SnoFest is this weekend and just like SnoDeo it is the same weekend each year.  We are on the schedule with the big four each year and it takes an act of the powers to be to change it.  Cat and Ski Doo got into town last night and I saw Yamaha come in today.  Polaris is on it’s way in from Vegas.  Here’s todays video and more toys to come……………

Hope you’re having a great weekend and some fun to go with it.  Here’s todays video……

Those that did make the trip north this weekend are having fun!  No the roads aren’t covered and you may not be able to go on all the trails you wanted to.  But they are getting in that one last ride and won’t be kicking them selves that they didn’t come.  Here’s todays video…………….

Thank goodness I am able to write things in as I am always forgetting to say something in the videos.  Don’t plan on any road riding as the roads are toast.  I did the snow bank bounce last night to get in and out from the motel.    But the trails sure made up for it last night.  Here’s todays video……….

Something that I forgot to put in the video.  If you are thinking about getting in that one last ride you will need to get it in pretty fast unless we get some snow here and there.  Because what will happen after many days of freeze and thaws the trails will turn in to super hard pack and ice and there won’t be anything to keep the slide rails cool.  Here’s todays video…….

OK Boys and Girls it’s a new day and a new report.  It has been covered enough that the trails didn’t get groomed this past weekend and that many people feel the roads don’t need to be plowed as much as they are.  I will personally pass the word on to the powers to be.  With that said let’s get get back to the matter at hand and the purpose of this blog…..the trails…..not to itch.  (Not a typo….little eyes may be watching)  Went out last night and put on 65 miles.  Most trails I found to be in good shape with some fairs and one poor.  When we got to Beaver River I’m thinking to myself these guys are going to kill me for taking them on that trail. (not the tracks) When we got there they said that wasn’t to bad.  I’m like what??????  That one trail was poor plus and they said we have seen it worse.  But then it’s all in the beholders eye…..go figure.  Here’s todays video…….

I have been riding Old Forge for over 30 years and have lived here for over 20.  There are times when things just don’t come together and this weekend was one of them.  Trust me on this one.  If the groomers could of bin out and productive they would of bin out.  I don’t like having to listen to people complain about the trail conditions and trust me the Town officals like it even less.  As I know first hand that the suppervisor has gotten many calls today about it.  There are so many things to think about when you step back and look at the big picture.  I am going to point out a few things from todays blog.  Please don’t feel that I am pointing fingers…..just think about the big picture. 

“Sat. night at the tail end of the storm my girlfriend pulled into town. I picked her up at 7PM downtown as her car can’t make it up to the house I stay in on Joy Tract Road 1/2 mile up going towards McCauley.”   Now I don’t know if this means the car couldn’t make it up the road or in the driveway.  Either way the road conditions from the wet snow we got was not pretty to drive on.  The snow was so wet that it turned to wet like ice as soon as you drove over it.  Another person wrote in about the road in Qkara Lakes that it was in good shape.  The first question I would have was it the section that is paved or the dirt road part.  As that makes a big difference in how long the base stays on the road.  The second question I would have to ask yourself is how many sleds do you think go that way now that trail 6 has been rerouted.  The reason I ask this is that road doesn’t have thousands of carbide tipped ice picks chewing it up.  There are many things that change the conditions of the roads and trails all the time and this weekends very wet snow was one of them.

Ok enough of the going back and forth and pointing fingers.  It’s not going to help anything besides get people upset.  Trust me on Old Forge does want poeple to come and ride.  But there are times when things aren’t the best and it’s beyond all of our control.  I answered a few more of the questions in the video and I can tell you the groomers are out tonight.  It’s good enough for me that I am headed out of here very soon to go riding myself.  Big Moose Station here I come! 

Sorry this is so late.  Ran out of hours today.  We did get 6 to 12 inches of heavy wet snow yesterday (Sat).  But not everyone got the same amount.  It was also very hard to tell how much we did get as it was melting as fast as we got it unless it was landing on frozen hard pack.  Cars, roads and things like that it didn’t build up much at all or melted as fast as it came down as temps held right at or just above freezing.  It’s that time of the year when the roads break up fast and we have been very lucky for the little amout of snow we did have this winter that the roads held up as well as they did.  It just goes to show how much the temp has an effect on the trail and road conditions.  Just like now we have all this new snow on the trails but it is to wet to groom it and it just balls up in front of the drag.  So pray for some cold temps that the groomers can get back out there.  Here’s todays video…..

Just got back in from a ride……seen it better and have seen it worse.  There is lots of snow out there as we have had a band of snow over us this afternoon and some areas have gotten a foot of new snow.  Now we just need the temps to drop so we can get all this new snow frozen down and turned into base.   With all of this new wet snow the trails are soft. Here’s todays video……………..

Well the storm didn’t turn out to be as big as they thought it was going to be for us.  But it’s not off of the coast yet so maybe we will get something more from it yet.  Traffic has been light today.  I think the thought of having to travel in the storm kept some people at home this weekend.  One group did come up last night and they said it was the longest trip they ever had to Old Forge.  Here’s todays video………..