December 31, 2017 Skiing

 Photo from the lodge looking up wrangler.  Beautiful day grooming was great and temp was -17.

Artwork in the stadium.

Great conditions today and a fantastic ski.

December 31, 2017 Conditions

Groomers have been working hard through the cold weather packing and track setting all of the new snow.  It has been cold but conditions have been fantastic over the holidays so far.  All trails are track set as per the table.  Gunanoot and Canyon View will be completed today.  Looks like the cold weather is going to break so bring on the skiing in the new year.

Hope to see you up there!

Have a good ski!

New youth ski program

​Williams Lake Cross-Country Ski Club

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​New YOUTH FUN SKI PROGRAM at Bull Mountain Ski Trails                            2018 Ski Season​​​

​​​​​​​​   

The Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club (WLCCSC) is piloting a new YOUTH FUN SKI PROGRAM for youth ages 10 to 18.  This program will run each Sunday from 1:00 pm-3:00 pm at the Bull Mountain Ski Trails starting Sunday January7 until Sunday March 11.  No session will run on February 11 (Family Day Weekend).

The program will not run on days where it is colder than -15 Celcius at 12:00 noon on Environment Canada’s website for the Williams Lake Airport (also posted on the website at www.bullmountain.ca)

The group will head out from the warming hut on a fun classic ski with 2 trained coaches who will act mainly as guides and provide minimal instruction on skiing technique.  The group will be divided up so those willing and able to go further and faster can while others can go for a shorter distance at a slower speed.  Skiers may also skate ski provided they have the proper equipment and have a basic level of competence for that technique.

This new program is targeting youth that have some previous cross country ski experience and who wish to ski for fun only at a recreational level (non competitive).  It is a SKI for LIFE idea which will focus on enjoying nature, and skiing for fun with others who share similar interests.  It appeals to young skiers and teenagers who have a wide range of ski experience and abilities along with ‘late starters’ to the sport of Nordic skiing. It applies to skiers who have skied before but have not kept up with it on a regular basis or desire a non-competitive environment in which to ski.  We will have fun and improve the physical fitness of participants.  We hope to develop these young skiers into life long cross country ski enthusiasts!

Parents are encouraged to come along for the ski as well.

Skiers are expected to provide their own equipment.

Registration forms are available by contacting Rob Sutton at the below number/email.

Feel free to call or email with any further questions or information you may require about our new youth fun ski program.

Rob Sutton, c-250-267-3086​skijackrabbit@gmail.com

WLCCSC Youth Development Coordinator​​​​​​​​

Jackrabbits starting Sunday January 7

Hi everyone. We have heard from only a small number of you so please let me know either way what your plans are for this upcoming season regarding the jackrabbits program. We need to organize groups and coaches depending on the number of kids we have. I will also send out description of the new youth fun ski program for ages 10-18 which will run on sundays (cost is $90 and includes a season pass).

Merry Christmas to all! 🎿

Rob

December 23, 2017 Conditions

Conditions December 23, 2017

Thanks to the hard work of the groomers all trails are packed and ready for more snow.  

Classic tracks are set intermittently depending on snow depth.  Early season conditions exist but are still good.  Lights are on for night skiing.  Conditions are excellent for skate skiing.

Have a great ski! and do a snow dance

Conditions December 23, 2017

Picture From Malcolm,  Looks Great.

Season Starts Dec. 21st!!

Williams Lake Cross Country ski club will be opening Bull Mountain for the 2017-2018 ski season on Thursday December 21, 2017.

Bull Mountain received 15cm of snow on Sunday and the groomers have been working all week packing the trails to create a base for the season.  Expect early season conditions as stated below.

What to expect: 

-Current base 2-3 inches

-All trails are packed and have a groomed corduroy surface.

-Upper trails in the system that were impacted by the wildfires (Cataline, Anvil, Gunanoot) use caution as there may be dirt or rocks close to the surface.

-Mid trails impacted by woodlot logging (Winchester, Cataline, Canyon View) use caution as there may be dirt or rocks close to the surface.

-Watch for rocks and debris that may be protruding from the snow.

-classic tracks will be set with additional snow falls, (Currently there is not enough base to set consistent classic tracks.)

-lights will be available for night skiing.

Trail closures: 

-Kiwanis – not enough snow on swamp crossing sections

-Gunanoot - packed but would advise not to ski until there is more snow

-Canyon View - packed but would advise not to ski until there is more snow

REMINDER:

Day users MUST go in the warming hut and sign the day use register (and deposit fee in the drop box)

Alternatively...buy a membership online through Zone 4 or download forms from our website and put them in the dropbox at the hill, or mail them in.

No skiing yet....

The trails are not open yet..... groomers were up there this morning, rolling and packing the snow, but we need a bit more to set tracks. So, the gate is still locked. We will post a notice here and on Facebook the minute it's offically open.....it's close....we just need a bit more snow. Hang in there skiers!!

Open House

There will be a slideshow at the Open House.  There are some great shots of our improvements as well as some before pictures....showing the damage from the wildfires this summer.  We hope to see you there.

Thank you!

Many thanks to everyone who came out to help at our 2 work bees.  Things are looking good at the hill.....The wood shed looks fantastic, and the fire rehabilitation work is almost complete. We are ready for snow!

ANOTHER WORK BEE! SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29th

10am-1pm at Bull Mountain

• As always, this will be a fun, outdoor day, for ALL family members.
• We will supply hot dogs and condiments for consumption at 1pm for attendees…. 

• Where: Meet in the Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club parking lot.
• What to wear:  Warm clothing, work gloves, rain gear (depending on the weather), hiking/work boots. A day-pack is handy for carrying your stuff.
• Hand Tools: Round nose shovels for removing rocks, woody debris, cow paddies, etc. from the trails, clippers and hand-saws for removing branches encroaching on the trails, a splitting maul for splitting firewood.
• Specialty/Power Equipment: If you own an ATV, we would appreciate it if you brought it; the trails are soft so we ask that people walk or ride an ATV. Vehicles (other than ATV’s) will not be allowed on the trails. We need people with chain-saws and brush saws for removing brush growing up on the trails. A weed whacker is probably too light. Please note if you are bringing a chain-saw or any power equipment our safety plan obliges volunteers to wear personal protective gear (a hard hat with ear and eye protection, gloves and work boots) and faller’s pants if you are running a chain-saw.

Please let Sean Seabourne know if you are able to attend (and what tools you can bring), or give him a call if you have any questions.  250-398-9588

WORK BEE SUNDAY OCTOBER 22

10am-3pm at Bull Mountain

• As always, this will be a fun, outdoor day, for ALL family members. 

• Where: Meet in the Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club parking lot.
• What to wear:  Warm clothing, work gloves, rain gear (depending on the weather), hiking/work boots. A day-pack is handy for carrying your stuff.
• Hand Tools: Round nose shovels for removing rocks, woody debris, cow paddies, etc. from the trails, clippers and hand-saws for removing branches encroaching on the trails, a splitting maul for splitting firewood.
• Specialty/Power Equipment: If you own an ATV, we would appreciate it if you brought it; the trails are soft so we ask that people walk or ride an ATV. Vehicles (other than ATV’s) will not be allowed on the trails. We need people with chain-saws and brush saws for removing brush growing up on the trails. A weed whacker is probably too light. Please note if you are bringing a chain-saw or any power equipment our safety plan obliges volunteers to wear personal protective gear (a hard hat with ear and eye protection, gloves and work boots) and faller’s pants if you are running a chain-saw.
• Cleaning Supplies: We will need our warming hut and outhouses cleaned and swept out.

Please let Sean Seabourne know if you are able to attend (and what tools you can bring), or give him a call if you have any questions.  250-398-9588

SAVE THE DATES

October 18, 2017 - AGM - 7pm @ Library Meeting Room

October 22, 2017 – Work Bee #1- 10am-3pm @ Bull Mountain

October 29, 2017 – Work Bee #2- 10am-3pm @ Bull Mountain

November 18, 2017 – OPEN HOUSE- 10am-2pm @ Library Meeting Room

We hope to see lots of you at the AGM.  We’ll be giving an update on the wildfire impacts at the hill….and yes, there are some.  As always, we are looking for more volunteers to get involved with our club.  If you have some time to give, and are passionate about cross country skiing and improving our facility we’d love to have you on board!  

NEW SEASON IS ALMOST UPON US!

Our Annual General Meeting will be held Wednesday, October 18th at 7pm at the library meeting room.  Plan to attend!

Rob Sutton is looking for some volunteers to help out with the coaching of the Jackrabbit program this year.  Please contact him for more information if you are at all interested.....
skijackrabbit@gmail.com or call 250-392-1107

March 19 Conditions

Put the rakes and the brooms down!

When it was raining in town yesterday Bull Mountain received 1 cm of fresh snow.  Malcolm and I groomed the new snow in and the skate lanes are perfect and all trails have been groomed this am.  We will be closing the gates after today due to significant warming in the weather.

Thanks again for making the season a success.

Enjoy your ski! 

March 18, 2017 Conditions

Scott and I groomed all of the centers last night, so with it not freezing there should be a soft layer on top.  We will do the same tomorrow am.  Watch for icy trail sections especially in the Canyon View Winchester area on Cataline.  Sections of wrangler by the timing hut  have ice puddles and Cataline is also bypassed through the stadium.  We did not reset any of the classic tracks as the snow depths are highly variable along all trail sections however the trail centers will be nice for classic today also.

I was told by a young lady skiing last night that it was the best it has been all season for skate skiing.

Enjoy your ski!

Season Is Coming to an End

Well the warm weather this week has significantly reduced our snow pack and the ice puddles are currently growing on the trails.  We will be grooming trail centers on Friday night and Sunday morning for those that want to ski.

This will be the last grooming of the season so thank you very much for a spectacular year.  We have had our challenges with snow and probably opened with the lowest snow pack ever.  If we were still grooming with the Pisten Bully I am not sure if the trails would have been groomed this year with the 3-5" base we have been working with.  I would like to thank the executive for the countless hours of organizing it takes to run a facility like ours.

Thanks again to all of our volunteers, for grooming, brushing, mowing, slashing, cleaning, timing, course marshaling and the countless other jobs that were completed.

It is going to be a very busy summer up at Bull Mountain this summer so if you are interested in construction, trail maintenance, beetle probing, let us know.

March 12, 2017

All the trails are groomed up again after the snow on Saturday.  Conditions are great today with temperatures still below zero.  A bit of a struggle getting out of bed early enough with the time change, but after a coffee I was good to go.  Bob was up there before me warming up the sleds and hooking up the groomers as I arrived.  We focused on the upper trails for the early morning enthusiasts, and had lots of smiles and thanks for the effort.

Enjoy your Ski!

March 11, 2017 Conditions

It should be a great day up there today with 6 inches of new snow yesterday.  It has been awhile since we have been able to use hard waxes in March so enjoy another klister free weekend. 

Sean, Brian and Mike packed all of the trails Friday evening and Malcolm and Mike are setting tracks and grooming this morning.  If you see them setting tracks give the tracks sometime to set up before you step into them.  The lower section of Kiwanis is still closed since we are damaging our equipment whenever we try to groom it.  But everything else should be good to go. 

Lots of people up yesterday afternoon and evening enjoying the deep powder and I saw the odd tele turn and bum print as I was packing last night which always makes me smile.

Enjoy your ski!

March 10, 2017 Conditions

The grooming crew will be attempting to pack and reset the tracks for Saturday and Sunday.  We have received 6"'s of snow as of Friday afternoon and are expecting more into Saturday. 

The forecast is calling for no freezing Sunday, Monday and Tuesday with double digit daily highs.  The forecast for the next several weeks is above zero daily and below at night.  So we are expecting conditions to become very icy quickly after this weekend.  Unfortunately this maybe the last weekend of skiing this year and we will keep you posted when the gate closes for this year.

The WLCCSC would also like to thank Westfraser Mills for their generous donation of a lift of lumber to repair our gates for races.

Have a great ski!

school ski races a success

Hl. What a great day. Im very happy with how it went. I think the new out of town teams also had a blast. Thanks to all those who helped out in one way or another; mike malcolm and sean with grooming. Also to stadium setup crew and timing crew (glen d jimm s radoolas roger nara ann ordele etc).
 If you have club equipment please remember to return it back to me once skiing is over for the season at the end of march. Ill setup a time for all to bring upto hut. Enjoy the fantastic conditions and trails for the next couple of weeks. I hope everyone had fun and enjoyed the jackrabbit season and hope to see you all again next season. We have an amazing group of kids in our group!!!

Saturday March 5th Conditions:

Significant snowfall on Friday night just in time for race day.  Our volunteers have been  working from well before dawn to well past dark to get the snow groomed and the race tracks prepared. All tracks will be groomed for Sunday morning.  Please respect course boundaries as laid out by Sean in the post below.  That being said please don't be discouraged from coming out to ski tomorrow as there are many trails not dedicated to our racers. 

Race Event on Sunday March 5th, 2017

Bull Mountain is hosting an Elementary School race on March 5th which will have teams from 100 Mile House, Quesnel, and Williams Lake participating.  The courses will be using parts or all of the following of Spur, Cataline, Pony Express, and Mouse Trap.  Event will be taking place from 10 am to 2pm with setup at 8am on Sunday.  There will be a setup at 10am on Saturday if anyone is interested.

Dog Trail Users - Pets must be on leash when skiing past participants during event times. 

Thank you Have a Great Ski!

2017 BC Midget Results from Telemark

The BC Midget championships were held in West Kelowna at Telemark this year.  The WLCCSC (Williams Lake Cross Country Ski Club) Bull Mountain Racers had 4 female skiers attend.  Skiers had a great weekend with several personnel bests for the season achieved.  The BC Midgets was a two day event with three races with approximately 218 competitors. Grace turner 2004 raced to a 7^th place finish in the 2.0 classic interval start, and a 5^th place finish in the 300m sprints. Anika Wallin 2006 raced to a 3^rd place finish in the 2.0 classic interval start, and a 4th place finish in the 300m sprints.  Jessabelle Atkinson-Trelenberg 2007 raced to a 7th place finish in the 2.0 classic interval start, and a 13th place finish in the 300m sprints. Livia Seabourne 2007 raced to a 33rd place finish in the 2.0 classic interval start, and a 29th place finish in the 300m sprints.  All of the girls participated in the 1.5km relay with 2 lags skate and two lags classic and placed 12^th out of 25 official female teams.

 Relay Team - Anika Wallin, Grace Turner, Livia Seabourne, Jessabelle Atkinson-Trelenberg



Team Picture - Sean Seabourne, Julianne Trelenberg, Front Livia Seabourne, Jessabelle Atkinson-Trelenberg, Anika Wallin, Grace Turner

February 25, 2017 Conditions

Fresh snow again yesterday just in time for the weekend. All dog trails have been groomed along with both lit loops and all trails below Wrangler.  Fresh powder can still be found on the higher tracks but expect these to be groomed on Sunday morning. 

Just a friendly reminder to dog owners that the "Dog Trials" are marked with signage and listed on the big maps in the warming hut. Thanks very much and go ski!!!

February 22 - 2017 Conditions

Get out and ski!! Best conditions to date!  2-4" snow freshly groomed in. Tracks have been set on everything but Gunanoot.

Kiwanis is still closed and access to the dog trails has been rerouted into the stadium to avoid a bad wet spot.

February 21, 2017 Conditions

Trails are in great shape due to the snow on Sunday.  We are currently grooming the new snow in and setting new tracks.  The temperature at noon was around -1 C.  Mike will post a grooming update in the next day or so.

Thanks and have a good ski.

February 18, 2017 Conditions:

The trails continue to be icy due to the freeze thaw we have been experiencing this week. Dog trails and upper "Lit Loop" were groomed and track set yesterday (02-17-17).  More grooming to come as temperatures permit.

Kiwanis will be closed from the stadium to the far side of the swamp. The upper section closest to the Dog Trails is still usable and forms a loop with Little Britches.   

Lessons

Are there people out there interested in adult ski lessons, either skate or classic? We are able to offer both on the afternoon of Sunday February 26th. The lesson would be approximately 2 hours, $10, trail fee not included. If you are interested please give Kirsty Gartshore a call at 398-5538, or message us with your name and phone number. New this year: skate skis now available for rent from Cariboo Ski if you want to try out this fast, and fast growing, style of skiing!

February 15, 2017 Conditions

We are experiencing above zero temperatures for most of this week so grooming will be curtailed until we have below zero temperatures.  The racing group skied last night and people using extra violet or VR65 said they had good grip.  I tried universal klister on my second lap and grip was excellent also.  I expect that the upper trails will be in better shape due to lower use and elevation.  The trails are still in great shape and tracks will get faster towards the weekend and expect icy conditions when the night time temperature goes below zero.

Ski with care

February 12, 2017 Conditions

Crew has done a great job dealing with the multiple snow falls.  Everything is open and good to go.  Have a good ski.

Kiwanis still has low snow in a few spots so ski with care.

New Snow!

Most of the trails were packed last night, and tracks are being set this morning.  Mother nature has spoken!  Be patient.....groomers are working hard to get everything groomed.  Be sure to show your appreciation if you see them out there.  Happy skiing.

February 9, 2017 Conditions

We have had great conditions this week but very cold weather.  We will start grooming Friday am to start packing the new snow for the weekend. 

The weather is warming up for the next couple of weeks with day time highs above 0 so grooming will be intermittent and will be concentrated around times of high usage. 

The Bull Mountain Racers are holding a snow camp on Sunday and Monday, so if you see the group out say hi.  The group just competed at a Teck Cup race in Prince George and did very well.  They are heading to the Teck BC Championships in Kamloops in two weeks and the BC Midgets in three weeks time.  We should be proud of what this group has accomplished over the last few years.

Have a great ski.  We will post the trail conditions Saturday am. 

Sunday, January 29th Conditions

From Malcom -

Bob and I groomed all the centers except for Kiwanis. I assumed there wasn’t enough snow there. Everything looks pretty good except for the stretch of Cataline between the two ends of Canyon View which is very icy.

Conditions January 22, 2016

Great condition for the weekend after an icy week.  Big thanks as Deb said to the crew.

Remember if you need to herring bone please step out of the track into the skate lane

Thanks and have a good ski!

GOOD CONDITIONS!

The trails have all been groomed and tracked.  Big thanks to Mike, Scotty, Malcolm and Guy for working in the wee hours to get it all done!

Grooming January 20, 2017

We will be attempting to groom tonight.  Please remember that we have had very little snow and our groomers have been keeping the trails open with a 3-4" base pre thaw.  We will be checking tonight to see how much of the base is left and we will be making a determination if we can reset tracks or just manage a skating surface at this point in time.

Please be patient with the groomers as we are trying to preserve the base for the season.  So pray for snow and cooler weather.

Thanks,

Sean Seabourne 

Event Saturday January 21

The First Nations Health Authority is hosting a Winter Wellness Day at Bull Mountain tomorrow from 10am - 4pm.  There is chili and bannock on the menu from 12-1, so if you are up there at that time, be sure to indulge....

The hill will still be open to the public for skiing and snowshoeing, but be prepared for crowds.

PRESENTLY, THE TRAILS ARE VERY ICY, PLEASE SKI WITH CAUTION!

Our groomers will be re-setting the tracks as soon as freezing temperatures allow it.

Warm Weather

Grooming has been curtailed due to the warm weather we are experiencing.  We will start grooming again when temperatures are below 0.  Trails may have a thin layer of ice on them so ski with care.

January 9, 2016 Conditions

 

5 inches of new snow on the hill crew is working hard to get the tracks reset.  Trails will be packed before they are track set.

Conditions Jan 8 , 2016

We have reset all of the tracks and skate lanes on Saturday.  Conditions should be good for the family fun day today.  Dress warm and enjoy, we look forward to seeing you at Bull Mountain.

For those wanting a longer ski Gunanoot is track set with double tracks, sorry the bypass is not groomed at this time.

We will try and open Canyon View on Sunday morning. 

Dog owners please obey signage and keep your pets to the lower designated loops for skiing. Remember if you want to get out with your dog the snow shoe trails are dog friendly.  Please leash your dog when crossing the ski trails.

Thanks and enjoy your ski.