No comments posted yet.
Add a comment
Print report
Hay Meadows, Troll Falls, Skogan Screamer
Report Submitted by Bob Truman
(trip) Date: Monday Dec 20, 2021
Submitted: Monday Dec 20, 2021 at 21:04
Discussion:
The Nordic Pulse live grooming report indicates that Skogan Pass, Sunburst, High Level, Hummingbird Plume, and Hay Meadows are being groomed this evening. I skied some of those trails today and was grateful for the fresh snow on top of last week's grooming as it helped slow me down!
When I set out today, I was planning a ski to Troll Falls via Hay Meadows and a possible jaunt up the Skogan Screamer if it looked safe.
The temperature was -14 at the Troll Falls trailhead(formerly Stoney trailhead) and the sun was shining. It was my first look at the newly configured parking lot. The Hay Meadows trail is now adjacent to the expanded parking lot.
Hay Meadows had been heavily walked on over the weekend but surprisingly, the hikers stayed out of the tracks. The tracksetting was in good shape except for the open area along the river, about 200 metres, which didn't look like it was ever trackset.
The trail to Troll Falls is never groomed but is well-packed by walkers. It's about 300 metres to the falls from the Ruthie's/Troll Falls/Hay Meadows junction.
The frozen waterfall is quite the wondrous sight. A couple years ago, fences were installed to keep the hordes at bay. Despite large signs saying "Don't go Beyond this Barrier," people were climbing over the fence and proceeding to stand next to the waterfall for photos.
To reach the Screamer I needed to make the ultra-steep climb on Ruthie's which was no problem on the cold snow with my green wax.
The Screamer had about 1 cm of new snow over the recent grooming and it looked inviting. It's a steep trail and there is no tracksetting. It's 1.1K with an elevation gain of 110 metres. I didn't encounter any rocks or other hazards, so I knew it would be safe to have a fast descent. When I reached the top of the Screamer it seemed to be a lot warmer(temperature inversion or hard work?) so I proceeded up Skogan Pass for a bit.
The fresh snow on the trail made for a safe and controllable descent. I took Lower Skogan back to the parking lot and it was in fine shape as well.
I drove up to the village and skied the Terrace Loop on very good conditions.
 Skogan Pass at the Marmot junction
 Skogan Pass
 Hay Meadows is used by walkers but still had decent tracks
 Troll Falls
 The Screamer downhill is a lot of fun with lots of twists and turns
 This section of the Hay Meadows trail should be in nice shape after tonight's grooming
|
