Dave Inglis’s report
What would happen if the Beaver Tail end-of-season party was held at a ski centre promising excellent conditions for the last ski of the season? I assume everyone would attend, no? Such was the case at the club’s Sunday destination, Gai Luron. With the thick blanket of new fresh snow we received Friday and given the unpredictable snow conditions this season, either excellent or poor, one had to act fast (read: get out and ski!) for best conditions. I conclude those 
Beaver Tail members who did not get out for the last ski at Gai Luron were too busy at home pushing the vacuum. For the six members who skied: Tom, Mickey, Sharon, Jessica, Luc and myself, the day was indeed party-perfect!
The trail conditions at Gai Luron never disappoint because their grooming is excellent. The grooming tractor was out at 6:00 am and completed all trails in two hours, well in time for our 10:00 am RTS time. With morning temperatures below freezing and the noon time temps scheduled to rise above 0 C, I applied four layers of blue extra grip the night before and brought my wax-less skis, if needed. At the start, the centre’s Swix 
thermometer needle was exactly between the “blue extra” and “violet special” range; they recommended the latter but my wax worked perfectly.
Tom, Mickey and I did the loops “L” once and the “A” twice. The “L” rated expert, is the longest at 8.8 km offering challenging heart-pounding climbs and fast descents; the “A” rated intermediate at 5.3 kms with many rollers, is an aerobic workout. At the start, the snow was dry and powdery in the shaded forest; the sunny areas, dry and granular. Later on as the temperatures rose above freezing to +2 C and when we decided on one more loop, I applied a thin layer of violet special that worked well. The trails, still
dry in the shaded areas and now moist in the sun areas, still offered excellent conditions. We skied a total distance of 18.55 km, getting our money’s worth at the pass cost of $18.50.
The Sunday ski at Gai Luron was the last of the season as they are now closed. Merci Gai Luron, for the “perfect party last ski” conditions! More ski centres will be closing except for say, one or two trying to remain open, so read Tom’s upcoming ski reports. With this week’s above freezing double-digit temperatures and rain, it’s perfect conditions for staying home to push the vacuum.