Grooming Report

Grooming Report

During the ski season, which is usually from around which is usually from around, Thanksgiving through early March, Patti Baumgardner sends out regular e-mail updates regarding snow and grooming conditions. You may request to receive these e-mails by clicking here

April 1, 2023: Skiers, welcome to April. I wasn't able to ski today but my neighbor went. He said that once he got past the first hairpin turn on Windsong the skiing was wonderful. He said "the snow had this look of furry velvet, so smooth and buttery." That made me want to go, and I hope it inspires you to continue skiing as well. Alas, yesterday was the official end of our ski season, which means the end of the grooming season. That doesn't mean we can't ski, we can go until there is not a speck of snow left, but we won't find the corduroy and set tracks that have spoiled us all winter.
So, there are lots of people to thank for a magnificent season. The first thank you goes to all of you for buying your Sno-Park permits. The permits pay for the grooming, and where would we be without that. Thank you also, to those who paid the club dues that goes to annual and routine expenses, including our special use permit, various fees from the state to ensure our non-profit status, and maintaining our "honey bucket." Thank you to those who volunteered for our work day on the trails, and who came to the meeting and potluck. Thank you to Lyle and Sandy Oberg, and Brenda and Cody Ames for permission to ski across their private lands. For the first time ever, those lower trails are still open at the end of the season!
Thank you to Julie and the sign committee. The graphic panel displaying our map is complete and will be in place at the parking lot next season! Thanks to Todd T for continuing to improve the snowshoe trails, which seem to get more and more use. Thank you Stacy for maintaining the website, and to Phil, who is now offering his support to the same project. Thank you Walter, for writing our annual grant to the Winter Recreation Committee for grooming and equipment funding, and to Jack, who keeps track of the numbers and alternates with Walter in attending the annual funding meeting. And thank you to the Winter Recreation Committee for its continuing support of Highlands Nordic Sno-Park.
The next thanks goes to our incredible grooming crew. Todd D, Gregg, Jason and Jack kept the trails in excellent shape. They were out there in all conditions in the early mornings, wearing their warm jackets and hats, fussing with the sleds, hauling fuel, making pass after pass, all so we can have the times of our lives on the snow. Haven't we all have met them grooming, and each of them stops for friendly chats, helpful observations, and wise words about condition delivered with amazing smiles.
And last, thank you to Jack, our club president, chief of the groomers, organizer of all things Sno-Park, liaison with the Forest Service, the state, and the county road plowing crew. We are all so incredibly lucky to have such a dedicated person at the helm.
For the first time since we've had an official sno-park, we have had a five month ski season. We began grooming November 7, and there will be plenty of snow to ski through the 7th of April. It's hard to write this and not wish winter would continue forever. Sometime soon however, we will bow to spring, to greening and gardens, nesting birds and birthing mammals. We'll embrace all that is ahead of us until once again, we can...
Come ski!
Patti

March 29, 2023:Skiers, it was brilliantly sunny in the late morning at Highlands yesterday. The sky was as blue as blue can be and the mix of new snow and graupel was pure white. The track I had been wanting to put my classic skis into was indeed well set and I started clockwise on the Antoine Loop, intending to go up Aava's Draw. The skis were a little slow but workable. Before the junction with Goshawk I ran into a friend who was bemoaning that the snow was sticking to her skis. And sure enough, within a few yards the snow was sticking to my skis too. This was the first time in years that I've had to deal with clumping. I stomped it off as best I could, but unless there was a long stretch of shade I was packing weight with my feet.
I was out there, so I went up Aava's Draw as planned, working harder than I wanted to just to make the skis go. I could climb straight up the hill at the junction with Short Cut, sticky snow indeed. I began to wish for ice! I finished the Draw and came back down to the creek to continue clockwise on Antoine. My skis began to behave better as I went up the shady hill, and while I felt like a wobbly toy trying to keep my balance descending through shade and sun, I was able to move downhill.
I thought the snow might have been better earlier, but my neighbor had gone before me and said it was arduously slow. It's also possible it was better later when things melted a bit, but I didn't try it. Today there is no new snow and conditions might be OK. And the plan was to groom this morning if it wasn't too warm.
It's always an adventure out there, and sadly, our days are numbered. Take advantage.
Come ski!
Patti

March 27, 2023: Skiers, yesterday I skated the Antoine Loop, almost needing to pinch myself to believe how good it was. Jack had groomed the entire Loop, (though not the side trails) the day before and the skating platform lay out before me in ribs of new corduroy. The glide was a little slow, but compared to how arduous it had been on Whitetail on Friday, I felt like I could really move. For icing on the cake, there was a newly set track that looked perfect.
The sun was shining in a muted sky with rolling grey clouds, and the trees made long shadows between patches of sparkling white. A woodpecker punctuated the silence, and the larch were skeletal in the spring light. It had been cold enough during the night for a thin layer of ice to form on the part of the Mill Creek pond that had opened, and the tops of the rocks in the spring-that-never-freezes were still dry.
Going over the top of the Loop was as good as it's been all winter, the trail smooth and flat enough to really skate. And coming down the shared use section couldn't have been more perfect. If I took a soft fall, it was because I was watching Baldy kiss the clouds and not paying attention to where my skis were.
Near the bottom I ran into wonderful friends skiing with their faithful dog. We could hardly say a word because it was so obviously incredible to be out in such conditions at the end of March.
The west side of the park seems to be completely groomed and what ice is still on the road is quite broken, making driving easier than it has been.
Enjoy the latest snow.
Come ski!
Patti

March 24, 2023:Skiers, I was going to write about my ski experiences yesterday, but I woke up this morning to four inches of new snow. Today will be different! I expect the grooming from earlier this week will act as a fabulous base.
Come ski!
Patti

March 21, 2023: Skiers, Highlands offered wonderful spring skiing yesterday morning. I parked in the Corral Lot somewhere close to 10:00, not sure if I would find ice or slush. What I had was a firm but forgiving surface that held me up, promoted glide and offered control. In the open, the light on Ida's Ford made it hard to see the defined trail (I needed my yellow lenses), but once over the creek that problem disappeared. Predictably, there was ice under some of the trees on Bobcat, but nothing that went across the whole trail, and skating up Goshawk was smooth (except for the fact that the hill is still a hill).
I went clockwise when I got to the Antoine Loop and in places the snow was almost fluffy. The gray sky erased all the ski stopping sun spots and the glide was reasonable. Turning up Aava's Draw I found great swaths of rust spread across the surface, larch needles newly fallen or revealed by receding snow, but even they didn't stick to my skis. As the hill flattened at the top the glide was unencumbered and the motion freeing. Meeting the Loop again I continued clockwise. Here I could see the trees on Bonaparte were once again swathed in frost or snow, brightening the skyline.
I went to the top past the spring-that-never-freezes and turned around . Coming down was lovely. All the bumps and crust of the past few days had been smoothed and it was easy to keep control and still go fast enough to make the descent fun. And skiing down Goshawk was like skiing over silk. The only significant crust I found was the last dip that leads over the creek and up to the meadow, and it was easy to handle.
Back at the car I realized it is that season when you find mud on your ski boots. Still, there is lots and lots of snow.
Come ski!
Patti

March 18, 2023: Skiers, yesterday's sun couldn't have been brighter, the sky bluer or the snow whiter. Taking it all in I skied the Antoine Loop counterclockwise. The track hadn't been reset but the skis liked it anyway. It was hard and firm, and had gathered enough graupel to offer some cushion and resistance. At some point in the long hill a squirrel bounded across the trail ahead of me and down the steep bank on his own well used track, then continued up a tree, looking somehow like he was climbing a long shadow. As I puzzled over this, a woodpecker pounded close by.
Near the junction with Hello Kitty I ran into a friend who was skiing the same route in the opposite direction. She wanted to be out there as long as she could, knowing this was coming to an end at some point. While the snow was gone from the trees, there was so much on the trail it was hard to imagine an end until I realized we were standing there chatting, wearing fewer layers than usual, and not getting cold at all.
Skiing across the top was fun, the little turns and twists manageable in the bright sun. Bonaparte looked a bit forlorn without any snow in its trees, as if it had been reduced to just being part of the ridgeline, but the white patches at the summit displayed its above timberline badge.
I started down in a snowplow, relaxed it for a moment and was suddenly going very fast. The skate platform was a little rough and I quickly brought my skis under control and went down slowly. Even so, I hit a bump and took a fall, my skis tangling with each other for the first time this year, and I empathized with the young ones we skied with a few weeks ago as they struggled to get their skis parallel before trying to get up from their own falls. On I went, enjoying being off the steepest part of the hill. The sun was having its way with the section between the upper junction with Ranger's Run and the cattle guard and the snow, fickle as it can be, turned slow, though there was still plenty of it. Getting into the shade again I saw there is a long, narrow open pool of water on the Mill Creek Pond.
While I didn't explore them, it looked like the inner trails had been newly groomed for skating; there is no end to where you can go in the park.
Come ski!
Patti
PS. The ice at the bottom of the road has migrated to the top. It is impressive. Go slow!

March 14, 2023: Skiers, I parked in the Corral Lot this morning thinking I'd check out Goshawk, and had several confused minutes wondering how I should navigate the ice between me and the ski trail in my slippery skating boots. I was going gingerly along when Gregg came by Straight Edge on the groomer. We chatted across the road, and when he heard my plan he advised me that Bobcat was icy and that I should go up to Whitetail, where he had spent most of the morning conditioning the snow. I was happy to take his advice and drove to the upper parking lot. My neighbor was just coming in from a morning ski. I can't remember the exact term he used to describe the trail, but skittery comes to mind. My expectations were low, but the skating was actually quite good over a smooth, hard platform, and it was fun to be really gliding. Windsong had not yet been groomed but the snow was so white and smooth that I started up anyway, judging by the view of the ridges that there would be new snow higher up. Skating on the crust was fine; the trail was white and unmarred, and just before the hairpin turn a cottonwood that had been holding its leaves all winter finally let some of them go, making spring into fall by littering the snow with dry debris.
Once around the turn the snow did indeed change. It hadn't thawed and frozen, or at least it hadn't thawed and frozen in the same way as it had lower down, and it was scattered with graupel balls. Interestingly, this made the skating harder as the skis broke through a crumbling crust, though they still continued to glide. Before I got to the junction of the Telemark Trail, and for the second time that day, Gregg came to the rescue, taming what was under me into a beautiful texture and suddenly I was skiing in winter again. The trail side spruce boughs were holding plates of snow, and at the tips of their needles tiny ice balls had formed and glittered in the weak sunlight. By the time I got to the top, the sky was blushing blue, and I could catch a glimpse of Sitzmark, bright white through the trees.
Coming down I caught my skis twice in my own tracks until I reached the point where Gregg erased them all on his downward pass. After that I could let go and ski with confidence all the way to the hut. Whitetail still beckoned so I followed the new grooming to the end, surprised at how good it was. By then fluffy clouds were scattered across a bright blue sky, and it was only the section between the hut and the parking lot that remained a bit crusty.
Conditions can change quickly in the spring but Jack is intending to groom in the morning. See what the day brings.
Come ski!
Patti
PS The road is icy. Drive with caution!

March 13, 2023: Skiers, how many ways can the snow be under our skis? Yesterday it was slow, but that didn't slow down the craving to be out, and skiers were scattered across the park. I skated Antoine clockwise. There was no new grooming, but the new snow on top of the old wasn't the hindrance as much as the warm temperature. I worked into a rhythm of clicking my poles together every third kick or so to knock the snow out of the baskets. When I stopped at the junction with Goshawk to take a sip of water and pushed off again, my newly waxed ski stayed put, leaving me prone on the trail. Ah well, it's better to fall while trying to go than to fall when trying to slow down.
I continued through sun and cloud shadow, and as I reached the junction with the Antoine hiking trail the snow began to change and give up some sparkle, my baskets stopped their gathering, and my skis started to glide. While climbing was still arduous, I was at least moving, and skating over the top was lovely. At the sign I met a vivacious woman and two young men (who turned out to be her sons) applying maxi-glide. We chatted about the park, about the snow and about the Highlands, ending the conversation by all agreeing how lucky we are to be able to ski in such a place.
For as slow as it was going up, it was fast going down until the junction with Hello Kitty. The rest of the descent was great over the new snow, and I was almost to the tail of the Q before the warmer snow slowed my skis.
Here it is the middle of March. It's been four months and almost a week since grooming began and we're still going. What a winter!
Come ski!
Patti

March 9, 2023: Skiers, it was late morning by the time I set skis into tracks on Whitetail yesterday. There was new snow over the latest grooming, and though the tracks hadn't been set for a little while they were smooth (as was the skating platform) and going was good. When I got to the junction with Windsong I was delightedly surprised to see that here the tracks had been reset and the skiing became better yet.
Where the Telemark Trail joins Windsong I stopped for a moment to marvel at the white expanse of snow. My eye traveled to the sky where the sun, surrounded by deep blue sky, was shining through a cloud that cast swirls of red and blue mist from itself. At the hair pin turn the cloud had moved away, but though the sun shone against its blue backdrop, any vapor in its proximity was bathed in color.
I only went as far as the opening with the view of Sitzmark and her surrounding knobs, then headed freely down the hill. I had a date to keep. In the parking lot, Jen, Jack, Charley, Todd T and Klyn had skis, poles, boots and snowshoes lined up and ready for kids participating in Tonasket's 21st Century program. In a few minutes a big yellow school bus pulled up, and through its doors came an array of little people clad in scarves, boots, mittens, colors and smiles. Immediately there were snow angels on the ground and light handfuls of snow flying through the sunlit air. Somehow Jen, who organized the outing, got the kids into groups of younger snowshoers and older skiers. Snowshoes went on and Todd and Klyn led a wavering line on the snowshoe trail. The rest of us found approximate boot sizes and somehow managed to get everyone clipped into skis. I for one, had all kinds of ideas to get the kids started but they didn't need it. If you can walk, you can ski. And then you can learn to get up when you fall. As we headed up Whitetail we could catch glimpses of the snowshoers, and as we strung out with Charlie in the lead and Jen bringing up the rear, our charges skied. Pretty soon the sun left us and it began to snow, the Highlands happily displaying its variable nature to its young visitors.
A short hour later the kids were boarding the bus and still smiling. A big thank you to the bus driver, the director of the program, parent volunteers, and ski and snowshoe mentors for introducing these children to our favorite pastime.
It will be a little quieter at the park today. Come ski!
Patti

March 5, 2023: Skiers, the snow was coming down in tiny dry flakes when I began skiing Antoine this morning. Starting counter clockwise, the big, broad trail had one new pass from the groomer, but it was enough to give me a center point, and though that hill is always hard, it wasn't because of the conditions. By and by I saw Jason making his second pass, and realized that though the snowflakes were tiny, they had sifted into the corduroy of his first run before he came downhill on the second.
It snowed the whole time I was skiing (and is still snowing). Occasionally the sun would make a crack in the clouds and shine bluely for a few moments, but the snow kept falling. As I passed the junction with Hello Kitty, snow began gathering in the trees, laying on the big outstretched limbs of the larch and nestling between the fir needles, giving us a new winter day in March.
I continued the Loop, enjoying the terrain across the top, and stopped in the silence to put on the layer I had shed during the climb. Once again, the descent was pure joy with perfect grooming over new snow, and I was warm and comfortable as I moved through crystallized air and an amazing landscape. Once at the bottom I enjoyed the glide to the junction with Aava's Draw (where the trail dips into the creek bed) and couldn't resist going up. Here too the grooming was great, and I made my way through the curves, then snowplowed down to Short Cut and started down Hello Kitty to meet the Loop once again.
Although the parking lot was nearly full when I began, I didn't see any other skiers until I caught up with friends at the bottom of the tail that makes the Q on Antoine Loop. They had gone up Hello Kitty to Aava's and then back down the same way. They commented about how they saw different things by going in the opposite direction. I agreed, thinking that's why sometimes our park seems twice as big as it is.
Ski one way and then another or make a loop, just....
Come ski!
Patti

March 4, 2023: Skiers, after being out of town for a few days it was wonderful to ski at Highlands yesterday. Late morning I parked at the Corral Lot and walked to Ida's Ford to clip into my classic skis. The thermometer told me it was above freezing but the wind was biting as I moved across the meadow. Once over the creek though, I was sheltered, with my skis over cold snow and my face in intermittent sunshine. The skating platform had been newly groomed and the track was in good shape, and I marveled at how these lovely snow showers keep layering themselves on the trail without hanging in the trees and forming ice under the driplines.
I clambered up Goshawk and continued on Antoine counter clockwise, finding new grooming everywhere I looked. After the cattle guard I started up Hello Kitty, then took Short Cut to climb up Aava's Draw. The sun moved in and out of a soft cloud cover, and the snow sparkled brightly back, glittering in color when it was especially pleased. Returning to Antoine I continued clockwise. Long tree shadows netted the snow in the firebreak, as if trying to keep it in place, and in the trees the trail lay beautifully cared for in a long white ribbon in front of me. I went as far as the spring-that-never-freezes, admiring the shining rocks beneath a skiff of silvery water, then had a fantastic run back the way I had come, staying on Antoine and turning down at Goshawk.
I saw no sign of other people until I got back to my car and met a woman just returning from skiing up Hej Bue and out to Sunshine. We chatted about the hills we had climbed, and how wonderful it was to be able to be out.
It's snowing lightly as I write. Take advantage...
Come ski!
Patti

February 25, 2023: Skiers, from the parking lot through the gate on the tail of Antoine Loop's Q, I could already tell the snow had warmed just enough to make skating wonderful. The grooming didn't hurt either, and with a little snow over the excellent platform conditions were great. I headed up Hello Kitty under an icy grey sky, the aspen one shade lighter, the snow one shade lighter still. But for a few fir cones that had drifted down, the snow was unmarked, and off in the woods I heard a woodpecker drumming.
Somewhere during the climb the sky began to release snow so fine it looked like mist, and at the junction with Short Cut the horizons were lost. So was the new grooming on Hello Kitty. Surprisingly, the skating continued to be pretty good on fairly loose snow over a hard crust. The skis only skittered on those short, steep, canted reaches, and they glided beautifully where the terrain was gentle (and the evidence of a deer highway impressive).
At the Antoine Loop the grooming was back and I continued counter clockwise, admiring the living wall of young, tawny larch on the east side of the trail. Somewhere in the section over the top, the grooming disappeared again, but it wasn't difficult to make my way, and the snow was exquisitely tamed on the other side. I stopped to look at Bonaparte and its descending ridges, soft against the grey sky, then had a fantastic run down on the unmarred trail. After the hair pin turn at the bottom there were a few short sections of sun glazed snow but they passed quickly. Then I was moving towards a band of deeply bruised cloud sandwiched between fog on the bottom and my icy sky on the top, wondering if I could ski right into it. It was lovely.
With only a few days of February left, the snow is amazing.
Come ski!
Patti

February 22, 2023: Skiers, new snow fell last night and when we drove into the parking lot late this morning Jason was coming in on the groomer. He had worked on Whitetail and Windsong and was heading down to Pomme de Pin and the lower trails. Always lusting after a newly set track I headed up Whitetail. The temperature by the standards set early in the winter was not low, but the lungfuls of air I gulped were icy and I kept all my zippers pulled up.
While the tops of the trees had already shaken off some of their snow, the lower limbs and the understory were coated in white, and the snow on the ground was muted and soft. As I rounded the last bend toward the end of the trail, the sky grew into a soft blue and I skied through snow falling a second time, pushed sideways out of the trees by a cold breeze. At the top, all was silent and I wondered how it could be that the same trail skied many times could feel so different. Today, standing at the end, I felt I was far away, with my shadow as my only companion.
I went back down to the hut, and this time turned down Pomme. The track was still excellent and I went all the way to the end, my shadow faithfully by my side. I was startled to see the grooming start up Twista Vista and wondered if I had missed seeing it at the top, but it only went far enough for the machine make a turnaround. I thought I might get a view to the north, but all was in grey cloud so I went back to the junction with Lichen Alley and headed down. Jason had been here before me as well, and though he hadn't set a track the skiing was good except, as always in the late season, the icy spot at the gate under the big tree. I hit the track again on Sunshine Loop. As I headed towards Hej Bue the clouds began veiling the sky, but the sun, as if trying to live up to its trail name, managed to open a space for itself and a splash of prismatic red shown under it. I headed up and met a friend at the junction with Whitetail. He was skating and I could see by his tracks that the platform hadn't set up yet. We spoke of the speed of the snow, slow for the cold when only two days before it had been slow for the warm. Aren't we skiers picky!
I met George on Antoine, which hadn't been groomed yet. He said there were three inches of new snow at the top of the Loop, fluff over crust. The Highlands are always surprising us.
Come ski!
Patti
PS Though there is new snow on the road, it is still icy and slick underneath it. Go slow!

February 18, 2023: Skiers, yesterday the conditions were excellent once again at Highlands. Both sides of the park had new skate platforms, and while the track could use a touch up when conditions allow, it was, for the most part, in good shape. We certainly used it to glide up the leg of the Q on Antoine Loop and most of the way up Hello Kitty, stepping out onto the platform when we needed a little more grip. And here I have a confession. Last weekend I skied in The-Valley-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named and joined the Dark Force by purchasing a pair of skin bottomed classic skies. Yesterday was their second tour of the Highlands and I couldn't be happier with how they are performing. What with the sun, the ice, the varying temperatures and the areas of cold winter snow, waxing would be tricky. I hardly had to notice.
At the junction with Hello Kitty and Straight Edge we were again greeted with a spectacular view of the Cascades. The white peaks were framed by a few skeletal larch in the foreground, and the blue mountains contrasted with the palest of blue skies. A few soft gray clouds lay over the summits, and one that was mostly white funneled down to a point, making it look like we were seeing smoke from a volcano, an ancient dream.
We continued up, enjoying excellent glide once the hill leveled out, and when reaching Antoine followed the loop counter-clockwise. The set track across the top has been obliterated but the skate platform was so well groomed that we enjoyed making the connection, nodding at Bonaparte before starting down. The ski back was fast but easily controllable, and just cold enough to remember it is still winter in spite of all the bright light.
It's lovely, come ski!
Patti

February 15, 2023: Skiers, as my friend said after skiing yesterday, the snow was perfection! She was on classic skis and I was skating, and I couldn't have agreed more. George dropped me off at the Corral Lot and I started on Straight Edge. The platform was newly groomed and firm with a skiff of new snow. The skis glided beautifully and I continued up Hej Bue under excellent conditions. Once on Sunshine I caught my breath and admired the intensely blue sky painted with an array of clouds in shades of grey. I continued to Sunshine Loop where the snow in the meadows lay in soft swales, and began climbing Lichen Alley. Even here, where the tree line drip is notorious for making the trail icy, the coverage was perfect except for debris from the big tree by the gate. Pomme de Pin was superlative and I skated with it as it rolled and ran up to the hut, then began the climb up Windsong. I stopped for a drink of water at the first hairpin turn and looked up at a raven circling and cawing to an unseen comrade, who answered with an identical call. Hearing them made me wonder what they were seeing, and how unaware I generally am of all the wildlife interactions surrounding me as I glide so happily along.
As is usually the case, conditions grew even better as I gained altitude, and before I reached the junction with the Telemark Trail, those grey clouds began to drop light snow, while Sitzmark and her surrounding sisters glowed in the sun. The snowfall had already stopped when I reached the top. I stood for a moment in the profound silence, then headed down, making snowplow smears over my uphill skate tracks. George met me in the upper parking lot, having skied the Antoine Loop, which he said was perfect too.
What else is there to do in the middle of February but. . .
Come ski!
Patti

February 11, 2023: Skiers, yesterday was another stellar day at Highlands. We went up Hello Kitty on classic skis, and though the track hadn't been reset, there were places where the snow was still untouched. George's skin skis performed perfectly and I did pretty well with Toko Red. Part way up we ran into Jason on the groomer. He said he had finished the skate lane on the entire upper east side and was headed next to Goshawk, Bobcat and Ida's Ford.
We were facing the sun and it glowed through the clouds surrounded by a red ring. The snow responded by sending the light back in thousands of tiny colored prisms and the aspens stood like sentries on the side of the trail. On we went, stopping again at the junction with Short Cut to see an incredible view of the Cascades rising high in the blue sky. We continued counter clockwise on the Antoine Loop and were greeted with yet another view of Bonaparte. The snow was gone from the trees all the way to the top, and the treeless summit glowed.
We had a fabulous run down on the brand new grooming Jason had given us, and as we skied toward the Mill Creek pond the sky was washed blue under a scattering of soft gray clouds. The snow is wonderful.
Come ski!
Patti

February 9, 2023: Skiers, conditions could hardly have been better at Highlands yesterday. George dropped me off at the Corral Lot and continued to the upper parking lot. As I was fussing with my skis, poles, gloves and bindings, a raven called to me from one of the tall pines, urging me to get on with it and enjoy the sunshine.
The skate lane was newly groomed and perfect on Ida's Ford, and I was to find the whole east side was in the same condition. Going over the creek and up Bobcat, the lower branches of the trailside trees were penciled in white, and the sun was so bright that the snow sparkled even in the shadows. With the energy from all that light, I climbed Goshawk. Once on the Antoine Loop, skating on a slight downhill over fresh corduroy brought new joy. I pulled that feeling with me up Aava's Draw, and renewed it when I got to the firebreak, all on a beautiful platform. Finishing the Aava Loop and skiing down to Antoine through the cold, I could feel a glimpse of warmth on my face in every patch of sunlight. I continued clockwise on Antoine, noting that the spring-that-never-freezes is down to wet mud, while the part of the creek that flows past the junction with Hello Kitty is buried in snow again.
I skated over the top and let my skis find their way downhill on the perfect grooming. Beautifully framed in bright blue sky, the gleaming white peak of Baldy filled my view, begging an artist could make an iconic painting of a perfect winter landscape.
Come ski!
Patti

February 5, 2023: Skiers, last night's valley drizzle left an inch and a half of newly fallen white in the Highlands this morning. The snow was a bit warm and tricky though. George did fantastic in the track on his skin skis as we started counter clockwise around the Antoine Loop. However, my trusted Toko Red wax failed me, and I herringboned up the hill behind him, watching the bright white stripes on be backs of his black boots ahead of me until the hill slowly swallowed him from the bottom up. After that I watched the sky. The sun momentarily broke through the grey wearing a tarnished blue halo, but the clouds refused to give way, and as they hastily hid the sun again they let go of a little snow. So it went. Once I got close to the top where I could actually get into what track there was and kick, I found I had very little glide. That made more sense when we went across the top and began our decent. The snow was really slow, and we double poled our way down the hill that usually puts us into a snowplow.
The skis somehow were more manageable as we went by the two junctions with Aava's Draw and Goshawk, though I had to get out of the track to climb the little rise to Ranger’s Run. Later we spoke with friends on skin skis who had clumped going up Windsong, then slipped and slid trying to ski on Pomme de Pin. Who knows what works in fresh, warm snow (except for George). Regardless, everyone we saw was having a wonderful time moving in one way or the other. There is something about being out there that’s magical even when your skis just seem to want to go downhill backwards.
Come ski!
Patti
PS The road remains a bit icy at the bottom. Go slow!

February 2, 2023: Skiers, this morning skating was as good as it gets, as good as it's been all winter. The platforms on Antoine and Hello Kitty were perfect, the temperature was in the low 20s, and the grooming was fresh. My skis glided uphill, (not without effort, mind you) and behaved themselves on the fresh corduroy going down. Overhead, the gray sky was reflected in the ice on the Mill Creek pond while the snow on the trails showed a similar shade. The winter redeemed itself though by outlining the lower branches of the dark firs in brilliant white.
We ran into another skier who also expressed surprise and delight at the conditions. It was a nice present for the turning of the month.
Come ski!
Patti

January 31, 2023: Skiers, yesterday's ski was short and sweet under a bright blue sky and through frigid air and sunshine. We made it to the second junction of Aava's Draw after skiing clockwise on the Antoine Loop before turning around to meet a visiting friend. Despite the cold and no new snow, the classic track was in pretty good shape from the last grooming, only showing a sheen at the very beginning of the trail and under some of the trees. The skate lane was also quite smooth, even though the deer seem to be using it as a highway.
Where the track was clean the glide was wonderful. The impediment was the slurry of larch needles littering the surface, and there’s nothing to do about that but hope the trees shrug off their needles in the fall next year like we expect them to do. Even though I was on hard blue wax, the needles stuck, acting like little brakes. Once, I was making the best uphill kick of my life and my skis stopped, leaving me sitting on my behind on the tops of their tails. Oh well, there are certainly worse things that can happen on a cold mid-winter day.
Come ski!
Patti
PS: The bottom portion of the road is quite icy. Use caution going down!

January 27, 2023: Skiers, we heard rain on our roof last night and so were delighted to find fresh snow at the park this morning. The snow was a bit wet and squeaked under my skate skis, but it did let me glide (at last). As I climbed Hello Kitty the trees welcomed me with new snow on their branches, as if they were dressing themselves against the cold that is predicted to come. As the aspens came into view, they blended exactly between the color of the snow and the color of the sky, while behind me big swaths of blue painted the horizon. I continued my slow ascent, then relished the freedom of skating the flatter portion as it approached the Antoine Loop. I merged in the counter clockwise direction and continued climbing as a wind came up, and a group of tall larch trees swayed every which-way, lightly dusting snow out of their top most, naked branches.
At the crossing point I reversed course and followed the Antoine Loop past the junction with Hello Kitty and down. Snowmobiles had used the shared trail but it didn't make it difficult as the snow was decidedly slow. As icing on the cake, I got to stop several times to chat with other people enjoying our incredible sno park before meeting George on his classic skis.
The road is in good shape and the grooming crew is intending to be out Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Come ski!
Patti

January 26, 2023: Skiers, the east side is indeed beautifully groomed (as is the entire park). Though it was too warm to groom yesterday morning (and perhaps today), the crew had gotten the trails in excellent shape before this latest thaw. Yesterday, George dropped me off at Ida's Ford and I skated across the creek to Bobcat. It was slow going, the snow fought me for my skis, wanting to hold them in place while I simply wanted an endless glide over its surface. Still, I was able to move forward, and when I got to Antoine things were a bit better. Up there it was just me and the scattered larch needles over virgin corduroy. Eventually I met up with George and we began the Antoine Loop climb The snow continued to improve, though there were places, and I couldn't quite predict where they would be, where the glide disappeared. Oh well, before we knew it we were going past the spring-that-never-freezes and over the top. The skate lane across was good though it got tricky as we started down. The grooming was smooth, but the snow would illogically go from moderately fast to slow, and we had to continually shift our weight to maintain our balance. Somehow staying upright, we relished being under a deep blue sky that held clouds rolled into long, soft pillows. They looked for the world like white cotton candy, tufts of which had spun off and lay over the top of Baldy.
Come ski!
Patti
PS: As you all know, Stacy has done a beautiful job with our website. She designed in, got it up and running, and has maintained it for many years. She would like to hand this task off. If anyone has any interest please let me know. I can put you in touch with Stacy and she can answer your questions about what is involved, how much time she spends, etc. Thanks for considering this, and thank you Stacy.
You are welcome, it has been a pleasure. I find myself involved in a number if different activities these days and my web skills have stagnated. It would be great if someone with more up to date skills would want a turn. The main thing I do is update the grooming report which just takes a few minutes when Patti sends out an e-mail. Unfortunately, I sometimes lag behind. A few hours once or twice a year to freshen pictures and make sure other info is current is about all it takes. If someone is routinely maintaining web sites it would be a snap. Stacy

January 19, 2023: Skiers, we are back to a winter's day invented for skiing. The snow park was in brilliant sunshine this afternoon, there were four inches of new snow, and the west side was groomed to perfection, but for a set track on Windsong. Skating was extraordinarily good. Lichen Alley was smooth, and my skis fairly steered themselves down, while the snow in the meadow Sunshine Loop defines lay in soft cushions that sparkled in the low light. When skating on that perfect platform on Sunshine towards Hej Bue, Bonaparte dominated the sky. The upper third of its graceful peak, and the ridgelines climbing towards it were stunningly white, and the only cloud in the sky lay translucently on its summit.
Come ski!
Patti

January 18, 2023: Skiers, I just heard from Jack. Grooming is scheduled for both tomorrow and Friday mornings.>br> Come ski!
Patti

January 23, 2023: Skiers, I just spoke with Jack. The east side is groomed!
Come ski
Patti

January 22, 2023: Skiers, we had such a lovely ski yesterday and then, forgive me, I forgot to tell you about it. The west side remains in excellent shape (nothing on the east side yet). There is a skating lane on Windsong, but no set track. The rest is totally complete and classic skiing was suburb. At the top of Whitetail blue sky showed itself, though the clouds stubbornly refused to let the sun out and there were no shadows. On Sunshine Loop, George pointed out what he called fur on the cut for the trail. I though it took the shape of crypto biotic soil, only white. It was of course, frost and snow crystals standing on edge. The only lichen visible in this part of the world this time of year is in the trees and on exposed rock, but what else do we do but let our imaginations go while we’re gliding along.
Come ski!
Patti

January 17, 2023: Skiers, last night temperatures in the Highlands dipped into the mid 20s, arresting the continual drip we've been witnessing. Looking up at the ridge as we drove into the park this morning, we could see the trees were frosted in elevational layers after the clouds that had laid on the mountain lifted. There was also a skiff of new snow dusting the crust, and it made my classic skies work perfectly in the hard, tired tracks on Antoine. The pond at Mill Creek was showing water through small, melted seal breathing holes, and there was even some bare ground under the trees on the east side of the trail after the junction with Hello Kitty. I wanted to explore Goshawk and sidestepped down from the top, as I often do, to bypass the first big tree that drops so much debris. However, there were so many tracks and ruts that I couldn't find a way to let my skis slip into a snow plow. I continued down a ways, sidestepping, traversing, slipping this way and that, and finally gave up hoping for better purchase and turned around to climb back up. That was much easier and more fun.
I continued on Antoine and took the first junction up Aava's Draw. It was lovely to go up. The new snow made everything bright, even as the promise of sunshine seemed to dim. I went on through the fire break on Short Cut, and at the junction with Hello Kitty I was rewarded with a spectacular view. Soft white fog pillowed in the valley, and through it the Cascades rose, blue and shimmering with snow, while pastel blue sky outlined their peaks, and wisps of gray clouds graced their highest summits.
With a last look I began my journey down Hello Kitty. I thought it would be OK because the trail is generally wider than Goshawk and mostly not as steep. However, someone had snowshoed right up the middle of the skate platform when it was soft, and the tracks and divots had frozen solid. Once again, I couldn't hold a snow plow so I did what no self-respecting skier ever does: I took off my skis and jogged down (way on the side, I hope). It was OK, and faster than skidding from one side to the other. I clipped happily back into my bindings on Antoine, and kicked and glided my way back to the parking lot. Once there, I took a quick run up part of Whitetail. The recent grooming remains good for classic skiing, and my skating friend was moving gracefully along. Added to that, sun was illuminating the snowy hills to the north.
Be ready for anything, an...
Come ski!
Patti

January 14, 2023: Skiers, so what is with this January thaw? To my amazement and delight, I found that Whitetail was newly groomed this morning. I don't know how our crew does it in this warm weather, but the skating lane was perfectly smooth and the tracks were newly set. I grant that skating was slow. The wet snow fairly sucked on the skis, which left me laboring even more than usual, but it was still pretty magnificent. There is a small alder down between the hut and the parking lot, but it’s easy to step over, and the larch continue to drop needles, leaving a golden cast on the snow in their surrounds.
I had thought I'd go up Windsong and try to find some sky, but that trail had not been groomed, so I went to the end of Whitetail, sliding through a silver mist as if swimming in a clear river. I skated up, and then skated back down, lending perspective as to how slow the snow was. At the hut I turned down Pomme de Pin and found the same conditions. Lichen Alley had also been groomed, but I continued on Pomme to the top of the hill, then turned around and retraced myself back to Whitetail. On the way, the mist gathered itself into falling snow. It lasted only a few moments, and then, in the spot where sometimes there is a view of Sitzmark, I looked up to see a small opening to blue sky. That was fleeting as well, but polished the sense of wellbeing skiing always brings to me.
I met George on Antoine, still ungroomed. He said the classic skiing was also good, much better than a few days ago when the snow clumped to the bottom of his skinned skis. (My waxable skis were fine that day+. We also saw two groups of snowshoers, who never worry about wax or slipping vs. clumping. There are so many ways to enjoy the snow.
Come ski!
Patti
PS The road looked slushy at the bottom but was actually fine to drive on.

January 12, 2023: Snowshoe trail marking is completed. I encountered a whitetail doe using the trail as I returned toward parking, so circled a good ways out and around her to allow her to stay on the trail and conserve energy. Went out and back on the snowshoe trail that parallels Whitetail and didn't notice cougar tracks 👀

January 12, 2023: Skiers, yesterday the clouds were every shade of gray and the snow a few shades lighter than the clouds. The west side of the park was completely groomed, and judging by the comments on the sign in sheet, beautifully so. I wanted to continue my previously aborted route around Aava's Draw, so I went to the east side. It hadn't been groomed yet, but my classic skis easily found a solid track under the snow, and the going was good in spite of temperatures close to thawing. The trees were holding snow again and many of the smaller ones gracefully arched over the trail as they bravely held their loads. This meant at any time I could take a small mouthful of snow from a branch and feel the crystals dissolve on my lips and tongue.
The top of Aava's was pristine. No skiers had been up there and in short sections there weren't even wildlife tracks to disturb the blanket of snow. The only sounds reaching me were the pfst of my poles, the swish of my skis, my breathing, and the errant airplanes somewhere above the clouds. I came back down to Antoine, went through the fire break, then turned around and let the trail lead me back.
Todd T has been working on the snow shoe trails and they are marked and signed. And it was gratifying to see so many cars, whether with skiers or snowshoers, in the parking lot in the middle of the morning in the middle of the week.
Come ski!
Patti

January 10, 2023 Highlands Alert: Skiers, I have an alert from skiers to share:
We skied up Whitetail about 10am and ran into a fresh deer kill site as we dropped down into the low spot just before the hut. The carcass was gone, but we could see one place off the trail to the north where it had been put down. About an inch of snow had fallen on the tracks and we turned around quickly, so we couldn't say for sure what took the deer. Based on snowfall in the past 24hrs, I'm pretty sure this all happened since 9pm yesterday,
For good news, the county plowed the road and the parking lot when we were there and did a great job.
As always, stay alert when you’re in the Highlands like these folks consistently do.

January 8, 2023: Jack tells me grooming will resume Wednesday morning.
Patti

January 8, 2023: Skiers, I started up the Q leg of Antione Loop in two or three inches of brand new snow and the snow kept falling. There wasn't brand new grooming anywhere in the park this morning, and I didn't need to go far to know that skating was going to be a challenge. I could see from the tracks that someone was ahead of me on the same type of skis so I had to tell myself it was possible. And as I slowly passed by my surroundings I realized it must have rained earlier, or perhaps the wind had blown, because all the snow that the trees had held a couple of days ago was gone, and the limbs were being coated anew. That didn't affect the snow at ski level. Indeed, there was no sign of ice on the Mill Creek pond, just heaps of white, looking as innocent as any snow laying over bare ground.
I ran into friends coming my way, one of them indeed on skating skis. We whined a bit about how grueling the going was, knowing that all of us would rather be skiing out there in any conditions than doing almost anything else.
I was getting so little glide by the time I came to the junction with Aava's Draw that I thought I might as well go up. That brought another realization. I may think I'm not gliding much when skating uphill until I'm really not. A lot of the climb was close to herringbone. Still, the meadows were lovely and the snow was laying down big flakes that stood out separately as they fell to their bed of older crystals. At the junction with Short Cut, I looked up the hill for a moment, contemplating how I might follow my gaze with my body, and found myself being awed by the silence, and by the way the trees framed the trail in the low light. I skate-herringboned up, by now lifting skis weighted by the heavy snow, until almost to the top I ended a stroke and my foot came up without the ski. The binding had come apart, my second binding failure since New Year's Day. I believe this one is fixable, but not at the sno park. I took off the other ski and began to walk out, going down to Short Cut and following Hello Kitty. It was pleasant, I had enough clothes to stay warm, I wasn't destroying any grooming, and the snow kept falling.
It may snow again tomorrow. Be ready for anything, and...
Come ski!
Patti

January 5, 2023: Skiers, midmorning at the Sno Park we found soft light, soft clouds, small patches of soft blue in the eastern sky, and soft, new snow that easily parted in the track for our classic skis. Gregg was still grooming on the west side when we arrived, but we went up Antoine, counter clockwise. George was ahead, his black clothes mimicking the dark forest, as if he were a moving tree over the white snow. When we passed the upper junction with Hello Kitty, a soft wind began to blow, cooling our faces and bringing the sound of chirping. I didn't see the birds, perhaps they were juncos?
The temperature seemed to be hovering around freezing, and each set of skis (waxable and skinned) became the tiniest bit sticky as we gained altitude. It didn't matter much going up, and when we went down there was no impediment. We found freedom in sailing effortlessly down the hill, through the wind at the firebreak, and back around to the leg of the Q, retracing our glides to the parking area.
The road remains in excellent shape and the trails are well cared for.
Come ski!
Patti

January 3, 2023: Skiers, it's another lovely winter day in the Highlands, where the color of the sky and the snow merge between the flocked and frosted trees. There was brand new grooming on Antoine this morning and we followed it up Hello Kitty. The skate platform was perfectly textured and the track, which George was using with his skin skis, was in mint shape except for a few places where trees had dropped debris. When we got into the aspen we stopped at an array of huge bark flakes on the snow, and looked up to see two small larch trees stripped to the cambium on one side of each stem. We had watched a pileated woodpecker throw bark in the same way off a dying Ponderosa last summer, and assumed that was the responsible bird, but we didn’t hear or see any sign of a living woodworker (except for George).
It's always such a joy to skate across the top of Hello Kitty after a climb that I never seem to get used to. When we reached Antoine again it was in good shape, though not as recently groomed, and we continued counter clockwise and went over the top. Once on the other side, the grooming was new again, which made coming down really fun. We descended into the frosty cloud we had seen laying over the mountain and frosted ourselves, making the lift to the junction with Goshawk a welcome chance to warm up a little. As we approached the last leg we met other skiers beginning their way around, a continuing highlight of our outings.
Come ski!
Patti

December 31, 2022: Skiers, Happy New Year! On this eve of '23 the skiing is great. I started up Whitetail in an absolutely perfect set track with a beautifully groomed skating platform to the side. It was the kind of snow that made kicking and gliding feel fluid and natural, and I thought I'd go to the top of Windsong. When I got to the junction though, it wasn't newly, groomed, nor was Pomme de Pin. And why should I care. The clouds and mist swallowed the landscape, and the trees were flocked in snow and frost as in a picture book winter scene. The grooming continued, and Whitetail was so perfect I went on happily to the end.
Twista Vista had not been groomed, nor did it look as if it had been skied recently, but there was a handset track that continued into the canyon. And on my way down I noticed another handset track coming down Stinger.
Having indulged in the machine track, I decided to go up Windsong aways. I shouldn't have worried about it. Staying in the track under new snow was easy, and I could muse about all the wildlife tracks out there without seeing a single bird or mammal. For some reason the track was harder to stay in after the hairpin turn, but it didn;t matter. As I went higher, the fog thinned and there was veiled blue above me. Then, looking out towards Sitzmark, I saw bands of bright blue, and the sun reflected brightly off the snow on State School Mountain.
Once again I had a rendezvous and didn't make it to the top, but it was a joy to be moving in that direction. When I met with George, he told me the east side was beautifully groomed. We weren't the only ones happy to be out. In the parking lot I had greeted a couple on snow shoes, and we both saw friends and neighbors at various points along the way, all of us wishing each other a Happy New Year.
Tomorrow is the first day of 2023. Enthusiasts will have a fire going in the hut by 11:00 and are encouraging everyone to bring in the New Year by skiing some combination of 23 (one idea was 20K plus three cups of hot chocolate; another to partner up with as many people as possible to add up to skiing 23 K). Any way you want to do it, celebrate the day.
Come ski!
Patti

December 24, 2022: Skiers, yesterday, in the early afternoon we watched the thermometer climb over 5 degrees F and celebrated the heat wave by going skiing. Four of our group were on classic skis, blue wax being perfect, and one brave soul skated over the cold, grippy surface. Astoundingly, there was fresh grooming, and we rode it up Antoine to Hello Kitty. The snow was white as can be, flocking the trees and lying softly beside the trail, and the sky, brought to us by our friends from the Puget Sound, was a luminescent oyster shell gray.
We went up Hello Kitty. It hadn't been groomed since the newest snowfall, but the snow was so light it hardly mattered. Our youngest, strongest skier went gracefully up and back, keeping the herd together, and I watched as he caught up with Dad and the two of them skied ahead. We went over the top, and before heading down I stopped to zip up the five zippers I had pulled down to keep from overheating on the climb. I was glad I had all those layers for the decent, and the grooming made coming down a joy.
Back at the parking lot I went to the big green stocking on the sign board and pulled out a handful of treats, showing our friends how well our groomers take care of us.
All is as it should be.
Come ski!
Patti

November 17, 2022: Skiers, yesterday I discovered what a wonderful Sno Park we have all over again. We began in a well set track on Antoine and skied past the pond where the snow folded softly over the ice, hiding it completely. The sun was valiantly trying to shine through the mist and succeeded only in mimicking the moon until we got close to the top of Hello Kitty. There it broke through splendidly, revealing a great blue sky, glittering the snow, and letting the trees soap themselves to their shadows. At the same time, my wax, which had been fighting me, found purchase. We met Antoine counter clockwise and had a lovely ski over the top, stopping to chat with a young couple who were in the area visiting relatives during the holidays, and enjoying the skiing as much as we were.
Coming down was perfect. The skate platform was in such excellent shape that we could fly, dodging the snow laden boughs that hung low over the trail, and ducking under the cloud once more.
It's gorgeous out there. Come ski!
Patti

November 17, 2022: Skiers, as inky and star filled as this early night is, the morning was it's true opposite: bright and sunny with glittering snow against a deep blue horizon. We skated on Antoine past the pond, a new skiff of snow now covering the ice, and went up Hello Kitty. The skate lane was a little rough in places and there was no set track, but it was beautiful, with the light fairly glowing on the aspen stems. We got to the junction with Short Cut and saw that it too was groomed. Figuring that meant we could go up Aava's Draw, we took the chance and were rewarded with the steep climb, and the fantastic feel that the top of that trail affords. Again, there was no set track, and the skate platform had some narrow spots, but it was fabulous to be up there once again, and the groomers have done a superlative job as a first run. We came down to the east junction with Antoine, and because the snow was so good, just headed to the top. From the tree shadows where we found ourselves after the clearing at the hiking trail, the sun cast its light ahead on the trail and drew us up.
The tiny layer of new snow made coming down fun, and we coasted our way back, exhilarated with the breathless cold. What a way to spend time.
Come ski!
Patti

November 15, 2022: Skiers, I don't know what it was like this morning where you were, but the Sno Park was in full sun. And that's not the best news. The east side is now open! We went through the snow mobile gate and put our skis into a beautifully set track. At the junction with Antoine Loop, we saw that the counter clock wise way was still ungroomed and so we went to the left. It was wintry and lovely. The pond was covered with opaque ice and the lower fir boughs met the trailside with the weight of the snow they held.
We saw Jason on his groomer at the next cattle guard, setting the tracks that would take us to the top. Past the junction with Aava's Draw (not groomed yet) we viewed a magnificent larch tree in full sun, its needles more golden than the orb that shown on it. And as we crossed the creek, big crystal plates shown silver, dazzling the snow. What precious gems we find when we're skiing.
We made our way past the-spring-that-never freezes and up to the end of the grooming. There's no going over yet, but it will come. Gravity took us down, our snow plows easing us over the dips and around the curves. The friends and neighbors we saw while we were out all agreed it was amazing to be skiing Antoine in such wonderful conditions so early in the year. And to my surprise, I saw that Hello Kitty had been groomed while we were skiing Antoine, so now there is even more to explore.
As we headed back to the parking lot, a thin cloud veiled the sun, turning it into a moon like disk and subduing the shadows. It was stunning. Come ski!
Patti
PS: One of the things we talked about at our meeting was the availability of rental equipment. Sitzmark does rent cross country skis and boots, and snow shoes. To make arrangements, call Sandy Sutton at 509 485-2223. The libraries also have snow shoes to loan, but you have to order them ahead ofttimes as they don’t keep stashes in the buildings. A big thanks to Kim for gathering this information!

November 12, 2022: Skiers, our early skiing season continues to out do itself. Yesterday, Todd not only groomed Whitetail, Windsong and Pomme du Pin, he made a skating lane down Lichen Alley, around Sunshine Loop, out Sunshine and up Hejbue. We followed the new grooming and it was totally skiable, especially for a first run. There are a few places on Sunshine Loop where the snow machine and the ground met each other, and a short section on Sunshine that someone had actually driven on from a track in the woods, but for the most part I could skate with ease, and George was fine on his classic skis.
At the junction with Hejbue, we could see that the downhill section was snowmobile packed, and we knew that someone has skied around Straight Edge. We passed on those options though, and went up Hejbue to Whitetail. It was such a beautiful day, and the skiing was so good, that we wanted to stay out a little longer. We retraced our tracks to the hut and went up Windsong a ways. The day was bright and cold, and the snow glittered with tiny colored lights. Though the air seemed perfectly still, we were occasionally graced with shimmering veils sifting from the trees.
Coming down on such a well-groomed trail was a delight. Enjoy the sunshine, and. . .
Come ski!
Patti

Noember 11, 2022: Todd was grooming today and maybe packing Sunshine Loop/Lichen Alley.

Apri 9, 2022: Skiers, it's April, the Sno Park season is officially over and I'm in the highlands watching it snow. What's falling from the sky is not going to make the ground white again, but it gives me pause to be grateful for yet another wonderful ski season. There are so many people that work to make the Sno Park viable. First, thanks to Jack, our club president, and head of our incredible grooming team. Jack also serves behind the scenes as the liaison between the county road crew, who did an incredible job plowing this year, and the state snow park folks, coordinating insurance payments, machine repairs, and outhouse maintenance. A huge thanks to the grooming team itself. Together, Jason, Todd and Gregg deserve their own awards. Who among us didn't run into one or the other of them on any given ski, and be given a heads up about conditions the first time they passed, and a friendly wave and smile thereafter. Their dedication continues to be unwavering, and it seemed that conditions were always perfect in some part, if not all, of the park, making skiing incredible. Thanks to Walter for writing the grant that secures funding from the WA State Winter Recreation Committee, and again to Jack for helping, and for sharing attendance at the meetings where funding is decided. We must all give a special thanks to the Lyle and Sandy Oberg family, and to Cody and Brenda Ames for allowing us to ski on their private properties. Without their permission, we would lose our sunny meadows and the relatively flat terrain that adds so much to the diversity of our trail system. Thanks to Stacy for continuing to run the website, and to Kim who got us set up with our own Facebook page this year. Thanks to Julie who continues to improve the map, and to those of you who made new signs and got them up. Thanks to everyone who came out and volunteered last summer before the fires broke out, and especially thanks to all of you who bought Sno Park permits and skied and snowshoed at Highlands Nordic Sno Park. It is those permits that keep the program funded, and it’s all of you out there smiling and enjoying the winter that makes the program worthwhile.
Here's to a happy, healthy spring, summer and fall where we'll all have to find something to fill our time until once again I can ask you to....
Come ski!
Patti

March 22, 2022: Skiers, I drove up to the park this morning on a road more challenging with mud than the snow ever had been this season, and then began my ski on water over ice. When I got to the junction with Antoine Loop, I looked up hill and couldn't see real snow. I had skied down that way Monday, and though it was fine, l could tell then that the snow was quite thin in spots, and I didn't want to be on more ice than I had to be, so I went clockwise. The platform was actually quite nice, if a bit slow, and I marveled how Mill Creek continues to reveal more of itself, black against the opaque white surround. I went up Hello Kitty to Short Cut and ran into only one small icy spot. The rest was lovely, with the aspen looking like underwater ghosts in the liquid air.
I turned off at Short Cut and found the exposed places were getting quite soft. Aava's Draw was better, and in the trees the snow was holding up well without being crusty. Turning back on the Loop conditions were great most of the way. I had to walk twice, once near the junction with Ranger's Run, and once around the next cattle guard. Between those points the snow was a little soft but still skiable. I went down from the junction on the snow bank on the side, and avoided most of the ice.
I am hoping to ski through March, but I'm going to give the road at least a couple of days to dry out before I try again. And, truth be told, we’re close to that inevitable end of the season. So, use your judgement. With a high clearance vehicle and a hearty attitude, you might decide to. . .
Come ski!
Patti

March 20, 2022: Skiers, here we are at the spring equinox and the day is living up to the occasion. I skied this morning under a bright sun over a frozen surface with nary a cloud in the deep blue sky. The conditions I found on Friday had all enlarged themselves, with the exception of the new snow. Patches of ice are growing, and then giving way to bare ground. Still, once at the junction with the Antoine Loop, the crust was forgivable. I went up Hello Kitty, and as I had guessed, conditions improved as I climbed. I stopped at the junction with Short Cut to look to the west and admire the view. From south of Tiffany to north of Chopaka, banked by a band of fluffy clouds, the snowy Cascades were stunning.
I continued up. There were a few small patches of ice in the narrow parts under the trees, but the trail was very skiable, and where it flattens a bit before it meets the Loop at the top, conditions were lovely. I finished the climb on Antoine but didn't go over the top, choosing to retrace my skate steps and go down the shared use portion of the trail. The platform was smooth and I could manage my descent, but I couldn't allow myself any speed less I lose control all together. Still, I was taken with the view, the shadows and the colorfully sparkling snow. I stopped a few times to rest my legs from the snowplow, then navigated the less steep, but icier section from the junction to the bottom.
The stellar, midwinter snow we so covet has changed, but think spring, a...
Come ski1
Patti

March 18, 2022: Skiers, we were out of town for a bit, and then we watched it rain. We intended to ski when the rain stopped, and found, as my neighbor described it on the sign in sheet, a boiler plate surface of ice. Even our stalwart groomers seemed discouraged. Luckily though, a friend called me Wednesday and said the skiing was great, so I ventured out this morning to see for myself.
A drumming woodpecker and a patch of pure ice greeted me as I stepped out of the car. The woodpecker stopped, but the surface of the actual trail looked like it might be OK and I clipped into my skies. Not only was it OK, it was a delight. The tip top of the crust had thawed and was quite forgiving as I climbed to where the Antoine Loop begins. And, thinking that the higher I went the better the skiing would be, I started in the counter clockwise direction. Within fifty yards I was skating on a skiff of newly fallen snow, and as I climbed that increased to about an inch. It gave me excellent purchase on an extremely flat and smooth base, (thanks to a season of grooming). The sky was an occluded blue, but it was bright enough to make the snow sparkle between the shadows, and some of the trees held tiny ice droplets that caught the light and threw it back out to the sun.
Once I made the turn from the shared portion of the trail, there was enough new snow to outline the branches of the trees. The pool of water before the junction with Hello Kitty, surrounded by its naked alders, looked dark and deep, but the surface I skated on remained light and fluffy. These astounding conditions continued over the top, and the descent was lovely: just fast enough, controlled, and beautiful. The snow in the sunshine made by the fire break was a little slow, and going between sun and shadow was a bit tricky, but nothing was overly problematic. There were a few places where the snow had melted back from the trail, but none so definitive to make me take off my skis.
I had spoken to Jack yesterday and he told me the crew probably wouldn't grooming anymore. Indeed, as I drove up he was coming down with one of the machines in the trailer. And, I should add that it didn't freeze last night and the road was muddy in spots, but probably wouldn't obstruct any snow worthy vehicle.
So, be as surprised and gratified as I was. Take advantage of these conditions and...
Come ski!
Patti

March 4, 2022: Skiers, early in the week I skied in a sucking slush and decided to wait until conditions changed before I went again. It was just below freezing last night and George and I thought we'd give it a try. Lucky for us, the groomers felt the same way. The park is in fantastic shape! Both sides have new grooming, the road is bare in spots, but not overly muddy, and the snow is unbelievably good.
Clipping into our skis, a chorus of raven calls welcomed us and we started clockwise around the Antoine Loop. The skating was fantastic, smooth and flat with excellent texture on the platform. We were under a deep blue sky, washed and cradling white clouds, while dark thunderheads bloomed over Bonaparte. There was still ice on Mill Creek to keep us thinking of winter, and enough bright sun sparkling the snow to warm our spirits. Hello Kitty has been groomed, at least to Short Cut, as have both ends of Aava's Draw.
After the hair pin turn, the sun shone low through the trees, giving us quick glimpses of tiny prism colored needles arrayed around our star. The trees were even holding snow, while the spring-that-never-freezes was expanding its territory, anticipating the streamlet it will become as the spring advances.
The groomer hadn't gone over the top and neither did we. We sailed down our lovely dips, finding only a tiny bit of crust under some of the trees, and went back the way we had come. Somewhere in the opening past the east junction with Aava's, we watched a raven, silent now, riding the thermals.
Come ski!
Patti

February 28, 2022: Skiers, fog shrouded the park yesterday afternoon, blending perfectly with the new snow in a world without horizons. We could see well enough to know that the west side of the park had been newly groomed, but because we met friends who hadn't skied the east side yet this year, we went up Antoine. Some of us were skating, some on classic skies, and though there were several inches in new snow, we all made our way easily through it, hopscotching up the hill, the skaters graceful in their nonstop movement, those in the track finding good kick and glide.
We went up Hello Kitty and the cloud we were in lightened to slate gray As the sun burnt a few small holes in the sky, my friend pointed out how the small larch were holding frost stars on the ends of their branches, and we all fantasized about wood gnomes and moose. By the time we got to the junction of Antoine Loop there was blue sky painted with the wispiest of clouds, and the new, flat snow sparkled bravely in patches of sunlight. We finished the climb and went over the top, admiring Bonaparte as we started down.
Before we reached the east junction of Aava's Draw we were back in the fog, practically drinking the air we inhaled. A raven found us, and its caws guided us back. I could see the orange in my friend's jacket and the flash of red in her father's boots and skis as they skated ahead. All else was white and gray and full of mystery.
There is more snow this morning. Come ski!
Patti

February 25, 2022: Skiers' the crystals on the snow today shone like silver mirrors in the full sun meadow surrounding Ida's Ford. Somehow, they caught the light differently on the virgin corduroy that made the skating lane, sending the colors of the rainbow sparkling up to a blue sky suffused with soft, airy clouds.
Skating was predictably a little slow over the cold surface, but the grooming was excellent New snow had filled in the hand set trails coming off of Ranger's Run and the warmth of the sunshine belied the thermometer reading. I tipped my hat and shed a layer. We huffed up Goshawk and found that Antoine was perfect. Both ends of Aava's Draw were newly groomed but we kept our tracks on the Loop. The opening where the hiking trail heads up to Bonaparte showed yet another array of sparkles, and the spring-that-never-freezes laid low, surrounded by snow.
We turned around at the top, that slow snow suddenly offering no traction at all, and retraced out steps, particularly enjoying skating on the relatively flat parts of the Antoine Loop. Goshawk and Bobcat were easily manageable and we pulled ourselves back over the creek and up the hill to the corral lot. There we met a woman who was coming in from Straight Edge. She had driven all the way from Blaine just ski at Highlands.
Doesn't that make you want to. . .
Come ski1
Patti

February 23, 2022: Skiers, we ventured out with friends yesterday afternoon and found magnificent grooming on the Antoine Loop. We were on classic skis, back to blue wax in a wonderfully set track. The skating lane too, was pristine. The open circle of water on Mill Creek was freezing itself over as we went by, and as the snow pulled in the cold the low sun made the surface look ice blue. Hello Kitty was groomed, but not the west side of Aava's Draw. The east side had been treated, and I'm guessing it connected to Shortcut, but we happily stayed on the main trail. As we came to the new opening, the snow glowed in the low light, and when we began the climb after the hair pin turn, the trees, holding snow, cast long, deep shadows.
It grew colder, and the climb and the company warmed us. At the top was Bonaparte, wearing white and shimmering in the last of the sun. Then it was across the top and down, fast and cold, on excellent grooming,
It's winter again. Come ski!
Patti

February 20, 2022: Skiers, what a day. It was snowing like crazy at dawn this morning, and began to clear as the light grew. By the time we started skiing we found full sun and three to four inches of new snow. We started on Ida's Ford, skating through the latest fall over a solid platform. The meadows on lower Bobcat were pristine in the sunshine, and the new snow moved freely under us. The trees on Goshawk were holding snow again, and as we climbed we were treated to shimmering crystals descending from their branches on unfelt breezes. At the junction there was still no grooming, and we turned down Antoine and began climbing Aava's Draw. As we moved into the clearings the snow became deeper and we were lifting our skis high to get through. We decided to take Short Cut and go up Hello Kitty, thinking the woods would have intercepted some of the fall. They had. It was lovely up there, and silent but for a woodpecker's far off drumming.
When we found Antoine again, George went down the shared use trail and I continued the climb and went over the top. Coming down was like skiing on an edgy cloud, powder over glass. I mostly floated over the surface, and occasionally felt yesterday's crust under my skis. And there was enough snow on Goshawk and Bobcat to make descending pieces of cake (with icing). Going down I stopped to let a string of five younger skiers pass, all smiling as they herringboned their way up. Meanwhile, George had gone up Whitetail and come down Hej Bue. He said there was no grooming on the west side of the park either. We met at the corral lot and stood in the sun chatting with neighbors.
Even without grooming, Highlands is incredible.
Come ski!
Patti

February 18, 2022: Skiers I started on Whitetail this morning, setting my skis into a classic track that was not brand new, but good just the same. Next to me, the skating lane had been groomed, and when I stepped out onto it the texture was excellent. There was a bit of crust under some of the trees, but the snow is holding well. Past where the snowmobiles park there was a section that looked like someone had climbed into the fir and larch trees with their Felco pruners and left small twigs and cones all over the snow. That caused a bit of dodging. I noticed a chickadee poking about the debris, but it’s hard to implicate such a tiny creature. Other than that, the trail was remarkably clear. I had my ears and eyes opened for wildlife, but what caught my attention was my nose, recognizing a silent, invisible skunk trail at the swale before the last little pitch to the hut.
Windsong had as nice a skating lane as Whitetail and a brand new set track. Conditions got better and better as I climbed, the snow sparkled under bright sun, and what clouds there were hung in the sky like pulled white gossamer over blue. Coming down was easy on the smooth skating lane. I continued down on Hej Bue. The upper part was astounding, without a bit of crust, and when I got to the junction I could see that Sunshine was also newly groomed, complete with a track. The lower part of Hej Bue was a little crusty but still easy to snowplow. There was no track set on Straight Edge and the snow had drifted a bit, but there was nothing to complain about. I met George at the bottom. He had skied on Antoine and said it was excellent as well.
Here we are, moving into mid-February with all our trails still open and no end to good skiing in sight. Take advantage.
Come ski!
Patti

February 16, 2022: Skiers, skiing remains excellent. I think everything is groomed except for Antoine Loop from the top of Hello Kitty across the top of the loop.
Come ski!
Patti
PS I forgot to mention yesterday that someone lost an electronic key to a Toyota Highlander. It is likely in the upper parking lot, and possibly somewhere on Whitetail. If you find it, reply to my email and I can get it where it’s supposed to go.
Thanks!

February 15, 2022: Skiers, we are back to exquisite skiing. It snowed all day yesterday and left two inches of new fluff. That was enough, and our groomers were on it this morning, with Jason on the west side and Gregg on the east. We skated clockwise on Antoine and saw Gregg at the junction with Goshawk. He had just come down Aava's Draw and had been on Short Cut, and to the top of Antoine. He was going to work on Hello Kitty before calling it a day. Yesterday, he said, he went over the top.
Skating was wonderful mid-morning. The ice circle on Mill Creek had spawned a little sister, drawing mysterious imaginings to dark depths surrounded by purist white. The sun was bright and the sky as blue as could be. Most of the snow had blown out of the trees alongside the trails, but Bonaparte and surrounding ridges were dusted with white.
We followed Gregg's grooming up Aava's, still startled when coming to the open expanse of bright snow, like skiing in a whole new wonderland. The red brown larch towards the top were beautiful against the deep blue sky, their shaggy, desiccated needles and tiny cones lending texture to the monochromatic skeletons.
Coming back to Antoine, we skated up on an excellent platform just past the junction with the summer hiking trail to Bonaparte. Our neighbors were at the junction of Aava's and Antione, heading up in lovely lovely colors on classic skis, making the track look like it was the best one ever set. There was enough sun near the top of Ranger's Run to make our skis squeak, but it didn’t slow us down much. This new snow is an amazing gift. Come ski!
Patti

February 12, 2022: Skiers, this long, warm-day-cold-night system we're in seems to make time stand still. I have a non-skiing neighbor who says we're having no weather, and I know what he means. Still, the word of the day is sunshine. This morning the sky was deep spring blue with not a cloud to mirror the snow, and though the temperature was still below freezing it was easy to stand in the corral lot and chat with friends before needing our skis to warm us up. Having not been on it in awhile, I tested the waters on Ida's Ford. The waters were, predictably, frozen. The trail was wide and smooth though, with plenty of room to snowplow down the steep parts. I crossed the creek and climbed up to Bobcat, Thursday's klister still serving me well. Here again the sunshine came into play. Exposed areas sported a hard crust, while places in perennial shade were more forgiving. I went on, noting that some skiers had made handset a track coming down Ranger's Run (though it hasn't been groomed this year), and climbed up Goshawk, mostly in a herringbone, to Antoine.
I had a vague notion of skiing to the top in the clockwise direction, but found those sunny places held frozen skate tracks. My skis kept kept drifting into, but not out of them, or bumping roughly over them, and I turned around, admittedly a little defeated. Descending Goshawk was fine, the trail was hard, but smooth and wide enough for a slow snowplow. Bobcat, though not nearly as steep, was more problematic. It's narrower, rougher, and exposed to more tree line drip. I met a skiing neighbor skating up, and we talked about conditions and how they change over the day. We know there is a sweet spot where the crust has softened enough for purchase, and the sunshine has not had time to make the snow grab the skis as they travel from shadow to light. That's the spot we all need to find.
Come ski!
Patti
PS While I missed trailing them today, the groomers have been doing an excellent job in these conditions. George and I skied many of the east side trails just a couple of days ago, and they were in really nice shape. Again, thank you to our dedicated crew.

February 7, 2022; Skiers,
What a day! The late morning was full of sunshine and blue skies, and judging by the full parking areas I wasn't the only one who had figured out what a great day it was to ski. It was warm too, I met two women who were shedding layers, yet the snow was light and yielded easily to my skate skis. The small trees by Mill Creek on the Antoine Loop were still shrouded with snow, while up on Hello Kitty the trees looked like they had never held snow in all the decades since their germinations. Up there too were wonderful vistas of the Cascades, their flanks emerging strongly from valley fog, their peaks glowing white in full sun. The skate lane was a little rough, and there was some crust under the trees, but it was great to be there with the aspens and the ravens.
At the junction with Antoine Loop I continued the climb on smoother grooming and, for the first time this year, went over the top. Again, the platform was a little rough, but the skis skated forward and there was a track set most of the way. I took another look at the Cascades, and then Bonaparte was before me demanding my attention.
Coming down was surprisingly easy. The snow was fluffy enough to make it easy to control my speed, and I slid from one bump and the next, thinking of more adept skiers who would be launching themselves from the tops. The grooming at Aava's Draw looked good and I followed it up and around to Short Cut, which was also in fantastic shape, then back down the rest of Hello Kitty. It was so great to be up on top of the world on those east side trails again. Give it a go,
Come ski!
Patti

February 4, 2022: Skiers, our park is fully open once again! As we began our ski up Antoine yesterday, we found a new track next to the skating lane and happily set our classic skis into it. Todd came by on the groomer and said that on his next pass he would set a track over the top, connecting both sides of the Antoine Loop.
The inch or so of new snow had set up well and we continued going up the Loop counter-clockwise. The sun began to peek from behind the clouds, casting sparkles, and the trees removed for the fire break lent a whole new vista to the east. We went as far as the junction to Hello Kitty. It hadn't been groomed since the new snow but looked great anyway. Then, letting Todd do his work at the top, we turned around and came down on an amazingly smooth platform.
Now that we have the east side, it’s time to once again keep the dogs to that side of the park. It's important that skiers who would rather not encounter canine friends have a place that is free of them. For those who like the companionship of their animals, the east side has plenty of trails to explore.
The road is in great shape. Enjoy these amazing conditions and. . .
Come ski!
Patti

January 31, 2022: Skiers, here we are at the end of January and skiing couldn't be better. As we were driving past the corral lot this morning we could see the frost line the fog had painted on the ridge running up to Bonaparte, and as we clipped into our skis the sun was fiercely trying to burn a hole in the overcast above. We saw Jason on the snow machine, and with a tiny skiff of new snow, he had wielded his tool to make a wide, smooth skating lane and a new double track. They were both excellent.
We started up Windsong ahead of Jason, but we met him three times up there as he created a new track and platform just so we could glide. Meanwhile, snow started falling, and whether the trees were shuddering off their loads or the flakes originated from the sky was hard to tell at first. It lasted long enough to make me think it was the snow's first trip through the air, but not so long as I could be absolutely sure. In any case, it enhanced an already excellent texture. In the profound silence at the top we turned around. Coming down on the new grooming was pure joy and we could let our skis sing.
At the hut, pools of blue sky began to widen into bands in the east. Not quite ready to be done, we went to the top of Whitetail and could see that some intrepid skiers had come down Stinger, leaving the memory of their trek in the snow. Coming back, as the day grew ever brighter, we passed the spot where the machines park and realized all three of them were out working. What an amazing grooming team we have.
Come ski!
Patti

January 29, 2022: Skiers, we skied through late morning today, but it could have been anytime as the fog obscured and diffused the light from the sky. The trees embraced the moisture, hoarding layers of white frost and staging a winter wonderland. We parked in the corral lot, happily stepped into the cold, and skied on the newly groomed Ida's Ford and Bobcat! The surface was beautifully textured if not perfectly flat, and there was no track set, but skating through the meadow, over the creek and along the opening was lovely. We continued up Goshawk, the hill as challenging as ever, and found Antoine in excellent shape, though again there was no track. We could see at the first junction of Aava's Draw that it had also been groomed, but the second junction was still only snowmobile packed, and it may be that the groomer went to Short Cut and Hello Kitty instead of making the full loop. We didn't explore that, but continued back on Antoine.
The shadow of another skier emerged from the fog and stopped to chat a moment. He too was pleased with the grooming, saying it had cut through the previous crust. We enjoyed wonderful conditions to the junction and started downhill on the shared trail. And there was an entire gaggle of birders, standing respectfully to the side with a spotting scope set up. It was a friendly flock, and they told us they were looking at, or maybe hoping to look at, a woodpecker, but no one actually had their eyes to the glass. Later, skiing down Hej Bue, there was a small snag that a woodpecker had worked over leaving huge shreds of bark laying on the snow. I didn't see that bird either, nor did I climb back up the hill to tell anyone about it.
The grooming on Hej Bue gets better along with that in the rest of the park, and going down was fun. We cruised around Straight Edge and back to the parking lot, exhilarated.
Come ski!
Patti
PS With both sides of the lower meadows opened, I'd like to thank the Ameses and the Obergs for so generously letting us use their private land as part of our park.

January 26, 2022: Skiers, yesterday’s fog swirled below us and we skied in pure, blue sunshine this morning. We found grooming on Antoine! There wasn't a track set, and it was decidedly rough in spots but still perfectly skiable, and the work portends what a few more passes and a little snow will give us. Mill Creek, that lovely Antoine landmark, was softly covered with snow but for a small, perfect circle of ice, like a seal's breathing hole.
Hello Kitty was groomed too, and we followed it up. The trees were still holding residual frost, and crystals reflected tiny spots of sun, as if lit to welcome us and guide our way. We needed some guiding, as we came to Shortcut, which was tracked but not groomed. As we took in our first view over snow of the post firebreak landscape we were glad of the sign. And though we wouldn't have recognized the junction, we followed Aava's Draw up and around to meet Antoine again at the creek crossing. Back on true grooming we continued up, and as always, I marveled at the spring-that-never-freezes, taking up its tiny spot on the snow filled surround. While it hasn't snowed in a while, there are crystals growing out of the old snow that mimic the feeling of new cover, and, but for some dripline ice, it was a nice surface to be on. At the top we admired Bonaparte, its top dusted with white. Then, because the groomers haven't ventured farther yet, we turned around and came down. It was a rougher descent than ideal and we went cautiously slow until the last turn before the junction with Aava's. There the grooming was much better and we could enjoy the rest of the downhill. We stopped at Goshawk, seeing that it's groomed too, though we decided to save it for another day.
As we skied back a few wispy clouds began to band across the sky and play in the light, while somewhere far off, a raven cawed.
Come ski!
Patti

January 24, 2022: Skiers,
It's another blue sky day at Highlands and the skiing is stellar! I skated up Whitetail on a beautiful platform and George was in an equally well groomed classic track. Though most of the snow was gone from the trees at the beginning of the trail, in the riparian draw (where I always picture myself in an LL Bean catalog), the snow still sparkled in the canopy. As we climbed the last leg the wind pushed thin clouds through the sky like they were flowing over blue water, instead of being water flowing through air lit by blue sky. The descents down Whitetail, Pomme de Pin and Lichen Alley were perfect, and as we circled Sunshine Loop, cloud shadows moved across the meadow playing tag with the glitter from the sun.
We ran into Todd in the parking lot. He and the other groomers have begun packing the east side and intend to continue working on it all week. We had skied on Antoine on Saturday, and though it looked rough and obviously had not yet seen a final run, it was surprisingly accepting of our travel, and of course it was wonderful to be out there. Today we could see the beginnings of a packed track on Ida’s Ford, and Todd told us it goes all the way up Goshawk. With the sun, the cold snow in warm air, the fantastic grooming, and the opening of our whole park, today feels like we’re in the best of winters.
Come ski!
Patti

January 21, 2022: Skiers,
What a day: sun on snow, new snow, new grooming, new county road plowing, friendly skiers, and the best conditions anyone could hope for. We put our classic skis in a beautifully set track and found our way to the top of Windsong. A raven, glossy black against the blue sky, cut through the air ahead of us then flew out of sight, wondering why anyone would deign to stay on the ground while the air was so glorious. Ah, but so were the trails. Part way up the hill we ran into Gregg on the groomer. We told him this was as good as it gets, and he said not quite; he had just seen a moose! We missed that sighting, but since trees stand still, we were able to view the young spruce. They were perky and dressed up in new snow, while the bigger trees had seemingly shaken all the white off.
Coming down on virgin corduroy was a joy. It was just cold enough that standing a few moments in the sun in front of the hut felt luxurious. And we had had so much fun skiing down Windsong that we decided to keep going down Pomme de Pin. In the distance, the ravens cawed their approval and it was wonderful. Even Lichen Alley was easily controllable, with only a vestige of ice at the gate. The meadow at Sunshine Loop was full of sparkles, and climbing Hej Bue to Whitetail was a great last hurrah.
Now that the log hauling is done, the groomers are working on the east side of the park. There is no reason for anyone not to. . .
Come ski!
Patti

January 19, 2022: Skiers,
What a day it was! The sun was shining above the clouds and I saw a bunch of you skiing away the warm day. Conditions are peaking in the mid morning right now, maybe about 9-10AM. The afternoons are pleasantly warm. The west side was groomed and things set up well. Please note that these melt freeze cycles create a great base but make for icy conditions early in the day and under the trees. The best news is the opening of the east side! The gates are closed where they should be and open where they should be. Thanks to all for giving the loggers plenty of space so they could finish up earlier than expected while staying safe. We began to pack down the east side today before it warmed up too much. It will take us a few days to a week to get everything packed down so we can begin grooming but you're welcome to break some trail for us if you feel like skiing in a little fun backcountry conditions! Todd and I will be back out Friday morning getting it ready for the weekend. More snow is on the way to boot!
Come Ski!
Groomer Gregg

January 18, 2022: Skiers,
The afternoon felt chilly but it was just above freezing as we began skating up Windsong. Whitetail had been scuffed up a little since the last grooming but Windsong was smooth. Still, the warm snow sucked a bit at our skis and they readily broke the silence of Highlands
The park must have been above the fog last night because the trees are all but bare of frost and snow, and we could see more than one squirrel frolicking in the branches. Occasionally the grey sky gathered itself into sporadic puffs, letting a little blue show through. And Sitzmark and her sisters were strikingly white against a purple bruise of horizon.
Interestingly, the snowmobile gate on the beginning of the Antoine Loop was closed. I don't know if it's permanent, but at least this afternoon we didn’t worry about logging trucks coming down the hill behind us. We’ll see if it's still closed in the morning.
It was fun to meet other skiers on the trails. We chatted with a few of them in the parking lot, people we'd not had a chance to meet before who were out embracing winter like we were.
All is well,
Come ski!
Patti

January 15, 2022: Skiers,
Yesterday's pea soup fog resolved into hazy consomme this morning and I found the trails at the park. I ran into Groomer Gregg twice. He seems to have been everywhere, leaving a smooth skating lane and machine set tracks in his wake. Though temperatures hovered at freezing, the snow was setting up well and skiing was great.
The air I was moving through blended seamlessly into the wet sky, and while a fine mist precipitated on my glasses my clothing remained perfectly dry. As I went up Whitetail I noticed how comical the young larch looked, bent this way and that by clumps of snow still teetering in their branches, and tangled in frost strands that hung onto their residual needles and exposed lichens. In contrast, the firs were stately and straight, with each needle carefully outlined in rime. Then there were the trees weeping for spring and casting large yellow shadows over the snow, so many of them on Pomme de Pin that the hillside looked splashed.
Lichen Alley was in good shape except for a few dripline icy spots, most noticeably at the gate and at the junction of Sunshine Loop. The Loop itself was marvelous, and while no sunshine was on the meadow, the conditions made skiing brilliant. Going down Hej Bue was almost ice free, and climbing back up to Whitetail was lovely on the newly groomed snow.
Belying the fog and the thermometer, it is amazingly good out there.
Come ski!
Patti
PS The road is still in really good shape with no ice that I could see or feel. I remain diligent about the conditions, and about the logging trucks sharing the road.

January 13, 2022: Skiers,
Who would have thought a few short weeks ago winter could be so warm. We are in a thaw, and luckily we have lots and lots of snow. The temperatures have been so low recently that using blue wax (for those of us who still wax) became so common as to not be worth mentioning. Today I would have broken out the klister, but instead used George's mohair bottomed skis. I found beautifully set tracks, and the skis performed flawlessly all the way to the top of Windsong. As I climbed I watched the sky. Through the tree openings I could see gray fog rising like smoke into a pale sky, while above me white clouds roamed under a deeper blue. By the time I reached the last sharp turn, I was skiing through a cloud and looking up at pure blue and sunshine. It felt surreal, to say the least.
Starting down, I stopped to admire my friend. He was skating to the top, looking strong and graceful, moving in a perfect rhythm that would inspire anyone. I continued down, and though the trail looked smooth I had trouble controlling my snowplow, ending up on my bum at one point. I was blaming my problems on the unfamiliar mohair, thinking it was grabbing at the snow, but when my friend caught up to me he said he was having the same experience on his skating skis. We managed the rest of the hill, and by the time I got to the hut, the sunshine was full and I went up Whitetail a ways just to prolong being out there.
I have yet to say how wonderful all the new signs going up are. They are beautifully done, easy to read, and should help everyone stay oriented. I don't even know who is doing the work, but thank you all the same.
And with that, there is nothing more to say but....
Come ski!
Patti

January 9, 2022: Skiers,
The wind must have blown here and there at Highlands since the last pass of the groomer. We started on Whitetail this morning and found a few minor debris clouds lying on the trail. The snow was out of the tops of the trees and as we skied by, the larch stood tall, holding bare branches into a mottled sky. The newly laid tracks looked perfect, and the skating lane had been groomed smooth, and had had time to set up well. The warmer snow offered real glide, and it was great to take advantage of it. After stopping to admire Baldy on the way to the end of Whitetail, Pomme de Pin beckoned. It hadn't been groomed as recently and was a little rough, bordering on crusty in places, but where protected in the trees the trail was fine. This continued down Lichen Alley until coming out to Sunshine Loop. For whatever reason, skating on the Loop was a dream, with skis gliding over a smooth, clean platform. The gray sky was beginning to pull apart, and every patch of revealed blue threw glitter onto the pristine meadow snow. Conditions repeated themselves from Sunshine down Hej Bue, and once on Straight Edge skating was even better than we had had before.
Come ski
Patti

January 7, 2022: Skiers, there is new grooming over seven plus inches of new snow. The road is plowed up to the turn off to the parking lot.
Come ski!
Patti
Addendum for Dog Owners
Dog Skiers,
Last year we opened the east side of Highlands to dogs. As far as I know, it went pretty well. People who didn't want to leave their pets behind kept them fairly well in control, and those who didn't want to deal with domestic canines on the trail had a place they could go. As we know, we're all confined to the west side for now, and I've heard a few complaints.
Dog etiquette, as outlined on the map, is simple:
· * Keep your dogs in control
· * Clean up their messes.
George and I are new dog owners and realize the first bullet requires patience and training. We are working on it and we (the dog and ourselves) make mistakes. The second bullet is simple. If we all work toward the first, and always take care of the second, we should be able to maintain our current arrangement.
One more thing that came up in conversation was skijoring. I don't know anything about the sport, but if you see the track is fragile enough to be damaged by the dog's gait, please stay to the side
Thanks for your attention!
Patti

January 6, 2022: Skiers,
There was snow again when we skied today and it was hard to tell if more was starting to fall or an unfelt breeze was lifting it out of the trees. We started on a newly groomed Whitetail, then went down Hej Bue to Sunshine. We had skied these trails yesterday, but there was so much new snow on them that we could barely see the tracks. We continued down Hej Bue to Straight Edge. All the baby deciduous twigs that made the top of the trail dicey are completely put to a winter's bed, and it was a lovely ski down in snow so powdery we barely left a mark. In the meadow, Sitzmark, Brown and State School Mountains stood outlined by a band of aquamarine, while the rest of the sky was shrouded in various shades gray. We circled the loop, likewise absent of little trees in the trail, and went back up to Sunshine. Lichen Alley was true to its name today, with long strands of Old Man’s Beard dripping with frost overhanging our track. When we got to Pomme de Pin we found new grooming again and soon ran into Todd on his machine. He was going to do another pass and head down Sunshine and Hej Bue to Straight Edge. He told us he had already been to the top of Windsong, opening that trail after a short hiatus.
Skiing back I stopped a moment to look at Baldy. If words were pastels you would see its subdued white peak merging into the subtle aqua sky, and its flanks lightly smudged with gray cloud, everything soft, muted and beautiful.
And, hats off to Todd, Gregg and Jason. They were all up there today, loading one machine on a trailer for repair, grooming with the other and figuring out how to deal with all this new snow to keep us skiers going. I also want to thank Kim for setting up our new Facebook page. Gregg sent the link a few days ago, but if you missed it here it is again:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1161220738017994/?multi_permalinks=1164651251008276¬if_id=1641332133022786¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif
And here is to all of you who so enthusiastically danced for snow. Come ski!
Patti

January 4, 2022: Skiers!
Come Ski!
Groomer Gregg
I wanted to let you all know that we've created a new Facebook page (thanks Kim!) and will be updating there as well. Feel free to post some photos of your SnoPark, hit us up with questions or just enjoy the feed.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1161220738017994/?multi_permalinks=1164651251008276¬if_id=1641332133022786¬if_t=feedback_reaction_generic&ref=notif

January 3, 2022: Skiers,
Last night the sky delivered at least nine inches of new, light snow to the Highlands. As it cast its web of white along the trails it wove the branchlets of the firs together, and the boughs hung down like long, articulating fingers. In contrast, the big, wide trees on Sunshine Loop intercepted the fall, making them look as if they were wearing Mother Hubbard hoop skirts and sheltering the tiniest munchkins in the woods from all that winter could dole out.
And then there was the skiing. Jason was grooming, setting a skating lane and new tracks. He said he tried to groom Straight Edge, but it was so foggy he couldn't find his way. We followed him down Pomme de Pin, which was excellent. Lichen Alley, Sunshine Loop and Sunshine were all fantastic, and we were above the dense fog, though not in the blue sky. We climbed Hej Bue, newly groomed as well, to finish.
The road to the turnoff to the parking lot is nicely plowed. We followed Jason's tire tracks up the last turn and had no problem getting to a parking spot in our four wheel drive. Temperatures are at the sweet spot in the low twenties.
Come ski!
Patti

January 2, 2022: Skiers!
Happy New Year to all! I hope each and every one of you had a wonderful holiday season. Grooming has continued during our little cold snap and the park is shaping up nicely. The west side is in perfect shape. Yesterday while grooming I followed a set of bobcat tracks all the way around Sunshine Loop!
In a fun turn of events today Kristi, I and our two crazy pups actually got out to ski! Pomme du Pin was fast and fun, Lichen Alley was true to its namesake and Sunshine Loop was as smooth as it gets. We've got snow falling now and Llew will be out grooming tomorrow. This week is going to be awesome! Please remember that the lower loops of "our" park are mostly on private property. Being allowed by our gracious neighbors to use their land for our pleasure is unheard of these days so remember to treat their properties with respect and leave them better than you find them!
Come Ski!
Groomer Gregg

January 1, 2022: Skiers,
We rang in the New Year on skis at Highlands. And as if to honor the first day of the year, the sun appeared as a glowing orb in a sky pregnant with the snow promised for tomorrow. Gregg was grooming, and all the west side trails except for Windsong have a crisp skating lane and newly set tracks.
The blankets of snow hanging in the trees and lying on the sides of the trails are drawing in this deep winter cold, and the newly groomed surfaces have turned blue with it, Classic skiing is fantastic. What a great start to 2022.
Happy New Year!
Come ski!!!
Patti

December 30, 2021: Skiers,
As the temperature rolled above 0 this morning and continued to slowly rise, we decided to ski. Highlands was pristine, with the trees bending low under huge billows of snow and a gray sky muting the landscape. We tested the waters on Whitetail's three inches of ungroomed trail, and found it so lovely we decided to climb Windsong. The snow, cold and light, parted easily under our skis, and the stillness was broken only by the flash of a snowshoe hare, looking like a bounding snowball ahead of us. Just as we neared the top, the sky began to blush to blue, and incongruously, snow started to fall lightly. The snowflakes didn't last long, but as we descended, warm under layers of clothing, shadows slowly defined themselves.
When we got to the hut, we were astounded and delighted to see new grooming, complete with set tracks, on Whitetail and Pomme de Pin. That short ski back to the sign in sheet was some of the best classic skiing we've had all winter. Judging by the truck in the parking lot, Todd was our hero this time. He was still out grooming when we left.
The road remains in great shape, and conditions should only get better.
Come ski!
Patti

December 28, 2021: Skiers,
I just got a message from Jack. He says it's too cold to groom in these sub zero temperatures. In addition, one of the snow machines needs to be repaired. He expects the groomers to be working again on Sunday.
Stay warm, then come ski.
Patti

December 25, 2021: Skiers,
Find beautiful, new Christmas Day grooming
Come ski!
Patti

December 24, 2021: Skiers,
The park was lovely this Christmas Eve morning. The new grooming on the upper trails, including set tracks, was under a fine skiff of snow that made skiing smooth. The opaque light subdued the landscape and the boundary between the surface we moved over and the air we moved through was blurred. It wasn't snowing, and we didn’t seem to be in true fog, but there was so much moisture in the air that our glasses collected ice crystals. Ah, but who needed glasses on a trail where the forest trees emerged as solid, dark pillars standing in the gray, and bearing their ever growing loads of snow.
We stopped several times, chatting with friends and neighbors, young and younger, and breathing in the clean winter air. At the end of Whitetail we intruded on a statuesque snowshoe hare doing its best to appear invisible in its fine white coat, showing us just one of various species of wildlife wintering in the Highlands.
It's been snowing off and on this afternoon and evening, giving all of us skiers the best present we could ask for. Merry Christmas everyone. Have a wonderful celebration tomorrow.
Come ski,
Patti

December 22, 2021: Skiers,
The west side of the meadows is now groomed. We parked at the corral lot and skated around Straight Edge (it always seems odd to envision a circular path on a trail named for straight edges). There was grass protruding, but the lane was wide and we weren't impeded. The little trees on the west side of the loop were quite prominent however, and took some attention to avoid. Because of the low snow cover, we thought about what skiing down Hej Bue might be like, and following an ever growing caution, drove to the upper parking lot. There we found Whitetail, Windsong and Pomme de Pin with beautiful, newly groomed skating platforms.
Today the fog subdued yesterday's Solstice brightness, as if now that the sun had license to claim a few more moments in the sky, the rest of the atmosphere would veil its power. Toward the top of Windsong, we saw patches of blue begin to open, but the wind immediately came up and swirled the clouds into a solid cover.
After the uphill pull, we sailed down the wonderfully smooth surface into the white of the thickening fog. With the snow on the trees blurring in the mist, we let the damp silence swallow us.
Come ski!
Patti
PS The road is still in great shape. Jack corrected my information I gave you last week. The county plowed, making the road wide and creating several turnouts. Still, be alert for those fully loaded logging trucks1

December 19, 2021: Skiers,
What a wonderful day to ski. There was a thin string of clouds bisecting the Cascades, a puff of soft gray over Bonaparte, and all else was pure icy blue. The new snow was as fine as the finest sugar, and occasionally a breath of wind would flow by a tree and release it, as if pushing a crystalline curtain through thin air. The cold made for great classic skiing and we let the set tracks guide us to the top of Windsong while we admired the downhill turn marks the skier who descended before us had made.
Windsong was mostly in the shade in the early afternoon. I got cold on the downhill and was eager to reach that first sunspot toward the bottom where I could warm my face. Getting there, my skin registered the heat immediately, and I drew a startled breath at seeing huge mirrored facets on the snow. They dazzled the landscape and left me yearning to scoop up basketfuls of sparkle.
As you know, truckers are still hauling logs from the east side of the park. The road is in good shape (thanks to their plowing) but be on the alert. I'm not sure yet when they expect to be done. For now, we can stay on the west side where Whitetail, Windsong and Pomme de Pan are our mainstays.
Come ski!
Patti

December 16, 2021: Skiers,
Going down I moved through the cold with snowflakes on my face. It was so fun that I decided to go up Whitetail a ways, though once the climbing really began I was done and turned to the parking lot. By then I was humming with all the people I had seen, their cheeks rosy with cold, their clothing blanketed with white, the summer's dust dissolved from their gear. Like me, they had taken time on a Thursday morning to move through the winter. You can do the same.
Come ski!
Patti
PS Snow park permits are also available at Sitzmark Rental Shop!

December 14, 2021: Skiers,
Whitetail has a track set and a skating lane. Jason was still grooming this morning when we finished gliding over new snow.
Come ski!
Patti

December 13, 2021:Skiers,
At last there is snow, and as Gregg promised, the groomers have been working on the west side of the park. It is amazing what they can do with so little accumulation. We set out on touring skies, the packed but untracked snow feeling slick as we headed towards the hut. Once there, Windsong beckoned, and as we climbed the snow improved and our skis stopped slipping sideways. A dark, pillowed cloud cradled the sun in an otherwise gray sky, leaving the landscape opaque, and soon enough it began to snow, the wind gathering flakes and blowing them before us.
There are alder and spruce seedlings poking through at the top, but nothing that impeded us. Coming down though, just as I was thinking about how wonderful it was to be outdoors in the winter Highlands again, my skis hit something that threw me straight down. Other than coating my sunglasses with snow, there was no harm done, and I went back and pulled a double fist sized rock out of the center of the trail. I found one more rock further down (this time with my eyes, not my skis) but it was frozen in. It's still snowing as I write, and perhaps by tomorrow more of the debris will be under white, but prudence is called for until we get a little more coverage.
Thanks to all of you who have sent in your dues. Your support for our Sno Park is fantastic. If you haven't paid yet and would like to, you can donate online at:
http://www.highlandsnordicsnopark.com/index.html
or mail a check to:
Highlands Nordic Ski Club
599 N Siwash Creek Rd.
Tonasket, WA 98855
Remember too that you need a WA State Sno-Park Permit to park at the Sno Park. You can find one online at:
http://parks.state.wa.us/134/Permits
Look for non-motorized, seasonal permits.
For all that, what you really need to is,
Come ski!
Patti

April 2, 2021 Skiers, March 31 marked the last day of our official Nordic ski season. Many of the Highland trails still have snow, and you are all welcome to use them for as long as you can, but the grooming season is over, as is the need for your snow park permit.
This has been an amazing ski year. We began before the season started on November 1, and are continuing beyond the end. During that time, there were very few days when the skiing wasn't good to excellent to unbelievably stellar. We had so many people enjoying the snow, some of whom discovered Highlands Nordic Sno Park for the first time, in part because the pandemic made it so difficult to go farther afield. Since they couldn't cross the border or ski at Sitzmark, many of our downhill skiing friends found themselves on cross country skis or snowshoes. We even had fat-tired bikes on the trails. We welcomed everyone and hope they return next year.
There are so many people to thank for making this such a great season. I do so at the risk of leaving someone out, so please forgive me if that happens. First, thanks to Jack and his crew, Jason, Todd D, and Gregg, for the outstanding grooming. I can't count the times I would hear a machine and see one of their bundled up, smiling faces come into view. They always stopped and chatted about what conditions to expect, where they intended to go next, and at least one of them, dressed in the vestments of the north, distributed candy canes at Christmas time. They began in the cold and dark, and often continued well into the afternoon. I can't imagine a more dedicated bunch. Thanks to the Oberg and Ames families for granting their permission once again for us to ski across their private lands. These trails give us the loops in the sunshine and the relatively flat terrain we all have come to appreciate. Thanks to Walter, who continues to write the grant each year that allows Highlands Nordic Sno Park to pay for grooming and snow plowing. Thanks to Todd T., who spearheaded the snowshoe trails and signage, to Julie for producing the improved maps, and to the two of them and Jack for getting them posted. Thanks to Jack again for new signs reflecting the new trail names, and to him and Phil for making the new table in the hut. Thanks to Betsy for her Forest Service, support. Thanks to the families who are introducing their children to Nordic skiing. And, most importantly, thanks to all of you for buying your snow park permits and for coming to Highlands to ski. Without your support, there would be no Highlands Nordic Sno Park, and aren't we lucky that we have such a fabulous, well cared for place to spend so many winter hours.
This year, we are planning to have an outdoor, socially distanced on-site summer meeting to point out trail work that needs to be done, in hopes that people will find a few hours here and there to volunteer before next season. We haven't yet set a date, but we'll let you know as soon as we come up with some options.
Until then, I hope you can figure out something to do between when the snow leaves this May and falls again in October. At that time, I'll once again be inviting you to. . .
Come ski!
Patti

March 26, 2021: Skiers, after a short hiatus I skied to the top of Windsong yesterday. It was icy right out of the gate, but by the time I got to where the snow machines are parked, the surface was just firm with a light dusting of corn snow. The track was still discernable, and on George's mohair bottomed skis, my kick always took me forward.
I turned uphill, feeling the snow change as I went. On the rock shelf just before where the Telemark Trail slides into Windsong the moss was startling green, and the layer of corn snow grew so that I felt like I was skiing on, for lack of a better analogy, styrofoam beads. At the hairpin turn I faced a sky full of pending rain, but on the entire ski saw only one hopeful snowflake drift across my vision. The trail was a deep, opaque white, broken by moose, coyote, snowshoe hare and various and sundry other wildlife tracks. The moose tracks were deep enough to swallow my pole plants while the hare prints barely disturbed the surface. As I approached the top the sun found a small opening in the clouds and even the corn snow sparkled back in greeting.
The descent was slow and easy, and I could catch glimpses of the hills around Havillah, now mostly void of snow, and of Baldy wrapped in a cloud. Coming to the junction with Whitetail, the hut looked lonely, with a circle of bare ground growing from the foundation and the woodpile exposed. There is still snow though, and as the season moves towards spring, you can still. . .
Come ski!
Patti

March 13, 2021: Skiers, it's a lovely day at Highlands. I wanted to see how the lower meadows were holding, so I parked at the corrals and began skating on Ida's Ford. I was pleasantly surprised. There was grass popping though on the steepest part of the descent to the creek, but the rest was firm without being crusty, and soft on top without being mushy. There were a few places on Bobcat that were revealing ground. I stopped at one of them to sit on a log and pull out a wrinkle in my sock, and basked for a moment in the sun's warmth. I thought by being still I'd get a glimpse of the little birds chirping in the trees, but I didn't even see the raven I could hear calling. It was lovely skiing anyway, and Goshawk was completely covered.
The skate platform on Antoine had been recently groomed, as had the one over Aava's Draw. I went that way, pulling up through the woods to the first meadow where the big aspen trees seemed to be mirroring the milky white sky. I continued around the Draw, and when I ended up back on Antoine I went on. By the time I got to the junction with the Antoine hiking trail, which at least one person has skied recently, the snow was like any we would covet in mid winter - perfectly textured and cold. The little plants in the spring-that-never-freezes shown fluorescent green through the water in the sunlight, and the bowl of snow had widened, giving them free access to early spring photosynthesis.
Going across the top, in spite of the huge amount of snow on the side of the trail, there were places where the kinnikinnick was pushing through, still almost a shadow presence barely marking the slow melt. Still, the skiing across was excellent and the descent from the top smooth and easy. I was worried that Hello Kitty would be too icy to go down, but it was controllable and fun with little crust. I hopped over to Aava's Draw again via Shortcut, and skied back down to the corrals. At the end, I stopped a moment with skis in hand, looking at Bonaparte, gauging how much farther away it seemed from here than from the top of the Antoine Loop, its iconic shape never changing within our sense of time, where ever we view it while skiing.
See for yourself. Come ski!
Patti

March 11, 2021: Skiers! Spring may be just around the corner but that's no excuse to not ski! Today I groomed Whitetail, Windsong, Pom Du Pin, Aava's Draw and Hello Kitty. It was chilly this morning so the north-facing aspects are hard but where the snow was good it set up nicely. There was even a "real" local on Whitetail enjoying the snow. I bet this gal will have a calf in tow soon.
Come Ski!
Groomer Gregg

March 11, 2021: Skiers, yesterday I climbed Antoine starting counter clockwise. The skating lane was wide and smooth, just like Gregg had described, and though the track wasn't reset it was easy to ski in. I was mostly in bright light looking at big, grey clouds on the horizon. The climb warmed me up, though the snow didn't seem to notice the sun and the glide was good. Going across the top was lovely and the grooming made skiing really fun. Towards the end, where there is that touch of alpine feel, the snow had arranged itself to throw sparkles back at the sky.
Going down was cold, fast, and delightful. When I got to Aava's Draw, I saw it was also newly groomed so I began climbing again, finding the sunlit meadows almost as brilliant as the snow at the top of Antoine. I cruised through Shortcut and snowplowed down Hello Kitty. There were a few short reaches of ski skittering crust, but the grooming was so smooth that I barely noticed them before they were over, and most of the decent was stellar. Adding to the excellent snow was the chance to chat with two friends who were enjoying their outings as much as I was.
Today should be the same.
Come ski!
Patti

March 9, 2021: Skiers! It sure feels like spring and even though it's been warming up your groomers are still at it. We hit the park a bit earlier and are able to get it done! Today I groomed Aava's Draw, Hello Kitty, Antione Loop and across the top, Shortcut and the 150. Conditions are really good.
I've been asked a bunch of times about critters I see and for the most part it's whitetail deer but occasionally I spot a bobcat or a moose and today I witnessed one of the coolest critters out there. As I was coming down Hello Kitty I caught a flash from the sky and watched as a Northern Goshawk swooped down on a snowshoe hare. He even hung around and let me take a few photos from my phone.
Come Ski!
Groomer Gregg
P.S. On the drive home I spotted the first Blue Bird too! Time to clean out those nest boxes!

March 8, 2021: Skiers, Jason has taken advantage of the cold morning to refurbish the skate lane on Whitetail, Windsong and Pomme de Pin, and on Hello Kitty and the entire Antoine Loop except for the part that goes over the top. It is exquisite!
Come ski

March 8, 2021: Skiers, what a day. Skiing this morning, we turned our faces into a howling wind and thickly falling snow. All the little spruce needles cupped the new fluff, letting it outline the branches in white once again, and the larch, with only lichen to catch the crystals, did its best to imitate.
Skating was fun, if a little teetery in the places that had softened and refrozen under the inch and a half of new surface. I went up Hello Kitty and took Short Cut to Aava's Draw. It was magical to be up in the meadows in what felt like a crazy storm, the snow flying every which way. I slid down to Antoine and met George at the junction. Somehow the wind was still blowing in our faces as we skied back.
Now it's sunny with patches of blue sky. Who knows what you’ll find when you venture out.
Come ski!
Patti

March 4, 2021: Skiers, I started on Whitetail today, and was amazed at how good the skiing was. Hats off to our groomers. Everywhere possible, the track was reset and the skating lane had new texture. At the hut I could see the grooming went up Windsong and today I went down Pomme de Pin. The track hadn't been reset, but the skate lane was really smooth. I found a little crust around one corner, but other than that all the snow was forgiving. The sun was intense when the trail was out of the trees, and the little fir branchlets that the wind had strewn in my path absorbed the heat, melted the snow around them, and sank below my skis. I snowplowed down Lichen Alley, and at the gate went off trail to avoid a patch of pure ice and soil, reminding me that that particular spot always gives us the first sign of spring. Sunshine Loop was gloriously bright and the set track offered a nice glide. The snow in the deep center of the meadow was still cradling the tall, tawny grass from the fall, while the snow in the woods was beginning to creep away from the trees.
I went down Hej Bue, stopping at the bottom to admire the big aspen set against the blue sky, and rounded Straight Edge. Here too, a track was set. Occasionally it was melted out on one side of the skate lane or the other, but the skiing was good all the way around. I clambered back up Hej Bue, continued on to Whitetail and floated back to the parking lot.
Enjoy this March weather. Come ski!
Patti

March 2, 2021: Skiers, here we are into March, and skiing our hearts out. Yesterday we found Ida's Ford and Straight Edge newly groomed, so we parked at the corrals and headed toward the creek crossing. The skate lane had not quite set up, and particularly in the sunshine, which was bounteous, I struggled for a reasonable glide. My classic skiing companions were doing great however, and kindly waited for me at the top of Goshawk.
Aava's Draw was also newly groomed and we took the first junction, the meadows sheening white, the woods casting protective shadows. At one point I looked up and saw a huge cirrus cloud formed like a beautiful soft feather etched in the blue overhead. Reaching Antoine, I had to contrast that image with that of the fighter jet streaking low in the sky, upending the silence we so take for granted at Highlands.
As the day continued to warm, the contrast between slow snow in the sun and fast snow in the shade grew more pronounced, and I found myself balancing on the descent lest I fall on my face in the transition. Still, the snow was fine, no ice, no windblown debris, and plenty of sunshine and good company.
Come ski!
Patti

February 27, 2021: Skiers, as my neighbor said, it was a four star day for Highlands. The sun was bright and warm, the snow light and cold, and everything sparkled under a brilliant blue sky. We met Jack in the parking lot and he told us he had groomed the entire Antoine Loop, including over the top, with a new skate platform and a reset track. We went the counterclockwise direction and it was stellar. We began the climb, six old friends together, spreading across the hill at various points to chat and gain purchase. After the junction with Hello Kitty, we stopped to look at tracks. There have been parties of elk at the park this week, stirring up the snow and showing themselves to a lucky few, (never me), but we decided that this was probably a single moose, leaping uphill, landing in the middle of the skate lane and making another leap off the trail, probably hearing our squeaking skis and chickadee chitter before galloping out of sight.
As we went over the top we were in a skiers' line with me at the back, and I was struck by the colors moving before me: yellow, orange, fluorescent pink and green, and bright red, in the boots and skis of my companions. Standing perfectly still were white snow, tawny trunks, green needles, blue sky, and Bonaparte, framing us all.
We stopped to nod at the spring-that-never-freezes, then headed down in the loveliest of descents. At the first junction with Aava's Draw, we were struck that the trail, which we skied yesterday, now lay under several inches of new powder. We continued, enjoying the well-defined track up to Goshawk and beyond, staying with it even when the sun had misshapen its edges. We were in wonderful company, had fantastic snow, and every one of those four stars was shining.
Come ski!
Patti

February 24, 2021: Skiers it was a full sun, blue-sky day when I clipped in on Whitetail this morning. The surface of the snow was hard, and when I asked a skier heading home whether conditions got better, she said yes and I went on. The valiant effort the groomer had made to add some texture to the snow became more fruitful as I began to climb Windsong, and well before the first hairpin turn I was on a primo skate platform. The shadows were starkly defined and the sunspots of snow sparkled under all that blue. The white had blown out of the trees, and at one rest stop I looked out at Baldy through the twiggy branches of the baby larch on the side of the trail, a few clouds sharing her horizon, while in the forefront Sitzmark, State School, and Brown Mountain gleamed. At the last hairpin turn, conditions changed again and I was skating on real snow. At the top, I turned around and traversed all those conditions in reverse, the cold of the descent feeling somehow luxurious, and causing me to envision beauties wrapped in ermine stoles.
As sunny as it was mid morning, it’s snowing like crazy now, which could make tomorrow unbelievably good.
Come ski!
Patti
PS The road was surprisingly easy today, a little slick, but not the glare ice we’ve had after past thaws

February 20, 2021: Skiers, just when I think conditions can't get better at Highlands, they get better yet. Today the entire west side was recently groomed, and it looked like the east side was heading in that direction. I heard from other skiers that Lichen Alley, Sunshine Loop, and Hej Bue were excellent, and when I skied past the hut, Windsong looked pristine. I contented myself with Whitetail today. I had some equipment trouble and it was only through meeting good Samaritans that I was able to go that far. But what a ski - the track was perfect, and as I glided past the dip for the creek, there was enough sunshine between the shadows to warm my face. By the time I got to the top, the sky was blazing blue and showing off trees still full of frost and snow.
The mist slowly closed in again as I skied back. The icing on the cake was seeing three young people, none of them taller than my ski poles, striding confidently in the track coming towards me. And the cherry on the icing was running into two sets of friends from out of town who were here to ski.
It's a winter wonderland out there.
Come ski!
Patti

February 19, 2021: Skiers, it snowed through our entire ski yesterday and into the late afternoon.
Come ski!
Patti

February 18, 2021: Skiers, yesterday was delightful at Highlands. There was an inch or two of light new snow over a well set skate platform and classic tracks on Whitetail, and skating, though a little slow, was really good. I found the same on Pomme de Pin through all the turns, one dip carrying me to the top of the next with a few simple pushes. The wind was blowing snow from the trees, and it showered down in everything from the finest curtain of crystals to great swirling cotton balls; a dynamic backdrop to be skiing through.
Lichen Alley was as good as it gets, no tree debris or ice, lots of snow, and easily controllable. And down on Sunshine Loop it was still, the meadow looking softly sculpted around the few trees at its edge. I skated on to Sunshine. Bonaparte was center stage in front of a bank of soft gray clouds, while a band of blue outlined Fourth of July Ridge. At the junction of Hej Bue I went down, finding the same easy descent as Lichen Alley had given me, skated around Straight Edge, and crossed the road to Ida's Ford. Conditions were as lovely here as on the west side, and on Bobcat I heard a chickadee call, interrupting its bid to find enough calories to make it through another winter night. Rounding the bend on Goshawk I had to pay the piper for all that lovely downhill, but the trail remained well groomed as I climbed and I wasn't in a hurry. At the junction of Antoine I met George. He had just finished going around Aava's Draw and said it was great. He had met our neighbor who told him the Draw had been groomed yesterday, but they found more than a few inches of snow overtop. The Antoine Loop itself had had only one narrow pass with the machine but it was mostly downhill from there and we readily made our way back.
It's a lovely world out there.
Come ski!
Patti
PS The road is in great shape.

February 14, 2021: Skiers, snow sifted down as we skied this morning, falling through the cold from a bright, gray sky. We saw Jack coming out as we gathered our group at the corral lot. He told us the west side was being groomed with a new skate platform and set classic track. That was a good beginning to a great ski day. George and I began by standing still, watching in awe as a couple of strong, expert young skiers showed us how it's done on Straight Edge, then followed Ida's Ford to Bobcat. The trail was unmarked and beautiful under our quiet skis, the meadow starkly white, the trees lightly flocked, the new snow as light as ocean foam. We climbed Goshawk and we could see that another inch or two of snow had fallen on Antoine since we skied there yesterday afternoon. We continued through it clockwise, gulping cold air and warming ourselves with movement. At the top we zipped up our jackets, pulled our headbands over our ears, and sailed down through the fluff the way we had come.
Going over Ida's Ford again I could see the patterns the ice and snow had made over the water, so much color and texture in simple gray and white. Popping out of the creek bed we found our neighbor skiing, and behind him, Jason on the groomer on Straight Edge, ensuring perfect conditions for the afternoon and tomorrow.
Come ski!
Patti

February 11, 2021: Skiers, it was -3º and a windchill of -20º when I left the warmth of the woodstove and headed up to the SnoPark to groom. With it finally feeling like winter the woods were quiet except for the breeze. I saw a few birds puffed up to stay warm and a whitetail doe hunkered down under a pine. The sudden growl of the snow machine moved her off to other pastures as I headed up her namesake. I groomed most of the west side including Whitetail, Windsong, Pom Du Pin, Straight Edge and Sunshine Loop. Conditions were great and the corduroy set up well on all trails. Many of the forest critters are holding tight trying to stay warm and they were easy to spot from the machine. If I was quietly gliding on skis I probably would have spotted even more. We will be focusing on the east side tomorrow and by this weeked we should have your park in tip top shape.
Please be careful and prepared when recreating in these colder temperatures. Know the signs of cold injuries and hypothermia and know when to turn around. Bring some extra loose fitting insulating layers, a warm drink and try to avoid sweating too much. I hope to see you all out there!
Have fun and come ski!
Groomer Gregg

February 10, 2021: Skiers, as cold as it is, a fine snow fell and sifted over yesterday's new grooming. This morning I took Hello Kitty. The track had not been newly set, but it was easy classic skiing nonetheless. I went up the hill, through the woods, and around the curves to where the skeletal aspen stood, and here, the clouds cracked to show a bit of blue sky. That did nothing to change the muted light however, and though the snow was signed with various wildlife tracks, the stillness was complete. Unlike the trees, I couldn't blend into the landscape and had to move to keep warm. I took Short Cut (groomed for skating) to Aava's Draw and continued to climb, enjoying the new snow in the track and the feeling of being high up and far away, then made the descent back to the Antoine Loop. Here, the new track was in excellent shape, and with the cold and the hard wax, classic skiing couldn't have been better. Before long I bumped into George, and we turned and headed back, our faces stinging with cold as we let our skis run, the rest of us glowing warm for the chance to be moving outside in winter.
Meanwhile behind the scenes, Jack has made the gorgeous new signs demarking our reconfigured trails. They are tasteful, large, bold, and easy to read. Thank you Jack!
Come ski!
Patti

February 8, 2021: Skiers, and so our February cold begins with new grooming. A redressed skate platform started at the snow mobile gate, went up Hello Kitty and down the counter clockwise portion of the Antoine Loop. We were on classic skis today, blue wax no less, and though the track was not reset, our skis readily found the old grooves. Since our last outing on Antoine the day before yesterday, there were two inches of new snow at the bottom and upwards of five at the top. The lower boughs of the trees were weighted with white again and bent low over the trail. George, in front of me, occasionally knocked the snow off, and the branches slowly lifted upwards so we did'’t have to duck so often.
Aava's Draw was still waiting to be tamed as we glided by both junctions. Where we met the Antoine hiking trail, a mottled blue sky did its best to dissipate the clouds, and farther up, the spring-that-never-freezes continued its recess into ever deepening snow.
We came back down the way we had climbed, and the soft snow over the solid base made it seem like we were skiing down a cloud.
Aren't we lucky to have such a wonderful place to warm up outside.
Come ski!
Patti

February 6, 2021: Skiers, the lower meadows were groomed this morning, as were Bobcat and Goshawk. It even snowed a little.
Come ski!
Patti

February 5, 2021: Skiers, the Highlands were beautiful this morning. Jack had groomed Whitetail, Windsong and Pomme de Pin yesterday, and by the time I clipped into my skis they were covered in two inches of new snow. I skated slowly through it, reveling at the soft blanket of white in front of me, and started to climb Windsong. The trail bespoke its name today; all I could hear was the soft shush of my skis, my own breathing, and the sound of air moving through the trees above. The sun was burning a tiny blue halo around itself, and the shadows were as soft as the snow, which grew deeper as I rounded the first hairpin curve. It was magical, but even before I reached the junction with the Telemark Trail I was barely gliding. I turned around, enjoyed a soft skate down, and went to try the east side.
The Antoine Loop was in wonderful condition. The skate lane was wide and raked into corduroy, there was a new classic track, and Todd D was still grooming. As I met George, the sun had managed to power the clouds away and shed its warmth and brightness all the way down on us. The ravens too seemed glad about this, and cawed in appreciation.
It's winter again. Come ski!
Patti

February 4, 2021: Skiers, Gregg did an excellent job on Whitetail yesterday. Skating was great, and though the track was not reset, classic skiers said it was just fine. From the dip after the hut to the top was like skiing on new snow. And, the county sanded the road.
Come ski!
Patti

February 3, 2021: Skiers, I thought the best way to see the conditions at the park was to ski the Antoine Loop. I've had worse spring skiing than I found today, and it;s not the first time this season that I've used whatever silver klister I have for warm weather. I started in the clockwise direction. The track had melted out in places, and I occasionally lost a pole plant on the side away from the skate lane, but it was pleasant skiing nonetheless. The last grooming had left the surface in good shape, there were strands of cirrus clouds laced through the blue sky above the waves of gray cumulus, and as flat as the snow crystals were, they glimmered weakly whenever the sun managed to send light to them through the clouds. The sky remained enchanting but the remnants of good conditions lasted until the first junction with Aava's Draw. From there, the later goomings had worked the inner trails. It was still OK skiing; climbing precludes a lot of glide anyway. Still, as I went up, the snow became crusty, and my skies made great clomping sounds when I herringboned up the dips and broke the surface into pieces. By the time I got to the spring-that-never-freezes, I could see that the snowline that had seemed not terribly far above the trails was totally inaccessible, and I began to think I might not like going across the top and down. Had I had touring skis, I'm sure things would have been better, but as it was I went slowly, letting the crust brake my descent, sidestepping occasionally, and unable to snowplow without falling through that top layer. It took awhile to get down. Once I got to the Q line of the Loop and was on the newer old grooming, I fell in love with skiing again. And, the temperatures are supposed to drop, which might make some grooming possible.
Then, there was the road. The thaw has revealed the ice underneath and it was slick, though not as bad as it had been. I went down even slower in my car as I had on gone on skis.
So, be cautious on the road, stay low on your skis, hope for winter weather, and. . .
Come ski! Patti

January 29, 2021: Skiers, there is so much snow! We started on Antoine on a single pass skate platform, knowing a groomer had to be out there somewhere. We followed the new grooming clockwise on the loop, the grey sky reaching to the snow in places, the trees flocked full of winter. At Hello Kitty, the groomer had gone up, setting a classic track. I didn't want to skate on the track, so we went on. The couple of inches of new snow I was pushing didn't deter the joy of gliding along the slight uphill and through the big ponderosas. At Goshawk, there was again a single pass going each way and I decided to go down, while George stayed in the classic track on Antoine. The descent was perfect, with enough soft snow to control my speed and still make it fun. Somewhere between the opening on the turn and the junction with Bobcat I met Gregg coming up on the snow machine. He said that Todd D had been out the day before and had groomed the Antoine Loop, and that day Gregg was doing Aava's Draw and (I think) Shortcut. I was surprised at how much snow had fallen between Todd's grooming and this morning, and grateful to see Gregg. Now I had a skate platform with a mound of snow in the middle. I went through the meadow, met Ida's Ford and turned around, and just as the hill got steep and that mound in the middle became a ski stopper, Gregg came on his last pass, making the climb much easier.
Up top I found George, and as we were going out the sky parted slightly in a few places revealing spots of bright blue, like so many eyes looking down at us.
And, the county snowplow has been working hard. The road is in excellent shape, and has even been widened a smidge. It's a great winter period.
Come ski!
Patti

January 26, 2021: Skiers, this slowly sifting snow has given us about an inch and a half of new fluff on the trails. Whitetail is newly groomed with a double set track, and Pomme de Pin is also newly conditioned. I was eager to try Aava's Draw. The east side of the park had not been groomed, but the track was great and judging by the long glide marks, someone had done just fine skating. The new snow had all but covered the swirls of black and white ice at the Mill Creek sign, and was nesting between the tiny spruce needles and over the larch boughs, bringing white back to the landscape.
I started up the first leg of Aava's Draw in the tracks, the red Toko rubbed over last week's klister doing well. Just before the clearing with the big aspen, I noticed a hole in the snow. Inside, some rodent had been cleaning house after feasting on pine nuts, and had spread the leavings on his front porch. They were void of snow, so perhaps I had interrupted his work, and I went on to let him finish. At the junction with Short Cut, I continued up on Aava's, my first time skiing it this year, though it’s been open for a week or so. The grooming was surprisingly smooth, and I did a lot of herringboning, remembering the cost of getting as high as I was going to go. Once I made it to the plateau, the skiing was beautiful. As I came into the clearing, there was enough air flow to blow the falling snow sideways, and just as I despaired I wouldn't find it, there was the set track again. On I went, descending easily down to the Antoine Loop and meeting up with George. Where the Loop starts around, we met friends just starting their ski. We talked about wax and wax alternatives, and how nice it will be to someday sit inside together. For now, most of us are safer outside, so. . .
Come ski!
Patti

January 24, 2021: Skiers, it was gray and still as I began on Whitetail this morning. The groomer had a wide enough swath completed to make skating really nice, and I could see there was a machine still out, though I wasn't sure where it was. At the hut, the top of Pomme de Pin was littered with debris, as if a big wind had blown for miles and dropped every cone that might sprout a seed, along with enough mulch to protect it, in that one spot. Further down it was much cleaner, though through my entire ski I was occasionally brought softly to my knees by a larch cone lying innocently on the snow.
As I dipped down one of Pommes hills I was startled to see something on the trail coming towards me. Was it a huge bear with a backpack, or a moose with a red ribbon on its neck? No, it was a snow bicycle with a friend astride, his tires holding two pounds of pressure. He had ridden up from the corral lot, enjoying the same firm base as I was, on his way to the Antoine Loop. We chatted and went our ways, and I continued down Lichen Alley, which was a little crusty but surprisingly easy to negotiate, to Sunshine Loop, where the grooming couldn't have been better. Here I finally allowed myself to believe that the sharp stings I'd been feeling on my face really were from snow falling from the sky as the flakes grew large enough to see and then to sift gently down.
Skiing out Sunshine I was surprised to see the top of Bonaparte. The clouds had dipped down, forming a perfect negative to the shape of the summit without revealing any of the surrounding ridges, as if to reassure anyone who cared to look that the mountain hadn't gone away. At the junction with Hejbue I went up, and found that part of the trail to be in good shape too. Antoine, though, was where the grooming was best, and except for the stuff on the surface, the skating was excellent. Maybe enough snow will fall to bury the tree droppings we've been dodging. It's snowing now, afterall.
Come ski!
Patti

January 22, 2021: Skiers, it was a quiet morning at the Sno Park yesterday as I clipped into my classic skis and started on Whitetail. The trees, of course, remain bare of snow, and on the hillsides show as patches of deep green mixed with the bushy browns of the larch, many still holding cones and needles. The track was in good shape, and I was glad I had decided to use klister to meet its hard surface. The skating lane had been refreshed, and I took full advantage on the steeper uphills where I could catch a few crystals on my wax, and on the downhills where I could spread out and go slowly enough. Still climbing just after the junction with Stinger, I looked out to see Sitzmark and her sisters, covered in snow. The light was such that the sky behind them looked like a pale green sea, the fog above serving as a vision of land beyond before it met the pastel blues of the sky over me. And beyond the hut on the way back, I could see Baldy, its head in the clouds, its flanks a swirl of blue and white, and I thought of all the people I've spoken to who normally visit Baldy regularly in the wintertime. This year, we offer our humble Sno Park to them.
I continued down to Antoine to meet George and ran into another skier. We chatted about the well being that comes with moving on snow, breathing fresh air, and simply being outside in the winter time. And then I found my husband, and we skied back together.
This early morning is cold and clear. It should be another great day.
Come ski!
Patti

January 19, 2021: Skiers, we had a beautiful afternoon ski on Antoine. The skating lane in the clockwise was hard and fast without being icy or crusty. There was a bit of windblown debris, but with some quick dodging nothing impeded the glide. (We saw our neighbor in the parking and he said Whitetail was similarly littered.) The track too was in good shape, and as the afternoon light dimmed, the sky above Sitzmark turned a lovely aqua blue against a massing fog bank, while the sun rolled to the west, a huge orb in a cloud of its own.
The great news is, the county has sanded the road! It's still sand over ice, but it is much less slippery than it has been. The other good news is that it’s supposed to stay cold. What a winter.
Come ski!
Patti

January 18, 2021: Skiers, skiing is excellent and the road is still icy.
The map committee has been revising our map. The newest version is mounted on the signboard and there are paper copies in the map holder. I've enclosed a two sided map and a legal, one sided if anyone would like to print at home. Two Sided Map or Legal Map
Much thanks to Todd and Julie for spearheading all of this.
Come ski (caution on the road)!
Patti

January 17, 2021: Hi Patti, all the snowshoe trails are now marked. Look for brown tags with the snowshoer logo where these trails intersect groomed ski trails or the upper parking. Along their length the trails are marked every few hundred feet with a blue diamond tag fastened to trees adjacent the trails. Thanks to the Forest Service for brushing out the trails last summer!

January 16, 2021: Skiers, I found the Sno Park in its glory this morning, once I got myself out of the icy parking lot and onto the snow. Heading down to Antoine, I saw Gregg on his machine. He told me he and Todd D. had opened Goshawk and Bobcat, and had been over the top on the Antoine Loop. He was on his way to do another pass on Whitetail. That all sounded amazing to me and I skied across the road to the snowmobile gate. The track was perfect. I had wondered if I would need klister, but my blue extra worked well as I began the counter clockwise climb. The morning sky was brilliant with sunshine, and the snow glittered in every color of the rainbow, as if a wizard had waved a wand and told each crystal which face to turn up for the effect.
I stopped at the junction of Hello Kitty and saw that it too was newly groomed, complete with a set track. It was tempting to go that way, but I also wanted to see what it was like over top, so I began the final leg of the climb. The track stayed with me for a time once I started the traverse, then disappeared, but the skiing was quite good all the way over. Suddenly there was Sitzmark, stark white against blue, and then Bonaparte, where the snow has blown from the trees all the way to the summit. At the top, a different wizard had been by, this time flinging baskets of diamonds that were shining up like silver mirrors. Oh, the color of snow!
It was fast going down with a bit of crust under the trees, but the grooming was so smooth and wide that it was easy to control my speed. The first part of Aava's Draw hadn't been groomed, but the second end of the loop had been, and I assume it connected to Shortcut and Hello Kitty. I didn’t go that way though - I wanted to take a look at Goshawk.
Conditions were never right last year to groom Goshawk and Bobcat so it had been awhile since I'd been on that trail. It was as steep at the top as I remembered it, but the snow was soft from the new grooming and it helped control my descent. It was so nice to be down there. I stayed with the trail through the junction with Bobcat, then turned around just before I came out of the trees. I found myself herringboning back up, making huge tracks in the soft snow and feeling bad about it when I heard the snow machine behind me. There was Todd, cleaning up my marks, and not a minute later, Gregg came from behind, making everything smooth again. What a place, when the minute you mar a trail, the groomers come behind and fix it all back.
Come ski!
Patti
PS Now, about the road. It remains super icy from bottom to top. There were a lot of people leaving around the time I went out. When I got to the first cattle guard I could see a line of cars parked on the side of the road ahead. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but apparently someone went off or went sideways and we were waiting for them to get straightened out. It wasn't long before the line began to move very slowly down. We waited another few minutes at the corral lot, then made it to the highway. Jack has asked the county to sand the road. We'll see how it goes.

Januay 16, 2021: Skiers, Todd and I were able to get two new trails open, Goshawk and Bobcat on the east side. We also hit a bunch of the skate lanes on both sides of the park. I was amazed when I got back to the lot and counted 15 cars shoehorned in. I've never seen it that busy before! It was great to see so many smiling faces. The difficult part was trying to get back down the road toward Havillah. The road is a complete skating rink with soft shoulders. In fact there was one vehicle jackknifed, another trying to squeeze around, 7 vehicles trying to get down while 3 were attempting to head up. It was as bad as I-5 in an ice storm. I walked down to try and help move the jackknifed rig then headed further down to clear a path for the ten or so cars behind us. The first vehicle I reached I asked them to try and move to the side to let others pass and I was completely ignored. In fact they demanded to work their way up zig=zagging past cars and putting everyone at risk. I didn't see much attempt at yielding in either direction frankly and I even heard some honking. It was disappointing but more than that it was dangerous. All of us enjoy playing at our park. It's a small park, one where neighbors and friends come to enjoy our winter, where everyone is welcome but what I saw today didn't reflect the spirit of the Highlands SnoPark. I understand the road is icy. In fact it's down right treacherous right now. So please be careful, if you don't feel comfortable driving in those conditions then don't until WADOT can get up there to sand and if you see another vehicle coming in your direction try your absolute best to yield. If you see someone stuck, hop out and lend a hand before you attempt to pass. Being courteous, helpful and cautious may just prevent someone from getting hurt.
Have fun and most importantly be safe out there!
Groomer Gregg

January 14, 2021: Skiers, we skied under gray skies this morning, the snow mimicking the hue above. There was already a new track set as we went through the snowmobile gate on Antoine. I was skating, and was surprised to find that even though the platform had not yet been groomed, the snow was soft and quite manageable. When we got to the Loop, there was a complete track and platform the counterclockwise direction, and a swath of platform and a track going clockwise. The skiing was amazing, a perfect surface. The wind had blown the snow from the trees and roiled a fair share of debris onto the trail, but except for a few larger pieces of fir, we just skied over it, hardly giving it notice. The area between Goshawk and Aava's draw had a few, short icy spots where the trees had dripped, but otherwise conditions were really good, and it was fun to be gliding along, with the occasional squirrel darting across the path and the ravens calling from above. The inner trails had not been groomed yet, but we had plenty to ski on, and once again, we wished we had budgeted more time.
The road is icy, but the steepest hill is well sanded and we had no trouble going up or down. We parked by the Antoine trail, and had to be cautious lest we slip in our ski boots. Once we were clipped in, all was wonderful.
It's supposed to stay cold at night through the weekend. Even if the days get a little warmer than we’d like, conditions should be great.
Come ski!
Patti
And as I prepared to send this, I just read Gregg’s report. He and Jason made quite a team! The grooming is even better than I could see.

January 14, 2021: Happy Day Skiers! Groomer Llew and I knocked it out of the Snopark today. We set tracks and skate lanes on pretty much everything! Whitetail, Windsong, Sunshine Loop and Pom Du Pin on the west side. On the east side I hit the 150, 130, Hello Kitty, the Snowmobile Rd, and Aava's connector. For the most part things set well but there is a bunch of debris from the windstorm. The best part of the day for me was grooming across the top and completing the Antione Loop, connecting the 150 and 130. It took a few passes with the machine only and then one with the groomer to make that final connection. Just before I made my final pass linking the two a cow moose decided to help me pack the trail. It's always cool seeing the critters and the tracks they leave as I motor along. Enjoy the long weekend and hopefully I'll see some of you out there!
Come Ski,
Groomer Gregg
PS. The road is very icy please use caution! Spikes are recommended if you're walking around and I'd suggest not parking at the Y because if someone starts sliding down the hill there's no runout! Please use the parking lot as much as you can! Thanks!

January 13, 2021: Skiers, it's a bright, sunny day, the blue sky almost a surprise after so many soft, gray days. Jack told me that groomers will be out Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and that he's going to try and groom Goshawk and Bobcat this weekend. He's even made arrangements for the county to plow. That's especially good news, as when I turned into the park this morning, the road was glare ice, and I wimped out and came home to ski. Many of you are more intrepid drivers than me, and probably wouldn't be as intimidated. I'm looking forward to being out there tomorrow.
Come ski!
Patti

January 10, 2021: Skiers, the entire west side of Highlands is groomed anew. At least part of the east side has had the same treatment. It's currently snowing, and we're not letting it turn to rain.
Come ski,
Patti

January 9, 2021: Skiers, Today we parked at the corral lot and made our first steps into the meadows. In spite of the cloudy day, the sun glowed hopefully in the east, as if to welcome us to new territory. And as we moved through the park, the clouds separated occasionally and fringed a bit of blue sky, then coalesced once again into gray.
Straight Edge is groomed with a double track and skate lane. There is just enough snow, and in places grasses emerged, and baby firs were trying to get a leg up on the west side of the loop. Still, it was nice to be down there. We went by the aspens and began climbing Hej Bue. It was a bit rough, but quite skiable for its first grooming, and it had a set track. The skate lane was crowned in the center in places, and towards the top, twigs and twiglets were waiting out the winter in the center of the trail, dormant and oblivious.
Conditions improved considerably when we reached Sunshine. Here, the snow looked as if it has been groomed all winter; the skating lane was wide and the track perfect. The dip down into Sunshine Loop was surprisingly fast, and then we were in the meadow with its big, fluffy expanse of white. Around we went to Lichen Alley. It was in good shape too, the snow taking to the first grooming well, though no track was set. Pomme de Pin was also newly groomed, and led us up to the hut. Here George went on to the end of Whitetail and I started up Windsong. I don't think anyone had been on the trail yet, and I thought as I began the climb that there are few winter pleasures as satisfying as a well-waxed ski in a solid, newly set track.
Alas, it was time to turn around, and George and I met and skied on, stopping to chat with friends about the new grooming below. We then parted ways again and I went down Hej Bue. The top of the trail will also improve with more grooming, but was manageable. When I reached the part we had skied up, I actually side stepped down over the first, twiggy hump, then held a slow snowplow for the steep parts. Back on Straight Edge, I cruised around the meadow, got the car, and picked up my husband, who was making new friends as he waited for me.
Come ski!
Patti

January 8, 2021: . . . . And, Gregg is grooming Straight Edge and Sunshine Loop this morning!

January 7, 2021: Skiers, Antoine has a new skating lane. There is a set track in the counter clockwise direction. Hello Kitty also has a set track, and at least part of Aava's Draw is skate ready. There is nothing new over the top, but it’s colder today and conditions are excellent.
Come ski!
Patti

January 6, 2021: Skiers, we went up into the fog to begin our ski today. The west side of the park hadn't been groomed but there was a fantastic skating lane on Antoine. In spite of how warm it was, and how recently it must have been groomed, the glide was excellent. George didn’t find a new track for his classic skis, but but the old one worked fine. We could see there had been no grooming in the counter clockwise direction so we turned left at the junction. The groomer had gone up Hello Kitty, so I followed while George continued letting his skis feel for the track on Antoine. The skating continued to be great. There was no grooming on Shortcut so I continued up. I met my match on the hill where the stump used to be. It was too narrow to get the skis out of the deep snow on the sides, but I clambered through it and continued. Up there, it looked as if the trees were submerged in fog as they might have been in water, and it was eerily beautiful. Then, just as the hill was easing, the grooming ended. I continued though. Because it wasn't that steep anymore, and because there was a good platform under the new snow, it was fun to go on. However, snow got deeper as the trail unwound before me, and skating became harder. I had some vague notion that if I got to the upper part of the Antoine Loop, there would be less accumulation and I could go over the top, but it wasn't so. There were probably five inches of fairly wet snow over the trail, so I turned around and went down the way I had come.
Having been groomed just a few days ago, the lower Antoine was better and I skated happily along until I met George. By then the fog had lifted and as we started back we could see the faintest hint of blue sky. The sun even shown through the clouds as a great glowing orb, but the snow was having none of it and refused to sparkle back.
After I was home I learned from Groomer Gregg he and Jack had tried to groom this morning but it was too warm, and that the newly fixed machine had broken once more. But, we have lots of snow, and Todd T was out there signing yet another designated snowshoe trail.
Come ski!
Patti
PS Gregg asked me to let you know to be careful on the road. It's fairly clear of snow, but the snow that’s there is wet.

January 4, 2021: Skiers, it's snowing like crazy but it was too warm to groom this morning. The grooming team will try again tomorrow. Patti

January 3, 2021: Skiers, there was new snow in the Highlands again this morning when we set out to ski. Groomer Gregg had told us he'd been on Antoine the clockwise way, Hello Kitty to the end, Shortcut and part of Aava'’s Draw. He'd even packed the trail all the way across the top, so the Antoine Loop is complete, if not yet perfectly groomed.
Gregg hadn't gotten to the counter clockwise section, and enough snow had fallen since I had come down the Loop that way on Friday to cover the tracks, but the Toko red wax fit perfectly into the new snow crystals and I let my skis find the grooves and climbed easily up. Each time the sun edged around a cloud and through the trees, the smooth expanse of snow sparkled. Just before the junction of Hello Kitty I stopped for a moment to admire a beautiful oval pool of dark, open water just off the trail. It seemed so magical that I thought it might be unwise to spend too much time gazing into it, so I took a drink from my own bottle and went on. And I found that Hello Kitty was indeed newly groomed. I hadn't been that way this year, and so I turned down. The surface was a bit rough and there was no track set yet, but it was fun to be on the trail again. The relatively flat part between the junction and the serious descent was as fun to ski as I had remembered-no wonder it's so many people's favorite trail. And, remember the huge stump that used to be in the middle of the steepest part, and how we would have to decide which way to go around it? It's gone, and I could snowplow right down the middle!
Once I got to the junction with Shortcut, the grooming, having been repeated several times before, was really nice. Going through the aspens I had a wonderful view of Chopaka, big and solid and out of the clouds for once. Down on the Antoine Loop again I headed in the clockwise direction for my planned rendezvous with George. Somewhere along the way I could see Mt. Baldy, looking as if it had been brushed with pastels, with the soft Havillah hills in the foreground. And, just before Goshawk, there was George in his all black garb, his pale brown gloves flashing with each pole plant. We headed back together, all this time having seen no one in spite of the full parking lot. And then coming toward us was a young skiing family, all colors and smiles, the little ones moving right along with their parents.
Come ski!
Patti
P.S. When I came across the top of Antoine on Friday a fairly large pine had broken off across the trail somewhere between the top and Hello Kitty. By the time you ski it will probably be gone, but just in case, control your speed if you come down that way.
And that leads me to want to thank our grooming team once again. Each member has been out there, dedicated and competent, so we can have a wonderful place to ski. How lucky we are!

December 31, 2020: Skiers! That was one heck of a day! I saw so many of you that I could barely finish! The 150, Whitetail, Windsong and Pom Du Pin all were set with both tracks and skateing lanes and I left a snowshoe lane up Windsong too. For those of us a bit more adventurous the 'off piste' was nothing but light fluffy powder. There were more cars in the lot than I'd ever seen and methods of travel were as varied as those rigs themselves. I saw folks on classic gear, Hok Skis, BC gear, skate skies, snowshoes and some cool old wooden boards! Top that off with a couple of fast looking snowmobiles and I think we've created a winter mecca of sorts. With that popularity though we've seen an increase in conflicts among different users. I hope to address questions folks may have.
First off everyone with a SnoPark pass is welcome, those without won't be turned away but I encourage you to buy one to show your support for the park you use. That said WDFW, DNR and USFS folks can write tickets. It's always been my belief that basic courtesy is easy if you think about it. If you see fresh grooming and want to ski with your pups think about hitting a less popular trail or one not groomed yet and stick to the east side with the snowmobile road being best. If your dog poops, scoop. If you enjoy snowshoeing please try your best to stick to the side of the trail and not down the tracks. If you find yourself warming it up at the hut make sure you pack out your trash. With covid still spreading in our county it may be best to warm up at home though and wait until next year for hut gatherings. If you're on more stable gear and see someone zooming downhill toward you on skinny skis try to step aside. I'm sure there's more trail etiquette I've missed and if so feel free to reach out to me if you have a concern or a comment.
We want to keep our little park the most amazing place to have winter fun and the best way to do that is for all of us to do our part, it's really that easy. I wish you all a happy, safe and fun New Year and I look forward to seeing all of you out there.
Happy New Year,
Groomer Gregg

December 31, 2020: Skiers, Happy New Year! And if today is any indication, we're saying hello to something great: A fabulous winter with excellent skiing, and an outdoor place to visit with friends, neighbors and strangers, all staying warm with movement.
I began skating up towards the Antoine Loop with the idea of going to the top. The groomer had set a track, but had not gotten to the skate lane and yesterday's new snow made even that little climb grueling. I turned around to find Windsong. The skating lane from the parking lot to the hut was incredible and the double track looked perfect. The snow machine hadn't traveled on Pomme de Pin or Windsong though, so I continued on Whitetail. It was so lovely. The grooming was perfectly textured and the glide was wonderful. All the trees were flocked with snow and the snow weighted the lower branches of the ones near the creek until they met the white blanket over the ground. The sky was deep blue with a few smudgy ribbons of gray, and as I climbed, the tops of the trees glowed like candles in the sunlight.
From the top, I fairly floated back to the parking lot, and thinking that perhaps I could follow new grooming, I crossed the road again. Not much had changed but I was warmed up and fared a little better. Somewhere near Antoine's first cattle guard, Groomer Greg was talking to a couple of skaters, and I chatted with him as they moved on. He had been to the top and back, and now I had half a skating lane to use, which made the skiing even more fun. He passed me one more time before I turned around, well before the top I'm afraid, to make my prearranged check-in time. That was the hardest part of the ski, but I took solace that on the way back, the grooming was almost fully done, and that tomorrow is another day.
All along the way I stopped and talked to people enjoying their New Years Eve outings, marveling at the sun and the snow, the grooming, the fabulous park we call Highlands. Back at the full parking lot, the chatting continued. And two young brothers, anxious to ski while waiting for their parents to finish socializing, finally asked if they could just go. The answer was yes. Follow their lead.
Come ski! Patti

December 29, 2020: Skiers, Just a reminder: Many people enjoy skiing with there dogs, and we have had very few conflicts with the four footed friends. However, there are those that would just as soon not encounter dogs when they are skiing. So please, if you bring your dog, stay on the east side of the park. That means you can have them on the Antoine Loop, Hello Kitty, Shortcut, Aava's Draw, Goshawk, Bobcat, Ranger's Run, Ranger's Loop and Ida's Ford. Also, please keep your dogs under control, and move their poop off the trails. Thank you so much, Patti

December 27, 2020: Skiers, Yesterday we started our ski amidst people, some of which were obliged to park along the road because the parking lot had filled up. There were neighbors we'd know since infancy, home for the holidays, and families we'd never met before. There were also two plus new inches of snow, and Jason came up on the machine, having groomed all morning. Indeed, we started up Antoine on a beautiful skating lane and a perfect track. And as Jason had said, the grooming continued up the Loop counter clockwise. Our family is nursing a recovering shoulder and knee however, and didn’t want to come down anything steep, so we went the clockwise way. Two of us easily found the track, and watched George disappear into the fog as he skated ahead. When he came back to be with us, he said that as warm as it was, the snow was like talcum, and skating was easier than on the newly groomed platform. We believed him, finding no resistance from the new snow in the track. And so we continued happily on, occasionally seeing other skiers emerge from the mist and their own adventures.
It's slated to stay cold, the snow is wonderful, and the outdoors is a haven.
Come ski! Patti

December 23, 2020: Skiers Today it felt like winter, with the cold seeping into the snow. The last time I'd skied on the west side of the park, Pomme de Pin hadn't been groomed and I wanted to see what it was like today. As I was skating towards the hut, my eye caught spots of color to my left, and I realized there was a group of people on the new snowshoe trail, wearing snowshoes! That was fun to see.
Pomme de Pin was in great shape, with the snow sparkling between soft shadows. The sun was out but demure, as if now that it could be in the sky a little longer, it was willing to show itself a little more. I went to the end of the grooming and back, and stopped for a moment to chat with friends about how wonderful it was to be moving over snow. Then I went to meet George on Antoine.
Pomme de Pin was good, and the Antoine Loop was unbelievable. The skating lane was cold and perfectly textured, and as I started through the snowmobile gate, Bonaparte was before me and I felt like I could ski to the top. At the junction there were more friends, and again I got to talk to real people, six feet apart, outside, all of us loving what we were doing there. I continued on the fabulous snow and Jason was coming towards me on the groomer. He had set a track to the top, had made a skating platform on at least part of Hello Kitty and Aava's Draw, and was on his way to smooth the counter clockwise portion of the Loop. What fantastic work!
I found George enjoying the exquisite track and we went for just a little farther because it was too hard to turn back.
Happy Holidays to all of you, however you find yourselves celebrating this turning towards the light. And do....
Come ski!
Patti
PS To top everything off, the road is newly plowed and in excellent shape!

December 18, 2020: Skiers, Great news: One groomer is fixed and running!! Santa Claus, replete in red hat and beard, was grooming the west side of the park this morning, and handing out candy canes to all the skiers he encountered. I was delighted to find that the skating was good, if a little slow on the newly tamed, warmish snow. I began a climb up Windsong with a set track to my left and a smooth platform under my skis. The light was such that the snow and the sky were exactly the same color. Every once in awhile, a big wind would come out of nowhere and blow snow out of the canopy. After one such gust, the snow kept coming, and I realized it was falling from the sky. Most of the trees were coated in snow, but past the hairpin turn the tops of the larches were thick and brown. It was as if instead of dropping their needles, the trees shook off the snow, keeping their foliage to gather more white later. I pushed on to the Telemark Trail and then had to turn around to meet a time obligation, but Groomer Gregg told me it's groomed all the way to the top.
The skiing was great, and the most joyous part was how many people were out enjoying it. I spoke to neighbors who have been skiing at the park as long as I have, to someone who grew up skiing there, and to someone who has never been there before. And as I was coming back on Whitetail, I kept going by people who were going out. It somehow feels miraculous.
Come ski!
Patti

And this from Groomer Gregg:

Happy Friday All! The good news is that we've got one of our machines back from the shop and we're able to get out and groom Whitetail, Windsong and the 150! The not so good news is that it's warm out! Hopefully this front coming in will bring light fluffy snow but it will probably be a bit heavy as warmer temps are predicted. The highlight of my day was seeing so many smiling faces and getting to hand out a few candy canes. We will be back at it through the weekend and next week.
With the holiday season upon us and 2020 coming to a close I want to remind us all to slow down just enough to recognize all the things we have to be grateful for and I for one am grateful for all of you. See you out there, stay safe and healthy.
Come Ski,
Groomer Gregg

December 15, 2020: Skiers,, I was greeted at Highlands this morning by another inch or two of new snow. I skated over the crust and through the new layers, soft but still a bit impeding, up Antoine, counter clockwise. The trail ahead was like an infinite white ribbon, the trees serving as a dark border, though they were laden with snow. The sky mimicked the ribbon in a luminescent pearl gray, the scene monochromatic and beautiful. I climbed slowly, with lots of time to marvel at the drape of the boughs and the perfectly vertical old man's beard lichen weighted with frost. When the trail momentarily leveled I could actually gain some forward momentum and remember what it felt like to really glide, then the climb began again. This section, past the upper junction with Hello Kitty, was a little rougher when I could feel the crust, but the new snow had filled it in beautifully. I hadn't been this way yet this winter, and at the top, saw that at one point the groomer had started to connect the loop. I followed his attempt, but it wasn't too long before it circled back and I went down the way I had come.
Back at the parking lot I was a little cold from the descent through the moist air, so I continued up Whitetail, and climbed just enough of Windsong to warm up. Here, the lichen had grown spirals of horizontal spicules around each hanging strand, showing us yet another way that water can crystalize in the cold.
When I got back to the parking lot, it was beginning to snow lightly again. My friend was just coming up from Antoine. She said she made the loop over the top, so now there is a hand-set trail all the way around.
Come ski!
Patti
PS. Todd T has generously donated snowshoe signs for our new trails. He's putting the signs up and blazing the trails with blue diamond markers, starting on the one from the parking lot to the hut. Now I can tell you to come snowshoe!

December 14, 2020: Skiers, I know I'm not the only one who had a great time skiing yesterday. There were people young and younger going in all directions, all of us sandwiched between the valley fog and the low, overcast sky. I went clockwise on Antoine. The new snow covered all the ice on Mill Creek, and the ground was perfectly white but for an errant deciduous leaf blown down from somewhere. People had been before me and the track was wonderfully firm and fun to be on. I could hear the air as I pushed thorough it on the downhills, and the only other sound was that of my breathing on the climbs. I skied past the first Aava's Draw junction, stopping to watch a group of silent chickadees (I think) flitting about the branchy larch trees, and as I continued, was obliged to occasionally step out of the track as snow laden larch boughs gracefully arched low over the trail. At the second junction I was on my own, my skis easily finding the snow filled track as I began the climb. Again, the stillness was profound, the snow virginal. The spring-that-never-freezes held little white topped islands, the water dark in the gray light. And at the top, rather than seeing a hint of sun, the cloud came down to envelope me.
Going down was like skiing on that cloud. I could feel the crust under me if I shifted my weight, but mostly I rode on top of a layer of fluff, and fairly flowed through the icy air.
It's astoundingly lovely out there.
Come ski!
Patti

December 11, 2020: Skiers, it's such a dream to ski through gently falling snow. It started sometime in the dark morning and has just now stopped. It fell like light rain, but landed full of loft and fluff. My own foray into it was exquisite. From the parking lot, it looked as if the groomer had been on both sides of the Sno Park and I went down. I could see I was mistaken at the snow mobile gate, but the underlying crust was so firm and the new snow so light that I continued. Gregg’s description of Aava's Draw had intrigued me, and I wanted to be up there. Skating on Antoine was lovely, the new snow moving aside easily over the solid base. And, surprisingly, Aava’' Draw was good too, especially for the first pass. It was so nice to be up there, going through woods and moving into openings. At one point I could even see the sun, a glowing orb behind the clouds and falling snow. There is no set track yet, but I certainly didn't need one today.
I thought I would ski the whole of Aava's Draw, coming back to Antoine at the creek crossing, but at the three way junction it was Short Cut that was groomed, so I went that way, hooking into Hello Kitty and following the grooming back down to Antoine. I skied by little larch, catching snow as they hung on to their tawny needles, and big aspen, entirely leafless. At the junction I met friends discussing which way to go. We chatted, and even the little one, snug in his sled-on-skis, waved his mitten at me and said hi. What else do you need to make a good day great?
I went back and continued up the Antoine Loop in the counter clockwise direction. It was absolutely still, and the snow kept falling. A raven called from somewhere through it, and a few moments later I heard it's wing beats as it flew low over me and up the trail, it's head covered in snow, leading me or mocking my slow climb, and then it was gone.
A short ways after the upper junction with Hello Kitty (that section still ungroomed) I put my windbreaker on and turned around, enjoying a beautiful descent. And there was Justin on his machine, leaving a perfect platform in his wake. Don't our groomers take good care of us?
Come ski!
Patti
And as I opened my inbox to send out this note, I saw a message from Jack:
Both snowmobiles are down. One in the shop, waiting for parts, and the other dead on the trail by the 150 gate. Hopefully get one back next week, then we can get the other into the shop.
We will be patient!

December 10, 2020: Skiers1 Whelp..... we need snow. That said Whitetail and Windsong both got cleaned up today and the 150 out to Avaa's Draw. I turned right at Avaa's and groomed it back to the 150 via the Antione Loop. While there's not much good snow those inner trails are so beautiful and it's nice to start getting them open. Hopefully some new snow will fall in the next few days and it will be pure magic. In the meantime take care on the icy spots and use those edges! I'd also like to take the time to thank my partner today. Without his help I couldn't have opened the inner loop. He's a funny looking fellow and if you see him on the trail don't forget to get your candy cane but only if you've been nice! Come Ski! Groomer Gregg

Decenber 10, 2020: Skiers, after being shrouded in fog the day before, yesterday's sunshine was beckoning. I drove into to the parking lot mid morning to find skiers and sledders, the tiny ones trailing errant mittens and hats, the half grown young ones begging to get on the trail, the adults cheerfully organizing gear. One Covid school mom told me they were there for PE and for science, Newton's laws in particular.
Once on the trail, I found the same conditions that George and I had skied on the day before: a well groomed, solid crust, fun to be on but not particularly forgiving. I went clockwise on Antoine, enjoying the fast track, violet klister working well. Going by Mill Creek was magical, with the ice in big pools and the trees still heavily flocked with snow and frost.
If anyone had skated the platform since Sunday's grooming, it had been hard enough for them not to leave a mark. I continued only as far as the second junction of Aava's Draw, herringboning a bit up the steeper parts. And, as I had expected, coming down was very fast. I held a snowplow, my feet vibrating from skipping over the corduroy. Once I was close enough to the bottom to step into the track again, my skis seemed to propel themselves uphill on their own accord. Just which of Newton's laws was I supposed to be paying attention to?
Around the corner from the junction with Goshawk I marveled that the change of state happening on the branches of the little trail-side firs. As the snow and ice they were holding turned liquid in the sunshine, the droplets shown in tiny points of color, nodding to the coming holidays. I looked up, and Jason and a friend were skiing toward me. He said it's supposed to snow soon, and that he’s planning to groom again on Friday. How can we not share his optimism?
Come ski!
Patti
PS Thanks to the map committee for updating our trail map. It includes a few new names to try and make the junctions less confusing, as well as projected snowshoe trails. The new map is now posted on the website. If you click on the link for a printable map, you can enlarge it and scroll. I'll be referring to the new names as I describe conditions.

December 5, 2020: Skiers, it's another blue-sky afternoon in a string sparkling, sunny days in the Highlands. I skied in late morning sunshine over cold snow. The skating lane on Whitetail was in good shape, and I was the first one on Pomme de Pin's new grooming, which was really nice, though a new track hadn't been set. I puttered to the end, pausing to clip off those still emergent little sticks in the trail, and reveled in the sunshine and the absolute stillness at each stop. Back at the hut I turned up Windsong, also newly groomed, and here the track was set as well.
As noon passed me by, most of the trail was in the shade and I was reminded we are only two weeks plus days away from the solstice already. Still, with every viewpoint, the Havillah hills and the mountains beyond were bathed in light against the cloudless sky. Somewhere between the first hairpin turn and the Telemark Trail I could smell skunk. I didn’t see any tracks, but remembered other years when they left regular scents of their presence. I continue to marvel at all the unseen wildlife in the Highlands, their tracks often abundant, their sounds (and smells) occasionally so, their physical presence so often hidden.
I turned back at the last hairpin turn and had a lovely, fast ski down, the grooming so smooth that control was easy. My neighbor had skied out the 150, and he said the skating lane there was also brand new, and that although there wasn't a new track, what was there was firm and wonderfully skiable.
Isn't this an amazing winter so far?
Come ski!
Patti

December 2, 2020: Skiers, what a day! We started by chatting with friends in the parking lot, feeling safe at six feet in the open air as we all got our equipment organized. Then we skated up Whitetail, where the platform had been newly groomed (but the track had not been reset). The surface was smooth and fast, and as always on a clear day, Baldy stood in the distance, rising picturesquely over the surrounding hills. We stopped at the hut to consider our options. The new grooming ended there but we thought we could continue up Whitetail. There were less than two inches of new snow and it was light. And while the platform no longer felt smooth and fast, we had a nice ski to the end. Coming down, we knew there had to be more grooming somewhere, and were delighted to find that the snow mobile gate was now closed to regular vehicles, and that what had been a road for cars and trucks yesterday had been transformed into a ski trail today, complete with a set track.
We went up the Sno Mobile Rd. The old man's beard lichen on the trees had been pulled into webs by the frost and hung heavy on the branches. In the shade, the woods looked dark and enveloping, while the sun patches opened into worlds of bright light and sparkling crystals. The snow itself hadn't set up yet, and we were moving it aside with each upward push (I can't quite describe what we were doing as gliding). Then Gregg came down the hill on his machine, teasing us for destroying his corduroy. He had indeed been working all morning on the groomer and still wanted to make several more passes before he finished. He told us he went to the top of the Antoine, but didn't cross over to connect the two arms into a loop. We continued on, enjoying every tiring minute, and finally bailed at the junction with the trail (still ungroomed) that goes through the woods.
It's hard to imagine, but going down was really fast, though smooth enough to control. All those stretches from sun to shade that seemed long on the uphill just whizzed by going down. And by tomorrow, he platform should be nicely set.
Come ski!
Patti

December 1, 2020: Skiers, as Groomer Gregg told us Sunday, the 150 is groomed up to the top. What's happened since is that two inches of new snow have completely filled in the corduroy and layered themselves into the track. Yesterday morning we began our ski on new snow in a dense fog, following the handset trail our intrepid friends keep open from the parking lot to the 150, the unfamiliar trees like new ghosts beside the way. Getting to the official trail, we set our skis in the track and marveled at how wonderful it felt to be gliding on the east side of the Sno Park.
It was lovely. The trees, lightly flocked from frost and newly fallen white, hovered in the fog, and the snow was unmarked save for the occasional deer or rodent tracks. We began the climb out of the creek crossing, and by the time we rounded the hairpin turn we could see faint shadows. As we passed the junction with the Antoine hiking trail, the sun presented itself. Then a light wind came, furling the clouds and unveiling blue sky. By the time we reached to top we could feel the sun's warm rays.
We turned around for an easy descent and were soon back into the cold fog. The fog lifted again as we passed the junction with Ranger's Run, making the bark on the big ponderosas glow, and then shrouded us for the rest of the ski.
The temperature during our outing was right at freezing, and while the wax skis did fine on Toko red (catching occasionally on the remnants of last week’s klister), after about 30 minutes, the fishtail pair began to stick, and of course we had forgotten to bring the maxi glide. We were still able to ski, but we won't go again when it's so warm without it.
Thanks to all of you who have paid your dues and made generous donations. For those of you who still intend to, dues is 15.00/individual and 20.00/family. You can make a check to Highlands Nordic Ski Club and send it to me at:
599 N Siwash Creek Rd
Tonasket, WA 98855
http://www.highlandsnordicsnopark.com/ourclub.html
Also, as Gregg said, it’s time to purchase your Sno-Park permit. While the dues is totally voluntary, you must have the permit to leave a vehicle anywhere in the park while you're skiing. They cost $40.00, and are good for any sno park in the state. You can buy one at the Forest Service, or go online at: https://epermits.parks.wa.gov/Store/SNO/SnoChoice.aspx
(If the hyperlink doesn't work, copy and paste it into your browser.) You'll want the seasonal non-motorized Sno-Park permit.
This morning is dawning clear with a big moon in the sky. It's going to be a beautiful day.
Come ski!
Patti

November 30, 2020: Hi All, I received a few emails yesterday asking how to buy a SnoPark Pass. I believe Jack will have some but if not they can be purchased here:
https://epermits.parks.wa.gov/Store/SNO/SnoChoice.aspx
I woke up this morning to falling snow. I guess those larch needles are covered!
Come Ski,
Groomer Gregg

November 29, 2020: Skiers! What a morning and a big update! This early snow means only one thing: More skiing and I'm happy to report that the 150 road is groomed all the way to the top! The track was set and the corduroy set up like magic creating an amazing base. If this new front coming in would just cover the larch needles it will be perfect! As always one of my favorite things about our little SnoPark is seeing all our neighbors out enjoying the snow.
With December upon us the Forest Service will soon be closing the snowmobile road and we can get a good set on the track to the 150. As we work to continue opening other trails it is a good time to remind folks to go grab a SnoPark Pass. Purchasing your pass helps keep our park open and those dollars go directly back into our community. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I look forward to seeing you all out there! Let it snow! Come Ski, Groomer Gregg

November 28, 2020: Skiers, after being blanketed in a cloud all day yesterday, today's sunshine was incredible. Once again, we found new skate grooming on our three open trails. The platform was pretty good at the bottom and got better as we climbed Windsong, There was a light dust of larch litter that grabbed at our skis a bit, but up we went. The sun, just rolling over the ridge, shown high into the tops of trees still wrapped in yesterday's fog, warming them and slowly undressing them to stand stark against the blue sky. From the top there were no clouds to be seen, and we took a sip of water and turned our skis around.
The downhill was fast enough to be fun while still easy to control. And throughout the ski we saw people, some coming down as we were climbing (giving us a welcome break to chat a moment), and sine coming up as we were going down. We waved and talked, but the most thrilling skier to watch was the little one on bright red skis, making his way carefully into the parking lot from however high he had climbed, claiming the trails for the next generation.
The road into the parking lot is in good shape, and the gate to the east side of the trail system is slated to be closed December 1. All is well.
Come ski!
Patti

November 26, 2020: Skiers, we skied this morning between the valley fog and a mottled blue sky. Jason had groomed the skating lanes of Whitetail, Pomme de Pin and Windsong yesterday. The track hadn't been reset and was a little rough out of the gate, but once past the cattle guard it grew better and better. Finding my rhythm, I turned and caught a stunning view of Mt. Baldy in full light, reigning over the softly tanned hills on our side of the border.
We stayed on Whitetail, and came to the top as the sun was painting colors on the tail end of a long cloud, and the snow glittered in the diffused light. We turned and chatted with friends, so grateful to be outside and have a spontaneous social gathering in these Covid times. Then we sailed down to Pomme and found that the skiff of snow that fell the other day hadn't been skied on, and the track was even better than on Whitetail. Here as everywhere, the larch needles have turned from gold to brown, and so many are still clinging to the trees that it's as if they refuse to concede to winter. Some are falling though, painting faint shadows, and readying the trees for the changing season. At the end of the grooming we saw Baldy again, the white tip top adding a layer to the visible horizon. And we look forward to more snow, when the ski we did today can be traveled as a loop.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone, however you find yourselves celebrating. And don’t forget to:
Come ski!
Patti

November 22, 2020: Skiers, yesterday morning the valley fog was just sinking as we drove to Highlands. We skied in full sun, and to our delight, Whitetail and Pomme de Pin were newly groomed again. The snow pulled in the cold and sparkled, and we went to the ends of both trails on a solid, fast surface. The track was beautiful and skating was fantastic (except that somehow over the summer, Whitetail grew longer and steeper than it used to be).
This morning it's in the low 20s. I can see clouds in the valley but up here the sky is clear and is waiting for the sun to roll over the ridge.
Come ski! Patti

November 20, 2020: Skiers, the snow that fell several days ago has filled in the first grooming. Still, it is snow, and yesterday our neighbor skied before us up Whitetail, breaking the trail anew. George was on his touring gear and doing great. I had made the optimistic mistake of taking my skinny skis, and struggled a bit with the hand set track. Even my tried and true Toko red thought the conditions wrong, and while I didn't have to herringbone up the hill, it was more slippery than I like. We had a chance to talk about wax as we met our neighbor coming down. He said it was like talking to fishermen about their lures.
It was overcast while we were skiing, and as still and quiet as imaginable but for the noise we made. The snow had that opaque cast that hides shadows but stands up so well to color. We were treated to color at the parking lot, where a family of children was sledding down the road (with appropriate adult guards at either end of the run). Their bright coats and scarves, and mostly their bright red cheeks and smiles, put a gloss on the morning.
Come ski1
Patti

November 15, 2020:Skiers, just a quick note: Jack has worked miracles and groomed Whitetail and Pomme de Pin! Skating is excellent (but for a few thin spots on Pomme) and the classic track is set..
Come ski!
Patti

November 14, 2020: Skiers, here we are again. The ground is blanketed with white, and like the turning of the season itself, we went skiing yesterday. Our neighbor met us on Whitetail and we took turns breaking new trail to the top of Windsong. It was lovely, mostly. We all had different types of touring gear-the snow clumped on the no-wax skis and gathered under our boots, but with a few scrapings and generous application of maxi-glide we kept the problems in check. For the waxed skis, Toko Red performed well, (though I still spent time skiing on "high heals" as George put it). And so we moved on. The snow that was falling lightly when we started turned to icy pellets and then to a true snowfall, and as we climbed the six inches on Whitetail layered to nine, growing cold. Everywhere we looked, the larch still hung onto its gold, bright against the gray sky, and out of the treetops a chickadee heralded our trespass. Between the two hairpin turns, a tree bent high over the trail, and beyond that, another had slammed into the snow. We skied under the larch arch, managed to sidestep over the fallen fir and continued on, relishing not only the movement, but also the "palavering" as my companions phrased it, in our current, socially diminished reality.
The sky was throwing snow at us as we started down. The descent was slow enough that we stayed mostly in our tracks, squinting against the flakes blowing in our faces. And, by the time we reached the hut, it was brightening and we skied to the parking lot under patches of blue. Where else can you roll through such changes?
Come ski!
Patti

October 28, 2020: Skiers, in a year of many firsts, this is the first time I have sent an actual ski report in October. Indeed, after cruising around on skis at home one day, we ventured to the park with our touring gear late yesterday morning. It was so lovely. Someone had broken trail ahead of us and we skied to up Whitetail through sunshine from a mottled sky, and glistening snow showers blowing from the trees; under raven shadows and by a chattering squirrel; next to cow tracks and over snow covered ice where the creek had flooded the trail. There was a dusting of needles over some of the snow, but most of the larch were between green and gold, and not yet ready to unclad themselves for the winter. Yes, there were a few places where the ground peered through, but we’ve skied on less snow and been happy. It is, after all, October.
So, on to October business: A few of you have asked about a workday. The first time it came up we were wearing shorts and picking corn, and I couldn't shake the inertia of the long, lovely fall to organize a day facing winter. Jack and I have spoken since, and he tells me that thanks to Dan and his Forest Service crew, there is really not much work to be done. Of course this year, our traditional indoor potluck and meeting are out of the question, and I'm sorry not to be able to host the evening.
However, grooming will start as soon as there is enough snow and Jack is getting the snow machines tuned up now. Todd D and Gregg have agreed to bring their wonderful skills and enthusiasm back to the grooming machines, and Jason will be joining the team, all under Jack’s expert guidance. There is a new map (attached), so thank you to the mapping committee (and to the Okanogan Family Faire committee for granting funds to have them printed on laminate). Some new trail signs will follow soon, and Jack and Phil have made a special one for the hut, saying it belongs to Highlands Nordic Ski Club.
We've taken a subscription out for a satellite locater to help keep our groomers safe on cold, dark mornings when they're out there alone. We also have our usual expenses, including our special use permit from the Forest Service, transportation costs to move the machines in and out, and, importantly, the first of this year's skiers tells me the outhouse needs toilet paper. So, even if we can't have our meeting, we still need to collect club dues, $20.00/family or $15.00/individual. You can make your check out to:
Highlands Nordic Ski Club
and send it to
Patti Baumgardner
599 N Siwash Creek Rd.
Tonasket, WA 98855
Or, you can pay via PayPal on our website at
http://www.highlandsnordicsnopark.com/ourclub.html
Remember, your dues helps the club maintain the Sno Park. You still need to have a Sno Park permit from the state to park your vehicle. Permits go on sale November 2 at
https://epermits.parks.wa.gov/Store/SNO/SnoChoice.aspx
and are usually available at any Forest Service office. They have been $40.00'year, and there was some discussion about a price increase last spring. I'm not sure if it went through, but if so, it's still a great deal. For a whole winter, you and as many people in your Covid bubble as you can fit into your rig, enjoy excellent groomed trail skiing at Highlands Nordic Sno Park. You can also use the permit at other sno parks in the state, though those with high grade grooming equipment tack on an extra fee (see the state website for details).
Anything else?
Oh yes, come ski!
Patti

October 25, 2020:Skiers!!! What an amazing few days it's been and while it's not even Halloween there are fresh tracks at your favorite SnoPark. Kristi, I and our crazy pups took advantage of the winter magic and broke new trail up on the Connecter and Avaa's Draw. Yesterday we walked to the warming hut and found one of our amazing neighbors had skied in before us. With temps in the 40's expected for next week this snow may not stick around but it sure makes me excited for this winter! Keep your eyes peeled for an all hands work party invite and don't forget to grab a SnoPark Pass! Come Ski! Groomer Gregg