With the addition of 3+ inches of snow the deck was reset today. The corduroy looks the best it has all season. New classic tracks were also added, and they should set up nicely with the cold temperatures. Only a few spots with some exposed dirt, but they are very visible and can be easily avoided.

(Dennis Zielinski)

Was definitely worth the drive from Wausau as this is one of the most beautiful trail systems in the northern portion of Wisconsin! The groomer was out doing his magic with the two to three inches of snow that had fallen earlier. There was more than adequate snow so I did not realize any damage to my favorite Atomic Beta Race skis. The hills at the Washburn trails provide fantastic ascents and descents....often with little recovery time, which translates into some lung busting aerobic opportunities. This might not be your fastest ski, but will certainly be one of the most scenic, physically challenging, and enjoyable ski experiences! Thanks very much to the groomer for his time and efforts! Looking forward to my next Washburn trails ski!

(Jeff Waldman)

We didn't get the forecasted snow amount, instead we received about 1" of fluff. We did however, today reset the classic tracks, and skate deck. There is still some debris in the trail, and the classic tracks are not as deep either. So again leave the new skis at home, and keep with the rock skis.

(Dennis Zielinski)

In a low snow winter, the condition of the Washburn Trails was a pleasant surprise today. The entire system is open and good classic tracks can be found throughout. I used my best pair of skis today and, while caution was required in a few in widely scattered spots where grooming implements dug deep, my skis came through with no damage and not close calls. The skate deck looked very good. A friend of mine drove up for the ski from Wausau and rated the conditions well worth the drive and significantly better than tracks had been last weekend on the Birkie Trail for the Seeley Hills Classic. Trail was also significantly better than trail used in the Rib Lake Hinder Binder had been yesterday.

(Mark Nienstaedt)

Skied 15K skate (laps on back loop) and the trails have a solid somewhat icy base with an inch of new snow on top but control is good, they are very fast but a bit uneven in spots. There is some debris but it is easy to step around, I saw no bare rocks but didn't ski the whole trail system. Enjoy, about the best option we have for the Wausau, Rhinelander area right now if you don't want to drive to Winter Park or further north.

(Jeff Schnelle)

Based upon previous reports, I brought my B skis along. However, I brought my good boots, which unfortunately aren't compatible with my B skis. Sooooo, I snowshoed instead (which are very nice trails BTW). The snowshoe trail crosses the ski trail several times, and from what I could see the ski trail looks just OK. Skate looks much better than classic.

(Pete Wurl)

All loops were groomed this morning. The skate deck is ready for those good skis. Classic tracks were set, but the tracks are shallow, therefore keep using those rock skis. In addition, there is some debris in the tracks. The landfill loop was not tracked, because it is very bumpy, and needs more snow. The classic double track for now only has one track. A minor electrical problem prevented a second track.

(Dennis Zielinski)

The conditions were very good considering the amount of snow on the ground. Many sections were relatively smooth with minimal debris. Some of the steeper hills and areas where logging had occurred were bumpier with more frequent debris but still skiable. Rock skis are probably best. There were no classic tracks anywhere on the system. Conditions were fast but not icy.

(Jacob Novitch)

The deck was refreshed on Wednesday. Under the conditions it set up nicely. At this time there are no classic tracks...you guessed it, need snow. The deck is thin and your best bet would be to use rock skis. The weekend temperatures are looking to be above freezing so please try to avoid those warmer parts of the day to help us maintain the snow we have.

(Dennis Zielinski)

All sections of the trail system were rolled and compacted this evening. No classic tracks at this time, only the corduroy deck. The deck is thin, and there are some scattered rough spots due to logging earlier this fall. Once we get more snow, those areas will be less of a problem. The trail is skiable, but only for rock skis. Leave the new ones at home.

(Dennis Zielinski)