This year's Cariboo Jack, which had been scheduled for Saturday, January 23, has unfortunately been cancelled due to unfavourable weather and snow conditions for skiers on the Cariboo Waggon Road.Sigh. I suppose we skiers are fussier than mushers, who can handle different conditions. But seriously, the central segment of this trail can be very tricky on XC skis when it's icy, so in the interests of safety, it makes sense to pursue alternate plans:
Skiers are invited to meet at Forest Rose campground (near Barkerville, just off the Bowron Lk Rd) at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 23 to ski to Wells via the new bike trail.
Snow conditions in Wells as of late Friday afternoon were cold enough to preserve a slim fluffy zone beneath the crust. The weather forecast for Saturday is cool and sunny with possibly some cloud...
Those craving a more marathon-like experience Saturday can have the option of carrying on to the Cornish Mountain trail network from the One Mile Road or from the meadow.
This will be a leisurely, family type of outing; bring snacks ;-)
best wishes,
Bill Horne
p.s. be sure to still check out events for the annual sled dog mail run here http://www.dogsledmailrun.ca/
One skier unfortunately had to turn back due to viral fatigue, but the rest of the party found the trail in better condition than expected. Aside from some icy "tree pee" in the narrow sections, the snow was excellent. Lovely to encounter three dog teams at One Mile heading towards Barkerville.
