After the big snow yesterday I wanted to check out the conditions at Grand Avenue Nordic. I was looking for great classic tracks and a chance to ski the upper half of the trail. Great classic tracks are exactly what I found. With the VR40 I had excellent kick and nice glide. After I got up out of the stadium I "stayed up on top" of the course and did 1k loops. The course is technical but flows really well. The width of the trail makes it very easy to choose a fast line down the hill or check your speed with a snow plow and take the corners at an easy pace. I am still impressed with the skill that it took to layout the trail and build this wonderful addition to Duluth trail system. Thanks as well for the great grooming Eric!

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(Dave Johnson)

We have managed to keep most of the snow we received yesterday on trail and trails should set up well over the day. Overall we have about 7-8" of fresh fluff packed onto the base, so skate deck will be a little soft and tracksare probably sitting at a medium hardness. The trails are beautiful however, and the weather is very cooperative so come out for a couple kilometers!

(Erik Blow)

Snow hasn't arrived yet in the twin ports so we've got a full till and fresh track set for those looking to get some pre Birkie k in before the storm comes! Everything has set up solid and is looking good. Once the snow does come we'll be out periodically to do some packing and a refresh of classic tracks in the afternoon.

(Erik Blow)

Things definitely firmed up last night with the dive below the zero mark on the thermometers, but not too much to cause any issues with the snow quality. Of greater concern is wind debris and drifting; we had some 20ish mph winds come through all last night and into the morning, so unfortunately there is a significant amount of woody debris on many sections of the trail, predominantly around the stadium area. The further you head up into the woods the less debris there is. I have good skis marked since the snow is still great, but I would err to the side of caution in your ski selection. There are some smaller wind drifts out in the stadium and small pockets of trail, the largest ones have been knocked down. Tracks were set after the wind, so there is less debris in there, but there are still some unavoidable sections.

(Erik Blow)

Mother Nature has delivered! The center is looking beautiful and this is by far the best snow of the year. The trails have a full till and track set and we've even got the addition of some "Nordic cross" features courtesy of St. Scholastica in the stadium. The best skiing of the year is going on right now!

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(Erik Blow)

Let it snow! As we continue to receive the flakes, we will not be doing full grooming (aside from some packing loops perhaps) until the system passes through. We did do a full pack/till yesterday with the fluffy 4-5", and we are expecting more snow on top of that through today. Once the new snow gets some time to settle and bind with the old, we should have some stellar conditions! Plans are to have a full till tonight and set tracks tomorrow morning.

(Erik Blow)

It's good to see snow again! We received approximately 2" overnight into this morning, and provided some good material to refresh the system. Skate deck and tracks are set, and fairly solid. Given a couple hours, things should be very solid. It's beautiful out there and today's the day to go! We will not be re-grooming until at least Thursday depending on weather, as this extreme cold is not very kind to machinery and man alike. Get some good laps at GANC!

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(Erik Blow)

Groomed all segments last night/this morning and things are in pretty good condition. When the snow is this cold it can be tricky to set up well, but the skate decks are solid and tracks are in decent shape. They are full depth along many of the sections, but in areas where coverage is thin and snow is very dense they are a little shallow. Hoping for a refresh from the projected snows on Monday! We will most likely not be grooming until then, as we probably won't be getting much traffic and the conditions will be much better. There are a few dirty patches starting to show through again on the upper loop, so keep an eye out if you're on your race skis.

(Erik Blow)

Both the skate deck and the classic tracks (skied both techniques) were firm and fast. Surprised how well it set up and at the speed of the snow. The man-made snow was mixed well with the new light and fluffy. Made for a fun ski. Always running into someone to ski with makes this a nice social skiing venue as well. The turns and transitions that weren't quite right are now completely dialed in. Erik Blow has been working hard to sculpt a world-class nordic ski experience right here in Duluth.

(Cory Salmela)

Great skiing at GANC. Everything set up nice from the new snow. Perfect skate lanes and deep solid tracks. Thanks Spirit!

(Matt Ryan)