October Ski Report

FasterSkier · October 22, 2004

There is still more than a week until Halloween, but a number of places around North America are already reporting good ski conditions.

As is usually the case, Alaska has some of the best early season skiing this year.

John Estle in Fairbanks, Alaska reported to FasterSkier.com on Thursday that they have about 6 kilometers of trails groomed at Birch Hill. Fairbanks received 4-6 inches of snow earlier this week, and light snow is in the forecast for the next few days as well. That is all that Fairbanks needs for good skiing because of their exceptionally smooth trail surfaces. It's what has made Fairbanks the early season destination for many of the top skiers in North America over the years.

You can see current ski conditions at Birch Hill on the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks webcam:
http://www.nscfairbanks.net/gallery/webcam.html

Alaskan skiers in the Anchorage area are starting to get their skiing fix by going one hour north of town to Hatcher Pass. The APU Nordic Ski Center and other volunteers began grooming at Hatcher Pass this week and reports are that the skiing is very good.

A little further south, we received this picture from the Northern Lights Biathlon Team in Edmonton. They report the earliest skiable snow in Edmonton, yet.Â They have 'great skiing' with about 8 km groomed.