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Show Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, December 30, 2017-January 2, 2018 The Park Record B-3 Nordic venues hope to keep an edge over dry weather PARK RECORD FILE PHOTO Leah Lange rounds the final curve of the 1K sprint course as she approaches the finish line of the Black Diamond Wasatch Citizens Series cross-country skiing race at Soldier Hollow, Dec. 16. Soldier Hollow has 20K of paths rolled, but only 1K groomed. With little snow falling, a short window of skiing BEN RAMSEY The Park Record Nordic skiers are rejoicing in the season’s first window of good skiing. With most venues offering at least some courses, skiers have broad options for the first time this season. But with forecasts predicting little additional snow and warmer high temperatures, it could be a short-lived jubilee rather than a christening of enduring ski conditions. One key part of the cross-country skiing scene is still largely out of commission – Soldier Hollow. The facil- ity is known for its excellent grooming, but using a cat-track is impossible for most of its trail system. Currently the park has a well-groomed 1K track, along with 20K of patchy, snowmobile-rolled paths. The timeline for grooming the rest of the trails is dependent upon the weather, said Soldier Hollow employee Xander Burkemo. Meanwhile, White Pine’s 3K and 5K tracks are open and in good condition, which is drawing droves of cross-country skiers, said Patrick Coffey, a worker at the Nordic center. “Overnight temps are keeping things in great shape,” he said. “The tracks aren’t picking up a ton of moisture and (groomers) are heading out and patching things with shovels.” He said the groomers have been able to “work miracles” to get the tracks open given the snow conditions, but those waiting for the 12K farm trail to open will have to hold on a little longer. “We have packed it but it is closed,” Coffey said. “There’s a lot of dangerous stuff out there that’s just beneath the snow, so we’ve packed it and are waiting for snow.” Similarly, trails around the perimeter of Round Valley are groomed and open, including Silver Quinn, Matt’s Flatt, Two Pine and Round Valley Express, but the heart of the valley remains thinly covered and won’t be groomed until more snow falls. “Conditions for cross-counPlease see Keeping, B-6 Correction The article “Olympic athlete and cancer survivor revels in normalcy,” which appeared in the previous edition, incorrectly identified Bryan Fletcher by his brother’s name, Taylor. The Park Record regrets this mistake. Buy Online and Save up to 30% Saturday, December 30 8:30 am - 3:00 pm 9:00 am - 4:00 pm 9:00 am - 10:00 am 1:00 pm - 1:45 pm Sponsor Village Fan Activites Nordic Combined Ski Jumping Nordic Combined Cross Country Sunday, December 31 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Sponsor Village 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Fan Activites 10:50 am - 12:15 pm Ski Jumping UtahOlympicLegacy.org |