McNaughton Lake is one of the few state forest areas that offers both classic and skate skiing. Those of us who skate ski really appreciate the skaters loop here. The skaters loop was groomed Tuesday morning and the skate deck was excellent this morning. In fact, it was so good that I skated it twice. I started around 9:00 am and finished 1.45 hrs later. It was fast and fun.

Photos:

(Jim Gantz)

Trails just groomed and in good shape. Beautiful scenery as always. Skate trail clean, flat, fast and fun. Classic trails looked good. "Thank you" to the groomer.

(Bruce Kuehl)

All trails tracked/groomed this morning. The trails have a decent base yet but some areas feel like solid ice. There are some spots on the classic loops that have shallow tracks but for the most part the tracks turned out fairly well. The skaters loop is in real good condition minus the one area near the lake where large drifts accumulated in previous weeks. Considering the time of the year, the trails are in good condition.

(Joe Kraetke)

All trails were cut and groomed/tracked this morning. A little bit of fresh snow helped smooth out the trail. Classic loops were still very hard (iced up) from the warm temps. Some areas of tracks are a little shallow but overall they are in good condition. LOTS of debris was on the trail from the recent high winds. The skater's loop, overall, is in good condition. It just a little soft but smoothed out nicely after this snow. The only spot that has some humps is near the lake where the drifts always pile up. There is considerably less debris on the skaters loop vs the classic.

(Joe Kraetke)

Trail conditions improved today after a fresh three inches of snow this morning. All loops were tracked and groomed. Trails still were not able to be cut due to the warm temperatures and snow conditions. All classic loops were tracked with a few spots where the track is a little shallow but overall in good condition. The skater's loop still needs some improvement after the warm temps and drifting the last few days. Conditions out to the warming shelter are in good condition while the loop portion around the lake is in fair to good condition overall. There are still large bumps near the lake where it had drifted and some areas of ruts from the machine pulling the groomer. If weather conditions allow, the trails will be cut to even the base out again.

(Joe Kraetke)

The recent large amounts of snow and high temperatures have made the trails very soft. Classic loops were partially tracked/groomed on Monday. The machine and groomer got stuck on a hill while grooming the Blue Loop so use caution when skiing the Blue. There are ruts and chunks of snow from the groomer. Grooming operations resumed later this morning on the rest of the classic loops. Good tracks were set. The skater's loop is in fair to good condition at best. The trails are very soft. Ruts from the tracks on the machine formed in the trail. Some areas are nice while others are not. The groomer kept getting clogged with slushy snow and made it difficult to create a nice surface. If using the skater's loop, use caution around the lake sections. Large snow drifts formed on the trail creating an uneven surface. Even with the warm temperatures, there are no thin spots to watch out for. If the weather begins to cool down, all trails will be cut and groomed again to regain a smooth surface.

(Joe Kraetke)

A little over half of the classic loops were groomed today. The groomer is currently stuck from the recent large amounts of snow. Plans are in order to be back in operation tomorrow afternoon.

(Joe Kraetke)

All loops were groomed and/or tracked this morning. The trails were a little soft immediately after grooming. The sections that had been set for awhile seemed to firm up nicely. Trails are great to excellent condition.

(Joe Kraetke)

All loops were cut on Monday. Trails were cut and groomed again today with the little bit of fresh snow. Skaters loop is in great condition. Classic loops are in good condition. The winds from the previous couple days left a little bit of debris in the trail. Overall, trails are in good condition.

(Joe Kraetke)

Good conditions throughout the system. Great ball bearing style skate lane, makes everyone feel like they are an Olympian. All tracks set on Monday, in good condition.

Photos:

(Michael McFadzen)