Nordic Trail Report 3.13.26

Exploration and Discovery on Cross-Country Skis

A sweet old cabin, a sparkling stream and a beautiful day to explore on xc skis.

Community Trip Report

A silver lining of this low snow winter was a fun discovery for three of us out on Nordic touring gear in the Tetons. Near the end of an oft travelled loop, we spied a sign exposed by the low snow pack. Following this summer trail through the trees, we came upon an old cabin that none of us had ever seen.

Such is the mystery and joy of exploring on skis!

At a Glance

• seems a little windy outside

• eco-friendly cross-country ski wax

General Weather – breezy better than windy?

Gusts in GTNP near the Taggart parking lot reached 80 mph Thursday morning, so breezy instead of windy seems great. And nice to see some more inches of snow forecast above 9000 feet, even if cross country tours are often below that. See the full forecast on Mountain Weather.

What’s Groomed Today?

Planned Friday Grooming

Grand Teton National Park – last groom of the year!

Teton Canyon

Southern Valley Nordic – prep for Sat/Sun races.

Cache Creek – Groomed Thursday due to weather – in good shape after the first mile. Next groom is planned for Saturday.

Daily grooming

Trail Creek – next groom will be Friday evening or Saturday morning.

Turpin Meadow Ranch – last groom will by Sunday 3/15.

The most current trail conditions and groomer notes can always be viewed online at: www.jhnordic.com/grooming/

Stewardship Inspiration: Eco-Friendly Waxes

If the day dawns as forecast and staying inside becomes a very reasonable response to the weather, here is a short read about eco-friendly waxes and winter recreation tips on the Leave No Trace blog.

Leave No Trace began as an initiative of the US Forest Service, partnering with the National Outdoor Leadership School, to develop a formal curriculum to help minimize human impact on public lands. It became a freestanding non-profit in 1994, expanding it’s reach from a backcountry-focused initiative into a “broad movement that promotes responsible recreation in all outdoor spaces—ensuring that nature remains open, accessible, and thriving for everyone.” [lnt.org]

Wax is something we all use as cross-country skiers. And just because fluoro waxes—which were very bad for fish, raptors and the lungs of wax techs—are now a thing of the past, all waxes are not created equal. There is a spectrum of “green”, and wax technology continues to evolve. According to Skinny Skis co-owner Scott O’Brien, currently the mountainFlow line of wax, noted in the LNT article, is at the greenest edge of the spectrum. Several other companies also have eco-friendly cross-country ski wax, and you can find Swix and Toko options at Skinny Skis and Yostmark. (NB: mountainFlow waxes happen to be on sale at Skinny Skis!)

Whether LNT’s eco-friendly wax information sends you off to buy better wax, or their tips for traveling on durable surfaces help you to think differently about muddy trails as we enter mud season, today could be a good day to poke around the LNT website for a little education and inspiration!

Strong skiing by local kids.

Shout out to Lena Poduska (University of Vermont) and Mason Wheeler (Middlebury College) for their racing at the NCAA national championships Thursday (7.5K Classic). Both are representing the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA), and both are Jackson Hole Ski Club alums. Each are one of only 40 cross-country ski athletes competing. Well done! The competition continues this weekend.

Go have fun on your skis, snowshoes, fat bike or feet!

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