​FYI - due to the wind storm trees have fallen across the trails.  Greg Lewis and I were able to get started on clearing today, but I am afraid that there may be many more to clear before the inner loop, as well as the other trails, are free of windfalls.  We made it from the parking lot to just beyond the loose moose junction.  We had to cut out ~ 15 trees.  So if you head up that way in the next couple of days, beware that you may run into a few obstacles. 


If all goes well there is a plan to get the entire grooming crew together by Tuesday to get around as much of the trail system as possible.  Hopefully by next weekend we will have all the trails cleared again. 

On a good note, a new layer of snow (~1/4 inch) had covered the packed trail.  Skiing on it was pretty nice. The section of packed trail we cleared today appeared to still be in good shape,  Hopefully it will stay that way for a while, and we get some more snow! 

The rainstorm on Wednesday was snow at Fourth of July at least in part. An inch of wet snow came down. The crew “groomed” on Thursday, January 7th. All the trails we groom have been packed throughout the area. The Inner core trails except for Loose Moose have been groomed except where other runs of necessity damaged the groom. Grooming also extends down Skywalker from the Skateaway Junction to the Lower Twisted Klister Junction. The sign system has been installed on the Twisted Klister System with a few exceptions. We did find the stovepipe in the Snowshoe Hut damaged and in need of repair.
We plan to groom Saturday January 9th, morning over the entire system.

The snow pack held up remarkably well to the series of rainstorms that started the new year. There are a few thin spots on Havin-Fun, typically under tree canopy, but the pack deepens with elevation. Some additional set up work today required a groomer be towed over the Inner Core and Skateway Trails. The pack held up well to grooming and track setting. In addition the Skaywalker-Moonrunner Trail system was packed and the pack widened. Thus Havin Fun, The Swoop, High Road and Skateway are groomed and track is set over most of the trail. Skywalker-Moonrunner are packed but still uneven due to pre-road closure rutting by wheeled vehicles. Eagle Run and Elderberry are yet to be packed and groomed.
If the rainstorm expected tomorrow turns off cold and gives us some snow, we plan to pack and groom again on Thursday

Grooming Update: Sunday, December27, 2020
Certainly wish we could tell you we are grooming at the Fourth of July Park Ski & Snowshoe Area, but alas the most recent storm left us several inches too little snow. We are putting in place all the equipment to make a fast start when we get enough snow, hopefully midway through next week. There is but three or four inches of snow on the runs near the parking area, with even less to none beneath trees with big canopies. However, the upper runs over on the Twisted Klister side have 8-10 inches of snow. Snow depth increase rapidly as one climbs up Twisted Klister. Today we closed the lower gate on Skywalker (FSR 614) so snowshoers or skiers going that way should not meet any traffic. The snowshoe hut has been up for weeks now.
As soon as we have more to report on grooming the main area ski runs, it will be posted here.