Trail Conditions

Two things to report

1. Thanks to John Kann (Rice Lake) for his enthusiasm and hard work laying out and clearing a snowshoe trail as part of the Blue Hills Trail system. The trail starts just behind the warming house, and heads north through the tall pines. It then loops to the east before returning to the warming house via a different route. The trail is well marked. Once you've used this trail, feedback is welcome.
2. It looks like a brown Christmas in Ladysmith. However, despite the warm weather and rain during the past week, there is still enough snow in the Hills to provide a semblance of cross country skiing. 1/2" of granular snow sits on top of the base; the base is thin but adequate; and where groomed on December 5th, the base is quite solid. Skate skiing was OK on the grassy trails today, and actually quite good on the gravel road (1-22-33-21-29). Based on my experience today, I think most of the trail system can be skied if you use rock skis, and exercise extra care on downhills. I'd avoid the back loops on the Eastside until we have more snow. If in doubt on downhills, remove your skis and walk down the side of the trail. Check out the photos to get a better idea of current conditions.