G.N.C.S.R

The G.N.C.S.R! (or Gonzaga Nordic Center Ski Report)

This snow report is for the Gonzaga Nordic Center, otherwise known as the Gonzaga University soccer field
With over 1.5 km of ski trails, the Gonzaga Nordic Center or GNC, is one of the premier nordic skiing facilities in the whole world! Skiers from all over the galaxy come to this wonderful center to train on the beautifully designed ski trails.

Why come to the Gonzaga Nordic Center?

Over 1.5 kilometers of trail!
Over 20 feet of Vertical!
The Grooming is second to none!
Trail layout was done by world famous trail designer Paolo Belknapo!
30 inches of Snow a season!
Skiing on Goose feces will make you faster!
Practice for Nordic Combined on our HUGE ski jumping hill
PB Grooming
Do you really need anything else
Ok, one more, cheap rates (Free!)

General Weather: Check the Weather

Our trail rating system - It's a little bit different than a lot of other peoples. It has been adapted to our very unique set of conditions.

Excellent-Better than very good. Almost impossible to have. Over three inches of base and well packed and set up. I would actually use good skis. I don't know that I have ever seen this set of conditions.

Very Good-Great skiing by our standards. Probably only good-fair by most others. Very good amount of snow, probably over 2 inches of base and it has been well packed and it has set up over a couple nights. Very rare. You could use good skis, though I would still use my good rock skis. No bare patches at all.

Good-Good skiing by GNC standards. Probably still fair-poor by most others. Definitely possible to get a workout in now. I would still reccomned rock skis, but I would use my "good" rock skis. Base will be over 1inch, hopefully set up well. There may be a couple bare patches, but overall very good.

Fair-This is fairly good skiing. You could get a workout in now. Really bad rock skis are still recomended, though you could use "good" rock skis if you were careful. I would use bad rock skis. Base is consitently over .5 inches. There may be intermittent patches of no snow, but overall skiing is doable.

Poor-Skiing is teetering on the brink. Rock skis are a total necessity and chances of hurting yourself are real. Snow will be patchy all of the time and most people probably would not consider it skiable. Difficult to actually get a workout in, more just out there for the fun of skiing. Base may be up to an inch or two in places, but very very patchy.

Goose Poop-Skiing is not possible. If you actuallly consider this skiable, you need help. Basically no snow whatsoever. I will ski on conditions that most would consider unskiable, and I consider this impossible.

11/30/03 5:45 pm
Base 0"
Conditions-Goose Poop
The skiing was great here for a few days. I even got in some good classic intervals one day here at the GNC. But rain has taken out all hopes of continuing to ski here. The immediate forcast looks none to promising either. Stay tuned. When the conditions change, you'll hear it here first.

PS-Mt. Spokane still has tons of snow and great skiing.

11/22/03-2:06 pm
Base 2"
Conditions-Very good
I didn't ski at the Gonzaga Nordic Center toay, but things look much the same as yesterday, which means great. I did ski up at Mt. Spokane for a couple of hours with Eric Ginn. They hadn't groomed due to down trees, but they had run a snowmobile through, and the trees have now been removed. The classic skiing wasn't bad, but I definitely wouldn't recommend skating. The skiing was actually pretty nice considering the grooming. Below are a few shots from up on the mountain.

11/22/03-8:45 pm
Base 2"
Conditions-Very Good
The skiing here at the GNC has been great. I didn't make it out yesterday due to a hectic day, but got out today for a 45 min classic ski. There's a very nice set of classic tracks on the Martin Centre loop. Skating looks like a mixed bag, some packed areas, some that would be a lot of work. I may get out tomorrow and try it out. I would still reccomend rock skis, as some people really dug up sections of the area by doing some offroading. Overall, things are looking great. A couple of pictures are linked below

11/20/03- 10:50 pm
Base 2-3"
Conditions- Good
The conditions would be great if the tracks had been groomed and set up. We've got about 4-6" of snow on the ground right now and its supposed to keep coming. I went out for a little classic ski and it was hard work, especially with no kick. Talk about a bunch of snow. Some of the best conditions I've ever seen at the GNC! I should get in another update tomorrow.

11/20/03-
Base .25"
Conditions-Poor, but improving
I just got back from a 45 min run. When I left the snow didn't look like anything you could attempt skiing on. Now, it looks fabulous and its still coming down. Will we be sking at the GNC this weekend? I hope so! Mt Spokane? I hope so even more. More when there's more.

11/2/03-
Base .5"
Conditions- Poor (But since its November 2nd, who's complaining!?)
Our first day of skiing at the GNC. I got out for 20 minutes on the soccer field before I was booted off because they were setting up for a game! The skiing was really, really slow, and I was pushing through to the grass constantly because there was no set up base. But on snow the first week of November, you can't complain. It was great to get out. Snow is in the forecast tomorrow, and if we manage to hold our snow until tonight I'll probably try to go out again tonight to see if things set up at all. Below is a picture taken at the GNC today!