We will try to update mushers on the trail status and conditions on a regular basis throughout the season so mushers and members will know where we are with the trail and subsequently, upcoming events. As we get closer to the scheduled event dates, updates on the trail condition will be posted more often.

4:49 PM, Wednesday, February 1, 2012

With news today that the Pincher Creek's golf course will open this weekend, the chances that Mush Rush will take place on the 11th is merely a pipedream. The only precipitation forecast in the next two weeks is rain on the 15th. Were it not for the ice on the trail, we'd be able to at least hold some dryland events. Daytime highs are to remain about the +6° or +7° range so things are going to get worse before they get better. However, in the warm weather we're able to keep dressing up the race site. Today the flags went on the Race Site Sign Board and the Souvenir Booth has been panelled with cedar planking. For the time being we simply wait in hopes that there will be some snow coming in the next week or so.

10:07 PM, Wednesday, January 4, 2012

The pictures below don't even begin to tell the story. The pictures were taken on New Year's day, the last day where it was cold enough to actually take a snow machine out on the trail. Since then, the last 3 days, the temperatures have been soaring and what snow there was along the trail has all but disappeared. While the trail is still there, it is icy and hard as a rock, not safe for dogs or drivers. The contrast between the pictures taken early in December and the conditions now is alarming. At our Meeting tonight the Board of Directors made the inevitable decision that our Mush Rush race scheduled for this coming Saturday, January 7th, will be postponed to February 11th. Please help us make folks aware of this postponement.

5:34 PM, Sunday, December 4, 2011

With three to four inches more snow overnight, all trails (2-, 4- and 6-mile) were groomed again this morning. We are starting to get a really good base on the trail. Although the trail snow is a bit soft because big accummulations of snow don't pack all that well, it should set up overnight tonight and be much firmer in the morning. If need be, we'll groom the trail again tomorrow. Kevin finished off the south stall in the outhouse completing the Birch paneling and adding a coat hanger and tissue holder. The light in the east shelter was fixed and now our attention can swing to the sound system. Anyone happening to be driving in or out of town on the back road might want to take note of the Grasse Lumber Sales Ltd. sign on our new sign board. You won't have to look hard, it's pretty noticable.

7:27 PM, Saturday, December 3, 2011

It has been a while since the last update but that doesn't mean we have been idle. Quite the contrary. Many jobs have been lingering partly due to available time and partly due to the amount of time the jobs took to complete. The Race dates were posted on the Valley Sign today after a couple of weeks of too much wind to hang them. The outhouse, totally usable, is coming along with paneling almost complete in the south stall. For a remote race site it is luxurious. The Check-in Kiosk is finally in place, level and anchored complete with a counter. Cabinets and a counter top were installed in the Race Office with only minor touchups remaining. The sponsor sign board has been planted beside the entrance gate waiting for display signs. Three picnic tables have been constructed and will be placed at the Race Site after they are stained. It has been a busy couple of weeks.

Trail grooming started Monday, November 28th and several teams have taken advantage of the early snow and grooming. With a couple more inches of snow today and a heavy snow fall warning in the forecast for tonight, the trail is just going to get better and better.

11:10 PM, Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Got the doors hung on the outhouse with the help of Rick Austin. We also fitted the seats although they are not fastened down as yet. The outhouse still needs power, insulation, and a vent before we can call this project complete. Door hardware also needs to be added, however, that isn't a pressing item and can be added any time prior to the first Mush Rush race.

11:10 PM, Saturday, November 12, 2011

The completed bridge. Entrance and exit wings are complete with snow fence and strapping as well as the same on the rails. The deck is solid with only very minor, sliver gaps between the boards here and there. The bridge is about 4 1/2 feet above the creek ice so as long as the water doesn't rise more than that during spring runoff, we should have no problems with the bridge for years to come.

11:10 PM, Friday, November 11, 2011

You'd think that after all the staining Society Secretary Kirsten Phillps has done she'd be tired of it ... but she's still smiling. Below are different angles of the bridge giving you different views of the entrance wings, deck and trailing including the snow fence and strapping. The only think left is the exit wings and snow fence and strapping at the far end. The bridge is looking really, really good. Thanks to Kirsten, Dave, Emily and Chris Phillips, Rob Fradette, Rick Austin, GTA Building Supply and Fortis. Each had their own part in making this bridge possible. You'll notice that the railing on both sides are lined with snow fence. The hope is that this snow fence will help accummulate snow on the bridge to reduce having to shovel snow. Only time will tell if this works out as planned.

11:10 PM, Thursday, November 10, 2011

Our week long work-bee continues as we focus on finishing the bridge. Today's work completed the deck and rails. There is still quite a bit of work to be done on the bridge before it will be race ready but it is certainly starting to take shape. For the purposes of reference, this bridge will be dubbed the Fortis/GTA bridge.

6:18 PM, Wednesday, November 9, 2011

The week long work-bee continues as we try to finish major projects before the snow flies and the ground gets too hard to plant posts. The outhouse got its final finishing touches of tin complete with trim around the doors. Next the doors have to be built and hung and then floor paint and a seat. Once the doors are on we'll be able to work in any weather, there will be heat in the outhouse. The bridge is our focus at the moment and with the acquisition of the lumber from GTA Building Supply Ltd., the last couple of day has been spent cutting and staining deck planking. Society Secretary Kirsten stained the last of the planking today, thanks Kirsten, and we even managed to put a bit of the deck onto the bridge. All I can say is there are a lot of nails to pound. Tomorrow we'll continue to work on the decking and install rails on both sides if time permits. We will continue to update as the work-bee continues.

9:09 AM, Friday, November 4, 2011

Although we aren't quite ready for it, we woke up to about a half inch of snow this morning and it is still falling. Even with this scant amount of snow the trail shows up like a white ribbon through the tall brown grass. Early indicators would suggest that cutting the grass on the trail is going to do exactly what we wanted it to do, cause greater accumulations of snow on the trail. The creek is still barely frozen, not enough to hold any weight at all, so the trail remains closed for the time being. The forecast is for more snow throughout the day and cooler temperatures for the coming week. Trail grooming may start early this year.

6:56 PM, Sunday, October 30, 2011

Rob Fradette was out today to help finish the bracing on the posts for the fenceline gates and hanging those gates. As you can see from the pictures left and right, the gates are hung and in place. We'll add a header across the top of the posts to ensure nothing moves and to make sure the fence remains deer-proof. Attention can now swing to finishing off the outhouse and final cleanup of the Staging area. It's Halloween tomorrow so likely little more will get done until mid-week. Here's to hoping the outhouse will be operational by next weekend.

9:19 AM, Sunday, October 30, 2011

Many improvements at the race site to catch up on. Kirsten and Dave Phillips painted the Power Box (pictured right, used to be the results board). The sign is easily seen from the road. Kirsten Phillips and Rochelle Byiers stained the Start Gate arch. Krebsie's Backhoe excavated and set in place Fortis power poles for the first of 8 bridges on the trail. The power poles now need to have decking and rails attached to them. The gully on the 4-mile trail just downtrail of the 2-mile gate has been removed, culverts and fill leveled out this entire section of the trail. The Outhouse is well on its way with framing complete, 3 walls and a roof tinned, now waiting for doors and seats. Gate posts on the For Trees fenceline have been planted, plumbed and braced thanks to hole drilling by Gerard Fournier of For Trees Company. Gates will be hung in the next couple of days to complete this project. Kirsten and Chris Phillips replaced all missing flagging on all trail markers and repositioned those that had been displaced. Thanks to the work of a lot of people, we are almost ready for snow.

8:11 PM, Sunday, October 16, 2011

Progress continues on the race trail and site as we prepare for the season. Virutally all the 2-mile trail has been mowed and about one third of the 4-mile trail has been mowed. The hope is that the furrow created by cutting the grass will result in greater amounts of snow accummulating in the mowed area, the trail. Only time will tell if this is worthwhile and actually works the way it is expected to. Even if it does not result in greater accummulations of snow on the trail, it does pave the way for continued summer mowing and therefore dry-land training in the future. Grass cutting will continue until the entire trail is mowed. The dismantled Results Board has been dressed up with a little paint, the souvenir end of the Office shelter has been closed in complete with windows and a door and the base for the outhouse is set in place. The next major job is placement of a couple of bridges.

3:18 PM, Friday, October 14, 2011

As the inaugural entry on the trail status for the 2011/2012 race season, this is essentially just a teaser. There have been many minor improvements to the trail and several more are planned prior to the onset of winter. Sponsor Krebsie's Backhoe repaired a culvert and in the process took the humps and bumps out of the Finish Gate. It should now be a much smoother finish for race participants and other trail users. The snow fence lining the Start and Finish Gates has been repaired and the Race Office shelter now sports an enclosed section for souvenir sales and equipment storage. The entrance to the race site has also been upgraded allowing musher trucks and trailers to get completely off the road before having to stop to open the security gates. Other improvements will be outlined in the days and weeks ahead. For an ongoing report of activities at the race site, become a fan of the Rosebud Run facebook page, www.facebook.com/rosebudrun.

10:16 AM, Saturday, March 26, 2011

The 2-mile trail was groomed yesterday and Kevin and Stephanie ran the trail several times last night. The 2-mile trail has set up nicely and will remain open as long as trail conditions remain safe for use by sleddog teams. The 4-mile trail is closed due to runoff water collecting on the creek making the creek crossings unsafe. The gate at the 2-mile/4-mile split is positioned to route teams onto the 2-mile loop, closing off the 4-mile trail. None of the 4-mile trail is packed or groomed. The staging area has several pools of water that have collected in the low spots. You will need to be cautious of where you drive and where you park in the staging area. High daytime humidity and low overnight temperatures has been causing the entrance lock to freeze up. The lock has been treated with anti-freeze to eliminate this problem but it makes the lock somewhat sticky. You will need to be patient dealing with the entrance gate lock.

5:00 PM, Thursday, March 17, 2011

Although it was only 5 days ago that the outside temperatures were rather cold and we actually ran our Mush Rush 2 race, the warmth of the sun is taking its toll on the trail. The 4-Mile trail is all but toast. Every creek crossing is flooded and with the prospect of seasonal temperatures in the forecast, it is only going to get worse. As a result, the 4-Mile trail is officially closed for the season. The 2-Mile trail is still in pretty good condition, however, it is days or maybe hours before it will follow the same fate as the 4-Mile trail. It has been an exceptionally good season but now, with the water running, it is over until the snow flies again in the fall. We will continue to work toward installing bridges and keep you updated on progress in that regard.

10:53 PM, Thursday, March 10, 2011

The trail is officially in race condition now. The touch-ups on the Start Gate were completed today and although the snow left after moving the drift was a little soft, the cold temperatures and ice crystals tonight should firm it up. All that's left now is gathering up equipment, delivering it and we'll be ready for the arrival of mushers participating in Mush Rush 2.

10:53 PM, Tuesday, March 1, 2011

In spite of the -25 temperature, -37 with wind chill, the trail is again groomed and back in race condition. The drift just down-trail of where the 2-mile loop joins the 4-mile trail has been relocated to the dip just down-trail of the 2-mile gate. The section where the drift was is still a bit rough although that corner has been restored to its full width. The dip, just down-trail of the 2-mile gate, has about 3 feet of new snow in it courtesy of the drift and courtesy of the McLaughlin's donating some, 4, hay sleds. This new snow may be a bit soft over the next few days until it gets firmly packed in place. You don't want to go off the trail here as the snow is now about 4 feet deep on both sides. The float was last piece of equipment put to the trail so there is a lose snow surface all the way around the 4-mile route. The float shaved off the minor bumps and rounded off the major ones. Snow was drifting with the southeast wind as I left the trail tonight so for those contemplating running the trail in the next day or two, there may be some small drifts to deal with. Other than that one rough section, the trail is in superb condition.

6:18 PM, Monday, February 28, 2011

Trail is groomed. There a places where the snow was really deep and other places where there was very little new snow on the trail. Wherever the snow drifted, there is a lot of snow and it will be heavy sledding until the packed snow has a chance to set up. On the flat, most of the new snow blew away so those sections are still pretty solid. The corner just down-trail of where the 2-mile loop joins back into the 4-mile trail needs to be shoveled out again. The drift that accumulated there this time is only about 3 feet deep and 5 feet wide. Until we get after this with a shovel, the trail width around that corner is significantly reduced, only about 5 feet wide and bumpy. Using caution here would be a good idea. The only other spot that might be a concern would be the dip just down-trail of the 2-mile/4-mile split. The snow in the bottom of this dip is very soft. While I'm digging out the drift I'll try to fill this dip but in the meantime, be cautious here as well. There is about 6 inches of new snow in the Start Gate and a huge drift at the end of the Finish Gate. Both have been packed several times but they both remain somewhat soft. Provided we don't get a bunch more snow and more drifting, the trail is ready for use.

3:45 PM, Monday, February 28, 2011

Snow has quit falling and the wind has subsided. There is still a crisp breeze out there but at least it has quit drifting. Should be out on the trail in about an hour to groom and will provide a report once I get back in.

9:13 AM, Monday, February 28, 2011

Trail update this morning ... it's still snowing and now it's drifting as well. Won't go grooming until this passes ... there is no point in grooming until it quits snowing and blowing. The trail this morning will be heavy and we're into blizzard-like conditions. Will post again when the weather breaks and grooming will commence.

6:13 PM, Sunday, February 27, 2011

For those contemplating running the trail tomorrow, you might want to know that it's snowing here again ... this time with a breeze. It might be worth checking on the trail status in the morning. I'll post with an indication of the amount of snow we got and an ETA on grooming completion. And if you have any connections with the wind gods, tell them I really don't want to have to dig out that drift again.

5:13 PM, Sunday, February 27, 2011

Spent a fair amount of time (5 hours) on the trail earlier today packing down the fresh snow and drifts. The drift on the corner just down-trail from where the 2-mile loop joins back into the 4-mile trail had to be entirely dug out so the trail is rough in that section. Will let it set up overnight and take the float to it in the morning. Should be smooth running again by tomorrow afternoon.

11:00 PM, Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The trail is hard and fast. Icy sections all the way around. Didn't touch up the 2-mile loop today but made 5 passes around the 4-mile trail; 3 with the packer, 2 with the float. Will try to get to the 2-mile loop tomorrow. Some fresh snow but not a lot. The float took out some of the washboards and shaved off some of the drifts. Be careful when you're running it.

1:00 PM, Friday, January 28, 2011

No pictures with this update, just a quick report from the trail. In spite of the tropical temperatures over the last week, the trail is in very good condition. There are a couple of spots that warrant caution but we are most definitely a go for the Races. NiteFlite Siberians ran a 6-dog team on the 6-mile, a 4-dog team on the 4-mile and skijored the 4-mile trail this morning. They reported absolutely no problem areas whatsoever. At the time of this update it is snowing lightly with lots more in the forecast. We are very please to be able to say, "We are a go."

7:00 PM, Tuesday, January 25, 2011

With all cylinders firing, we are gearing up for the weekend. Final touches and cleanup of the staging area were completed today along with an inspection of the condition of the trail by Race Marshal Jerry Kaita. He commented that the trail will be hard and fast but we are good to go. Packing continues on the Pull area and the Town of Disbury was in today clearing the staging area in preparation of the arrival of participants. Snow fence and bales will be put in place at critical points on the 6-mile trail in the next couple of days and with that, the trail marking will be complete. Everything is virutally ready.

9:00 PM, Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Courtesy of our resident photo-pro, Kirsten Phillips, we have some quality photographs in our entry today. Not only did Kirsten take pictures today but she and a friend installed the spectator snow fence on the Pull area. By virtue of some drifting winds and daily traffic on the trail, more snow gathered on the trail and was packed in place. To avoid interfering with teams on the trail, grooming has been religated to late in the day illuminated by moonlight and the snow machine headlight. Luckily, freezing temperatures continue.

1:00 PM, Sunday, January 16, 2011

With the ambient temperature hovering around the -20 mark and a wind chill dipping below -30, sled dog enthusiasts will not be deterred. Taking advantage of the superb trail conditions and the cooler temperatures a number of teams were out on the trail this morning and more are scheduled for arrival this afternoon. Traffic on the trail will assist with packing the new snow ensuring the winds predicted in the next fews days won't blow it all away.
With a bad back and the flu, Kevin Sparham had to get his "kids" out on the trail, some exercise and enough of been cooped up in the house.

5:00 PM, Saturday, January 15, 2011

I spent a good part of the day grooming the trail. Rodger was out in the morning and we leveled out all the drifts and trimmed off the remaining shrubs on the 6-mile trail. In the overcast light the trail through the excavated drift was virtually invisible so trail markers have been placed on both side of the trail through that section to avoid problems with being able to tell where the trail is. The Pull area was also packed today and although the wind chill has us around the -30 mark, Rochelle was out to run her dogs late in the afternoon.
The elevated view of the trail looking west from the top of the hill (the second picture) provides a fairly accurate representation of the trail condition for the entire length of the trail. In brighter light the trail shows up as obvious as can be, a white ribbon winding through the river valley. The ridges on the trail are the result of the packer being drug over the new, fresh, fluffy snow on the trail that the packer pushes to the side as it passes. These ridges, although they appear pronounced, are very minor and will be gone with the next grooming.

10:00 PM, Thursday, January 13, 2011

With the races just over two weeks away, the race trail is in exceptional shape. The blizzard we endured this past weekend dumped a significant amount of snow but the wind accompanying the blizzard left all the snow in huge drifts. The picture on the right is evidence of the drifting that occurred. Although detail isn't the best because everything is so white, you can see where we had to dig from one to two feet into the drift on the left-hand side to level the trail out. This corner is just down-trail of the 2-mile/4-mile convergence and presents a snow base of about 3 feet.
Looking exactly in the opposite direction in the picture to the left, up-trail toward the 2-mile/4-mile convergence, the trail is fairly clearly defined. This point is the beginning of the "Free Zone" and at about 12 feet wide, provides ample room for passing without having to go into the rough. In the distance you can see the trail markers marking the end of the 2-mile loop where it meets with the 4-mile trail. Note the height of the trail markers that are almost buried in the picture above.
Although the Finish gate, pictured right, was completely dressed out with snow fence throughout the blizzard, precious little snow drifted into this area. The only drifting occurred about where the photographer is standing which presented a tipping hazard at the Finish and had to be rounded off. Note the improvement in the appearance of the entire Finish Gate with permanent wood fence posts and farm fence lining its entire length.
Unlike the Finish Gate, the Start Gate trapped a lot of drifting snow ... about 2 feet of it. Kirsten and her crew leveled it out making it as smooth as a babies bottom. The Start Gate will endure a lot of abuse before it will begin to deteriorate. Like the Finish Gate, the appearance of entire Start Gate has been improved and is all dressed out with permanent fence posts and farm fence along its entire length. Flags will be flying at the Start Gate for race days.
Some minor adjustments in the trail route were incorporate for this year's races with a longer, gentler corner at the end of the straight-away out of the start gate. The picture to the right shows then end of that corner just before dropping down onto the creek for the first crossing. Contrast in the picture is somewhat difficult although the markers on the right-hand side of the trail give absolute definition of the trail. The grass showing to the left of the trail provides a clear indication of the trail's left-hand edge. It is easy to tell when you're off the trail as you'll be plowing through about a foot of powder snow.
The weather forecast, if you have any confidence in long range weather forecasts, looks fairly favourable. Daytime highs will remain below the freezing mark until the weekend before the races and then only marginally above freezing for only a couple of days. As is usual for our group, we continue to hope for cold temperatures and more snow.

10:00 PM, Sunday, January 2, 2011

With the Mush Rush race a record in the history books, we swing our attention to the Classic race scheduled for the end of the month. The race traffic as a result of Mush Rush yesterday, January 1st, left the trail slightly scarred but still in pretty good shape. Last night we got about an inch of very wet snow and grooming the fresh snow today put the trail right back into terrific condition. The long range forecast has its ups and downs. As is usual in this neck of the woods, there is going to be a spell or two of warm Chinooks winds we are going to have to survive. On the other side of the coin, there is a good amount of snow in the forecast for next weekend which will help keep the trail in race condition. As is usual for our Classic race, the last week prior to the race will be the most critical. We're back into snow dance mode.