One Last Time!
Another successful season (mostly) of Nordic skiing and snowshoeing comes to an end with the final day of grooming on the Deer Hollow Recreation Area trail system. The enduring public/private partnership between the Cedar Mountain Nordic Ski Club, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation has completed its sixth ski season at Deer Hollow.
CMNSC volunteer Jim R. ran the snow shovel, groomed the restroom, and dug a diversion ditch to drain the lake on one side of the parking lot, while volunteers Topher and Steve ran the State’s snowcat groomer over all maintained ski trails, laying fresh corduroy and classic tracks on all trails.
Forest Service employees Jess, Skyler, and Dakin made the rounds via snowmobile to pick up boundary snow pole markers and stowed them away in the trailer.
The snowshoe trails were not groomed, but a firm base and visible corduroy from last week’s grooming remains.
The snow depth gauge still shows 4-1/2 feet of snow, which is softening quickly in the warm afternoon temperatures. Early to mid-morning will be best for skating, and be sure to bring some glide wax for the sticky snow in the afternoons.
By afternoon, the parking lot is a muddy mess. So, we have groomed a lane directly from the County Line snowplow turnaround to the Hollow Trail, so you can park in the turnaround (perpendicular parking – NOT parallel, please!) and avoid having to drive and walk in the parking lot. It is O.K. to park in the snowplow turnaround as long as UDOT is not engaged in snow removal along the highway.
Have fun while the snow lasts!