Skiing this winter

[rec...@flare.net]

I have been skiing in the winter on Fern Mountain for the past twenty
years or so. Some trails have been unusually difficult this year,
presumably because of the weather. There have been a lot of crater
like holes with water in them in places where I have never seen this
before. The bridges over the water on the trail to "Lake View Loop"
have been really helpful. This trail may have been impassable without
them.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I skied down the trail that goes from pt
40 to pt 44, designated as "Snowy Owl Trail" on a previous map. I
would recommend anyone going this way to allow plenty of extra time
and to bring a saw. There were quite a few blow downs, and they seem
to get worse as you go farther west. We left it better than it was,
but it still needs a lot of work. The "Perimeter Trail" between pt 44
and pt 35 was in pretty good condition, as was "Ridge Top Run", pt 35
to 39. There was some blow down near the boulders on the trail that
goes from pt 39 to 26, past "Fern Springs". I cleared most of it with
my little hand saw, but there is still a tree hung up there that could
fall on the trail and block it again.

We will try the "Southwest Perimeter Trail" this weekend if there is
enough snow.


Richard Eckner