I classic skied on the Birkie Classic Trail from the start to Timber Road and back. Tracks are solid and in good shape. There is some debris starting to show on some parts of the skate deck (after recent grooming). Considering what the weather has been like this year, the trails are in great shape.

(Deb Murphy)

I skied classic, waxless, north and south from Boedecker. Tracks are good, with some cones, needles, and leaves. Dirty spots are rare. Skate deck also looks good but with some litter. Good skiing, you bet.

(Donald Quick)

A very slight skiff of new snow over a crunchy - hard base made for some excellent - easy - fast skiing at the OO TH loops. Get out there and enjoy! Thanks ABSF!

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(Jeff Tumbleson)

The Birkie Tour went great yesterday, but the heavy traffic loosened up several sections on the Birkie Classic trail. The Birkie Skate trail held up quite well with the harder base. Our efforts today are in hardening up the base on the Birkie Classic trail. Conditions on the Birkie Skate trail between OO and the Birkie Trailhead are still pretty good with the best conditions at the Birkie Trailhead loops. Enjoy!

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

The Birkie Trail North of OO TH is hanging pretty darn tough, some excellent skiing (for both techniques), especially after Saturday night grooming for the Birkie Tour. There's a few thin/dirty spot, but easy to see and avoid. Thanks ABSF crew for making for producing some awesome skiing.

Photos:

(Jeff Tumbleson)

Tonight we are grooming and tracking the Birkie Skate and Birkie Classic trails from the American Birkebeiner Trailhead to OO in preparation for the Birkie Tour tomorrow. The trail is in pretty good shape and there is enough base to set up a great course for tomorrow. Online registration is still open and registration is available in-person at the start from 8am til 9am.

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

I skate skied the Birkie Skate Trail from OO to Timber Trail and back and it didn't disappoint! Conditions were awesome on the skate deck and the tracks looked pretty good too. The groomers will be out tonight grooming the Birkie Skate and Birkie Classic trails from OO to the BTH (Birkie Start) in prep for the Birkie Tour tomorrow. The full Birkie Tour course should be awesome!

(John Oman, American Birkebeiner)

I started at Timber Trail and went south on the Birkie Trail to the Firetower water stop and then back on the Classic trail. The Birkie trail is very good skiing yet although as you work south there are more thin spots. For that reason, I recommend you leave your best skis in the bag. Rock skis are not necessary but there are enough pine cones and twigs on the trail now that you could still scuff up your bases. The Classic trail has good coverage but it is ungroomed as of the past week at least and is accumulating its it's fair share of tree litter. Still good skiing but a little trickier than the Birkie trail.

(Andy Schwartz)

FYI: Birkie Ridge is not groomed. The "skiers" who had to ski in Monday's slop storm left a rutted frozen surface. Recommend going to Boedecker. Both Birkie Skate and Classic are pretty good and offer fun skiing considering the conditions. We used our good skis but it's pretty dirty so... The repeated recent trail reports about Birkie Ridge grooming have us baffled; the most recent grooming appears to have been ten days ago.

(Tom Dunaway)

Update on skiing for Saturday - Best recreational skiing will be from OO - there you can ski the loops and north from there on the Birkie Skate trail up to Timber Trail. Birkie Ridge connector trail is groomed too (you can ski the Birkie Classic north, but it won't be regroomed until Saturday night for the Birkie Tour). The Seeley Hills Classic will be racing on the Birkie Skate and Classic Trails north of Timber Trail to the Birkie Trail Head in Cable from 10am-2pm. All trail north of OO will be regroomed for Sunday. Enjoy winter in the north woods!

Photos:

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)