After a little touch up grooming this morning, entire trail system has been regroomed the past 36hours. Excellent conditions. With temps slightly cooler this way a great weekend of winter play on tap. Fat bike trails holding out great from Monday's grooming and skate trails firm and solid which remain open to fat bikes. This past week we had Bob Montebello and his "movers". Always an inspiring group, Bob still actively grooming and skiing at the age of 93!

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Dusting of new snow past 24 hours. 3" new snow past three days. Windy conditions yesterday warranted a bit more grooming today to level the handful of places drifted over. We would of been out earlier this morning to groom but once again the morning low was 7-8 degrees cooler than forecasted, checking in at -25. Once we hit -15, we were out. Skater Trails and select double track classic trails groomed. Sunshine and no wind making for a awesome day on the trails. We will regroom the singletrack classic trails Thursday and touch up others as needed. We are pulling up the transformed snow so if the temp does warm up, the skiing will be better. However, at this time we are trending cooler temps than the initial warmer temps. Fat bike singletrack groomed out nicely, silky dusting on top. We will regroom the fat bike trails for sure if the temp climbs above 32 to set up velcro texture.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

3" of new snow early this morning. Grooming on 83km of trail today, 63km ski trail, 20km fat bike singletrack. The trails groomed up very nice, digging deep into the base mixing the transformed snow with the new snow. All the trails were groomed today except the old school singletrack trail Lucky's Loype which still had nice tracks from recent grooming and a trail we always let skied in after fresh snow before grooming again. After the morning groom and Presidents Day skier traffic, we touched up 15km of the more used trails including Skaters Waltz. A skate ski at dusk after grooming with Jonell found very nice conditions. With ideal temps in place, should be a great week of skiing. Touch up grooming on select trails Tuesday and Wednesday and an entire regroom of the full system planned on Thursday.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

I skied the North Loup, Roys Run (pic), Sukkerbusk and Twin Lakes today. The snow was buttery soft and just enough maple leafs in the tracks to remind you where you were skiing! A beautiful afternoon on the trails.

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(Tom Dooher)

Morning low checked in at -30F. Once we warmed up to -10F, we went out grooming. We renovated and reset track on Sap Run. After examining the snow and process to reset tracks equal to what existed,decided best to leave the other tracks alone until the snow warms up and humidity rebounds again. (It would be easier to snowcat the tracks using renovator and tiller but we are committed to finishing out the year snowmobile grooming for better skiing experience, in our opinion). We did groom all the skate trails, renovated the transformed base with yet another dusting of snow. We have groomed at all hours of the day and night the past 4 weeks to time the transition of these fascinating temp swings we have been experiencing this winter. The result with this proper timing allows the snow to stay fresher and when we hit that sweet spot in temps of 18-28 degrees, the skating has been phenomenal. Tomorrow we will touch up the fat bike singletrack trails and reset more classic trail late afternoon into the evening, cleaning out the tracks and leveling the few drifted areas. For the remainder of the weekend, touch up grooming as needed. Should be a fantastic Presidents weekend of skiing! Note: There are many animals on the move and a great time of year to see so many tracks. The wolves and coyotes have been using the firm base to reach up on the trees and eat mushrooms. With lighter skier traffic this week, the deer and a possible moose, have been on the trails. Some of the deer look like they have had a party on the trails, others run straight down the trail and on the side nicely (see photo 1) Enjoy nature.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Yet another great day on the trails, first-rate recreation. Plenty of sunshine and no wind, thus the cold not a major factor. The trails are holding firm, obviously a bit slower than usual because of the low temps. I did Roy’s Run and North Loop, along with a number of trails in the mid section, total for all day 27 K. Enjoy!

(Istvan Gombocz)

Weather conditions by far not as rough as predicted, or feared. The February sunshine helped a lot, particularly, of course, in the woods. Trails a bit slow because of the cold, but still fun. I did Wavy Gravy, Island Lakes, Twin Lakes, and everything in the middle. 34 K, my personal record with classic style.

(Istvan Gombocz)

Maplelag as usual had received a little more bonus snow than surrounding areas on Sunday. Jay had worked the light fluffy windfall into textured magic on Skaters Waltz, Skater’s Extension and North Loop. Best skiing of the year! The snow was not spring time sweet spot magical fast. But it was blue sky look around in the woods a little and enjoy the extra effortless glide because you trust the ski fast enough snow. We jumped in the classic tracks on the downs on N Loop, on the second time around they were faster than the skate deck with no trace of ice or glaze in the track. Mid-winter perfection.

(Denny Barry)

A gorgeous day on the trails with plenty of sunshine. Fresh tracks set among others on Mother North Star, Sap Run, and North Loop. Fast skiing even with simple fish scale skis. Total of 22.8K including Roy’s Run.

(Istvan Gombocz)

Lindenwood - Dike East skating and classical trails renovated and re-groomed this morning after two inches of new dry snow the past two days.  New snow mixed with transitioned snow.  Skating lane is firm and fast with approximately one to two inches of edging.  Classical tracks deep and firm.

(Gary Brekke)

Lindenwood - Dike East ski trails renovated and re-groomed this morning after one inch of wind-blown snow from yesterday's blizzard.   Skating lane is firm and fast with approximately one inch of edging.   Classical tracks firm and fast.   Exposed areas of trails blew free of new dry fine grained snow that was mixed into the transitioned base in areas where snow drifted and accumulated.

(Gary Brekke)

It was a bright sunny morning for skiing at Hiram today. Unfortunately the new track is very very shallow and will just barely hold the skis. The base of the track is firm and the deck on either side of the track is also firm an wide. The snow is soft enough for good edge control if you are out of the track. There was a little new deer damage and a few leaves with the wind picking up today. Overall it was fun skiing with good glide and plenty of grip for the kick. Just wish the track would have set deeper because it will get even shallower with the above freezing temps.

(Paul Klinger)

With more deer damage and oak leaves collecting in the track plus the track still being rather soft I decided to groom Hiram this afternoon. The deer damage is smoothed out again and the oak leaves are pretty well mixed into the snow. I am not sure how well the track turned out since it was getting dark as I started setting the track and the groomer does not have a rear facing work light. It looked like it was setting a little shallow and not fully formed at the beginning when there was still a little daylight left. I am hoping the track at least turns out firm and stable this time so it will be better skiing. Get out and enjoy.

(Paul Klinger)

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon for skiing at Hiram today. The wind was fairly strong today so a few oak leaves were falling on the trail but the track was still very clean. The track is fairly deep in most areas but it is still soft and unstable even after setting over a cold night since grooming. It may not get any firmer and might take grooming again to get it better. It was still a nice ski but not near as good as I had hoped for. There was only a little damage from deer and what looked like wolf tracks.

(Paul Klinger)

Hiram Ski Trail received about 3 inches of snow last night and this morning so I groomed it this afternoon. The forest litter is pretty well all covered up again for now. With some new snow to work with the track set to the full depth of the track setter in most places but under the pines it gets a little shallow. The track and deck were pretty soft when I was done grooming but it should firm up overnight with the temp dropping. Hopefully it won't get to badly torn up from skier traffic and deer traffic today before it firms up tonight.

(Paul Klinger)

A beautiful afternoon for skiing at Hiram today with very little wind and a bright blue sky with lots of sunshine. The wind yesterday brought down some sticks and oak leaves into the track. I cleaned up the sticks but not much I could do about the leaves. There were only a few places the leaves were bad enough to slow the skis down and you had to be careful not to get thrown off balance. There was some deer damage around the first very short loop but not to bad. As my grooming report stated a few days ago the track is pretty shallow and not fully formed in many places but it will still hold the skis. The track and the deck for pole plants is very firm and it was good skiing today.

(Paul Klinger)

I groomed Hiram this afternoon to repair the deer damage and then reset the track. The deer damage is pretty well all filled in again but the track is shallow and not well formed in many places. The old groomer can't do much more than breakup the top inch or two of hard pack which is getting pretty worn out with no new snow in almost four weeks. The track is still deep enough to hold the skis in most places and it was a fun fast ski after I finished grooming. The oak leaves were pretty well mixed into the snow but there were more coming down as I was grooming. Hopefully the deer won't do to much damage tonight while the trail firms up more.

(Paul Klinger)

Group attempted Ozawindib and Wilderness Drive. Turned back early due to icy conditions. Lots of debris. Bike trail looked to be in better condition.

(Tom Koperski)

Best ever conditions after 3” new snow earlier this week. Trails were groomed 2/17 and Mike just redid the skate lane into pristine goodness. Our last open house of the season is Sunday from1-3:30, free ski loaners available. MN ski pass required. Pics are from Eagle (first 3) and Lilly’s. Snowshoe trail is mapped and packed and a few shoes also available for Sunday.

(Deane Johnson)

Nice to have 3" of new snow to work with. Debris on trail have been covered up, classic tracks back to full depth and skate in good shape.

(Mike Weideman)

We just finished grooming and setting tracks on all trails at Soaring Eagle. We were able to break up the icy top layer on skate deck, so should good by morning. Classic tracks turned out fine with a few shallow areas. The winds tonight will probably bring more debris on to trail, but overall should be pretty good skiing for the next few days.

(Mike Weideman)

High winds today dumped loads of debris in classic tracks making them largely unusable. Skate deck remains rutted but fast.

(John King)

There is new snow (about 1”) over the old ice crust and the classic tracks are worn out in places. Pretty icy under some spruce and at some turns. Some debris, mostly needles, in classic tracks. Overall, not too bad. Skate deck is uneven and crusty ridges remain under the new powder, but it remains serviceable. I have heard that grooming may take place by Friday..

(John King)

Groomed and set tracks today. The result is a trail system that is in great condition for classic Skiing. This weekend should be great - get out and enjoy!

(Clayton White)

Trails are all groomed and in great shape with the few inches of fresh snow we received. Time to get out and enjoy skiing.

(Rick Dubay)

Lots of debris due to high winds especially pine needles. I made effort to remove most sticks but wind is picking up again.

(Larry Blesi)

I skied a very limited km of trail this morning, but found conditions similar to what was reported yesterday. Some additional grooming post my ski yesterday.

(Keith Brugger)

Portions of the trail system were newly groomed when I arrived this morning. About 1/4 inch sugary corduroy over very firm skate deck. In places where drifting occurred due to the high winds, the "sugar" was deeper but very skiable. In a few other places the wind stripped the surface so a little harder and icier, but also no problems. Spend a bit of time flicking twigs and branches off the trail, especially on Haugs, otherwise fine. Overall quite good skating. Classical tracks marginal and absent along some stretches.

(Keith Brugger)

Skate lanes groomed today which softened up the hard pack. Fast old/transformed snow. Tracks are older and solid with a little newer snow in them, but also some oak leaves and other tree debris.

(Owen Baird)

Skied French today in great shape! Trails wide, firm and "Old Snow" fast. Groomers this has been a great year at French thanks for all the time spent making it that way.

(Clay Alexson)

I skied yesterday and today at Spidahl and conditions were outstanding. They haven’t had much snow over the last several weeks, so the deck was hard and fast, but with enough snow to edge and corner. Skied Speedy’s, Liz’s Loop, Skibee, and the Offdah Lite yesterday with Dave. Today I coaxed my high schooler off the couch and we skied the same track minus Skibee! Fair amount of little sticks and leaves but overall great conditions! Big group of MYSL skiers out today...fun to see!

(Bill McKinney)

Entire Milaca Trail system was groomed this afternoon. Last night's 3 inch's of fresh snow is just what we needed! Get out and enjoy before the weekend thaw in the forecast.

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(Craig Billings)

Bjorklund trail was open and in decent shape. There was a fair amount of leaf litter, and one small tree covering the trail, I was only able to clear one side of the trail without a saw. Some of the hills were a real hoot with the moderately icy conditions.

(Matt Holida)

Skied the green loop from the Oberg trailhead. Excellent grooming, both for classic and skating. No debris in the trail. Pure delight. Thanks to the groomers!

(Mary Stephens)

Classic skied at Sugarbush today on waxless Fischer crown skis. Trails had been mostly groomed and in excellent conditions after our new 3"s yesterday. Tracks firm and deep and deck looked great. Temps dropped as our ski went on and had a few snow squalls. Kick was great and glide seemed to vary probably with sun exposure. All in all, a fun afternoon of skiing! Thanks Sugarbush!

(Ross Jacobsen)

From Oberg trailhead, Skated Picnic, Hogback, Homestead and Connector. Snow was falling heavily but skate glide through the new snow was fine as it was only about 2 deep inches when I skied. Deck was firm underneath but tracks when double poling were soft and did not provide much guidance. Beautiful trail in the snow, but did not see a soul on the trail in spite of a parking lot half full.

(Tim Nelson)

Maple and Upland loops: about 2" of ungroomed powder on top of a hard deck. Classic tracks good too. Careful of pine tree clutter.

(Mark Chatterton)

Pristine fresh cord from last nights groom made today's skate around Homestead and Hogback from Briton Peak a pure delight. No tree debris or drifts from previous day's high winds. Snow was still cold from sub zero temps last two nights so skate glide was not the best but will improve nicely with coming warmth. Classic tracks and skate deck were solid and smooth, pole plants firm, snow abundant. Perfect start to President's Day weekend. Thanks Sugarbush for the great care put into this system.

(Tim Nelson)

Both loops freshly groomed and in excellent condition. Skate-skied mid to late afternoon. A winter wonderland with big flakes falling.

(Gordon Mesedahl)

Wonderful day to have been on the trails. My wife and I skied classical. The tracks were firm and the trails for both skating deck and tracks were recently groomed.

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(John Crellin)

The groomer had just finished as we arrived and it was a treat to ski on the fresh cord! I was skate skijoring and my husband was skating while another friend classic skied, the glide was amazing and the skate deck firm, even, and just fun! The classic tracks were in super shape too! When we were leaving there were at least 3 big dogs off leash who were heading out with their owners, so conditions may change.

(Eve Graves)

The trail was in excellent condition due to the recent snow and fresh grooming. I saw wolf tracks and a fresh grouse kill.

(Ryan Mallek)

Trails are in very good condition. Seems there has been some logging of areas near trail. This causes lots of open areas that hit you with heavy wind.

(Tracy Cesari)

A couple of inches of new snow since the last grooming made the skating a bit of a slog, especially where there was drifting in the clear cuts. Classic tracks looked good throughout and were deep and firm when I hopped into them on downhills. Someone snowmobiled on Blue Ox but the damage doesn't go very far.

(Catherine Winter)

Skied here Monday and both skate and classic were freshly groomed and in great condition.

(Adam Van Straten)

High teens and some sun, some clouds on Saturday morning at Boulder. About an inch or so of new snow slowed it down a little from earlier in the week, but still reasonably fast, and faster as it was skied in by some more skiers. Good classic tracks on the whole south loop system. A bit blown over on one or two of the exposed places, but only for a few tens of meters. Beautiful in the woods. The skaters I saw said it was nice.

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(Tim Holst)

Some of you may have noticed the odd classic tracks I set last night, especially the skaters when it invaded the skate deck. That was due to an all important bolt shearing off from the track pan, allowing it to have a mind of its own, veering where it wanted, and alternating between deep and super shallow tracks. To remedy that all the tracks at Upper Spirit were reset tonight after Coach Jim helped replace that bolt which required four hands. The CG, 3K and 5K skate decks were also groomed again but the black diamond trail skate deck was not due to its good condition. Cheers.

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(Larry Mishkar)

All trails at Upper Spirit Mountain Nordic are groomed as of 8 p.m. Light snow fell all day amounting to about 2 inches, so we were able to lay new classic tracks system-wide too. Cheers!

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(Larry Mishkar)

About one inch of new snow had fallen in the morning. When we skied at 1:00 today the grooming had not yet occurred, but it appeared they were grooming the trails when we were leaving. All in all, it was a good ski and it was nice to have some new snow. We skied classical and could still stay in the tracks. It was another great day to be skiing.

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(John Crellin)

Upper Spirit Mountain Nordic was groomed tonight with the exception of the MacDonald’s Loop (which is still in good condition). The CG received new tracks and more new tracks will be set where snow conditions become suitable. Cheers.

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(Larry Mishkar)

It’s -3F and all Upper Spirit Mountain Nordic trails are groomed. Very firm skate base and good classic tracks. The windchill is -22F if you’re curious. Cheers!

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(Larry Mishkar)

The city groomed most the trails (but not the northern loop) at Lester on Tuesday following Monday's snowfall. Classic tracks were drifted over in parts on the trail alongside Seven Bridges road, but otherwise the skate deck and tracks were excellent. Some icy spots at the usual areas and some litter on the playground loop.

(Nikki Popp)

Groomer showed after my first loop around 12 and packed the skate deck and set new tracks. A few icy portions still exist in the left hand track between B and C but other wise very nice.

(Adam Van Straten)

Groomer showed up after I finished my first loop around 12pm. They did a good good of packing the skate deck and setting new tracks. There are still two spots that are icy in the left set of tracks between B and C.

(Adam Van Straten)

Classic skied every k of Lester just before lunch and found them to all be in really nice shape. Some track washout at the usual areas (tops of hills, intersections) but for the most part the track was quite nice. Course was rock hard as you'd expect, but no ice except for that little trouble spot on the B loop (easily managed).

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(Ben Fornear)

Lester remains in good condition. Some debris in the tracks and skate deck from the high winds, but easy to step around. Tracks remain good. Good coverage throughout without any bare spots.

(Nicole Popp)

Hard. Not recently groomed. Tracks are still firm and deep throughout and not icy. Some bark and leaves and needles came down in the wind, but there was almost no drifting. Seemed like the debris and drifted snow was worst in that short stretch between the upper parking area and the first intersection, so if you start there, don't despair. Most of the trail is a lot better than that.

(Catherine Winter)

Wonderful conditions at Lester tonight. Trails were groomed after the fluffy snowfall this past weekend. Skate deck was hard with good edge. Tracks were hard with firm pole plants on both sides. Small amount of leaf litter (easily navigated around) on the playground loop.

(Nicole Popp)

Base 20+ inches. 4 to 5 inches of new snow over the last few days. Most of our trails were groomed for classic and skate skiing on Tuesday evening. The rest of the system will be finished tonight. Our trails are in great midwinter shape.

(Chas Curry)

Skate deck cut up and gouged from the weekend race. Would not recommend until regroomed.

(Mark Chatterton)

Classic skied the trails this afternoon. Tracks were good but the deck was quite chewed up from yesterday's events. Sunny, 15 degrees and a mild wind. Kick and glide was very good. Plenty of snow!

(Ross Jacobsen)

Excellent conditions. Groomers were out integrating the fresh inch or two into the incredibly deep base. Classic tracks were good. I was classic skiing, but the skate lanes were firm enough despite the fresh snow.

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(Joe Mitchell)

Beautiful winter conditions! All trails were just re-groomed again as the snow just keeps coming this year. Trail base is deep and firm – excellent skate deck. Classic track set on all trails. All ski trails will be groomed throughout the weekend as needed, regardless of snowfall. Comfortable temps in the teens and twenties are predicted for the upcoming days – excellent skiing weather!

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(Zach Baumann)

The entire 76 km trail system was freshly groomed today. Finally, temperatures are rising and sitting at an enjoyable range. Trails will be a bit soft this afternoon, but will firm up nicely overnight. Groomer reported lots of wildlife tracks out on the western trails, so keep your eyes peeled and report any animal sightings to the lodge! Today's choice trail is Lonely Lake.

(Carly O'Connor, Gunflint Lodge & Outfitters)

Perfect conditions on the Banadad. Groomed for classic skiing into the BWCA. What an amazing resource this trail is. I think there's more snow on the Gunflint than anywhere else in the state.

(Flannery Delaney)

New snow past 24 hours: 2" of lite fluffy snow. Measured snow depth: 33“. Groomer tracked entire 41 kilometers of the banadad trail system on Thursday and Friday and reports great skiing!

(Andy Jenks)

All trails were groomed on Monday night and are in very good condition. The cold snow is a bit slow but that will change soon.

(John Beltman)

Groomed and tracked all loops. Trail is in excellent condition. There is some debris on the trail. Beautiful day.

(Rick Mcdonald)

Finished grooming at about noon today. The skate lane groomed up real nice and with the little bit of new snow was able to set a nice deep track all around.

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(Rick Mcdonald)

Set track on Amen Lake trails, north to the north Suomi parking lot. About 3 inches of fresh snow.

(Randy Zupan)

Snow covered track for classical skiing. Hasn't been tracked since the last snow. Someone snowshoeing has walked over many parts of the track. It was still an enjoyable ski.

(Bobbie Kleffman)

Half inch of new snow covering debris on a firm track made for a great ski early this morning when temps were still in 20's. Wide grooming allowed for control on downhill curves.

(Catherine McLynn)

Conditions are great! Nearly 5” new snow, and we did a tag team grooming with snowmobile and Pistenbully both working until the whole trail system was done.

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(Bob Conzemius)

County groomed Monday and made several passes grinding ice and re-setting track. Covered all debris. Temps about 15 degrees when I started with Extra blue. Fantastic conditions throughout the system. Groomed wide to get ski out to half snowplow as needed around corners. Firm track. Fast but not icy.

(Catherine McLynn)

Both access points are posted closed at Boomer Blue and Danson Road parking lots due to active logging. Trail looks skiable but not groomed. Alternative is to Ski Golden Anniversary on River Road and avoid this trail system.

(Catherine McLynn)

Skied Doan Lake and portions of South Trout. I was surprised...still very nice packed powder and overall nice solid tracks. A few short drifted over areas here and there that are skied thru. Some leaves in places and plenty of deer tracks. But mostly clear trail and overall very nice.

(Carl Nordgren)

Trout trails tracked to North End and Joyce Estate. Doan Lake Trail tracked. A little soft with 3” light snow. Very nice out there.

(Carl Nordgren)

Left from the Doan Lake Rd trailhead and skied to Joyce Estates, then to the north end of Trout Lake. Skied Doan Lk loop after. Good conditions with just that last 1” of snow over the tracks. Wind had blown a few leaves in at some places, but not so much as to make things too difficult. Wind was quite brisk where the trail side opened out toward the lake, otherwise wasn’t too bad. Changed kick wax from blue extra to green special during the outing.

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(Brad Bensen)

Groomed all trails for skate and classic. I couldn't put the cutters down so the classic track is variable in depth.

(Tony Carter)

Groomed north Suomi this evening. Not a lot of fresh snow but finally enough to set a new track. Lots of animal tracks on the trails, saw a few deer nibbling on brush. That Spruce Island loop has to be some of the best scenery in the northland!

(Dale Juntunen)

Skied South Suomi, track in great condition. Bright sun, fun hills, perfect snow. A few messy corners, but to be expected at this well used trail. Still we never saw another skier. First time at Suomi and I fell in love.

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(Ann White)

Groomed the South Suomi trails, up to the north Suomi parking lot and south around the Amen Lake trails. About 3 inches of fresh snow, a little more at the south end and a little less at the north end.

(Randy Zupan)

Groomed and set track on the Prelude Loops, and on the Lake Loop down to Lower Junction and Red Pine Junction, should be good skiing, get out and enjoy.

(Tom Sobolik)

Perfect new snow conditions- lots of powder. Tracks were easy to find. Skiing outside the tracks was easy too due to perfect snow. Love the hills at Blueberry!

(Ann White)

Did all loops that were packed almost to Tower End (followed groomer turnaround at letter I) plus all Prelude. 2" fresh snow easy to ski in track and enjoy the steep downhills with confidence and control.

(Catherine McLynn)

All trails groomed and in excellent condition, except for the some traffic from resident deer. Get out and enjoy.

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(Kraig Stolhammer)

An inch of accumulation so all skate ski trails were groomed today. Classic trails still in good shape.

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(Kraig Stolhammer)

In honor of Birkie weekend we groomed and tracked all the regular trails on Monday. We left the Big Bad Blue Hill trail as it was, just rolled, because we don’t think we can pull Ginzus there. The tracks are mostly fine, with some shallow areas. Skate lanes are in great shape.

(Burgess Eberhardt)

After nearly 2 weeks without snow we finally groomed new snow on Tilson Creek yesterday, pulling both Ginzus to set tracks and do the skate lane. Then of course it snowed last night. I rolled the skate lane on all trails including the Big Bad Blue Hill trail this morning.

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(Burgess Eberhardt)

Skated the trail to park and around blue, yellow, orange and red. there was 1" of new snow on top of frim base. There is around 36" of snow in the woods. 23F above with the sun shine in afternoon.

(David Kettula)

Freshly groomed trails. Tracked about 3 accumulated inches and some drifting on Tuesday. Excellent conditions! We've got openings at the NFL in February/March at Closeout pricing so come on up and enjoy the most snow in 20 years!

(Andy Fisher, National Forest Lodge)

Fantastic morning on the trails at the Superior National Forest Lodge! Tons of snow on the ground and snow falling from the sky. Three days of the most serene and zen skiing one could find. Food! Friends! Hot tub! Sauna and polar plunge! Live music!

(Anthony DeFeo)

Softly falling snow adding to the already deep base. Well groomed. All trails open. We skied pretty much all the loops over the 3 day weekend. No tricky or bare spots.
Exceptionally beautiful. Go!

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(Kristin Hogquist)

Amazing place to ski. Absolutely beautiful! Skied 38k over 2 days. Classic only. Trails blew in some from strong winds, but most of the trails were protected by the woods.

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(Robyn Keyport)

Lots of snow on the ground and still coming down. Beautiful snow laden tree trails that are well groomed.

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(Jan Gustafson)

Love some snow this valentine weekend! Got about half an inch Wednesday. Trails were groomed last Friday and in excellent shape. Poll plants may be soft in areas (too much snow!?) and a little drifting in the open. We've got openings at the NFL in February so come on up and enjoy the most snow in 20 years!

(Andy Fisher, National Forest Lodge)

Tried to classic ski the connector from Cascade to Caribou Trail, but the classic track on much of the connector had been trampled by fat bikes. Snow was fresh and grooming was old but the tracks where they existed were helpful. But the fat bikes tracks ruined the experience for me. Skiing was much better on the Massey and Hall loops where fat bikes are not allowed. They are allowed on the connector on an experimental basis, and based on what I experienced today, the experiment is not working.

(Tim Nelson)

Did a quick ski around Deeryard and Short loops. Tracks were in great shape and pole plants solid. Deck was firm with 2 inches of fluff in the non tracked lane. Some portions were snowshoed on and others had a second set of skier made tracks. Main track was great, kick and glide on VR30 was the ticket.

(Tim Nelson)

Skied the Deeryard-Firetower trails. Skier tracked over the last inch or two we had this morning. Easy to stay in the track. 29 degrees. Glide was great now that the temp improved. Stellar afternoon of skiing. Great trail!

(Ross Jacobsen)

I was pleasantly surprised by freshly groomed trails after the snowfall on Monday (the DNR website says trails were last groomed on Feb 7th). The tracks were in great shape. However I should have packed poles with larger baskets, as the ones I had sank deep into the edge of the trail. This issue was less noticeable on other trails I skied in the Tofte-Lutsen area of the North Shore.

(Tom Pitchford)

With the windy day on Saturday we were unsure how conditions would be, but were glad we made the trip to Outing! We skied the north side of the trails. The slight fresh coat of snow improved the tracks from iciness last weekend. Although we skied on our good skis and most debris was avoidable, others might prefer B skis due to some debris and sticks/bark in the tracks. There was also some drifting into the tracks in less protected areas, but overall a great ski. Go check it out!

(Anna Hjerpe)

All trails are in excellent condition. Set up tonight for the annual candle light event. Perfect night.

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(Tony Lockhart)

Trail is in great shape for classic and skating - go ski! Trails recently groomed, classic track is shallow in spots but over all very nice. Lights come on around 5PM on 3K loop - very nice.

(John Cron)

All 13K of XC Ski Trails are packed, retracked and in good condition. The trails include Star, Willow Creek, Frog Town, Scenic Foothills, Boulder Ridge, Lake, Hill, Oak Knob, North and Nature Center Trails. Bully is used on the natural snow trails to give the trails the best grooming, thanks to a snowy winter. Free ski day Feb. 29, 2020.

(Sonja Bercich)

Absolutely beautiful morning at Hyland. I stayed on the made snow loop for the hills. The snow was perfect. Hard packed deck, with enough moisture but not too much, so it felt fast. The tracks were very solid, and faster than the deck for downhills (ever so slightly glazed). Very few leaves anywhere, even the tracks. Ultra clean snow. The downhills held up really well despite snowplowing, and Boulder Ridge was no problem at top speed. Sunny and wonderful. Thanks to the crew!

(Dan Boody)

We skied the Lake and Hill loops and the snowmaking loops, and everything was in really fantastic shape. The classic tracks were just in excellent shape.
There were a few leaves around on the Lake and Hill loops, but no worries. Many thanks to the great Hyland groomers!

Photos:

(Bill Lundberg)

Amazing grooming! All 13 K of XC Ski trails are packed, retracked and in Good conditions. Rentals Available. Lights on. Visitor Center is open 9am - 9 pm Weekdays and 8am-9pm Weekends. Free Day is Saturday, Feb. 29, which includes Free Rentals, Free Passes, Free S'mores and Free Fun! Trails are open 5am - 10 pm daily.

(Sonja Bercich, Three Rivers Park District)

Beautiful morning at Hyland. The skate deck was firm as always and the snow was a bit squeaky because of cool overnight temps. It’s been a great season, thank you groomers!

(Matt Frantzen)

Nice skiing today at Hyland. The trails were all good and the weather was beautiful. There were some leaves in the classic tracks in a few places but the tracks were pretty deep in most places, I used them on some of the downhills and it didn't seem as scary as it sometimes is. There were plenty of people out there today enjoying the weather.

(Zak Kujala)

I skied the man made loop except Boulder Ridge. Freshly groomed. Base is very firm but not at all icy. Slow since it is cold, but it should speed up with the temperature.

(Kevin Crystal)

Skied all the trails. Lake has some bark spots(probably hungry squirrels). Also a little dirt showing on Hill and North trail. Nature loop and artificial loops were great. Classic track is set throughout.

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(Kevin Wendland)

Skied at Hyland today noon until 2:30 pm. Skied the Lake loop and up through Frogtown and over to the North loop and back. All trails were groomed beautifully. Skied classical on crown skis and they kicked and glided supreme. Sun shining. Stellar day! Thanks Highland!

(Ross Jacobsen)

All 13K of XC ski trails are packed, tracked and in the best conditions! Hats off to the Hyland Groomers for being the best! HS Ski Meets are done for the season. Come outside and XC Ski!

(Sonja Bercich, Three Rivers Park District)

Murphy was very rough today, deeply rutted with extensive damage from dogs, foot traffic and even bikes at some points. Razorback was especially bad, where it was hard to maintain control. I made it through all the trails but wouldn't recommend it. It badly needs grooming.

(John Kendrick)

Freshly groomed and soft trails! Tracked for classic. Some uneven areas but very few rocks (plus the normal rock with 1 mile to go on the Razorback trail). Kettle and Knob are better for skating. Razorback needs additional grooming due to some of the low spots. There was a hiker on the freshly groomed trail, didn't see them but they left tracks down the middle of the trail. :(

(Eric Spieler)

Trails were good. Tracks a little shallow but not full of leaves...yet. Get out there and have a blast.

(Thomas Enzmann)

Some of the best grooming I've seen on this trail. It was flat and wide today, sometimes the trail can be uneven. Some oak leaves on the trail, as usual. Get out there!

Photos:

(Charlie Puttonen)

Conditions were good at Terrace Oaks. Some leaf and tree litter as you might expect, but not too bad considering the winds we have had. Tracks well defined throughout, a little shallow in spots and some minor drifting in the more open areas. Looks like at least the skating lane had been regroomed recently. I would take your waxless skis if you classic, but the leaves didn't seem quite as "grabby" as usual.

(Dave Gardner)

Trails are groomed but lots of debris on them due to strong winds. Recommend B skis as the trails conditions degraded with debris between 4 and 6 pm today.

(Eric Spieler)

Skated the outer loop late afternoon Wednesday. There was a layer of new and fairly abrasive snow on top of the most recent grooming, making it a bit soft. Excellent coverage along the entire trail. I used good skis with no problems. There was some scattered leaf debris but not enough to slow me down. Classic tracks looked good, medium depth and solid.

Photos:

(Mike Maiers)

Really nice track for the most part on the Mitigwaki Loop, with a nice run down to the river on the boat landing road. Overall, good conditions or better in most places. Places with more sun exposure, like the boat landing road out in the open, and the south facing sections of the Mitigwaki Loop high above Dry Creek were icy before the recent snow, so the base of the track is still a little icy there. Snow is pretty thin on the dip to the south of the boat landing where the little creek comes in, so use caution there as warmer temps may expose some dirt. Otherwise good coverage, and a great day to be out.

Photos:

(Kris Backlund)

Skated the Highland Hills loops, I was anticipating icy conditions after the warmth yesterday, but it was much better than I expected. Areas exposed to the sun had a crunchy texture but surprisingly not icy, and areas shaded or north slopes were a softer but firm sugary base. Overall firm and fast, the downhills are a thrill. The wind has left leaves, twigs, and other debris, so new some snow will help. The best conditions of the past few years, and I always enjoy searching and spotting deer along the way.

(Bryan Lueth)

Good conditions (skate deck a little soft, of course) and classic tracks set on most trails. Started from north end and skied as much as I could in 2 hours. I only saw one other skier between 4 and 6 pm but had multiple deer sightings.

(Miles Kraines)

The Skijor trail was combed and tracked today. The skate deck and classic track are in good condition, except along the the railroad tracks north of the dog park, where we are still short of base where there had been some utility work. In this area there is some dirt worked into the base, which can be seen and avoided, but B skis recommended. Bunker Hills Park and Bunker Hills Golf Course were combed and tracked yesterday and remain in good, firm condition.

(Joe Baker, Anoka County Parks)

Bunker Hills Park and Bunker Hills Golf Course combed and tracked today. Skate deck and classic track in good condition.

(Joe Baker, Anoka County Parks)

Skated the golf course and part of the campground. Wind blown on open areas, soft everywhere, a few icy/bare spots. Can tell there's been a lot of traffic through! With temps dropping I would bet it firms up quickly. Classic tracks looked good from what I could see.

Photos:

(Michael Bieber)

Classic tracks are nice and firm. Drifted over in a few places. A few leaves, footprints, and deer tracks. Saw a pileated woodpecker.

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(Kal Perry)

Trails in open areas somewhat wind blown but perfectly skiable. Trails in woodlands west of Pilot Knob with scattered oak leaves. Trail west of Pilot Knob was mostly free of leaves and other debris. A few icy patches where the sun was beating down.

(Robert Bergad)

Lebanon Hills trails replenished/refreshed by about 2.5 inches new snow! Freshly groomed today. Skied a loop on east side. Trails wonderful! Make sure to carry your Dakota County Ski Pass with you as park ranger was checking passes today.

Photos:

(Ken Kuznia)

Two words. Excellent, and beautiful! I normally ski mid-morning, but I wanted to wait for the groomer to be done. Also with these temps the trail was setting up nicely. Two inches of snow was what this park needed. With the winds there was some debris in the tracks, but very navigable. Get out the next few days before it gets warm! Enjoy,

(Peter Hindman)

I followed the groomer around the outside trail loop in the east section of Lebanon Hills late this morning. The classic track was perfectly set, add the sunshine with blue skies; it made a gorgeous day to ski in the woods!

Photos:

(Karen Landin)

Got out and skied on falling snow. about two inches in the tracks covered those nasty leaves. I skied a small loop 3 times over, faster every time! The loose snow was pretty slow on the skin skis. I look forward to hitting the freshly groomed trails tonight!

(Rick Vatsaas)

The tracks alternate between icy and full of leaves. Too bad, because they are otherwise in great shape. We skied a few loops on the east side before giving up, changing footwear, and going on a very lovely hike along the Voyager Trail.

(Dustin Karl)

Skied the perimeter of Lebanon Hills East this afternoon. Found the trails to be in fairly good condition. Tracks appear to have been recently set and were mostly firm and fast. A few areas in the sun were getting a bit soft. Areas in the woods had oak leaves in the tracks. A few exposed areas were wind blown with one area overlooking Holland Lake just before marker 32 were covered by a foot of wind blown snow but had been skied over.

Photos:

(John Gamlin)

Started at the Holland Lake trailhead. Wouldn't recommend skiing due to an abundance of oak leaves in the tracks. I cut my ski trip short to a 2.5 mile loop. In places I skied outside of the tracks to try to avoid some of the leaves. Maybe next year Dakota County will budget for large nets on the oak trees. :-).

Photos:

(Wes Gerber)

Great job by the groomers. Unfortunately the high winds packed oak leaves into the tracks, making it unskiable. It was rather demoralizing to ski down the center instead of those nicely laid tracks. On the outside loop, winds had heavily drifted in at least one set of tracks. I skied the the east end, and finally gave up around the middle. Hopefully they can regroom soon.

(Rick Vatsaas)

Classic skied from Jensen Lake to the west underneath Pilot Knob. Nice deep groomed track, but like mentioned yesterday, lots of those darn oak leaves from the recent high winds. I'd like to also thank the groomers for moving snow underneath the Pilot Knob Rd overpass and grooming a track on it. They certainly made use of the PistenBully's plow!

Photos:

(Wes Gerber)

Mainly skied classic trails west of Pilot Knob Road. Double tracks firm and excellent after yesterday's re-groom and cold weather. However, there are lots of leaves in tracks from wind, so be careful, as the leaves can stop you abruptly when kicking. Open areas have some wind blown snow in tracks. Dakota County Parks hauled in some snow under the Pilot Knob Road overpass and groomed it with the Pisten Bully, so you do not need to take off your skis between the east and west sections. Very nice of Parks staff to do that!

Photos:

(Ken Kuznia)

Trails were in fair shape this morning very skiable. Some leaf litter but not bad. A little beat up from all the weekend traffic. Saw groomer on trail but sure if he intended on setting tracks. If you haven't tried headlamp night skiing these trail you are missing out. Best way to to take full advantage of this park.

(Jeff Carlson)

Tracks haven’t been set since Sunday and are showing a bit of looseness in areas but still manageable. Oak leaves in places as to be expected but overall a really nice evening ski. Did the entire outer loop. Some of the downhills are getting icy but plenty of of loose snow on the outside to slow you down. So long as you manage expectations you will have a great time!

(Nils Wahlander)

Great afternoon for a ski. I started at the visitor center then went east past Schultz lake then south thru the pines and equestrian trail head then west to marker 7 by Jensen lake. I then went back to the visitor center along the central trail. Found the tracks soft and getting worn down with oak leaves in tracks thru the woods.

Photos:

(John Gamlin)

Cold but nice. Groomed yesterday but holding up fine. Classic tracks were great. I was the only car in lot at 8am so if you like solitude with an occasional owl swooping over head check it out. Just skied Lake Sky and Sugar Bush.

Photos:

(Kevin Wendland)

All trail segments are open but good would be an overstatement for condition. Lots of the areas of the classic track where windswept or outright missing. Skate deck look pretty good overall.

(Scott Greymont)

Very fast for conditions. Groomed from yesterday so it was a little uneven and hard. Parts of Grimm were windswept with drifting on north side. Should be better tomorrow. Classic tracks good.

Photos:

(Kevin Wendland)

Yesterday’s grooming but it was fine. Hopped in track a few times and that was fine also. I think what happened is the frost on trees fell on trails creating about a half inch of fluff which was slow. In the open areas no fluff.

Photos:

(Kevin Wendland)

Ski trails at Lake Elmo Park Reserve have been groomed today. The west side was groomed and tracked. East trails were groomed for skate and have existing track. There is some drifting on the west side and minimal debris on all the ski trails. Trails are in good condition.

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

Freshly groomed at 2:00pm on the East side trails. Skate deck nice and firm. Classic tracks vary from full depth to shallower in some places.

Photos:

(Bill Callas)

The ski trails on the east side of Lake Elmo Park Reserve were groomed and tracked. Trails are in good condition with minimal debris. The paved packed multi-use trail was also groomed today.

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

I skied this morning and again in the afternoon on good skins. By 3:30 in the afternoon, the new classic track had gained enough leaves in scattered areas to be herky jerky grabby on the skins. Any steep or turning downhill was skied on the deck if leaves were present. Track was drifting full out in the open. Overall, not bad considering that a lot of the track was still clean. The route was the Brown to the Green and out on the combined trail. Generally the trail skied fast in or out of track. No ice was seen.

(Jeff Bolte)

Ski trails at Lake Elmo Park Reserve have groomed and track has been set. Conditions are good but a little soft with minimal debris and some drifting. The Big Bluestem multi-use trail has also been packed.

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

Grooming was in progress at 9:00am, skate and classic track. Conditions were a bit soft as expected with 3” of new snow.

Photos:

(Bill Callas)

Eagle Point was in good to very good condition. It was 35 degrees and cloudy. I used FastWax Yellow LF. Just beat the storm, it was sleeting when I got home. The multi-use trail was firmly packed and not as torn up by hikers as it has been in the recent past. Despite the temperatures, there was no slush or refrozen slush from Saturday. My wax felt slow but despite trying to take it easy so I would have enough stamina to play hockey in the evening I skied as fast as usual.

(Keith Carlson)

Very good for skate. I skied all of the trails east of the entry road and found them all to be in very good condition--firm and smooth but not too packed for a good edge. The only significant icy spot was on Browns Creek trail at the bottom of the downhill just beyond where the cutoff rejoins the main trail But as long as you keep your skis straight through it, it should be fine. The Oak Knob trail was also a little icy near the bridge. The only other significant challenge was forest debris. Oak leaves rarely trip me while skating but they did twice today, though once I was more conscious of them they ceased to be a problem. However, because of oak leaves I wouldn't recommend classic unless you have waxless skis. Tracks looked okay most places except on the Oak Knob trail, where they appeared icy. Overall, I had a wonderful ski. It was a nice break from the hills at Wirth.

(Lois Braun)

Trails at Lake Elmo Park Reserve have been groomed for both skate and classic. East side is in good condition with a little debris and minor drifting in open areas. The red trail is in fair to good condition with some icy patches, debris, and drifting snow.

(Carolyn Friedrich)

The skate deck was regroomed on the green, brown, and orange trails at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. No new track has been set. Freshly groomed trails are in good condition with some debris. The yellow and red ski trails were not regroomed, expect drifting.

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

It sure is nice to get onto this great trails system when it is groomed. Aside from the effects of the "ground blizzard", with only a few short stretches filled in, the tracks on both sides were fresh and deep. Both kick and glide were near perfect. The folks on the skate deck were having a good time too. Too bad it's going to be cold cold tomorrow or I'd go there again.

(Gary Follett)

Ski trails at Lake Elmo were groomed today. The skate deck on the Eagle Point trail was redone, the classic track was not reset. The skate deck and classic tracks on the east trails were both regroomed. Trails are in good condition with minor debris present.

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

Eagle Point was in very good condition once you got off the multi-use trail. It had been recently groomed and was soft in spots. It was 29 degrees and sunny with brisk west wind. Snow was very dry and slow for the FastWax Red LF with which my skis were waxed.

(Keith Carlson)

Classic skied east side trails. Well defined tracks, surprised how fast they were. Some leaf debris on campground loop, but rest of trail system mostly pristine. Great sunny day to be out, very few people on the trails.

(Amy Lewis)

Trails at Lake Elmo Park Reserve have been groomed. The Eagle Point trail was groomed for classic and skate skiing, conditions are good. The skate deck on the east ski trails was regroomed today and trails are in great condition. The multi-use trails were also groomed.

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

Soft, new snow was light and had good glide. We were the third skiers out and it was perfect. No grooming yet. A couple of walkers and dogs had also been around. Lots of animal tracks - Deer, fox, and rabbits - besides dogs.

(Lincoln Fetcher)

Recently groomed, probably yesterday afternoon, without tracks. Soft snow and smooth skiing. A few footprints and more coming, I’m sure. Pretty much all trails groomed.

(Lincoln Fetcher)

Beautiful fresh snow and fresh tracks at Baker today. Windy at the top near the club house but gorgeous in the woods. Only a few leaves. Tracks fairly firm.

Photos:

(Diane Pattridge)

Baker is in great shape for skating. Good coverage, no ice, few leaves in the skate area. The daily grooming really makes a difference. The classic tracks look ok but a little shallow with some wind blown leaves.

(Thomas Mcgoldrick)

Beautiful day at Baker with clean, white snow. As good as it gets. No dirt, leaves or debris (well, a few leaves on the Island). Deck was firm now that the air has escaped from the last snow fall. Tracks seemed to be in fair to good shape (I skated).

(Doug Sams)

Thank you to the groomers at Battle Creek this year--you have done an outstanding job. I had another great classic ski this evening at dusk. A few oak leaves on the trail in a few places, but excellent tracks throughout. Skate track looked perfect, too.

(Diane Mancini)

Skate deck on the Gold, Silver, Bronze and A-climb regroomed. Excellent conditions; existing classic track in great shape.

(Bill Kosfeld)

Fresh pow! I was one of the first skiers out there when after the groomers came through. It was really great out there. Good snow and nicely groomed. Sometimes the snow was just a little too deep and my skis sunk in so slow in spots, but otherwise it was pretty rock and roll.

Photos:

(Elizabeth Axberg)

Lots of fresh snow to groom this morning. All trails groomed and tracked. Conditions excellent although skate deck is soft. With cold temps, trails should set up nicely. Minimal leaf debris at this time!

(Doug Schumacher)

Groomed the Bronze, Silver and Gold this morning. Reset some of the classic tracks and they are in decent shape beside lots of leaves. Skate lanes look great! Enjoy!

(Mike Rohweder)

Gold, Silver, Bronze skate deck resurfaced; in quite good shape, just some tree debris. Classic track is marginal due to some drifting and sections with lots of leaves. Ski Games regroomed for skating and classic; conditions very good except for some tree debris.

(Bill Kosfeld)

Groomed the Silver and Gold trails for skate. Some wind blown areas but the classic track is in fair shape.

Photos:

(Jim Rue)

Skied this afternoon. Skied the gold loop, great conditions! Still a few oak leaves on the trail but overall an awesome job by the groomers as always!

(Amanda Kutzke)

Groomed skate deck and set classic tracks on JOC, WC, gold, silver, and bronze. Cleaned up the A climb, but tracks are a little meh. It is still pretty soft out there and it will be obvious in some of the tracks. Have fun!

(Becca Egbert)

Trails were groomed and tracked. Some drifting occurring in the prairie areas, but overall trails were in very good condition.

(Dave Klaustermeier)

Very poor, icy patches and lots of leaves and twigs. The temp was nice though, in the 20's. I'll try again when we get some snow.

Photos:

(Bruce Montgomery)

Well groomed tracks and great snow cover. A lot of natural debris but all in all a pleasant experience.

(Mark Gabriel)

Skied all tracks except prairie from trail marker 6-10. Tracks are in great condition, with some areas soft and other with a nice ice crust. Only a few places where the tracks have been erased or covered with blown snow. Quite a few leaves and twigs, as can be expected after recent high winds.

(Christina Mantel)

Fantastic. Fresh grooming. Solid classic track, a few leaves but not bad. The skating lane was still a little soft and running much slower than the tracks. Great skiing.

Photos:

(Jim Smith)

Excellent conditions today. Great coverage, good grooming. A fair amount of debris on the trail after all the recent wind. Toko yellow grip wax was the ticket for the sunny warm weather.

(Adrian Swanson)

Classic skiers stay away unless you have waxless skis and don't mind loads of leaves and sticks. I classic skied all loops this morning with waxable skis and spent most of the time in the skate lane. The wind yesterday knocked down lots of debris in the wooded areas and erased the tracks in most open areas. They don't plan to groom today and said they might not groom tomorrow, either. Need some fresh snow to really improve things.

(Susan Davis)

The wide trails were really fun to ski. Minimal debris and a lot of varied terrain and scenery if that's what you are looking for. I'll be back soon.

Photos:

(Kory Lasker)

Trails are in great shape. Nice quick classic track and the skating lane had little traffic and was a bit slower. Very nice skiing for both.

(Jim Smith)

Took the pup out for some pre-Birkie shakeout skiing. Excellent conditions on the natural snow north of Glenwood. The skate deck was, firm, white, and fast. Classic tracks looked deep and fast. The manmade loop was also great. I was happy to see some fir branches around the outside of the North Finger so night time skiers won't fly into the snowbank at the bottom.

(Adrian Swanson)

All of the snowmaking loops were in pristine shape this afternoon for both classic and skate. The Judy Loop was fair to good with some leaves and blown in spots, but still skiable. We could use some more snow for the Judy. The big parking lot across from the trailhead was closed because of the placement of big storage containers.

(Bill Lundberg)

I did classic today. Fresh grooming and very light traffic. On natural trails, tracks were perfect in some places, crumbly in other places, and windswept or thin in other places. But, overall great conditions (probably better for skating) and I suspect the best natural snow for the rest of the year is now through Saturday morning. The ice under 55 (Especially on south side) is a bit exposed at this point so I wouldn't recommend skiing through with good skis. Otherwise no issues.

(Sam Knuth)

Skied all of the natural snow trails. East side of Wirth lake, JD Rivers, and Skyline were all very drifted over. Parts protected from the wind were incredibly good, so the morning must have been great. Another groom and it should be great.

(Dan Hutjens)

It's so awesome and so empty. Everyone must be tapering for the Birkie. The groomers got on it after the snow yesterday and made it World Cup perfect.

Photos:

(Michael Sund)

The snowmaking loop has been closed for races. I did the natural trails north of Glenwood each of the past several days. Today things are a bit thin in spots compared to yesterday, but overall holding up great. Grooming has been consistent and good. I'm skating, but the classic tracks look great throughout much of the course. No real danger spots, though around JD rivers there are some dirty and some thin spots. Transitioning from Wirth Lake to the land on the south east side looks like there may be an exposed stump (I go in the dark so didn't get a close look but it's avoidable). Today there was fresh grooming for classical but not for skate, which made an interesting grooming pattern (see photo).

Photos:

(Sam Knuth)

Forgot about the races, so I ended up skiing Skyline a bunch. The wind was picking up, but the temps warmed quickly too. The snow was plentiful, but there was some debris at the top of the southernmost hill and right after Tornado Alley meets back up with Skyline. Twigs, leaves and seed pods. But they were avoidable (I used race skis). Tracks were present but not really solid. Snow was hard packed and moderate speed. Overall, nice conditions.

(Dan Boody)

Skied most of the trails North of Glenwood. Snowmaking loop still had hard corduroy, and was slower than the natural trails. Natural trails didn’t appear to have been groomed all day, but there were almost no footprints and the snow wasn’t too hard packed, and actually faster than the man made. Despite the near-ideal Pre-Birkie conditions, I only encountered one other skier besides several dozen enthusiastic little kids and their coaches.

Photos:

(Andor Langski)

Started on the snowmaking loop, then headed South and skied the Bog. The coverage was fantastic and the snow was beautifully clean, especially on the connectors and JD Rivers. Under the bridge on Tornado Alley, there is a little ice to cross but still fine for good skis. Snow was slow for us in the Bog so we headed back. Judy had pretty good coverage, but a lot of the downs were very uneven, lumpy and loose from lots of snowplowing. The made snow loop was fantastic. The high winds that kicked up blew the little bit of falling snow around so it didn’t seem like much settled on the track. But the downhills were completely un-icy and the deck was plenty firm. The corduroy even seemed a little frozen still (not icy for traction though). As mentioned, Trail 18 was closed.

(Dan Boody)

Woke up early and was rewarded with a fantastic ski on the snowmaking loop as the sun rose above the skyline. You can't ask for much better conditions out there. Trail 18 was closed (though the Loppet website has it listed as open). Get out there and get those last few training runs in before Birkie week!

(Nick Campbell)

The manufactured snow loop was as good as it has ever been last evening. Kudos to the groomers for perfect tracks.

(Greg Loper)

I classic skied the chalet loop around noon today. The temp was near 32F when I left at 12:30. The tracks were deep, fast, and clean, apparently having been set very recently. On the other hand, the outer loops were dirty, icy, and blown out from the weekend. The skating deck looked good on all the loops, with enough soft snow for an edge but with a firm base.

(Don Bushek)

Skated on all the skate trails and conditions were great. Excellent cover and grooming... Deep, glazed tracks.

(Sue Schroeder)

2:30-5:30pm. The trails were icy in many spots due to the warmer temps and heavy use from the amount of people out today. Last nights wind dropped a lot of leaves and sticks on the outer trails that go through wooded sections and while I didn’t have my classic skis with me today I could see the ice shining in the groomed tracks around 5pm. It was warm today so there was some melting going on.

Photos:

(Michelle Cybyske)

I tried to do some classic laps around Northern Lights right after noon, to hide from the wind. My mistake was that I tried it on waxable skis. I fell twice on my first lap due to an astounding amount of debris (oak leaves, basswood berries, ash seeds, etc.) in the tracks, which are getting pretty worn out anyway. It was so frustrating that I quit after a single lap. I don't think I've ever had so many ash seeds stuck in my wax. Stupid mistake--I should have taken my skin skis. I don't recommend waxable skis on Northern Lights (and all the classic trails at Elm Creek) until the tracks are reset. Waxless might be a bit better, but my wife was having trouble with her Fischer Crowns, too. Skins might work better.

(Ron Refsnider)

The man-made loop had been freshly groomed and was in great condition for skate skiing. Surprisingly the rest of the lighted loop was not groomed. It was fairly packed down and I found it difficult to get a good edge.

(Don Callander)

It was a fun ski at Elm this morning. We skied all the outside loops. The skate deck and tracks were in good shape. The classic tracks were the best on the double tracks set on the Eagle and Monarch Loops. The double set classic tracks bring back memories of the old days of cross country skiing. Thanks to the groomers for setting them!

Photos:

(Bill Lundberg)

Skiing was a bit slow this evening with the inch and a half or so of new snow, but it was well worth the extra effort. The woods were beautiful with snow on all the trees.

Photos:

(Zak Kujala)

The trails were good yesterday for skating. There were some leaves and stuff on the trail, but nothing too bad. The classic tracks were worse, with lots of leaves.

(Zak Kujala)

Skate deck was in good shape at French when I skied late morning. It appeared to have been groomed perhaps sometime early this morning. Snow was fairly firm and fairly fast but still soft enough I could ride a gliding ski without sliding sideways. There was still a fair amount of debris from the trees left over from the windy days earlier this week and I had several strides where my ski hit leaves, bark or sticks and pitched me forward. The classic tracks did not appear to have been groomed today as they were full of debris in several paces, windblown and worn in others. Another warning to be careful in the blind hairpin at the bottom of the Lakeview trail. I continue to run into people who refuse to honor the new routing and insist on going down that hill against traffic.

(Leif Irgens)

The trails were ok; I just did the lighted ones. The surface was a lot harder than a couple days ago but not quite icy. Not the best skiing, but still skiable. There were a few sticks on the trail presumably from the wind, although the trails weren't noticably windy since there are enough trees around.

(Zak Kujala)

By the time I could get to French at 6:30 this evening, the trails had been packed down hard from warmer temperatures and traffic earlier in the day. Minor ruts everywhere including an unfortunate pair of parallel tracks down the middle of many of the trails. Those tracks and other ruts routinely grabbed my skis and re-directed them places I did not want them to go. I skated all the lit trails and found there to be plenty of snow but, in addition to the hard pack skate deck, the wind had blown sticks and leaves onto the trail in several places (taking me into at least one head over heels adventure when my ski abruptly ground to a halt on something). I marked the trails as B skis due to a few larger sticks that had been blown onto the trail. On the bright side, French is heavily wooded enough to be well-sheltered from the wind. Not only was there no brutal wind chill in the woods (even though it was 3F by the time I left), there was also a noticeable lack of drifting, at least up until I left around 8 pm.

(Leif Irgens)

Fabulous skiing at French. Tracks were solid and very good. I really like the new gradual hill trail instead of the challenge hill. Extra blue wax worked great. A few leaves here and there.

Photos:

(Diane Pattridge)

Pike Island loop is ski-able but only in fair condition with non-groomed track made by skiers. Icy in spots. Apparently the newly repaired grooming equipment broke down before the fresh snow could be packed and tracked. It was still beautiful and peaceful. Park staff are frustrated too and hope repairs can be done quickly.

(Karen Margolis)

There are blazed trails (tracks from other skiers) on path out to and around Pike Island. The Fort Snelling website says their grooming equipment is currently not working. Conditions are good.

(Heidi McEllistrem)

Seems Phalen got a fresh groom that is set up pretty nicely. There are now 2 sets of classic tracks, though it's a coin toss as to which ones are best. The one big caveat is that the classic tracks have been filled up in many places by drifting snow, so while the tracks are not washed out, they are both a challenge to stay inside of, as well as slow. There was some ice in a couple of spots, but nothing to be too scared of. Oh, and a handful of leaves that folks seem to be worried about these days, though there was little to no impact to the glide. I was on my A skis, which are some old waxless Fischers, formerly owned and rented out by Hennepin County. That is to say, that I have neither the knowledge or experience to give you any of the finer details appreciated by so many in this sport. Cheers!

(John Kelley)

First time at Phalen. Lovely grooming, lovely layout, lovely time. Very few leaves. Go!

(John Longballa)

Went with my three daughters (11, 9, and 7) - all beginners. Soft, slow tracks. Nicely groomed, perfect for beginners. Some debris, but did not impact our ski. Loved the rolling hills that did not scare the girls. Likely slow for an advanced skier, but great for us.

(Amy Schaeffer)

Phalen is in good condition although covered with slow wind blown snow. Classic tracks are in good condition but icy in some spots. There is plenty of snow, no bare ground showing, just tree liter.

(Bill Stuber)

35% ice, 35% leaf debris, 30% perfect classic trail. Skate deck looked great. Apparently I need different skis.

(Howard McCann)

Classical tracks not new. They were probably groomed earlier this week, and in some areas wind blown. But I did have a good classic ski.

(Deb Fineman)

Classic track was recently groomed and the skating lane was too but nicely skied in. Snow was slow so if you have not glide waxed recently you might want to do so before going. There is a slight berm between the skate lane and the classic track that can get you if you don’t watch out.

Photos:

(Ronald Okenfuss)

Tracks were in better shape than I thought they would be since I have not been here in four days. Sure they are shallow in spots, and the obvious washouts in the tight corners, and glazed over, but overall not a bad outing. Quite a few skaters were also flying around on the fast skate deck.

(Peter Hindman)

Classic tracks are a bit washed out here and there; glazed for much of the course. Otherwise an alright ski. Need some snow. Very thin in spots but avoidable. Skate deck is hard-packed but didn’t seem icy.

(Matthew Waite)

Decided to switch it up to classic with the cold weather. Skate might have been a better choice. Classic tracks were pretty worn away and hard to stay in. Skate deck looked good with some drifting in spots.

(Peter Aggen)

Lots of skiers out on the trail. With the delay in the State HS meet, the Highland Park Ski team members were putting in a few pre K's. Good Luck! The classic trail was starting to get wind blown after 3 pm. Glad to get out before the cold arrives.

(Scott Stanley)

Very nice morning at H9 today. Other than some shallow tracks by the high school loop the tracks were in very good condition.

(Peter Hindman)

Just got done skiing and the trails were perfect. The groomer had just got done when I arrived. Beautiful day!

(Paige Polzin)

i skied the dragon fly trail. A little icy in spots but not really worth mentioning. Where the trail was open to the wind the tracks were blown over but the snow was packed and it was easy going. I tried some of the deer park trail and it was, as noted, difficult. I won't try again. It should be good skiing before it gets warm.

Photos:

(Bruce Montgomery)

Given the leaves, I have to say the perimeter trails were in fair to poor condition. There was some ice under the overhanging pine trees and the track was glazed in areas getting the most sun. Track was also getting really shallow in spots. It was 21F degrees and mostly cloudy. I used Swix Blue. Klister would have been preferable. I am doing the most extensive amount of classic skiing that I've done in more that 15 years. Thus, I have no memory of leaves being such a problem, particularly this far into the season. I am really, really sick of them. I anticipated them sticking to klister but never to hard wax to the extent that they do. The SW ridge between 7 and 8 was just a nightmare. Won't ski here again until there is fresh snow.

(Keith Carlson)

Classic tracks were good to excellent in most places, but getting a little shallow on corners and such. There was one spot close to Lexington with grass showing through the tracks, but it was small enough to ski over, and another spot on one of the curves at the bottom of a hill where the track was solid ice, but again, not big enough to be dangerous. All in all, a very good ski. Reports from skaters were that the skate deck was very good.

(Lois Braun)

Trail was recently groomed and is in great shape! A little drifting snow and a little bit of a berm between the classic and skate deck but nothing major.

Photos:

(Ronald Okenfuss)

Piston Bully was out at 1pm, groomed everything. Clean snow, no leaves, some blowing, soft skate deck. Tracks were good, only a few spots of ice or thin snow. Not too many skiers out, should set up good.

Photos:

(Pete Behrends)

Skate deck was very firm and fast (with just the right amount of give to get an edge) at Como this evening. Classic tracks looked to be in decent shape. There were a few spots of ice, but noting that couldn't be avoided. Wonderful evening for a quick ski. Get out there and enjoy it!

(Landon Brodersen)

Both Mississippi links and bluff have been groomed this morning for skate and classic. 2 to 3 inches of new snow last night. All trails open and in excellent condition.

(Milt Hovelson)

Both Mississippi links and bluff have been groomed this morning for skate and classic. 2 to 3 inches of new snow last night. All trails open and in excellent condition.

(Milt Hovelson)

Mississippi links was groomed Sunday for skate and classic. The bluff was groomed Monday and Tuesday for skate and classic. Snow conditions and trails are excellent.

(Milt Hovelson)

The multi-use trails at Chester Woods Park have been groomed and new classic track has been set. Ski conditions are great.

(Celeste Lewis)

The multi-use trails at Chester Woods Park were groomed today and new classic track was set! Conditions are fantastic! Expect some drifting in the open areas as the winds pick up.

(Celeste Lewis)

We have been packing and grooming since the Sunday snow. The main 5K loop is soft but getting much firmer for skaters. We packed Rattlesnake and Upper Trail four times this morning; they are very soft but if you want a Birkie workout they are excellent. The classic tracks are firm, clean and very nice. There will be a 10K Classic and 10 Skate race on Saturday. It's being put on by the SMU Nordic Ski Club.

(Bruce Johnson)

Trails groomed and tracked after 3 inches of unexpected light snow last night. Conditions are soft, but should be setting up as the day progresses. Leaf litter and pine needles are buried for now.

(Barry Tulkki)

Freshly groomed trails this morning. Both track and skate. Track had quite a bit of debris before grooming. Now much better, but still has a little.

(Greg Hoelscher)

Groomed skate lane this evening. Track looks good. After this wind and before the weekend, we will try to groom again. Trail is looking good. Enjoy.

(Greg Hoelscher)

Tuesday all the Skate/Classic trails were groomed and tracked. There was 2-3 inches of new snow that groomed very well and with the cooler temps it should make for several days of great skiing for those in need of last minute Birkie training.

Photos:

(Holly Pierce)

All the classic trails were tracked on Saturday night. Sunday morning the skate trails were groomed. They are in great condition. There was a light amount of snow that came early Monday morning.

Photos:

(Holly Pierce)

With 1-2 inches of new snow all the trails were groomed and tracked except Deer Path, Black Bear, and Oppedahls. The conditions are excellent.

Photos:

(Holly Pierce)

Wonderful conditions. The head groomer worked the evenings of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday which yielded some of the finest grooming of the winter. Firm trails, wide flat skate lane with corduroy that was often seamless across the skate deck, and a solid classic track with great pole plants.

Photos:

(Tom Paulsen, Blue Hills Trail Association)

We groomed and tracked the entire trail system today after a fresh few inches of fluffy snow. Sally's classic trail is planned to be tracked before the weekend. The trails are smooth, flat and setting up nicely. Conditions are excellent and should be ideal for both skate and classic.

Photos:

(Matthew Leischer, Wisconsin DNR)

The skate lanes have been freshly combed for skating and new track set for classic skiers in anticipation of a busy ski weekend. Classic Trail will be re-tracked this afternoon. With about an 11" well-packed base, trail conditions are excellent!

(Kurt Janko)

Skate lanes are freshly groomed as of this morning, no new classic tracks but the track looked good.

Photos:

(Jon Jurek)

16" base. All trails on the Anvil National Recreation Trail system have been groomed and tracked. Conditions are excellent.

Photos:

(Evan Miller)

Trails looked like they had been used quite a bit over the weekend so the skate lane was hard packed. Classic tracks were in good shape but there was a lot of debris on the trail. May be better now after the couple inches of snow received in the area on Monday night thru Tuesday.

(Libby Stupak)

I skate skied the East trail down to the cabin and back to the parking lot on the West trail. Both trails had recently been groomed but the East trail was a bit narrow for good skating. The skate deck was also a little uneven from the track setter. I switched to classic skis and had a much better experience. The classic track was fast with deep firm tracks and good solid pole plants. The Ninemile and Lake Loops had not been groomed since the most recent dusting of snow but conditions were still very good. Overall conditions were very good.

Photos:

(Jim Gantz)

16" Base. Butternut Trail, Pat Shay and Narrow Gauge have been groomed and tracked. Conditions are excellent. Enjoy the weekend on Nicolet North!

Photos:

(Evan Miller)

First time back on Nicolet North in two years and really enjoyed the 3 1/2 hour ski in fron Anvil to Butternut to Pat Shay and back. Nice fresh track and combed surface with some pine needle litter and small twigs from the fierce nighttime wins the last two days. Met up with two oldtimers like me on the way back to Anvil and shared a lot of skiing tips. Lots of people out on this Presidents Weekend!

(Dan Hinch)

16" Base. Pat Shay, Narrow Gauge, and Butternut Trail have been groomed and tracked. Conditions are excellent.

Photos:

(Evan Miller)

Good to very good... for now. High winds and warmer temps will likely made for more difficult skiing. But it sure is good right now. Enjoy!

(Troy Walters)

Fresh cord on all trails this morning. Excellent skating. Classic tracks are deep and firm. Some stretches of oak leaves in them.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

It looks like fresh grooming yesterday. The skating deck is excellent and hasn't been used much since the grooming. Good classic tracks throughout the trails, but leaves are falling in.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

Fresh grooming this morning. By late morning most of the trails had been groomed for skating and tracks set for classical. The skate deck was firming up. The tracks were firm.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

No new grooming today. The skating deck is well-worn on the trails near the chalet and less so farther out. Not icy, but very firm in the center, with some loss of edge control. The classic tracks are still in poor condition with no new grooming, old wash-outs, and many oak leaves.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

No new grooming today. Last grooming might have been yesterday. The skating deck is well skied-in but not hard or icy. It is littered with oak leaves and pine needles in many sections. The snow was fast this morning. The classic tracks are another story: They have not been set since about Tuesday and they are shallow and filled with oak leaves and pine needles, making for very poor classic skiing.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

Fresh corduroy all over this morning. Excellent skating deck (but slow in the cold temps). No classic tracks set and the old tracks that remain are covered in drifted snow. Poor classical conditions.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

No fresh grooming today but still very good to excellent conditions. The skating deck is getting a bit skied-in but still retaining edge control in most areas. Not icy. The classic tracks were last set on Monday and are still very good, though getting washed out in some of the busier sections. Still mostly clear of leaves.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

The groomer is out this morning setting fresh corduroy. Skating is moderate speed with total edge control. No new classic tracks had been set as of 8:30, but the existing tracks are firm and clean, though a bit shallow once in a while.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

The Birkie Trail is officially closed until after Birkie Week events are over. You may ski at Birkie Ridge, to the point that it connects to the Birkie Trail, through Thursday. There are also a number of area ski trails you can check out. Thank you in advance for respecting the trail closure and allowing our grooming crew to properly prepare race courses for multiple events - from the Barnebirkie to the SuperTour sprints to the American Birkebeiner and every event in between.

Photos:

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

I skated south from the OO trailhead. The skate deck was in good condition, despite having had a fair bit of weekend traffic. The classic tracks were excellent except for a few leaves, you bet. I saw a notice that the Birkie managers intend to close the course at midnight tonight through Thursday so they can prepare for the races on Friday and Saturday.

(Don Quick)

Plentiful snow in Birkie land! Skied from OO to High Point on skate trail and back to OO on classic trail. Hard packed snow base.

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(Ken Kuznia)

Drove down mosquito brook road and saw that trail is groomed and tracked north and south. At fish hatchery the groomer just went thru and across 77 heading to the lake. Conditions may be soft until it sets up.

Photos:

(Carolyn Senty)

The crew has been busy. The skate trail from OO to the start is groomed, the classic trail from OO to Timber Trail is groomed, the loops at the start and the Telemark loops are groomed and tracks were reset on the Easy Strider loops. More grooming planned for tomorrow!

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

Skied the loops at OO this afternoon. Perfectly groomed for skate and classic. Observed fresh grooming on one side of the Birkie skate trail heading north - skate deck and one classic track. Not sure how far it goes - probably at least to Boedecker. Also observed some grooming going south beyond "picnic table hill". Crew will likely update when they've finished, but for evening skiing there is more than just the loops.

(Carolyn Senty)

The crew is busy getting everything prepped for the races next week! The loops at OO were groomed this morning. There’s a fresh layer of snow on the ungroomed parts of the trail.

Photos:

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

I skated northbound from Hwy OO, on the Classic trail. It had been lightly traveled since the last grooming, so conditions were excellent. There was only one classic track, it also appeared to be excellent. As I was leaving, around 11:00, it started to snow, you bet.

(Don Quick)

Skied south of OO to Gravel Pit and then back up to OO where we did some loops on OO trails. It is all groomed south to Gravel pit and north on both Skate and Classic Trails to Timber trailhead. Groomers have done a great job taking this from hard packed to beautiful skiing as both classic track and skate deck are great. Great job groomers. Sun even came out today!

(David Gorringe)

Classic trail from OO to Fire Tower was groomed today and tracks were reset on the Easy Strider loops. Reports from the trail are great!

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

12:45 p.m., still in pristine condition despite full sun and temperatures up to 34 degrees. Classic skinskied about 15K loop and found it fast but not the least bit icy--every bit as good as my ski two days ago just before the track was set. I expect excellent conditions at least the first part of this afternoon and probably even tomorrow morning, especially for skating. Kudos to our great volunteer groomers!

Photos:

(Wayne Federer)

I skied classic on racing skins over fresh grooming which had seen little use. Track varied with the density of the snow pack. It was fast in or out of track. The downhill out of the 300 camp was a load on the deck. Enough leaves had been present that I didn't want to risk the blind approach in the big hill track. I cleaned the hill without any snowplow moves. Those start carving a luge run. It was a rocket ride. Enough of that! It was the easy stuff afterwards. On the classic side, leave the fast skis home.

(Jeff Bolte)

All trails are groomed and tracked. I finished up with the Silver Trail around 11:30am today and touched up the skate deck in the 300 campground. Orange, pink, red, brown, purple, blue, and yellow trails were groomed yesterday. Trails are in great condition.

(Arik Feidt)

Willow was rolled but no track has been set. The earliest possible track setting by a volunteer groomer looks to be after work hours Wednesday.

(Jeff Bolte)

Excellent conditions - freshly groomed earlier today probably and the orange and brown trails were nice as well as the one that goes along the river. Thanks for the attention to the trails!

(Sally Anderson)

Quite a bit of leaves and sticks on the trails and especially in the tracks with the recent wind. Trails are in good condition overall, the center "berm" on the skate deck reported earlier in the week is gone on almost all trails. Silver trail on the north side of the river is in really good shape. Multi-use trail from the falls and up the hill was pretty chewed up from foot traffic. Orange trail on the south side has some exposed areas with drifting. Nice day for skiing.

(Craig Woodley)

It was short but likely a good sample of the entire system. I skied the Purple trail on the wood skis. It was messy with tree litter in and out of track. I was out of track plenty. The youth training loop across the river was decent, but that is on the edge, not in the forest.

(Jeff Bolte)

I groomed all skate sections Wednesday night. They should remain in great shape for some time as the base is deep and it's our third pass through since the 6-8" we received in Hudson on Sunday. I left the classic tracks as they are still presenting in great shape. Enjoy!

(Brant Wesolek)

Skied most trails this evening. The crew was out grooming as I skied. Trails are in great shape. Thanks to the volunteer groomers.

(Dominic Siwik)

Skate skied the silver trail this afternoon. Great snow coverage and everything was recently groomed. I love Willow’s trails, but have been disappointed with the uneven skate deck as of late. I noticed this ridge/berm in the middle of the skate deck last year and am encountering it again this year.

(Elizabeth Pezalla)

Trails were awesome! Skied the whole park around 10am. Sounds like they were last groomed Sunday and lots of traffic since then, so trails were well packed and able to glide easily. Classic tracks were set as well and in awesome condition! There was a weird “burm”/small bump in close to the middle of the entire skate deck, like a small mound, that made certain parts of the trail awkward. Had to push off the burm. Other than that, can’t complain. Gorgeous day at this amazing park.

(Liz Westerhaus)

Good solid track. Maybe a dozen dirt spots on the golf course, easy to avoid. Excellent in the forest. Skate deck fully covered.

(Allan Ohm)

We groomed all of Hoffman at night except for Star Wars. At least two passes on most and reset classic tracks. Lower and upper pines received only one pass with fresh classic track set on them. We used borrowed equipment which took some getting used to so results will vary.

(David Challe)

Decent classic tracks still, even with some drifting from past few days. Skate deck looked good and edge-worthy, not icy. Another skier reported significant drifting on trails near the tower so we didn't go all the way up. We found a little leaf litter in places, but overall we were glad we chose Hoffman Hills today.

(Barb Flom)

The trail was re-groomed and in excellent shape. Even with the cold temps, glide was good. Skate deck looked like perfection. Tracks were deep and firm. I ran into at least five skiers enjoying the last hour of sunlight. With the groomer troubles I came expecting the worst, but this was some of the best skiing I've had on the Red Cedar this year.

(Barb Flom)

Red Cedar is tracked and groomed with two classic tracks from Menomonie to Irvington and one track with a wider skate lane from Irvington to Downsville. Thanks go to DNR for bringing equipment over from Lake Wissota and for doing the grooming on Thursday. Some leaves but overall very good.

(Bill Kryshak)

The Red Cedar State Trail has not been groomed after the Sunday snow as our snowmobile is being repaired. We hope to get out as soon as it is repaired.

(Bill Kryshak)

The Mercer area received approximately 2-3 inches of new, dry snow yesterday. Today groomers mixed the new snow with the cold base. New classical tracks were cut and the skate lanes were renovated and combed. Because of the cold temps, tracks set up hard the skate surface very firm and level. Conditions are rated very good to excellent.

Photos:

(Jerome Leiterman)

What an absolutely phenomenal day for a pre Birkie ski! A large portion of the park was groomed last night following Monday night’s 2” of fresh snow. I skied the west side of the park and was treated with crisp corduroy and deep solid tracks throughout. It’s looking fantastic out there!

Photos:

(Erin Blow)

Wow skate decks were pristine on Monday really hard snow and Monday night a very lite .5" snow. Hoping Birkie conditions this good!

(Dick DeVries)

Some of the best grooming I've seen in a very long time. Almost the entire system was as close as you get to flawless. With the exception of only 3 or 4 trails, everything was groomed last night. Props to the groomers. The snow was a tiny bit slow because of the temps, but, wow, what fun!

(Joe Bednarowski)

I classic skied base to Nose Dive to Express to Nakoosa to Wolf Tracks and back on Nepco. The track was deep and firm and speed was moderate. Pole plant was good. Overall conditions I would rate as very good to excellent. The groomers do an outstanding job here so it’s always a pleasant XC outing.

Photos:

(Jim Gantz)

Great skiing today at MWP - first time there (other than one time in heavy snow) and very happy with the trails and grooming.

(Jeffrey Giesler)

With fresh snow and grooming the skiing was very easy, a bit slow in the skate deck, but fun. The only negative was that a fat biker had left imprints on West Levis.

(James Mohr)

I skied the last three days. Freshly groomed Monday morning and Tuesday afternoon. A bit soft on Monday with all the new snow. Tuesday was excellent, today still very good. Thanks so much to the groomers!

(Denny Blum)

Trails are groomed and in soft condition, tracks set and still soft. Looks like they must have re-rolled sections after setting the track as it would disappear in some of the narrower sections. Little bit lumpy on the skate deck from the little bit I went onto it. Sounded like somebody went hiking on the ski trail and they had to re-do it after which may be what caused a lot of the issues as it's normally very well done. Little bit of forest debris forming from the moderate wind today but nothing major.

(Gunner Anderson)

Excellent snow conditions and grooming. About 2 or 3 inches of new snow groomed. Both classic tracks and skate lane in top shape.

(Bill Ziegler)

Skate skiing at 14F, sunny. Yesterday’s 3-4” of lake effect snow was groomed up twice since yesterday early morning. Three Fs: flat, fast and firm. Deserves an E for excellent! About as good skiing could possibly be... no exaggeration!

(Abbott Wright)

Classic skied all the trails this afternoon once the temps warmed up to 14. Snowed off and on all day yesterday. Skate lane was groomed early so it was in great shape when we went out. Classic tracks were perfect. Great edge control on the hills. As long as they have snow, can always count on excellent conditions here.

(Libby Stupak)

Wow! What a great day of skiing! Pete groomed first thing in the morning after 2 new inches of new snow but despite weather forecasts to the contrary it snowed most of the day. Absolutely beautiful! The deck was solid for skating and the tracks were set on all the trails I skied. Grooming is consistently superb at Afterglow, always well worth the drive. Never disappointed.

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(Bob Woelfl)

As always, the grooming at Afterglow is impeccable. Plenty of snow and we received a couple inches of fresh snow Monday night through Tuesday so the conditions were perfect. Classic skied both in the morning and afternoon. Good control was possible on all the hills and the classic tracks were perfect.

(Libby Stupak)

Perfect. Just what I was looking for. As others have stated, flat and fast deck. Improvements to Bob's trail was noted.

(Bill Kircher)

I’ve been skiing here for the last 4 days, including today, and the conditions have been excellent each day. Afterglow is consistently excellent. Absolute perfection in grooming, deep tracks and solid skate decks. A great place to ski.

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(Bob Woelfl)

Amazing! Faster surface than I was anticipating. There was fresh corduroy, perfectly flat deck, and sunshine greeting me. Thanks for the wonderful grooming Pete. I really appreciate it!

(Troy Walters)

1" new snow. Trails have been groomed 44 times this season. All skate lanes groomed and all classic tracks reset. Excellent conditions exist. Trails groomed from 5am to 8:30am. For the best conditions we only groom at night. Fat Bike Trails are in excellent condition.

Photos:

(Pete Moline, Afterglow Lake Resort)

Perfect! Wow... The Timberland crew knows how to run their new Pisten Bully. The conditions were as good as I've ever seen at Timberland. Nice short ski on my way north for Birkie weekend.

(Sue Schroeder)

We were surprised with a few inches of fresh snow on Monday night. Today we groomed all trails (classic and skate). Looking good for the rest of Birkie week!

(Louis Muench, CASTA)

On Sunday night we groomed most of the skating lanes after heavy weekend use. I skied this morning and it turned out excellent. I also tried the tracks. They are also great except for a few leaves. Enjoy the trails!

Photos:

(Louis Muench, CASTA)

Very good conditions. Firm and fast, both skating and classic. A little new snow since the last grooming is being skied-in.

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(Louis Muench, CASTA)

I skied several laps on the Lighted Trail on Friday night. Excellent conditions, firm and fast skate deck. The tracks looked nice too. There's a little windblown snow in places, but not a problem. The only complaint is some footprints on the trail, but it didn't ruin my ski.

Photos:

(Louis Muench, CASTA)

I went out and groomed and tracked all classic loops this morning. Our opposites week was received very well, and we are planning another weekend of it in March, depending on snow conditions. After grooming today, all classic loops have mostly excellent tracks, deep and firm. There are just a few places, mostly on the first mile going out and the last mile coming in where the base was hard as a rock, causing some shallow tracks. The skate loops Robert groomed yesterday are excellent with about 1/2" of light powder on top. Robert and I will both be heading to Hayward tomorrow to ski Saturday's Birkie, so our grooming will have to hold up through the weekend.

(Will Maines)

We started reverting the trails back to their traditional grooming with the skate loops converted back to skating today and tomorrow, Will will be grooming and setting track on the classic loops. Today we had a number of snow squalls pass through followed by sunshine. In total we may have gotten 1-2" which mixed up well with the granular snow we've been regurgitating the last few weeks. Skate deck looks great.

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(Robert Polic)

It’s still opposite week so I came back today to classic ski the trails that are usually skate only. There are several pretty good hills on the Long Rider which give me trouble most of the time. Long Rider was freshly groomed and mine were the first pole plants since grooming. Bruce’s Roundabout was not freshly groomed but it was still in reasonable shape. Unfortunately, the classic tracks on Long Rider were shallow for the most part and non-existent in several spots. For that reason, I would rate the classic trails overall as good. I switched to my skate skis and skated Oak Ridge. Conditions on the skate loops were very good to excellent. I found a nice level and firm skate deck.

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(Jim Gantz)

Buffed out the skate loops this afternoon and they look to be in great shape for the weekend. Earlier in the day, Alison gave me a hand doing some brushing along the snowshoe trail. The main 1.9 mile snowshoe loop from the chalet is now in really good shape, fully stomped in with almost no overhanging brush.

Photos:

(Robert Polic)

Just finished grooming and tracking all loops that are normally groomed skate only, as our Opposites Week continues through the weekend. For the most part tracks are really good, though there are short bits here and there that are rather shallow. Robert is grooming all the usual classic only trails for skating as we speak. Feedback has been so good this week that, depending on snow conditions, we'll try to do opposite grooming again for a few days in March.

(Will Maines)

This week is opposite week which means the trails that are normally groomed for skating are groomed for classic skiing and the trails that are normally groomed for classic skiing are groomed for skating. This was my first experience with opposite week and I was able to skate Lion’s Pride, Hair Raiser, and Wild Thing. I skated on one or two inches of fresh fallen snow. Conditions were very good. The groomer showed up about an hour and a half into my outing so I was able to skate on fresh corduroy for the last few kilometers. His dog Sprocket found me on Wild Thing and accompanied me for several kilometers.

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(Jim Gantz)

We picked up a solid inch of snow Wednesday afternoon and groomed the 'skate' loops after the snow passed through (it's opposite week so the traditional classic only trails are groomed for skating and the traditional skate loops are now tracked for classic). With Lou's help we also did some brushing along Lions' Pride but there's still some face-slappers to watch out for - skate down the center of the trails to avoid them. After grooming, we did our Wednesday Night ski and took advantage of skating the classic trails and though they're slightly narrower than the skate loops, the width was never an issue and was an absolute blast with Wild Thing particularly fun on skate skis. Get out an enjoy Opposite Week while you can - Monday the trails return back to normal.

Photos:

(Robert Polic)

Skied both Long Rider and Bruce's Roundabout twice around this morning. First circuit was lightning fast. Second circuit started that way, but a quick burst of snow halfway through made the last 5k a slower push through an inch of light powder in the tracks. We're hearing nothing but great comments about our Opposites Week grooming. Until next Monday, all loops normally groomed classic only are groomed for skate only. Loops normally groomed for skate only are groomed classic only. Skiers really like the opportunity to ski "the other side" for a change. As of 2 p.m. it is snowing fairly heavily again. Once it stops, Robert plans on regrooming skate side for a weekly group night ski tonight. I plan on grooming some classic loops tomorrow, and finish them up on Friday.

(Will Maines)

Although there has been some wear from many skiers, the tracks remain generally excellent, especially as you get beyond the first loop. Unfortunately, oak leaves are a significant problem if you have waxable skis. The return sides of the loops have mostly pines next to the river, so are not as plagued by downed leaves. Perfect day for skiing with full sun and 25 degrees.

(Dave Henning)

First time since I have moved that they actually groomed them so the outer loop is continuous. Thanks to the groomer. Lots of debris in areas but tracks in very good shape.

(Anne Russell)

First time since I have moved that they actually groomed them so the outer loop is continuous. Thanks to the groomer. Lots of debris in areas but tracks in very good shape.

(Anne Russell)

Wonderful classic ski at about 1PM. It appeared the trails had been freshly groomed and awesome at that. Kudos to whomever is doing the grooming, great job! Deep, even and fresh tracks for classical skiing.

(Dennis Atchley)

Everything was groomed today and some track touched up. Overall trails are in okay to good condition. There will be a groomer out tomorrow morning as well working on them again. No grooming Sunday, but back to normal operations Monday. Good news, our one piece of grooming equipment that has been down is up and running again!

(Angie Harker)

Grooming will be limited this week due to staff training. We will be back to our normal schedule next week. We should be grooming this weekend.

(Angie Harker)

We classic and skated the flat side of the yellow today around midday and were disappointed to see it had not been groomed as part of the daily grooming. The classic tracks had been skied in and were in good shape, the skate deck had at least and inch if not more of snow on it. The road to the trail had not been groomed and was pretty rough. Hoping they can get out there soon! It's a great trail!

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(Eve Graves)

What a beautiful day for a ski! Great temps and beeeautiful sunset. I skied the purple and yellow trails. Both were not in that good of condition. First of all there was a lot of debris all over the wooded sections of the trail which really keeps you on your toes but is why I put that you may want to use your B skis on these sections. I slowed down and tried hard to avoid skiing over anything but I was not successful and did get slowed and slightly tripped up from the debris on the trail. I’m hoping for some snow soon! :) Also the trail sections I skied were not recently groomed and very slow. The best section was on the yellow going out. But it was just less hard, a little faster. Except the section out to JJ. That was very thin and you couldn’t avoid skiing over the classic tracks and the trail was is bad shape and had extra debris. I wish that the yellow and purple trails would be kept up like the other sections. They are by far my favorite sections. So beautiful and fun!

(Aubrey Ferguson)

I skated from 28th Street lot out to Brown's Point and back. Most of the Green and Red sections were freshly groomed and spectacular. The purple was groomed yesterday and was okay. The yellow was frozen, rutted and dangerous on the hills. The groomers do such a great job on the Green and Red and it would be great if they could groom the yellow and purple more often. Even with that said it was great to be out on Brown's Point.

(Nic Bacigalupo)

Started around zero today. Trails were in almost perfect shape...Fresh stiff corduroy on skate decks and tracks were new, solid and clean. Classic, with 4 layers of base green and another 2 under my foot killed it. For the temps, it was not slow. Get out here, it's great.

(Dan Leider)

Excellent skiing. 6 inches of new snow was rolled and packed twice and tracks set on the entire trail system. Glide and tracks both good. Come and get it!

(John Beatty)

New corduroy set down today, plus classic tracks in place. A bit of drifting with the wind. I’ll be out there once temps rise.

(Jim Sheibley)

Just coming from grooming in the bigger Pisten Bully, 74 km are groomed and skiing quite well. The new snow Monday put skiing back into Winter Wonderland conditions.
Discount Season Passes are being offered at discount rates: $130 for Adults, $110 for senior or Juniors,, and a special of $100 for a new ABR Season pass holder. All Season pass specials include skiing all of this season and all of next season.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Just coming in from grooming in the Pisten Bully and checking trails. The 3 inches of cold dry powder groomed up well this early morning on 72 km of trails. However we had skier traffic from 4 ski clubs and many happy recreational skiers. We received another inch of snow this morning. I groomed up 15 km with the Bully tonight and we will have 4 groomers out again in the early morning to regroom all 76 km for great skiing in the morning at 9 AM.
Season Pass Sale, ask about the $100 special for new season pass skiers to ABR (good for this season and all of next season)!

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Grooming completed at 7:15 a.m. Conditions are excellent. Enjoy!

(Brad Barnett)

All upper and lower trails are groomed and tracked. With races this weekend, the final course prep was completed this morning. For training purposes this afternoon the 5km course will be tracked with a single track along the outside which will differ from a normal days groom. With snow beginning to fall, the track will be set in the early afternoon finishing up around 1:30 or 2 pm. Tolkien was also groomed this morning with grooming finishing by 11 am.

(Brad Barnett)

The Pisten Bulley was out yesterday grooming all trails and set nice clean tracks after 4" of new snow fell. All trails in excellent condition. A perfect place to stop before or after the Birkie. Welcome racers, family and friends.

(Deborah Leonard)

Crisp conditions prevailed on a beautiful afternoon ski. A bit breezy, too. In fact, in a few exposed trail sections the otherwise expertly groomed tracks had a fresh dusting of wind blown snow that enhanced kick but limited glide. Otherwise it was a perfect winter day at this great trail system.

Photos:

(Tom Rulseh)

With at least 2" of new snow and fresh grooming, the trail when I started skating about 9:30 was the best looking I've seen it in years. Neither the LF 12-28 waxed skis nor the LF 18-28 waxed skis glided very well, but 98% of the leaves and such had gone back into hibernation, and the tracks looked mostly clean. Lower Ironwood was open, and I didn't have to walk the 10 meter stretch I had to walk yesterday, but there was dirt to avoid, so check back after a few warm days. Otherwise, our local Winter Wonderland should be good stuff for a while.

(Richard Swenson)

Technically, all trails were open--I skied Lower Ironwood for the first time this season, the barrier was down, but I had to take the skis off for the 10+ meter stretch totally devoid of snow (well after the steep downhill). Otherwise skated the outer 6.2 km loop, noting how nice the deck was except for various patches of significant leaf/twig cover, and one fairly icy stretch just after the medium loop joins back up with the outer loop. The Swix 25-39 LF was quite fast until it hit 38 degrees and the deck started getting soft and noisy. Used my best skis... but I did run over more than a few leaves, and such. All in all, a good outing on a pleasant trail system, well suited to ones third day in a row of skiing.

(Richard Swenson)

Technically, all trails were open--I skied Lower Ironwood for the first time this season, the barrier was down, but I had to take the skis off for the 10+ meter stretch totally devoid of snow (well after the steep downhill). Otherwise skated the outer 6.2 km loop, noting how nice the deck was except for various patches of significant leaf/twig cover, and one fairly icy stretch just after the medium loop joins back up with the outer loop. The Swix 25-39 LF was quite fast until it hit 38 degrees and the deck started getting soft and noisy. Used my best skis... but I did run over more than a few leaves, and such. All in all, a good outing on a pleasant trail system, well suited to ones third day in a row of skiing.

(Richard Swenson)

The entire perimeter trails were in excellent condition except for Upper Ironwood, which was in fair condition because of bare spots after the marsh and cattails sticking up thru the snow on the portion of the trail in the marsh. It was 17 degrees with strong SW wind. I used FastWax Blue LF. There was practically nobody there, parking lot was nearly empty when I started at 4:15. One individual was coming off the trail and I passed only two on the trail. The snow was very dry with course particles of snow on Poplar Creek and Lakeside. It transitioned to finer snow on Ironwood. Surprisingly, I picked up at least 6 mph in my pace for every mile I skied. So while my pace was 5.3 mph for mile 1. I was skiing at a 7.4 mph pace on mile 4.

(Keith Carlson)

Good base. The wooded trails keep you out of the wind. Lots of tree trash.

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(Amelia Damlo)

Skied skate at Cleary today. Trails groomed and very good for skate with some trail debris (leaves, twigs, etc). Classic tracks looked in poor condition with lots of debris clogging them. All trails open but be aware that if you go down to the lower iron wood trail, don’t take the path with the steep hill unless you want to walk across a large patch of weeds and dirt. Easily avoidable though by taking the cutoff.

(Doug Swenson)

There is a lot of debris under the pines. Classic tracks are shallow and washed out in places. Skate deck is hard, but skaters should fare better than classic skiers. Needs grooming.

(Tim Blais)

Mother nature delivered exactly what we needed for some great skiing at Rock Lake this week. Rock Lake received about 3-4 inches of new snow. All the loops were groomed and tracks set today. Tracks set up nicely, and the trail is in excellent condition. Get out there and enjoy the beautiful woods and your public lands!

Photos:

(Katie LeMoine)