On the Hillside, the Lighted Loops, Spencer and Gasline have been track packed with about 1″ of solid base and pretty good coverage.
Kincaid has about 2″ on the trails, which is too little to make any difference, so the Groomers will stay off and wait for more snow.
Head on out today and enjoy the trails!
There’s skiing at beach lake! Bill has been on the trails and says they are rough but almost fully covered on the bridge, mamas, Main Street, low road, corral, junkyard, Sprint and the chalet loop. all those trails have been packed. Time to get the skis on!
What a beautiful start to the winter season! This new snow has some great body with just enough moisture to bond to the trails and not blow away or scrape off. There could even be standing water in the low spots, so approach with caution.
The Groomers are poised and ready to start developing the base layer tonight depending on if the temperatures cool off enough. The plan is to focus on track packing the Hillside as the trails there received the most snow. Out in Chugiak, Bill is also intending to head out this evening when the temperatures drop enough.
In the meantime, take your rock skis and do your part to help lay the foundation of what could be the best ski season we’ve had in a while.
Please remember that this new snow means that the trails are now “skiing only” and to refrain from walking, running or biking on the trails. No dogs or horses either. Foot traffic and tire tracks can leave lasting impressions that can create meddling grooming obstacles. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.
Enjoy the snow!
Since the beginning of June, Craig and Bill have been at the park tending to some maintenance issues in order to return parts of the Margaux’s Lighted back to a Type I level ski trail.*
This work involves a 6 step process:
Most trails that have eroded and deteriorated simply need their cross-section restored. Some trails may need minor changes to their alignment for both safety and economy of maintenance. To maintain user-friendly trails, NSAA must seek to control the erosion of the trail surfaces and back slopes and reintroduce vegetation to add stability to the soils and enhance the natural environment. A well-maintained trail is vital to its continued use and enjoyment. NSAA works diligently to maintain and improve trails so that they will be safe and enjoyable for all types of trail users on a year-round basis.
NSAA has in place a Maintenance Plan for Soft Surface Trails which calls for restoring these soft surface trails on an ongoing basis and cycles each trail on a 10-15 year plan, as needed.
* Type 1: Level One Ski Trail – This is a high volume trail which accommodates most ranges of user abilities.Alignment should provide good sight distance and gentle turns to accommodate novice users. Profile of trail should not include grades steeper than 10% and avoid abrupt transitions. The typical width is 20’. The surface should be smooth, have a flat cross-section and incorporate natural soil stabilizers so as to be durable against heavy non-winter use. (Example: Mize Loop at Kincaid)
You should see some significant improvements to these trails so head on out to Kincaid Park and check on their progress. Pretty soon, Craig and Bill will be ready to move to the Dark Trails, working on Easy St. and the S Turns from World Cup to the bridge. We hope that this information helps you understand why we do what we do in the summertime. Enjoy the trails!!