TRANSITION INTO WINTER – Trail Grooming waiting for Mother Nature
Bragg Creek Trails has been madly racing Mother Nature to get as much trail work done before the whiteness descends upon us. This has included significant improvements to our designated snowshoe trails, Snowshoe Hare and Snowy Owl. We’ve also had the mower out on the ski trails preparing a smooth, clear surface to start packing snow when it arrives.
The debate on when to start winter grooming has always been a contentious issue within BCT. The necessity to start base preparation once conditions allow didn’t always jibe with the government regulations in the past. The official grooming season start has always been December 1 and ended March 31. The reality is that BCT has to take advantage of Mother Nature no matter what kind of mood she’s in. Early snow and cold allows our groomers to start laying down a solid snow base which drives the frost into the ground. Without this early start, our ski season is significantly reduced especially considering the weather challenges we’ve experienced recently.
This issue came up numerous times during our recent Trail Planning process as we identified certain initiatives that would make the winter trails in West Bragg Creek (WBC) more sustainable from a maintenance and conflict reduction perspective. The major drivers behind this decision making were the ever increasing popularity of WBC as a winter trail sport destination and our challenging foothills weather. Trail user and trail volunteer satisfaction were also strong considerations. This consultation with the public, BCT volunteers and with government landed on NOVEMBER 1 as a suggested official start date for ski and fatbike trail grooming as long as the proper conditions exist to begin. This is currently under review by Alberta Forestry and Parks as part of the pending WBC Trail Plan approval.
Until the Trail Plan is formalized, BCT will continue with our business as usual approach. This involves grooming once enough snow falls to start roller packing. Once winter operations have begun, we respectfully ask that these efforts be respected by non-skiers who will be directed onto alternate trails to avoid damage to the ski tread. With skiers anxious to hit the groomed trails, separating users is the only way to control user conflicts and reduce safety concerns from trail damage. The end date on March 31 was not a concern for us since by then the trail conditions are approaching marginal at best.
To help us all transition into winter trail etiquette mode, BCT has improved our messaging and signage as several of the summer multi-use trails have been redesignated. Grooming of certain trails for fat tire biking and snow shoeing will be closed to horse traffic again this year. Horse specific trails have been identified on the maps as a result. Additionally, our volunteer trail hosts and grooming staff will be able to provide route finding and trail etiquette information so that everyone has an enjoyable experience on the trails this winter
GET YOUR BID’S READY! BCT’s ANNUAL ONLINE AUCTION IS HERE AGAIN. This year’s online auction will run from Nov. 25 to Dec 2, and we are in the process of procuring prizes and services from donors. Anyone interested in donating something should contact info@braggcreektrails.org. A link to the auction will be added to our website braggcreektrails.org once we’re ready to go. Many thanks to past donors for your support. We have had many happy trail enthusiasts benefit from your generosity.
BCT IS HIRING – Seasonal Part-Time Ski Groomer. If you have experience with maintaining ski trails we’d love to talk to you. Check out our website at braggcreektrails.org for job details
See you on the trails
Conrad Schiebel (BCT President)
