Plenty of snow at Maplelag. I classic skied the North Loup, using Zero skis, and they worked very well. The Maplelag trails are in great shape.

(Glenn Gifford)

Around the clock grooming on the ski and fat bike trails have the trails in great shape for weekend winter play. Has been a awesome week of skiing and grooming. Temps have stayed below freezing all week. We have been grooming at night the past few days with the high humidity to allow the trails to set up as much as possible. There are still some soft spots, in particular the drifted areas which are 3-4 feet deep of base but the damp air making for silky like skiing. Skate trails being groomed again this evening, touch up grooming as needed tomorrow evening.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Trails are starting to take shape after 14" of snow the past week. Grooming up very nice, still a bit soft but everyone has been happy with the conditions. It took a while to groom out the plethora of singletrack trails with the large drifts encountered in areas. We will continue daily grooming this week, cleaning up all trails and paying a bit more attention to the Section courses that are now open for inspection. The fat bike trail still needs some grooming and hopefully by end of week the riding improves.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

I classic skied mid-morning to early afternoon. The trails were in excellent condition. A blue wax day! Jay has done a phenomenal job with the amount of snow Maplelag has received over the past several days. The pic attached is from the Twin Lakes Trail.

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(Tom Dooher)

We have been grooming daily on the trail system, anywhere from 30-70 kilometer a day. Today we reset all the double track classic only trails mid morning, cleaning out the tracks and combed all the skate only trail. Bootleg singletrack for fat biking was also groomed this morning after the Twin Lakes singletrack was groomed last night. Wind and snow filling in the tracks but people are out skiing and enjoying the fresh conditions. We will be back out tonight a bit and again in the morning grooming in any new snow. With potential wind, we will focus on the inner trails and Twin Lakes double track classic only outer trail.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Lindenwood to Dike East skating lane renovated and re-groomed early this morning over a firm 12 inch base. Classical tracks look firm and fast with a few short sections blown-over and some thin tracks from the Cottonwoods to the intake structure scrubbed out by skiers. Some areas of leaves in track.

(Gary Brekke)

Six inches of new dry wind-blown snow over the weekend.  Trails packed and groomed Sunday afternoon.  Classical tracks mostly deep, firm and well formed except for several short exposed areas where the tracks have blown-in and are covered or thin.  Most of these thin sections the tracks has been scrubbed clean by skiers.  Some areas have leaves in the track.  The skating lane is firm with good edging that saw numerous skiers pack it down Monday afternoon.  44 inches of snow this season with approximately 20 inches snow on ground.  Most trail areas have a foot or more packed firm base.  .

(Gary Brekke)

Ski trails being packed and groomed just after noon today after the storm's dry wind-blown snow from the past two days. Should set up firm with cold temperatures.

(Gary Brekke)

I made one trip around Hiram late this afternoon to reset the track and try to cover up as much of the forest litter as the old groomer could do with no new snow to work with. The track looked like it was forming pretty well but a little shallow on some of the hills that had been packed hard from all the herring boning. Much of the forest litter looked like it was getting covered up. Hopefully the track will firm up overnight and the deer won't do to much damage.

(Paul Klinger)

I skied at Hiram this morning and conditions are very good to fair. The parts of the trail that had no deer damage or pine trees near by were in very good condition. The strong winds today are bringing down more oak leaves, needles and sticks. The worst areas for sticks and needles are those parts of the trail going through the more dense stands of pine. There are also clumps of snow falling out of the pines and landing on the track making it lumpy in some areas. The deer walked down some sections of the track over night and really tore those parts up. You can still ski in the track but it is very lumpy now. Still a nice morning ski over all.

(Paul Klinger)

I groomed Hiram Ski Trail this morning after around 6 inches of new snow Friday night and Saturday morning. Made several passes around the entire system with the groomer trying to pack down all the new snow. The track set deep but there are ragged spots here and there because of the track setter collecting chunks of ice from the snowmobile. There are some leaves, needles and sticks mixed into the new snow after the strong winds on Saturday but not enough to be a problem right now. The deer were already walking on the trail before I made the final pass setting the track and they were sinking deep into the snow since it is still rather soft. It should firm up more as the temperature drops so hopefully the deer won't ruin the track before it hardens up. The parking lot was not plowed as of 1:45 PM today but I was able to get in and out with my small front wheel drive car.

(Paul Klinger)

I skied at Hiram this morning and skiing was good over all. The track is deep and fairly firm with the snow getting faster as it warms up. The deer have ruined a couple of sections of the track as they look for easier walking with the snow really getting deep in the woods. The wind is starting to pick up so more leaves, needles and sticks are falling onto the trail today. I gave it the B skis rating because of the sticks falling into the track but if your careful you could use your best skis.

(Paul Klinger)

I groomed and set new track at Hiram Ski Trail today after 3 inches of new snow yesterday. I made several passes to firm up the trail. The track formed up well over all except for a few ragged spots from chunks of ice collecting in the track setter. I did a test ski after I was done grooming and the track and deck were firming up well. The deer had already started walking on the trail and really messed up one section. Beautiful afternoon with all the new snow and blue sky with plenty of sunshine. Temperature got up to around zero and there was no wind when I was skiing.

(Paul Klinger)

Arrived at Itasca State Park at 11:00 just as the groomer was competing grooming part of trail. He went on to complete the rest of the trails by early afternoon. It was a great ski as the temps stayed below freezing, the snow was solid without any ice and the sun was high but didn't affect the snow. Get out and enjoy the great skiing conditions.

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(Steve Black)

Beautiful conditions with 15” new snow in the last week! Ski trails (11km) were groomed today and both classic and freestyle skiers were happy. Sunday open house continues from 1-3:30, weather permitting. Snowshoe trails (2km) also are packed and flagged, and new maps in progress.

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(Deane Johnson)

All trails are packed and tracked some tree trash but otherwise trails are in great shape. Should be great skiing this weekend, come out and enjoy.

(Rick Dubay)

Rolled all loops, set track on all but the seasonal loop on North side of Deer Lake this afternon.

(Clayton White)

Trail is groomed to perfection. Get out and ski before the weekend snow! Tracks are set and pole deck firmed up well with the colder temps.

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(Michelle Holden)

Some new grooming since I skied yesterday, but as of leaving (11:40) I cannot say how much as I stayed off them given their softness. However, trail sections previously groomed are in very good condition, firm with 0.5-1 inch of moist snow on top. Another skier reported Finland was very soft. Tracks were fine where I did some double poling. High school race on Tuesday.

(Keith Brugger)

Status quo here. In places the snow has little greater moisture content, and I found these stretches to be somewhat slower, but not slow. The cut-across on Finland has not been groomed, the trail now follows the normal route down to Isaac Lake and up the steep hill thereafter. Be aware that from the lake and for about 0.5 km the classic tracks are essentially in the middle of the trail making skating difficult, at least without marring the tracks.

(Keith Brugger)

Arrived at 3:00 to find the trails were groomed earlier in the day. Skate deck is firm with the new corduroy providing 1/2 to 1 inch of softer snow for edge setting and ease of turning. Reasonable fast and very nice out there today!

(Keith Brugger)

Skied about half of the groomed trails. Skate deck was in most places pretty firm with some sugar on top. A few short stretches where the drifting was problematic continue to be a bit softer and hollow (you lose a foot or so of pole). Warm temperatures (30+ F) this afternoon, but remarkably, moisture content seemed low. Finland was not groomed beyond a couple hundred meters going in or out and has substantial drifts. Winds overnight deposited debris and leaf litter. Probably more of an issue in the classic tracks?

(Keith Brugger)

When I arrived at 3:00, several km of trails had been groomed recently and skied-in. Skate deck varied from reasonably firm with a veneer of about 1-2 inches of powder to softer and hollow where major drifting had occurred. Cold (1F) and slow going for me. Severe drifting in areas that were not groomed as I could see. As I left (4:00) the Pisten Bully was out on the trail, presumably busting through the drifts, and that was being followed by Paul going out and grooming. I skied about 0.5 km on newly groomed trail to get back to the car, and it was very soft - needs to set-up.

(Keith Brugger)

Paul the groomer was out working on the trails. He had set classic track and was working on some of the trails. He was working on about half of the trails. He said he would be out working on the trails again tomorrow. The classic track was setting up OK. The skate lane was still soft.

(Kayo Aslagson)

Classic tracks are well skied-in old snow while the skate lane is more recently groomed well-packed old snow. About 20 inches of snow in the woods, top 6 inches is untransformed old snow and the rest is transformed. Trails have about 11 inches of snow, the top 4 inches is well packed old snow and the rest is a solid transformed base. Grooming plan is to groom the skate lanes Monday and then probably not groom again until Saturday in preparation for the Lumberjack Jaunt race on Sunday, February 2.

(Owen Baird)

Skate lane was groomed Friday morning after some snow Thursday and Thursday night. Tracks were set a couple of days ago and the new snow was skied-in on all the trails I skied on today.

(Owen Baird)

Kudos to the groomers and keepers of the trail! Very enjoyable to ski. Trails are in great shape. Skate deck was firm everywhere. Skied a lot of untracked freshly groomed trails. A little leafy in spots, no complaints.

(Phil Nicolas)

Tracks set on Saturday were well skied-in and getting firmer by the afternoon. Skate deck was re-groomed Sunday morning and was a little soft at first but by the evening was much better. Just a few oak leaves in some sections of the tracks.

(Owen Baird)

An inch of snow since last grooming. Track was well defined and offered great classic skiing. Skate deck was being skied in by skaters and didn't seem to bad on the outer loop were most skiers go. Leaves were pretty much covered with snow.

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(Bryan Pike)

Today's ski here was perfect, cold deep tracks for classic skiing. Very few leaves. A beautiful day and ski, doesn't get better.

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(Laura Beilke)

French Rapids trails were rolled today, but reports are it was rather soft yet. Grooming planned for Monday will use grooming sled and set track which should help firm it up.

(Owen Baird)

Beautiful day to ski at Spidahl! We got out just as it was warming up (-2 at the start). We were the first ones out around 11:45. Dave was still getting things back into shape after the snow and wind. Lots of drifts on the trails gave him lots of work! We skied Emma’s, Chick’s Boo, Speedy’s, then Chick’s Bop backwards. Skate track was firm and wide, classic track looked good too.we Had a blast as usual! Thanks Dave and Cindy for keeping things in such great shape!

(Bill McKinney)

As of Sunday afternoon, trails had not been groomed in a while. Another skier told me that she talked to the park staff and they said the grooming equipment was down. The good news is the Bjorklund Loop had good, stable skier-set tracks 90+% of the time. It looked like I was only the second skier around the Big Woods Loop. It was a good opportunity to try my 59/50/55s in their natural habitat! Unfortunately, there was apparently some freezing rain at the tail end of the Friday-Saturday snow, leaving a crust that was too thin to glide over but still thick enough to grab my tips while herringboning. Poling was also difficult, as the crust would catch the baskets on the way up. There's plenty of snow out there, but until the trails are groomed, it would be wise to stay away unless you are bringing low expectations and a sense of adventure.

(Ben Hoese)

The trails I skied today at Giant's Ridge were in excellent condition. The Gold and Cedar loops were recently groomed, the Silver trail had about 1" of light snow on top but still made for great skiing. Nice firm skating deck, perfect temp.

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(Steve Squillace)

Absolutely wonderful conditions today and yesterday at Giants Ridge! All trails completely covered. Fresh corduroy everywhere. Tracks were solid and deep. This is the best skiing I've had in a while. Such a nice change from man-made snow courses. Highly recommend making a trip there!

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(Stephen Palkert)

From Briton Peak, skied two laps around Hogback and Homestead and then the Tofte ski down. Skate deck was firm, glide was wonderful, tracks bombproof and snow obviously very abundant. Two other things were abundant, first lots of people and second lots and lots of smiles even on people humping uphill. Great day.

(Tim Nelson)

Sugarbush trail conditions were absolutely stellar. Temps around freezing. Used skin skis which were dead on for kick and glide. Great day of skiing. Had a ball. Like a good trip to your favorite amusement park!

(Ross Jacobsen)

Classic skied most of the Sugarbush system today from Oberg Trailhead, East Oberg, Picnic loop, Hogback to Britain Peak and back over bridge loop and Homestead, then the connector back to Oberg. In years and years of skiing this trail, I cannot remember better conditions. But I am old and my last ski day is usually the best one! Grooming was immaculate. The tracks were firm, outside pole plants solid and the skate deck was perfect cord, not at all soft as I had expected. Swix VR45 was the right wax for the day w/ temps around freezing. Should be great on Sunday as well for skating this time around.

(Tim Nelson)

Skied from Britton Peak trailhead this morning, hitting Hogback and Homestead. The trails looked freshly groomed. I was either the first person on the trails or following one person who had skated. Grooming was impeccable: well-formed, consistent tracks with great pole plants the whole way.

(Erik Larson)

Parked at the Oberg trailhead and skied L to M then over the top of the Picnic loop. The trail had been groomed recently, but was soft in places. The outing would have been very nice were it not for the deep (and dangerous) snowmobile sled tracks down the center of the trail.

(Chas Curry)

Skies the Picnic Loop from the Britton side. The grooming was excellent. Hogback and Homestead were more skied in with the Picnic Loop portions in almost perfect conditions. For the amount of snow that fell the tracks set up quite well. With cold snow the speeds were slower but the skiing was so great it went by too fast. Chapeau groomers.

(Jonathan Rova)

I had about as perfect a day of skiing as you could ever hope for. I skied the Picnic loop and it was meticulously groomed and firmer than I was expecting with all the new snow. The new Piston Bully is doing a fine job on the trails, and we should have snow lasting for quite a while.

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(Mark Hennessy)

Beautiful skiing today, and terrific grooming. We skied the Onion River loops and the snow was a bit slow but the trails are fresh and the new snow made for great conditions.

(Mary Brainerd)

I skied Hogback Loop this afternoon with temp around zero using wooden skis with polar wax. Gorgeous trail as the priority sections were groomed with the piston bully last night. Firm tracks and firm skate deck, just beautiful! I hope as many as possible are able to enjoy the trails tomorrow before next snowfall. The plan will be to resume grooming after next snowfall.

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(Liz Wagner)

Wow! You gotta give it to John and his dedicated crew at Snowflake. Absolutely fabulous conditions for skate this morning on a pristinely groomed skate deck. While not the fastest conditions we have enjoyed out there during this epic ski season, they are certainly some of the best. The race yesterday helped compact the newer snow and even the parts that did not see race action were great (a tad softer-- Special K and parts of the 8K). Thank you! Happy Winter.

(Tom Heinitz)

Congratulations to the 450 participants in today’s East H.S. Invitational races. We had 650 starts during the event, and our trails benefitted from the high-energy skiing. Once racing ended, we began to restore the trails. All trails have been re-groomed and new classic tracks set. Lows in the mid 20’s tonight should set-up the classic tracks, and a light snowfall should yield a beautiful skate deck on Saturday. Members who ski with dogs should check our phone message before coming up: with exactly 4 weeks until the Birkie and Kortie, we will be trying to provide the best trails possible for our many Birkie participants, which may require dog restrictions as temperature and snow conditions require. Snowflake KidSki and AdultSki, session 4, on Sunday 1:30-3:30. Youth rental equipment will be unavailable between Noon-3:30.

(John Graham)

Warmer temps and high humidity have really transformed the snow, so the skate decks are firmer, and the tracks are are glazed by the overnight freeze. We have about 1" of fresh snow from last night's precip, but will not be grooming until this evening, when we do course preparation for the East HS Invitational Ski Race, which is Friday. In preparation for the race, Snowflake will close at 6:00 pm tonight so that we can groom the race courses, and we will be closed to all non-race skiing on Friday 1/24 until the completion of the last race, around 4:30 pm. The courses include bothe the 5K and 8K trails, there is no way to access the more distant trail segments without skiing on the race course, so "Closed" means closed. Immediately after the last race, we will begin regrooming the trails, starting with the 8K to remove the "best line" classic track and restore it for skating, then the 6K trail. We will be open 8-8 on Saturday and Sunday. KidSki session #4 is on Sunday 1:30-3:30: the chalet will be crowded during that time and kids' rental equipment will not be available between Noon and 3:30.

(John Graham)

28 F and snowing lightly when I arrived at 9:00 AM. About 2 inches of new snow in the tracks (I was striding) so the first lap on the 6 K loop was a bit slow but nice and fast after that. I had my Fischer Zeros and they were great, no clumping at all. Tracks washed out in a few places, but all-in-all in good shape. Fred Sproat came flying by me skating when I was slogging the first lap and he said the skating was "beautiful". Roads were dirty and sloppy but silent, white and beautiful in the woods!

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(Tim Holst)

This morning we regroomed skate decks on all trails with some “knives-down” on the Ginzu. Beautiful result, much firmer than yesterday, but still somewhT soft since the snow has not transformed yet. The classic tracks, set Sunday on all trails, have improved with being skied-in. I classic skied all trails this afternoon: the 6K, seeing more use from beginners is 90% very good, with some washouts and body-divits; the 8k track was lovely, well-laid, and I only left the track on the sharp turn into the Pulse loop.
Note: Wwe will be hosting the Duluth East HS Invitational on Friday. Trails will be closed for course prep at 6:00 pm on Thursday, and remain closed until the end of racing on Friday (4:30 pm).

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(John Graham)

Definitely still soft for skating despite the groomers thoroughly hitting the entire system after the snow and the wind. Needs a few more days to really firm up I think. That was a lot of snow. It's certainly skate-able but you'll end up doing a lot more V1 than normal with "light and quick" motions to accommodate the trail softness. There was a classic track throughout, very smooth on the nice long downhills, but it is going to take a beating with ski/dog/wildlife traffic until things harden up. Especially on the uphills, it's still a bit soft as well. Nothing (twigs, bark, leaves) is on the trail but snow!

(Sara Zimmer)

This afternoon we compacted the 8” of powder, that was still coming down at 3pm. Too deep and soft for the Skidoo/Ginzu combination, so we ran 2 Skidoos and the Bearcat with our roller compactor, on all 14K, 3 times. As we finished, the wind came up, so no point in setting a track. We will resume grooming at 9 am on Sunday, plan to have a skate deck on the 6K by 10:00, a classic track by 11:00, and plan to then groom a skate deck on the 8K. Depending on time and energy, we may set a classic track on the 8K tomorrow. KidSki is On, 1:30-3:30 tomorrow.

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(John Graham)

Due to the developing snow event, and mainly because of the high winds forecast throughout Saturday, Snowflake will be closed on Saturday.
We will not be grooming the new snow until winds subside, because we expect a lot of debris from the wind. The chalet will be closed. As we begin recovery and grooming, I will update the status on skinnyski, and our phone message.
We anticipate re-opening on Sunday morning. Snowflake KidSki will be happening from 1:30-3:30 on Sunday. The chalet will be very busy, and kid-size rental equipment will not be available between noon-3:30.

(John Graham)

Hit the trails just as the groomers were leaving the 5k and working on the 8k so I was treated to fresh cord and was the first on the tracks. The skate deck was firm as heck and the tracks well molded. With temps below zero it was a lot of work trying to glide with inappropriate wax on my tips and tails! Thank you groomers!

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(Eve Graves)

Frigid, but beautiful morning! We got about 3” of dry snow thru last night. This morning we had 3 groomers, so we compacted and groomed all trails, then set new classic tracks on all trails. The skate decks are very firm and smooth. The classic track is soft, due to the dry snow and low humidity. Best we can do at this temperature. The fresh snow did cover the debris which has plagued us for a week. We are open til 8 tonight.

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(John Graham)

We decided to check Korkki out today and did the 6k. The trail looked like it had been groomed pretty recently based on the side cord, however, it has also seen quite a bit of traffic including at least one person who most likely found what I consider intermediate to advanced trails (because of the curvy, narrow, hilly paths) to be very challenging ...lots of butt prints on the downhills and a few other spots, wiped out corners, and foot prints on the sides of the tracks along with at least one side step on the downhills. Mother Nature blew quite a bit of debris into the tracks too. It was fun though, and luckily the debris was not the "ski stopping" kind for the most part, I was a bit concerned about my skis though. It is such a peaceful fun trail! If you go more than two times a year, it's totally worth getting their membership! Remember to put some money in the box that is next to the map either way to support the grooming!

Photos:

(Eve Graves)

So good! Freshly groomed classic tracks for the perfect downhill fly and uphill momentum. And as always, full of charm. I am thankful for this gem of the Northwoods.

(Lizzy Luoma)

Was likely groomed this morning after snow and wind subsided. Trails were nice, several skiers out and tracks were work a bit, but still good conditions.

(Frank Frederickson)

Trails have been groomed since the most recent snowfall. First time on these trails and they are awesome. Worth a stop for sure.

(John Leaf)

27 F at 8:00 AM Saturday morning. Just a half-inch dusting of new snow on beautifully groomed trails. Boulder has been doing a great job on the trails this year. Fischer Zeros gave reasonable glide with Fast Wax red paste, and plenty of kick, no clumping. Not the fastest conditions of the year, but darn good, given the temp and all the new snow we have had recently. Absolutely beautiful out there in the woods. Has this been a great season already, or what?!

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(Tim Holst)

We skated Blue Ox, Nine Pine and Bear Paw Sunday afternoon. It was evident there had been plenty traffic on the trails earlier in the day but it was still the hardest I've worked for roughly 11k all year. New snow left a good 2-4" of fluff on the skate course, probably would've been better to classic until groomed. Little to no debris on the trail.

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(Sophia Jungbauer)

We skijored, classic skied and skate skied Blue Ox and Bear Paw today. I know the groomer did the trails yesterday, but they got at least 2 to 3 inches of new snow on top of that which made for a tough skate. The classic tracks were pretty well skied in and mostly intact. They work hard out there to keep the trails in tip top shape so I'm sure they will be out soon!

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(Eve Graves)

Headed out for a skijor around midday. A couple of inches of fresh snow on top of a fairly soft skate deck made the skating a bit of a slog. I think classic would have been a better bet. Beautiful in the woods with the freshly flocked trees.

(Catherine Winter)

Beautiful! Groomer was busy just before 2 pm at the east parking lot trail head. After the fresh snow it was as great as one would have expected.

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(Matthew Daly)

Otter Run was pure bliss today. Only a single skier had apparently been on it after it was groomed, and there was new powder on top of those tracks. Would have been even faster with next colder grip wax! Perfect trail condition for getting youngsters out on an easy trail - if you can keep them warm.

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(Charles Ek)

Skied the upper Spirit Mountain trails that were used in yesterday's race. The classic tracks would have still been perfect except that some skater(s) also went around the entire 14 K Saturday afternoon when it was soft and broke a bunch of snow into the tracks. It was still soft enough this morning that skiing twice around the system broke up a lot of the in-trail snow clumps. The skate area is narrower than usual, but I think it would be fine as long as the skating isn't done in the afternoon mush. Tracks were pretty fast, but not icy. I could talk myself into staying in the tracks on most of the downhills and had a nice smooth ride all the way up the other side. Enough of a base that the downhills are now really smooth. Some connector sections are not groomed.

(Sara Zimmer)

Upper Spirit Mountain hosted the 2020 Nordic Spirit Classic Ski Race this morning. Trails for this race were groomed Friday evening, with a variety of 1, 2, or 3 tracks across each trail. The CG, 3k and 5k trails were groomed with 2 and 3 tracks. The 5k and 11k trails were groomed best line classic single track, using a left-hand track and thus leaving room for skating. Grooming was coordinated with the City of Duluth using its Pisten Bully. The snow has firmed up nicely and racers reported very good skiing this morning. The trails will remain in this configuration giving classic skiers many kms of track. We plan to reset the entire trail system to its normal configuration early next week.

(Larry Mishkar)

We are stoked to report that all Upper Spirit Mountain trails are open including the Magney Connector and trail. Thanks to the City of Duluth Parks Maintenance Dept. and groomer Darin for doing our black trails. Snow remains soft but not as soft as Saturday. Come on out and ski til dusk or later!

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(Larry Mishkar)

The trails were freshly groomed as of 10:30 this morning. They were able to pack the skate deck pretty well however the light rain made skiing conditions pretty slow.

(Adam Van Straten)

I skied under the lights in the snowfall! With the snow falling, I decided to classic ski which was the right choice. The skate deck had an inch or so on it, but with my skins, I could ski the tracks well! Beautiful evening.

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(Anna DeMers)

I attempted to classic ski the lit loops again tonight but waxing proved too much of a challenge. With the fog/mist in the air it really changed the snow so hard waxes weren't working. I'm sure klister would have resulted in a great ski but I didn't feel like scraping it off afterwards. Either pack your waxless classic or your skate skis and you'll have a great time. Not iced up or anything so manageable speed and control on the downhills.

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(Ben Fornear)

Fantastic conditions at Lester. Did the lit loops twice around and it was sublime. Per the city, they just groomed the trails this afternoon and it showed. Icy spots all covered up. Beautiful tracks all around.

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(Ben Fornear)

It looked like the trails had been groomed after it snowed yesterday, but the wind overnight did a number on the trails. The tracks were filled in in places with some drifting. There was a fair bit of debris on the trails and in the tracks, mostly sticks and leaves. I had no trouble skiing a couple laps, though, and it was pretty pleasant.

(Adam Schwartz-Lowe)

Trails are groomed! Lots of soft snow, tracks were good but a little soft. In more open parts, the tracks had pretty good snow drifts in them. Skied a good amount of the trails, appeared that the entire trail system is groomed!

(Breana Merrier)

Haven't skied yet but I walked the dog this afternoon around the park and the trails were groomed and fresh classic tracks set.

(Jim Bjork)

Groomed, not plowed! All wheel drive cars only to reach trailhead at the Deeps. The trails are 400 yards from my house. Was shoveling as the Piston Bully went by returning to its flat bed truck.

(Richard Hoeg)

Groomers were out as we finished our ski around 1:30. Looked to be setting classic tracks too. Love these trails!

(John Leaf)

Classic skied almost all loops twice this morning. Nice deep classic tracks and skate deck nicely groomed as well, likely early this morning. Beautiful conditions!

(Steve Aulie)

This was my first time at Hidden Valley. Loved the terrain with some fantastic hills. Base was great with a light dusting of new snow. Classic and skate was well groomed.

(John Jereczek)

Base 24+ inches. All trails were groomed for classic and skate skiing tonight. We've finally been able to tame the effects of last weeks massive snowfall and put our trails back into great shape.

(Chas Curry)

Base 24+ inches. 3 to 4 inches of new snow on Friday. A grooming attempt was made on Friday night but our equipment clogged due to the wetness of the snow and near thawing temperature. Our easier trails were rolled with subpar results. As soon as the temperature decreases we will begin to groom again.

(Chas Curry)

Classic skied the Pincushion system this afternoon, after 3 to 4 inches of fresh snow overnight. No new grooming had been done yet but skier tracks were in place over most of the trails. Slow going but the base underneath the fresh snow seemed firm, much to my surprise and strong poling was possible. Temps were around freezing and Swix VR45 worked well for kick. Should be great after next grooming.

(Tim Nelson)

Conditions are very good at Pincushion today. About one half of the trail system has been groomed for both classic and skate after Saturdays 20" of new snow. Plans are to have the entire system groomed for both skate and classic by tomorrow.

(Timothy Lederle, North Superior Ski & Run Club)

Base 24+ inches. 18 to 20 inches of new snow. All trails groomed with variable results due to Bunyanesque snowfall. Expect soft and lumpy skate lanes, poorly defined or nonexistent classic tracks, ridges and clods strewn about the system. Conditions will improve as the snow firms up and additional grooming occurs. Ski with caution.

(Timothy Lederle, North Superior Ski & Run Club)

The Upper Gunflint Nordic Ski Trail System is in great shape! Our total snowfall for the season is 62.25 inches. I measured a trail base of 11-15 inches, with 21-27 inches of snow off trail. Our trails were last groomed Sunday, the 19th. It was a slightly foggy day today. I skied on parts of the Overlook and West End ski trails.

Photos:

(John Silliman)

Snow past 24 hours-trace. Snow past week: 12“. Snow on ground: 31”. Trails tracked: 41 km. Description: All trails tracked, skiing excellent, lots of great snow!

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(Andy Jenks)

No grooming being done this season on this nice trail system close town.

(Catherine McLynn)

Trails were pretty fast. I’m thinking it was a combination of temperature, moisture in the air, and ski wax. It’s so pretty here and conveniently right in town. There’s a nice mixture of pines, cedars, and spruce. The trails were in great shape! They were groomed on Wednesday.

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(Linda Roy)

Freshly groomed trails made for great skiing. An event is planned for Saturday so that could change conditions, but for now, they are great!

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(Tim Goeman)

All Trails have been packed, groomed, and tracked, plenty of snow. Trails should be set up nicely.

(John Beltman)

Sylvan Pt/FHC, Not groomed. Packed path to Sylvan Pt. I was pushing snow, sometimes above ankles, on the crossover trail to FHC, especially behind the school. FHC riverside trail had skied-in tracks. Debris was almost all covered up.

(Brad Bensen)

Just got done grooming and setting track on all the loops. The trail is in fantastic condition. Get out and ski.

(Rick Mcdonald)

Skiing with MYSL families practicing downhill techniques: snowplowing and riding the track around curves. Track set is great! Skate lane firm and with added inch of new snow allowed for controlled snowplow turns on the downhills.

(Catherine McLynn)

Ran the groomer around several times this morning to pack some of that new snow. I did set a new track and it seemed stout.

(Jeff Love)

Rolled and packed all loops. Came back through with the groomer and ran it over the skate lane. Set a new track all around. There was about eight inches of new snow. The trail may be a bit soft in places.

(Rick Mcdonald)

Packed and tracked the Amen Lake trails, up through north Suomi. Lots of snow.

(Randy Zupan)

Big Ridge Trails have not been machine groomed since reports earlier, and are now covered with a foot of snow. However, a regular skier who I met in the parking lot said he skis these trails every day. That means the trails that run around the Beginner and Intermediate loops are in excellent shape as groomed by foot. The Advanced loop has similarly groomed by foot but not as much. Logging is planned around the forest of Big Oaks in the Advanced section, but has not begun. Land Department says the trails will not be closed for logging. The Beginner Loop area has been logged frequently and you ski through aspen thicket. The Intermediate area is a beautiful mixed hardwood forest.

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(Tom Nelson)

DNR web page post says this trail was groomed last Tuesday, Jan 21st, so it should be skiing as well as Cowhorn which was groomed the same day.

(Catherine McLynn)

Conditions are excellent! The biathlon trails are all firm with an inch of new snow on top, so I left those as they were. The skate lanes on the Grant-In-Aid side were still really soft and interrupted by twin tracks from the JNQ races last weekend, so I tilled them with the Pistenbully and set a new track. This includes Main Street, Widow's Run, Otter Slide, Backtrack, and Exit Ramp. Enjoy!

(Bob Conzemius)

Excellent Pisten Bully grooming for CXC races on Saturday to pack a foot of new snowfall the night before and during the race. Firm skate lane for Saturday and then double tracks set for the classic race on Sunday. Some short sections of trail (ie Exit Ramp) not used for the race course are packed but soft.

(Catherine McLynn)

Freshly groomed this morning, trails are in great shape and ready for the weekend races.

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(Vladimir Cervenka)

Looks like it hasn’t been groomed for a while, but it works. Skiers have been making tracks. Slow, but scenic! Nice to see some flowing water in the creek.

(Keith Murphy)

Trail has not been groomed since big snow storm on Jan 16 (8+ inches). The sign at the trail head says it was last groomed on Jan. 3. People have been skiing the trail so conditions aren't too bad, just slow. Some sections of Wabana creek have open water flanked by large snow laden pines, spruces and cedar making for a beautiful experience.

(Steve Schultz)

Tracks decent from the north/Wendigo, has not been groomed since last dusting. Bulldozer recently active on timber sale related roads/trails. Wish they would keep the trails clear of burms where they push snow. Have to take skis off or side step. Crossed the dozer tracks four times. Beautiful though, and all to myself until the end when I ran in to some folks.

(Meadow Kouffeld)

Trail just groomed. Snow soft in tracks still so a little extra workout involved. Wind was blowing leaves etc. in to the track. Logging road still active. Came in from the north off Wendigo. Happy to have the trail open again!

(Meadow Kouffeld)

I skied the Doan Lake Trail near Trout Lake Recreation Area. The trail was groomed since the last big snowstorm (maybe Saturday afternoon?). The tracks were in great shape. There are lots of deer tracks on the trail. The deer are enjoying some packed snow too. This is a nice trail for a quick and mostly easy ski.

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(Linda Roy)

Very good ski especially considering how much snow needed to be packed and tracked. Good track to the north end and also on the Doan trail.

(Pete Friedlieb)

Had a great ski on the Doan Lake trails, thanks Carl! Joyce estate trail is skied in but no recent grooming.

Photos:

(Pete Friedlieb)

Volunteers set track today and is in good condition and skate lane packed yesterday should be firmer. Should ski good for weekend.

(Greg Moritko)

Whole system had skate deck repacked and combed to help firm things up after the big snowfall and winds left things a little fluffy.

(Simon Lick)

First time at Sugar. Feel so fortunate that we have so many beautiful ski areas. I really enjoyed the Thunder loop, the new trail did not have tracks, the Finnish loop ended my outing and I took the easier way back... Surprised I was able to ride the last hill down. I am a mediocre skier. Only saw one other skier and he was skate skiing. He was going the "wrong" direction after abandoning his skate ski outing. Said it was in skateable. Some drifting on the peak. Overall loved it, beautiful. Some incredible yellow birch specimens! Get out there this week. Enjoy winter!

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(Meadow Kouffeld)

Decided to check out Sugar even though report states skate lane is soft. Unfortunately there was a ridge down middle of the lane on most of the various trails. Snag loop had the biggest ridge. Better on Thunders loop. The problem was that left and right sides of ridge had different textures, so a skating pattern was difficult to maintain. I would hit really soft areas and nearly fall.

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(Philip Imholte)

After 12” of snow, volunteers out packing trails Sunday. Monday track set, very good conditions, skate lane set, soft. Beautiful day.

(Greg Moritko)

Packed and tracked the north and south Suomi trails. Some drifted areas on the spruce island loop.

(Randy zupan)

Another 2" fresh snow since grooming earlier this week. A few skiers before me on part of the south trail. Lots of fresh wildlife tracks, but did not see any. Swix Extra Blue was ok for the skied in tracks, but slipping when I had to break trail in the 2" fresh snow. Storm blowing in from the south.

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(Catherine McLynn)

Groomed Lake Loop down to Lower Junction, packed (with the snowmobile only) to Z junction, classic track on Prelude seems to be holding up, I thought it skied well. Lake Loop is not tracked but is groomed to Pincherry. 5k open and ready to ski.

(Tom Sobolik)

We've had a lot of snow this past week and its difficult to keep up. The Prelude and Lake Loops are packed and groomed and there is a track set on the Inner and Outer Prelude. The rest of the trail beyond Pincherry Junction needs to be packed before it can be groomed (this part of the trail is good for backcountry skiing if so interested). Stay tuned for further updates.

(Tom Sobolik)

Four of us skied this trail for the first time. It took a little while to find, located behind the office but definitely worth the effort. Beautiful trail through the pines and cedar some of which are probably 200 years old. We found probably 8k or so of trail groomed and likely with all the snow recently that would have been a major undertaking. Highly recommend this trail and thanks to Al for grooming.

(Pete Friedlieb)

Just groomed the trails tonight. All trails are classic tracked. The trail system is classic only.

(Alan Dettmer)

All trails groomed today; in good to excellent condition. Wind was picking up so there may be some debris scattered throughout.

(Kraig Stolhammer)

Skated for 4 hours on the trail. Freshly groomed the day before. A little soft but in great condition. With more than 2’ of snow in the woods.

(David Kettula)

This past weekend we received another foot or more of snow on Tilson Creek. Sunday we packed with sleds only, Monday we rolled and dragged, and today we used both Ginzus to groom and track all trail segments. The Big Bad Blue Hill trail is rolled for skating but not tracked.

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(Burgess Eberhardt)

We ran both Ginzus over all segments this morning, grooming skate lane and setting tracks. We were unable to track the Blue shelter loop because the snow was still too soft but did make two passes on skate lane. We did not do the Bogwalk.

(Burgess Eberhardt)

Very enjoyable classic single track and double track trails. Trails looked to be groomed several days ago with several inches of light powder on top made for smooth silent skiing in the woods. Pole plants were a little soft but kick was great.

(John Jereczek)

Incredible combination of moderate temperatures (blue wax) and fresh deep snow for the best skiing in several years. Trails in great condition. Well packed base and plenty of fresh powder. Great meals and lodging at National Forest Lodge with 50 MN Rovers to ski and snowshoe.

(Gary Carlson)

Classic doesn't get any better than this. Lots of fresh cold fluffy snow, freshy tracked on deep base, in a beautifully forested setting. You can ski out your door to all of this from a National Forest Lodge cabin.

(Kristi Lee)

Staying at the National Forest Lodge! Great lodging and perfectly groomed trails. A winter wonderland with 10-12 inches of new snow yesterday. Don’t miss this ski and snowshoe experience.

(Pat Ryan)

Losing track of snow amounts. 10" from the latest storm. An inch or 2 every other day for the previous week. All trails freshly groomed and in amazing condition. Come up and ski if you can make it out of your driveway.

(Andy Fisher, National Forest Lodge)

Tried to skate the Massie Hall loop from the Caribou Trail. Skate deck is very soft and roughed up with animal traffic, snowshoers, hikers, and on the connector, bikers. Skating was very difficult due the soft and rough condition of the skate lane. In addition, the heavy snow has left the skate lane narrower than usual and it was impossible to skate without impinging on the classic track. On the other hand, the classic track was in good shape and I double poled in it as much as I could. I strongly recommend using classic technique when skiing this loop until the skate deck is regroomed, firmed up, and made wider.

(Tim Nelson)

Classic skied the Hall-Massey loops in Lutsen. Lots of deer and wolf tracks! Great snow conditions, 20's after the last storm. Good set tracks and descent pole plants. Sunny and 28 degrees. Great skiing and will only get better as trails set up firm. The North Shore is in good snow shape for the winter. Magical!

(Ross Jacobsen)

Great conditions, great grooming, great trails. The snow is prime for cross-country. Did south loop outer run. Very much fun. Beautiful January weather. Get out and enjoy.

(Craig MacArthur)

After a few inches over several days, the trails needed a refresh before the weekend. All sections have been groomed.

(Paul VanderWaal)

Skied East Leg; Cut-thru; Central Corridor. Some snow drifts near "C" but the snow is soft, skied through it.
Fresh inch or two of snow. Skiing was really good, beautiful out on the trail.
Happy Trails:).

(Diana Olson)

The 10-11" dump of light, fluffy snow made grooming more difficult. Made a double pass with just the sled to pack it down before grooming. Groomed the entire north and south segments. The groomer set a beautiful track. After an overnight I'm hoping the deck and track set up nicely. The dry snow may make that less likely.

(Paul VanderWaal)

We had 10+" of snow with a lot of drifting. All North trails except the lake loop were groomed this afternoon. Track was not too good because of the light fluffy snow. Hopefully when some skiers use it the track will get deeper. As of 4PM the parking lot had not been plowed.

(Gary Anderson)

Volunteer Groomed Big Hole this morn. Stuck one time for an hour, tough. Excellent conditions. Spring skiing, Enjoy.

(Neil Gardner)

Groomed the campground loops again on a windy afternoon. 3 km finished, half double tracked. Will try to groom the Big Hole Loop in the morning. Enjoy!

(Neil Gardner)

Excellent. Busy day at the park and a lot of skiers. Groomers out and the new tracks are great. The freshly groomed segments are a little soft, the yet to be regroomed are hard and fast. Dark gray ski and flat light. Lots of wolf scat on trail.

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(Tony Lockhart)

Very warm day. 36 Degrees. 1.5’ deep snow pack in most areas. Easy to go up hill. Trails not groomed, though. Gotta blaze a trail over old grooming.

(Brent Genereux)

Wonderful. Grooming was great. Classic tracks very good. Warm and soft - still a great day to be outside!

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(Tony Lockhart)

Most of the trails seemed to be groomed by late morning. Some leaves but not bad. They've changed which trails they are grooming and many of the maps throughout the park have not been updated (current version on website).

(Andrew Maxwell-Parish)

Skied the man-made trails and some of the natural trails. The man-made trails were in good condition, and the natural trails pretty good, although there were a few thin spots.

(Zak Kujala)

Skied the north loop in the Lake trail on the natural snow. Excellent conditions, bring your good skis. There were only a couple of small areas where the ground was showing through. Great to get off the man-made track.

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(Scott Greymont)

I’m sure that with the recent snowfall(s) everywhere is great right now, but the Hyland natural trails are in some of the best shape I’ve seen. Maybe one or two dirty spots from the groomer churning up some soil, but those are easily avoidable. Grab your good skis and go ski the Lake loop/Hill trail. It’s not often that they’re this nice!

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(Nick Ross)

Skied man-made and natural loops. Skating deck fine on all, though some very dirty spots on natural, especially leading to Richardson nature center. Classic tracks good, but icy on man-made. Natural tracks, except for Lake trail, haven't been reset in a while; tracks washed out in places. It's a pity these natural trails aren't kept up, as we don't get many days with enough snow to enjoy them.

(Tony Pellegrini)

Huge HS Race today; 3:30 - 5:30. There will be limited parking. All Trails are open, packed, tracked and in Good conditions!

(Sonja Bercich, Three Rivers Park District)

As good as it gets at Hyland. The grooming was perfect and the sun was shining! Skied every trail today from north to south and east to west. A spectacular day of skiing. Kudos to the groomers who always get it right at Hyland.

(Jim Wiliams)

Amazing skiing today! All of the trails are packed, tracked and in good condition! The sun is perfect! I just needed oxygen! :)

(Sonja Bercich, Three Rivers Park District)

Excellent conditions and grooming! I skied classic on some of the natural snow trails (Hill and Lake) and all the snowmaking trails. I was happy to see that they had two parallel sets of classic tracks from Boulder Ridge back to the race start area. When I'm skiing with friends or family, it's nice sometimes to be able to ski side-by-side. And there's still plenty of room for skating (which I also do at least half my outings). I know there's probably not enough room on all the trails for two sets of classic tracks and skate deck, but where it's wide enough, it's nice to have it.

(Craig Wiklund)

Great news! All of the XC Ski Trails, 15K total, are packed, newly tracked and in good condition. Visitor Center is open 8am - 9pm on Weekends and 9am - 9 pm on Weekdays. Rentals available. Lights are on during the am and pm time frames. HS Meets are scheduled for Tues/Wed and Fri. from 3:30- 5:30 pm.

(Sonja Bercich, Three Rivers Park District)

5K Manufactured snow Trails Star, Willow Creek, Frog Town, Scenic Foothills and Boulder Ridge are packed, tracked and in good condition. Natural snow trails Lake, Hill, Oak Knob, North and Nature Center trails are packed only. Notes: Trails are open 5am-10 pm. Visitor Center open weekends 8 AM–9 PM; weekdays 9 AM–9 PM. Rentals available. Grooming occurring overnight every night.
Scheduling: High School Nordic races: Tues., Jan. 21 at 4 PM; Weds., Jan. 22 at 4 PM; Fri., Jan. 24 at 3:45 PM.

(Sonja Bercich, Three Rivers Park District)

Conditions this morning were excellent as usual on the man made loop, classic skiing. However contrary to grooming reports the natural snow trails are not groomed every night and the classic tracks were quite washed out and full of debris especially on the lake side trails. Hopefully with the new snow they will be able to reset deep tracks.

(Peter Swenson)

Natural snow trails in great shape before new snow late morning. A few places with some dirt in the tracks, but I was skating. There was some leaf litter, particularly on Oak Knoll and the Lake Loop, less so on Hill Loop, North Loop and Nature Center Loop..

(Sue Schroeder)

Manmade was pristine. Snow was on the verge of losing the squeaks at 8AM and running faster than expected. Lake loop was not regroomed and had a fair amount of debris - I'd say B skis. North loop was groomed and in much better shape (B+).

(John Holton)

Yippy! Skippy! More snow is coming! All trails are packed, tracked and in good condition including the 5K manufactured snow trails and 10K of the natural snow trails. Grooming occurs overnight each night.
Note: HS Rennet Race scheduled at Hyland today has been canceled.

(Sonja Bercich, Three Rivers Park District)

Parking lot was pretty lonely pre-dawn at Hyland! Only one car in the lot when I arrived at 5:45! Classic skied a few loops on the man-made trail. Track was great and kick was great with Swix green. Thought about a spin on the Lake Loop but it didn’t look like there was track set but it did have fresh corduroy. I was the first one up Boulder Ridge this morning and the moon was up above the track (see picture). Cold morning!

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(Bill McKinney)

I was going to ski Hyland, but I was headed south and thought "what the heck" it has been a few years since I skied Murphy and the Knob and Kettle are open so why not avoid the crowd. As advertised the Knob and Kettle are open. The groomer was out packing and repacking the skate lane. The track was set although I saw no activity in the track as of yet. The second loop was easier due to the groomer's packing. Razorback was not open nor did I expect it to be. I talked to the groomer and thanked him, I could see how he was fighting to keep the skate lane as wide as he could get it with the trees crowding the trail.

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(Craig Schulz)

The Murph is open, except for outside Razorback trail, for skinny skis fun! I Classic skied both the Knob and Kettle trails. The classic tracks were generally good, but soft. The skate deck is soft too. It looked like I was the second classic skier on the tracks. The snow coverage of the trail is good. I did not notice any protruding rocks or feel any rocks scrape my ski bottoms. I used my B skis. There were some leaves in classic tracks. The skate deck is somewhat uneven as there is a ridge in many sections. There were several skate tracks in the skate deck. There were some foot marks in the skate deck from walkers.

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(Ken Kuznia)

Good conditions at Terrace Oaks. Well defined, firm tracks throughout. A little glazed in the open areas, but some loose snow coverage in most areas. Leaves are not a problem. Skating lane looked OK, not recently groomed. A fair amount of walker damage in the skating lane, and in the track in a few spots, especially in the middle of the loop. There is a prominent sign, highlighted with pink flags at the trailhead asking people to not walk on the trails.

(Dave Gardner)

I skated all of the trail segments this morning. The coverage was excellent for skating, although glide was a bit soft and slow. The air temperature was just below freezing with about an inch of fairly abrasive new snow on top of the solid skate deck. The classic tracks were in very good shape, and they provided the fastest ride downhill. Best conditions in recent memory - thank you to the groomers!

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(Mike Maiers)

Skated the outer 5.2 km loop at above freezing with ultralight precipitation of sorts: the skate deck was in excellent condition after recent grooming, and the tracks looked good, but then I saw no other skiers in well over an hour on the trail, and only one guy looking to probably hike. The leaf quotient was extremely low, and I saw just one spot with dirt showing through. Gliding on LF 25-39 wax was slow, hindered by the high humidity, and all those short steep hills seemed harder, but with the trail this good (and untrammeled), I'd say get back there soon.

(Richard Swenson)

Freshly groomed after yesterday's snow. Skied all the trails. Nice classic track, with some ice in tracks here and there from rain that preceded snow. Smooth, flat skate deck. Snow soft and sticky.

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(Ken Kuznia)

Skied classic late Monday night. Lots of snow, tracks were a bit worn but firm and consistent. Rest of the deck was excellent for control on the fast downhills.

(Gary Roach)

Great classic tracks set before I skied this evening. I skied all the loops once or twice. There were quite a few leaves blown into the tracks, but otherwise they were in excellent condition. No dirt or sticks. I do wish they would put "normal" maps back up at the intersections (They should be oriented north up, so they all look the same, rather than direction of travel up, which is confusing when you see it on a paper map, even if it works great on a moving GPS view). I always enjoy the abundance of hills and woods at Terrace oaks, whether I'm on my classic skis or skate skis.

(Craig Wiklund)

Skated the outer, 5.2 km loop several times from 9 to 10:30 am, with temp dropping from 25 to 16. The 4+ inches of new snow had apparently seen a grooming pass plus another that left the skate deck almost double wide in places, often with a rut in the middle. Skating was slow and arduous, especially up several short hills, though the longer downhill and flat parts were enjoyable, if a bit tricky. No tracks set, but the several classic skiers I saw appeared, like me, to be appreciating this lovely, tranquil setting (which with the thinning of trees and brush looks radically different in places than it did in years past).

(Richard Swenson)

My first time in many years skiing Wild River SP. Last time may have been wood skis with 3-pin bindings. Great conditions on these extensive trails. Many trails with fresh grooming, some I was getting first tracks. A few soft areas on corners. Great to have very few oak leaves in this largely pine forest.

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(Sue Schroeder)

Skied Mitigwaki, Old Logging, River, Pioneer and Dry Creek. Pioneer and Dry Creek had fresh grooming. In fact, I was the first person on the trail. The tracks were very soft and seemed like they could use a bit more packing before setting the tracks. All of the other trails had older grooming, but were significantly more firm. Kick waxing was quite the riddle, but it was a great day in the woods.

(Michael Hall)

Howling south winds led to skiing on one of my favorite, more sheltered trails--Dry Creek. This trail is also less leafy. There were a few more leaves in the tracks compared to yesterday, but still very nice conditions. Hills were a little soft, but nothing that warmer temps, a little drizzle, more skiers and additional grooming won't firm up.

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(Kris Backlund)

Absolutely the best skiing of the season. Classic tracks were in very nice condition. I skied part of the Mitigwaki Loop, the River and Old Logging trails. The leaves are finally covered. No swans today, and only a handful of skiers that I saw.

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(Kris Backlund)

Skied a handful of the trails north and south of the campground. The snow is in nice shape. No bare spots, only a handful of oak leaves. I had a great time.

(Marcus Ellson)

With sub-freezing temps this morning we groomed out what we could before temps warmed. Six Flat got the Bully out and combed and tracked Bunker Park--skate deck and classic track in real good condition. We won't get to Bunker Golf Course and Skijor until next week. Both of these sites have some snow cover on them but are still very skiable. It seems the oak leaves are falling at a slower rate now. Note that there are some bare areas on Skijor north of the dog park, as we try to recover from some utility work. These areas can be avoided but B skis recommended.

(Joe Baker, Anoka County Parks)

All trails combed and tracked. Skate deck and classic track in very good condition but winds may cause some drifting, especially on the the Golf Course and Skijor.

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(Joe Baker, Anoka County Parks)

Really nice classic skiing today, excellent tracks. Great fresh grooming and not too many oak leaves as yet, despite the gusty winds.

(Linda Johnson)

Bunker Hills Park, Golf Course, and Skijor are combed and tracked. Skate deck and classic track in very good condition. With the moisture in the snow and dropping temps, trails should get hard and fast quick.

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(Joe Baker, Anoka County Parks)

Bunker Hills Park combed and tracked today, skate deck and classic track in good condition. Skijor combed yesterday, good condition, no track set. Bunker Hills golf course combed and tracked on Tuesday, skate deck and classic track in good condition, with a quarter inch of snow from yesterday covering.

(Joe Baker, Anoka County Parks)

Excellent conditions/grooming for classic. We skied most of the trails (7 miles) between Schultze, Portage, O'Brien, and Jensen lakes. Beautiful scenery with snow covering the trees.

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(Craig Wiklund)

Skied 9 miles on east side of park starting from Schultz Beach. Tracks were generally in good condition. Not many leaves. Beautiful morning for skiing with snow in the trees.

(David Baumgardner)

The eastern section of the park (between Pilot Knob Rd. and Dodd Rd.) has been groomed with tracks reset this morning. Unfortunately, the groomer had an equipment breakdown, and the center and west sections will not be groomed today, but the trails are still open.

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(Steve Hart, Dakota County Parks)

With warming temps classic tracks are becoming slick. Leafy throughout the woodlands. Not as good ski conditions as several days ago with cooler temps.

(Robert Bergad)

Found tracks had a bit of leaf litter but found sections that were quite good. Used blue special wax to get grip. I skied the south loop from the visitor center and it was really enjoyable. Firm tracks but a little worn from the traffic.

(Paul Kraus)

Skied from Holland Lake to the Black Diamond Trail, over to the Visitor Center, then dropped down to the Southern Trek before heading back up to Holland Lake. All trails in great shape in spite of the leaves! Groomers are doing a great job.

(Bryan Evarts)

Lots of oak leaves to foul up your kick wax, and hard packed snow to make climbing hills difficult. Tracks are firm and well-defined, but again, the snow in them is so hard that I mostly slid--couldn't get much grip. Maybe if you have fish scale skis you'll have better luck, but until it snows more or the trails get re-groomed, it will be too difficult for me.

(Bob Hartzler)

Conditions this afternoon at Leb reminded me why cross country skiing can be so enjoyable. 99% of the trail was in great condition - nicely set tracks. You almost forget how close to the metro area you are. The groomers have done a great job. Only areas of concern were by post 20 - that corner is turning to ice as people plow through the turn. Other area that was a little sketchy was the road crossing as the road was significantly lower than the lip leading up to it.

(Scott Greymont)

Fantastic ski this afternoon with the new snow yesterday and tracks set just this morning. Great job by the groomer with firm tracks. Be careful not to overdress like I did with temps in mid teens feeling more like upper twenties due to no wind and bright sun.

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(John Gamlin)

Absolutely incredible conditions at Lebanon. Groomers were out this morning. Double tracks, beautiful snow, flawless conditions throughout. Race skis no problem. Get out and enjoy.

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(Ryan Wilson)

Started skiing around 10:30 am. Skied classic trails west of Pilot Knob Road. Excellent double tracks by Dakota County groomer.

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(Ken Kuznia)

The fresh snow is being groomed in this morning. Classic tracks are being reset throughout the park as the groomer moves east to west. Great conditions.

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(Steve Hart, Dakota County Parks)

With some of very my favorite people I ventured into Lebanon's near perfect side by side classic tracks. Like a trustworthy friend, these trails follow in the footsteps of old farm roads, and they feel sensible. The trees are so kind! The Oak Leaves give you just that little bit of extra very organic kick and necessary wind protection. Rex 30G and great glide. Good company. Lebanon Hills = the true sweet spot today!

(Xena Og)

Classic skied Lebanon Hills from the Visitor Center West then South cutting back through the center of the park at marker 38 then West and back to the Visitor Center along the North trails. Found all trails to be in good condition with the new snow and groomed/tracked just this morning. A few areas with oak leaves due to winds and one spot on Southern trail wind blown Otherwise a great ski. Great job by the groomer.

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(John Gamlin)

Skied classic trails both east and west of Pilot Knob Road. Started around 10:30 am. Kudos to Dakota County Parks for grooming trails early and well with their Pisten Bully. Lots of folks and families out enjoying the new snow and trails. Wind blown in some open areas and leaf debris coming down from the strong west-north wind.

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(Ken Kuznia)

Tracked and beautiful. Skied from Visitor Center down Dodd road and then back up to Holland and back to VC. Trails tracked and in great condition. No leaf litter! Get out quickly before the wind drifts over the tracks. First time ever with NO hikers or skate skiers on trail.

(Paul Kraus)

Lebanon Hills was groomed this morning. 4 inches of fresh snow was just what we needed to get the Pisten Bully out of hibernation. Tracks are set throughout and trails are in good condition.

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(Steve Hart, Dakota County Parks)

Skate deck was freshly groomed and in very nice condition. Some leaves/twigs in the wooded area and some grass showing through in the fields but nothing that was concerning. Classic track looked a little neglected but it's there if you want it.

(Matt Carlson)

Not freshly groomed. Looks like it was rolled after snowstorm then skiers sank in and finally it hardened to an uneven ordeal. To top it off a snowmobile made it’s way unto the Grimm trail by the lake. Totally messed up down there.
The classic trail looks ok. I would wait till they groom again to skate, hopefully this week.

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(Kevin Wendland)

Cover your tomato’s and come on out. King was groomed for skate only this morning. A few thin spots with occasional rock. Basically good skis with caution.
Note: Metro west race at 3:45, so come out and cheer the kids on then go for a ski.

Photos:

(Kevin Wendland)

Skied Eagle Point Lake Red loop at noon today. So nice to have the groomed classical tracks finally, and even the muliti-use section was tracked! The few walkers and biker stayed out of the tracks. It was a beautiful ski around the lake.

(Pat Barrett)

Wonderful conditions at Lake Elmo East Side trails today! Snow was very fast and skate lane was packed, flat and firm. Classic tracks were also very well formed. Lots of groups out today having fun. Great day to ski!

(Bill Harrison)

Lake Elmo's east and west side were groomed today. Tracks were set. Trails are in great condition.

(Theresa Young, Washington County Parks)

I classic skied the Eagle Point loop. It hadn't been groomed since the light snowfall on Thursday. Plenty of people had gone through on classics, so there was enough of a trail and I saw multiple people skate skiing as well. The snow was very sticky though - and I have waxless skis that are usually pretty slippery! Not much glide happening. There was a ski meet happening on the trails out of the Nordic Center. Beautiful day, though - all the trees were still covered in snow. Also note that part of the Eagle Point loop is closed and you need to ski the on the blue trail first. There are signs and you will hook back up with the red Eagle Point trail, but it's a little confusing.

(Heather Whelpley)

Eagle Point Trail was in fair condition. It was 34 - 35 degrees and overcast. The classic track was a skier-laid and inconsistent on the multi-use portion of the trail but seemed okay but narrow after that. ( I used it on some downhills.) I used FastWax Yellow LF. Trail has not been groomed since the snow of the last night or two. Consequently, I was pushing a couple inches of snow the entire 3.8 miles. Obviously, it slowed me some but not that much. Rutting was rarely a problem but as I hugged the right-hand curve on the downhill after the quonset shelter my left ski did get caught in the classic track and I did a one-legged, Bonnie Bell imitation (for those old enough to remember) before I recovered and broke free of the track. A few mtn. bikers had ridden the trail so there was a consistent tire track or trough down the skate surface. It was generally not a problem. At the very end, the trail was also rough from snow mobile tracks.

Photos:

(Keith Carlson)

Trails on the east side of Lake Elmo have been groomed and the track was reset on the yellow and orange trails. The skate deck has been redone on all trails on the east side. Conditions are good but soft. The Eagle Point trail on the west side was not groomed today and multi-use trails were not groomed.

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

Ski trails on the east side of Lake Elmo have been groomed and tracks have been set. Conditions are good but soft. Groomers will not be regrooming the Red Trail on the west side of Lake Elmo today.

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

The Eagle Point trail on the west side was groomed today. There is pretty good coverage but a couple of bare spots due to blowing snow. Tracks have been set. Groomer operator says they're in good condition.

(Theresa Young, Washington County Parks)

The east side trails were in excellent condition. Corduroy throughout after grooming that had occurred earlier in the day. Consistent classic track. It was 19 degrees and cloudy. I used Fast Wax Blue LF. 2:45 start worked out perfect to finish just as the high school teams were hitting the trails at 3:30. (My experience is they never ski the perimeters where I ski anyway.) It was a fresh corduroy due to the excellent work of the groomers. Snow was dry, as the squeaking as I skated probably signified. My wax performance seemed inconsistent - fast on flats and downhills, slower on even moderate uphills, I was on a fast for me 7 mph + pace as I got to Bur Oak but my shoulders were getting pretty tired by that point and I finished last 1.3 miles at only about a 5 mph pace.

(Keith Carlson)

Trails on the east side were groomed today. Track was set. There is good coverage. Groomers consider them in good to excellent condition. Minimal debris on the trails.

(Theresa Young, Washington County Parks)

Ski trails on the east side of Lake Elmo Park Reserve have been fully groomed and tracked! Coverage is good. The Eagle Point Ski Trail on the west side has been rolled and the multi-use trails have also been rolled as well. There is a lot of drifting snow in the open areas of the trails.

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

Eagle Point was in very good condition. Finished just before the snow started. Still a little dirt showing through on the connection from the multi-use trail to the original trail right of way but the roots on it are finally, nearly completely covered. There has been a lot of snowmobile traffic on northern portion of the trail. Snowmobile-tracked portion slowed me a little and I finally figured out that I might have been using too warm a wax but I still skied it in under 35 minutes, pretty quick for me. I used FastWax Red LF.

(Keith Carlson)

The fresh snow looks to be used mostly by trail walkers but that didn't impact my time too much. The trails were not groomed but previous skiers made for some tracks to follow. The temps warmed up to the point where snow started sticking to the glide areas of my skis after uphills so looks like I'll need new glide wax.

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(Kory Lasker)

Skated the Island and Timber trail loops. As you might expect in 35F weather, the snow was fast, although more packed and icy than I thought they would be. It was hard to get an edge at times. There was also a substantial amount of tree debris in spots, although nothing I was concerned about, and no bare spots. Overall, the skiing was very enjoyable, and the groomers seem to be doing a fantastic job, but I'm not sure what will happen with continuing warm weather. The classic tracks seemed to be in good shape but I didn't ski them.

(Kristian Markon)

I did the outside perimeter of the course. It was the perfect day and conditions for me, as I am a "fair weather" skier. The grooming seemed recently done or that not many people had been out today.

(Carolyn Sund)

Baker was windblown but that’s to be expected today. I saw the groomer on the beginner trail as I came in the parking lot. Probably 25 cars in the lot as I started out. I encountered 5 other skiers as I circled down to and thru the Island Loop. The classic tracks were fine in the trees but blown over in open areas; the wind was persistent! A few oak leaves here and there but overall, if you dress for it, an invigorating experience!

(Tom Mayer)

We groomed the Gold loop and set new classic tracks this morning. The trail is just a little soft but really in amazing condition. Enjoy!

(Michael Rohweder)

Classic skied all trails and Silver and Gold were in the best shape. The Games trail was a bit pushed out and soft and could use a fresh grooming. Hard to complain when you have this great of coverage. This winter has been awesome! Lots of skiers enjoying the day.

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(Scott Ford)

I skied some of the best conditions all year this morning on the Gold, Silver, Bronze trails. Skate deck is set just enough to highlight the fresh snow from the last few nights. Get out there and enjoy this mild weather and fast snow!

(Nick Campbell)

Skating lane on Gold, Silver, Bronze and Ski Games trails nicely resurfaced. Lots of skiers out touring and training.

(Bill Kosfeld)

Fantastic day. Was out after John and Dave finished grooming. Hats off to all these guys that are volunteers for Ramsey County. They do a phenomenal job of grooming the trails daily and many times late at night to ready the trails for high school ski meets. Please thank them if you see them out! Skied the Gold and Silver loops multiple times and skate deck was already starting to set up well. Best hills in the metro for Birkie training in my opinion. Skate deck is now perfectly flat. Get out and enjoy!

(Bill Harrison)

Gold, Silver and Bronze trails were groomed this morning. Three passes on the skate lanes and we removed and then reset the classic track. BC has plenty of snow and conditions were very good. Should set up well for the weekend.

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(John O'Connell, WAMXC)

Skied the Silver Trail this morning. No grooming today but the 1-2" of new snow on the trail skied well. The base under the new snow was firm but not icy. The tracks looked good and when I jumped they were solid.

(Bill Stuber)

Refreshed the Silver, Gold, and Ski Games trails tonight. Plenty of snow, very good skating conditions. The track are good, shallow in some places.

(Bill Stuber)

Skied every inch of Battle Creek today, just after an East Metro HS meet wrapped up. (Someone left all the course-marker cones behind over 5k of track.) Abundant snow everywhere, conditions fine, and tracks looked mostly good. Ski Games trails were pillow-soft: not to everyone's taste. A few leaves in spots, and there was a bit of a toboggan-chute profile on some of the steepest back downhill turns. But overall, it was a great day and great conditions at Battle Creek!

(David Moore)

Skied early afternoon, found the trails to be in very good condition. It's been a number of years since I've been able to ski here, and it's always an eye-opening reminder how technical and so fun these trails are! Some of the best in the Midwest for challenging terrain, yet there are other segments that provide easy, gently rolling experience. It was well groomed today, only the Ski Games ski was just a little softer, but it all skied very nicely. Newer trail markers are excellent.

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(Bruce Adelsman)

Just finished grooming this morning. Groomed all trails except Ski games, West of Battle Creek road. Trails are in great shape but snow is a bit soft. Enjoy!

(Michael Rohweder)

Pretty good striding although a little soft (and already leafy tracks thanks to the wind). There's plenty of snow - I did not see any grass or dirt. I stayed in the woods out of the nasty wind and had an enjoyable ski at dusk. As usual, awesome grooming - a big thanks to the dedicated BC grooming crew.

(Pete Thurmes)

Still fairly soft skate deck. Made it easy to control speed on the big hills. Tracks in good condition.

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(Amy Storbakken)

Gold, Silver, Bronze and Ski Games packed and new track set. Still pretty soft, and drifting in exposed areas; otherwise good conditions.

(Bill Kosfeld)

Double track recently groomed and trail in very good shape. Nice glide and the skins performed well in the warmer conditions. Winter Wonderland w the fresh snow on the trees. No debris or footprints and great coverage. Hope the snow holds up with a warmth stretch.

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(Scott Ford)

Great day on the trails. The trail is in good shape with little damage from hikers. There was some leaf and branch debris, but not too bad. Fresh flurries overnight made for nice tracks!

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(Sarah Edwards)

Ski track still in good shape except sections that were trampled by hikers. Oak leaves starting to fill track but not much of a problem.

(Ethan Knuti)

Freshly groomed and good coverage throughout. Wooded trails helped with the strong wind. Groomers got up early - thank you!

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(Scott Ford)

Bill skied very slow for skating today, it was my slowest ski I have had at Bill all year. The groomer was making multiple passes to get the trail ready for tomorrow’s race. The trail should firm up tonight if we get the predicted low temperatures. Tomorrow’s race should be the best conditions that the race has had in years. Get out and enjoy this race.

(Bruce Fiedler)

Good news was very little rain yesterday, the great news was two inches of new snow this morning. Grooming was taking place when I got there. Conditions looked great, a bit soft yet but plenty of base. The grooming plans, according to the park, are to do the final grooming for Sunday's race Saturday evening, so any kind of below freezing night should provide great skiing.

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(Jim Smith)

The best conditions the park has seen in years! Park staff has been working hard to consolidate new snow from last week. Trails are fully covered and tracks are set. Should be in great shape for the Marine O'Brien race this weekend!

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(Tara Tierney)

Thank you to the groomer! Best grooming in years-near perfection! The weather was ideal and the track was fast all hills were amazing. Great conditions!

(Kristina Vaughan)

I skied all of William OBrien Sunday afternoon and the trails were in excellent condition. Thanks to Wayne and the grooming staff for doing such a great job! Looking forward to the Marine OBrien race on Sunday.

(Andy Powell)

All the trails had been groomed for skate and classic except the prairie loop for classic but I'm guessing that was tracked later as they were currently grooming the skate lane on that loop. A few leaves here and there but otherwise great conditions.

(Bill Callas)

Started out with classic at 8. The tracks on the made snow loop were phenomenal. Deep, double in most spots, and every so slightly crusty (which was great). After a few laps my quickly applied single coat of liquid klister was gone (or my technique was just getting too sloppy). I switched to skate and tried the Judy loop. It was mostly good, though narrow and with minimal classic tracks. A few spots at the tops of hills had grass or twigs poking up through and some scattered leaves. The re-route around the ice spot is handy, but also had deep, frozen ruts. The made-snow loop stayed firm on the deck with no icy spots despite lots snowplowing happening. Overall a stellar day out there.

(Dan Boody)

The green meadow loop was in good shape, though there was only one set of tracks heading up the hill. Also, watch out for fat bikes. There have been some coming out onto the ski trails. The snow across the road is very hard packed. There’s a lot of snow around still, and the tracks are mostly there. Skyline wasn’t too thin yet.

(Dan Boody)

Back in town after a week away. Wonderful conditions around 9:00 this morning on the natural trails north of Glenwood. I skied JD Rivers, Tornado Alley, Skyline, Bridge and Wirth Lake. The groomers were out, and it looks like they got everything except Wirth Lake trail, which was in fine shape from a recent grooming. I didn't see any concerning spots. I don't see any directional signs out on the Wirth lake section and several folks going the wrong way.

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(Sam Knuth)

The made-snow trails were a little dirtier than I would normally expect, but still in good shape. The inner meadow is open, it does have some wide ridges running down the middle of the deck. Lots of high schoolers were getting a good ski in. The fresh snow piled up fairly quickly and once it did, my skis started grinding to a halt on downhills (I need fresh wax). I took a break and then went out with the Founders. It was a delightful snowy evening.

(Dan Boody)

Three part report, as I checked out trails from North Wirth all the way to Lake of the Isles. Part #1: North Wirth is in perfect condition. The trails from the upper stadium down to the tool shed are closed for snowmaking. All snowmaking trails are in world class shape. On the plus side, the north finger of snowmaking is now open, as are the natural snow "Judy" trails that go past the Courage Center. Watch the flooded area with glare ice when descending the big hill on Judy loop. Sky line trail (flat side of golf course) is perfect.

(Zach Handler)

Great conditions overall at Theo Wirth snowmaking and natural snow trails. Skied all of the North trails and through the JD River Trail and across Wirth Lake. Skate deck was set pretty well in the natural snow trails and was very fast in the snowmaking. One thing to note was that coming down the big hill on the Judy Trail the trail turned icy and then had a big ice patch at the bottom that could take you out if you're not paying attention.

(Joe Kane)

These are the days that make winter special! Sunny, mild, no wind and great conditions. The snow-making trails were pretty superb, with well-set tracks throughout. The Skyline Trail was also in very good shape for both skating and classical. I also skied Tornado Alley which was good, the Hwy. 55 underpass was thin but OK to ski on, JD Gardens connector trail also fine. The only area with just a slight amount of debris and thinner snow depth was the west side of Wirth Lake (Jar Hill) but it was still OK. Lots of high schoolers, families and other folks out enjoying the trails; the Chalet overflow parking lot was virtually full at 3pm. Note: Trail 18 was closed and the short meadow loop on the Green Meadow/Twin Lakes trail was not groomed; I did a short trek on one of the Judy trails but it was sort of icy and not as good as the rest of the trails.

(Dave Carlson)

Started when it was still cold in the morning, but was way overdressed. The temps warmed really quickly and the sun was blazing. Stuck to the made-snow loop so I could be near my food, but was wishing I had got to South Wirth because of the beautiful day. The deck on the loop was very firm and pretty well skied in, with some mostly-untouched corduroy off to the side. I hopped into the tracks for a number of the downhills and they were very solid and a bit faster than the deck. Everything was super clean. As others mentioned, Trail 18 was still closed and the inner meadow wasn't open. Looking forward to the North Finger opening, but there was a fence across the tracks leading down there.

(Dan Boody)

Great shape today! Got out at 2 pm and some sort of group was mostly wrapping up. Tracks excellent just about everywhere, with a small exception where snow being made for the North Finger was drifting over the uphill tracks. Good day!

(Dan Hutjens)

Theodore Wirth was very busy this afternoon--even with the cold weather! It was great to see so many kids out skiing with the MN Youth Ski League! The snowmaking loops were in very good shape for classic and skate. It was nice getting back on the Twin Lake Loop again. The Judy Loop wasn't open.

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(Bill Lundberg)

Skied late afternoon, covering the man-made loop and then south down to Wirth Lake. Wind was nasty, especially at the top of the old stadium! Most of the trails were in very good condition with the biggest drifting, not surprisingly, on Wirth Lake. Lots of people out, including big MYSL groups -- great to see! Used my good skis, no issues -- about the only semi-thin area was the stretch under Hwy 55 bridge. Decent classic tracks were set throughout the trails I encountered.

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(Bruce Adelsman)

The parking lots were the most crowded I've ever seen at 7am. Classic skied today, and my first time out on the Twin Lakes section this season. The tracks were in great shape overall, though I did have to hop out a few times to avoid heavy leaf pileups and I ended my ski with a few leaf bits ground into my kick wax. With blue still on my skis for glide it was a fairly slow day, but beautiful out and not terribly windy yet. Snow was in great condition as always on the made-snow loop. We left just as a high school meet was getting set up.

(Dan Boody)

Skated the natural snow golf course loop and down tornado alley under 55 and to Wirth lake just after dark on Thursday. Skate deck was very hard packed - not ice but I'd say close just because of the cold and having been skied a bit. Classic tracks looked good to me, but all I did was skate. Saw a nice herd of deer south of 55. If hardish snow and a bit of chill aren't dealbreakers, a very nice time to be out. Good coverage everywhere I was. I did not ski across the lake.

(Josh DuBois)

Big disappointment on natural snow classic trails. Plenty of snow, no ice, no bare spots, but most tracks are washed out -- needs a reset of the tracks. Skied all classic from nature center and big loop by chalet. Three Rivers reports Eagle trail as poor, but it had the best tracks.

(Scott Engstrom)

I skated the outer skate trails at 8:30 am. All were freshly dragged, which remedied the uneven hardpack that was developing yesterday, and produced a smooth, soft, somewhat slow surface that was great to skate on. The classic tracks on Lake and Creek haven't been reset and are getting washed out. Northern Lights was also freshly dragged, with a good skate deck, and with nice, newly-set classic tracks, too. Those classic tracks were set way to the right near the playground, brushing the bushes and with very soft/deep pole plants on the outside. Debris remains a minor nuisance at places. Spotted a Northern Shrike along the NW side of Mud Lake, a common hangout for the species in past winters.

(Ron Refsnider)

Good conditions at Elm Creek. I classic skied all trails except the monarch loop and found good snow. The tracks had seen heavy traffic and were washed out in many places through the natural snow areas, including classic only and Northern lights trails. Tracks on the manmade sections were deep and firm.

(Adrian Swanson)

All trails were groomed and tracked for classic. It doesn't get any better than this! Tracks were in great shape with full coverage. Use all and any skis you want and get out and enjoy some of the best skiing we have had in January in the metro in years!

(Evan Pengelly)

Started out skiing classic from the remote lot on the Northern Lights trail. Classic tracks were severely washed out and icy to the point where I had minimal kick so, after about 200 yards, I gave up and reversed direction back to the car to switch to skate skis. First time through skating the Northern Lights trail was still a bit challenging for me. It did not seem to have been groomed since the freezing rain on Friday evening and was rutted and slippery. I arrived at the man-made loop though to find freshly groomed corduroy bliss. Having had enough of the man-made loop this season, I broke off to try the multi-use trail to the Nature center. The Multi-use trails had been rolled recently and were also in very nice shape, just soft enough for me to look like I knew what I was doing. A pleasant minimum of footprints and the one Fat bike tire track did not give me any trouble. In fact, the Multi-use trail was some of the best skiing of the day, with only one section near the Nature center with any problematic drifting. I also skied the Lake and Creek trails and found them to be similar to the Northern Lights, ungroomed for perhaps 1-2 days and rutted to a point where the ruts kept taking my skis other than where I wanted them to go. However, by the time I made it back to the Northern Lights trail around noon, a groomer had come through and that had been converted back into fresh corduroy bliss.

(Leif Irgens)

Superb classic especially monarch eagle creek. Groomed after the mist so free of glazing. Moderate humidity stellar crystal snow. Skate deck softish but should firm up.

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(Doug Mercer)

Reporting on West side trails: Multiuse Loop, Creek and Lake: skate lanes firm squeeky slow (cold for this Northwester); Classic track not reset but mostly fine. Classic: Monarch and Eagle are reset and nice!

(Doug Mercer)

All of the loops (Lagoon, Lakeview, Skyline, Meadow, Medicine) are in great shape! I was pleasantly surprised to find completely clean snow throughout the entire trail system, perfect conditions for skating and also good classic tracks throughout. Even after a full day of traffic, the conditions were really quite excellent. It was fun to get back out to French, I definitely recommend checking it out if you have not visited for a while.

(Bill Oyler)

Skated at French starting mid-morning. The skate deck was recently groomed and in probably the best condition I've seen since the Polar Vortex winter of 2013-14. It was reasonably firm and reasonably fast, at least for my first lap around the full loop of perimeter trails. I was waxed with FastWax 20 (12-28F) but found my skis becoming increasingly grabby over subsequent loops as lap times were steadily slower over the course of my ski in spite of increasing effort and climbing average heart rates. I didn't sample the classic tracks. They looked worn to me, as though they had not been groomed maybe since Saturday morning but I spoke with a classic skier who said the glide was good in spite of them being washed out here and there. Corners and downhills were getting a little glazed anywhere us less capable skiers found the need to snowplow but it wasn't too bad. The worst was the chute coming down the hill by the Chalet from Lakeview to Lagoon. I went through there once and scared myself silly so I detoured to the left by the playground on subsequent laps. I'm continuing to notice a problem with wrong-way skiers on the one-way trails at French. I've stopped a few people this week and they seemed appreciative of me stopping them from going into a one-way trail the wrong way. Also, several trail sections with footprints or snowshoe tracks but the trails have been the right level of firm to survive the tracks without them being problematic.

(Leif Irgens)

Excellent conditions tonight, very enjoyable skiing. No hard or icy spots on the lit trails. Classic tracks looked good but I don't really know anything about them.

(Zak Kujala)

Went to French tonight with some trepidation given the similar weather to Wednesday when the skate deck was so hard and frozen that I gave up and went home to ride the trainer. The skate deck tonight was a remarkable surprise - well skied by the time I got there with skate ruts everywhere but the snow was soft enough that those ruts did not reroute my skis out from under me. Speeds were a little slow but all in all, it was great conditions for me with the deck soft enough that I could hold an edge with minimal difficulty. I didn't sample the classic tracks but visually, they looked a bit worn out by the time I got there around 7 pm..

(Leif Irgens)

We had a great ski at French this morning. The skate deck and the classic tracks were in very good shape. It was a little slow skiing with the half inch of new snow, but still very enjoyable. This was the first time skiing at French this year with no leaves or other debris in the tracks!

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(Bill Lundberg)

Ideal! It was a great morning ski. All trails freshly groomed with the new snow. No icy spots and no brown spots. A little slow with the new snow but beautiful with the branches covered. Tracks looked well established. Enjoy.

(Joe Anderson)

Skiing was pretty good for both classic and skate although with snow falling at freezing it was a little slow. Zero skis had plenty of kick and the tracks were fairly good except because of the warm temps for more than a day, they were a little weak in the turns. There were only a handful of skiers enjoying the snowfall.

(Pete Thurmes)

French was at its best this afternoon. Nice sunny adventure thru the entire system including a whitetail deer sighting! Enjoy!

(Tom Mayer)

Good conditions, no icy spots. The trail seemed a little soft in some places but maybe that's normal after fresh snow. Overall good skiing.

(Zak Kujala)

Conditions were so-so down at Pike Island. Skied down from 54th street on the MN Valley State trail. This was surprisingly in better shape than usual with minimal people/dogs/deer walking in the classic track. Pike was a different story. Skied it counter-clockwise (taking a right coming off the bridge onto the island). The first mile was okay, but pretty shallow tracks that phased in and out of existence and shifted around quite a bit. The middle mile had a lot of dirt/debris kicked up/showing to the point of having to stop numerous times in attempt to avoid scuffing up the skis. The last mile was by far in the best condition. Careful under the Mendota bridge as well if you venture out that way. There's lots of rocks showing there. All in all, still skiable and it's great scenery, but I wouldn't go down there with a set of skis that are dear to you and/or looking for pristine conditions.

(John Leaf)

I did the Pike Island loop. It is groomed and, though well used, in good condition. No bare spots and not much debris on the trails at all. I had a great time!

(Carol Ball)

I’m still a beginner skier so I’m not an expert on conditions but I classic skied the loop on Pike island and it was real nice. The loop was recently groomed and I found no icy or leaf covered spots. Hikers appear to be staying off the groomed trails too which is great.

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(Robin Gadient)

Got out to Phalen late morning found the conditions to be very good. The groomer had just finished doing the both the skate and classic before I got there. The tracks were very good. Great coverage including hill tops and under trees with only minor debris on the trail. Almost nobody out on the trails. The tracks were soft in a few places including the right pole plant. By the end of my 3 lap, the tracks were starting glaze up a bit, but still very good. I was using skins, but fish scales would also work.

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(Craig Hanson)

The track is in really fine condition with only the curves showing some deterioration. Didn't skate but the grooming looked great and those that were using looked to be having a blast.

(Mike Hotz)

Due to various flu-like issues I have had a long break from skiing (late December). I decided to try the relatively easy trails at Phalen and had a great time. Everything was groomed. Skate deck looked hardly used and set tracks were great. Maybe about 50 feet of track is worn away but the rest as good as it gets.

(Gary Follett)

Chilly but good skiing today. Both skate deck and classic tracks have been groomed and are in great shape, not too wind blown yet. Only noticed one area with leaves in the trail.

(Amber Glawe)

New snow. Trailblazers were out to make a nice classic trail to follow. It doesn’t follow the normal course, but it will get you by until the groomers get out there.

(Howard McCann)

Trails were not groomed during my ski but still very good conditions. Groomer was out right as I was leaving. Get out and enjoy, it's as good as it's been this season.

(Joseph Altendahl)

Trails not groomed as of about 11 am but the classic tracks were still very good except for the expected washed out corners. Beautiful ski day.

(Kathy Bjornson)

Beautiful conditions at Highland this morning: fresh grooming and tracks. They've added a new extension toward the high school that probably adds a half K for a total of 4. They've also made some small adjustments to some problem places on the course. Very nice!

(John Kendrick)

What a glorious day! There were at least 30 others enjoying the weather this afternoon. The classic tracks have a little side-to-side play where the snow didn’t settle, but deep tracks made for a smooth ride. Good luck staying in the tracks down the big hill!

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(Jennifer Myers)

Lots of families out enjoying the snow. Overall skiing excellent. Tracks were well-defined, albeit a bit slow with the new snow. Skating deck was likewise firm with a fluffy top. There's a new segment on the second hole, a left fork that takes you to Snelling and through the high school athletic fields. Adds about a kilometer to the loop.

(Bob Hartzler)

Saw the groomer finishing as I arrived at 2 pm. Thank you groomers for packing and tracking before the winds could blow away the snow on this exposed trail. Good coverage throughout. I was on B skis, but would have been fine on A skis. The tracks were blown in on most sections, but a steady stream of skiers kept resetting the tracks making it easy to follow during the daylight.

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(Janelle Jurek)

I skied the Dragonfly loop this morning. Tracks were firm, with no bare spots or detours and essentially no leaves or debris. A little bit glazed when I first started out but slightly softer later in the morning. Great skiing!

(Lyle Koehler)

Trail was in good condition. It was about 11 degrees with partial sun. Trail does not appear to have been groomed since Friday/Saturday's snow. In less open areas, a reasonably well defined double track existed but it disappeared in the open and run-outs at the bottom of the hills were chopped up and required caution. I used Swix Polar White, which was okay on the flats but lacked bite on the uphills.

(Keith Carlson)

It started to snow before we got on the trail. Tracks were firm and pretty deep considering the amount of snow. Great job of grooming.

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(Dave Puskala)

Conditions at Como were excellent. As good as they’ve ever been. The groomer was heading out as I was leaving but even with fresh snow on the trail the going was smooth and easy. No ice or bare spots and the rails looked good.

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(George Wawro)

Como saw heavy use from the high school meet with the deck hard and slick (but not icy) and the classic tracks washed out. There is plenty of snow and with a good grooming, skiing should improve.

(Greg Loper)

Great weather, no bare spots or leaves, and a fresh coating of snow made for a good morning to ski. Trails had not been groomed and many skiers have used the trails so conditions were not perfect. Entire trail system is open.

(Jim Rue)

The trails had been groomed but the grooves were not well-defined yet after the recent snowfall. It was still really good classic skiing. The wind started picking up later on but the temperature/humidity weren't too harsh.

(Connor McMahon)

Skied classical. Trails were rolled but not groomed yet. Skate skiing trail not too wide (per skier I met on trail). Very nice snow.

(Celine Seuntjens)

It was cold but with no wind it was enjoyable (well to be honest there was some wind, I had a burrito for dinner). The downhill slope kept there lights on till 8:40 pm. Was able to get really good kick in the classic tracks.

(Mark Bushinski)

Finished grooming Wednesday morning. Trails groomed out very nice however with the warmer temps the skiing is fairly soft and slow but talked to a few skiers and they said it was good to very good. Would be nice if it would get cold to firm up but it is what it is. Will not be grooming again before the weekend. Still a good time to get out and enjoy the new snow and the outdoors.

(Shawn Myers)

Mississippi Links and bluff were both groomed again this morning for skate and classic. Trails are all open and in excellent condition.

(Milt Hovelson)

Skated the bluff trails Sunday and Monday. With several grooming passes the new snow has firmed up nicely and skiing is excellent. The groomers also extended the trail to go around the various lookouts of Memorial park so wonderful vistas of Red Wing and the Mississippi River. This has been stated before but the climb up is doable, the trails up top varied and fun and the trip down exhilarating but safe.

(Craig Bell)

Went over not knowing if they were rolled or groomed and found all the trails were groomed, tracks set or in the process of grooming. Great day. Up on top had a some drifting but the deck was firmer than I thought it would be and classic tracks were awesome. Rode Green Special.

(Peter Leugers)

Trails are groomed and a track was set. All trails are good.

(Monica Hansen)

I skied ChesterWoods Park this morning, about 9 a.m.. Groomer was on the trail when I got there. Great conditions. Plenty of snow, the skate deck was soft but skiable, plenty of glide. Classic tracks were also reset, they looked a little wet in spots, but otherwise very good.

(Bob Ziller)

The multi-use trails at Chester Woods Park were groomed this morning and new classic track was set. Conditions are great!

Photos:

(Jessica Pustelnik)

The multi-use trails at Chester Woods Park were groomed today and new classic track was set. The snow conditions are good, however can get a bit soft in the heat of the sun.

(Celeste Lewis)

The Chester Woods Park cross country ski trail have been groomed, track set, trails are in good condition as of Sunday.

(Jessica Pustelnik)

Plenty of snow now, with the main trails groomed and classic track set. Other trails have skier-set tracks, and a few trails have been packed by snowshoers. Close to the parking lots the tracks have been stepped on by walkers, but as you get further out, that is less of an issue. Good rustic state park skiing.

(Tom Stoa)

Great conditions at SMU trails. Trails are rolled and packed although with the recent 4-5” of snow they’ll be soft. Track is set on all the trails but upper. Winter wonderland!

Photos:

(Steve Horeck)

Groomed all trails this morning. Reset classic track where needed due to drifting. Skate deck has firmed up and is in top condition. Classic track is excellent. Great conditions overall.

(Bruce Johnson)

Approx 4" new snow. Groomed/packed all trails and set classic track on many trails. Skate deck is very soft. Classic track is excellent. High winds overnight will probably cause drifting and could fill in some of the tracks. The trails are in the best condition we've had this year and should get better as the snow firms up.

(Bruce Johnson)

Trails groomed this morning, both classic and skate. I skied late this afternoon. I was expecting a wet snow with the warm temps. It was only a little soft because of the two plus inches we received. It was a very pleasant ski. It seems the temps in the low to mid 30s don't seem to affect the snow much if the sun isn't shining. Enjoy.

(Greg Hoelscher)

Trails look very good. Early morning skiing before it gets warm should be ideal. Snowshoe trails are also gorgeous.

(Greg Hoelscher)

Skate skied Balsam Branch today, it was the best skiing of the so far. Skate deck and classic tracks were in great condition.

(Ron Roeser)

All trails were groomed and tracks reset this morning, conditions should be excellent. Skiing should be great.

(Craig Johnson)

All trails are groomed and tracked. The snow has covered up all those pesky leaves for now. Bundle up and enjoy the trails this cold weekend!

(Barry Tulkki)

Good Day Skiers, it’s 32º and overcast with 4-5 inches of new snow this morning. Today we packed and set a track on Sugarbush and Oppedahl’s. We also groomed and set a track on Telford, Beginners Loop, lower Dog Road Entrance, Lower Seagull, most of Abbey Road, Anchor, Switch Back, Power Line, and Roller Coaster.

(Holly Pierce)

50 some years ago Doc Telford and friends started Cross Country skiing at Mt. Ashwabay. Countless hours of trail work, contributions of hundreds of people, and lots of snow allows me today to take a picture of an almost perfect trail. Note the snow bank on the left. It may look perfect but it’s still a little on the soft side until we groom again. As of Tuesday night (after lots of work by many volunteers) all the trails except for Jolly, Skid Road, Deer Path, and Black Bear are groomed and tracked. Most will ski very well, some softer than others but we are getting just a little spoiled this year.

Photos:

(Holly Pierce)

You do not find better conditions. The trails were well groomed. The conditions were excellent with a temperature of 16 degrees. At 10:30 I was making first tracks on many of the trails. Too bad more people do not take Martin Luther King Jr day off!

(Jim Hoeppner)

Wonderful as usual. Worth the short drive from Duluth. Freshly groomed earlier in the morning. Tracks were in great form. No wax skis were holding solid. Skiing with single layer and a vest unbelievable in January.

(Bill Humes)

We continued to roll and groom the remainder of the trail system today, while setting fresh track and touching up existing skate lanes. We hope to finish final grooming tomorrow before temps get too warm. Some trails are firming up while others are still freshly groomed and soft.

(Matthew Leischer, Wisconsin DNR)

I groomed and tracked the interior trails including maple, balsam, Aspen, river, and spruce. I also tracked Sally's Classic trail. We had 4-5 fresh inches of fluffy snow that set great skate lanes and track. I skied many of the interior trails and they are still quite soft. At least there are some trails to ski for the rest of the weekend. We plan to be out grooming on Tuesday to finish the remainder of the trails.

(Matthew Leischer, Wisconsin DNR)

We have all the trails groomed for skate and all sections but white pine and the new trails tracked. Classic trail has been groomed but not tracked yet. We may set track on classic tomorrow. Conditions are excellent with a flat firm skate deck and perfect track.

Photos:

(Matthew Leischer, Wisconsin DNR)

Skied the east, west and military trails from late morning into early afternoon. It appeared that grooming hadn't been done through the last several days of snowfall. We had some tracks to follow (in many areas only one other skier) but it was generally soft and tough going. Even so, the beauty of the trails stood out.

(Jeff Giesler)

12" Base. Some fresh powder was cut into the existing base during todays grooming. All segments have been groomed and tracked, creating excellent skiing conditions. Come out and enjoy the Anvil National Recreation Trail.

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(Evan Miller)

10" Base. All trails are smooth and fast after setting up overnight in subzero temps. Conditions are excellent.

(Evan Miller)

10" Base. Early season storms really took a toll on Nicolet North as extensive work was needed to clear windfalls and remove debris from the trail. Today, Pat Shay and Narrow Gauge have been cleared, rolled and combed. Conditions are good. Maintenance will continue tomorrow on this system as the Butternut Trail and Roller Coaster trails will be cleared, rolled and combed. We will try to set track next week and see how it turns out. Thank you for your patience and understanding with this trail system.

Photos:

(Evan Miller)

Hasn't been groomed since the most recent 4-5" snow. OK for classical skiing but not yet packed for skate skiing.

(Daniel Feller)

Skied these trails when another system in the area we had planned on wasn't grooming because of warm temps. It was a happy turn of events because the Nordmarka trails were very well groomed and enjoyable. Other than a bit of trouble knowing where we were and where we were going due to limited trail marking, it was a excellent experience.

(Jeff Giesler)

Very good conditions. Classic track set over a decent amount of the course. Expect some windblown snow.

(Troy Walters)

Good. I expect it to be a little soft, but not too bad. There are no classic tracks set yet... I hope to get them in tomorrow morning.

(Troy Walters)

Entire trail system was re-groomed this afternoon. Absolutely wonderful conditions. Skate deck smooth and wide. Most of the long trail sections have been double tracked side-by-side. Tracks are deep and firm. Some hikers were out on the trails but grooming has smoothed out their tracks. We ask folks to not hike or snowshoe on the trails - they are for skiing only.

(Joe Panci)

Very good conditions. Room for classic and skate skiers. Track should have set up well overnight. The snowmobile derby may not make it the quietest experience, but still great skiing can be had!

(Troy Walters)

The groomer was out this morning and went over most of the trails and set new, excellent corduroy. The hilly trails (Big Falls, Horseshoe, Ruby's) were not groomed today. Some new classic tracks were set. The existing tracks are icy and fast and without oak leaves.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

No new grooming of the 1" of snow that fell in the last 24 hours. Skaters have skied it in and made for a firm deck. The tracks were fast where skiers had used them, a bit slow where they hadn't been. Good control on the downhills but a bit more work going uphill after the temperature got over 32 degrees.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

All the trails were groomed this morning. Overall conditions are very good. The skating deck is firm on the well-used trails near the chalet but gets softer the farther out you go. New classic tracks were set almost everywhere and they are very good.

Photos:

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

The inch of new, moist snow over the sleet we had early this morning made for fast and controllable skating this morning. No new grooming but until the temp got to 34 and the new snow depth to 2", the skating was good, but slowing down after that. Classic skiers reported slow going in tracks filled with new snow.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

The 1/2" of light powder that fell overnight didn't diminish the excellent conditions for both skating and classical. No new grooming today due to the holiday. The classic tracks are clean and fast.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

Excellent conditions for both skating and classic. Both groomers were out this morning. The Track Truck groomed the skating deck and left a nice, uniform, firm corduroy. The Polaris came along behind and set new tracks on all the trails, including the hills and intersections. A light dusting of snow kept falling and put a skim of snow over the few oak leaves in the tracks, making for smooth glide. I'm told there will be no grooming tomorrow due to the holiday.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

Fresh corduroy was set on most all of the upper trails this morning. The deck is wide and firm. The skating is excellent. The lower loop (the "I Loop) was not re-groomed but is still in very good condition. Same classic tracks as yesterday.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

Firm, well-groomed skating deck on all the trails. Classic tracks have been set on all the trails except for the steeper hills and at trail intersections. The tracks are deep and firm with the usual smattering of oak leaves.

(Mark Blaskey, Eau Claire Ski Striders)

We were able to get out and finish the skate and classic trails from OO to Fire Tower Saturday night. There’s still snow in the trees and the temps are very mild - it’s going to be a beautiful day to ski in the north woods!

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

Skied from OO to Mosquito Brook this morning on skins. Fresh snow in the tracks that had been skied on. Seemed like less fresh snow gradually toward MB and glazing in the tracks. Beautiful day, great skiing! Someone said, "like skiing in the clouds". Lots of skiers out there.

Photos:

(Roy Brohaugh)

There’s a light snow falling and freshly groomed trails in Birkieland! The loops at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead were groomed last night, including the Telemark loops. The OO loops, Hatchery loops and the trail from OO to Hatchery were groomed this morning. Tracks were reset on the Easy Strider loops as well! Enjoy!

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

Classic skied from OO south from 29K to 22K and back. Tracks were in good shape but do show some wear and tear. Deck of the trail was not in pristine form but provided ample traction to make the descents safe for intermediate skiiers such as myself. It has been 10 years since I last skied on the Birkie trail. We enjoyed the trail enough that we plan to do it again tomorrow.

(Roy Peterson)

The entire trail from Duffy Rd to the American Birkebeiner Trailhead was groomed overnight and this morning, including all loops and both skate and classic trails. The Birkie Tour is happening on the north half of the trail with the course running south on the skate trail and north on the Classic trail.

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

Skied from Hatchery to Gravel Pit and back (15.57 miles). Spur trail from Hatchery lot had 5 inches of snow, but main trail had 1.5-2 inches powder all the way to Gravel Pit. It was slow skiing but a great training workout. Met 10 people on the trail from 9:30 to 11:30.

(Joe Miller)

Trail crew was busy setting course for the Seeley Hills Classic this morning. We got a good amount of beautiful snow last night and this morning and it’s still coming down. We did groom one pass from Duffy Rd to OO this morning. No loops have been done.

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

Currently parked at the Hatchery Lot. Maybe 5 inches fresh powder on the ground. Groomers not out yet. Will update skiing conditions north of Hatchery after a morning on the trail.

Photos:

(Joe Miller)

It’s currently snowing in Birkieland and we’re forecasted to get a decent amount through tomorrow. We will watch the snow and let you know as soon as we can get out to groom the south half of the trail.
Note: A reminder to ski at OO or south until 2 pm on Saturday and Sunday to avoid the Seeley Hills Classic and Birkie Tour. Or better yet, register and join in! Thank you!

(Kurt Proctor, American Birkebeiner)

As good as it's been all season long. During this morning's explorations we skied sections of the Birkie trail from near the start to the Timber Trail rest stop. The trail is groomed to it's full race width with a full depth classic track on both sides. The trail is firm and flat and really fun. There is great skiing pretty much everywhere in Birkie-land these days.

(Andy Schwartz)

My wife and I skied most all the trails this morning. She skated and I was classical. We skied from yellow, to orange, red loops, brown, purple, silver, pink, and blue. All were nicely tracked and the skating surface was firm and nicely corduroyed. This morning was one of those rare days when the snow and weather are cooperative. Nice work groomers! Thank you. Get out and enjoy the trails.

Photos:

(Dirk Leemkuil)

Classic skied Purple, everything groomed and tracked in good condition. Tracks were solid, very little debris. Back out to skate Nelson Farm trail to the falls, then back on the river trail to 300 campground then back to the falls and up to the entrance. Everything was nicely groomed, much firmer than yesterday. Trail narrowed down in several spots with tracks on either side making it a bit of a challenge on some climbs. Many thanks to the groomers at Willow River for keeping the trails in great shape.

(Craig Woodley)

We finished grooming and tracking this evening. Both the track and the skate deck look really good and should firm up well overnight. Get out before noon tomorrow, beat the crowds, to and enjoy some fine skiing.

(Dave Thofern)

Classic skied the silver loop. Tracks were set, was a blast. Great day to focus on technique. Hats off to the groomers, thanks much.

(Katie Alberg)

Needs grooming. Skied-in track. Needs new corduroy and track set. We skied all trails. I classical ski and my wife was skating today.

Photos:

(Dirk Leemkuil)

Fabulous classic skiing today! All trails in very good condition. Thank you to all the volunteer groomers! The Silver Loop was as exciting as ever!

(Jo Beth Croatt)

Skied this morning (skate)...skied green and blue. After the snow over last few days, groomers hit it again Sunday. Skate deck was very good shape. Some of the best skiing I have seen at Willow. Flat deck and firm. Looked like the classic track was also reset. I believe we have a nice packed trail to withstand some warmer temps. Really appreciate the volunteer crew that grooms and maintains this trail system...such a jewel.

(Brian Bell)