Ski Trail Conditions...
Monday January 23, 2012 01:17:02 PM
Nearly all trails were groomed on Friday (20 Jan) afternoon and evening. Exceptions are Hobbit and Zippideedoda (from Howe's This to Powerline). There is very little snow in the woods, so those were rolled (no tracks set), while in most fields there was enough snow to lay tracks. Everywhere, there are occasional grass or frozen dirt clods poking up through the snow. Old skis are recommended. Overall, skiing is Fair to Good. (GMT)
Sunday January 15, 2012 06:47:07 PM
Today, January 15th. was a beautiful day. A bit chilly I will admit after such a warm winter thus far. Anyway, the trails I skied today, starting around the parking area across from the fire station, were skiable. I would advise people who are not 100% confident in their downhilling to go slower then usual, or even take the skis off where it's really steep. There is not a lot of snow cover, so the occasional blopp of dirt causes an abrupt deceleration. Also, there are places where the frost is coming up through the snow and causing the ground to mound up to an uneven surface which makes for tricky skiing. Also, if you fall, there is not really anything to cushion the frozen ground. So, have fun and enjoy what we have, but be especially careful until we get some more snow. If we get another snow storm, we will try to get out with at least the roller. Best wishes, Andrea Ambros
Friday May 13, 2011 08:20:15 PM
Sigh... Winter - as spectacular as it was - has finally come to an end. All Hartland Winter Trails are closed until it snows again next fall. Please respect the landowners' privacy, and, unless you have the owner's permission, don't use the trails. All of us at HWT look forward to seeing you on the trails next winter.
Friday March 18, 2011 10:38:29 PM
I'm melting! I'm melting! No, not the Wicked Witch of the West; that’s the sound of melting snowflakes. Oh, so sad. I finished grooming all of the trails earlier this evening. In most places, the trail and tracks are great. There should be some wonderful spring skiing this weekend. Take advantage of it, and help spread the word. This is likely the last time this winter the big machine will be out. While in most places there is still plenty of snowpack, there are enough trouble places that it probably won’t be possible to take it around again next weekend. Isolated areas are melted off or getting thin, brooks of meltwater in fields have cleared channels, and there’s serious ponding in the low areas of fields. It should be awesome purple klister conditions this weekend, so have fun. (GT)
Wednesday March 9, 2011 12:53:41 AM
Spring conditions were here. Everything was groomed on Tuesday with the tiller. Out of the hard snow and crust, new tracks were cut. Frozen, they'll be hard and fast. Thawed, they will be loose granular. The sun is getting higher in the sky, so places that get sunshine thaw out quickly. (GT)
Tuesday March 1, 2011 08:52:25 PM
All trails between the trail head at Three Corners fire station and Merritt Road, including: Bischoff Woods, Dachshund Run, Sand Pit, Flower Farm, Hobbit Path, Hoisington Farm, Beech, Bunny's, Lower Cutoff, and Jess's Trail were groomed this afternoon. Since grooming last Saturday, about 5 inches of powder fell Saturday evening, followed by about an inch of sleet and a little freezing rain on Monday. In most places, the tracks are in fine condition. Where the crust was still hard this afternoon, there are coarse pieces of crust mixed with the granular, leaving the tracks a little rough. Even these crunchier tracks are very skiable. The trails that were not groomed today are in poor condition. Everywhere, the skiing will be fast - klister, for those of us who wax. If the weather on the weekend looks good enough for skiing and snowshoeing, we'll likely groom some or all of the trails in time for your use. (GT)
Saturday February 26, 2011 09:23:39 PM
About a foot of fresh, fluffy powder fell Friday. All trails were groomed today, and are in great condition! Take advantage of it before the predicted rain shows up on Monday. (GT)
Saturday February 26, 2011 06:23:10 AM
A foot of fresh powder fell on the trails on Friday. The groomers will be grooming all trails starting this (Saturday) morning. The trails nearest Three Corners and the main trail head will be groomed first, followed by the more distant trails, eventually reaching Cobb Hill Co-housing near Four Corners. It should be a great weekend for skiing and snowshoeing! (GT)
Wednesday February 9, 2011 10:02:51 PM
Everything was freshly groomed this afternoon, thanks to help from drivers Marshall and Toni. At lower elevations, you will find some crunchy crusty pieces - left over from Saturday evening's rain - mixed with powder. The crust is well broken into small pieces and mixed with powder, and not at all a hinderance. There is more powder and less crust at higher elevations. Tracks will firm up over night and be in great shape Thursday morning. Enjoy! (GT)
Sunday February 6, 2011 01:16:20 PM
About an inch of fresh snow fell Saturday evening, followed by sleet, freezing rain, and rain. The trails which were used for the Tiki Torch Trek are packed solid, and will be icy when it refreezes. The other trails are crunchy and fast. Daytime temperatures are going to be at or above freezing until about Tuesday, when fresh snow is forecast. We plan to re-groom the trails late Tuesday or sometime Wednesday. That will make the best use of time and fuel for the groomer, and will leave the best surface for skiing. Happy Trails.
Saturday January 29, 2011 12:34:31 AM
What a week it has been! The Pisten Bully stalled while grooming last Friday evening. Couldn't get it restarted, and very cold weather set in over the weekend, making it impossible to start until the weather warmed on Wednesday. After getting it started there was an unexpected problem in the drive controls. That problem was finally corrected on Thursday. Trails which had not been groomed a week ago were groomed today (28 January). The tiller did a super job of loosening up that hard-packed snow and the track pans laid down beautiful, new double tracks. Newly-groomed tracks will be very firm by Saturday morning. Trails groomed a week ago are still in very good condition, owing to the firm snow. There was an inch or so new snow during the week, which in some fields, partially filled the old tracks. Drifted areas are very limited, and should pose no problem to skiers. Snowshoers are finding enough room to walk down the center - between the double tracks. Older tracks may be refreshed on Sunday, but no promises. I hope to see you out there on the trails. (GT)
Thursday January 20, 2011 10:58:09 AM
Tuesday evening brought about 5.5 inches of fresh powder topped by a thin crust from brief freezing rain. All trails were groomed with double tracks on Wednesday afternoon and evening with the new Pisten Bully and tiller. Trails that were groomed in the early to mid afternoon are probably bullet-proof (very hard and fast). The underlying powder was damp when it got tilled and packed, then froze. Trails at the higher elevations and those groomed later in the evening are hard-packed powder. A brief snow shower in the early evening left a fresh, thin layer in the tracks. For those of you still using waxable skis may want to consider klister covered with a hard kick wax, as the tracks are fairly abrasive. Beware of the bottom corner on Deer Haven. It's a bit of a mess; it's too sharp for the groomer to get around smoothly - Sorry!
Saturday January 15, 2011 04:11:34 PM
Saturday January 15th 4 p.m. Just came back from snowshoeing and conditions on the trails are absolutely perfect for both skiiers and snowshoers! The 'new' Piston Bully and groomers 'in training' did an excellent job after the most recent storm--many thanks to all the volunteers who maintain our local trails. And the new trail signs are truly fantastic--the color, size and symbols make them very easy to read. What great improvements there are this season!!
Thursday January 13, 2011 08:28:35 PM
It's great skiing out there on the trails. The grooming crew, Gary, Toni and Dick have laid down some fantastic tracks. Get out and enjoy, who knows what next week will bring (we hope more snow). Let us know how you like the new trail intersection signs. The signs were created by Theo Ambros with the help of Vermont Hand Carved Signs right here in Hartland. Saturday night ski, this coming Saturday night-meet at the parking area at 7pm. for 1-2hrs. of headlamp skiing. Call 436-2472 if you need more information.
Wednesday January 12, 2011 11:36:12 PM
What a great storm! Many trails were rolled, leaving a very nice corduroy surface. The rest of the trails - those nearest to Three Corners - will be rolled Thursday morning. Coverage under the conifers is very good. We'll probably start setting single tracks for classical sometime later in the day. Conditions are going to be fabulous! Hope to see you out there on the trails. (GT)
Sunday January 9, 2011 07:03:37 PM
It's rather thin cover on the trails right now. The best skiing is in the higher elevations at Sid's, Big Bear, and Rabbit Run. I had another lesson in gravity and momentum today. Coming down a steep hill on the Flower Farm trail, both skis hit a rock and stopped, I kept going. The snowless, frozen ground is very firm. Now is a good time to get out the snowshoes and go for a hike on the trails instead of skiing. Remember please, no walking on the trails unless you have snowshoes or skis on your feet. Time to get out and do a snow dance. Look forward to seeing you out on the trails.
Saturday January 1, 2011 10:26:10 PM
This afternoon I ventured to the trails - finally with skis in hand. The weather was very warm and air temperature in the 40s. First started at the Hartland fire station. The trails in that area were in "poor" condition. In many places the bottom of the track has melted to the ground, exposing grass, leaves, and pine needles. Trails at the highest elevations on the network are in better condition, though I rate them as only "fair". There is more snow up there and less skier traffic, but there are still places where the bottom of the tracks have melted exposing bare ground. Also found in this area many boot prints from people walking on the trail. Bare boots are NOT welcome on the skiing and snowshoeing trails! Please help spread the word. (GT)
Friday December 31, 2010 12:57:22 PM
Here's a much-delayed update... The trails received a good cover of fresh powder last Sunday and Monday - along with a howling wind. This resulted in drifts and areas blown clear in the fields. Total snowfall was about 14 inches. The snow quickly consolidated, and, on these warmer, sunnier days, some melting has occurred. Nearly all trails were packed (no classical tracks set) with the new groomer Monday evening. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, many of the trails were re-groomed and double-tracked for classical. Those that were re-groomed are now much smoother, however cover in the woods is a little thin, leaving leaves and the occasional stone or frozen soil exposed in the tracks. Fields, in general, are well-covered. The best conditions are above Mace Hill and Cobb Hill Roads - there is more snow and these trails receive less traffic. This was the first storm to be groomed with the new machine, and you will find some rough spots out there. The drivers are quickly learning what the machine can do, and how to make the best-possible tracks. Plans are also in the works to improve the track-setting attachment. We beg your indulgence as we go through this learning and growing experience. We look forward to seeing you out there on skis and snowshoes. (GT)
Tuesday December 14, 2010 10:43:38 PM
As of today, there are about 1.5 inches of fresh powder on the ground. Cover under the conifers is a little less. You'll find water out there too; it has been VERY wet during the last few weeks. There's enough snow for you hard-core skiers to strap on your rock skis and hit the trails. Nothing is groomed, and can't be, until we get more snow. (GT)
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