First Ski Winners!
We have our First Ski winners!! Joyce Tanihara, Art Trevena and their dog, Joey, are the winners of this year’s First Ski Contest. Joyce reports that there was 3-4″ of […]
county line today
The new snow helped fill in a lot of the depressions from the warm weather. The crust was good, but wax your skiis it was a little sticky. Great skiing !
Freshly groomed!
The trails were expertly groomed this morning!
What a fantastic day on the snow for April!
Ward Backcountry Has Great Snow – April 3, 2025!
There’s plenty of snow on the Ward Trail System for late season backcountry skiing and snowshoe trekking! From the Ward trailhead (TH) on April 3, 2025, I ski-toured up Staircase Trail, then north on Ward Trail to northern Sheep and Finney Trails. I returned to the Ward TH via Overlook, lower Skinned Horse, and Ward Trails. 2 to 5 inches of new snow on a firm crust that tops a substantial base of snow. The limited new snow on crust made some of the downhill telemarking a bit tricky. The photo, taken on April 3, 2025, shows fresh ski tracks on the northern part of Sheep Trail.
Spring Skiing is the best of the year.
Kudos to the groomer during Spring Break. The skiing was, how shall I say, “like buttah.”
Ward area, March 22, 2025
About 3 to 4 inches of new snow today (March 22, 2025) on the Ward Trail System, on top of the big snow accumulation from earlier in the week. There’s plenty of snow in the Ward area now! I toured up Staircase Trail, north on Ward to East Ward, north on East Ward to Junction 16, then south on Ward and down the “old Staircase alignment.” South facing hills were a bit tricky to negotiate, with a few inches of new snow on top of a breakable crust with variable wind-drifted snow. Photo shows fresh tracks on Ward Trail, north of Junction No. 9.
Skyway with 10″ Fresh Snow!
After a big snow and before the groomer. It was a winter wonderland with no tracks!
Nice sunset by the warming hut.
Ward Trail System – March 7, 2025
Eight to 10 inches of new snow in the Ward area this afternoon, March 7, 2025. Skiers and snowshoe trekkers have tracked many trails, including Ward, East Ward, Cutoff, High, Wild, Staircase, and lower Skinned Horse Trails. Photos: 1) Descending “South Discovery Hill”, above Ward Trail, behind the USFS Visitor Center and 2) skiers heading south on Ward Trail north of Junction No. 9.
Lower Ward Area – March 4, 2025
As of March 4, 2025, 3 PM, there are about 6 inches of new snow in the lower Ward area, but lots of variability from less than 2 inches to 8 inches due to wind drift. We saw just 2 other skiers this afternoon. Staircase trail is broken, as are parts of Ward and East Ward Trails. Photo: Telemarking on “Ruth’s Hill” by Ward Trail near Junction No. 8.
Ward Trail System – February 21, 2025
Ward Trail was nicely groomed yesterday, February 21, 2025, and lots of skiers and snowshoe trekkers were enjoying the wonderful new snow. In addition to the grooming, there were ski tracks on most Ward area backcountry trails, including East Ward, Sheep, Finney, and lower Skinned Horse. Photo was taken on lower Skinned Horse Trail, February 21, 2025.