Snow is holding up. Little icy today. Some debris so ski with caution in a few spots. Great to be out.

(Ryan Rogers)

Skied at 20 degrees, icy conditions due to this week's melting. However, as always, it was refreshing to be exercising in nature. Debris on the inner loop, skate lane, and classical tracks. Embrace winter.

(Lisa Martin)

Icy conditions today after melting this past week. It's 20 degrees today. The skate lane has been previously groomed, and classic tracks set. Debris is primarily on the inner loop, so use caution on the downhill descents, as they are still somewhat icy. Still, it's refreshing in nature. Embrace Winter.

(Lisa Martin)

Jumped on the ski trail this morning at 20 degrees. Somewhat icy conditions, after the melting of snow and higher temperatures of 38 degrees on Monday. Mild debris on the trail, which I cleared while skiing. Caution on downhills. Embrace winter.

(Lisa Martin)

Conditions are warming up, beginning a morning ski at 35 degrees, and finishing at 38/39 degrees this morning. Skate lane and Classic tracks are set. Slow conditions, with melting occurring. Embrace winter.

(Lisa Martin)

Jumped on the ski trail at 20 degrees, prior to gathering with others. Refreshing in nature, being the only one on the trail. Skate lane is partially groomed, and classic tracks are set. Embrace winter.

(Lisa Martin)

Skied 15K with the early morning temperature of zero, climbing to a pleasant 15 degrees for skate skiing. The skate lane is groomed with classic tracks set. Embrace winter.

(Lisa Martin)

After the melting and above 30 degrees on Thursday, a light snowfall was noted on the trail this morning and welcomed to improve conditions. I jumped on the trail on Thursday and Friday, skiing 15 to 20 K. All trails are open, minimal to no debris on the trail. The skate lane has been previously groomed, and classic tracks are set. This trail has a variety of terrain, somewhat unlevel in areas; however, it is refreshing to exercise in nature. I skied today with a welcome 15 degrees at the start. Sunshine and blue skies this morning.

(Lisa Martin)

Skied in 28-30 degrees this morning, refreshing in nature. Finished at 38 degrees with melting actually occurring today, and skiing conditions beginning to slow as the temperatures rise. The skate lane is groomed and tracks are set. Minimal to no debris on the trail.

(Lisa Martin)

Light accumulation of snow recently, approximately 1/2 inch, is a delight for skate skiing. I jumped on the trail, with the skate lane groomed and the classic tracks set. Temperatures at 10-20 degrees. Classic tracks are firm. Minimal to no natural debris on the trails.

(Lisa Martin)

Morning low of 19 degrees, high of 42. Sunshine, little to no wind. Cooling down to 32 at sunset. Skied late morning enjoying top notch spring like conditions. Tracks were fast but just enough give for bomber kick and great glide. Doesn't get much better, to me. Checked out a little bit of the skate deck which had been groomed early morning, solid deck and just enough non power tilled texture for edging. Late afternoon classic grooming on Lumi's Lake loop, Island Lake, Wavy Gravy, Loon Return, JibFly and skate lanes groomed on Skaters Waltz, North Loop, Kristin's Kutoff, Single Green and Eira Bikwadinaa Hill. Night classic grooming on Sukkerbusk, Sap Run, Mother North Star and ttrack on North Loup.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Trails remain well-groomed, and tracks were in great shape today for classic skiing. I skied from about 12-1:30, and skin skis worked well. Despite some milder daytime temps this week, snow remains plentiful at Maplelag.

Photos:

(Glenn Gifford)

Morning low of 21, high of 39. Brilliant sunshine with light winds (1 on Beaufort scale). Spring conditions. A textbook day of spring skiing and grooming. Yesterday's grooming skied very nice late morning into the early afternoon. Despite a high of 39, the snow and trails held out great. Compacted well seasoned base remains at 5-10", 8" on average. We quickly dropped below freezing again at dusk. Late afternoon into the evening groomed classic trails Sap Run, Sukkerbusk, Bullhead Lake Bootleg Loop, Twin Lakes and Poki Loki.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

A gorgeous day with plenty of sunshine and no wind. The trails are surviving the current warm spell with ease! The snow has been well packed all winter and it's hard, stable, and firm. Sections directly exposed to sunshine are a bit slower early in the afternoon, that's all. In the woods, skiing is fast and fun. I did Wavy Gravy, Island Lake, Jib Fly, Mother North Star, Roy's Run, and, of course, Sukkerbusk: 24 k. The slope at Eagle's View is fun to glide on. Enjoy your weekend on the trails!

(István Gombocz)

An idyllic day of "spring" skiing and grooming. Morning low checked in at 11 degrees, climbing to a high of 37. Morning classic grooming on North Loup, Bullhead Bootleg Lake loop, and Rootin Tootin, digging deep into the base to pull up dry/silky/sugary snow to reset tracks. Skate deck grooming on Skaters Waltz, North Loup skate lane, Kristin's Kutoff, Single Green, and Eira Bikwadinaa hill. Skied over lunch hour with Jonell on JibFly and also hit outer trails Wavy Gravy and bits and pieces of North Loup and Roy's Run, returning on Sukkerbusk. Was just starting to transition in the south facing areas to bit softer conditions but still silky fast glide on north facing and the flats. Top three classic ski this year! Late afternoon back out grooming touch up tracks on Sap Run, Sukkerbusk and the south facing connector to the western trails.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Morning low 17 degrees reaching to a high of 23. Sun cloud mix giving way to clouds in the afternoon. Cold side of spring like conditions. A full day of grooming, grooming on 50km of mostly classic trail, using both the Pisten Bully with front end renovator and Ginzu groomers. Also cut new track on lake loop and easy loop around cabooses, skaters waltz renovated and combed. Went out for afternoon groom, touching up a few trails groomed in the morning. Bumped into a few skiers and reports were good. Bit icier on trails not groomed today but still very skiable.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Spring like conditions. Snow holding out great and compacted base solid at 6-9". Snow depth in woods 14-31". Temperature at sunrise 34 degrees, warming up to 37. Very high humidity throughout the day with saturation of the snow at the surface making for softer/slower conditions on the classic tracks. Was a bit warm to groom today so held off on grooming. At sun down, as the temp was approaching the freezing mark, skied parts of Sap Run, Mother North Star, Bullhead Lake trail, Rootin Tootin, Roy's Run, North Loup and returned on Sukkerbusk. Trails that had been skied on earlier in the day were the best skiing.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

A super day of skiing and grooming! Sunrise/moonset groom on Sap Run, Sukkerbusk and JibFly, renovating the deep and well seasoned base of slightly transformed snow and cutting new track. Temperature was 17 degrees and wind was 3 on the Beaufort scale. High temperature of 33 degrees today but snow didn't really transform much and skiing was great all day. At sunset, Jonell and I skied Sukkerbusk. Both the fresh groomed and day old set skied nice.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Skied over the lunch hour, skiing the virtual Lotvola Cup course (Twin Lakes, Sukkerbusk, Bullhead Bootleg Lake loop, Sap Run). Twin Lakes was the best trail with spot on tracks and minimal organic forest matter and no deer traffic. Temperature was 15 degrees but felt a little cooler with Beaufort reading at 5. Yesterday's groom set up perfectly and nice glide on slightly transformed snow.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Early Saturday morning ski conditions look outstanding at Maplelag. The attached photos show the classic ski tracks are freshly groomed. Temperature is 12 above and looking to be a good day for skiing.

(Glenn Gifford)

After a early morning high of 35 degrees at 1am, cold front pushed through dropping temperature down to mid teens by the afternoon with brilliant sunshine and winds not as strong as forecasted (3 on the Beaufort scale). All skate trails were groomed. Classic grooming on North Loup, Sukkerbusk, Twin and Island Lake trails, Single green, Kristin's Kutoff and lake segment on Bullhead lake trail. Skiing reported as "better than expected" and "perfect". Rode the 15km fat bike trail over lunch hour and was about as good as it gets after setting up perfectly overnight.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Morning low of 14, high temperature of 35. Light wind, (1 on the Beaufort scale) Sun cloud mix. Ski trail grooming late afternoon on easy loop JibFly, setting new track, and skate lane on Lumi's Lake Loop renovated and combed. Fat bike trail grooming on additional trail today, now have 15km open and groomed for fat bikers. Went out for a classic ski after sunset, skiing at least 200 meters of every outer classic trail to check conditions. The snow held out great today, very little transformation as the deep cold base was doing its magic at the surface. Hero snow skiing!

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

A full day of grooming, cleaning up areas from yesterday's section race and cutting new track on Bullhead Bootleg lake loop, Roy's Run, Rootin Tootin, North Loup, Loon Return and Wavy Gravy. All skate trails also groomed. Everything groomed out really nice. High humidity and mid teens made for silky, buttery snow as experienced on a headlamp ski with Jonell.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Went around pine lake and tamarac trails this afternoon. Some areas of really good tracks, other areas where the track is pretty obliterated by ski tracks (snowplow/herringbone) on the hills. Some areas were really pretty icy and fast, grass poking through in places--the worst was the pine lake road segment. It was 24 degrees this afternoon, but the trail did have it's icy spots as mentioned--but also intermittent really sticky parts.

(Amy Trottier)

Trails have good base. Set tracks are very slick with not much traction even with my fish scale skis. Maybe mole skin attachments would help but didn't bring them.

(Dan Cairns)

The Hiram Trail was groomed and a fresh track was set this morning. There's a solid base of 12-18 inches, which allowed for a crisp, well-defined track. You could feel the snow conditions changing while grooming, but the trail set up nicely overall. We hope you get a chance to ski the Hiram Trail this weekend! By the way, the trail had a few inspectors stopping by while I was grooming (photo). I'm pretty sure they gave it two ears up.

Photos:

(Lynn Jansen)

I skated S Entrance Road, excellent skate lane and nice, smooth grooming on a good base. Some sun-exposed areas were a little glazed after recent temp changes, but the surface felt soft and had a good grip. Classic track was fresh and solid, but recent winds have blown some fine needles and a little debris into the tracks, so felt a little sticky to glide downhill.

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(Deane Johnson)

Conditions are very good. Thursday temperatures in the high 30s and colder temperatures on Friday caused the trail to be firm to the point of hard and extremely fast! Good snow coverage throughout. Two spots exposed to the sun were icy. We skied the bike trail to the headwaters in the morning that was great. We did the Ozawindib trail and the south entrance road in the afternoon. I would not recommend Ozawindib trail unless you are an expert skier. It is super fast and hard with steep uphills and downhills. I've been skiing for many years, and I had to walk down two of the steeper sections. It's just too hard to control your speed on the hard snow. You can really cruise on the south entrance road. Overall a great day.

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(Greg Nohner)

Pristine conditions, thanks to the recent grooming. Plenty of sunshine, then overcast by noon. I did the South Entrance Road, then the DeSoto and Deer Park trails: 20 K. Tracks set quite well and firm.Around 1 pm, the trails became a bit slower. Enjoy your weekend on the trails!

(István Gombocz)

Top conditions, to say the least. Rolled, then new tracks set in the entire system. I did DeSoto and Deer Creek Trails in the morning, then Headwater in the afternoon. Total of 33 K of challenge, recreation, and fun.

(István Gombocz)

Spring conditions are here early, as we had 41 a couple of days ago, then colder, up to 32 right now. Skate lane was all groomed by Neil yesterday, so trails are hard packed and crusty, but with a good grip for very fast skating. Lilly's easy loop is very good and mostly clean (photo). Lake loop is pretty good but hills are icy and a few spots are thin or have squirrel related debris. Classic track looks great but is glazed. Best skiing will be before it melts too much.

Photos:

(Deane Johnson)

Excellent conditions continue on Lilly's Loop, others have a few crusty spots where the sun hit the hills yesterday afternoon. Snowpack and base has been cold, so trails held up well in yesterday's warmth. Snowpack depth around 11", base 3-5" and temp today is stable at 22. Minimal debris in spots due to busy squirrels cutting down cones. Trails are all firm and fast, and as our friend MP would say, "faster is funner!".

Photos:

(Deane Johnson)

Beautiful conditions this morning, with temp around 30, but warmed to near 40 this afternoon. Trails have a good 3-5" base, snow depth of 12" and excellent newly-groomed classic tracks and perfect skate lane. Trails could get icy when it cools down, so watch for changing conditions and fast hills in sun-exposed areas. Lilly's Loop is always a good bet if things get skittish.

(Deane Johnson)

Beautiful first-time skate ski today at Soaring Eagle! Great conditions, well groomed trails. What a great job by the volunteer team! Thank you! This place is a real gem and worth the visit!

(Kyle Henning)

Hard skate deck, icy/glazed in places. Judging by the skate tracks made yesterday it might have been a bit softer than today. Since we didn't ski much of the trail system I can't say how the conditions described apply to the entire course. Did do a fair amount of double-poling in the classical tracks which were also glazed and fast.

(Keith Brugger)

Excellent day to ski! Freshly groomed corduroy with a fast and firm base. The deer had not yet had time to track it all up. I skied the entire trail system and all were in fine condition.

(Chad Bergerson)

Regroomed all the corduroy on the skating track. Retracked some of the classic track where it was drifted. Everything groomed very nice. The trails look nice. A lot of deer on the trails today and a big flock of turkeys on the west end of whispering pines. Get out and enjoy the snow before it warms up.

(Marc Lundeen)

Trails remain covered with a couple inches of powder and drifted in places. Some sections fairly rough due to ski traffic and to some extend deer travel. Did some double poling in the classical tracks on occasion and they were reasonably fast. Could use some grooming after the last snowfall.

(Keith Brugger)

Still very good conditions today, especially considering the limited amount of snow to work with. The depth of the tracks was variable from washed out to pristine--probably depending on when the area was last groomed. The middle part was the best. The skating deck looked firm, and there was some loose snow available for snowplowing when needed. There were areas in the pines and oaks where tree debris was problematic. No bare spots, although there were some occasional groomer scrapes on the far edge that could be easily avoided. It was 32 degrees when we finished.

(David Henning)

With a series of light snows over the last 10 days, the trails were groomed today. Skate lanes and classic track set. Track and skate deck are in good condition.

(Bryan Pike)

Trails are in great condition for both classic and skate. Good coverage and grooming. Practically no one on the trails.

(Adam Bock)

Skied Moose Fence Upland and Maple loops. Beautiful conditions with a dusting of recent snow still apparent. We had the trails to ourselves. Nicely groomed with good tracks for classic skiing; skating surface also looked great.

(Jay Baxter)

Skied the 5km on good skis at 7am this morning. The groomers did a great job (I was there at 7pm last night) and the snow had set up overnight. 5k including the special k was in great shape. There were a couple of chunks ranging from softball to bowling ball sized in the middle of the track, I pretended they were other skiers on the birkie trail and skied around the obstacles. Presumably they are artifacts from grooming at night with a snowmobile. Skied with a great grey owl along the special K. I didn't venture onto the 8k due to work constraints.

(Kristin Riker-Coleman)

Trails didn't have fresh grooming as of this morning but conditions are still good with solid coverage the entire way. Snow was very firm and icy in some spots with lots of ruts, tracks were starting to get washed out in corners. Tree debris is becoming an issue (more so on the 8k), maybe B skis just so you don't have to think about it.

(Matt Carlson)

All of our trails are presently open. Skate decks were groomed after temps went sub-32 on Tuesday and are fast. The Classic track on the 6K are shallow and getting wide, but still decent.The 8K Classic track has seen less use, but is shallow. We can't reset the tracks due to the shallow base. Scheduling: We will only be open 7am-Noon beginning Friday 2/13 and thru Monday 2/16, due to forecast. No night skiing and the lights will be off.

Photos:

(John Graham)

Conditions are fast and hard. Very good coverage. There's a lot of stick debris (especially on the 8k), and something met an unpleasant end on the 6k before bee hollow, so I put it as B skis. On the special K there's a few chunks of ice that were frozen to the skate trail that could be dangerous if you don't avoid them so keep an eye out if you're going at night.

(Tim Bontrager)

Skated the 8K and 6K today. Both in great shape for skating. Classic track looks good and firm throughout, but probably getting a bit slick. I skied some of the tracks on downhills and the track held up fine. The groomers were on the 6K just as I was finishing.

Photos:

(Steve Hagedorn)

Friday night we groomed all skate decks (photos). The Thursday-Friday warm-up/fast-freeze turned a soft deck into a rock-hard, 6" base. It's smooth and fast. The 6K classic track is well-formed and very good. The 8K track is good. Both are a bit icy and fast. Scheduling: on Sunday 2/8 from 1:30-4:00, we will have KidSki session #5, which will include all of the areas near the chalet, and some races that use segments of the 8K. Parking will be crowded. I suggest skiing in the morning, or after 4pm.

Photos:

(John Graham)

We got out for a quick sunrise skijor this morning on Blue Ox. Both the skate deck and classic tracks are in terrific shape. Hard, fast and icy at 7am.

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(Nick Lansing)

Fine temperatures for an afternoon ski! Dog Sunday, and a few on the course. Good classic track set. Almost a bit icy, decent grip, very fast. Skate deck looked fast. A bit of debris on the east route on Nine Pine. West side by road less debris. Lonesome Grouse track solid, fast. All south trails groomed and tracked. North trails not groomed, backcountry skis and snowshoes.

(Cathleen Danielson)

Blue Ox and Bear Paw are in terrific condition, both classic tracks and skate deck. There are a handful of spots where squirrels shred pine cones over the trails. Those spots are easy to see and won't damage skis.

Photos:

(Nick Lansing)

Skied the 5k loop. Has been freshly groomed since yesterday and was a great ski. Due to the snow cover, there are a couple of completely bare spots between intersections F and D, easily avoided. Also several lower spots with rocks/roots throughout but if you keep a sharp eye you shouldn't have issues. Not the fastest ski ever due to the temps but certainly wasn't slow!

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(Rachelle Walker)

Did the 5k blue loop. A very enjoyable ski. It's slick, almost icy but not quite, tracks were very fast today. The skate deck seemed pretty firm, a little wet with the warming temps. There are several low spots where dirt and debris are present, but all avoidable except for at the F intersection.

(Rachelle Walker)

Trails are in decent shape and seem like they've been groomed recently. Tracks are fast and the skate deck was firm. There are a few spots where the tracks are low or there is debris in the tracks or roots poking through.

Photos:

(Rachelle Walker)

Lester was groomed yesterday and it looks like quite a few skaters took advantage of the new corduroy. The tracks are firm, deep, and fast. There is a fair amount of debris.

(Catherine Winter)

Amazing how well the tracks have held up - classic trail was solid, deep and fast but not icy. A little bark and pine cone debris here and there. Did lots of double poling. A few of the landings are thinning with a bit of dirt coming through. Weather was perfect in the low 20s.

Photos:

(Bob King)

New snow last 24 hours: 0. New snow last seven days: 0. Trail base: 9-10 inches. We reset tracks and skate deck on West and East Overlook, Lower and Upper Snowman, B&B and Pincushion loops. We tilled the icy crust from a thaw/freeze today and left good corduroy and deep set tracks. Great conditions for Pincushion Festival this weekend.

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(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)

Fantastic conditions with temps in the high 20s. A lot of people, including almost 100 SkiSparks youth skiers, skied the system over the weekend, but the grooming held up nearly perfectly, with nice deep tracks and a firm, smooth skate deck. The only hazards were several piles of wolf scat. Sublime skiing.

(Bill Hansen)

Beautiful bluebird day at Pincushion! Tracks are deep and firm and skate deck is solid with forgiving and consistent corduroy. I highly recommend finding your way to the Canyon Curves loop. Lots of sweet little hills and tight turns. You can get there from the upper section of Pincushion loop or a downhill connector from the B&B loop.

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(Josh Wenck)

With the new snow and expert grooming by the groomers, Pincushion was better than ever for both classic and skate. It's always a thrill skiing all the hills on North Advanced and our favorite loop Ole Hyvaa!

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(Bill Lundberg)

New snow last 36 hours: one inch. New snow last seven days: 2.5 inches. Trail base: 10-12 inches. Comments: All trails groomed for skate and classic techniques, offering perfect corduroy and tracks. Scott Beattie, founder of Pincushion B&B in Grand Marais and retired nordic groomer in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, enjoyed a ride-along during this morning's grooming.

Photos:

(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)

The trails were in great shape this afternoon at Pincushion! Perfect grooming with deep classic tracks and a nice skate deck. It's always awesome coming up to Grand Marais and getting to experience the fun trails at Pincushion.

Photos:

(Bill Lundberg)

Superb skiing out of the Bearskin on the best trail system in Minnesota: the Central Gunflint. The lack of recent snow causes the hills to be a bit hard for herringbone ascents and somewhat fast for descents, but the frequent PistenBully grooming kept the classic track in perfect condition. They know how to groom on the Central Gunflint. From the Bearskin, the Poplar Trail or a loop around Flour Lake are two of the best skis in the Upper Midwest. The Summer Home, Moose Pasture, Campground, and Ox Cart trails are ideal for additional skiing when you start getting too tired for the more challenging hills! [ Bearskin and Golden Eagle Lodge share the grooming duties on the Central Gunflint -- Ed. ]

(Iza Carter)

We groomed everything again last night and early this morning. Trails are holding in well with the warmer temps and conditions are still really good. Some debris is present on upper Beaver Dam and Ridge Run, otherwise trails are still pretty close to perfect. Despite the warmer temps, the trail base is still very firm. Grooming plans: Through the weekend we will be evaluating surface conditions daily and will freshen up trails as needed and as conditions allow.

Photos:

(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge)

Light dusting of dry snow and fresh groomed tracks made skiing OxCart and Bear Cub perfect. Poplar Creek trail was different with windswept areas, areas with the light fresh snow, and areas with snow drifted into tracks. All areas have a base of more than a foot of packed dry snow and deep well set tracks. Temperatures were at about 20 degrees for the afternoon.

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(Bobbie Gostout)

Tracks are deep and well set. Most parts of the trails are wind protected. I skied OxCart and Bear Cub. Both were perfect and had seen only light use before I got out there. Note: In these evergreens, birch, and aspen woods there is no issue with late-dropping oak leaves littering the trails - a real bonus!

Photos:

(Bobbie Gostout)

Deep tracks on a deep base with 2 1/2 inches of fresh dry snow on top. The skate trails look perfect too. I skied OxCart, beaver dam, logging road, cross fox, ridge run, and moose pasture. It's hard to imagine a more beautiful ski. Thanks to the Bearskin and Golden Eagle staff groomers for expert grooming!

Photos:

(Bobbie Gostout)

Pristine conditions at Golden Eagle Lodge and the Central Gunflint trails this morning. There were about two inches or so of new snow, but the trails had already been groomed for both skate and classic. The classic tracks were well formed and perfect, and so was the skate deck. It's so beautiful up here with fresh snow hanging on all the pine boughs, and the lake vistas and deep woods views are always amazing. Many thanks to Ruth, Zach, and the Baumann family for another great day on the trails.

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(Bill Lundberg)

Everything was groomed fresh again this morning after 2 more inches of fresh snow! Great skiing out there!

(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge)

We finished up grooming the rest of the system this morning. The conditions are really good! All of the trails were groomed with a classic track and a skate deck. Yesterday didn't get too warm this far north so they held up great! The trails done this morning are Little Pine, Overlook, Highlands, Ham Lake, Notth Star and Upper West End. We hope you can come up to enjoy the phenomenal winter conditions up here!

Photos:

(John Fredrikson)

We were out touching up the ski trails this morning after the busy weekend. Conditions are still really good with a solid base and no ice. All of the trails are groomed with a skate deck and classic track. This morning we groomed Big Pine, Little Pine, Overlook, Lower West End, River Run, Warren's Road, Cut Across, Short Cut, Power Line, Aspen Alley and Rabbit Run. Grooming plans: We will be back out soon to finish the rest of the trail system.

Photos:

(John Fredrikson)

Groomed this morning, and retracted a portion of the trail. Trails are in decent shape. Some of the trees are shedding so their is some debris on the trail. Overall great shape though.

Photos:

(Jeff Love)

Amen trails are in really good shape. Majority of the trail has no debris or animal tracks. Tracks are still set in fairly well without too much sliding out of the track. Nice dusting of snow on top of everything for me. Beautiful morning to ski on a serene trail.

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(Keith Murphy)

Two of us skied the full loop. Minor drifting over of tracks in the open spots, but for the most part tracks were good. If you like hills there are lots of them. Recommend getting out of the tracks when going down the steep ones. Hills were not ice covered.

(Tom Schleppegrell)

Groomed all trails and set classic track. Very good conditions until next warm-up and freeze. Get out and ski!

(Darren Neuman)

I scraped the skate lane on most of the system this morning. I left the classic track alone, it looked in pretty good shape. The whole system should ski great this weekend. Come out and enjoy.

(Tony Cater)

I skied out of the north trailhead and found well formed and rocket fast tracks with temps in the twenties. The trails to the west were very clean. The tracks to the south had periodic tree debris and are much more challenging to ski when refrozen.

Photos:

(Jeff Pesta)

Groomed and track set North Suomi Trails this morning. Even with very little snow on the trails the track set went quite well. Please enjoy!

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(Dale Juntunen)

Nice snow coverage throughout. The skate lane was a little rutted up in the morning. The west end toward the tower seemed the most impacted. Skating later in the day may have softened the chevrons up. I will probably take advantage of the pretty consistent classic track next time out.

Photos:

(Jeff Pesta)

The trails have all been groomed (skate lanes and new classic tracks) following the weekend snow fall. The front part on Monday and the tower end this morning. Snow cover is very good throughout the entire trail system.

(Anthony Neururer)

37F sunny calm. Fantastic skiing. There are some steep downhills! Lots of change to the parking lot area - new fence, aspen regeneration. The skate deck was really soft in places so I had to be careful to to catch a tip or get thrown off by the dips. Really good snow cover. Beautiful bog section. Classic tracks looked pretty skied in.

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(Louise Levy)

The track was nice and fast, still well formed on Green, Blue and Orange. Far back Blue toward Voyageurs was a little slower with a skied in track. 21° sunny.

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(Steve Langenbrunner)

Thanks to the groomers who did an excellent job setting new classic tracks a few days ago. The best glide I have had for weeks. Skater tracks looked like it was good for them too. I skied the Blue Return Loop and around the Red. It was fun to be able to ski Red Loop again with good snow and track.

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(Steve Langenbrunner)

I was able to ski for a couple of hours today, and the tracks were fantastic. It was 27 degrees, and I used my waxable skis and just flew down the trail like an Olympian. I also noticed that from the Jensen Trailhead to junction 18 and partway down 18 to 19, a snowmobile drove down this part of the trail and ruined one set of the double set trails. Just a heads up if you are out there and wondering what the heck.

Photos:

(Nancy Schultz, Friends of Flathorn Gegoka Trails)

Very good conditions, plenty of snow. A little tree litter here and there that would only be a concern if using wax skis. Tracks are in great shape.

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(Tim Grebner)

Was able to ski the western loop trails (6>7>8>9>6) today with Mary. Light snow was falling, tracks were in good shape, and conditions were fast.

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(Nancy Schultz, Friends of Flathorn Gegoka Trails)

Enjoyed a three-hour ski over freshly groomed trails. Light snow was coming down toward the end of the ski. Good glide in 10-degree temps.

Photos:

(Nancy Schultz, Friends of Flathorn Gegoka Trails)

All trails were groomed today using our Skandic. While the grooming work was completed successfully, we're continuing to monitor a battery charging issue with the machine. We're working with our service shop to resolve this and plan to address it fully after the season ends. We appreciate your patience as we work through these equipment challenges. Enjoy the freshly groomed trails!

(Nancy Schultz, Friends of Flathorn Gegoka Trails)

Skate deck refreshed on Cascade Connector, Massie, and Hall on Thursday. Classic tracks on these trails were not reset and some folks are reporting using b-skis on these trails. Deeryard trails groomed Friday. No new snow at Deeryard but trails are in great shape.

Photos:

(Adam Dettman)

Skied Deer Yard Loop and up to Cascade Tower site between 10:30AM and noon. The trail had just been groomed and the conditions were excellent! Temps were 38F when we started and around 45F when we finished! Classic tracks were in very good shape. Very pleasantly surprised considering the temps.

(Steven Steele)

From the Cascade Lodge trailhead, I skied up west pioneer and across and up to the Fire Tower. Then down and around the Deeryard and short loops back to east pioneer and down back to the lodge. Tracks were well formed, firm and they started and stopped the right places on the hills. Good grooming overall. However fresh snow is needed as the tree debris was very grabby. I had to stop several times to scrap my skis and then re-wax (blue and blue extra wax) to maintain smooth skiing. This problem would be much less on skins or waxless skins but still expect some grabby stops that might mess with your balance.

(Timothy Nelson)

I skied the Hall loop this afternoon in 30 degrees, partly cloudy, and breezy. The track was excellent in most places, but when it wasn't, watch out. Lots of bare spots with rocks and roots sticking up through the snowpack. Some spots were thin, and there was a lot of debris on the trail. Definitely use your B skis or rock skis. This was my final ski this week. I'd rate the skiing good, not excellent. But lots of variety in the quality, from dodging rocks to a perfect track and firmness.

(Chris Norbury)

Groomed Friday: Pioneer, Deeryard Main Loop, Short Loop, Firetower. New snow in last 48 hours: <1". Deeryard trails are in great shape and should provide awesome skiing through the weekend, particularly with cool temps. Trails west of Cascade Lodge would benefit from additional snow and were not groomed again after Tuesday. Skiers report using B skis on these trails.

(Adam Dettman)

I can't review the entire trail system because I only skied the easy loops starting from the campground trailhead. The tracks appear to have been set at least a few days ago. Most were good to excellent, but I encountered some bare, icy patches a few times. I saw a noticeable amount of debris on the trails, especially in the densely forested areas. It appears as if deer had "attacked" a pine or spruce to get at the green needles and left a mess in the middle of the trail. The tracks were generally solid and well set, with decent glide for my waxless skis.

(Chris Norbury)

Conditions: Well-groomed overall, with the good skiing once you get a bit away from the trailhead. Classic tracks were set and generally in good shape, firm and skiable, though a little softer in spots closer to the start. Coverage was solid. Weather: Clear and cold just after sunrise, classic North Shore winter weather. Calm conditions made for comfortable skiing and great visibility. The Ski: I headed out just after sunrise. The groomed trail begins about one-tenth of a mile from the parking lot. I skied from the trail center out to the first Lake Superior lookout. The original plan was to complete the blue loop, but between the mileage and hiking up to the Lake Superior lookout, it was taking longer than expected. I adjusted the plan and switched to the red out-and-back instead. The hike up to the lookout was well worth the extra time, the view of Lake Superior was excellent. The return ski included some fast, fun downhill sections that skied nicely in the existing track. Overall, a very enjoyable morning on well-maintained trails with classic winter conditions.

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(Joseph Kruger)

Campground loop had some bare spots but was overall good. Non-lakeside of 61 was great and most of the trails were groomed and tracked. Not too busy today.

(Eric Rogers)

The snowmaking loop was 100% open but I encountered some frozen chunks particularly on outbound Willow and the first outbound climb on Scenic. Thus, I would rate the trail conditions as only good at my 10 am start. It was not the silky smooth trail conditions that I experienced the prior two days. However, I think the wetter, corn snow on the sun-exposed portions of the trail matched up well with my yellow-waxed skis and I improved my pace by 8% or half a mile per hour for my fastest lap of the season so far. The end of the Willow climb, the first outbound Scenic climb and second inbound climb on Star were fairly chewed up but not so deep that I couldn't skate at all. There was no snowplow wake on Boulder downhill. Interestingly, there was a sandwich board with a QR code survey about the new double classic tracks at the chalet trailhead. Thanks to the groomers for their generally superb work this season.

(Keith Carlson)

Great conditions on the snowmaking loop this morning with the overnight freeze. The steep hills are a bit sugary but not bad. Classic tracks looked nice but had some ice.

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(Ophelia Loree)

The snowmaking loop was 100% open and in excellent condition. It was 34 to 35 degrees and partly cloudy. There was no ice, no sugar buildup on the climbs and no snowplow wake on the Boulder Ridge downhill at my 10:30 start. The snow had not yet corned.. The double classic tracks along the right side of the trail did not appear as extensive as Wednesday. With yellow waxed skis, I was once again able to skate non-stop to the shelf/saddle on Boulder but still had to take a couple of breathers between the first and second inbound climbs on Scenic but this time I was able to just barely reach top of Frogtown without stopping. In the end, I was only able to improve on my prior day's pace. by .15 mph.

(Keith Carlson)

The North trail is in surprisingly great condition. It's very thin, but 99% completely snow covered. The only icy spots showed up along Bush Lake road. The manmade loop is obviously still in fantastic condition, though the new double classic tracks make for some tight skate passing.

(Matt Francsis)

The snowmaking loop was 100% open and in excellent condition. It was 34 to 35 degrees and partly cloudy. There was no ice, no sugar buildup on the climbs and inconsequential snowplow wake on Boulder Ridge at my 1:00 start. There was some moisture apparent in the snow in the more sun-exposed portions of the trail. New I believe since I skied here last week, there are now double classic tracks along the right side of the trail except for the outbound leg of Boulder. It is reinitiated at the top. As a consequence, the skater's lanes nearing the the top of the outbound and first inbound Scenic Foothills climbs may no longer accommodate two skaters side by side. I was able to skate non-stop to the shelf/saddle on Boulder but had to take a couple of breathers between the first and second inbound climbs on Scenic and towards the top of Frogtown. My wax's temperature range topped out at 32 so maybe that slowed me but more likely it was my age and condition.

(Keith Carlson)

Skied the natural snow as well as the man-made. The conditions were surprisingly good for being listed as poor. A few ice patches and lots of leaves but nothing unavoidable. Lake was probably the worst of the natural snow and the north trail was the best. Man-made snow is great as always. Also spotted a coyote out on hill trail!

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(Cedar Lynch)

The man made trails were in great shape this morning with two nicely groomed parallel tracks instead of just one. My skin skis worked great. The only icy tracks of note were in the flatter lower sections where some of the tracks had some crushed ice. There was no loose snow buildup anywhere, including Boulder Ridge. I also skied Oak knob north and nature center natural trails. They were in better shape than Three Rivers rating of poor, fair to good. There was good snow coverage throughout except at the very beginning on the lake trail connector. The groomers did an extra good job softening up the snow.

(Dan Zenk)

Skied the 5K manufactured snow loop only. For a good portion of loop, it felt like a luge run on icy rails with skinny skis. Temperature 35F. My selected klister didn't work, so I put Start Oslo Violet over the top and it worked quite well. Very hard ski trail base.

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(Ken Kuznia)

Started 10:30 in the morning, 35 degrees. In a party of four, two had waxless, two had Skintec. Skied man-made trail only. Did not check out natural trails, but assumed they were not very good. Tracks were a little icy and fast, but deep and excellently groomed. The skins worked great in the fast tracks. Not many skiers out in the morning, but conditions were excellent. The base is still a good two to three feet thick. Overall, a really great ski experience.

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(Earl Stabenow)

Classic skied all the natural trails at 8:30 this morning. All had very shallow but usable tracks with varying debris in places. The snow was still fairly soft and the skate deck had mostly good firm snow when I needed use it where the track was all ice or melted (only a couple places except the lake trail). The lake trail from the start to the Hill junction was in bad shape. Multiple icy sections including a couple narrow ice patches that were the only skiable connections to more snow. The Hill trail was in great shape though and the rest of lake still has good coverage.

(Dan Zenk)

Conditions on the natural snow trails were better than I expected. Even after the temperatures in the high 30s and bright sunshine, they were very good for the most part. Just three or four short bits with dirt showing through the classic tracks, which were easily avoided. The skate deck looked very good as well. I saw one area of bare ice on the first uphill of the lake trail, but it looked like with a little bit of momentum going into the hill you could make it through on skate skis without much trouble. Fun to hear and watch the trumpeter swans make a test flight. Beautiful sun and blue skies. Conditions on the manufactured trails were, of course, excellent. The Boulder Ridge climb was firm, not chopped up and sugary like it sometimes gets in the afternoon, and there was not a trace of ice on the Boulder Ridge descent. Skied on my skin skis.

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(Craig Wiklund, North Star Ski Touring Club)

The snowmaking loop was in excellent condition. It was 21 degrees with a light overcast at my noon start. There was no sugar buildup on the climbs and no snowplow wake on the Boulder downhill, The very light snow cover on top of the packed base was generally dry and a little slow for me with skis waxed with old FastWax Blue. The front lot was packed when I arrived betwen 11:40 and 11:45 but it started to empty out by the time I changed and got into my boots.

(Keith Carlson)

Skied all of the natural trails and I would say conditions are good. There is one very icy section on a short uphill on the lake trail, but it is easy to get around. Also, some gravel on the trail where the Hill trail meets up again with the Lake Trail, but also easy to avoid. Awesome to ski on natural snow!

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(Patty Carlen)

Skied at 11:00 this morning. Cloudy which helps hold the natural snow. Barely got on the man made loop because it was just so nice to ski the natural trails, which made it so much nicer to not do loops for 2 hours. Thank-you groomers!

(Jill Cooper)

Very pleasant skiing with the warmer temps. Tracks seemed softer and less icy. I skied the bike trail to the River Access Road, south along the river, to the Visitor Center and back along the bike trail. Ten or more swans across the river from the boat landing.

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(Kris Backlund)

Skied the outer loop west of Pilot Knob. No track as noted on the park website but packed with skier-made tracks (in places). Some walker traffic, even on the skiers-only section. Good coverage with no ice to speak of except for short sections through the campground and just west of the Pilot Knob bridge. Did not encounter any rocks or bare spots. Some leaf/twig debris in spots. Conditions were fair overall. Fresh snow coverage is pretty thin, hence the B skis recommendation.

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(Dave Gardner)

Carver official reports poor condition which is probably accurate for most skiers but I had a great time with my metal edged touring skis this morning. At 9 AM the snow surface was very hard and the ice was frozen solid. I skied everything but King, which is closed, and nature center. The best part was there was a classic track practically everywhere which I was able to use with my metal edge skis, even though there was a lot of ice in the tracks. I give the groomers a lot of credit for that great track. The best trail by far was Grimm starting off of Grimm Road. It only had one pure ice section that was about 50 feet long. The part of Grimm along Parley lake was over 50% pure ice and the Sugar Bush trail was also mostly ice. By 11 am though everything was starting to melt.

(Dan Zenk)

95% very good, 4% fair (ice under snow, debris, thin), 1% yikes (solid ice, grass). King is by far the worst and is rock ski conditions but skied fine. B skis on everything else and a bit of caution at times. Grimm is in the best shape.

(Spencer Davis)

Skated around Grimm this afternoon when it was in the lower 20s F. I was surprised at how good of condition the trail was in; I was worried about it being icy but it was well-groomed corduroy for almost all of it, with good depth. Occasionally there were small areas with dirt, exposed grass, or ice, but this was mostly limited to the sides of the trail. The area after the first hill, along the lake, was probably the most deteriorated, but still easily navigable and it was a relatively short section. The tracks from what I noticed varied quite a bit; in some areas they were completely intact, nearly perfect, and in other areas they had melted away to bare ground.

(Kristian Markon)

Made my way to Lake Elmo after reading other positive reviews. Surprisingly good. The thin layer of snow was well bonded to the ice below making it easy to hold an edge. Coverage is thin to very thin with plenty of the typical tree debris. Rated B skis. Trail is probably 15% good skis, 80% B skis, and 5% rock skis. Get out there while you can.

(Hank Carbone)

The multi-use trails are fantastic for skijoring, but I certainly wouldn't have wanted to ski them without my dog and the extra help he brings. A lot of ice and crusty throughout, but there was never a moment where I felt like I couldn't find an easy-ish way through. That said, I'd only skijor here right now if you're also good on skis. A few bare spots and a very thin section or two, thus the rock skis.

(Mike Schowalter)

I've never skied at Lake Elmo before but I really enjoyed it. It seemed to have been groomed for skate in the last day or two so it was better conditions than I was expecting. I found it fun and fast. There were definitely some sketchier sections in a few spots with ice or debris, particularly on Savannah trail. It didn't seem like North trail had been groomed recently and I saw walkers on it so I didn't go on North. The trails nearer the trailhead had more coverage. Overall, I found it very skiable and fun and I did about 90 minutes. Very few skiers out today.

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(Katharine Woodman-Maynard)

The snowmaking skate deck was great this morning with pretty light traffic. Some uphill sections in the sun were getting mushy and sticky. Thanks to the BC crew for maintaining such an excellent venue.

(John Greene)

I set out to ski only the snowmaking trails but when I saw the natural trails were open I had to try them. They are skiable, but only for an advanced and adventurous skier. The main problem being the big downhills with sharp turns at the bottom. The first big downhill has a fairly straight runout so that one was fine, but the rest of the big ones are very rutted and icy on the turns at the bottom. I almost bit it a couple of times even doing some snowplowing to scrub speed. They're not going to be able to fix that until there's more snow to work with. But coverage was actually surprisingly good and it was not really softening up yet as of 2 pm. There was just one big bare spot, the one that always melts first on the long gradual uphill (photo). Had to take the skis off there. But otherwise only a couple of easily avoidable dirt spots. A lot of leaves and twigs though. Definitely B skis territory. Ski Games trails across the road are closed. The snowmaking trails, on the other hand, were excellent for skating as usual, nice firm deck, no sugar yet, fine for best skis. The classic tracks looked good not great - washed out and degraded in places but very skiable.

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(Jay Lyons)

Skied only on snowmaking loops. Perfect conditions for classic skiing. The tracks were firm and I had plenty of grip with my skin skis. Skate skiing was great too. Very little loose snow on the climbs.

(Jim Lasch)

Snow making loops in great shape. With the lower overnight temperatures, the corduroy set up real nice. I skated. Tracks looked, unsurprisingly, glazed.

(Ben Larson)

Battle Creek continues to impress me with their expertise in constructing and maintaining quality ski trails. I skated several laps on the Pond, Prairie, South Tree, and North Tree loops, and despite the dearth of natural snow plus prolonged periods of thawing, this morning I found the snowmaking trails to be in very good condition. There were only a few other skiers when I arrived about 9:00. The skate deck was solid with a thin layer of corduroy on top. Classic tracks looked to be pristine in most places. Even with the small number of skiers, the corduroy was skated out pretty quickly as everyone was skiing multiple laps. However, the remaining snow continued to produce good push and good directional ski stability. Glide was a little less than desirable, but generally not bad. The inside lines of the downhill curves at the south end of South Tree and north end of North Tree were starting to get scraped down and exhibited snow being pushed to the outside lines through the curves, but still had enough edgeable snow to make them controllable when I left. Fun ski today. Big thumbs-up to the snow managers and groomers.

(David Sonnenberg)

Listen, I know it's Superbowl Sunday and the Olympics are on, but Battle Creek was A+ conditions this morning. Showed up just before 10 and was met with a beautiful corduroy skate deck on all the artificial loops and absolutely fantastic weather. Thanks groomers!

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(Josh Heurung)

Beautiful corduroy this morning. Trails are in amazing shape, get out there and enjoy. There were no ropes closing off the back / natural snow hills but they were not groomed and looked fully iced over. All the rest are amazing. Thank you groomers!

(Tim Moore)

The entire snowmaking loops were open. Given today's temperature gradient from high 30's in the early morning to the high teens by night - it was 19 degrees when I started, it should be no surprise that the perimeter trails I skied were in only fair condition. Snow was generally firmly packed where I generally had no trouble getting bite with my skis but there was occasional frozen corduroy that could be really treacherous particularly towards the bottom of Cowabunga. Being alone, the only skier on the trail, and 73, I snowplowed the downhills really cautiously. Unfortunately. Snowplowing on frozen corduroy doesn't work really well. My skis started chattering so badly when I hit the frozen corduroy towards the bottom of Cowabunga I was afraid I was going lose control. Just as I was thinking I might need to sit down or fall to one side, I got past the frozen corduroy and regained control.

(Keith Carlson)

The World Cup, Silver and Enchanted Forest trails were groomed today. There are still some ruts and thin icy spots but it is skiable and has been opened. As always be cautious on the steep hills and tight corners. The manmade snow trails are in excellent condition so come on out and enjoy the weekend.

(Rob Adams)

The man-made snow was in great condition - firm skate deck and good tracks all around. The natural snow areas were still closed.

(Kent Sall)

They groomed this morning and the skate deck is great. A few spots with debris but all in all really good. The classic track has more debris and is glazed. The entire course was very skiable.

(Brian Wicklund)

General conditions for skate skiing were very good. The usual places under the white pines were thin but easily negotiable. Classic tracks variable, but very good west of the tunnel. Staff had recently scratched up the the skate lane to very good results. It was a very satisfying ski experience.

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(Michael Wilke)

I did two loops of the full system in temps just below freezing, and skate conditions were nice throughout. There were just a few occasional easily-managed bare or icy spots in the usual flat areas. In general, I felt that even the exposed flats were in good shape. I also saw no issues with ruts or even debris forming on the hills. The park has done a great job maintaining its snow; it was fast and a pleasure to ski. The base was thin in many areas without overhead coverage, though, which could be a factor with the warming temps. Get out while we can! Classic conditions, speaking second-hand, were much more hit-or-miss. There were some nice looking sections in the woods and even in some of the more elevated exposed areas, like Wedge Hill Savannah. In the lower trails, though, tracks were often iced or blown out. Definitely skate if you have the choice.

(Alex Leslie)

I skied from the visitor center around the woodland trails and back and it was a mix of pretty good and meh. The Savannah trails near the visitor center had several hard ice sections, with classic tracks gone. A couple bare spots can be avoided but the ice cannot. Into the woodlands the skiing improves immensely. Trails are mostly clean, not even much leaf debris in the deep classic tracks. Stay in the woods.

(Glenn Hansen)

Classic skied on skins the outer loops. Temps just above freezing. Skate deck looked firm and fast. Coverage was good but thin. Classic tracks were variable, mostly shallow and somewhat icy. In the open windy areas, it was often too thin for good tracks. But on most hills they were helpful.

(Tim Nelson)

They groomed yesterday and set new classic tracks. The skate deck is fast but not icy except on top of Wedge Hill. Some leaf debris in spots of the classic tracks but not too bad. The only rocks are over by the RR track and easy to avoid. The track is glazed but not icy. I had my B skis but will be back with my good skis tomorrow. Super conditions all in all.

(Brian Wicklund)

It was warm spring skiing this morning at 39 degrees on the snow making loops. The North Parking lot at the Trailhead is closed for races this weekend. [ Both parking lots at the Trailhead will be closed for events this weekend -- Ed. ] Conditions were variable. with the classic tracks a little icy and slushy at times, but overall pretty good especially on the shaded loops. The skate deck was in good shape with no ice. When I finished it was 44 degrees!

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(Bill Lundberg)

Loppet Junior Qualifier and Supertour races are coming to the snowmaking ski trails this weekend. Here are some upcoming modifications and closures to be aware of. Thursday, February 12th: Trails north of the roundabout will be groomed with 4 best line classic tracks getting ready for weekend races.Friday, February 13th: Race preview day - trails will be open to the public but in World Cup routing.Saturday and Sunday, February 14th and 15th: Loppet Junior Qualifier and SuperTour Races: Trails closed to the public 6am-2pm.

(Robert Ibler, Loppet Foundation)

I skied all the snowmaking loops this afternoon at 38 degrees. The classic tracks and the skate deck were all in very good condition with no ice at all. My no wax skis worked great.

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(Bill Lundberg)

Lots of people out enjoying the trails at Theo this morning. I forgot what was lit and what was not. The tracks were as good as they could be great job groomers. Deep and firm all the way around The skate deck was hard and fast - a bit pebbly where I dropped out of the tracks so I could control my speed on downhills.

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(Scott Greymont)

Fast and clean if sometimes lightly glazed conditions over 40k at Wirth today, with some sweet if slightly skittery extensions off the usual snowmaking loops. Best part? A ton of partner school kids on snow around 1pm, and a ton of HS skiers there for a meet at 4pm. Must have seen 300 kids outdoors: not one on their phone!

(David Moore)

Went out on the natural trails and snow is still holding up well even after a warm day. No bare or icy spots. Greatly appreciate the grooming!

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(Tracy Litzenberg)

Skied Northern Lights, very good. Skate deck firm and there were shallow classic tracks, which was nice. Snow was soft, but not slush, almost no debris. Thank you groomers.

(Karen Peters)

Skated the outer Lake, Creek, and Northern Lights loop late morning when it was in the upper 20s. Lake was in pretty good shape, as was Northern Lights. Creek was also uniformly in good shape except for a few specific places that were notably problematic: one consisting basically of bark chips mixed with snow; another where the paved trail crosses the hill; and another after that that was almost all bare grass. The latter two spots were just navigable on skis; at the wood chips I should have probably taken my skis off and walked past but I underestimated how much debris there was.

(Kristian Markon)

Skied man made in the afternoon. Very good conditions; not icy, few leaves, better than expected. Thank you groomers.

(Karen Peters)

Skied the man made valley trail. Skate deck still in very good shape, snow a little soft (air temp at 33oF). Classic tracks still in good shape. A few leaves here and there blown by the wind. Only 5-6 people skiing. All in better shape than I expected after these higher temperature yesterday.

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(Bernard Cerles)

The warm conditions and lack of snow are affecting the natural trails. The Lake and Creek trails have deteriorated significantly over the last few days. Today, there were some bare spots on the Lake trail; exercise caution on the slight downhill by the lake where the paved trail cuts through, as the blacktop is exposed. Quite a bit of debris on much of the trail as well. There are only so many miracles the groomers can summon. The manmade loop, however, was excellent as always.

(Jason Goepfert)

Skied the man made valley trail around 9:00 am. Lower temperature than yesterday. Skate deck is in great shape, classic trail looked well defined. No icy spot, no debris. Downhill part in good shape with no ice or snowplow ridges. Very enjoyable overall.

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(Bernard Cerles)

With the exception of a few bald spots on the blacktop trail near the nature center the trail is in very good condition. The multipurpose trail was very good and had been freshly groomed. Creek Trail and northern lights trail are also good. Use your good skis and ski around the bald spots. There is almost no set classic tracks. Get out there before the weather warms.

(Craig Poorker)

I skated at French Tuesday night and it was better than expected- some icy and thin patches in spots but overall quite good; the groomers are doing a great job making it happen with limited snow. An enjoyable skate ski. Get out and enjoy it while it lasts.

(Ben Cahill)

Bring your B skis for a pleasant natural ski. Some parts of the trail are pristine. Some parts are a little icy and some parts have a little bit of wood chips .Get out here and ski before the snow is melted. Some tracks are set, but they're very shallow.

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(Scott Cummings)

Due to the warm temperatures we will be closing the cross country ski trail at Highland-9. If weather conditions change we will reassess. Thank you for your understanding.

(James Bezanson, St. Paul Parks and Recreation)

Lovely to ski in the neighborhood again. I'd rank the experience as skiable if you already love skiing, but not the place to bring someone who doesn't already love skiing. Classic tracks were in good shape 75% of the way, with some areas of ice and few small areas of bare grass but no exposed cart track asphalt yet. Expect some leaf and stick debris. Skate path seemed to have some frozen ruts. I figured it was a day for adventure and balance rather than speed.

(Anne Valaas-Turner)

Skated 7am for an hour. fantastic sections? Yes. Various states of natural snow? Yes. Crusty ruts? Yes. Ice under a thin layer of snow? Yes. Skiing around bare spots? Two. Challenging for my old man balance? Sometimes. Enough coverage to make it worth it? Yes.

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(Jeff Streier)

Good conditions today. Performed a groom on both the skate and classic decks. Some ice spots and tree debris to be mindful of. Soft snow conditions and will continue as it warms up.Enjoy!

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(David Schwarz)

Glad I went and it's skiable, but there's just not enough snow for good classic skiing. Track is shallow or undefined. A little bare grass and a fair amount of ice, either exposed or just underneath making it difficult for poling. However, skiing deck looked pretty good. (Maybe it's time for me to make the switch.).

(Bob Hartzler)

Skied Dragonfly Loop (2.5 miles). Some sections were bare ground, lots of icy tracks when there were tracks, and snow was crunchy and crunched down. We made it through but did take our skis off and walk down a couple of hills we felt were unsafe to ski. Deer Pass Trail is not recommended due to icy conditions.

(Keturah Pestel)

Very poor conditions. Ice and exposed areas. Ungroomable. Both the classic and skate deck will be day to day. Sorry for the inconvenience from Como.

(David Schwarz)

I tried a lap at the U of M and then drove to Como. It looks like they took out the big groomer (PB?) because the trails were great. Snow is adhering to the ice underneath, and previous icy patches are gone or nearly so. There's some ice on top of the hill going to the back NW bowl. They did not groom up on top by the ski hill and there's some dirt across the trail after the tunnel, but so far, it can be avoided and I didn't hit any rocks (but there may be some small ones in the dirt). No tracks of course. Overall excellent conditions considering what they're working with. Thank you, thank you!

(Jay Wenner)

Almost all trails are still skiable, but you have to watch for some spots where the ground sticks through. Especially on the back side upper trails, there is a downhill and where it dips steeper you can't see that it is open ground all the way across until you come up to the knoll. I had to ski out pretty fast on that one and then set a barrier of sticks across most of the trail so people could have more time to stop. Ski safe.

(Joe Iverson)

We're still skiing here at SMU. Reset the classic track with very good to OK results. The skate lane is the same results Plans are to keep grooming until we can't. Expect some dirt to navigate and some debris. The upper most hills have not been groomed stay in the lower trails and for access use Yon's parking area. Thanks for skiing here at SMU!

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(Steve Horeck)

The groomer was out Sunday morning. Don't be put off by the icy conditions by the Yon's parking lot; once up on the dike and the main loop, conditions are surprisingly good. Better for skate than classic; classic track is OK in some places, icy in other areas, non-existent in some spots. A few thin spots and a bit of leaves and debris but all in all skiing is still good.

(Tom Stoa)

We went over the main trails with the Ginzu and also reset the tracks with the PistenBully. We have a couple of inches of snow over a solid layer of ice. The snow has bonded well with the ice. We had a suggestion, so I left a shovel by the spots that are showing dirt. We hope that if you're skiing and see the shovel, you'll stop and throw a few shovels of snow from the sides of the trail. Thanks in advance. B skis are recommended, maybe even tock skis.

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(Steve Horeck)

Skied 10k. The grooming crew continues to exceed expectations. Conditions were great. Classic tracks set and are good. Some debris could have an adverse impact.

(Kevin Mahoney)

Good, full, adequate snow coverage, but not abundant snow. Nice classic track with rare ice but some leaf debris. Skate deck appeared firm and felt firm when I fell. Overall, good skiing can still be had here.

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(Thomas Leaf)

I classic skied 15.14 miles in 1 hour and 33 minutes before work today. Spring skiing conditions for sure. Let's just say the tracks are absolutely perfect for the weather! Firm, mid-deep, ample glide, and good kick. Good Birkie speed flats skiing! Thank you groomers!

(Kevin Grand)

I classic skied 13.39 miles in 1 hour 25 minutes. Kick double-poling and double-poling technique were effective. The tracks were really firm for being 37 degrees and in very good condition. I had old Swix violet on, but still had a bit of glide. Kick was great. The skate deck looked to be softening up a bit. The snow was getting dirty all around. Phenomenal after-work ski! Thank you, groomers!

(Kevin Grand)

I classic skied 12.31 miles in 1 hour 16 minutes. Great conditions for Lake Hayward sprint training before work! Kick double-poling and double-poling. The temperature was 23 F, old snow. Still skiing on hot waxed Swix violet/turquoise that has 43 miles on it, and the glide was pretty stellar! All I know is the tracks were great. Everything else just flew by. Thank you groomers!

(Kevin Grand)

The Anchor system, Abbey Rd., Northern Lights to the summit and The Buzz have all been groomed-both skate and classic- in the last 48 hours. The classic tracks have held up very well despite the temperature fluctuations and the skate deck is even but hard packed. Jolly Rd. skate deck was touched up this morning and the classic tracks done two days ago are holding up very well.

Photos:

(Mac Tezak)

I classic skied 25.31 miles in 3 hours 2 minutes. It was 31 degrees, I hot waxed Swix red. The ski was mainly a kick double-poling, double-poling technique, with a lot of hill climbs included. I learned how to kick double-pole up longer, gradual to mid-pitched hills today. It was a super fun pre-Birkie training ski. The tracks were firm and very well groomed. Kick was a little slippery on the steps. The skate deck was firm. It was one of the most fun skis of the season! Thank you, groomers.

(Kevin Grand)

An excellent albeit slightly icy evening. We started off on Sugarbush and Anchor, making our way through Seagull, before returning to the chalet and doing the Abbey Road candlelit trail. Conditions were great! Slippery at first but Anchor was a little creamier.

Photos:

(Noah Shea)

The Abbey skate lane to the cabin and the skate lane on Skid Rd. were groomed this morning. Conditions are very good. The skate decks are hard packed and the classic tracks all over the hill are holding up very well.

(Mac Tezak)

Night skied Abby-Skid-Jolly skate deck was hard, fast and had some ice glaze. Fun, fast but challenging at times to get a solid push off. Abby road was the most beat up with the traffic, might grab those classic skis for Saturday. Thank you groomers for always being out and making the best conditions possible!

(Maverick Taylor)

Beautiful day at Mt. Ashwabay under beautiful blue skies. There was a bit of ice on the trails near the trailhead from yesterday's warmer temps but nearly perfect on northern lights and anchor. The temp was in the 20's today. Lot of good double poling on northern lights as the track was firm. On a day like today Ashwabay always feels like you are out west skiing.

Photos:

(Gene Karwoski)

I classic skied 20.43 miles in 2 hours 18 minutes. Hillclimbs, Hillclimbs and double poling and kick double-poling. Swix violet was liquid fast. Phenomenal kick. Excellent conditions to bring some actual Birkie paced speed. These groomers are amazing. They created a classic skiing machine! Thank you!

(Kevin Grand)

The skate decks on the Anchor system, Jolly loop, Telford and the Beginner's loop were groomed this morning. We experienced a bit of a thaw freeze cycle in the past 24 hours, temps have been cooling significantly since last night. Blue bird day at Ashwabay and trails are skiing well.

(Mac Tezak)

Our first visit here in many years, Joanie and I circled the trail system on many of the single-track classic only trails, including Deer Path, Sugar Bush, and Oppendahl's Alley. The tracks appeared to have been groomed recently with some fresh powder on top, and pole plants were still solid. These trails go through scenic woodlands and have a good flow, with gentle climbs and descents. They appear to be two-way, which is unusual for classic-only trails. Thanks for the grooming and care of these trails!

Photos:

(Darren Blankenship)

I classic skied 25.54 miles in 3 hours 30 minutes. Conditions are phenomenal! A lot of hillclimbs, I mean, a lot. Some mixed with flats for double-poling and kick double-poling. Tracks were a mix of freshly groomed and two days old. The glide was spotty because there were noticeable cold snow areas and warm snow areas depending on the location of the trail section. I waxed Swix pink, and it was pretty good everywhere but buzz. The buzz stayed cold. Probably would have had better glide with violet/pink mix. Overall, that was a phenomenal Birkie training ski. Thank you, groomers! You're giving me the best, most fun Birkie training season I can remember. Love it.

(Kevin Grand)

The skate deck on Abbey Rd. and Northern Lights to the nordic summit were groomed today. Jolly, classic and skate decks, were groomed today. The Buzz and Oppedahl's have both been groomed in the last two days. There are a couple ridges in the skate deck at the Anchor/Jolly/Abbey intersection to be mindful of.

Photos:

(Mac Tezak)

Oppedahl's and the Sugarbush connector were groomed this morning. As of today, the Anchor system, Abbey Rd., Sugarbush and Deer Path are all in very good skiing shape.

(Mac Tezak)

I raced to the trail after work thinking that conditions might deteriorate with the warm up. I was very wrong. The roads have melted clear, but the trail is still firm and fast. It was cooler up there at only 28° at the warmest. I kind of wished that I hadn't waxed my skis on the first few downhills, but there was plenty of edge. Weee!! I skated, but there was brand new crisp looking classic track on the east side Core Loop. They moved it to the opposite side of the trail to get a clean cut and it looks good.

(Amanda Wieckowicz)

Skiied the east side. Firm and fast courderoy. Trail is really widening out and leveling. There are a few humps and bumps here and there, but just the ones that come from granite remnants with beautiful views.

Photos:

(Amanda Wieckowicz)

Great snow and conditions despite 37 degree temps this afternoon. Still a lot of snow here. Recent grooming. Firm, fast classic track. Skaters I spoke with today also noted great skiing.

Photos:

(Thomas Leaf)

Trails were in the process of being groomed this morning as Joanie and I skied Sally's Classic trail and a variety of skate trails. The couple inches of fresh powder was welcome over the crusty base and the fresh groom made everything even better. Trails went from good to excellent during the grooming, but there was some minor debris on the trails from the gusty winds.

Photos:

(Darren Blankenship)

The trails appeared to have been fairly recently groomed and classic tracks were set. I classic skied, but the skate deck looked fabulous besides for some deer tracks and occasional debris.

(Elizabeth Becker)

We received only a dusting of snow this week. We groomed all of Anvil today. The skate deck has been refreshed and tracks have been set. Tracks are shallow in some areas. There is still a fair amount of debris from the strong winds last week in the trail.

Photos:

(Valerie Knurr)

All trails at Anvil were groomed today. Tracks were set on Lake Loop, West, East, Ninemile, Military, and Butternut Trails. We got about 2 inches of light snow this week. It freshened up the trails nicely. Strong winds today knocked down a fair amount of debris in some areas. Low temps should set the trail up nicely.

Photos:

(Valerie Knurr)

Nicolet North was groomed this morning. Tracks were set on all trails. The track setter was stuck in the down position on Butternut, Narrow Gauge, and a small section of Pat Shay, so we were unable to lift it on hills. We got about 2 inches of light snow this week. It freshened up the trails nicely. Strong winds today knocked down a fair amount of debris in some areas. Low temps should set the trail up nicely.

Photos:

(Valerie Knurr)

Whole trail system groomed. Great snow. Pretty smooth skate deck and a nice single classic track laid down.

(Joe Panci)

Weather was 24° with no wind. Great conditions after crew completed grooming last night. Skied entire system. Skate deck firm and virtually untouched. Classic tracks looked great. Best conditions so far this year.

(John Gustavson)

Most trails were regroomed with some soft snow on top. Heavy debris on the trail in some spots. I didn't see any rocks, used good skis. Fun skiing.

(Shane Stimac)

Trail conditions are good, considering we haven't received much snow since the meltdown and rain a few weeks ago. Classic tracks were in pretty good shape, although somewhat shallow. Some pine tree debris on the trail. Skate deck was in really good condition. I was told that they groomed earlier in the day.

(Libby Stupak)

Skating conditions were good this morning (firm deck and cold), and that was even before the grooming started up for the day. Really amazing coverage still given how little snow we've had. Good skis for sure.

(Ben Larson)

Skied from Birkie Ridge Trailhead to Fire Tower Trailhead and back. Skate deck is very hardpack. Tracks are hard and slippery with quite a few leaves blown. Temp about 20F.

Photos:

(Ken Kuznia)

I skied the Pre-Birkie today. It was below zero at the start and my glide was therefore on the slow side, but that improved as it warmed up. Snow conditions are the best in years. Great grooming and it's noteworthy that it held up well to the race traffic, indicating a nice firm base.

(Louis Muench, CASTA)

Classic skied from OO trailhead north on skate trail past Boedecker trailhead and then back to OO on classic trail. About an inch of new snow over existing groomed trail. Deep base of snow on trail and in woods. Temps around 20F. Awesome skiing!

Photos:

(Ken Kuznia)

I skied classic on the loops south of Hwy OO. The loops were freshly groomed. The shortest loop had tracks set on both sides, but the other loops were one-sided, so it was necessary to watch out for anybody coming the other direction. It was windy, so a few oak leaves had settled in the tracks, but they didn't feel sticky. The wind caused a little drifting in open areas but not enough to fill the tracks. The skate deck was prime, with little traffic. Great skiing - I give it a 10.

(Don Quick)

I skied classic between Hatchery Creek and Mosquito Brook. The tracks are good, with very little forest debris. Tracks are set on both sides but one side is newer and less worn. On the skate deck, the corduroy is mostly worn away from ski traffic, but the deck looks flat and firm. Good skiing. I give it a 9.

(Don Quick)

Enjoy it while it lasts! I went to WRSP this afternoon with modest expectations given the lack of snow, emergent ice, and tree debris build up. To my surprise I found freshly groomed trails with a wonderful 1/4"-1/2" coating of soft snow coating atop the hard base. Tree debris was a thousand times better and the track was soft, fast, and wonderful. I skied Purple, Silver, Blue, and Green and all were in great shape... with a few icy spots excepted. Thanks again to the groomers who continue to gift us with fine trails despite the absence of much snow!

(Gregg Bennett)

The skate lane was groomed on all trails today. Some icy spots have gotten larger but everything is still skatable except I would avoid orange due to larger spots of ice. Classic tracks are icy and have occasional debris. Grooming plans: This is most likely the last grooming until we get more snow.

Photos:

(Bill Callas)

I continue to be so very appreciative of the groomers who have continued to extend the little snow we have had into what is still, overall, nicely skiable terrain. That being said, the track is getting to be a thin coating of well-packed snow on top of an ice base in most places - and, more ice patches are starting to poke through. I skied, Red, Silver, Purple, Blue, and 'lower Yellow' today. The warmer temperature (34F) made it a bit easier to get a reliable edge for skating than yesterday's below freezing conditions. Be careful on the hills as sloughing speed is getting to be more difficult.

(Gregg Bennett)

I found most of the trails on Saturday to be in great shape. Red, Brown, Purple, Green (Campground) and Blue back from the Falls were all had great classic tracks set.. The one trail I would not recommend is Silver. The big hill is all Ice and I only made it about 3/4's of the way up before I had to take off my skis and walk up the rest of the hill. Other hills are manageable, but icy and there were a few bare spots as I got closer to the Falls.

Photos:

(Shane Meisner)

The skate deck was groomed on all the trails today. The icy spots on the orange, yellow, and green are better now after the last snow. The classic tracks are still holding up with red, yellow, and silver, with the best tracks.

Photos:

(Bill Callas)

Skied from Downsville towards Irvington. Trail still in good shape, some debris. Classic tracks looked shallow.

Photos:

(Jess Dunn)

Skied from Irvington to Downsville. Best skate conditions this year. Solid base with an inch or so of powder. Few icy spots and some leaves and branches, but minor. I skied from Menomonie to Irvington yesterday and it was generally good but there are icebergs across the trail a little past the 1 mile marker; need to be very careful here.

(Dan Freedman)

Groomers were out this morning resetting classical tracks and renovating and combing in corduroy on the skate lanes. Groomers are reporting the skiing surface as level and firm with great glide. It's a late winter bluebird day, clear skies with little to no wind, don't miss this opportunity to enjoy a ski or a snowshoe hike at MECCA.

(Norman McKindles)

Groomers were out Monday evening renovating and combing the skate lanes; classical tracks were left in place. Skiing conditions are rated excellent with classical tracks firm and not icy. Skate lanes are level with nice corduroy.

(Norman McKindles)

MECCA groomers were out early this morning mixing the recent light snowfalls with the older, cold snow base creating a great ski surface. Classical tracks were reset and skate lanes were combed creating very nice corduroy. Classical track and skate lanes have set-up quickly with the cold temperature. Conditions are excellent.

Photos:

(Norman McKindles)

Skate lanes were renovated and combed; classical tracks were left in place. Overall ski trails are in excellent condition with firm classical tracks and level skate lanes.

Photos:

(Norman McKindles)

Good, and beautiful with excellent grooming. Yes, some organic matter here and there, but stepping out onto the skate deck took care of most of the oak leaves litter that was a minor effect. Cedar Creek to a return on Nepcos Cruise was all I had time for this morning, but blue skies emerged and smiles all around.

(Ken Schoville)

Arrived early to perfectly groomed trails all the way to Lake Marie. Plenty of snow, solid base. There are a few spots with some debris, but no biggie. Tracks looked perfect. Skied Lake Marie via Tornado Survivor, Yukon C & D Express, and returned via Island Hop and Nepco Cruise; all were perfect! Definitely worth the trip! It was about a 24km trip.

(Dan Dudley)

Great conditions on the Montreal Trails. Tracks were in great shape and glide was superb. Such a treasure to ski!

Photos:

(Johann Geyer)

Trails are in excellent condition with fresh grooming, firm classic tracks and good pole plants, no debris.

(Jonathon Rulseh)

Wonderful morning of skiing classical. Trails nicely groomed. Sunshine and cloudy skies made for good variety.

(Madeline Uraneck)

All trails except Corkscrew were groomed with a new skate deck today. We were able to till the hard pack and it turned out remarkably good. Classic tracks were not reset (except Cervenka's Curl). Tracks are very firm but in good shape. I skied my longest ski of the year today on the freshly groomed skate deck. Fast but good control.

Photos:

(Louis Muench, CASTA)

I skied this morning with temperatures still well before freezing. The trails remain good for skiing, although they have become quite firm with the lack of recent snow and heavy use over the weekend. I didn't notice any ice. Tree debris is increasing but not a major problem. The tracks are also solid but not icy. Fun times!

Photos:

(Louis Muench, CASTA)

A 60 mile drive north to Cumberlaand really paid off. Skied classic 20k on many of the wonderful network . The tracks had been set in the last few days and they were well-formed, deep and so much fun to ski. The deck next door looks excellent as well. There is a trail segment named Diggins Dragon--what a great series of hills. Will be thinking about that watching Jessie tomorrow morning. There was very few spots where dirt was showing thru. No need to keep driving north.

(Jeff Roberts)

One of my favorite ski trails and it was in great shape today. Classic tracks were firm with minimal debris. The skate lane was wide, level, firm and fast. This trail system has a combination of rolling terrain and big hills that pass primarily through a maple forest so not a lot of leaves. There were just a couple of spots with dirt kicked up by the groomer but they are easily avoided. Overall plenty of base. Well worth the drive from Stillwater.

(Bill Breitzman)

The skate deck on the Lighted Trail was tilled and groomed this morning while it was well below freezing. Conditions are very good at this time. New tracks were not reset; they are very firm but in good shape.

Photos:

(Louis Muench, CASTA)

Arrived early in the afternoon to 32F and overcast skies. Most of the snow was providing a good gliding surface even nearly two hours later when I stopped. Some shorter sections have pine needles and twigs. Roller Coaster/Wills Crossing more enjoyable to ski than Mary's Follic as it was wider and flatter across its width. Multiple trail locations to see animal tracks.

Photos:

(William Kircher)

Skate and classic loops were groomed Saturday evening and this morning. Tracks are mostly excellent with a few short shallow set tracks. Skate loops are excellent. Oak Ridge trail will not be groomed anymore this winter as heavy drifting along a recent clearcut has made grooming on a narrow section partway done a steep ridge dangerous. Instead, Lions Pride has been fully cleared and groomed for the first time this winter. Tracks on it are excellent.

(Will Maines)

As of today, for the first time this year I have broken through, groomed and tracked Lions Pride, the longest loop on the classic side of the system. Tracks turned out just a little soft, but near excellent. The rest of the classic trails were groomed and tracked yesterday and are in great shape. On the skate side loops, we have cleaned up the early winter storm damage and have opened part of Long Rider. Skiers will shift over to Mary's Frolic to complete Long Rider. Skate side is in excellent condition.

(Will Maines)

Freshly groomed and incredible conditions! Classic tracks were excellent with no debris. Skate deck had perfect corduroy.

Photos:

(Sparky Stensaas)

Classic skied the red and blue beginner trails. Conditions were good. Trail did not soften up much with the warmer temps. I would recommend the red and blue trails for someone learning to ski. The red trail had two sets of tracks and allowed enjoyable group skiing.

Photos:

(Stephen Wadle)

We classic skied the red and parts of the green today at the Superior Municipal Forest. I was prepared for the worst after our thaw and refreeze, but was pleasantly surprised. The board says no grooming since the 4th, however, the trail was in really good shape. The classic tracks were double pole classic fast, with only bits of ice spots showing under the pines towards the end of the red. There was no debris until the pine areas towards the end either. All ice and debris can be avoided. The skate deck had a nice edge and cord that looked fresher than the 4th.

Photos:

(Eve Graves)

Conditions continue to deteriorate with the warm and sun. This morning, groomers reset the skate deck on the 6k, 10k and D half of the lighted loop. They also ran the "Birkie Loop", which consists of B1, B2, J, K and N in preperation for those getting ready for the Birkie. The classic track is in ok condition but with the current conditions, we will not be resetting any classic. There was a bit of resetting on the 10k, but we're hesitant to reset anywhere else. Grooming plans: Groomers will be back out early Saturday and Sunday to reset through the weekend. They will be grooming where it makes sense and leaving the rest in the attempt to preserve the trails the best we can.

(Bradley Mroczenski)

Trails were in good shape following a bit of a melt and freeze. Skied the 10k, Bushwacker and Y. Looked like new tracks on Bushwacker and Y, deck was tilled on all trails we skied. The tracks ranged from excellent to fair, with leaves being a constant throughout. The deck was great in some places and starting to get thin and hard in others. A big thanks to those who helped shovel out gravel on the problem areas!

(Luke Swoboda)

Nine mile still has a lot of debris on the interior pine trails, but if you get outside of that, trails are great. Bushwacker skied well, deck was reset yesterday, tracks are in good shape despite not being reset for over a week. 10k and Y had newish tracks on the left side of the deck that were the best they've been in weeks. K was fast with new tracks, overall good conditions.

(Luke Swoboda)

The Wausau Area welcomed one to two inches of snow overnight. Groomers were able to get through re-grooming a lot of the system. The 6k, 10k, Leo's Loop, and Lighted Loop all have a new skate deck. Some areas where needed had the classic track touched up. We are working with a very shallow base. Because of this, resetting the classic track has become challenging. Please be careful where the classic track may 'wiggle' a bit. This is due to groomers not being able to wash out the old classic track. When they go to reset, the track setter will sometimes slide back into the old track, creating that wiggle. Some areas on the 6k and 10k have had the classic track flipped to the other side of the trail, where the snow is better. Once we see enough snow, we will reset the track on the original side. Grooming plans: Groomers will be out over the weekend to perform maintenance grooming. It should be a great weekend for skiing!

(Bradley Mroczenski)

Skied the 20k. Only Y, F and part of Main Street had new classic tracks, they were in great shape! Deck was reset system wide, I skied in the deck for 30% of my ski due to leaves and debris in the tracks. There were rocks that had been tilled up in the deck on E, M, T, Leo's, so watch your bases! First half of the Bushwacker was actually in great shape, lots of debris on the back side. Alps were also reset today and were firm. I'd say B or rock skis depending on how wary you are of rocks in the deck.

(Luke Swoboda)

Tribute skate deck groomed 2/12 AM and in very good condition. With a little help, I snow farmed and covered a few icy or thin areas. I classic skied a loop and tracks are good, just a little icy going down the hill at the start. A-skis appropriate!

Photos:

(Paul Martin)

Tribute Skate Deck and right track were groomed early Monday morning. Track is good but a little shallow due to hard snow.

(Paul Martin)

Late Friday Evening: I groomed both tracks and the skate deck. The new snow made for nice corduroy and solid deep tracks. Wind had blown earlier tracks closed. Thanks for your support of the WNSC/Tribute Golf Course collaboration.

Photos:

(Paul Martin)

What a wonderful surprise with two or more inches of new snow this morning. I got out and tracked one side and did the skate deck early today. Grooming plans: I'll check back and track the other side and skate deck this evening for the weekend.

(Paul Martin)

Crasher and I groomed up 42 km of combis this morning; it was still dry, cold powder. Temperatures got up to the 40s today with sun, so the snow will start transforming. What does that mean? The snow will start to turn into rounder crystals and be like spring skiing. It is still groomable but takes more time, and most importantly, it is skiable. Grooming plans: We have four groomers scheduled for 6 am, but with the transforming snow, grooming takes a bit longer. We will concentrate on the main trails: classic only, and combination skate and classic. Check at the front counter or the ticket booth to find out which trails have been groomed so far. And ask about the early season ski passes discounted and about the ski shop sale.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Crasher and I groomed all of the main trails without road crossings today with both PistenBullys. The surface turned out to be perfect, mixing the light snow in. We left the nice hard classic track with a dusting. Wednesday is the grooming clinic, and it is held on the dog trails, so the 5k trail across the road will be closed from 9am-1pm. We have about 110-125 groomers and vendors coming from across the Midwest to train and exchange information for our 22nd annual Grooming Clinic. The good news is that the main trails, 87 km, will be unaffected and the chalet and main parking lot undisturbed. Grooming plans: Wide Track and Partner are grooming the trails again in the morning.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Outstanding conditions. Deep snow. Classic tracks deep-set, firm and fast. Couldn't ask for better conditions.

(Patrick Bryan)

Fast, excellent skating in mid 20 degree temps today. Perfect deck and tracks. Skied Deer Path, Historic Trails, River, Popple, Memory, old Bachelors, Sulos. Lots of solitude.

(Sue Schroeder)

Today I groomed a few recently ungroomed combi trails. The snow conditions are cold, dry powder, and the base is at 3i inches. Grooming Clinic registrations are still coming in, now at 103, and eight vendors have committed for next Wednesday, February 11. We will update the website Friday with the updated information. Grooming plans: Tomorrow, we have a full crew coming in to regroom classic only, Tamarack two track, Ridge Runner, and do some touch-up on combis.

Photos:

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Crossroads and Husky Loops are in great shape. Spartan Loop hasn't been groomed recently, but a few people have skied it this week. Deep snow makes the hills challenging. Photo shows the first hill.

Photos:

(John Rebers)

The skate lanes are still looking great from Thursday night's grooming. The tracks are in great shape and holding up well. Snowshoe trails are getting packed with Winter Challenge participants.

(Deborah Leonard)

All trails Pisten Bully groomed this morning and in excellent condition. Youth ski program is here today using the novice and wax loop. Great to see all the 2nd grader kids out today!

(Deborah Leonard)

Super Trail Sunday. All skate lanes groomed with great corduroy. The Novice Trail tracks were reset. Enjoy this super sunny day!

(Deborah Leonard)

Trails tracked and skate lanes freshened up where needed. Excellent conditions. Thank you to our volunteer groomers.

(Deborah Leonard)

All skate lanes groomed this morning. Tracks still in great shape! Perfect day to be out. The snowshoe trails are nicely packed.

(Deborah Leonard)

Three Rivers conditions rating of fair is an accurate average. It was more the good, the bad and ugly depending on the section of trail (see photos). Classic tracks were even more variable. Lots of debris on the trail today from the wind, especially the Poplar Creek loop. Bring a pair of skis you don't mind damaging.

Photos:

(Ben Ruhme)

The trail was in very good condition at my 6:20 pm start. It was probably 34 degrees. I skied the entire perimeter except Lower Ironwood where the uphill return reconnecting to Ironwood was pretty bare. The rest of the trail was hard packed with a little light rutting at the edges that was of no consequence. There was no ice and no bare spots. Somebody was coming off the trail just as I prepared to go on otherwise I met nobody on the trail except 4 walkers.

(Keith Carlson)

Skied the White Pine trail. Sufficient snow, no bare spots, but some tree debris. Classic tracks a little worn, but still enough to keep you in the track. Could use new snow!

Photos:

(Nickoel Anderson)

Very nice conditions overall. Fast gliding in a new classic track and the skate lane was wide and flat, high-quality grooming. Still some lingering tree debris at the start and finish, mostly pine needles worked into the snow. Connector trail to the White Pine Trail was groomed.

Photos:

(Tom Urbanski)

Rock Lake received about an inch of snow last week and this was worked into the trail this morning. A classic track was set, but conditions vary across the trail system. In some places, the tracks are crumbly and shallow, other places the track are fair. Hopefully some colder overnight temps will help to set up the track. Expect some leaves and pine cones as well. Enjoy!

(Natalie Osowski)

Mukwonago received 2-3 inches last week. This morning, all loops were groomed with a classic track. There's some debris under the pine trees, otherwise, the tracks are moderately deep. Fresh skate deck and tracks are ready for you!

Photos:

(Natalie Osowski)

Good classic conditions with nice decent track throughout. There are some icy spots and some debris but all easily avoidable. Absolutely beautiful park with the dense pine trees and up North feel. Great that the groomers were out earlier this week and able to put down a decent track. The skate deck was getting soft and showing signs of wear but still decent trail. Highly recommend!

Photos:

(Scott Ford)

Classic track is fantastic-rock solid and clean. The 6-kilometer skate loop is also fantastic-great grooming and conditions, fast snow, and you can push your technique. I usually do a time trial loop, and today was my fastest of the season. The 9-kilometer loop needs more snow. The hilly terrain and the earlier icy conditions are still problematic. The classic track is great, but I personally will not classic much of the 9-kilometer loop as it is just dangerous. Even much of the skating on the loop is all V1 climb with downhills that are very technical in fast conditions like today, so I only skied the last three kilometers of the 9-kilometer loop to work in some intensity. The base is still cold-blue wax or colder-and I used skins for classic.

Photos:

(Jill Troutner)

The temperature is 20°F above zero with clear skies and light wind. The average base depth is 7", and the snow depth off-trail averages 18". The North trail is now roll-packed, renovated, combed, and track-set. There are some short, scattered areas of loose granular combing due to leaves from last night's winds. The South trail and the 3K classic trail were groomed Wednesday. Trails are in very good condition; bring your good skis. I started out roll-packing and found sections of the fresh snow filled with deer tracks; they are browsing for lunch. Yesterday's mild temperature had set a crust on some areas where the sun shined for a long period, but overall there was no significant damage. Trails look great.

Photos:

(Douglas Schumann, Rainbow Resort)

The temperature is 18°F above; no wind, cloudy, 90% humidity. There is three inches of powder snow cover from this past weekend. South trail tracks are set, renovated, and the skate lane is combed. The three-kilometer classic trail is renovated and track set. North trail has three inches of snow cover over a previous roll pack. Grooming plans: grooming for the North trail is to be done tomorrow. Average base depth is seven inches, and the deck is a little soft. Track sets are clean and deep. Even with the gusty winds from this past weekend, I found snow hanging on the pines and some of the limbs. Bring your good skis, for conditions are very good.

Photos:

(Douglas Schumann, Rainbow Resort)

Skied the north loop from 4:30-5:30pm. Still plenty of corduroy from the last grooming which I believe was Monday. Fast and firm. Can still get an edge easily but please be careful on downhill. In my opinion it's starting to feel like spring like freeze/thaw. The typical areas which first start to see grass are not yet showing it so still plenty of base. Official recommendation is B skis because of all the little debris. One spot where a big branch must have fallen left behind almost unavoidable debris. For the record, I used good skis and didn't see any new scratches, unlike Sunday when I had a minor one. Good skis still fine just note the "risk" to your base.

(Brady Zwiefelhofer)

The trail was in very good condition. Only downside was it was soft, especially on the front loop return when you reconnected with it from the back loop. The worse was in the recently logged area at the beginning of front loop return where it was very open. The classic track seemed consistent. It was the deepest track I have seen all winter. It was 23 to 24 degrees adjusting for my car thermometer's inaccuracies and overcast. The snow was dry. Base seems plenty thick at this point. Two skaters met me as I was starting, I passed three older classic skiers that were probably younger than me and one classic skier at the top of the last big climb on the entry/exit trail. Otherwise I had the 7 miles all to myself for my 1 1/2 hour tour. After the past two snowless winters, this was my first time here in three years to one of my favorite trails. I prepared extensively bringing food, H2O, other beverages for the 1 1/2 hour drive from the Cities, multiple gloves or mits, alternative waxes, boots and skis for both classic and skate and a change of clothes, spare glasses and an external battery for my cell. Forgot my socks! Thank God I found 2 pairs of wicking crew athletic socks at the Bloomer Dollar Tree that I doubled up. They kept my feet just warm enough. I took it easy, herringboning most of the longer climbs and skipping the side loops. That worked out perfect for me. I was not tired at the end and got home in time for the Super Bowl.

Photos:

(Keith Carlson)

North Loop of Hickory Ridge was amazing. Well-groomed and not overly-skied (we saw three other people). First time skiing this trail: amazed by the lack of flat sections. Warming hut had a raging fire in the stove. Well-worth the extra 20 minutes it takes to drive to the north trailhead. Note: there are no signs for the north trailhead parking lot. If you get to the trail crossing on the road, you've overshot the turn.

(Andy Freeburg)

Overall icy tracks with a lot of tree debris. Zeke's Return was pretty rough—a bumpy trail of ice. The rest was decent with a glaze of ice in the tracks, interrupted by various sticks and leaves. Some dog and walker tracks on the skate side. Lots of foreign tracks on Zeke's return.

(John Schroeder)

Went to ski Wednesday evening but the trail lights were not lit and too dark a night without them. Tried to find a contact for the lighting but we were unsuccessful. So disappointed because it was a perfect night for a ski. Hope the lights get figured out!

(Kim Gibeau)

Still very good coverage on the trails as of today. Snow was a bit slow due to the tree debris but otherwise no issues. Deer and birds were active throughout the woods.

Photos:

(Peter Aggen)

Really nice skate on the back 40 this afternoon. Surprisingly good conditions - 100% coverage, hard pack, not soft /not slushy. (cloud cover has been our friend!). typical scattered oak leaves and a few minor sticks.

(Kyle Henning)

Moto just reported in that he and new rookie groomer, Ranger (think Iron, not Ford), had just finished their run with the tandem screens. He said the trails are looking plenty good for your Sunday ski. This is kind of use it before we lose it time, at least in the short run. Enjoy!

Photos:

(Dave Anderson, Elk River Nordic Ski Club)

DPR and Lumberjack just finished pulling the tandem screens for our Saturday skiing pleasure. With the melt and refreeze it might be a pretty quick skate trail. Kid Transport carved in some updated tracks for us on Wednesday evening. Enjoy!

(Dave Anderson, Elk River Nordic Ski Club)

Went out this afternoon with low expectations at 38° and bright sun. Despite warm wax and structure, I skied in slow soft suction snow. Orchard and hilltop and north loop are actually in good condition with almost full coverage and flat skate deck- just very soft in the warm weather. Early morning would be better conditions during a warm spell. Lots of tree debris on north loop.

(Kevin McCann)

Trails east of the main parking lot are tracked and skiing well this morning. Coverage is generally good, with only minor wind-blown pine debris in spots (Loop 1-6). There is one bare area between Trail 2 and Trail 5 where an adjacent landowner plowed across the ski trail just beyond the woods road intersection. Use caution - it's located at the bottom of a downhill section. Otherwise, conditions were fast today. Beautiful day to be out.

Photos:

(Rachel Turk)

Amazing skiing under the stars and under the lights tonight at The RFC in 22 degrees. Firm. Fast. Clean. Fun. Excellent tracks. Carpe Skiem!

Photos:

(Bob Warpinski)

Super Bowl Sunday at The RFC. Kicked around the Oaks, the interior of the Maples, the Main Streets, and Lit Loop. Tracks holding up after heavy use over the weekend. Plenty of wind debris in select zones of the Oaks. If you are coming out to skate, you can use your good skis. Carpe Skiem!

Photos:

(Bob Warpinski)

The RFC was a busy place this morning! The Gnarski and Bay Nordic groups were active with lessons; the UWGB Nordic team was busy doing interval training, and the set up was underway for the "Ales on the Trails" event. Just a gem of a morning. Great skate conditions throughout the network. Classic skiers found awesome, full depth tracks starting on Main Street. Best tracks in three seasons! Pers Loop had far too many Oaks leaves in the rails, but overall it was great striding today. Carpe Skiem!

Photos:

(Bob Warpinski)

Skate deck report on Maple, birches, oaks trails. Freshly fallen snow of 1 to 2 inches being groomed as of midmorning. Skate deck is wide, level, and clean. The new snow freshened up the trail and good skis may be used. The newly fallen snow made skating a bit slow but still very enjoyable. Classic tracks were not present. Picturesque trail with minimal traffic.

(Jules Blank)

Skate deck report from 6 through 20 km. Recent grooming left the trail in excellent shape. Debris was minimal. Deck was fast with good pole plants. Adjacent classic tracks throughout, of moderate depth and were fairly fast. Good skis may be used with the exception of Smyth Road crossing. The substantial base has withstood the warm temperatures.

(Jules Blank)

Skied the Blue/Black trails north of Smyth Rd. Excellent conditions with nice cord over a firm and level base. Classic tracks were deep and firm too. The temperature was 31 degrees when we started and 35 when we finished.

Photos:

(James Beno)

Skate lane on complete trail was freshened. Classic track was left alone except on the Golf Course where new track was set. Skate lane is very good. Some areas of track are clean, some have some debris and some quite a bit of debris.

Photos:

(Thomas Lane)

Skied the golf course and the big hills behind the golf course. Nice, freshly groomed skate lane which was level and fast. I used the classic tracks quite a bit and they were mostly nice, washed out in a few areas but overall good (not recently set).

Photos:

(James Beno)

Skied from the golf course to the north end (20k). 25 degrees when I started and 28 degrees when I finished early this afternoon, nearly ideal temperatures. Skate lane was firm and mostly level, fun skiing. I jumped in the classic tracks quite a bit as they were mostly hard and fast. A few places where they were washed out and some spots with leaves but mostly quite nice.

Photos:

(James Beno)

Our group skied the majority of the network, including the 12K north of the Old 32 Parking lot and south through the golf course. Good tracks throughout, though there was occasional wood debris. If you are coming to skate, you can use your good skis. It has been a couple of years since tackling the north end and we were reminded of the significant climbs between the 10K and 14K mark! The skins were losing effectiveness given the 35-degree temperatures, but it was well worth the drive.

Photos:

(Bob Warpinski)

Skied the golf course, the big hills behind the golf course and out to 9k. The skate deck was firm, pretty level and well skied in, nice skiing! The classic tracks were pretty fast but did have leaves in them here and there.

Photos:

(James Beno)

My first time skiing these trails and it was a great experience. Skate deck was firm and while a few places were hummocky it was not an issue. Nice and level in most places where I understand tread work has been done. Snow had more glide near the trailheads where there was more traffic. Managed to ski the whole system. Some big drops out there - I think "clavicle" was my favorite.

Photos:

(Karen Katz)

Ski deck report 6-20 km. The trail was freshly groomed with a small dusting of new snow. It is level, wide and with solid pole plants. There is a very small amount of debris, but good skis may be used cautiously. Diagonal tracks were well-formed and present throughout. The conditions were excellent, and the trail is beautiful.

(Jules Blank)

Wow! I skied the entire system except the hills on the Blue trail behind the golf course. Firm and Fast! The classic track looked really good throughout. Thanks for all of the efforts by our groomers! Great day on the trail!

(Tom Brown)

About 2" of fresh snow was groomed into the trail. Complete trail was groomed and new classic track set. Grooming started late at 3:00 with temperature at 22 degrees and ended at 10:30 10 degrees. With cold temps and no one skiing late the trail should setup nicely.

(Thomas Lane)

Parked at Old 32 lot. Skied to about15k marker and back! Trails were not groomed but didn't need to be. We had another half inch of snow fall on top of the inch we received Wednesday evening. With a firm base it skied really well! Beautiful day!The classic track looked great!

(Tom Brown)

One inch of light snow was on top of the trail as we set out this afternoon. Our skis quietly glided through the new silky snow which provided a wonderful slippery ride on both the firm skate lane and the classic tracks. Skied the golf course and 2k to 5k trail.

Photos:

(James Beno)

Skied Main Street, beginners loop and out to 15K. The below zero overnight temps really firmed up the trail. The corduroy was crisp, fast and fun. I jumped into the classic tracks quite a bit and they were mostly deep and fast. Fun skiing today.

Photos:

(James Beno)

The skate decks have been redone and are in good condition with some debris and icy spots underneath the snow. Tracks have been skied in from the little bit of snow yesterday. They are average in condition, shallow in spots but overall clean tracks.

Photos:

(Josh Nemec)

The skate lanes were groomed after 1/4 inch of snow and are in good condition. Track has not been reset due to low snow conditions but overall they are in good condition.

Photos:

(Josh Nemec)

Rocks is still in good shape despite the lack of recent snow. On the blue trail Red Pine Run is thin, icy and no tracks set. Otherwise the blue, red and green trails are in good condition. Skate deck is firm and thin in some areas, and more debris on the surface. B skis just to be safe. Tracks look ok but shallow in spots.

Photos:

(Scott Frazier)

Groomers have been out and will continue to reset all skate decks this morning. All trails are still open. We are starting to see thin spots in two places, but blue, green, black Birkie Hills, and Field of Dreams are still in decent to good shape. Grooming plans: We will try to groom again tomorrow morning, and we will update again going into the weekend. Green: open, tracks set February 7, good skis. Purple: open (field is good, woods has debris), tracks set February 6, B skis in field, rock skis in woods. Blue: open, tracks set February 8, B skis. Black: open, tracks set February 3, B skis.

Photos:

(Morgan Pease, Iola Winter Sports Club)

We did not lose any snow yesterday, and the snow temperature stayed low, so I groomed skate decks on Green, Blue, Purple Field, and Field of Dreams on Black. There is a lot of debris on North Loop and parts of Black Birkie. Everything groomed today is skiing well and has minimal debris. Tracks are decent on Green and okay to marginal everywhere else. Green is open with tracks set 2/7, good skis. Purple is open (the field is good, the woods has debris) with tracks set 2/6, good skis in the field, and rock skis in the woods. Blue is open with tracks set 2/8, B skis. Black is open with tracks set 2/3, B skis.

Photos:

(Morgan Pease, Iola Winter Sports Club)

Sweet spot grooming today, thank you groomers! Violet and Green are too good to be true. Blue and Black are just as good. Barely a spot where you see snirt. Good skis were fine; B skis from now on. We need new snow. Have fun out there. Low snowpack.

(Charles Kane)

Black and Green decks reset last night, Blue and Purple reset this morning. Tracks were reset on Blue and Black Birkie trails yesterday. Trails are good to great throughout. There is some debris out on Black and Blue, otherwise trails are skiing really well. Green: open, tracks set 2/7 good skis. Purple: open (field is good, woods has debris), tracks set 2/6 good skis in field, B skis in woods. Blue: open, tracks set 2/8, good/B skis. Black: open, tracks set 2/3 good/B skis. Grooming plans: With the warmer temperatures, we are not going to do any additional grooming tomorrow or Wednesday. Stay tuned for updates going into the weekend.

Photos:

(Morgan Pease, Iola Winter Sports Club)

Aside from leaf litter and a few pine cones the trails are in remarkable shape. I was classic skiing both in and out of the tracks on all of the blue and black trails during the annual jumping meet. Plenty of parking. Great family options for all ages.

Photos:

(Tony Hartmann)

Great coverage, not icy, on-going grooming into the afternoon. I drove up from Madison and was so glad I did. Thank you volunteers at Iola Winter Sports Club!

(Elizabeth Mackey)

Iola received about 1/2 inch of wet snow early Friday morning. The groomer was just finishing up combing the trails when I arrived about 11:00 in the morning. I skated the black, blue, and green trails. The trails are well covered, with only a few small areas containing easy-to-avoid tree litter. Overall, conditions were wonderful given the lack of snow depth.

(David Schauer)

Super sunny and little wind today, perfect Green today. At 1 pm I was the first on the Green after grooming. Beautiful corduroy everywhere, even the Violet Loop out in the small field was perfect. As always, they find a way to have great conditions. We do need snow, soon I hope. Thanks to the groomers for what they do. Skate deck was beyond good. Classic tracks not new but good for the snow coverage. Some small, no-problem stuff coming up.

(Charles Kane)

All decks were reset this morning; sorry, no new tracks were set. Trails are in good to excellent condition throughout. There is some debris out on Black and Blue, otherwise, trails are skiing really well. Green is open with tracks set on January 28; good skis recommended. Purple is open; the field is in good condition, but the woods have debris. Tracks were set on January 28; good skis are recommended for the field, and B skis for the woods. Blue is open with tracks set on January 27; good/B skis are recommended. Black is open with tracks set on January 29; good/B skis are recommended.

Photos:

(Morgan Pease, Iola Winter Sports Club)

We will be hosting the Greenbush Challenge Saturday. This is a middle school and high school team and a public adult race Saturday morning. Trails are closed today in an attempt to preserve what little base we have. Non race course trails will reopen Saturday morning. We expect the race course to be open for public recreational skiing by noon or a little after. Thanks for your understanding. If you would like to participate or volunteer, please visit our website.

(Thomas Werner)

In anticipation for hosting races Saturday morning the brown, red to purple cutoff, green to the second cutoff, campground cutoff, and the two-way to the upper lot had the skate deck renovated and new track set. Should all be good skiing except green after the first cutoff. The snow groomed nicely with minimal debris. We will be hosting middle school, high school and adult racing Saturday morning. Check our website if you are interested in participating or volunteering.

Photos:

(Thomas Werner)

DNR contracted tree cutting to take care of 8 hanging trees/limbs over the trail today. Dan and I followed behind with Tids and cleaned up tracks left from equipment. No damage to trails at all, although you might come across some sawdust in a few spots. While we had equipment out we freshened the skate lane up on Blue, Brown, Pink, Red, Purple, and the Green downhill to Purple. Dan also reset some track on sections of trail system. I then skate skied Red and Purple - skate deck was holding up very well, 36 F when I left.

Photos:

(Brian Henrksen)

97 percent of the trail is in pretty good shape. Way better than Zillmer. Portions of the marsh and back green have a problem; several large rocks there. Watch out, the rocks are barely hidden by the recent fluffy snow. Recently groomed on Sunday afternoon. The groomers are awesome! Thank you so much! Rock skis A+, good skis C, B+ if you avoid these areas or are careful, weather A+. The pines are pretty clean after the recent snows, except in a few small areas. Nice to ski in the low 30s (and sunshine) after a brutal, three-week cold snap.

(Matt Rechlitz)

We received three inches of very light fluff overnight that compacted to almost nothing but was enough to cover most debris. All trails received two compaction passes with classic tracks set on the whole system, including Black. Thin coverage remains in the same areas: mainly Purple in the pines and along the marsh, Green after the second cutoff, Red on skier's right on the second uphill, and Black along the higher ridges. Grooming plans: We will be monitoring the forecast and preparing selected trails for racing Saturday morning and early afternoon. Other trails will remain open for public access. We will post updates as they develop.

Photos:

(Thomas Werner)

Conditions are very good. The additional inch of snow and great grooming made for an outstanding afternoon on the trails. A few thin areas near the marsh are the only issues I noticed. I used my B skis, but would use my good skis if I went back tomorrow. Most of the classic tracks also looked pretty deep, with only a few areas where the tracks looked to be thin.

(Mark Pasten)

What a nice morning at Greenbush. Thanks to the groomers for taking care of the fresh snow. We classic skied brown and purple and were satisfied. Some leaf and pine debris, but considering the snow amount this season we had no complaints. Skate skiers seemed to be enjoying things as well.

(Regina Jennings)

Skied the brown trail three times. Groomers were out, having groomed last night. Tracks were new and fairly deep. The ski club had an event going on. Everything I saw was newly groomed. Thank you groomers.

Photos:

(Mike Mahnke)

All trails at Greenbush were groomed Friday night. Track was reset on all trails including the Black classic only trail. You could use good skis on 97% of the trail system. Thin spots to note: two spots on Black, one spot on Red shortly after branching off Purple, the tops of the hills on the Green, and along the marsh on the Purple.

Photos:

(Brian Henriksen)

Greenbush received another 1"+ of medium textured snow last night. The 2" of snow the last 2 days have improved snow cover on all trails, there are a few thin spots, so B skis are recommended, although I used my good skis this morning with no problems. Grooming plans: Plan is to groom all trails tonight, we will attempt to set track as well. Should be a great weekend of skiing at Greenbush.

(Brian Henriksen)

I groomed and set new track on the classic only black trail. Conditions are very good on most of the trail but sadly there are two sections where it's very thin. I would not recommend using your good skis. The whole system picked up an inch this morning. Grooming plans: The grooming team will assess when the best time to groom for the weekend is. Sledding hill is also groomed.

Photos:

(Dan Meyer)

Strided and skated the brown, which probably had the best conditions of everything I was on. Skated the purple up to the green cutoff, then back on the purple after the marsh, seeing as the marsh section has been pretty wiped out. Amazing conditions. I used my A skis, but I was careful. Saw no rocks. Skated the red, which was in good shape except for a short section about 1/4 mile in, which had a heavy coverage of tree debris. Aside from that, red was in good shape.

Photos:

(Mark Ehlers)

The trails were freshly groomed, the snow was cold and slow today. With all the wind there are lots of branches down in the trails; and the skate deck has groomer treadmarks down the middle. Tim's trail skate deck is in the best condition.

Photos:

(Sarah Weyenberg)

Very enjoyable conditions. 1/4" snow, 20 degrees and high humidity made kick easy. It appears that everything had been recently groomed (before the light snow overnight). Fat bikers and snowshoers were out enjoying this trail system today as well.

(Pete Wurl)

Groomed and set track this morning on loops A and B. The track turned out really well. Grooming plans: We won't be grooming again until temperatures cool.

(Mark Bender)

Groomed and set track on A, B, and C. Conditions are just about perfect except for beech leaves in the tracks. Cut the tree on C loop that was lying across the trail. Grooming plans: Don't plan on grooming the rest of the week.

(Mark Bender)

The trails on the north and east side of the mound are thinning, but are still holding snow well. Other trails are getting very sketchy. There is a growing area of ice and slush on John Minix at the bottom of the hill after the sharp left, so take care. Technically not groomed since Jan. 30th, but a couple of snowmobile passes on John Minix over the weekend seemed to help soften that trail a bit.

(Kyle Richard)

5-6" snow pack, still setting up nicely. All sections have been rolled and cleared of trees and the South Loop and Eastern half of the North Loop have been tracked (including the cut-off trail).

Photos:

(Blake Rouzer)

Early this morning all the manmade snow trails and playground areas were groomed. New tracks we also set all around. Should be great skiing before temps warm up. Enjoy the day on the snow.

(Mike Koester)

All Machine made snow loops are open. Due to equipment issues, we were unable to groom the skate deck 100%, but only used the Pisten Bully to quickly touch-up a few of the problem areas. The Classic tracks are deep and icy. The skate deck is firm, and icy in spots from the overnight freezing. The Purple loop is in poor condition, but skiable only with rock skis and gumption. The Back and Blue outer loops are in very poor condition.

(Michael Ring, Wisconsin DNR)

Variable, fast conditions for skate; very good, fast conditions for stride. Skate deck varies with some areas of loose snow on a firm base and other areas packed hard by traffic. The Green Cutoff on the Woods Loop has areas of sugar snow and other areas that are hard packed and icy. Magic Carpet is good, but may get icy when the sun goes down. Tracks are well formed and very fast.

(John McCarthy)

The Pisten Bully was ou at night grooming the man made trails. The skate deck was tilled and is in great condition. New classic tracks were set and are in great shape as well. The tracks are set for the Wednesday night races and will go back to their normal set up when we groom next.

(Mark Janis)

Very good conditions for skate and stride on the snowmaking loops. Overnight grooming included new tracks, which are generally firm but breaking down in the warm temps. Some debris in a few places, due to the wind. Downhills are generally slow. Skiers take note - keep your trailhead snow white and dirt-free by avoiding the mud near the edges, especially by the ski racks. Use the sidewalk, keep your boots clean, and preserve the snow.

(John McCarthy)

Overnight I reset the tracks and the skate deck with the Piston Bully on the manmade loop. There is some debris in the trail by the pines but it's not real bad.

(Alex Matson)

The skate deck conditions were great as reported by the groomer earlier today. The 31 degree temperature make my ski more enjoyable. The new ski lodge was nice to meet ski friends. It was my 15th time this season at Lapham and they all had good conditions.

(Don Howell)

Very good conditions for skate and stride on the snowmaking loops. Skate deck has just enough loose snow on a firm, flat base for easy skating, with no sugar snow. Tracks are well worn and a little glazed; fast but not icy. Magic Carpet is fast, but easily controllable.

(John McCarthy)

Everything was groomed with the Ginzu early this morning. The skate deck on the man-made trail is in great shape. The upper trails were groomed as well; they are thin in spots and rocks are poking through in sunny areas. I suggest B skis on the upper trails and good skis on the man-made. Grooming plans: The classic track is worn out and will be relaid with the PistenBully tonight. Please use caution on the Purple trail, as the machine that we use to groom with is broken down in the middle of the trail. Enjoy it while you can.

(Sean Daane, Wisconsin DNR)

The Pisten bully was out early this morning tilling in the 1-2" of new snow we received at the park last night. The skate deck was tilled and is in great condition. A new classic track was set throughout the man made loops. The playground was groomed as well. It should be a nice day to ski at the park. Still not enough snow for the Pisten to groom off the man made snow.

(Mark Janis)

Excellent conditions for skate and stride on the snowmaking loops. A little slower early due to the groomed-in new snow from yesterday, but speeding up as the day progressed. Lots of skiers on the trails, enjoying a perfect ski day. Magic Carpet was particularly nice, with an easy gliding, smooth surface.

(John McCarthy)

All the manmade trails and playground area is freshly groomed and in very good condition. New tracks were set around the entire manmade trail system also. Nothing was touched off the manmade snow.

(Mike Koester)

Variable conditions for skate, good conditions for stride on the snowmaking loops. The loops were not groomed by the Pisten Bully overnight, but park staff ran the Ginzu around in the morning to pack the new 1-inch of wet snow on the skate deck. The tracks were left from Wednesday, and were softening due to the new snow and the rising temps. The skate deck was transforming as skiers flattened it in some places and churned it up in others. Best skating is on the Woods Loop, but the descent down Magic Carpet is very slow.

(John McCarthy)

I groomed the skate deck of the man made loop this morning and left the tracks as is. The fresh inch or so of snow that we got is making conditions a little on the slower side but should still be good skiing. I also combed the new snow on the rest of the lighted loop and the purple trail. These are still very thin, but skiable, and I would not use your best skis. It is still too thin to reset track off the man made, but the old tracks are still visible in most spots and should be ok once the get skied in.

(Collin Bergholz, Wisconsin DNR)

I scratched up the skate deck on the man-made loop this morning. Conditions should be good. I left the tracks as is and they looked to be in good shape. Everything off the man-made is getting too thin for us to do any grooming on until we get more snow. They are still skiable but have some debris and bare spots, so I would not use your best skis on those trails.

(Collin Bergholz, Wisconsin DNR)

Just excellent conditions for skate and stride again on the snowmaking loops. Firm corduroy early, breaking down to a fine powder and picking up speed as the day progressed. Extra tracks were set around the Field Loop and up the hill on the Woods Loop, providing more options for striders. Nice descent on the Magic Carpet.

(John McCarthy)

Great mid season trail conditions. Few spots made first tracks after the previous night dusting. Skied most of the classic tracks of green loop and some of the shortcuts.

(Mike Huth)

Perfect mid-winter conditions. Hemlock detritus in some areas. Recently groomed with well set tracks and watch out for deer.

Photos:

(Paul Gage)

From Lincoln County Forestry, Land, and Parks: Cross-country Ski Trails have been groomed, and tracks are set on the Green, Red, and Blue trails. Overall, the majority of the trail system is in "Excellent" condition. Loop Road has also been groomed and tracked.

(Mike Huth)

You just know that a trail called "The Bowling Alley" is going to be fun. I hadn't skied Mora in years. My loss. What a fun trail system! Although hard-packed and a bit frozen I was able to get a good edge throughout and had no problem on either the assents or the descents, which is somewhat due to the trails being fairly easy. It's such a well laid out trail system. I misread the map a couple of times which only added to the enjoyment since it lengthened my time on snow- and my enjoyment! It was slowing down just a tiny bit as I skied into the early afternoon, but the snow cover is great throughout the system, for skating as well as classic.

Photos:

(Michael Jorgensen)

Approximately 13K of trails and miscellaneous additional segments of the race course continue to be very skiable. A few spots with forest debris, but nothing worth skipping any segments. The classic tracks are deep and firm. The skating deck is compact with enough scratched up for good control.

Photos:

(Jeff Pesta)

10km of trail was groomed for both skate and classic. Snow conditions after a fantastic race weekend remain good with a total of 13km available for skiing. The Nordic Center is open 8am to 9pm daily.

Photos:

(Jim Conway)