Kolapore had the rain and freezing rain last night, which left a crust.  The crust is relatively thin, with rocks showing through.  On top of that there is about 2 cm of new snow, plus lots of branches that were knocked down.  There are wet areas after the rain.  I don't think that the trails will provide safe or enjoyable skiing until we have more cold weather and a significant amount of new snow.  Kolapore Trail Guide

I had a pleasant ski in the County Forest this morning.  The snow cover is still thin, so I recommend rock skis.  The snow gauge is at 16 cm - fortunately part of this is a firm crust covered by fresher snow.  Skiing on rockier trails is not recommended.  Kolapore Trail Guide

Kolapore received 4 - 5 cm of snow overnight, and it's snowing as I post this at 9 AM.  In areas where we held a base (like the south end), there should be some OK skiing.  I would stay away from rocky areas until we get a bit more snow - in other words, I wouldn't go in at the Kolapore entrance at the moment.  Kolapore Trail Guide

:o(

Hopefully soon. We will let you know.

Highlands Nordic is holding on with 10km and Scenic Caves is open.

Stephen

The Kolapore Uplands generally maintained a snow base through the milder weather on the weekend, although there will be lots of rocks sticking through.  It would theoretically be possible to ski in the County Forest, although the tracks are glazed.  Other trails should be avoided.   I will probably skip skiing (even in the County Forest) until we get some fresh snow.  Kolapore Trail Guide

I skied the east end of the County Forest today, and the skiing was very pleasant.  The tracks are in good shape, but they are getting fast.  I also skied the Kingsway - Jack Rabbit - John's Portage loop to check on whether any trail clearing was necessary as a result of recent winds (fortunately only minor pickup).  This section of trail was in poor condition for skiing (rocks, bare ground, icy tracks), and even hard core Kolapore skiers aren't likely to enjoy it.  This is probably true for most of the northern trails which aren't on old forest lanes.  Kolapore Trail Guide

Smooth sailing through County Forest. (South end.) 8 inches at the snow gauge. Still need more for rock-free skiing on the Church Loop, though track is broken for those who are up for the challenge. 

Sorry to disappoint the Collingwood residents - Kolapore didn't receive the squall that you received last night and into today.  If you want current conditions, look at the post from yesterday.  Today a number of Kolapore skiers skied at Scenic Caves.  They have prime mid-winter skiing conditions.  I measured the snow, and they have a 1/2 metre (or more) in the bush.    Kolapore Trail Guide

Kolapore received about 5 cm of snow overnight and through the morning.  The snow gauge is up to 18 cm, although this is slightly misleading, because there is only a few cm of snow in the packed track.  It is still wise to stick to old lanes, e.g., much of the County Forest.   As noted in a previous post, there are lots of branches down due to recent winds.  If you can't remove them, please send an e-mail to info@kolaporetrails.org with a description of the problem.  Kolapore Trail Guide

I had a pleasant ski in the County Forest and on part of Southern Crossing this morning.  Most of the trails were good, although some were only fair because of rocks and wet/thin spots.   There's less than 15 cm (6") of snow, so I wouldn't try to ski anywhere other than the County Forest in the short term.  Even there, you will want to use rock skis and take a scraper in case you ice up.  We hear reports of trees down on some other trails as a result of recent winds.  If you can't solve the problem, please send an e-mail with a description of the problem to info@kolaporetrails.org.   Kolapore Trail Guide