I got out and skied at Sunset Hills yesterday and while the east wind did its best to make a mess, the skiing is quite good right now! With cold nights and slowly warming days, it is likely to stick around for a bit too. Now, that being said, because the snow is so thin, there is not a whole lot we can do grooming wise. We may get out one more night this week to do a little drift cleanup but much more than that is likely to expose a lot more dirt and grass, which will speed melting along. Also, it is still October, at this rate the winter ahead looks long!
If you are looking for more adventurous skiing, Gallatin County Plowed the Hyalite Road today. While grooming doesnt begin there until December 2nd, there is plenty of powdery adventure potential! If you like Hyalite and skiing Hyalite, also consider donating to Friends of Hyalite; they fundraise to keep the road clear for the winter and help with other stewardship projects throughout the year!
On that note, there is one last Cyclo Cross (CX) Race tonight as part of the local race series. They are doing a shorter course around the perimeter of Sunset Hills and there will be very little impact on the ski trails. They have a use agreement for this just like we do for grooming, so please repsect the bikers and cheer them on for their last hurrah of the season if you are out skiing! Im glad their race series and the ski trails can coexist out there! Ive included a map from the organizer.