First hand Trail Reports

These reports are maintained by readers like you. Let us know about the rollerski trail updates/conditions in your area via our Rollerski/Training Report form. And if you're lucky enough to have snow, please file a Ski Trail Report. If you'd like to send along some photos, please e-mail those as attachment and we'll plug them into your report.

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Rollerski Report

Minnesota Metro Area

• Apr 14 - Medicine Lake (Plymouth):
  Conditions: Perfect crust skiing on the lake!
  Woke up this morning and the first thing I told Josie was, "Wow it looks like it would be a great morning for crust skiing, it got good and cold last night." Josie said, "Do you want to!" We grabbed our skis, life preservers, canoe and ice pic and headed for the lake. The first 30 ft had been open the previous day so we had to bust through fresh ice to get to solid ice with a crust of snow. I check the thickness and it was still 18". So we got our skis on and skied a loop around the lake, staying well away from the shore, swamp and questionable areas. The skiing was great!
  (David Nelson, Skinnyski.com Race Team)
• Apr 13 - Woodland Trails (Elk River):
  A wild spring ride!! Laura and I hit the trails at 8:30 Sunday morning. Taxi and Woodchuck were already on the trail ahead of us. We were four grown adult screaming like little kids. The first hour was lightning fast, and slowed steadily after that. Woodlands in reverse on ball bearings was quite a rush. Now were are done again? Enjoy!
  (Dave Anderson)
• Apr 13 - Woodland Trails (Elk River):
  Conditions: Good spring skiing, but looks like this is it!
  Read the report from yesterday and figured it was worth a try. Gary Gerst and I were not disappointed. (Thanks Dave and crew!) Started off at 10:00 or so and skied a loop. Snow conditions started out fast and gradually got softer as we completed the loop. Sunny, blue skies. What a season!
  (Marcus Magnuson)
• Apr 12 - Woodland Trails (Elk River):
  Skiing for the VERY desperate? The downed trees have been cut and most of the sticks have been picked. We will try to roll a 7km segment in the hills east of the grade in the morning. No guarantees, but there might be a few good hours of skiing after that. The paved trails have been plowed, so we will have to walk across and ski in both directions once we get there. It will likely be over by early afternoon. Enjoy??
  (Dave Anderson)
• Apr 12 - William O'Brien State Park (Marine on St. Croix):
  Went looking for the form 1040 this morning and noticed it was white outside. I found my rock skis instead and headed out to O'Brien. The view from the parking lot was discouraging so I went for a pole walk instead. However, before the last downhill before the visitors center, for about a kilometer, it looked skiable. I went back to the car and got the skis and was able to classic ski from the top of the last hill (the hill with two turns) to about three fourths of the way down the hill which is usually the last uphill of the outside loop. There were many feet of trail which were good given the icy base and the quarter inch of snow. I would not recommend it to anyone but it was a fun way to end the season. Now where is that 1040...
  (Jim Smith)
• Apr 9 - Como Regional Park and Golf Course (Saint Paul):
  Conditions: Glacier is almost, but not quite, gone
  I was running by Como and saw white on the Glacier. I went to investigate. It was slushy and patchy, but if you were really desperate you could probably ski for 100m in the morning when it's frozen up a bit…Or wait for Friday.
  (Ari Ofsevit)

Minnesota Northeast

• Apr 26 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
  Conditions: Interesting! 28 F; 1-2 inches new snow on wet ground.
  How can one resist skiing in Minnesota the last week in April!? OK, it wasn't great, but by ski walking through the woods around ponds on the trail and log fills over flowing water, I was able to ski (skate) 1.5 - 2 km out on the 5 km loop past the biathlon range and back. If it gets cold tonight it may be better tomorrow!
  (Dave Arvold)
• Apr 17 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
  Conditions: Super fast fun corn snow, 50% of the time!
  I think I invented a new sport...ski walking...it's where you get really lazy and just walk the grassy spots until the snow comes again! The 5 was about 50% covered today with the beginning and end of special k being the longest stretches on the lower portion. I got my boots wet a few times in the "streams", but it was definitely still fun! If you are a die hard and don't mind the grass, there is quite a bit of glide left out there!
  Photos:  
  (Eve Stein, Snowflake Nordic Center)
• Apr 15 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
  Conditions: 98% covered!
  I headed out to Snowflake today planning to have one last ceremonial ski for the year and I was pleasantly surprised to find almost completely covered trails still in existence! George and Jane's secret trail cooling system is still in tip top shape! Even if it rains tomorrow, trails should still be skiable this coming weekend based upon what is there now. Special K and the lower lit loop are completely covered. The upper lit loop has a handful of spots that need walking around and two of the hills on Bee Hollow are bare. George got some tree damage during the blizzard and one of the trees that fell was attached to a light. If you can come on Saturday to help with the big clean up of the chalet, bring a chain saw and some light repairing tools too! Give Jane and George the big hugs...!
  Photos:  
  (Eve Stein, Snowflake Nordic Center)
• Apr 13 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
  Conditions: Groomers Report and A Ski Report
  I groomed last night between 7pm and 10pm. This April snow was a difficult snow to work with. By the end of the day it was very rutted up, crusty on top and moist underneath the crust. A bit like apple pie that a toddler found on the table and started to play with. It took about two passes before things mixed up enough to be skiable. I was slowed down a bit by two things 1. All of the folks lined up along the trail waiting to give me a hug...thanks Eve, but you best rescind that order, my wife is getting jealous. 2. The drive belt came apart and ended up cutting through an electrical cable. The repair took about an hour but was actually fun to do.
  Skiers Report: I skied this morning with my daughter and Tyler and Julia (members of the St Scholastica ski team) We started at 8:00 and did two loops. If I wasn't needed elswhere I would have stayed all morning, it really was a great surface to ski on. The snow was formed into lttle ball bearings/marbles. The friction was low and the fun meter was high. I even felt fast until Tyler started his speed workout and then I realized my fast was Tyler's level 1!
  I plan on grooming one last time tonight and then that might be it for the year. So wake up early and come to Snowflake on Monday morning.
  One last important note, I really appreciate the grooming thanks and love to provide that service to the skiing community. The real heroes though are George and Jane Hovland. It goes without saying that it isn't the groomer who just paid $10,000 in taxes on the property, last month's $400 electric bill or even the $35 for the new drive belt. When you see George or Jane give them more than a hug...how about a check for next years season pass!
  (Dave Johnson)
• Apr 13 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
  Conditions: Fresh groomed powder. Good classic track. Complete coverage suitable for using good skis.
  Great skiing by any measure and remarkably good considering the calendar. I took my race skis back out of winter storage for today's skiing. Good crust skiing on the 10km trail. Thanks again to Dave for the great track preparation today.
  (Bruce Bauer)
• Apr 13 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
  Conditions: "A" skiis in April what more could a person ask for!?
  The upper lit loop is groomed for skate and classic, thanks Dave! Snowflake was the place to be today and it sure was fast and fun! I got out there around 10:15 and when I left around 12:30 it was just softening up to the point of being slightly slow in parts. Both skate and classic were in fantastic shape! The pictures tell it all!
  Photos:  
  (Eve Stein, Snowflake Nordic Center)
• Apr 12 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
  Conditions: Fresh powder. 4km packed and tracked. Extra-blue conditions in mid-April.
  Freshly groomed so it will be better as it sets up today. Classic skiing may be more enjoyable than skating today. Fun to be out this late and it should be good another week. Thanks to Dave for grooming this morning! Dave plans to groom this evening so tomorrow will be great.
  (Bruce Bauer)
• Apr 12 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
  Conditions: Extra Blue in April!
  The Duluth area received about a foot of snow over the past two days. The snow was accompanied by winds gusting to over 50 miles an hour. I went out to Snowflake today expecting to find lots of trees down. In fact on the whole 5k we only had 1 large tree down, but lots of smaller branches. I cleaned up most of the branches and then hooked up the Ginzu and started to groom. I ended up with a nice 3.5k loop on the 5k trail. It is groomed for both classic and skate. I am just at home now taking a warm-up break and then I will take my daughter skiing. I plan on grooming the same loop again tonight so Sunday should be very good skiing as well.
  (Dave Johnson)
• Apr 9 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
  Conditions: good snow cover; firm base.
  Surprisingly good conditions. I was able to ski the entire 5 KM loop with only 3 grass patches (each about 5-10 yards); 42 F and surface snow soft, but base still quite good; the 5 K loop is 99.9% snow covered. Thanks to Dave Johnson for continued grooming and George for keeping Snowflake open!
  (Dave Arvold)

• Apr 20 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
  Had to try and bag one more Picnic Loop. Although there still is a 12" base, rain and warm temps have taken a toll. With thunderstorms predicted for Monday this could very well be the final ski on the Sugarbush.
  Photos:  
  (Jeff Lynch, Sawtooth Outfitters)
• Apr 18 - Banadad Trail (Grand Marais):
  Conditions: 6-12" Snow remaining. Very few bare spots. However the trail is no longer being tracked.
  Morning temperatures this past week have been in the lower twenties; afternoons have warmed to the mid forties.
  The snow cover on the trail should last for another week at least. For you die-hearts, who want to make your own tracks, the Banadad remains open for very good spring skiing.
  Photos:  
  (Ted Young)
• Apr 18 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
  Conditions: It's April 18 and we are still skiing in Tofte.
  In deference to the benevolent Nordic Gods for the winter that was, and in what may be the last meeting of the season for "Team Enlarged Prostate", Tim Norman, Jan Horak and I skated the Onion River Road early this morning, in one final escape from reality. There was complete coverage and a frozen, yet "edgeable" surface, with the base hanging in at nearly a foot in the upper reaches of the road. No need to dismount as all was skiable. It was a great way to start the day, end the week, and welcome spring to the North Shore as we await the return of summer and all those biting and sucking insects.
  Photos:  
  (Bill Lane)
• Apr 16 - Bally Creek Trails (Grand Marais):
  Conditions: Transforming snow - 10%, Corn Snow - 90%, 12" base starting to break up.
  Nancy and I skied the Big Moose loop using waxless skis. Klister would have been a better choice to assist glide. Temps in the 50's. Lots of needles and bark on the trail. We should have another week of it. The road in is frost heaving and frost boiling but in pretty good shape right now. High clearance vehicles only.
  (Tom McCann)
• Apr 15 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
  Conditions: Excellent
  Sunday - Picnic Loop was amazing. 18" of beautiful white snow everywhere. Some was groomed for classic and some for skate. But mostly we broke trail with our Fischer Crown Superlight.
  Monday - Cascade State Park and Deer Yard Trail were delightful. Total coverage, after walking a block or two. They stopped grooming a week ago but breaking trail was easy.
  Tuesday - Lutsen was great. It appears that they haven't groomed all year, but still great fun. Beautiful views of the lake. Tons of snow.
  (Tony Mommsen)
• Apr 14 - Pincushion Mountain Trail (Grand Marais):
  Conditions: 35 degrees, plenty of snow
  As we were putting the Pisten Bully to rest for the season, Luke and I decided that there was just too much snow not to groom something. So, we groomed up a great skate lane as well as a double classic track on the stadium loop. It's not long but it sure will ski nice in the morning. In fact, the trail system looks to have good coverage and people have been skiing the crust in the early mornings, post freeze, not sure how many more freezing nights we will have. Thanks for a good year.
  (Adam Harju, Lutsen Resort & Sea Villas)
• Apr 9 - Gunflint Lake (Grand Marais):
  Conditions: 15 inches of new snow Sunday/Monday.
  Skiing on the lake is great for skaters and classic skiers.
  Photos:  
  (Maureen Hayes)

• May 1 - Mount Itasca (Coleraine):
  Had to log one May ski day as it may not happen again. There were some sections that provided a good ski, others were open or quite dirty. Once you could gauge the downhills it was a kick, you could carry some speed onto the grass and leaves, then run a few steps to the next patch. Kind of an Xterra type of XC skiing. Time to wave good bye to a great year.
  Photos:  
  (Joe Muller)
• Apr 30 - Big Aspen Recreation Area (Virginia):
  Snow cover is inconsistent near the trailhead. If you're patient (or "hard core"?) enough, you shall find the sumptuous snow boulevards pictured. Bonus shots of the Embarrass River and inlet to Little Cedar Island Lake. Enjoy winter!
  Photos:  
  (Matt Zak)
• Apr 28 - Big Aspen Recreation Area (Virginia):
  Conditions: Very skiable, good skis on green loops, rock skis everything else.
  I skied in a track on most of the south trails, and some lanes that are not officially part of the ski trail system, but are so situated that they retain the most snow for the longest time. Crust (skate) skiing would be great also, will probably try that Wednesday; by that time I was more interested in scouting whitewater. Sit tight, May skiing's coming.
  (Matt Zak)
• Apr 28 - Mount Itasca (Coleraine):
  The snow last Friday put a nice dressing on the base at Mt. Itasca. Everything on the 2.5 K loop above the timing shack was skiable this morning; it froze solid last night and provided just enough edging. It was good skiing, not just skiing. Amazing. Even the jumping was good. The last picture is the raging Prairie River.
  Photos:  
  (Joe Muller)
• Apr 24 - Mount Itasca (Coleraine):
  The trails are still holding snow, with sections still very skiable. With a few inches of new snow possible tonight we could have a May ski day. Last picture shows the “insurance” pile for the late March biathlon races, which wasn’t needed. Happy trails.
  Photos:  
  (Joe Muller)
• Apr 19 - Route 256 (Virginia):
  Conditions: Rock skis, snow magnet, and bare spot deflector required.
  Former snowmobile trail accessed from the same trailhead as Big Aspen ski trail. Between here and Lookout Mtn. was the epicenter of the last snowstorm. Since I'm only able to double pole at the moment, I was looking for a place with decent pole plants, and found it here. There is enough snow and ice to play with, and bare spots are linked via narrow ice bridges. Snow depth in protected spots remains 6-15". I'm quite sure that even the most packed and hidden lanes won't make it to May 1st, but some will come close. It's hard to complain after 5.5 months of skiing, though.
  (Matt Zak)
• Apr 19 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
  Conditions: It didn't freeze last night and remained cloudy. It was in the low 40s and very humid when we got there at 7 AM. The trails were mixed. Thin and icy and sloooow deep wet granular. More bare spots. But still very good coverage. A good lesson in balance. What was solid pole plants yesterday and fast are now tenuous step through corners and sinking if you stepped too hard in the downhills. No snow plowing on the deeper trails if you wanted to not wipe out. We did the Cedar, Gold to the Lower Summit. Up the Summit to the Hail Mary corners and back down the Cedar and lower Gold and back on the golf course. Where you would sink through the crust. Lots of slush sticking to the tops of the skis and you would have good glide in spots then just a lot of suction in others. Even with very scratched up rock ski bases that simulate rilling. The fun part was coming down the Cedar. It was still solid enough and steep enough to carry some good speed. And the cat track back to the chalet was a good way to end the season.
  It will be an easy transition to biking this year. No waiting weeks for paved Mesabi trail to clear off. Hope everyone has a good off season and that your health and weather allows you to be on skis in November. :-)
  Photos:  
  (Ron Kutsi)
• Apr 19 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
  Conditions: Any skiing is good!
  Temps didn't get down to freezing overnight as predicted, so skiing was actually smoother than yesterday morning's wild and bumpy ride. An enjoyable hour up and down lower Cedar, Gold, & Summit Trails. I would like to correct Ron Kutsi's recent comment about "Elton's osprey": those are Great Blue Herons. I have noted their annual return to rookery in the swamp near beginning of Biwabik Spur on or around April 3, and this spring was no exception.
  (Elton Brown)
• Apr 18 - Sugar Hills (Grand Rapids):
  Conditions: Pretty decent spring crust skiing.
  It froze last night so I had to check out Sugar this morning. The Snag Loop has opened up in areas near the beginning, but a little hiking is OK. Funny to hear so many birds while skiing. There is a scenic babbling brook about half way around, and that little valley hold lots of snow. If you took Snag Loop backwards it is pretty skiable to the brook. Watch for downed limbs from the snowstorm.
  Photos:  
  (Joe Muller)
• Apr 18 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
  Conditions: Not much melted from yesterday. A couple more open spots to rock ski walk across. It got down to 25 last night and was very solid at 7:15. Went up the Cedar to Emerald City and Gold to Summit Biwabik Spur and around the Spur. Except for the deep snowmobile ruts it was good till the area the loggers butchered. Then it became a hike to the Trappers creek area. No ice floe there anymore. Just snow in the shade. It turned back to a hike to the cabin. Then back to a ski around the upper Oslo and back up the Bronze. Several big trees down on Biwabik Spur and Bronze. Finished up with a great ride down the Cedar and golf course. Took the cat track back down at 9 as it softened enough to not kill you.
  Tomorrow morning maybe the last hurrah. As rain is predicted and no more freezing nights. I was informed that the big birds weren't osprey, but Great Blue Herons. Sorry Elton. I'm lucky I can tell a pine tree from a maple tree. Will try to get out at 6:30 AM tomorrow. zzzzzzzzz
  Photos:  
  (Ron Kutsi)
• Apr 17 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
  Conditions: At 7 AM sun coming up still below freezing calm, glorious day! Some fantastic crust on the reverse Cedar to Emerald City junction and reverse Gold towards Summit Biwabik spur junction. Some bare spots open water crossings and trees down but not bad if you go that way. Nothing you can't stop for. Otherwise a snowmobile has gone all over weaving down the trails on the Summit, Bronze, Parts of the Gold Biwabik Spur and going up Cedar in regular direction. Too bad, as it would have been awesome crust all over then. Plenty of snow in most areas. Only open spots I saw on some Biwabik Spur and the Summit by the swamp. The big downhill is all intact yet! Just have to go around the snowmobile ruts. Some good skating in parts of the golf course yet. The cat track is rutted up from the snow cats. So I'd stick to coming back on the golf course into the stadium to be safe.
  If you go at 7 and finish by 9 you will be fine for skating. It's cloudy now but if it melts more it would level out the trails some. I hated to stop skiing. But I wanted to save the crust and not mess it up for tomorrow morning. Elton's osprey are back to nest. Spring is here.
  Photos:  
  (Ron Kutsi)
• Apr 15 - Sugar Hills (Grand Rapids):
  It didn’t freeze last night so conditions were pretty soft which made for a taxing ski. Full snow coverage on the trail. With a freeze predicted for Thursday night we could have good crust skiing on Friday morning. All good things must come to an end, but this has been a great year.
  Photos:  
  (Joe Muller)
• Apr 13 - Big Aspen Recreation Area (Virginia):
  Conditions: LOTS OF SNOW! This is the area that got the 32 inches plus another 6 or so this past Thursday. I was hoping it was going to be as good as Lookout Mtn. Since they are only 7 miles apart. No way! A snowmobile had made an attempt on the west loop after the 32 and really messed it up. Just big waves pitching from side to side. So I turned back and went to the East , There it was skier tracked on the right side trail. Having set up hard from the cold last night It was one of those grab your sides of your feet skis. And it was sharp so you really felt it. To the point of being somewhat painful. I tried to make new tracks and it worked better for awhile. But the sun started to pound down in the open areas. And you would stop dead with snow sticking to the ski bottoms and then freeze right away. You would have to walk and drag it off for 25 feet then slide along some, sink, repeat. Needless to say it was a short 3 KM but a long time to do it. Trees are down in some spots as well.
  Might be time to hang it up at Big Aspen unless something changes for the better. Temps are going to be in the 50s and by Wed the nights are supposed to stay above freezing. I wish I had ended it on the high note of Lookout Mtn. It was so beautiful out there though. Should have had snowshoes instead. As I'm sure the snow will be there awhile yet. There was a deer kill and all that remained was a leg still standing in the snow on the trail with a tuft of fur. Lots of deer tracks, probably running for their lives most of the time.
  Photos:  
  (Ron Kutsi)
• Apr 12 - Lookout Mountain (Virginia):
  Conditions: Six inches of new snow over the 2 plus feet we got last week. Butch broke trail for me around this beautiful trail. It is on the Minnesota ski pass list but has not been groomed in ages. It really should! There are some areas open along side the narrow trails and some gaps from running water. Along the trail from #1 #4 #10 #11 to the shelter at 14. But the base is almost 2 feet packed from the dumping we got. Sunny and windy. Temps started in upper 20s and warmed into the 30s. From skiing on velvet to a bit sticky later in the afternoon.
  We made a big loop that took over 3 hours breaking trail. It was worth it. We scared up a couple grouse as well. I hope they take a serious look at reviving this system. Not too many trees down across the trail surprisingly. It's not for beginners though. Narrow and winding but a couple great overlooks and varieties of trees. My first time out here as a real skier. 24 years ago they tried to teach me there. Bad move... that is why I say not for beginners. Should be good coverage for the week yet.
  Photos:  
  (Ron Kutsi)
• Apr 10 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
  Conditions: At 7:45 AM icy tracks. Skate lane heavily rutted from lots of skiing. Golf course fantastic hard packed crust for skating!
  Tail of two trails. When I tried my no waxers on the tracks. It was dangerous. Not so much for ice, but the newly formed crust along the tracks dragged on your ski boot lower sides. Grabbing you and stopping you instantly every 50 feet or so. You never knew when it would strike. And the skate lane was so heavily rutted and hard it was equally dangerous. So as I was going along the trail sides to get out of there. I was very happy to see how firm the crust was on the golf course! I could get a great edge and solid pole plants. But what was eerie was there was on definition due to the heavy cloud cover. Even with amber lenses it was tough to pick up the dips... That just added some excitement to the no wax skis, turned skaters for an hour. Hopefully we won't get socked too bad from the next storm so we can crust ski again.
  Photos:  
  (Ron Kutsi)
• Apr 9 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
  Conditions: Groomed skate lane up cat track. lower Gold and lower Cedar connector down to the Summit out of the swamp past the wynne creek sign and out to Northern Lights, Gold intersection. Mega doses of snow! Highest the trail has been all winter. A bit soft and I was sinking in the track some, but it might set up over night.
  It was great that we lost our last day of the season last weekend to the big storm. That someone made about 6KM to play. I will try and get out in the morning before the next wave of white wet doom comes in Thursday night and Friday.
  Where was all this the past 2 months? I think it was in Iowa :-)
  Photos:  
  (Ron Kutsi)

• Apr 19 - Rainy Lake (International Falls):
  We had the perfect lake skate today - I think we are still on transformed snow rather than disintegrating ice, but hard to tell. (Yesterday was all slush - true water skiing in sometimes up to about 6 inches of water on top of the ice.) After a bit of careful maneuvering we got to the big lake and found great hard ice down some 5 or 6 miles to Sand Point Island for a break and then back. Did about 12 miles overall I think. This was a beautiful day!
  Photos:  
  (Burgess Eberhardt)
• Apr 13 - Rainy Lake (International Falls):
  Conditions: Almost perfect lake skate - proprioceptive challenge.
  We tried the lake Sunday and found almost perfect conditions: There is still some lingering snow cover; where dimpled that is fast and easy, but where it looks like talcom powder it's a quick stop....And the ice has not yet started to disintegrate so bare spots are slippery and very fast. Ice fishermen reported 3 feet of ice under the snow. Temp rose to about 45 by the time we were done and it was T-shirts on the way back - great spring lake skiing! Did just over 9 miles and my legs were shot.
  Photos:  
  (Burgess Eberhardt)
• Apr 12 - Tilson Creek Ski Trail (International Falls):
  Conditions: Sunny, 30 above, great crust skiing.
  I didn't get out until 10 AM and expected the snow to be too soft. Wow - what a great surprise....Skated trail from parking lot to Black Bay and back. After an initial rough section, the trail is in remarkable condition for spring skating. Yes, there are sections where snow is gone and you either walk or slide across, and a couple of open rock ridges, but in all very nice when the crust is frozen. The new snow has provided a wonderfully smooth skating lane - no ruts, no bumps. Be careful on downhills because there are a couple of completely bare spots; I slowed rather than risk a nose dive.
  (Burgess Eberhardt)

Minnesota Northwest

• Apr 27 - Lake Bemidji State Park (Bemidji):
  Conditions: 10" Fresh snow 40 degrees sunny.
  I skied a short loop in the campground. Must say it was quite the workout.
  Photos:  
  (John Fylpaa)

• May 1 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Conditions: For May 1st, not too bad!
  Jake was up first today to try and log a May 1 ski before school. He came back and said it was "not to bad" so I ventured out to try and ski the 4km loop. There had been quite a bit of snow loss the past 24 hours but enough coverage to ski the entire loop. I was using rock skis so the 4-5 open spots I just scooted across since it was grass/leaves. If it would of cooled down five degrees more, sections of trails that have decent coverage would of made for some good crust cruising. But, the opportunity to ski on May 1 doesn't come very often and it was great to be on snow. Wow, what a incredible week. Thanks again to Bruce and Lars for the skis on Mon and Tues, stuff like that you remember forever. First four photos taken in same location as four photos from Tues and Wed in same sequence.
  Photos:  
  (Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)
• Apr 30 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Conditions: Very nice.
  Cooled down enough last night to crust over again. Made one grooming pass on "the loop". Two areas were dicey as indicated in last two photos. Skied a few laps mid morning and still found very good to excellent coverage and very nice skiing, skiable throughout. Few spots here and there that are thin/open and some water pooling in low areas but much better skiing than I expected and beautiful morning in the woods. First four photos taken today in same spots as four photos taken yesterday and the last two the "issue" areas. Planning on a May 1st ski tomorrow!
  Photos:  
  (Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)
• Apr 29 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Conditions: About as good as it gets. Unbelievable.
  Groomed the loop this morning and surface conditions the best they have been out of this recent snow. Lars Ellefson and I skied from 9am to 10:30 enjoying fantastic skiing. Just starting to get soft when we finished. Very little snow loss from Monday am to Tuesday am. First two photos taken Monday morning and second two photos Tuesday morning in same locations. At 8pm this evening, there still was good coverage and if it cools downs as forecasted, I will groom for the last time in the morning.
  Photos:  
  (Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)
• Apr 29 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Conditions: Amazing! 35 degrees and sunshine.
  Headed over to Maplelag this morning for a ski with Jay. Got out on the trails around 8:30 to find some of the best, most fun skiing all year!
  It's really hard to believe it's April 29th when your out there
  Conditions were great, good coverage and a firm base. Fast and Fun!
  (Lars Ellefson)
• Apr 28 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Conditions: Mid-January conditions?!
  Amazing conditions. On Sunday I was in the Cities biking on clear, dry roads through the spring countryside, now today I'm in the middle of winter, skiing on a 5-8" base through the snowy woods at Maplelag. We skied about six laps around this nice 4K loop that Jay had regroomed last evening. Not a bare spot to be found, nothing even thin -- good skis, no problem! Off trail, there was easily 8-10" of snow still, and under the top crust, its powder. What a wild way to end of April. The big question now is will the snow hold on long enough to allow a May 1st ski on Thursday?
  Photos:  
  (Bruce Adelsman)
• Apr 27 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Conditions: Mid-winter from 6am to 9am. Warming to lower 30's and sunshine early this afternoon.
  Skied two laps on the 4km loop early this morning. Temp was only 13 when I went out and warming to mid 20's by 8am when I was done. Skate deck had set up a bit more and I was not sinking through. It was really, really nice skiing. Unbelievable for April 27th. A handful of folks hitting the trail today, later morning and early afternoon. All smiles just to be skiing. I will be grooming the loop this evening when it freezes down and should be mid winter like again early in the morning before getting soft. Best skiing will be from 6am to 9am but still skiable I imagine rest of the day. The compacted base on the groomed surface is 8-10".
  Photos:  
  (Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)
• Apr 26 - Pine Lake Ski Trails (Detroit Lakes):
  Conditions: I'd guess about 18" of heavy, wet and drifted snow. Some of the drifts were waist high. Nothing fluffy about this stuff, like skiing through cheesecake. In the open areas the snow crusted and it was possible to ski on top.
  I can't believe that we could ski on April 26th. We bushwacked a few km but the snow was really heavy and the drifts were a challenge. Last weekend we went backpacking at Itasca, this weekend we're skiing again. Amazing! If you need to get that last ski in, come here. We should have enough for a few more days.
  Photos:  
  (Charlie Ramstad)
• Apr 26 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Conditions: Unbelievable!! Clearing, wind almost calm and 25 degrees at 10pm.
  Just came in from skiing the loop I have been packing out. I could not resist considering the conditions and fresh cord calling my name. I ended up pulling out one of the Ginzu's for the early evening grooming. Groomed up pretty nice considering all the new snow. Hard to describe the sensations of skiing on dry, fresh, packed powder on April 26th...and loons calling in the distance. Wow! The the glide was great, I wasn't sinking through really like I thought I would and felt really nice. The skate deck was a little tight and I was pushing pretty far down on the pull plants but all in all, unreal.
  Photos:  
  (Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)
• Apr 26 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Conditions: Snow keeps on coming and blowing and the cars keep getting more buried. Hard to say with settling, melting underneath and blowing but figure 16-20" of snowfall since yesterday afternoon.
  Just packed with the snowmobile on that 4km loop when I could today since busy dealing with snow and hauling employees around. Later in afternoon was going to rollpack but that was buried in snow and I couldn't get it out. I thought I had it in a good spot, ready to roll downhill but I just couldn't connect. So I took out a older Tidd Tech drag since the Ginzus are put away for the summer(?!?!) and made a few passes with it. Mother Nature got the best of me today as I got stuck big time for the first time ever here at Maplelag and thankfully a grader was passing by to pull me out. Tonight I am going to drag out that loop a bunch of times and hopefully can ski tomorrow....but don't plan on it with 30 cars buried. When I do get the chance to ski, I am going to make this snowfall count, that's for sure.
  Photos:  
  (Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)
• Apr 25 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Crazy. Everybody is walking around saying crazy. Started snowing about 2pm, light to start but now at 7:30 is is dumping and maybe up to 4" already. Forecast for are area calling up to 13". Little wind as well and I can't see across the lake (1/4 mile). We were at 29-30 temp wise all morning before the snow. No rain before the snow, so when it started snowing, the snow stuck. I rollpacked about 2km to see what that was like and the snow is dry. Not superfluffy but dry and full of moisture. The snow isn't clinging to the trees like heavy wet snow so it has the feel of midwinter. Before I go to bed (probably won't sleep much tonight) I will pack out a 4km loop and then hopefully pack this loop again in the morning. I think the best skiing from this snow will be Sunday and Monday mornings if it cools down like they say. Will update again after grooming tomorrow. Crazy.
  11 pm update: A 4km loop was packed out around 8pm. The snow remains dry and packing went good. As of 11pm, around 8-9" of snow has fallen and still snowing hard. The 4km loop will be packed again in the morning. Should be some great bushwhacking skiing in the morning and skating will be soft and probably slow but for April 26th, wow!
  Photos:  
  (Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)
• Apr 20 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Mountain bike ride on MNSCS course late this afternoon found patches of snow here and there on the ski trails and still pretty soft. Needs another week of drying before trails open for riding. Singletrack completely free of snow and 75% rideable and in very good condition for this early in the year. One more week and should all be good. Think we have about a week of lake skiing which was good late afternoon once the warm temps softened the ice.
  Photos:  
  (Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)
• Apr 13 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Conditions: Sunday morning fantastic crust cruising.
  Just came in from doing Bullhead and it was great. Sun out, no wind, geese honking and sitting in any open water patch, and still amazed on the amount of snow and how nice it is. Tricky on the downhills as pretty fast and no breakthrough. It won't last much longer, warmer temps later in the week, and I am afraid the snow will be history by next week end. It has been a very special season to say the least.
  (Jim Richards, Maplelag Resort)
• Apr 12 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Conditions: Good for this time of the year. Lower 30s, about six inches of fresh snow, sunshine, first-rate recreation.
  No grooming anymore, but on Saturday, my son and I bushwacked the entire North Loop (approaching it from the Skater's Waltz). The trail on the North Loop should be OK for a last (?) run on Sunday. Enjoy! Thanks for a great season, I hope to be back in December.
  (Istvan Gombocz)
• Apr 12 - Pine Lake Ski Trails (Detroit Lakes):
  Conditions: Good coverage from yesterday's storm. The snow was wet and heavy but mostly crusted enough to stay on top. A few thin spots in the open areas, but in the woods there was several feet of drifted snow. We had to take off skis and walk for about 100 yards on the north side of the lake, but otherwise the 10k loop was good. Still, with 40+ degree days in the forecast, tomorrow will likely be the last day.
  What a great day! Sunny, warm with enough snow to slide 10K on April 12th. It's not often you can ski with no gloves and no hat. I should have worn shorts and a t shirt. What a way to end a great year!
  Photos:  
  (Charlie Ramstad)
• Apr 9 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
  Just back from a little sun break in Brasil and hard to believe that we got such a dump on Sunday, at least 16 inches. I packed and rolled with the snowmobile, but so heavy and dense that it wasn't doing a whole of good so I just bushwacked yesterday and was out for about 3 hours and it was great. I just skied on a variety of trails, always checking out what brush and trees need to be cut and pruned and where we plan on planting 2000 pine and tamarack this Spring.
  The sun was out and it was pretty special day. Can't say how much longer it will last, but for this time of year when we are between seasons, it is so nice to be on snow and to enjoy the trails.
  This was a great winter, and just hope we are back now in the mode of normal Minnesota winters as we can all do without the stress of worrying whether or not there will be enough snow.
  Thanks again to all of you who put Maplelag on your radar. We very much appreciate your support and your joy of cross country skiing.
  Photos:  
  (Jim Richards, Maplelag Resort)

• Apr 10 - Soaring Eagle Trail (Park Rapids):
  Conditions: Spring skiing, Great coverage with some puddles.
  One trail at Soaring Eagle was groomed today. Skiing is very spring like. It's a bit soft and slushy, but trails are completely covered! Glide wasn't to bad either. It's amazing to be skiing on April 10th!
  Photos:  
  (Lars Ellefson)

Minnesota Central

• Apr 12 - Graystone Trails (Saint Cloud):
  Conditions: Excellent classical conditions for April 12, 2008!
  Our classical track that we kicked in on Friday set up really well, and provided faster conditions than the day previous. The Atomic Multi Corks and APG Waxless skis worked well on the wet conditions.
  Photos:  
  (Kyia Anderson)

Wisconsin Northwest

• Apr 26 - Birkie Trail (Hayward):
  Great for April 26th! Used my sweet Kneissel waxless skis, skied north and south of OO. Trail holding snow, aprox. 1" in most areas, and it's still coming down! Some puddles and branches that can be skied over/around. Could get one last ski to Telemark and back!
  (Julie Meyer)
• Apr 14 - Birkie Trail (Hayward):
  Conditions: Pristine
  After my moring ski on the Seeley trails and lunch at the Sawmill, I was heading home on Hwy 77, when I came upon Mosquito Brook Road. Well, why not a quick ski to Mosquito Brook on the Birkie Trail? Back on with the boots and no-wax skis. Heading south on the Birkie trail, I realize that there are no skis tracks since the last snowfall. The snow was wet, but settled and easy to get grip and glide. Standing on the bridge admiring the water flowing in the brook was well worth the detour. But wait... my skis wouldn't turn around and go north. Was it Spring Fever or Birkie Fever? I had to continue skiing south, until I climbed up the Big B---- hill one last time. It seemed a lot easier today then on Feb. 23rd. After a few reminiscing moments, my skis allowed me to head back down the hill and back to the car. Thus ended part 2 of a wonderful ski day in April. So, there's a pretty good set of tracks out there now for anyone striding the trail in the next couple of days.
  (Connie Meek)
• Apr 14 - Seeley Ski Trails (Seeley):
  Conditions: Glorious
  My buddy Chris, his dog Charlie, and I skied the Seeley Hills trails in the groomed tracks on no-wax skis. Actually Charlie didn't use skis. The tracks were holding up pretty well; I think that they've seen a lot of traffic the last few days. We picked the perfect time, late morning, to ski on the tracks as they were just softening. There were no bare spots, and it was a joy to be striding and gliding under sunny skis and with a warm temperature. Unknown at that time, it became part 1 of my ski day (See Mosquito Brook report).
  (Connie Meek)
• Apr 13 - Seeley Ski Trails (Seeley):
  Conditions: Excellent (little soft).
  Skied on Friday and Saturday at the freshly groomed Seeley trails. Also took the opportunity to do a little bush-wacking through the forest. Excellent January conditions --- I don't know how to describe it for middle of April!
  (Craig Kalscheur)
• Apr 13 - Birkie Trail (Hayward):
  Conditions: Great for April 13!
  A volunteer rolled the east loop at OO. It's a little rough but I enjoyed a few kilometers of good conditions skating this morning. The parking lot isn't plowed, but that's why there are Subarus. This is the latest I've ever skied and it probably won't last long. I confess I even took the dogs along.
  (Ned Zuelsdorff)
• Apr 11 - Hospital Trail (Hayward):
  Conditions: Thick new snow
  I used no-wax touring skis to enjoy the beautiful trail lined with trees caked in heavy wet snow. There were quite a few downed branches, but none that couldn't be skied over, under, or around. There is plenty of snow to ski for several days to come. Great trail in the big city of Hayward.
  (Connie Meek)

• Apr 12 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
  Conditions: 5K Anchor Loop - Good.
  After grooming crust with the Ginzu for the last three weeks, I had the roller and Tidd Tech out this morning on 10" of fresh heavy powder. Groomed the 5K Anchor loop. A bit of debris (picked most of it up). Tracks set up OK. Skate lane was fresh corduroy. Drifting a bit with the wind, but all in all good conditions. Skied the trail immediately after grooming. Only slightly soft. Should set up overnight. Temps look good the next couple of days. Packed base is 8-10" on the trail, snow in the woods 16-20". Who said it was biking season?
  (Doug Liphart)

• Apr 12 - Beaver Brook Ski Trail (Spooner):
  Conditions: Skied in track on the westside trail. It should be good for Sunday,
  enjoy!
  Skiing: it's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it!
  (Dale Cardwell)
• Apr 9 - Timberland Hills (Cumberland):
  Conditions: Good crust skiing with some "portages" required - I hit a great window around 10 AM and 33 degrees. Most of the trail has snow cover, but some spots are burned off. Snow depth ranges from bare to nearly a foot. Good crust skiing was only available on the (previously) packed trails, I immediately fell through the crust when I tried an ungroomed logging road.
  Wildlife is active including a flock of robins, I wonder if anybody told them about the forecast.
  Photos:  
  (Louis Muench)

Wisconsin Northeast

• Apr 20 - Bass Lake (Lake Tomahawk):
  Conditions: Poor-skiable
  At 6:00 AM the temp was 36 degrees so I walked down to the snowmobile trail to see if it was skiable- to my surprise it was skiable. There was a lot of organic matter on the trail, patches of bare I needed to take of my skis and walk, but there was nice stretches of skiable snow. Unreal April 20 and I skied! This is latest I have skied in a long time, what a winter, skied November 15 through April 20. I wish every winter would be like this. Oh well, time to get the mountain bike out.
  Photos:  
  (Greg Dahl)
• Apr 16 - Bass Lake (Lake Tomahawk):
  Conditions: Skating-fair crust on lake, striding-good on snowmobile trail.
  A balmy 43 degrees today, was not sure lake would be skiable but the south shore was still pretty good, but rest of lake was all ice and north shore is pulling away.
  So I switched skis and hit the snowmobile trail which still has lot of snow and was very enjoyable striding. In the 60's today, I think hear the beat getting softer, But hey April 16 and still skiing!
  Photos:  
  (Greg Dahl)
• Apr 15 - Bass Lake (Lake Tomahawk):
  Conditions: Great crust skiing.
  And the beat goes on... Woke up to 34 degrees and I did not think the lake would be skiable-Dead Wrong. Awesome crust skiing again. Another glorious day in the neighborhood-beautiful sunrise and skate skiing. I think Dottie is getting spoiled with these early morning workouts before I leave for work. Unreal to be skiing April 15.
  (Greg Dahl)
• Apr 14 - Bass Lake (Lake Tomahawk):
  Conditions: Great crust skiing.
  And the beat goes on... A low of 14 degress set the lake up for great crust skiing. I skied down to the lake just after sunrise with a temp of 18 degrees, headed over to the snowmobile trail and that too was great crust skiing. What a beautiful cool crisp sunny morning to be skiing.
  Photos:  
  (Greg Dahl)
• Apr 13 - McNaughton Ski Trail (Lake Tomahawk):
  Conditions: Good Spring.
  And the beat goes on.. some other die hard broke trail on the outside loop, so we had a good track to ski on. A sunny warm 40 degree day made for great spring skiing. I tried to ski on the lake this AM, but was too soft. I guessing after the warm up today and cold night, crust skiing should be great in the morning. No wax skis had good glide and we brought seeds for the chickadees. Looks likes the next couple days might be the end with 60's forecasted late this week.
  (Greg Dahl)
• Apr 12 - Bass Lake (Lake Tomahawk):
  Conditions: Most excellent spring skiing!
  And the beat goes on, I mean winter goes on, another snow storm with about 10 inches made for some great skiing on the snowmobile trail at the end of Bass Lake. What a gas, put your skis on in your backyard, ski down to the lake, and catch the snowmobile trail at the end of the lake and you can ski for miles. We followed the trail close to the Wisconsin River so we had many scenic overlooks and could hear the rushing water. A nice sunny day with 36 degrees made for a great ski. And the ski goes on, and on and on - don't just love it! :-)
  Photos:  
  (Greg Dahl)
• Apr 9 - McNaughton Ski Trail (Lake Tomahawk):
  Conditions: Skating-fair, striding-good.
  I checked the trails out yesterday and the base survived the weekend warm up, much better than I expected. We got about 2-3 inches of wet snow overnight so time to ski. I skated first and was skiable, but soft so I switched to striding which was much better-great glide, no sticking. This is a beautiful trail through the woods. Dottie had a good time too.
  Photos:  
  (Greg Dahl)

• Apr 13 - Lakewood XC Ski Trails (Lakewood):
  Conditions: Fair to good. Appears to have a base of approx 6 to 8 inches.
  Lakewood received several inches of snow Friday. Had good skate skiing, started from Mccaulsin golf course as main parking lot is closed. Best to start early as the trail was soft by 10am. The trail would be better for striders. Probably only a few days left for skiing here.
  (John Hemphill)

Michigan Upper Peninsula

• Apr 20 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
  After raining most of the day yesterday we drove over to the trails not knowing what to expect. To our surprise there it was, The Wolverine Glacier still intact (wish I would have brought my camera). Skated a nice 10K loop without having to take off our skis but I can see a couple of short sections where that will change as early as today. For the most part the trail was pretty firm and the glide was decent. Birds were singing and brooks were babbling creating a most enjoyable ski for any time of the year.
  (Ken Hazel)
• Apr 18 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
  Conditions: Great! Still 100% coverage and a good base.
  I was surprised to find that skating today was still fast and good even at 46 degrees. I skated the whole system (other than the back side hospital loop). The snow has a bit of debris and dirt mixed in but otherwise the trail was firm and fast. The Wolverine Glacier is holding up well, especially with the cloud cover. We just may make it to May 1st.
  (Paulette Niemi, Skinnyski.com Race Team)
• Apr 17 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
  I still keep being amazed. Woke up this morning to find it had dipped below freezing last night. We drove to the trails about 9:30 am to see what they looked like. We found them to be in great shape and just starting to soften. They were a bit dirty with some debris from the high winds but the entire trail still has 100% coverage! Still lots of snow out there. Skiing was fast and fun.
  Photos:  
  (Ken Hazel)
• Apr 15 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
  I feel like I'm in some lost in time B-movie. Every morning I wake up and my brain says it's the middle of April but I look out my window and my eyes say it's February. Yesterday morning I looked at the thermometer and it was 10 degrees! Skied the Novice Loop and it was great. The rest of the trail was a little rutted and icy. Went back this morning only it was 42 degrees. The trail had melted and settled a little so the ruts where gone. It was amazingly firm. It was slow but I think it was less about the temps and more about the dust we picked up in last weeks high winds being back on top. Ok you hard cores, how about the final, final race of the season? Just kidding. With highs in the 60s and it’s not suppose to get below freezing at night, looks like this is the beginning of the end.
  (Ken Hazel)
• Apr 13 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
  Conditions: Hard Core.
  WOW! Did my first race of the season on December 15th and last on April 13th, both at Wolverine. What a season. The Hard Core 10 K race course was groomed for skating and was great for all the recent snow, amazingly dry snow. As someone exclaimed, "It looks like February." Lots of snow to continue skiing. Thanks Ken and Ironwood gang!
  (Connie Meek)
• Apr 10 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
  I think the decision not to groom this morning worked out best. Yesterday the wet 4" we received created a layer of slush between it and the old base. Overnight that layer froze up and the loose layer on top condensed down to a 1" to 2" firm surface resulting in great skiing today. By 1:00pm that layer was getting a little silt like but still great skiing. Skied the 10k course twice and had a blast.
  They are calling for winter storm warnings for tonight through Saturday. We are playing it by ear but still commited to the Saturday race, so watch for updates.
  Photos:  
  (Ken Hazel)

• Apr 20 - Valley Spur (Munising):
  Still lots of snow. Base on trail about a foot. We skied only the A and B loops and didn't see anything resembling a bare spot. Some downed trees but these were easily avoided. Potential for May skiing here if the weather gets cool.
  (Paul Lata)

• May 4 - Mandan Loop (Copper Harbor):
  Conditions: 24 degrees F. 0-24"+ base of old snow with 1" of fresh powder on top.
  What a difference a day makes! I went for a run Saturday on Mount Bohemia in the rain. It was bare, rocky, and wet on the front side of the mountain, but there was so much snow on the backside - 2 to 3 feet in places - that running was no longer fun or safe. Since it snowed a little and then froze last night, I decided to go crust skiing at Mandan one more time. I kept my playground smaller today and stuck to the protected hills just off US-41.
  Photos:  
  (Ken Wikgren)
• Apr 29 - Mandan-Mount Bohemia (Copper Harbor):
  Conditions: 8-38" base of old snow, 1-2" of fresh powder on top, many widely scattered washouts and bare sun exposed areas to negotiate.
  After Karl Walczak and I saw a live toad on the trail we skied on Saturday (after Friday night's rain), I thought maybe it was over. But now there's crust skiing and these last three days have been great. May skiing would be certain at Mandan, but it won't be as good as today. Six solid months, 385 hours, on snow for me. Maybe it's enough. Finally a normal winter in the U.P.!
  Photos:  
  (Ken Wikgren)
• Apr 20 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
  Swedetown was surprisingly good this morning, fantastic for April 20th. Not as many trails are groomed now and grooming is only taking place when weather permits but, most of the trails still have great coverage. Tracks were set today and they were nice. I think we've been grooming for more than 4.5 months now!
  (Dave Mayo-Kiely, Great Bear Chase)
• Apr 20 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
  Conditions: Solid corn snow track and skating corduroy, firm in places, soft in other places. Groomed courtesy Steve Rowe and Copper Island XC Ski Club.
  Maybe the last good groomed skiing at Swedetown, enjoyed by Steve Rowe, Steve Hogan, Gary Nichols, Dave Mayo-Kiely, Joan Rundman, Karl Walczak (pictured), along with several others, and... of course, yours truly, Ken Wikgren.
  Photos:  
  (Ken Wikgren)

Canada

• Apr 12 - Lake Louise Trails (Lake Louise):
  Conditions: Outstanding spring skiing.
  17 deg C, fast trails and great scenery.
  (Brad Anderson)

United States

• May 3 - Rendezvous Ski Trails (West Yellowstone, MT):
  Conditions: Skiing is still great in West Yellowstone. The trail was a bit firm and crusty in the morning, and then softened up around noon. Skate lanes and classic tracks were set on all main loops except Windy Ridge and Volunteer, which had great crust skiing. At the trailhead, the trail base was about 18 inches, with clean snow and minimal debris on the rest of the system.
  I'm not sure how long the grooming will last, but it looks like there are at least a few more weeks of skiing. The tourist activity is starting to pick up, although they seem a bit bewildered with all of the snow. Let's hope this good snow fortune returns in November!
  Photos:  
  (Jonathon Rulseh)
• Apr 26 - Bohart Ranch XC Ski Center (Bozeman, MT):
  Conditions: WOW! Not too bad for the end of April. This morning it was in the mid 20's, with a light dusting of snow over a freshly groomed trail. Perfect for a 2.5 hour classic on Blue Extra! The base on the trail generaly ranges from 2-4 feet.
  The skiing has been great this spring. Day after day the snow continues to fall. There is more snow on the ground now than anyone can ever remember.
  It looks like tomorrow should be warmer with some sun. Hopefully we will be able to get out of this mid-winter trend, and enjoy some spring like conditions before Bohart closes for the season this Monday. The owners of Bohart have done an amazing job with "post-season" grooming, I can't thank them enough for their dedication and hard work. Thank you!
  Photos:  
  (Jonathon Rulseh)
• Apr 20 - Portage Lake (Near Whittier, AK):
  Conditions: AWESOME crust skiing! 40 degrees and sunny.
  Alaska has entered the 2008 crust skiing season. We skated across Portage Lake to Portage Glacier and then up into Portage Pass. It was beautiful and FULL of other like-minded individuals. There were kite-skiers, telemarkers heading up into the hills, walkers, skijorers and other Nordic skiers.
  Photos:  
  (Sarah Knappmiller Hunter)
• Apr 20 - Hillside Park (Anchorage, AK):
  Conditions: Good spring ski conditions.
  The Anchorage bowl had a good ski season this year and the skiing is still available. In the past 1-2 weeks we have had 12+ inches of new snow and the temps have only recently climbed into the 40s during the day and still freezing overnight. The trails have full coverage albeit there are now wet spots/ice starting to form in some low spots. Timing is everything during the Spring. Trails are softening up by mid-day as the sun here is gaining strength after a hiatus and we are getting daylight still at 10pm.
  Photos:  
  (Michael Anderson)
• Apr 13 - Hillside Park (Anchorage, AK):
  Conditions: Beautiful corduroy at 28-32 degrees.
  We are having January snow conditions with April daylight here in Anchorage. The trails at Hillside are in pristine condition, no debris, no frozen puddles, just beautiful white snow. It won't last long with the 14.5 hours of daylight that we have, but it's wonderful!
  Photos:  
  (Sarah Knappmiller Hunter)
• Apr 10 - Rendezvous Ski Trails (West Yellowstone, MT):
  Conditions: Machine groomed powder.
  The trails are in great shape. We still have over four feet on snow on the ground. We will be fully groomed for the weekend. Forecasted temperatures show teens at night and up to 30-40F during the day. Not quite crust cruising conditions yet. Maybe after the weekend. The season is not over, come out and ski!
  (Sara Hoovler)
• Apr 9 - Spooner Lake XC (Lake Tahoe, NV):
  Conditions: Groomed & Tracked
  I took the boy out for a late season ski. The folks @ Spooner are still grooming. They're even rerouting the trails to avoid the few low snow areas. We tried out the sled skating & striding. I'd say that skating was somewhat better. He was happy to watch me ski or sleep. He'll be a bit harder to pull up the hills when we come back next year.
  Photos:  
  (Peter Hanson, Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists)