Just rode Whopper early this morning before the sun was high, entered at Dominion, power line, Suzy lake and out through Bayers Lake.
Dominion & Fire road bypass are frozen boot bombed snow, ride-able on a fat bike, passable on skinnies.
Fire road has had some ATV traffic, mostly all frozen snow,ice. Didn’t ride it but looked passable.
Powerline is frozen dirt, ride-able on anything.
Suzy Lake starts as frozen dirt / snow patches and changes to 100% frozen snow by the time you get to the north slope before green mile. Excellent on a fat bike as it’s all ride on top, hard, crusted snow, didn’t break through anywhere. Super fun! It’s like that until the intersection of lake loop, where you get a bit of boot bombing and some ice. It’s questionable if the snow would hold on skinnies, I did walk on it without breaking through. This was also early enough that the sun was low and hadn’t softened anything yet. Would suggest that this area only be ridden very early or after dark, as it gets a lot of sun and will likely soften in the afternoon.
Clear cut area is free of snow but has ice on granite, treacherous without studs, no problem for studded tires.
Passed through Hemlock Ravine Park on my way home and it’s 50% ice 50% gravel. I’d recommend studs if you are going in there.
Enjoy a nice weekend of riding!
That side is a blast when the snow is like that!! I’m going to have to get out on that tomorrow sometime… maybe. 
went for a ride tonight in shubie park. saw everything from bare ground to full ice from thick snow that was ride able on fat tires to choppy but firm single track. fat tires and studs are your choice of weapon for this weekend.
It was stellar in whopper. Mostly everything at daminion, scotch and flipside where hardpacked. Should be really good on the weekend. I did met a woman who was looking for her dog it’s a shelby brown/black if you ever get to see one. I got her number.
Probably this Shelty:
https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/17021933_719898131511558_7153994878361522937_n.jpg?oh=55284f694df4423b1242ad4bb35a8dc1&oe=596A2180
Link to Facebook post from DogRunnin about a lost dog:
Cute dog, hope they find it!
Yes that’s the one! I call him/her shelby! lol
Anyone know what Nine Mile River conditions are like?
Whopper is pretty good, lots of ice around, so you need studs, but everything is easily rideable on a 2.4" tire 29er.
Anyone know if Lou’s Basement at fight is rideable with skinnys (no studs)? Wondering if the melting snow created ice patches now… Might go take a walk through today to see what it’s like in there. If it’s good I’ll probably try to get a ride in tomorrow.
I’m itching to try out my new bike!
FYI they found that dog today. Was up behind Daminion on the powerlines.
Nine mile is very good, studs a necessity. Lots of ice, exposed sections here and there. Frozen bootbombs In spots but overall fast and fun on skinny studded tires.
Past the lake slog was the worst but still almost all rideable.
Irishmans would be pretty rideable with studs. Archery loop was ice covered and boot bombed but the rest I could get to wasn’t bad. I wouldn’t try without studs but there was quite a bit that was bare so a brave soul might.
Did anyone ride Fight on the weekend?
Da Minion, Flipside, and Susie Q were all in excellent condition Sunday night! There were a few times my fat tire hit some soft snow and sunk a little, but I think it could be skinny-tire friendly if it stays cold. Studs recommended, as there were definitely a few icy patches. (There were a few fat-tire ruts in places, but it wasn’t us!)
In certain sections, the technical difficulty has definitely dropped as the drifted, hard-snow has filled in some sections to make it a much smoother ride.
@nige there’s some pics from Fight this weekend on the ol’ instagram feed. Looks bare for the most part. Probably the odd sheet of ice here and there tho.
Thanks. Was going to ride there today, but given the wind and temps, think I’ll go back to whopper.
Evil Birch: Mostly icy patches on the entrance beside the highway going to quarry. A big tree down near entrance of exact evil birch trail but past after the almost rotten bridge are all hardpacked snow till the end of trail absolutely stunning.
Rifle Range: Snow covered hardpacked Dirt with icy patches going up from power line to main trail. Didn’t bother my non studded fat bike at all gripping really fine on the snow covered dirt. Range south loop and range nw loop are both gorgeously fun except some rut from atv and moto at the gravel pit. Also someone must have been busy putting on tapes and New but sketchy wooden skinny ramps too.
It’s like The mini gorge with upper phase 2 at Valey except it’s in Halifax! Had a blast in rifle range that i did all of the loop there.
Sorry, it must have been me doing recovery over that deep snow at the end of flipside and trying to smoothen it up after.