The weather cooled off a wee bit and Joe was able to do the Tally Ho today and drop off the track setter at the base of the Connector to machine groom & cut lots more trees all the way up to the Lake!!! The Connector is NOT ready yet by any means—needs many more passes with just the sled, then at least a few with the groomer to get it some what safe and skiable. when Joe stepped off his sled to cut trees–he was down to his armpits! AND— he did track set all of the Emerald Trails— Could be the BEST skee of your winter!!!!! Also—Avalanche control tells us–This is the last time we can track set underneath the AVI path—gotta work that trail on the ice(as we usually do)—away form most of the avalanche dangers–! We will still use the picnic area(not the usual drop down by the boathouse) to start our new trail and veer RIGHT towards the bridge, the point cabin and swing around to get up the Horse Trail. Skee ya later eh….. MT BB & Joe the Hipi
Please read this email from 2 of our newest volunteer snow shoers…Kathy and Rob Taerum who totally outdid themselves! Thank you Kathy and Rob
Happy New Year to all of you. The snow is wonderful, but the temperature was a little mild today turning the fluffy snow into heavy stuff.
Last weekend Dec 26–we snowshoed the Emerald Connector, from the Em. Lk.parking lot to the bench and bridge over the Emerald River (where the large culvert goes under the road.) That northmost section of the Connector is in good shape, divots and bridge approaches are filled with snow. That portion is ready for track setting (one tree down near the parking lot).
Last Sunday, we also packed the snow, south of the Emerald River crossing, as far as the 5K mark. We didn’t however fill divots with snow.
On Jan. 1 we snowshoed the Connector from the other end (from the junction of the Re-Connector on the Tally Ho) and continued until we met up with the tracks from last Sunday, about 5K from Emerald Lake.
Today we covered most of the same stretch as yesterday (within a few hundred metres south of the signed avalanche slope), stopping to shovel snow to level out the divots along the way.
Note: There are several trees down on the Re-connector. A superhero with a chainsaw would be appreciated.
If conditions are good for snowshoeing, we’d like to finish trimming the section of trail from the Emerald River bridge and bench to the 5K mark. This would complete the entire connector/re-connector.
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If the temperature is too warm, we will instead put on our skis and try out the portion of the Connector from Em. Lk. parking lot to the bench.
Thanks again for lending us the equipment to snowshoe the trails.
Kathy and Rob
Today Jan. 3–Rob and I parked at the Natural Bridge and we snowshoed one last time from the beginning of the Re-Connector to the bench on the north side of the Emerald River bridge. We set up the bench and enjoyed a snack there. Then we walked back, filling in the obvious divots on the way.
Rob estimates that there are 6 fallen trees requiring a chainsaw to clear the trail. Other than the downed trees, the entire Re-Connector/Connector should be in good shape and safe for the snowmobile to negotiate.
Four brave souls skied the entire route last weekend. Yesterday two skiers followed the trail. Today, four more skiers traveled both ways on the Emerald Connector.
The big wooden snowshoes are drying out. We’ll make arrangements to get the equipment back to Marilyn and Bruce.
Kathy and Rob
