Kahler Glen resident Bill Miller gave up some sleep last week to bring us this report from the Snow Grooming Dept.
A few hours after midnight, every winter Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Fred Carani (picture below, from Sunday Jan 15th about 5AM) and William Shepard fire up the state cross-country groomers for a good night’s work. Between them but not always on the same days, they plow all the Lake Wenatchee State Park XC-ski trails, the See and Ski XC Ski trail just East of Midway and Nason Ridge trails.
The PistenBully groomer is a wide tracked vehicle with a plow in front, and tiller, comb and tracker behind, that lays down the track for classic skiers and combs the center area for skate skiers. Its way is lit by spotlights that catch reflective blue diamond signs nailed on tree trunks as guides through the trees and the dark. At times it is only the blue diamond sign that can be seen during a snow storm.
Nason Ridge plowing work takes about four hours and is finished before dawn. The early completion is timed to allow the groomed snow to ‘set-up’ during the coldest hours just before dawn and before being used by skiers. Early in the season, the trail must be packed before it can be groomed. The groomer may also plow ‘extra’ snow into the swales or under trees where the ground is bare.
The grooming crew members are also cross-country skiers and they use the tracks. So when they pull up the tracker as the slope steepens, it is a signal to skiers that challenging terrain lies ahead. We thank them for being so attentive!
From the start of the Nason Ridge trail on Pelton Place in Kahler Glen, a cross-country skier can go out 3 miles to the first intersection or 4 miles to the Butcher Creek gate and this route is called the Lower Nason Ridge XC trail. The Upper Nason Ridge loop is 14+ miles from the first intersection, up and over the summits, and back to the intersection. This requires an elevation gain of another 1000 feet in just two miles. Add the return to Pelton Place and you have a 20+ mile day of variable terrain and spectacular views.
Now that the XC season is underway it is clear that the work done this fall by the 27 volunteer brush cutters was very beneficial, as the trail is wider in many places and interference from overhanging vine maple branches is now at a minimum. For those who that don’t like the steep hill at the start of the Nason Ridge trail, the trail can be accessed from the Pelton Place road which is just a 200 yard walk up Miracle Mile from the trail cross-over. This route is easier and safer, especially when returning.
A note those who use the trails: If someone is afoot on the groomed trail, with or without snow shoes, please advise them that pedestrian use ruins the trails for the classic or skate skiers for whom the grooming is intended. Walkers should be off-trail, or on a trail designated for their use.
With all the recent snow fall the tracks are in excellent shape. Time for you and your family to get out to the XC trails and enjoy these beautiful trails.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
” note those who use the trails: If someone is afoot on the groomed trail, with or without snow shoes, please advise them that pedestrian use ruins the trails for the classic or skate skiers for whom the grooming is intended. Walkers should be off-trail, or on a trail designated for their use.”
This is news to me. Snowshoers are required to pay the same amount in parking fees to use the snow parks as anyone else. Those monies go to groom the trails so why can’t they use them?
Hardly sounds fair if they are going help pay for the grooming but not get to use the trails.
Mike.
Michael
I understand the walking with or without shoes damages the trail. I think its wrong to charge snowshoers for the special grooming permit if they dont get to use those trails.
Hi Mike. I know that the south unit of the state park has had snowshoe trails in recent years. Why not just use those?
Nancy
The snow park fee’s pay for more then just grooming, they pay for plowing the parking lots and access road, marking the snow shoe trails, trash, restrooms etc.
We are working on building online winter guides for XC Skiing, Snowshoeing and Snowmobiling for the site, if you would like to help get the word out drop an email to admin@lakewenatcheeinfo.com
I would like to see more snow shoe trails designated, if you are interested in helping out let us know. Rock Ridge trail at See and Ski was volunteer contributed last year.
Thanks For the Info.
I don’t understand why someone snow shoeing would want to use a groomed trail? Groomed trails are much easier to ski or even walk on than to snow shoe on. When I get out my snow shoes it’s because conditions don’t allow me to ski or walk. Isn’t that why you put the shoes on? I can’t figure out why anyone intentionally walks with these things on unless they are needed. Snow shoes are great when terrain is too hilly or brush covered or even when it’s too crusty to be safe for skiing. They are not great for walking on groomed trails and messing them up for skiers.
Flying Squirrel trail “GROOMED” BY SNOWMOBILES
Since we are talking about grooming…This Monday I did the whole Flying Squire Loop and was put back by the number of snowmobile tracks I had to negotiate. The whole ridge top and for about a mile down the backside was all tracked up (wrecked). Luckily, the day was warm and the tracks hadn’t set up hard yet. I only crashed a couple of times because of them. Once the snowmobile tracks stopped I had a lot of fun skiing the fresh (heavy) powder again. No skier had been on the backside of the ridge for days so it was all pristine.
There were several signs showing that snowmobiles were prohibited and that this tiny area was reserved for skiers. I wonder if snowmobilers have any idea how difficult it is to ski icy, uneven tracks on skinny, lightweight ski’s? Do they know that on the downhills they make it almost impossible to slow down? I don’t have anything against the idea of snowmobiles in the backcountry – except when I’m stuck skiing with them or on their tracks. It takes alot of the fun out of it – and it adds an element of danger to it.
Too be honest I don’t really snowshoe or Ski. I snowmobile…mainly on the groomed trails or on forest land where it’s not designated one way or the other. I do not know of this flying squirrel run you speak of but it must be another special ski trail that is only for skiers.
Speaking of danger I would like to see the snowmobile trails off limits to all those skiers. such a hazard even if only going a slow speed. Icy conditions can be difficult to steer and one day someone will clip a skier.
As for my comments about snowshoing on groomed trails I simply think it’s wrong to charge extra for an annual park pass that is called a “special grooming” sticker when they are not allowed to use those groomed trails…since the snowshoe trails are not maintained by groomers why should they have to pay anything outside a regular pass.
When this article was posted it was news to me about the severe separation of ski trails and snowshoe trails, I had always thought the special trails done by the state park groomer was ok for snowshoeing since they were paying for it (the grooming).
PS where is the flying squirrel? is it groomed by the state park? is it common forest land?
Mike
Chiwawa Loop In every huge snowmobile area they usually pick out one tiny section and mark it “cross country skiing only” This is one of those areas. They have trail markers that are different from the snowmobile trail markers, and they have signs up prohibiting snowmobile use. Up at Blewett Pass they have one trail that they mark as cross country use only.
You must log in to post a comment.