Troll Hollow - Version 2.0

Last season Trollhaugen surprised much of the nordic community by rolling out a dedicated cross-country ski trail, complete with expensive snowmaking and lighting. The 1.6K trail was a huge success, and with the rather poor snow season, received extensive use, especially by the Minnesota high school teams.

Fueled by the strong reception last season, Trollhaugen has powered forward with almost a complete overhaul to their cross-country trails. While the "old" trail system was very popular, there were a few minor complaints: 1) in places, there were close quarters with the downhill/snowboarding crowd, 2) there was a fairly long climb that became quite taxing (especially after a few loops), 3) a long descent along the downhill runs allowed skiers to achieve some high speeds prior to negotiating a rather sharp curve, 4) there were very few flat sections to work on basic technique, and 5) at times, the trail system was monopolized by ski races, making it difficult for others to train.

Trollhaugen has addressed all of these concerns in the new design that now lengthens the trail system to around 2.5K. New trails were cut along the downhill area to almost completely eliminate any possible interaction with the downhill users. This was no small task, as much of it cuts through the woods, and significant sections needed to be regraded and widened. The long climb along the far western edge has been broken into two segments now. In addition, the long climb is now a gentler grade, making it not only easier to climb, but should also help keep the descent speeds in check. Much of the new expansion uses the flat terrain that runs west from the ski area, along the road back to Dresser. These new trails will provide the skiers with a much more 'natural' cross-country course, allowing them to spend more time training on the flats as well as the climbs. Finally, with all of the new trails cut, there should be ways to route courses such that racing and training loops could co-exist.

To support all the new trail work, Trollhaugen is also running new water lines, power for snowmaking and new lighting. The new transformer just for this trail system dwarfs the "old" one installed last year.

We've provided a large photoset to help give a 'virtual walkthrough' of the new course layout. Trollhaugen plans to offer an open-house in October where skiers will be able to preview the course, as well as purchase season-passes at pre-season prices.

Photos

Photo Tour of Troll Hollow (33 photos)

Related links

• Trollhaugen