Today was my first ski on the newly configured Wirth South natural snow trails south of Glenwood Ave, and it was definitely worth the trip! It feels like exploring brand new trails for the first time. The new direction for the Eloise Butler and Bog trails seems to flow nicely, and you can tell the trails crew put a lot of thought into the new routing. Signage is very good so just follow the directional arrows and you'll be all set. Must have been 5" of fresh powder so it felt like a northwoods back-country ski. Skating was surprisingly fast with my leftover SkiGo HF Orange wax from Loppet weekend. I highly recommend checking out the new trail map, which does a great job showing the new directions and newly configured loops.

Photos:

(Bill Oyler)

I skied all of the trails from the North Wirth man made loops down to 394. Everything is really good and good skis can be used. The Butler and Bog trails are a little bumpy in spots and not as firm as the golf course but it is a fun ski. They changed up the flow of the trails in this section and haven't updated all of the signs so it's confusing. To get on to the black diamond loop on the bog trails you have to enter at the old exit at the south end close to 394. There is a do not enter sign there but it can be ignored, once you get going on that trail the signs are corrected. There was one loop in the Butler section that I could not figure out how to get on but I'm guessing this is due to the signs not updated.

(Nick Raisanen)

Grooming was happening as we finished up in the afternoon. Some of the best conditions all year! Super fun to have a great classic track set.

(James Young)

Very thin cover. Mostly rolled with very few tracks set and limited corduroy. Some sections were quite decent while others had dirt or pavement showing. Hope the Loppet crew can improve the conditions or reroute if needed for this weekends events.

(Genevieve Johnson)

Please stay off of natural snow trails on Friday Feb 1st as they are being prepared for the Loppet Festival races this weekend. Skiing is available on the 6.5k snowmaking loop.

(Isaac Kasper, Loppet Foundation)

After rolling and shoveling yesterday, the crew groomed things up today. Generally great conditions. Classic track went in nicely in most spots - especially in the wooded sections of Eloise Butler and Quaking Bog. Some leaves and grass showing through in a few spots in the classic tracks in the more open areas like JD Rivers and Skyline Trail, but things are looking really good overall. Crews will do a bit more touch up shoveling on Thursday. Trails have really firmed up since Monday. With warmer temperatures predicted, expect both classic and skate to be great this weekend.

Photos:

(John Munger, Loppet Foundation)

Skied from the chalet down to the Chain of Lakes early afternoon. Trail was packed but not the usual first class conditions as the snow was still soft and shoveling sleds were moving into position. Hwy 55 underpass was thin, as expected, and snow was not adhering well on the pavement sections, such that some later ski pushes were exposing ground. Still, really enjoyable ski as the temperatures felt moderate and the sun was shining with light winds. Still need to adjust to the new trail direction, many of the segments are now being skied the opposite direction. And a few sections were ungroomed while I was out (old Gronquist hill next to Xerxes Ave). As I returned to the chalet, caught the PistenBully finally smoothing out that big snow pile blocking the bridge entrance in front of the Trailhead!

Photos:

(Bruce Adelsman)

Would be great if people could avoid skate skiing on the non-snowmaking trails for the next few days (especially today). Need to give the new snow time to set up. Thanks for your support.

(John Munger, Loppet Foundation)

I did a quick ski around JD Rivers and Wirth Lake around 11am. The trails have been rolled but are still on the soft side. The packed snow ranges from 2 to probably 4 inches deep. There were a few bits of debris that poked through but they were easy enough to avoid. Pole plants sometimes went through to ice or pavement underneath. The trail across the lake was already starting to be drifted over, but still skiable. Overall it was just great fun to be able to ski on the natural snow trails again!

(Robert Ibler)

Followed the groomers through the Quaking Bog. Plenty of snow for a good ski as long as you accept some leaves in places. Especially beautiful this morning with snow on the trees. Remember this now goes south to north -- opposite of the past. Groomers were headed off to Wildflower Garden side so it should be done by now.

(RT Rybak)