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Trekking through lots of powder!
Wondering what the weather is like? Check out current weather conditions in the Kane Valley here.
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Ang and her son have some fun playing in the snow!
Thinking of coming to XC tomorrow February 27th.
Any updates on what the trails are like? It will be our first time there and we are excited 🙂
Greetings skiers. Here is your trail report for February 24, 2022.
I spent the past two days in the Kane Valley, my first visit to the trails since February 7. Yesterday (Wednesday), I enjoyed a pleasant ski from P2 on Kane, Aspen, Sundown and Lower Ravine. The snow was pretty good and the temperature just right.
Sometime in the last week or so, some thoughtless individual drove their vehicle about 800 metres along Kane from P2, creating a colossal mess of muck and ruts. Fortunately, they were able to reverse their way back out, and avoid making an even bigger mess trying to turn around.
Today (Thursday), Gary Ware and I took advantage of some glorious weather to undertake some grooming and repair of trails. We started with the aforementioned section of Kane that was wrecked by a vehicle. Several passes rendered the trail skiable again, although not perfect. We then did the rest of Kane out and back, both Matthew’s Loops, all of Hill’s Homestead for the first time in a month, Skyhigh, Lower Ravine, Sundown, Aspen right out to P6, Porter and Porter Bypass. After lunch, we crossed the road and did Vale to Teiffel’s Landing, Gulch, all of Harmon out and back, Raven’s Ridge, Chute and Menzies. Very little track was set, leaving it easy for skiers to snowplow (pizza) and herringbone whenever needed as the trails will be a bit faster now.
Looking at the weather forecast for the next seven days, I would highly recommend that skiers get to the Kane Valley sooner rather than later. Friday and Saturday, it’s supposed to be sunny and perfect temperatures. Sunday and Monday may bring more welcome snow if you like powder. Later in the week could get quite mild, and some day time melting and overnight freezing could occur.
In closing, if you’ve been wanting to tackle Hill’s Homestead and Harmon, this is a good time to do it. Both are groomed out, making it easier (not easy) to climb and descend. Give it a try.
Happy trails!
Parked at P1 at 12:10 and put skis on expecting to pick my way through debris and ice just to get out in the sunshine. What a surprise to find the 3 to 4cm of snow covered most of the debris, and softened the trail except for a few shady spots that needed a bit of caution. Menzies, and Gulch were very pleasant to ski. The bypass on Gulch is getting a lot of use. A handsaw would clear one bush quite nicely. Ravens was soft and easy to slow down on. The base is holding really well considering the temp today was 0, Don’t give up on winter yet. The words “variable conditions” were suggested, for very nice ski today. jh
Found one red dog paw boot. Left it at the trail head P1.
Parked at P3 at 1:15 today and went up Vale, Asp, Ravens, then down Gulch. I had skins on going up so it was easy. The trails are very soft. In really shady spots the snow is a bit firmer, but not hard ice. Soft as the snow was the hill at the far end of Gultch was worrysome, so I broke trail through the bypass to avoid it, The deep untouched snow is very heavy. Sunshine and +8 temperature felt like spring. Got back to the car at 2;45. I felt no shame in taking the skis off for part of the last hill down to the parking lot. There was no snow sticking to the skis today.
Greetings Skiers: Here is your trail report for February 7, 2022.
Thirty centimetres of fresh snow overnight and -5 degree temperatures made for perfect ski conditions in the Kane Valley today…………….okay, just kidding! It was more like +10 degrees at 1 p.m., and the snow was melting fast, although a strong, cool wind in some places helped to slow the thawing down.
I strapped on the planks at P2 and skied Kane to P5 and back. It was slow going, but just nice to be outside. The snow wasn’t overly sticky, but the winds have blown a lot of debris onto the trails. It tends to accumulate in the set tracks. One has to ski quite defensively, and be ready should one or both skis catch a pine cone, a twig, a tuft of young man’s beard/witch’s hair (lichen) or a chunk of bark.
Back at P2 and the Kane trailhead, I discovered a pair of (possibly) prescription glasses that someone had dropped/lost. Blue frames. If anyone reading this post knows who they belong to, give me a call at 250-378-2345.
I also put up four new map boxes today – at P1 (below the road), at P3 (below the road), at P4 (above the road) and at P6 (at the beginning of the Aspen trail). Feel free to take a trails map/brochure if you need one. They are also available in Merritt at Breathe Bikes on Quilchena Ave.
The forecast is calling for continued mild daytime temperatures and little to no precipitation in the form of snow. Skiing conditions for the next while will be modest at best. Cross your fingers and hope for a cooler second half of February and some more of the white stuff.
Happy trails.
A group of 7 skiers not painters enjoyed a beautiful ski yesterday morning the 3rd , taking Ian’s advice doing Ravens Ridge ! 3 continued to Gulch while the rest of us swooped down Vale enjoying the fresh light snow Thanks again to all the groomers and the terrific variety of trail options
Greetings Skiers. Here is your trail report for February 3, 2022.
It was another beautiful day up in the Kane Valley, with temperatures reaching +4 degrees early in the afternoon. According to Ken Conway-Brown, probably the best time to ski right now is early in the morning (before 10 a.m.) as the snow gets quite sticky as the weather gets warmer.
Ken began his ski today from P6 and went all the way up Harmon to the junction with North (a.k.a. The North Pole) and back down again. He said the going was good for the most part, but he began to get snow clogging on his skis during the descent. He had to stop, clean off his bases and rewax. Ken also skied the start of Aspen from P6, which is new and follows the same trail that is used by the Horse Council of B.C. in the summer months. We have complementary signage. Again, the snow was sticking to his skis, so he called it a day.
With no additional snow forecast for the next several days, and daytime temperatures consistently expected to go above zero, we’ve decided to leave the trails as they are right now, with some groomed, some tracked, and others still relatively untouched recently. That provides a nice mix for skiers, who can pick their pleasure/poison!
Have a great weekend, everyone, and happy trails! Remember, the early bird gets the worm!
Had a great ski this afternoon! Truly the snow IS perfect, followed the groomed trails around Gulch to lunchbox. Take a mental health day, cancel your “to do” list (or at least postpone it) and come ski while the snow and weather is perfect!
Thank you to Ian and his posse of groomers:) for making it so much fun to explore the wilderness in Kane Valley on skis.
Took Ian’s advise and skied Ravens today. The snow is perfect. The two big dogs I met were very polite and friendly as was their owner. Road is good. Weather is fine. jh
Greetings Skiers: Here is your trail report for February 1, 2022.
Thanks, Don, for your comment below. Yes, the new policy of allowing dogs on all trails north of/above the Kane Valley Road is proving to be a huge success. With so many trails to choose from, concerns over congestion or confrontation are almost non-existent.
It was a beautiful ski day in the Kane Valley today, and there were many skiers taking advantage of it, with cars parked at P1, P2, P3 and P5. Cooler temperatures kept the fresh snow from Sunday and Monday light and powdery. Additional snow fell a couple of times during the day, in stark contrast to what was happening (or not happening you might say) in the Nicola Valley below.
Gary Ware and I were out for three hours grooming the more-popular, easier trails, and laying down some beautiful tracks on the gentler sections. For those who like track skiing, give Kane, Matthew’s Loops, Ravens Ridge and Gulch a try in the next day or so. Other trails that we at least groomed were Menzies, Asp, Crossover and Chute.
As mentioned in my final post in January, we are purposely leaving some of the other trails ungroomed for a few days after the snowfall, so that skiers can enjoy a bit more of a back-country experience. It’s so much fun to ski in powder, and venture where it seems no one has been before (but, spoiler alert, someone has).
Speaking of powder, don’t be fooled into thinking there is a paucity (lack of) snow in the Kane Valley. During our grooming session today on Asp, Gary briefly stepped away from his machine and off the packed trail. He sunk into the snow up to his waist!
Tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday will be good days to get out and ski the Kane Valley if you can slip away from your work and/or commitments. The temperature is going to remain a little on the cool side, and there is even the possibility of a few more flurries. By Friday, another warming trend is moving in, with above-zero daytime temperatures.
Finally, the Winter Olympics begin this week. Try and catch some of the Nordic skiing, whether it be classic or freestyle (skate).
Happy trails!
I couldn’t agree with you more Don! Heading out today with the dog and baby, hopefully the fresh powder is a good cushion!
Love the new dog terrain