What was skiable snow turned into an icy mess after last Sunday’s rain and freeze event. Where numerous people had skied and walked, their tracks had frozen, making a chunky mess. The surface was what we call “boilerplate.” Grooming it was a challenge — it was too hard.

When I arrived at Jackson Monday morning to teach, I went for a test ski loop around the golf course. I had trouble climbing, getting an edge for snowplowing and getting much kick on my waxless skis. Conditions didn’t look promising for teaching beginners that day.

(1) comment

Jared Manninen

Nice article! Not many people talk about xc skiing in tough conditions, in spite of the fact that we all probably ski more on those difficult snow conditions rather than the ideal pristine scenarios. And I totally appreciate the shoutout. That said, could you correct my website name to TahoeTrailGuide.com (it's not plural). Thank you ☺️

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