2-4pm today. It should be wonderful when the wind stops. I was going put things in order tonight but the wind will just destroy it.  I will see what early morning brings.”

And also I heard from Scott that the Temple track was groomed this evening for both skate and classic. It’s a convenient in-town location and also a nice view. Plus it’s a good spot to practice long hills. Enjoy!

January 10, 7:30am

Thanks to Doug for grooming! He just sent this report:

The trail has one trip around the skate track perimeter, clover leaf has two trips and looked great.  The cow pasture has it all - both a new skate track and new classic tracks. It got late and I ran out of gas to finish and the snow got too soft. Skiing should still be good.  The classic track is still in good shape and skate has groomed surface just not vary wide. We will be back at it depending on weather.  Have a great day!

January 9 morning

The skate track has not been groomed since Saturday morning, but it still skis nicely. Just be aware that the first ~1/2mile is pretty rutted and the ruts are covered with snow, making it hard to get a flat ski (please use the skate deck for skating and the classic tracks for classic, so we don’t mess up tracks too much). That first part of the trail gets a lot of traffic, but it smooths out after the first bridge. The base is firm and the snow cover is light, so it’s a good, gentle ski. You can get a nice glide, but you probably won’t be skiing super fast.

The classic tracks look good. We have a winter storm warning today through tomorrow, so perhaps we will get things groomed after the predicted storm passes. 

January 7 Temple Track

Scott just texted me about the Nordic track on the fields to the south and west side of the Temple & Ropes Course:

Groomed today and yesterday by the temple. Skate and classic.

January 7, noon

Doug tuned up the skate track early today, and reports that it looked good. He said the conventional/classic was more difficult. Because the snow was soft it did not go through groomer as well, so he only did one set of tracks and left the better set alone. There are a lot of skiers out enjoying the day. Have fun!

January 6 morning

 I haven’t heard any updates, but I did ski yesterday and the track was good for both skating and classic. There are a few thin spots and a tiny scattering of gravel here and there, so keep your eyes peeled. It snowed a little last night and is snowing lightly right now, so that will help. I’ll post if I hear anything.

January 3, noon

We’re still getting snow, so the skate track is all covered. If you skate, you’ll be skiing through fresh powder and hoping not to get lost. Our groomers plan to go out this evening to fix things up.

This is a good day for classic skiing. You can still see the classic tracks and they’re holding up nicely.

January 2, 11am

 Doug just sent this update:

Just a couple of pictures says it all.  Winter is here and the track is in great shape. We have four sets of classic tracks so groups can ski side by side 

(but please try to stay off the skate track unless you’re on skate skis). Most areas  there are four tracksq and in good shape. Randy set two on Saturday and I added two this morning. Skiing should be very good today with the new snow on top of a solid base. Have a great new year!

January 2 morning

 Last I heard, Randy worked on the track for five hours Saturday morning, and he or Doug planned to tune it up Saturday night. I’ll post any updates as soon as I know.