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All Comments by Mike W :
Comments: 126
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: Snowfa summer alternatives
Delivered: Monday Apr 29, 2024 at 16:49
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyxTzYpapwA
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Cabin Fever! (Part 2)
Delivered: Wednesday Apr 24, 2024 at 22:29
Diana - I was afraid I'd have to do that, but the snowman directed me up a nice trail to climber's right. It's improved a lot since I was last there many years ago. It even has railings.
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Cabin Fever! (Part 2)
Delivered: Thursday Apr 25, 2024 at 19:02
MaSid - Thanks for the clarification!
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: Where are the diehards?
Delivered: Tuesday Apr 23, 2024 at 21:56
MaSid - This diehard just got back from skiing about an hour ago, in compliance with your directive that one's skiing time must be double one's driving time. Haven't had dinner yet! I was NW of where Diana was. Report coming later tonight or tomorrow.
Mike W replied to Diana Piggott's post: Spectacular day at Kananaskis Lookout
Delivered: Friday Apr 19, 2024 at 22:34
Yes Diana, those would have been my tracks heading up Pocaterra from Packers.
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: PLPP: One last ski tour!
Delivered: Friday Apr 19, 2024 at 10:45
Great way to end the season MaSid!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: PLPP Trailbreaker's Special AKA The Six Picnic Table Tour
Delivered: Thursday Apr 18, 2024 at 14:02
Thanks, Helen. Good luck with your hip replacement. I'm getting a knee replacement in mid-May, perhaps due to excessive trailbreaking? I was originally planning to include Lookout on my trip, but my knee wasn't up for it. In any case, it turns out someone else had broken trail up there.
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: Snow, Snow, Snow… PLPP
Delivered: Wednesday Apr 17, 2024 at 23:16
On my way down the Elk Pass trail today I saw one XC ski track heading up the Elk Pass trail and up Patterson, but no down track. So figured the person must have come down Hydroline. I guess it was you!
Mike W replied to Lane1's post: Shark
Delivered: Sunday Apr 14, 2024 at 00:29
I always wondered how Mt. Shark got its name.
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: Foothills snowfall warning update
Delivered: Wednesday Apr 03, 2024 at 20:16
MaSid - The Little B's are working on their report as I write this. I had sent you a few emails over the past week and was wondering why I hadn't got a reply. Now I know.
Mike W replied to Jeff P's post: Blue sky day at Peter Lougheed
Delivered: Sunday Mar 31, 2024 at 18:59
Any idea what condition Hydroline is in? Planning some extensive touring S of Elk Pass tomorrow, and wondering whether the fastest way up would be via Hydroline or the Elk Pass Trail. Thanks!
Mike W replied to Jeff P's post: Blue sky day at Peter Lougheed
Delivered: Sunday Mar 31, 2024 at 19:50
Thanks, MaSid.
Mike W replied to aqua toque's post: Badger Tales & Trails
Delivered: Sunday Mar 31, 2024 at 11:19
Aqua Toque, excellent report as always. However your video was hijacked by the nefarious "Taxidea Taxus" cyber-criminal gang. Forensic analysis reveals that the imposter skier was not wearing a toque at all, let alone an aqua one!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Little Pipestone Cabin
Delivered: Thursday Mar 28, 2024 at 19:46
Henry L - Fortunately my Sporten skis feature a stainless steel top cap. The ski designers had clearly anticipated this sort of situation.
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: Snow is in the air (WBC)
Delivered: Friday Mar 29, 2024 at 09:51
Thanks for the update Alf! Why has WBC/BCT stopped using Nordic Pulse? I'd appreciate an answer.
Mike W replied to aqua toque's post: Greater Bragg Creek BBB (Better Badger Bureau)
Delivered: Tuesday Mar 26, 2024 at 09:54
Your bent BDDs indicate lots of badger encounters. How many pairs of poles do you go through each winter!?
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: WBC: Taking advantage of the touring tracks (last best day for it?)
Delivered: Monday Mar 25, 2024 at 18:51
My PL Premium is working out great as well!
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: WBC: Taking advantage of the touring tracks (last best day for it?)
Delivered: Monday Mar 25, 2024 at 20:50
SteveR - Thanks for the repair advice. Looks like MaSid and I have the same model of defective Rossignol boot.
Mike W replied to Ray Yong's post: Snowshoers on Elk Pass
Delivered: Sunday Mar 24, 2024 at 12:44
It sounds like the ski patroller was talking about the hill whose top is about 1km from the parking lot, and drops down to the Fox Creek junction on the far side. CAN ANYONE PROVIDE FIRST-HAND INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THAT PART OF THE TRAIL?
The patroller apparently said "a larger group had also torn up the TRACKS leading down the hill the other side." But there are no machine-set tracks on that side of the hill because it's too steep. And I'm mystified as to how snowshoes could "tear up" the slope. In any case, that section of the Elk Pass trail is officially shared with snowshoers who have every right to be there, assuming they weren't intentionally wrecking the slope. Ray - Can you provide any clarification?
Snowshoers should not have been on the Elk Pass Trail between the parking lot and the top of the hill, since there's a dedicated snowshoe trail for that section. There are certainly people who knowingly ignore signage and courtesy, including skate skiers who slash the classic tracks and classic skiers who do the same by herringboning up the tracks (sometimes unavoidable on narrow trails or if skiers are coming down right next to them). But others share some of the blame. The ACC goes into great detail about the Elk Lakes Cabin rules and regulations, but provides little information about PLPP rules and regulations, and exactly where the snowshoe route is. The snowshoe trail signs are tiny and not immediately obvious; they could be a lot larger. Likewise for the "trail for skiers only" signs. And on the same signpost should be another sign showing where the snowshoe trail is. I've spoken to both the ACC and Kananaskis Parks about this. The ACC now provides a somewhat better map, but still no info about PLPP rules (such as not leaving leftover food on the Elk Pass picnic table).
GordN - There are indeed volunteer ski patrollers in PLPP.
Mike W replied to Alf Skrastins's post: West Bragg Creek Two Updates
Delivered: Friday Mar 22, 2024 at 23:03
Alf - With all the grooming and tracksetting, I'm wondering why Nordic Pulse is showing that only Elbow S has been groomed? I realize that "live" reporting isn't always possible because of spotty mobile signal access. But compared to previous winters, this winter the grooming seems to be particularly slow in appearing on Nordic Pulse and it's often incorrect. If there's a problem with how to upload the information to Nordic Pulse, I'd be happy to help out. I have lots of IT experience.
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Cuthead Cabin at last!
Delivered: Friday Mar 22, 2024 at 11:37
Thanks Helen! Based on Sporten's skier weight specifications, it looked like 185cm would have been a better fit for me. But Switching Gear didn't have it in that size, and I like the maneuverability of shorter skis such as when floundering in isothermal snow as in the Cuthead Creek photo. I was concerned the 175's would have too much grip and too little glide, but hoped I could compensate by sliding the binding back as far as it would go. In the worst case, I was prepared to shave off some of the skin hairs to improve glide. But the skis worked great with the binding in the centre position.
Although an NNN-BC binding & boot setup would be sturdier for more challenging terrain, the combination of NNN bindings and my Combi boots were more than adequate. And it had the advantage of lighter boots with a moveable binding. For more challenging terrain, I've got the Little B's!
Thanks for the Skogan Pass tip. I haven't been to the pass yet this season, so I might head there tomorrow.
mike w replied to Mike W's post: Cuthead Cabin at last!
Delivered: Friday Mar 22, 2024 at 17:09
AT - Thanks for the reminder about the Badger Pass Tragedy. It should never be forgotten. For the young'uns reading this report, we should clarify that '09 refers neither to 2009 nor 1909, but 1809. The Tragedy was the basis of Rudyard Kipling's 1894 novel The Jungle Book. Personally, I think the impact of the story was lessened by Kipling's decision to base it in India instead of the Rockies.
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: 🎵 These days…..
Delivered: Saturday Feb 17, 2024 at 17:51
MaSid - Any idea what snowpack conditions are like S of E Elk Pass, heading down the Tobermory Creek drainage? Thinking of making an attempt to get to Tobermory Cabin, or at least setting a track partway for later.
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: 🎵 These days…..
Delivered: Saturday Feb 17, 2024 at 18:10
Thanks MaSid, I'll give it a bit more thought.
Mike W replied to aqua toque's post: Man fends off cougar in BNP! Anybody we know?
Delivered: Tuesday Feb 13, 2024 at 23:07
I heard that when the cougar jumped out of the tree, a badger pounced out of his den, locked its jaws on the cougar's tail, swung the cougar around his head and sent it flying into a tree trunk about 30m away!
Mike W replied to aqua toque's post: Man fends off cougar in BNP! Anybody we know?
Delivered: Wednesday Feb 14, 2024 at 10:46
Looks like Banff National Park has outsourced their closure bulletins to Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/BanffNP
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: East elk to west elk pass traverse
Delivered: Monday Feb 12, 2024 at 23:19
MaSid - Thanks for your compliments on my photo. Except I don't remember taking that photo and can't find it going back to the start of SkierRoger. Which report did you find it in!?
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: East elk to west elk pass traverse
Delivered: Tuesday Feb 13, 2024 at 08:44
Got this image by clicking on the photo thumbnail under "Scenic Photos Dec 26, 2021" on SkierBob's website. Looks like it was Jeremy N's photo.
Mike W replied to gh's post: tour out of Pocaterra
Delivered: Saturday Jan 27, 2024 at 16:31
MaSid - If the snowpack there is anything like what we found yesterday in Paradise Valley, I don't think taking turns breaking trail would have worked. They probably would have crashed through the upside-down snowpack and had major difficulty extracting their snowshoes with each step. It's also a chicken-and-egg issue: If prior groups had been consistently using the snowshoe trail, it would have been packed down enough to make travel easy for later groups. As you pointed out, that's partly the fault of the tiny snowshoe trail signs, as well as the (old) map that makes it look like the snowshoe and ski trails coincide, and the poor directions provided by the ACC. The ACC directions and map at https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/elk-lakes-cabin have recently improved, but they need to emphasize that the section along the hydroline is a separate trail from the ski trail.
Day snowshoers encountering bad conditions should turn around and go elsewhere rather than snowshoeing on the ski trail. But I do sympathize with those heading to Elk Lakes Cabin for a multi-day trip; they need to get up to the pass. I think the best way to solve the problem is to periodically snowmobile-pack the snowshoe trail (and have bigger snowshoe trail signs). It would be nice if Alberta Parks did this, but ultimately it should be the ACC's responsibility to ensure that their cabin is accessible by snowshoers if they book the cabin to snowshoers. For example, the ACC is responsible for packing and tracksetting the Redearth Creek trail to their Shadow Lake Lodge.
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: WBC: A 4G Trip! - Great Grip & Good Glide
Delivered: Wednesday Jan 17, 2024 at 22:02
Great to hear that the groomers have been out today! Unfortunately as of 10pm it isn't showing up on Nordic Pulse. Anyone know why?
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: WBC: A 4G Trip! - Great Grip & Good Glide
Delivered: Thursday Jan 18, 2024 at 12:01
SkierRoger - What sections of Iron Springs did you encounter grooming and/or tracksetting yesterday (Wednesday)? As of 1145am today (Thursday), Nordic Pulse is only showing the section between Iron Creek and the north intersection with Elbow as groomed, with nothing trackset. And it looks like that section was groomed by the Bragg Creek Trails (BCT) grooming crew just this morning, along with North Elbow. Perhaps the Parks grooming crew don't update Nordic Pulse? And which sections of Elbow and Iron Springs does Parks maintain vs. BCT? Or is there some overlap depending on who is in the vicinity first? Haywire, do you know?
I could offer some Nordic Pulse expertise, but it would help if I could figure out whether I should offer it to BCT or Parks.
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: Kananaskis Pass ticket update: success!
Delivered: Thursday Jan 11, 2024 at 15:25
Congratulations MaSid! It's a shame you had to put in all this time and effort just because Parks failed to implement a system that correctly reflects the Minister's Order. I expect you're now fielding phone calls from lawyers eager to enrol you as their lead Plaintiff in a Class Action suit against the government!
Mike W replied to Sara M's post: Cuthead Cabin
Delivered: Tuesday Jan 02, 2024 at 23:40
Great work Sara! Do you think the track is suitable for (expensive) narrow skin skis? i.e. won't wallow in the snow or hit the ground?
Mike W replied to Sara M's post: Cuthead Cabin
Delivered: Wednesday Jan 03, 2024 at 22:03
Thanks Sara. I clearly have a gaping deficiency in my quiver of skis, between my 44mm track skis and my 89mm light touring skis. I definitely need a pair of metal-edged light touring skis just wide enough to fit in the tracks. I'll nickname them my Cuthead Cabin skis!
Mike W replied to Nordic Patrol's post: Patrolling on Whiskey Jack, Tyrwitt, & Elk Pass
Delivered: Sunday Dec 31, 2023 at 06:55
Thanks for patrolling. I used to do that in a previous century!
mike w replied to aqua toque's post: WBC Badgers!
Delivered: Wednesday Dec 20, 2023 at 11:43
Nice try aqua toque. They're clearly wolverines in badger suits!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Want to contravene PLPP winter trail rules? Just follow the ACC's directions to Elk Lakes Cabin.
Delivered: Tuesday Dec 12, 2023 at 12:25
Roger - Thanks for following up on this. I put in calls to Kananaskis Dispatch and the ACC but haven't heard back from them yet.
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Want to contravene PLPP winter trail rules? Just follow the ACC's directions to Elk Lakes Cabin.
Delivered: Tuesday Dec 12, 2023 at 13:57
Hi sjp - I was about 10m downhill from you admiring your split-second maneuvering! FYI I'm sure you didn't have time to notice, but at that point they were on foot, not on snowshoes.
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Want to contravene PLPP winter trail rules? Just follow the ACC's directions to Elk Lakes Cabin.
Delivered: Tuesday Dec 12, 2023 at 22:40
A friend forwarded me an ACC email he received this afternoon about ACC Hut availability and Elk Lakes Winter Access Trail Etiquette. See first photo. The second photo is a copy of the map referred to in the Trail Etiquette text. You can view the original at https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/elk-lake-map.jpg .
Unfortunately the "purple" they refer to in the text looks more like alternating black and red dashes, and is virtually indistinguishable from the Elk Pass and Hydroline ski trails.
ACC's 2023-Dec-12 Elk Lakes Cabin Directions Map
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: READ EARTH CREEK
Delivered: Monday Dec 11, 2023 at 22:29
DAB - I hope you recover soon.
Mike W replied to ChrisL's post: Skogan Pass Loop Junction via Hay Meadow
Delivered: Sunday Dec 10, 2023 at 06:13
Hi Chris - Sorry to hear that you hit a bunch of rocks on the way down. Where did you find them? The only section where I hit rocks was the short section where the Skogan Pass Trail is shared with the Nakiska snowcat track. It was fine going up, but by the time we came down the snowmobiles had kicked up a bunch of rocks.
There were also some rocks on the section below the snowcat track down to the junction with Hidden Trail, which is why I recommended staying in the up track and controlling speed by dragging poles.
But since you descended the Skogan-Troll South Connector instead, you would have bypassed all the sections we encountered that had rocks. So I'm curious where you found the rocks. Thanks!
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: Snow on the Way
Delivered: Sunday Dec 03, 2023 at 11:29
Roger - Thanks for compiling the temperature / snowfall chart. It's a great help!
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: HEALY CREEK/ BREWSTER CREEK/ SUNDANCE LODGE +
Delivered: Sunday Dec 03, 2023 at 11:24
Thanks for the detailed report!
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: Kananaskis fire lookout via back door
Delivered: Sunday Nov 26, 2023 at 00:07
MaSid - See https://www.skierroger.ca/index.php?content=showski_special&id=2211 for my June post about Parks breaching their sales contract with me for an "Annual" pass, by claiming it will expire a day early. I think you have excellent grounds to dispute the fine in Court should you wish to do so. You purchased an "Annual" pass; not a "365-day" pass. And the Government of Alberta defines a year as being from any date in one year to the same date in the following year.
Your pass was still valid the day you received the ticket, since it was less than a year since you purchased the pass. Parks simply miscalculated the expiry date and breached their contract with you. Alternatively, Parks misrepresented their 365-day pass as being an annual (i.e. 366-day) pass, which is a contravention of sections 6(4)(a),(c)&(t.1) of the Alberta Consumer Protection Act.
Kananaskis Conservatives Pass Fee Increase Due to UCP Misrepresentation, Fraud and Shrinkflation!
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: Kananaskis fire lookout via back door
Delivered: Sunday Nov 26, 2023 at 12:25
MaSid - My previous comment was incorrect, which I blame on being in the midst of a COVID-induced delirium. The leap year issue is only applicable if the validity period of your pass includes Feb 29 2024. Your expired pass doesn't fall into that category.
In a normal (non-leap) year, the pass is valid from the start of whatever day you specify on the web form, until the end of the previous day the following year. This means the pass is valid for a full 365 days. In your case, if you bought it at an info centre on say Nov 10 2022 at 9am, its validity would start retroactively from the first second of Nov 10 2022, and continue to the last second of Nov 9 2023; a full 365 days.
I agree that Parks should do a much better job of informing the passholder of when their pass will expire.
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: Kananaskis fire lookout via back door
Delivered: Sunday Nov 26, 2023 at 21:40
MaSid - Very interesting. The original Order, 51/2021, was repealed and replaced by Order 74/2021, but the latter contains identical wording as to the period of an annual pass. See https://open.alberta.ca/publications/ep-74-2021 .
Great, everyone gets one year plus a day: 366 days in non-leap years and 367 in leap years! Hope you take this to Court with a copy of Ministerial Order 74/2021 in your hand!
Ministerial Order 74/2021
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Kananaskis Conservatives Pass Fee Increase Due to UCP Misrepresentation, Fraud and Shrinkflation!
Delivered: Monday Jul 03, 2023 at 19:26
aqua toque - I'm all in for Alberta Park Backwards Day! In case you're wondering when the 2025 2nd Annual Celebration will be, the Alberta Rules of Court anticipated this; it will be February 28 2025. Pursuant to section 13.4(4), "If the count starts on February 29th and ends in a year that is not a leap year, the count ends on February 28th of that year."
Mike W replied to Gord F's post: Ski Boot Advice
Delivered: Wednesday May 03, 2023 at 23:07
If you're looking for NNN boots that provide more support than Classic boots, look for Combi (aka Universal) boots. They provide more ankle support than Classic boots, but are not as stiff as Skate boots - https://nordicskater.com/pages/boot-buying-guide .
I bought a pair of Madshus Endurace Universal boots this past winter, and they perform great - https://madshus.com/en-ca/p/endurace-universal-ski-boots-2023 . A few design flaws like most boots: The laces are flimsy so I replaced them with sturdier ones. The ankle cuff and rivets abrade against the boot fabric, so I put some duct tape on them.
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: Website Upgrade: More Pictures with Discussion Options
Delivered: Monday Apr 24, 2023 at 20:32
Roger - Thanks for your recent upgrades, especially being able to have photos within the body of the post and more photos. Usually I only have one or two photos in my posts, but I know the Little B's will be delighted! They usually process their photos down to about 0.5MB from the original 2MB before uploading, but I don't know if 0.5MB is considered a large file.
Also, I've noticed that the "Home and Trip Reports" page and the "Comments" page are slow to load. I suspect this is due to the large number of photos that have to load on those pages. In particular, the "Comments" page includes every photo that everyone posted in a comment this winter. This may be impacting other users trying to view or upload posts. I suggest reducing the number of Posts/Comments that get displayed initially, and have a "Show More" button at the bottom of both pages (currently only on the "Home and Trip Reports" page).
Thanks for all your great work this winter!
Mike W replied to Sara M's post: Lake Louise to Banff: a multiday skiventure
Delivered: Monday Apr 24, 2023 at 20:38
Sara - Congrats on your amazing skiventure! I particularly enjoyed the wolverine tracks and your video of skiing down into the Panther Valley.
Mike W replied to Sara M's post: Tour de Shark
Delivered: Saturday Apr 01, 2023 at 21:38
AT - My interpretation is that while "Tour de ____" doesn't exclude skiing every trail in a particular network in a single day, it also refers to skiing the perimeter of a network, particularly a large one such as PLPP or WBC. I think the source of "Tour de ____" is the Tour de France bike race. Accordingly, any "Tour de ____" should be "long" relative to what is considered "normal".
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Tour de PLPP
Delivered: Friday Mar 31, 2023 at 12:38
KeithB - You're right, the Little B's were disappointed, but I promised them a great trip for tomorrow.
aqua toque and others: Apologies, the 57km was a typo; it was only 54km!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Tour de PLPP
Delivered: Friday Mar 31, 2023 at 17:18
MaSid - You and AT are welcome to join us. We'll be doing the traverse of the NE facing slopes of Mount Bell from Boom Lake trailhead to Taylor Lake trailhead. Meeting at 9am at the Taylor Lake trailhead to shuttle us/vehicle(s) to the Boom Lake trailhead. See my report last year (out-and-back version) at https://www.skierroger.ca/index.php?content=showski_basic&id=1059
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: Wouldn't this be nice to see...
Delivered: Friday Mar 24, 2023 at 22:59
Unfortunately, the SpotWx RDPS 3.5 day forecast is only showing 15cm for the same time period!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Tour de WBC
Delivered: Tuesday Mar 14, 2023 at 17:07
I didn't have any snow sticking to my skins. The problem was the film of water that forms between the gliding surface of the skis and the smooth track when the snow is wet. It creates what's commonly called a suction or vacuum effect that slows you down. Similar to trying to separate 2 plates of wet glass. The same thing happens with downhill skis.
It can be reduced by using high-fluoro wax that repels the water (not environmentally friendly), or applying an aggressive structure to the ski base (not practical unless you have a pair of skis just for those conditions). Skiing over the rough surface of the walking trail has the same effect as an aggressive base structure. Either one breaks up the suction/vacuum between the 2 surfaces. Glop Stopper on the glide surface of the skis might also work if you leave the surface rough instead of smoothing it out.
Snow sticking to the skins is a different problem, at its worst when skiing during a wet snowfall. The grip zone of fishscale and waxable skis have the same problem. Sometimes the entire ski surface if it hasn't been properly glide waxed.
Glop Stopper and similar products applied to the skins will help in those conditions. Unfortunately none of them work well if the skins are already wet. It's best to treat them ahead of time. Even if snow sticking to the skin isn't an issue, these products improve skin glide during the glide phase of your stride. The best product I've tried so far is Vauhti Skin Ski Care Blue (link below), available at Norseman. But for my Alpine Touring skins I use Nikwax Ski Skin Proof (link below), available at Abom Ski & Board. It's a lot cheaper and I'm not concerned about getting maximum glide.
Vauhti Skin Ski Care Blue
Nikwax Ski Skin Proof
Mike W replied to Bob Truman's post: Excellent conditions on the SkierBob Special
Delivered: Wednesday Mar 01, 2023 at 19:30
Bob, glad to hear you're recovered and back at it!
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: Picture Posting Perfection (perhaps)
Delivered: Saturday Jan 07, 2023 at 00:24
Great idea; thanks Roger!
mike w replied to Septuagenarians's post: Virtual Night Ski
Delivered: Wednesday Dec 21, 2022 at 21:36
DAB - You forgot several very important night skiing safety items: Sunglasses, sunscreen, and a sun hat in case you fail to make it back to your car by sunrise. In the worst case, you may have to take shelter until sunset. I think this is referred to as being "bedayed".
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: Boot sole delamination tips?
Delivered: Sunday Dec 11, 2022 at 17:48
The uppers of my brand new Rossignol BC X6 boots are separating from the sole - see photo. Not sure if this happened on the first or second day of skiing with them! Pretty typical of prices spiralling up while quality spirals down. I can return them to MEC, but they have no others in stock and the model is discontinued. I'd have to pay about double for a suitable replacement. So I might try to repair them, and return them later if the repair doesn't hold. I've never repaired a boot upper / sole delamination, but the products I'm familiar with are Shoe Goo or Freesole (now called Aquseal+SR to improve confusion). The latter is available from MEC. Check their website for a description and product reviews. The former is available at Canadian Tire or Marks ($2 cheaper there than CT, even though they're owned by CT). More reviews on those websites. Shoe Goo seems more designed to rebuild worn areas than as an adhesive to reattach parts. Sounds like Aquaseal+SR is commonly used to reattach uppers to soles. It's roughly the same price but you only get 1/4 the product volume.
MaSid - The E6000 reviews look similar to Aquaseal+SR, so not sure if the latter would be better. How did you do the repair? Did you pull apart the upper and sole to get good access to the surfaces? Or did you squeeze the E6000 into the crack between the two parts?
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: Boot sole delamination tips?
Delivered: Monday Dec 12, 2022 at 10:02
MaSid - Please let me know how it goes. It will be a few weeks before I have a chance to repair my boots.
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: SHADOW LAKE AND BEYOND
Delivered: Thursday Dec 08, 2022 at 10:59
DAB - Thanks for the timely report. I'm heading up there tomorrow and now I know what skis I should use! Sorry to hear you didn't get to see the occultation.
Mike W replied to HenryL's post: Moonlight ski on Dec 7 to see the occultation of Mars
Delivered: Monday Dec 05, 2022 at 19:51
Too bad it won't be a crescent moon. Then we would have been able to see Mars between the tips of the crescent. ;-)
Mike W replied to Bob Truman's post: Keep Going(accessing Skogan Pass through Nakiska)
Delivered: Friday Dec 02, 2022 at 22:53
Following Bob's last photo, you cross the Powderface downhill ski slope - see my photo. The trail continues at the far right of the photo, where you can just see a trail sign. The big snow mountain on your left is the landing zone of a terrain feature where skiers and snowboarders can catch big air and land on top of you while you ski across. Watch out!
Mike W replied to MaSid's post: PLPP recent grooming
Delivered: Wednesday Nov 30, 2022 at 20:36
The website currently lets you request a reminder: "I would like to receive annual expiry notifications and periodic e-newsletters from Alberta Parks, sent to my email address used for the Kananaskis Conservation Pass." Scroll to the bottom of the pass payment page at https://conservationpass.alberta.ca/kcp
Your best bet may be to bring proof that you bought an annual pass previously (e.g. confirmation email or credit card statement) and say that you signed up for a reminder but never received one. And you've talked to others that never received a reminder.
FYI Parks is using our Pass fees to fund this private company instead of funding Kananaskis infrastructure and services. Best solution is to vote in the NDP in May who've promised to cancel the Park Pass program.
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: BREWSTER CREEK BEYOND FATIGUE PASS JUNCTION- snow reconnaissance ski mission
Delivered: Sunday Nov 27, 2022 at 23:41
Thanks for the detailed report DAB! As for the gap under the binding plate, which bindings did you get? If you got the manual Rottefella NNN BC, the underside of the binding should look like the attached photo. The white part is what takes all the strain. It should be absolutely flush with the ski topsheet, at least between the 3 front-most screws. Because the white surface on the underside of the binding is flat, whereas the ski topsheet might have a slight curve (from the ski thickness thinning out fore and aft of the binding area), there could be a minute gap at the fore and aft ends of the white area.
The black part of the plate on my Rottefella Magnum binding takes no upward strain. Its main purpose is to keep the boot from twisting sideways when the heel is down. Because of this, there's no need for it to be as robust as the white part. On my Rottefella Magnum binding, the white part where the finger is pointing in the photo sticks out 0.3mm from the black part. i.e when the binding is mounted, the underside of the black part is 0.3mm above the ski topsheet. I don't know if this is by design or because of sloppy manufacturing. The black part is flush with the ski at the point where the 2 rear-most screws go through it. Fore and aft of the screws, the gap is about 0.1mm. Any water that gets under the black part of the plate and freezes would either escape out the sides, or at worst bend the black part of the plate up a bit which is fine since it's flexible. The black part of the plate would never pull out the 2 screws that hold it down because the plate isn't strong enough in the vertical direction; it would crack first.
If all this sounds like the gaps you're seeing, it should be fine. If your gaps in the black area are bigger, or if there is any gap at all in the white area between the 3 front-most screws, then the binding mount should be checked. Also, put a boot in the binding and twist the boot with one hand while holding the ski in the other. If there's any play in the white area, the binding mount should be checked.
If the gaps are bigger than described here, things to check for are topsheet volcanoes at the screwholes - https://www.wildsnow.com/18694/how-to-remove-ski-volcanoe-bubbles/, and screwjacking - #2 at https://www.wildsnow.com/23119/tech-ski-binding-mount-mistakes/ . And while you're at it read all the points in the latter link, especially #6 - did the shop actually use glue at all!?
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: BREWSTER CREEK BEYOND FATIGUE PASS JUNCTION- snow reconnaissance ski mission
Delivered: Monday Nov 28, 2022 at 17:40
DAB - You can create a cost-free feeler gauge by making a 10mm thick stack of paper (or anything else comparably thin) and dividing by the number of sheets in the stack. Then you know how thick 1 sheet of paper is. Count how many sheets of paper fit in the gap, and multiply by the thickness of each sheet to get the size of the gap.
Sounds to me like the bindings have been mounted fine.
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: PIPESTONE RIVER TO POINT CAMP MEADOWS- Wednesday afternoon/ night ski
Delivered: Thursday Nov 24, 2022 at 12:31
Probably Jupiter. Definitely not a satellite, which would have been noticeably moving.
"From November 14 to 28, 2022 ... Jupiter appears during evening twilight above the east-southeast horizon, culminates around 8 p.m. some 40 degrees above the southern horizon and vanishes in the west around 1:30 a.m."
https://espacepourlavie.ca/en/planets-visible-naked-eye
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: PIPESTONE RIVER TO POINT CAMP MEADOWS- Wednesday afternoon/ night ski
Delivered: Friday Nov 25, 2022 at 16:45
Hi DAB - I'm definitely skiing, but the Little B's are doing most of the trip reporting. We're heading to Rummel Lake tomorrow. And I need to encourage the Little B's to post our trip report from Monday.
- Mike
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: PIPESTONE RIVER- back on one ski
Delivered: Saturday Nov 19, 2022 at 22:22
Glad to hear you made it out safely. Incredible that a binding would break at under 7,000km of use; barely the distance from Calgary to Costa Rica! I prefer the manual NNN and NNN-BC bindings as well. I've never broken an automatic binding, but have found that they occasionally freeze in the open or closed position until they get thawed out. And as far as I know, the Rossignol NNN-BC bindings are just rebranded Rottefellas. If you're going to replace them with manual NNN-BC, I'd recommend the Rottefella "BC Magnum" over the "BC Manual". The Magnum's are a beefier version that should take you to at least Tierra del Fuego!
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: PIPESTONE RIVER- back on one ski
Delivered: Sunday Nov 20, 2022 at 13:53
DAB - I remember you first brought up your concerns about the Rottefella NNN-BC binding in your 2021-Apr-28 Assiniboine trip report - http://skierbob.ca/trip-reports-april-2021/#comment-798277 . I think the most dependable touring binding would be something like the 75mm Riva cable binding - https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/1110/11/riva-black-diamond-telemark-ski_1_681a7fdfc72e95cf82cb3cd46ebae823.jpg. But you'd have to switch to 75mm boots and then the system failure point would probably just change from the binding to the boot sole! The replies to your 2021-Apr-28 post reported ski failures, binding failures, and boot failures as well. I think the take-away is that eventually the weakest point in the system will fail: the skis, the bindings, the boots, or your legs! Be thankful you've got 25,000km on your Rossignol bindings (and same skis and boots?). I expect most ski touring equipment isn't designed to last beyond at most a couple of thousand kilometres over simple terrain, because the vast majority of skiers never ski anywhere near that distance or on challenging terrain.
P.S. It would be great if you could provide a photo of your 1994 Rossignol NNN-BC bindings!
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: PIPESTONE RIVER- back on one ski
Delivered: Sunday Nov 20, 2022 at 21:50
DAB - You should be able to repair the sidewall with a low viscosity glue such as Hot Stuff - https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/supplies/adhesives/glue/20022-low-viscosity-glue-hot-stuff - that will penetrate the exposed wood and seal it. Then optionally follow up with a slow-cure epoxy such as G2 - https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/supplies/adhesives/glue/20011-g2-epoxy - to cover and protect the wood from abrasion. You're welcome to bring your skis over to my place and we can fix them.
Mike W replied to Bob Truman's post: Evan-Thomas Triangle
Delivered: Thursday Nov 17, 2022 at 20:49
Bob - Congrats on getting around the 6-photo limit!
Mike W replied to SteveR's post: WBC South Trails
Delivered: Monday Nov 14, 2022 at 23:42
Bob, I was there on Nov 10 and saw 8 other skiers in 3 groups!
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: REDEARTH CREEK- double snowmobile packed
Delivered: Tuesday Nov 15, 2022 at 11:41
As usual, thanks for your detailed and informative report!
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: Welcome to the the 2022/23 XC Ski Season
Delivered: Monday Oct 24, 2022 at 20:22
I endorse the reports-first, followed by comments in downward chronological order as well!
At some point in the future, it would be nice to be able to embed photos within a report, rather than having them all appear below the report. I expect this change would be a significant amount of work, and I wouldn't want Roger to miss out on any skiing because of it!
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: West Bragg Creek Trails Master Plan Engagement: Invitation to Participate in Phase 2
Delivered: Monday Oct 24, 2022 at 20:09
To add to Roger's comment, the plan says "Loggers, Middle Crystal Line, Mountain View, Moose Connector and Moose Loop will be authorized for skate ski grooming once the trails are upgraded to 6m width." This should reduce the impact of skate skiers unable or unwilling to avoid damaging the classic tracks. It will also create longer skating loops such as East Crystal - Loggers - Mountain View - Mountain Road - Mountain View West - Moose Loop - Moose Connector - West Crystal.
The other notable change is a proposed trail just to the west of and alongside East Telephone, between the Disconnect and Long Distance junctions. It will separate skier traffic from other (primarily fatbike) traffic that often trashed the tracksetting within a couple of hours. The situation was getting so bad that BCT was considering abandoning tracksetting Telephone Loop altogether. So this is great news not only for skiers, but also for the fatbikers, other users, and last but not least the grooming crew who would see their hard work destroyed in hours.
I highly recommend everyone review the plan and fill out the survey. It even includes the opportunity to drop pins on an interactive map where you can add location-specific comments!
West Bragg Creek Trails Master Plan Engagement
Interactive Map
Mike W replied to aqua toque's post: Checking out teh Elbow during rain event.
Delivered: Wednesday Jun 15, 2022 at 04:40
Are you sure it's a sock monkey? To me, it looks like a Sasquatch wearing a toque!
mike w replied to Chuck's post: YOHO VALLEY ROAD to TAKAKKAW FALLS - Half Cycle, Half Ski
Delivered: Saturday Jun 04, 2022 at 22:30
The Little B's fit into my handlebar basket!
mike w replied to aqua toque's post: Return to Glasgow
Delivered: Wednesday Jun 01, 2022 at 14:00
Based on the title, I was expecting a ski report from the Scottish Highlands! Is this the last report of the 2021/2 season or the first report of the 2022/3 season!?
mike w replied to aqua toque's post: Return to Glasgow
Delivered: Thursday Jun 02, 2022 at 19:00
My comment was click-bait to start a discussion on when the 2022/23 season begins. A Toque suggests September 15. How about the first skiable snowfall after the end of July? Maybe we could even have a contest!
Skier Completes 10 Years of Skiing Every Month of the Year on Scottish Snow
mike w replied to aqua toque's post: Return to Glasgow
Delivered: Thursday Jun 02, 2022 at 19:07
...and I had to include a report on Scottish skiing to rectify A Toque's non-Scottish reference to Glasgow.
mike w replied to aqua toque's post: Return to Glasgow
Delivered: Sunday Jun 05, 2022 at 23:52
A Toque - Thanks for finding that film. The Ides of July it is, especially since it's my birthday too!
mike w replied to aqua toque's post: Return to Glasgow
Delivered: Wednesday Jun 08, 2022 at 00:14
A.T. - What's even more strange is that my Mom said I had a long-lost twin brother who was abducted by a Sasquatch wearing wolverine shoes!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: The Little B's "Takin' Care of (unfinished) Business"
Delivered: Friday May 20, 2022 at 23:18
Photos 1-6 from my report
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: The Little B's "Takin' Care of (unfinished) Business"
Delivered: Sunday May 22, 2022 at 20:33
Thanks for the info, aqua toque. That explains all the strange tracks we saw up there!
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: Website Optionally Tracks Skied Distances
Delivered: Friday May 20, 2022 at 23:26
Great work Roger. Thanks!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: The Little B's Make a New Friend!
Delivered: Monday Apr 11, 2022 at 18:55
Photos 7-12
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: The Little B's Make a New Friend!
Delivered: Monday Apr 11, 2022 at 18:58
Photos 1-6
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: The Little B's Make a New Friend!
Delivered: Tuesday Apr 12, 2022 at 20:34
Hi Mr. A. Toque - You're absolutely right. The Little B's are empowering in many ways beyond skiing. Just as Aladdin was empowered by a magic lamp that was lost in a cave for 10,000 years, I found a pair of magic skis that had been gathering dust in Switching Gear for 10 years. (FYI, 1 ski year is equivalent to 1,000 lamp years.) In addition to skiing, the Little B's have endowed me with superpowers of story-telling, photography, and website hacking. You were indeed prescient when you replied to my first Little B post saying "You have a BRIGHT future on those skis"!
There may not be any more Little B adventures this season, as I'll be at Campbell Icefield Chalet next week and the Little B's have flown to Norway with Cecilie Skog to visit her friends.
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: The Little B's Make a New Friend!
Delivered: Tuesday Apr 12, 2022 at 22:37
SteveR - Does Jo know about this!?
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: REDEARTH CREEK TO HAIDUK LAKE Sunday
Delivered: Monday Apr 11, 2022 at 19:08
Great trip! The Little B's have added it to their wish list!
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: REDEARTH CREEK TO HAIDUK LAKE Sunday
Delivered: Tuesday Apr 12, 2022 at 11:58
Hi DAB - The beauty of the 140cm Little B's is they're short enough to do a wide snowplow on a narrow trail. In addition, they are much more torsionally rigid than my 180cm Salomon XADV 89 skis. In combination, they bite much better into crust and ice for speed control. That said, we also had sections on the Twin Lakes trail where we would have needed crampons to walk down, but it was too steep and narrow to snowplow, even for the Little B's. Off the trail was breakable crust with postholing up to the knees. The solution was to walk down along the edge of the trail with half of each foot in the breakable crust to get traction, and half on the trail to keep from sinking in!
Hope you recover soon from your bruising!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: B is for Bushwhacker, not Butterfly!
Delivered: Sunday Apr 03, 2022 at 18:52
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: B is for Bushwhacker, not Butterfly!
Delivered: Sunday Apr 03, 2022 at 22:33
Type B Fun: The sort of fun you had as a kid, when you were totally carefree and even the concept that something could go wrong never entered your mind, firm in the belief that no matter what, your parents (or in this case the Little B's) will protect you!
Mike W replied to RainerA's post: Mystic Pass Tour
Delivered: Saturday Apr 02, 2022 at 22:06
Great route! I was one of those who did it in the 80's. I scouted out the first part of the route earlier this year, but never got around to doing the whole trip. If I'd known you were going I would have joined you. The Little B's would have loved it! I suppose there's still a couple of weeks to have a go at it. Anyone else interested?
Mike W replied to aqua toque's post: Alien Sponsored Bigfoot eSki Conspiracy in Western Canada!!!
Delivered: Friday Apr 01, 2022 at 11:33
Just as I predicted last week (https://www.skierroger.ca/index.php?content=showski&id=1042), there was an eSkiing Sasquatch sighting today. But the conspiracy is even more nefarious than Aqua Toque suspected! Why are April 1 Sasquatch sightings so prevalent? The federal government's fiscal year starts on that date. Coincidence? I think not! Sasquatch are out and about lobbying for increases to their basic income payments and caps on eSki electricity rates, at the expense of hardworking Canadian conspiracy theorists' EI, OAS, and CPP benefits. (https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/senate-basic-income-conspiracy-theories-1.6403777). This is an international conspiracy with Loch Ness Monsters, Yeti, Satori, and other freeloading residents of countries associated with the World Economic Forum (WEF).
But it gets worse. I submitted my wolverine track photos from two days ago (below and https://www.skierroger.ca/index.php?content=showski&id=1068) to Wolverine Watch (https://www.wolverinewatch.org/). They determined that the tracks were not from a wolverine, but from a Sasquatch wearing wolverine shoes! They directed me to a photo their wolverine camera trap had picked up (below and https://www.facebook.com/wolverinewatch/photos/2911007012559171). Note the photo date - only a few days before April 1! That explains why we lost the track when it reached the Blueberry Hill trail: The Sasquatch, sensing that the Little B's were hot on its heels, removed the wolverine shoes and escaped down the hard-surfaced trail. But why was the Sasquatch there in the first place? Don't be surprised if you see an eSki charging station at the top of Blueberry Hill next winter!
CBC article on the Sasquatch basic income conspiracy
Little B's on the hunt for wolverine (or Sasquatch?)
Wolverine Watch
Wolverine Watch camera trap captures a Sasquatch just before April 1
Mike W replied to aqua toque's post: Alien Sponsored Bigfoot eSki Conspiracy in Western Canada!!!
Delivered: Saturday Apr 02, 2022 at 21:26
Aqua Toque - About the night-vision security camera photo: I see a pair of skis that have been doctored up to look like the Little B's. This is a "false flag" operation orchestrated by the World Economic Forum to confuse and divide us. I can assure that the Little B's are fiercely loyal to our cause!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Little B's on the hunt!
Delivered: Thursday Mar 31, 2022 at 21:11
Photos 7-12 from my report
Mike W replied to RainerA's post: Great morning conditions at PLPP
Delivered: Wednesday Mar 30, 2022 at 21:33
Yup Rainer, you spotted me. I guess pink isn't the best colour for camouflage! I'll be posting a report tomorrow.
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Don't sink, think pink!
Delivered: Monday Mar 28, 2022 at 22:21
Photos 7-12 from my report
Mike W replied to Sara M's post: Petain Falls
Delivered: Saturday Mar 26, 2022 at 21:44
Pink rules!!!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Tickled pink on Marmot Creek
Delivered: Saturday Mar 26, 2022 at 15:28
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Tickled pink on Marmot Creek
Delivered: Saturday Mar 26, 2022 at 15:34
Photos 7-12 from my trip report
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Tickled pink on Marmot Creek
Delivered: Sunday Mar 27, 2022 at 21:41
Hi Jeff! I remember you. How are you enjoying Quebec? Thanks for the beta on how to connect between Marmot and Skogan! I'll check it out the next time I'm there. The Little B's and I just came back from another adventure today, but we're too tired and hungry to post a report tonight. It should be up tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a photo of the trailhead, and the name of the route we did is Thor's Folly. Can anyone figure out where we went? Chuck is disqualified because he already knows!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Tickled pink on Marmot Creek
Delivered: Sunday Mar 27, 2022 at 23:09
Sorry Helen, that's not the trailhead. But I'll give you another clue. Thor's Folly can be found in the index of a guidebook, but it's an old guidebook. In fact it predates the main Internet era, which is probably why not even Google can find it!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Tickled pink on Marmot Creek
Delivered: Monday Mar 28, 2022 at 23:24
I'm using Black Diamond kicker skins that I got from MEC about 10 years ago for my 180cm skis. BD still sells them (with some design changes), but it looks like they're out of stock at the moment - https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_CA/product/glidelite-mix-kicker-50mm/. You get them at the width you want, and then cut them to the desired length. I find they stick better if you round the trailing ends and add an extra thin layer of glue for the trailing 5cm or so.
I find they work really well in most conditions (see my Mar 28 report). Because I cut them for my 180cm skis, they're pretty long on the 140cm Little B's and I can climb at a steeper angle than if use them on my 180cm skis. But they have great glide and I like to keep them on for narrow and/or steep descents to better control my speed, or if I'll be climbing again within an hour or so. So I left them on descending upper Marmot Creek because of the steep descent, and Lower Marmot Creek because I was going to head back up to Hummingbird Plume. I then took them off for the descent back to the parking lot. To prevent contaminating the skin glue, I would never use grip wax if I might be using skins later on. For my trip yesterday to O'Brien Lake, I kept them on the entire day. I could have taken them off for the last 2.3 km on the Boom Lake trail, but the trail was icy and the glide was great, so I just left them on.
I've found three problems with the skins: (1) You have to have a feel for how steep you can climb without backsliding. After you backslide a few times, the tails peel off, get covered with snow, and are very difficult to stick back on. You'll have to tape them on until you can dry them. (2) In sticky and/or crusty snow conditions, snow can work its way under the leading edge of the metal plate which lifts it off the ski, causing more snow to pack in. You are now plowing through the snow instead of gliding. The new design has a plastic plate, but I don't know if that fixes the problem. (3) Sticky snow also sticks to the metal plate, but rubbing skin wax on the plate usually stops that from happening. Ditto for snow sticking to the skins.
If you want further info, ask SkierRoger for my email address.
Mike W replied to aqua toque's post: Local eSki Tracks Discovered
Delivered: Friday Mar 25, 2022 at 16:33
I happened to be in that high alpine meadow at the time. NotDeadYet and Aqua Toque are both right. The eSkiers were using a kite-mounted wind-generator to recharge their batteries.
Mike W replied to aqua toque's post: Local eSki Tracks Discovered
Delivered: Friday Mar 25, 2022 at 23:19
I predict an eSkiing Sasquatch sighting on the first day of next month!
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: REDEARTH CREEK- BEYOND BALL PASS CAMPGROUND
Delivered: Friday Feb 25, 2022 at 10:57
Thanks for update, informative and entertaining as always.
Mike W replied to Helen Read's post: Empty-Handed Cookie Lady meets Jeremy, the Telephone Loop groomer skiing CCW
Delivered: Thursday Feb 24, 2022 at 17:09
Hi Helen - I thought it was you that I blasted past as I was going down a steep downhill on the W side, going clockwise. Sorry I was going too fast to stop!
Mike W replied to Helen Read's post: Empty-Handed Cookie Lady meets Jeremy, the Telephone Loop groomer skiing CCW
Delivered: Thursday Feb 24, 2022 at 17:11
PS I was the one who posted yesterday about Telephone grooming. ;-)
Mike W replied to Jean-Francois's post: WBC - Telephone & Southern trails
Delivered: Thursday Feb 24, 2022 at 19:07
Hi JF - Funny you should ask about the sign. In view of the potential demise of Telephone tracksetting, I decided to ski it twice today: CCW, then Moose Loop CCW, then Telephone CW. And I took mental notes on today's differences between CW and CCW:
For advanced skiers, I don't see much difference.
For "novices" I think CW is significantly harder: There are more steep uphills CW vs. CCW. The majority of people go CCW, which means those uphills get "dished out" by all the people who are snowplowing down them. It's much harder to herringbone up a "dished out" hill. I had to sidestep up several of them. Another problem is there are numerous uphills, some of them steep, near the end of the CW direction, which could cause "heartbreak" for novices. In the CCW direction, the last third of the loop has mainly gentle uphills and a long easy downhill at the end.
Finally, going CCW gives you the option to extend your ski by including Moose Loop, Mountain View West, etc. Going CW, you have to overcome the temptation of calling it quits at the parking lot!
Mike W replied to SteveR's post: Telephone!
Delivered: Thursday Feb 24, 2022 at 17:02
The "struggling rut-creating fat bikers who were pushing their bikes CCW just north of Long Distance North" indeed turned around after about 100m. They did a good job of keeping out of the trackset all the way back to the parking lot.
Mike W replied to Chuck's post: CASCADE RIVER - New Tracksetting
Delivered: Friday Feb 04, 2022 at 22:31
Glad to hear Parks is finally doing the single trackset so it's on the right going downhill. Hopefully it will prevent some skiers' confusion into thinking that if they're climbing a single track on the right, they have the right-of-way over a descending skier. The descending skier ALWAYS has right-of-way irrespective of whether a single track is on the left or right!
Open up the "Trail Etiquette" section about halfway down the page
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: BREWSTER CREEK- WELL BEYOND OLD TRAPPERS CABIN- Monday
Delivered: Tuesday Jan 18, 2022 at 19:35
Thanks for the very informative report DAB!
Mike W replied to SkierRoger's post: High Level Trail & Skogan Pass
Delivered: Sunday Dec 12, 2021
Now that the Troll Falls trailhead parking is open again, I think it's the best place to start for Skogan via either Hay Meadows and Ruthies, or the Troll Falls trail that switchbacks directly up to the Skogan Pass trail.
Mike W replied to Kathy Y's post: Wedge Connector
Delivered: Saturday Dec 11, 2021
Hi Kathy - I assume your waxless skis have a patterned grip zone, rather than skins. Whenever I use that type of ski, I always apply liquid glide wax to the entire ski, including the grip zone. For the grip zone, you have to be careful to only apply in tip-to-tail direction so you don't gobs of wax filling up the pattern. Wait for the wax to dry, and then brush it until the base is shiny. Instructions should come with the wax. It should be available at any ski store. You can get a "universal" wax for any temperature, or temperature-specific waxes.
Mike W replied to Kathy Y's post: Wedge Connector
Delivered: Saturday Dec 11, 2021
PS Sticky snow is also a problem with waxed skis!
Mike W replied to brewsdalton's post: Hidden trail- Nakiska traverse
Delivered: Saturday Dec 11, 2021
Or park at the Troll Falls trailhead to avoid crossing the road.
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: WBC Part 2
Delivered: Wednesday Dec 08, 2021
Hi Aqua Toque - Yup, you've busted me as undercover head of eSki development! As for your prototype eSki charging station shelter, I think the photo is actually of eSki charging station megabatteries, for use in locations where it isn't feasible to connect the charging station to the electrical grid. The batteries apparently hold enough charge for an entire winter season.
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: JOHNSTON CREEK CABIN- Friday/ Night ski
Delivered: Saturday Dec 04, 2021
Hi MAAD - Thanks for your detailed report, and glad to see that you're now able to post on SkierRoger!
Mike W replied to DEMOCRATIZE AB's post: JOHNSTON CREEK CABIN- Friday/ Night ski
Delivered: Saturday Dec 04, 2021
Hi aqua toque. I was going to change the salutation from MAAD to MAARD, but thanks for pointing out it should be DAB!
Mike W replied to Chuck's post: UPPER BANKHEAD - Great for Skate skis (or a truck)!
Delivered: Friday Nov 26, 2021
The person I spoke with at Parks this morning said that they're extending their pilot eBike program to include eSkis. Fortis was in to install an eSki charging station. It's a big thing in Europe now, especially for backcountry touring. See the guy on the right in the photo below. Check out the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJWkM531Keg.
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Skogan Pass FKSA
Delivered: Thursday Nov 25, 2021
Per SteveR's comment, the back of the main lodge route won't always work because they've put up fencing there. But yesterday there was an open gate. Bob's route from the NW corner of P4 sounds like the best bet.
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Skogan Pass FKSA
Delivered: Thursday Nov 25, 2021
Re Tanya "For parking, I always choose the furthest parking lot away from the lodge (parking lot 4 or 5), walk further up the road to the maintenance shed, and then pop out right at the bronze chair."
From the N end of the maintenance area it looks like you can go 25m to the east and get onto the Skogan Pass trail without going by the Gold Chair. Then you only have to worry about getting stopped for walking on the maintenance road!
Mike W replied to Mike W's post: Skogan Pass FKSA
Delivered: Saturday Nov 27, 2021
Reply to HenryL "Did you end up paying them for access that day?"
No I didn't. I don't even think they had the "access tickets" available yet.
