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2023-02-28 at 22:33 - comment by Diana Piggott

That is great news, thank you!
Also I love your grouse picture :-)

My first time up that trail (I was alone), I took the "short-cut" down out of curiosity. That was an adventure not to be repeated!






2023-02-28 at 22:04 - comment by DEMOCRATIZE AB

Hi Chuck,

Regarding the nice wide Brewster Creek trail:

I would vote for the Sundance Lodge operators as having the best improved groomed trails this year.

They have taken my advice and widened the trails up greatly. The Alpine Club of Canada Shadow Lake Cabin operation has a lot to learn from these folks on how to make nice wide trails which allow for easier skiing down hills along with iron leg skate skiing.

Wider trails are also important in low snow years like this year. It allows for skiers to ski around thin areas that get scraped off by skiers. This can extend the ski season on such trails.

Less experienced skiers have a better skiing experience on wider trails as well. There is more room on the hills to snowplow or pick lines and wide runs are less intimating than narrow trails for those that can't ski as well. The wider the trail on hills, the faster one can ski in daylight or at night.

I spent a lot of time snapping off branches overhanging the trackset trail yesterday as I did not want to get wacked by branches on my night ski out to diffused moonlight. This cut into my trail breaking time to Sundance Warden Cabin.

We need some serious guerilla trail maintainers to do some serious brush removal on most of the ski trails in Banff as the Government does not appear interested in keeping these legacy trails in good condition.

The shortcut horse/ backpacking trail is a hard working fun trail for advanced skiers when it is in perfect condition. Some people use it as a loop route. It is only suitable for climbing up rather than skiing down. All sorts of experienced skiers take the route when it is in great condition. However, as it is another abused Parks Canada trail in a long list of such trails, it takes a lot of skier sidestep grooming work to make it suitable for skiing up so one does not hit rocks.





2023-02-28 at 20:17 - comment by Chuck

Track skis are the best choice, assuming you are happy to stay on trail!
Please ignore Mike's useless report on behalf of his pink metal edged skis, which does nothing to help users of this website get useful ski planning information.





2023-02-28 at 19:52 - comment by ulrikeski

Hi Chuck: how were the downhills with the track skis, fine? or do you recommend LT skis with metal edges?
Cheers





2023-02-28 at 17:43 - comment by Little Bs

Chuck, re your photo caption "Only Mr. Democracy could be responsible for taking this shortcut...": We LOVE this shortcut! Hurray for DAB for packing it down. FYI, the torn-off portion of the sign under the pink horizontal stripe said "Highly Recommended for Pink Skis!"





BREWSTER CREEK to SUNDANCE LODGE - Trackset

Report Submitted by Chuck
(trip) Date: Tuesday Feb 28, 2023

Submitted: Tuesday Feb 28, 2023 at 17:00

Discussion:

Having seen this trackset option yesterday during my ski from Banff via Sundance to Healy Creek, I was keen to use the new tracksetting up to Sundance Lodge today.
Nice to have a new option for trackset skiing... Enjoy!

The only annoying part is right at the departure from the Sunshine Road, due to gravel thrown from the road

Only Mr. Democracy could be responsible for taking this shortcut... Not Rocommended!

Brewster Creek trail has been widened and is in Good condition (though overhanging branches need pruning back).

At least I had some company... this Ruffed Grouse!

Arriving at Sundance Lodge

A comfortable patio for my lunch!


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