The event holder, Cross Country Alaska has postponed the uphill race a week in hopes of a better, safer, ski surface on the racecourse. Stay tuned for an update. pz...
While skiing on the 5 K is still good, a groom just may appear sometime soon. Light rain and warmer temperatures are forecasted until tomorrow morning. Thanks for the GREAT YEAR of skiing and GNSC membership. Check out the Cross Country Alaska Uphill Ski Race Sunday morning at 9:00 AM at Alyeska Resort Daylodge. Finish is at the roundhouse. We haven't stopped skiing. Crust skiing on Turnagain pass is highly recommended when overnight temps and snow conditions are right. See you all out on the trails! Thanks to Groomers, GNSC Board, and our loyal Members....
The 5K was groomed this morning. APU is out skiing this week on the 5K. Grooming is finished for the season on the meadows and the 5K remains SKI ONLY. Please pick up after dogs and respect our trails. Thank you for supporting GNSC!...
WE ARE STILL GROOMING 5K!! There is 2 ft of snow at the base, and 3 feet of snow at the top. Because this trail is not over wetland it is safe for us to continue to groom. We will groom the 5K until conditions dictate otherwise. Please no foot traffic or dogs while we continue to groom. Thanks! We are finished grooming in the meadows. The groomed paths are still firm in the morning (for walking,biking, or skiing) and the crust skiing is doable but slightly lumpy. Please continue to pick up all your dogs' waste. Lots of poo pockets out there. CAUTION: Horror Hill and Enchanted Forest Hill are SOLID ICE! Chicken Little here walked down Horror Hill today. Yikes. ...
Tracks were re-done and all trails spiffed up. Get out and ski it up!...
Jim groomed the 5k and the meadows late this afternoon. Should set up nicely tonight! Thank you to our GNSC supporters and volunteers...
Stay tuned for a rescheduled date, hopefully next Saturday, May 7th. Email info@skigirdwood.org if you can volunteer! Alyeska Hill Climb through CCAK. Click HERE for information. Brought to you by Alyeska Resort, Cross Country Alaska, and Girdwood Nordic Ski Club. Register today! https://nordicx.redpodium.com/ccak-alyeska-hill-climb Long Course: Alyeska Day Lodge and finish at the top of the Tram. Open to U16+ Short Course: Alyeska Day Lodge and finish mid-hill. Open to U12, U14, U16 skiers. *U16 skiers may select either Long OR Short Course ...
Read on for TIPS from GNSC: Crust skiing/biking allows you to explore meadows and other spaces usually not accessed by skate skis or bike. The key weather ingredients are 1) warm daytime temperatures to create a bit of melting, 2) followed at night by temperatures below freezing to 3) make the slushy surface freeze and form a crust. While an inch of new snow is fine, any more than that prevents a crusty surface. Crust skiing offers amazing freedom because a skier can go pretty much anywhere, and usually more speedily since the snow’s surface provides a smooth and fast base. Tips for crust skiing/biking: Crust skiing tends to favor skate skis over classic skis as the refrozen surface layer of snow doesn’t offer much grip for classic skiing. Studded tires recommended for crust riding since the snow has been refreezing. Watch the weather for freezing temps at night. Clear skies tend to allow for freezing of the surface layer of snow. The CNFAIC has a excellent weather page. Different areas of elevation will change the crust conditions. IE Turnagain pass meadows vs Girdwood meadows. Watch the temp differences in these areas. NOAA Head out early. The idea of crust skiing/biking is to use the supportable refrozen layer to ski/bike upon. Ideally this surface will be just edgable enough to give a skate ski or tire purchase without breaking through. The goal of of crust skiing/biking is to stay on top of the snow and use that surface before it softens and becomes unsupportable. Usually crust skiing favorites near Girdwood are Portage Lake, Skookam Glacier, Placer River Valley, Turnagain Pass, Twenty Mile Valley, and of course, the meadows in Girdwood. There is a Facebook group called Crust Ski Alaska that is a great resource for the latest crust and ski reports around Alaska. Some experimenting is usually required with getting the hang of forecasting the weather. It’s natural to misread the weather/snow conditions as one tries out crust ski/biking at first. Hang in there, the reward is usually worth it. Just remember to get back to firmer ground before you start to break through into the deeper snow. Only wagons like ruts, and fences like post holes. ...
Are you getting crusty? Read on for TIPS from GNSC by clicking at right: Crust skiing/biking allows you to explore meadows and other spaces usually not accessed by skate skis or bike. The key weather ingredients are warm daytime temperatures to create a bit of melting, followed at night by temperatures below freezing, to make the slushy surface freeze and form a crust. ...
Fresh snow this morning! Groomers headed out to brush the trails, grooming all the meadows with corduroy and classic tracks, and the 5K too, with reset classic tracks. Thank you for supporting GNSC by using and caring for Girdwood's trails!...
Our volunteer groomer brushed all trails this morning. Tracks were left on the 5K and classic tracks reset on meadows. Should ski well and snow is soft! Thank you for supporting GNSC...