Post by Philip on Mar 28, 2009 14:50:30 GMT -9
Not so great.
Monashka Bay Road is plowed all the way to the end, but the last mile or so gets pretty narrow. Basically single lane with high, hard snow banks. At the reservoir gate the road widens and parking for a few cars is possible.
I hopped the reservoir service road fence and walked up the road. They had plowed every arm of the road and I walked up the first left spur to the south side dam. I skied down to the end of the lake. The snow was heavily dimpled by the rain and very hard, almost icy. Kick grip was ok but the lumpy nature not so great. Skate skiing may not be too terrible if you have good balance or if the surface warms up a little. I skied to the end and into the meadows at the upstream end of the reservoir and even climbed a low hill in the middle of the valley, but it does get brushy back there after a bit and my skis were slipping around on any slope, so I turned around there. Quite a bit of snow overall, and it would be a great place to snow shoe. Next time I will do that instead.
On the plus side it is a very pretty area. You cannot ski from the car though and have to walk about a mile up the road to get to the res, which is a drag. Parts of the access road are quite icy.
I returned via the main outlet dam and that access road. The lake ice seems very thick everywhere.
Monashka Bay Road is plowed all the way to the end, but the last mile or so gets pretty narrow. Basically single lane with high, hard snow banks. At the reservoir gate the road widens and parking for a few cars is possible.
I hopped the reservoir service road fence and walked up the road. They had plowed every arm of the road and I walked up the first left spur to the south side dam. I skied down to the end of the lake. The snow was heavily dimpled by the rain and very hard, almost icy. Kick grip was ok but the lumpy nature not so great. Skate skiing may not be too terrible if you have good balance or if the surface warms up a little. I skied to the end and into the meadows at the upstream end of the reservoir and even climbed a low hill in the middle of the valley, but it does get brushy back there after a bit and my skis were slipping around on any slope, so I turned around there. Quite a bit of snow overall, and it would be a great place to snow shoe. Next time I will do that instead.
On the plus side it is a very pretty area. You cannot ski from the car though and have to walk about a mile up the road to get to the res, which is a drag. Parts of the access road are quite icy.
I returned via the main outlet dam and that access road. The lake ice seems very thick everywhere.
