Thursday 22-May'25.
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It’s that magical time of year again—hiking boots are stomping, bike tires are spinning, and nature is throwing just enough shade to keep things interesting.
NEWSLETTER
For those rare and mysterious individuals who somehow resist the irresistible charm of Otway’s newsletters—packed with thrilling updates, enticing offers, and all the latest happenings—fear not! You can still redeem yourself. Click here to catch up on current and past editions. We won’t even judge you (much).
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PLANNING AHEAD
There are no old skiers at Otway. None. Not a single one. However, we do have a few who have enthusiastically redefined the limits of “youthful vigor” (some might say stretched those limits like an overused ski boot liner). If you’re thinking ahead to the day when your enthusiasm for skiing remains boundless, but your balance and joints politely disagree, check out what one particularly stubborn lifelong skier did to keep gliding. Click here—because planning ahead is way cooler than just face-planting into the future.
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GROOMING
Ever wondered how ski grooming works? Some folks assume our snowcats just zoom around the trails playing tag, or, on the narrower routes, a thrilling game of hide and seek. And yes, on the steeper sections, there may be some sideways surfing involved (purely for entertainment purposes, of course). When things get dull, the operators occasionally engage in synchronized stadium laps to see if one snowcat can outwit, outplay, and outrun the other. But alas, this is merely a snow-fueled fairy cat-tale.
If you actually want to understand the real logic behind grooming—where, when, and why it happens—click here while your second cup of coffee is brewing. Bonus tip: If you’re one of those mesmerized souls who obsessively watch the trail map change colors, click on the blinking snowcat icon. That will show you the speed:
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2–5 km/h: Slow and steady, battling nasty ice
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8–10 km/h: The dream—10 cm of fresh, dry powder on a solid base
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14–18 km/h: Skidoo + Ginzoo magic when early-season snow is deep enough to groom but not quite enough for the full snowcat treatment
Basically, grooming is part science, part strategy, and part extreme sport.
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LENGTHY SNOW REPORT
If you think this Snow Scribe can get a bit long-winded in the Grooming Reports (gasp!), then you might get a kick out of Lucy Welsh’s 1,264-word snow report for Sugarbush Resort (Vermont), dated March 1, 2025. It was, shall we say, thorough. Unfortunately, it didn’t stay published for long. Let’s hope she still has a job.
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If you prefer near-local literary value over snow grooming rants, check out this article from Morice Mountain, where the writer waxes poetic about the deeply personal joy of Nordic skiing. Some people really know how to write. Click here and be inspired.
ABC | Distance | Open | Last Groomed/ Trackset | Trackset | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Biathlon | 0.36km | G T | |||
Biathlon Bypass | 0.24km | G | |||
Birch Bend | 2.47km | G T | |||
Bullseye | 0.19km | G T | |||
Canada Cup | 0.72km | G T | |||
Caretaker Hill | 0.32km | G T | |||
Chute | 0.92km | G T | |||
Cranbrook Climb | 0.49km | G T | |||
Dog Bypass | 0.19km | G T | |||
Dog's Ears | 0.25km | G | |||
Dogonit | 2.18km | G T | |||
Dogpatch | 2.71km | G T | |||
Eh Climb | 1.12km | G T | |||
Fingers | 3.56km | G T | |||
Firthur Up The Creek | 1.13km | G T | |||
Gravel Pit | 0.91km | G T | |||
Greenway Corridor | 1.18km | G T | |||
Hickory Wing | 1.6km | G T | |||
Hickory Wing West | 2km | G T | |||
High Five | 1.28km | G T | |||
Homecoming | 0.11km | G | |||
Iceman | 0.56km | G T | |||
Iceman Cutoff | 0.3km | G T | |||
Inner 5 | 1.06km | G T | |||
Jackrabbit | 0.36km | G T | |||
Junior National | 1.56km | G | |||
Junior National Connector | 0.13km | G | |||
Larch Loop | 1.91km | G T | |||
Lit Loop | 0.13km | G T | |||
Lynx | 0.79km | G T | |||
Nite Rider | 1.26km | G T | |||
Northern Lights | 2.55km | G T | |||
Old Biathlon Loop | 0.25km | G T | |||
Old Sawmill Loop | 1.83km | G T | |||
Paranordic Cutoff | 0.12km | G T | |||
Penalty Loop | 0.16km | G | |||
Pine Flats | 1.46km | G T | |||
Pond Cutoff | 0.12km | G T | |||
Race Maze | 1.8km | G T | |||
Raven's Col | 2km | G T | |||
Ridgerunner | 1.45km | G T | |||
Santa's Cabin Connector | 0.21km | G T | |||
Stadium | 0.26km | G T | |||
Sun Dog | 1.11km | G T | |||
Supersprint | 0.22km | G T | |||
Teaching Area | 0.11km | G | |||
Teardrop | 0.51km | G T | |||
The Hub | 0.24km | G T | |||
Tigger | 1.85km | G T | |||
Top Dog | 1.6km | G T | |||
Under Dog | 0.8km | G T | |||
Up the Creek | 0.54km | G T | |||
Upper Parking Lot | 0.12km | G T |
ABC | Distance | Open | Last Groomed/ Trackset | Trackset | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Biathlon | 0.36km | G T | |||
Biathlon Bypass | 0.24km | G | |||
Birch Bend | 2.47km | G T | |||
Bullseye | 0.19km | G T | |||
Canada Cup | 0.72km | G T | |||
Caretaker Hill | 0.32km | G T | |||
Chute | 0.92km | G T | |||
Cranbrook Climb | 0.49km | G T | |||
Dog Bypass | 0.19km | G T | |||
Dog's Ears | 0.25km | G | |||
Dogonit | 2.18km | G T | |||
Dogpatch | 2.71km | G T | |||
Eh Climb | 1.12km | G T | |||
Fingers | 3.56km | G T | |||
Firthur Up The Creek | 1.13km | G T | |||
Gravel Pit | 0.91km | G T | |||
Greenway Corridor | 1.18km | G T | |||
Hickory Wing | 1.6km | G T | |||
Hickory Wing West | 2km | G T | |||
High Five | 1.28km | G T | |||
Homecoming | 0.11km | G | |||
Iceman | 0.56km | G T | |||
Iceman Cutoff | 0.3km | G T | |||
Inner 5 | 1.06km | G T | |||
Jackrabbit | 0.36km | G T | |||
Junior National | 1.56km | G | |||
Junior National Connector | 0.13km | G | |||
Larch Loop | 1.91km | G T | |||
Lit Loop | 0.13km | G T | |||
Lynx | 0.79km | G T | |||
Nite Rider | 1.26km | G T | |||
Northern Lights | 2.55km | G T | |||
Old Biathlon Loop | 0.25km | G T | |||
Old Sawmill Loop | 1.83km | G T | |||
Paranordic Cutoff | 0.12km | G T | |||
Penalty Loop | 0.16km | G | |||
Pine Flats | 1.46km | G T | |||
Pond Cutoff | 0.12km | G T | |||
Race Maze | 1.8km | G T | |||
Raven's Col | 2km | G T | |||
Ridgerunner | 1.45km | G T | |||
Santa's Cabin Connector | 0.21km | G T | |||
Stadium | 0.26km | G T | |||
Sun Dog | 1.11km | G T | |||
Supersprint | 0.22km | G T | |||
Teaching Area | 0.11km | G | |||
Teardrop | 0.51km | G T | |||
The Hub | 0.24km | G T | |||
Tigger | 1.85km | G T | |||
Top Dog | 1.6km | G T | |||
Under Dog | 0.8km | G T | |||
Up the Creek | 0.54km | G T | |||
Upper Parking Lot | 0.12km | G T |