Trail Reports
These reports are maintained by readers like you.
Let us know about the skiing conditions in your area via our
Ski Trail Report form
Can't find a recent trail report on your favorite trail system? File a Trail Report Request
|
Trail
Report
Submit a trail report and you'll be automatically entered in our weekly drawing for a $100 lodging gift certificate.
|
Bearskin Lodge  Bearskin Lodge is located 26 miles up the Gunflint Trail on the edge of East Bearskin Lake amongst the pristine wilderness of the Minnesota's Northwoods. Cabins and lodge suites available, with direct access to the Central Gunflint trail system. |
Seeking New Trail Reports for: Greenbush(3), Al Quaal(2), Afterglow Lake(2), After Hours(2), Tower Ridge(2), Noquemanon(2), Superior MF(2), Mississippi River(2), Pilot Knob SP, Cowhorn Lake, Brown Deer, Cassian Two-Way, Namakegon, Porcupine Mtns Wilderness SP, McCarthy Beach SP, Magney-Snively, Bay Beach, Madeline Lake, Land O' Lakes, Mille Lacs Kathio SP, Treehaven, Herrick Lake Forest Preserve, Hidden Valley, Reforestation Camp, Copper Harbor Pathway, Boulder Lake, Norpine, Three Eagle, Nine Mile Forest, Mt. Valhalla, Irvine, Columbia GC, Forest Springs Camp.
Minnesota Metro Area
-
NewJan 12 - William O'Brien State Park (Marine on St. Croix):
Afternoon[ Trails: Closed, ]Firsthand: Classic
Trails aren't officially open (skier-groomed), but they are skiable! We did the Hiking Club loop and while there were some thin spots, we had an enjoyable ski - and even enjoyed a few nice downhill glides. If you're itching to get out, the snow is there!
(Heather Logelin) -
NewJan 12 - Hiawatha Golf Course (Minneapolis):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Just enough snow to shuffle around. A little glide. Worth doing on rock skis. Watch out for the gravel paths (covered but felt the first one!).
(Janet Folina) -
NewJan 12 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Good conditions today in areas with artificial snow. Good coverage. There were hundreds of future skiers and little skiers (MYSL) and the parking lot was jammed. Hopeful for the future if we are to get natural snow again.
(Greg Filice) -
NewJan 12 - Lake Elmo Park Reserve (Lake Elmo):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
Nordic trails are rolled and conditions are fair to poor with no tracks. Patchy and bare spots are showing through the entire Nordic side of the trails. Snow is only 2-3" inches deep. The snow is fine granules and loosely packed with no substantial base and drier making for decent glide.
Photos:
(Brian Selvik) -
NewJan 12 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
Tracks were filled in and slow this morning. About an inch of fresh snow on the skate deck. Good morning for some slow skiing. Made the hills easier to climb and much more control going down.
(Scott Greymont) -
NewJan 11 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The snowmaking loop was in very good condiion at my 5:00 start. It was about 28 degrees and the moon was out briefly at my start, otherwise it was overcast. I was dumbfounded given the likely daytime weekend traffic but the sugar was light except at the top of the steeper climbs. Otherwise the snow was thankfully fast. There was brief boilerplate before the curve on the Boulder Ridge downhill which had two "lanes" separated by modest snowplow wake. Skier traffic was really light except for a bunch kids with bibs on Star and the start/end of Willow Creek who I had to dodge a few times as they skied across the trail in front of me. Thanks for a great job groomers.
(Keith Carlson) -
NewJan 11 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Around noon it was as busy as I've ever seen here - lots of families out grooving on the snow. Conditions were good for classic - tracks were clean and not glazed, although the heavy use meant a few sections were getting sloppy. I mostly skied on the deck, due to crowding, and it was excellent, though probably a bit soft for skate skiers. A really nice day.
Photos:
(Laurie Ford) -
NewJan 11 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Both
Snow conditions on all the man-made portions of the skate deck are about as good as they get! Started before dawn and the recently groomed course was in great shape all the way through, and not even too sugary on the steeper climbs. Fast and smooth skiing was to be had on a level deck, with only a pinch of deeper snow building up on a few tight corners close to the parking by about 8 am. The classic tracks were deep and fast, and alternated between pretty icy where there was the most traffic and snowy enough to get a grip on the uphills in the further reaches. Folks really started to roll in shortly after 8 am, so no photos today. Huge kudos to the groomers!
(Pieter DeHart) -
Jan 10 - Elm Creek Park Reserve (Maple Grove):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Skied the snowmaking classic track today and was great! Trails were in good condition with a fast glide. Didn't stay too long as all the high school teams showed up to practice along with little kids team.
(Laura McBroom) -
Jan 10 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
With the warmer snow and air (28 degrees) temperatures, the snowmaking loop was in very good condition. There was a modest amount of sugar on most of the trail with somewhat heavier accumulations on the Star, Willow Creek, outbound Scenic Foothills and the 1st part of the inbound Scenic Foothills cilmbs and just a brief bit of boilerplate before the curve on Boulder Ridge's downhill. The warmer, faster snow was a really welcome change, It was only the second time this season that I was able to skate all the climbs except Boulder Ridge and the transition between the 1st and 2nd parts of the Scenic Foothills inbound climbs.
(Keith Carlson) -
Jan 10 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Perfect conditions on entire 5K loop this morning for both classic and skate - the fresh snow was groomed in to make for some of the best conditions in a while.
Photos:
(Bill Oyler) -
Jan 10 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The fresh snow and grooming provided very nice skiing this morning at Battle Creek. I skied several laps on the Pond, Prairie, South Tree, and North Tree loops, and it was the most fun I've had yet this season. Skate deck was solid with enough "edgeable" snow to make for an efficient skate, good glide on the ascents, and good control on the descents. My brother was classic skiing and said the tracks were well set and fast, but his blue extra kick wax was slipping on the ascents. I noticed the addition of directional signage along the trails last week, but forgot to mention it until now. The signage is well placed and provides clear directional information - nicely done, Battle Creek. And as always, Kudos to the groomers!
(David Sonnenberg) -
Jan 10 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
5k open and the trails were in great condition this morning. No icy patches, and minimal debris. Fun to ski through the forest on Twin Lake. Theo has managed to have the snow bridge ready for the races this weekend - well done to the staff! Hope folks have a great time with the Loppet activities scheduled this weekend.
(Allie Quinn) -
Jan 10 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
The trail was in immaculate condition this morning with the light dusting of snow. Skate deck was nice corduroy. Classic tracks were well set.
Photos:
(Scott Greymont) -
Jan 9 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Wirth manmade snow trails has expanded to twin lakes and the upper stadium. Fabulous conditions. It seems they have spread some newer manmade snow on the main trails to freshen them up. So fun on fresh artificial snow in twin lakes. I had the old klister or power grip on and it was just fine. Seeing the sun the morning was a refreshing sight.
(Diane Pattridge) -
Jan 9 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Familiar drill for classic ski here this season. My kick on skins mostly ok, but icy spots derailed that occasionally. Speaking of rails, rode the sweeping left turn at bottom of cowabunga in the track, ignoring that blue padded pole. Didn't dare ride that the last few days. Groomer chose a slightly softer line through there this morning, much appreciated. Nothing but kudos to groomers from here. Tough season.
(Walter Ebertz) -
Jan 9 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming Scheduling
Groomers will be breaking up some of the ice in the stadium area this morning and regrooming. Please avoid closure areas and use alternate routes to access trails.
(Kristopher Lencowski, Ramsey County Parks) -
Jan 8 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Skied over the lunch hour and the snow was as good as it has been all season. Gorgeous blue skies and a touch of radiant heat coming off the snow. The snow was really great, awesome day for skiing.
(Matt Frantzen) -
Jan 8 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
It was nice getting back to one of my favorite Theo Loops--Twin Lakes! The classic tracks were in really good shape, and so was the skate deck. The bright sunshine made for a warmer afternoon!
Photos:
(Bill Lundberg) -
Jan 8 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Excellent conditions. Everything was clean and running smoothly. Snow a bit squeaky and at first I wished I topped up my wax, but after a few minutes I didn't notice anymore. It was great to finally get on twin lake segment!
(Mike Schowalter) -
Jan 8 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Nice conditions. Tracks were well set, clean, and reasonably easy to climb for most of the uphills. A sunny, good day with good skiing. Husband says the deck was good, though with a few softer/sugar spots.
Photos:
(Laurie Ford) -
Jan 8 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Great day for skiing at Battle Creek! Tracks were fast on Pond and Prairie loops. Tracks were perfect (more traction) on North and South Tree loops. Uphills were firm, downhills with turns had sugar at the turn. The sunshine felt amazing!
Photos:
(Meg Brady) -
Jan 7 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Night[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
Twin Lakes trail is now open! We have around 5k of snowmaking trails open, as well as instructional areas in lower and upper stadiums. Snowmaking is underway on Trail 18, Inner Meadow, and North Finger.
(Robert Ibler) -
Jan 7 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Both
The classic tracks were very good except the A climb tracks were icy. Also, if you go to the right to pass slower-climbing skiers, you will end up on dangerous, ungroomed, glazed corduroy. The skate deck was only fair in many spots. The snow was pushed off many turns and where people snowplow on the downhills leaving piles of sugar snow and glazed boilerplate which my skis cannot edge into. There is loose sugar on all the climbs. In many places, the deck was so hard, my poles were slipping rather than digging in.
(Jim Lasch) -
Jan 7 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
Great ski at noon today! It was probably the least amount of skiers I've seen this season at Wirth. The classic tracks were in good shape as well as the skate deck.
Photos:
(Bill Lundberg) -
Jan 7 - Elm Creek Park Reserve (Maple Grove):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Exceptionally fast ski today--skate deck clean, firm and in great condition mid-morning with tiny amounts of sugar building on the uphill sections; lack of wind from the NNW made for a blissful workout. Classic tracks looked freshly set.
(Karen Rosenflanz) -
Jan 7 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Conditions were decent but not great this morning. A little dirty where work vehicles cross ski trails, and some debris in places. The guns were blowing lots of snow and the groomers were getting ready to start moving it around. Big weekend of racing ahead here.
(Glenn Hansen) -
Jan 6 - Elm Creek Park Reserve (Maple Grove):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Classic tracks were deep and slightly fast. Trails were groomed this morning and in excellent condition. Maple Grove, Roger's and Elk River high schoolers were there, some getting lessons and others getting in some practice. Great to see all the youth skiing and learning. They ski in waves, then nothing, then another wave of young skiers.
Photos:
(Earl Stabenow) -
Jan 6 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
Some ice in classic tracks; skate deck sloppy on downhills and one uphill near stadium. Kick moderate. Overall good shape.
(Patrick Boylan) -
Jan 5 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Great conditions! The snow is holding up and the grooming team has been top notch. Great skiing - little to no ice and the downhills were nice (skipped La Squadra).
(Veronika Paprocka) -
Jan 5 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The whole course of manmade snow is in pretty good condition. The usual sugar/sand on the hills but nothing terrible today. Happy to have this cooler weather, but would love some more natural snow.
(Chance Davis) -
Jan 5 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Thanks to the Battle Creek 50K race crew for putting on a fun (epic!) 50K race this morning at Battle Creek despite the low snow and cold temps. The volunteers who raked snow into the washed out areas were incredibly helpful, as were all of the other volunteers. The grooming crew did a good job making the best of the hard-pack deck, and it was in better shape than I expected, with the downhills being manageable. And it was great to see the sun out today - made a big difference.
(Bill Oyler) -
Jan 4 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
At my 3:30 pm start, it was about 12 degrees, sunny with squeaky cold snow. Also, sugar covered the trail in the usual spots. Between that and the cold snow, I didn't move very fast until the final leg down from the top of Scenic Foothils where I was only held up briefly by the sugar on the Frog Town and Star climbs. There was no snowplow wake on the Boulder Ridge downhill. Only got crowded on a couple of the climbs where the faster skiers passed me by. At 72 I suppose I have to expect that. Thanks again groomers.
(Keith Carlson) -
Jan 4 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Both
Given this year, the machine-made loops at Wirth were excellent! The hills became a little sugary late into the day, but the classic tracks were solid. The trails were filled with MYSL skiers from 3-5pm and kudos to nearly everyone who gave grace and space and smiles to the future of our sport as they passed by.
(Kevin Kos) -
Jan 4 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Skated the open trails this afternoon. Nice conditions. A few icy spots where the sugary snow has been pushed around on a few descents. Classic tracks looked good. Not much debris anywhere.
(Mike Browne) -
Jan 4 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
I made it out on Saturday morning before sunrise. There were about 10 of us there enjoying the -2F weather on the trails. The classic tracks were in very good condition. There were some icy spots, especially going up some hills, so needed to step out of the tracks to get up the hills. Otherwise, the groomers have done a Great job keeping the trails in very good Condition.
(Shane Meisner) -
Jan 4 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Great skiing at Wirth today! Tracks were shallow in spots but good overall. Sugar on the uphills, downhills were great - not so lightning fast. The parking lot was full but there was plenty of room on the trails. Snowmaking was active on Twin Lakes section. The sun was wonderful and very little wind so it felt warmer than the temps said. Don't let the temps scare you!
(Meg Brady) -
Jan 4 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Both
Classic tracks very good. Skate deck sugary on uphills, better on flats. Downhills very fast, especially Boulder Ridge downhill.
Photos:
(Ken Kuznia) -
Jan 3 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Cold weather shouldn't stop you from your ski! Skate deck was firm and held up well. By the afternoon there was some boilerplate spots in the expected areas on corners but nothing egregious. Up hills had loose snow. Great to get out but made man snow will crystal up in the cold weather. Maximum abrasiveness so get that hard wax on. No issues with glide and I was on Blue at 10F?
(Peter Johnson) -
Jan 3 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
It was cold at Battle Creek this morning, but the groomers had once again worked their magic and turned yesterday's beat-up trails into very nice skiing today. The skate deck was solid with good corduroy on the Pond, Prairie, South Tree, and North Tree loops. There was still some loose snow on the ascents, but not so much as to bog down the skis. The descents were fast, but very controllable. The classic tracks appeared to be in good shape throughout, and when I jumped into them on some run-outs, they were also fast. The only down side was the 10-knot wind out of the northwest, but I was still able to spend two hours of very nice skiing at Battle Creek this morning.
(David Sonnenberg) -
Jan 3 - Theodore Wirth North (Minneapolis):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The groomers did a great job today. Cold weather helped with more blown snow. Skate deck was solid, even had corduroy in some spots still this morning. I didn't ski classic, but the trails looked well tracked and deep. All around nice day and great trails for skiing.
(LisaBeth Barajas) -
Jan 3 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
This was my first time skiing since last week's rain. I was surprised with the quality of the snow and grooming. The tracks were solid and there was not any issues with ice.
(Kenneth Kooistra) -
Jan 3 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ Trails Open: All ]Scheduling
Races/Meets for the upcoming week: Sunday, January 5th (50K Race) 7am-1pm, Tuesday, January 7th (SSC) 3:30pm-5:30pm, Wednesday, January 8th (IMAC) 4pm-5:30pm, Thursday, January 9th (MEC) 3:45pm-5:15pm. The trails will remain open to the public during all races, but please be mindful of the high volume of skiers expected during these times.
(Thony Thao) -
Jan 3 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Manmade loop has improved significantly with continued grooming since Wednesday. Cold temps were holding the skate deck together and I didn't notice any ice patches except for the a little boilerplate at the bottom of cowabunga. Classic tracks were quite icy and abrasive - wax for durability!
(Spencer Davis) -
Jan 2 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Put in 10 miles today on some fast snow. The trails have some extra sugar on top of icy washouts in some spots. Flats and hills were still in really great condition thanks to the grooming efforts. Hills are a little scary for me as a novice in these conditions. Slowed way down on decents but still put on my fastest mikes of the season. A and A2 climb was great!
(Brock Flowers) -
Jan 2 - Hyland Lake Park Reserve (Bloomington):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
It was 21 degrees and the sun was shining through a light overcast when I started at 1:50 pm. Yay! Sugar was moderately heavy on all the climbs but not as bad as yesterday afternoon. On the other hand, downhills were fine - no exposed boilerplate. Modest snowplow wake on Boulder Ridge that I easily skied through. Great work once again groomers.
(Keith Carlson) -
Jan 2 - Battle Creek Regional Park West (Saint Paul):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
I skied several laps on the Pond, Prairie, South Tree, and North Tree loops. I was hoping they would have made snow and re-groomed after the relays yesterday, but that did not appear to be the case. I found the trails to be well covered with a solid skate deck and what appeared to be good classic tracks. I found very little corduroy, the surface generally consisting of thin, loose snow over ice/hardpack. My 75-yeard old legs found climbing through the "sugar" to be challenging, and control on the downhill curves was on the far edge of manageable for me. I should point out that there were several "youngsters" (Millenials and younger) who went flying past me up and down the hills with little apparent trouble, making the point that trail condition evaluations are relative. However, I remained "vertical" throughout, qualifying my day as a nice ski.
(David Sonnenberg)
Minnesota Northeast
-
NewJan 12 - Hartley Park (Duluth):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
No grooming but tracks have been created by skiers. All the trails had good coverage with a solid layer of ice underneath it all but the tracks are thin once the snow was compacted. B skis for almost all the of trail except for the few thin spots under the trees where roots/grass/ice were showing through.
(Matt Carlson) -
NewJan 12 - University of Minnesota Cloquet Forestry Center (Cloquet):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
We packed and groomed this afternoon. The pink (outer loop) is tracked and the first half of the orange trail is tracked to the point where I became stuck on ice. I had to leave the groomer there. We hope to finish up sometime tomorrow.
(Mark Hagen) -
NewJan 12 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
We got 5-6" of fluff overnight! Multiple compacting runs on the 6K yielded a smooth, but very soft deck of un-transformed snow. We set a classic track on the 6K which got a lot of traffic this afternoon. We also compacted/groomed a single track skate lane on the 8K. All of the decks are soft. But we're thrilled to have new snow to work with. We also hosted 125 future olympians for KidSki session 1 today. Big Thank You to the high school, college, and parent Coaches who help this program succeed.
Photos:
(John Graham) -
NewJan 12 - Erkki Harju Ski Trail (Two Harbors):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Grooming
We packed the trail today. I would not suggest skiing on it unless maybe shuffling along with beat up pair of classics. Very bumpy and lots of grass sticking up. The good news is it should set up and provide a hard packed base for additional snowfall.
(Mark Gordon) -
NewJan 12 - Piedmont Trail (Duluth):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Plenty of new snow and lots of skiers out. The trails aren't groomed yet but there are skied in tracks that are pleasantly fast. A bit of ice at the very beginning of the trail. Happy skiing!
Photos:
(Rachelle Walker) -
NewJan 12 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Both
Groomers had finished the 5/6k before we got there at noon, and it was beautiful skiing. Skate deck was a bit soft. Tracks were good. We got done before the kid-ski crowd showed up. Lots of future skiers is great to see!
(Jon Swenson Tellekson) -
NewJan 12 - Mother Bear Ski Trail (Brimson):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
6" of new fluffy snow on Saturday evening. South loop was groomed today. Still a little rough in some of the swampy areas, but overall, pretty good. Grooming plans: plan to groom the remainder on Monday.
Photos:
(Al Ringer) -
NewJan 11 - Piedmont Trail (Duluth):
Night[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Had to get out in the fresh snow this evening! Trails are not groomed and the base is solid ice. However with a couple inches of fresh powder on top it was an enjoyable ski. There were skied in tracks for most of the classic loop. The skate loop was not in great shape due to some frozen tire tracks and I would not do it again until we get more snow or it is groomed.
Photos:
(Rachelle Walker) -
NewJan 11 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Night[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Skied the 6k, conditions are surprisingly good! Good glide on the skate trail, the bumps are better. It looked like the classic tracks didn't exist, but folks were out having fun without them.
(Tim Bontrager) -
Jan 10 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Both
What a difference a half an inch of snow can make! We went out, one skated, two classic skied today on the 5k and Special K. Tracks on 85% or so, very solid, but not super wide throughout so if you have wider skis beware (my husband got caught on a narrow spot and fell). Skate deck was not re-groomed since the snow, and it was still in great shape with the base underneath. Full coverage, a few bumps in spots but nothing major, no ice, nothing scary at all. I am a chicken on downhills and was able to ski down all without any fear. Best skating with real snow in Duluth for sure! Thanks groomers for keeping up what we had.
(Eve Graves) -
Jan 9 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
This afternoon we set the knives shallow and took the Ginzus around the 8K. The base is even shallower than the 6K, we counted 4 exposed rocks, many areas of exposed ground, and the trail has lots of debris (photos 1-3). The classic track is <50%. Rock Skis strongly recommended on the 8K. We then ran the 6K, which is in much better shape, 99% covered, smooth but bumpy. Classic tracks <50%, but a bit better on SpecialK. Light snow began as we finished. Grooming plans: Our plan is to do no more grooming until after the next snow event. KidSki will go from 1:30-4 for the next six Sundays. The chalet area will be crowded with 160 participants + parents, so the best Sunday visiting will be before 1:30 or after 4.
Photos:
(John Graham) -
Jan 8 - Spirit Mountain Nordic Center (Duluth):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
One of my best skis of the year on the Spirit Mountain trails. The groomers are doing an excellent job with daily grooming and setting a classic track along with the skate lane. The classic track was firm and deep. The groomers have worked most of the ice out of the system and the conditions now are nearly perfect on the man made snow loops. Can't wait for some natural snow to check out the new loop off the Deer Stand trail.
Photos:
(Gene Karwoski) -
Jan 7 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Today, I dropped the Ginzu knives just enough to scrape the deck and did multiple passes on the 6K, yielding a smoother surface and some corduroy. Can't till deeper because the base is so shallow. The classic track is <50% intact, and can't be restored until the next snowfall. The "Sprint Loop" on the 8K was also skate-groomed. For the time being, we are OK for skating, but very poor for classic skiing.
Photos:
(John Graham) -
Jan 7 - Spirit Mountain Nordic Center (Duluth):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Scheduling
We are excited to host the Cloquet invite today, January 7th. We are expecting roughly 450 participants for the race so it will be busy in and around the Grand Avenue Chalet. Set-up for the race will begin at 1pm and the final race will start at 6:30pm. Because of this, all trails at the Nordic Center at Grand will be closed to all public use tonight beginning at 1pm. Thank you for your understanding and come out to cheer!
(Jon Regenold) -
Jan 6 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Classic
I kinda skied and walked at Snowflake today. Went out to Special K to see how it held up since last Thursday. The classic tracks are the same as they were last Thursday -- about 90% there and solid as heck, no ice. I classic ski with a very narrow racing skin and honestly think anything thicker would be a challenge and you would get caught on the tracks. The skate deck was a step above concrete, not really much of an edge anymore as it must have been very well used. If you like to go really fast when skating, you will have a blast.
(Eve Graves) -
Jan 5 - Spirit Mountain Nordic Center (Duluth):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Had to check out the new lights for night skiing (stadium, big bend, s turn and rollercoaster now all have lights)! Tracks were fast but not icy, a very enjoyable ski. Went out of the lighted area with a headlamp but didn't need it all all where the lights are.
Photos:
(Rachelle Walker) -
Jan 4 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle Observation
Optimistic view is that Snowflake has complete coverage and is completely skiable, which is amazing! Thanks so much. Some notes - the classic tracks looked in pretty poor shape, particularly on the blue trail. I found the blue loop a bit bumpier and with some ruts, whereas I was skidding out more on the red 6 km loop. I saw 6 rocks in total on the 10 km loop, all on uphills, so pay attention as they are easily avoided.
(Will Daniels) -
Jan 3 - Spirit Mountain Nordic Center (Duluth):
Evening[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Classic tracks are firm and fast but not icy. Random klister covered with oslo green provided a bit too much kick and swix polar was a smidge slippery. In all fantastic classic skiing right now! Minimal washouts on the usual corners but the deck is firming up nicely in the colder temps!
(Taylor Ellison) -
Jan 3 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Observation
No new grooming today. The cold temps help preserve our shallow base, but sunny days can be ablating the loose snow, so future grooming is limited until we get snow. Our classic tracks are about 70% intact, but shallow, glazed and icy. Our "fishscale" rental skis are pretty useless in these tracks. For that reason I am discouraging visitors who need rental skis from visiting until conditions improve. We'll be Open this weekend, skating should be fast but bumpy, but classic skiing will be a bit hairy. Think Snow.
Photos:
(John Graham) -
Jan 3 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Skiing was a lot better than I expected it to be! If you are good at transferring your weight you will "enjoy" it. If not, I'd skip it. We had a mix of new skiers and seasoned. The new skiers were sliding around a bit. The trail is hard packed, has some of the typical undulating surfaces in spots, and the groomers did a nice job of scratching up the surface to get a nice edge. The classic tracks were neither icy nor missing, as I had been told! We only did Special K today, wanted to skip the hills, and I'd say 90% of the classic tracks were intact and no ice at all. A nice dusting of snow in them! So if you know how to transfer your weight from ski to ski, and if you want real snow, head to Snowflake!
(Eve Graves) -
Jan 2 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Today we ran the Ginzus, with shallow knives, around the 8K (pictured). With the shallow base, we've got a smoothed surface that follows every contour in the ground, so it's bumpy. The 8K classic track is about 70% intact and icy. There's more exposed grass and debris than on the 6K. We also refreshed the deck on the 6K. Think Snow!
Photos:
(John Graham) -
Jan 2 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Surprisingly good coverage and conditions on the 6k loop. Firm, fast, a tad icy in some spots. Some uneven area and bumps. Some sections had bits of old track but most untracked and I wouldn't recommend classic there right now. A few areas with a little grass/straw poking through but could probably get away with using good skis here if you pay attention. They've done a great job with grooming/protecting the snow.
Photos:
(Gabrielle Hester) -
NewJan 12 - Pincushion Mountain Trails (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
New Snow Last 24Hours: 4", Off-trail snow depth: 12", Trail Base: 3-5". East and West Overlook, Stadium, Lower and Upper Snowman and Pincushion Loop are rolled then groomed for skate and classic skiing. A bit soft, but excellent skiing. Grooming plans: Remaining trails will be groomed later this evening or tomorrow morning.
Photos:
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club) -
NewJan 12 - Central Gunflint Trail System (Grand Marais):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Amazing day in fresh snow. The skate deck was soft with new snow accumulating as we skied, but a beautiful day out in the woods.
(Andre L’Heureux) -
NewJan 12 - Central Gunflint Trail System (Grand Marais):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
We've received 3 inches of fresh snow already this morning and it is still snowing! So far, the north side of Flour has been groomed: Logging Camp, Red Pines, Cross Fox to start with. We prepped Moose Ridge, mainly the big hill, so we can open it back up later today. We are also grooming everything on the south side of Flour right now: West End Logging Camp, Ridge Run, Upper Beaver Dam, and Moose Pasture along with North-South Link and lake crossings. The trails have been grooming up fantastic! As the snow continues to fall, Grooming plans: Our plan is to go back out this afternoon and do Logging Camp again, then Moose Ridge and Deer Mouse. we'll be back out doing everything again tomorrow!
(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge) -
NewJan 11 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
I skated the Picnic Loop from Onion River Rd, including Homestead loop. They were able to make a nice skate deck considering what they were working with. Some tree and rock debris, along with the occasional hole/mini crevasse to hop over but overall, I was impressed. Not enough snow depth to set tracks. Keep doing your dances.
(Barry Buhr) -
NewJan 11 - Upper Gunflint Trail (Grand Marais):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
We were back out grooming this morning. We finished out the A-loop. Trails groomed this morning were - Overlook, Highlands, Northstar and Upper West End. All of the trails were groomed with a skate deck and a classic track. The swamp on Northstar by the Loon Lake public landing needs more snow, but it is easy to avoid that stretch by following the public landing road. We are planning on wrapping up the B-loop later today.
Photos:
(John Fredrikson) -
Jan 10 - Upper Gunflint Trail (Grand Marais):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
With the fresh 3" to 4" of fresh snow we got out this evening to groom some of the trails. The new snow mixed nicely with the solid base we have been enjoying. We groomed Big Pine, Little Pine (our lighted trail), Lonely Lake and Amperage. All of these trails were groomed with a classic track and a skate deck. As you can see on the photos, they turned out very good. The swamps on amperage have frozen so it is getting better. We need more snow to fill in low spots still on that trail. It is skiable, but not in as good of shape as the rest of the system. Grooming plans: We are planning on gett my an early start tomorrow to groom the rest of the system tomorrow. We hope you can come up to enjoy the trails this weekend!
Photos:
(John Fredrikson) -
Jan 10 - Central Gunflint Trail System (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
With a fresh 1.5 inches of fluffy snow on top of a base of squeaky cold hard pack, the Bearskin grooming team put in effort and skill that was nothing short of showing off! We skied the classic tracks on Poplar Creek and Ox Cart trails and they were in great shape. Also the Campground loop and Summer Home Road. Bear Cub was not freshly groomed. Skiing on my best skis I lifted a foot 3 or 4 times for an exposed area. The skate trails appeared to be in equally fantastic shape. I trust that the groomers will continue to be show offs as nature provides the raw material!
Photos:
(Bobbie Gostout) -
Jan 10 - Banadad Trail (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Grooming
Today we got the first 10km of the Banadad Trail tracked. We have been packing for sometime but got a few inches of snow and were able to set a track. Both our parking lots (East and West) are plowed but we can only keep the first 10km of the East end of the Trail groomed. Come ski! Note: We have cleared several miles of the West End but it is not packed or tracked. We have had a tough year getting our operation going but are making progress with great local support on the Gunflint Trail. We don't expect to have more of the middle of our trail system open this year due to serious downfall; of what we did, some sections had to be cleared and re-cleared over 5 times. We had great trail clearing help but will need next summer to clear/open the middle section.
(Andy Jenks, Banadad Trail Association) -
Jan 10 - Central Gunflint Trail System (Grand Marais):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Both Grooming
Bearskin groomed the south side of the system today. The inch or so of snow we received went a long ways, and everything groomed up nicely. We skied Poplar Creek in the afternoon and it was great. You can use your best skis on Summerhome and Campground. I you have B skis, I would choose them for most of the other trails. If I only had one pair of skis I would be comfortable using them as well and just keeping an eye for the few spots with rocks poking through. We continue to have great skiing.
Photos:
(Quinn McCloughan, Bearskin Lodge) -
Jan 9 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Both
Onion River Road is a pleasant surprise. Probably the best easy terrain available within 90 minutes of Duluth. About 3.5 miles one way. Classic track was shallow but intact with full coverage and minimal debris. Skate deck was hard but not icy; full coverage and minimal debris. The parking lot was a slippery death zone. Didn't try any other trails.
(Todd Struckman) -
Jan 9 - Central Gunflint Trail System (Grand Marais):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Trails are still holding up well despite the lack of fresh snowfall. Some debris from the winds this week is present in places on a few trails, some more-so than others, but nothing particularly terrible or anything damaging to skis. Icy surface conditions have been minimal - we were able to get good bite with skate skis everywhere we skied. All trails other than Moose Ridge continue to be open.
Photos:
(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge) -
Jan 7 - Pincushion Mountain Trails (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Skated most of the trail system this afternoon after reading some reports that it's icy. Classic tracks looked hard and fast with debris most of the way, but the skate deck was a lot of fun. It was also hard and fast but just enough corduroy to get some bite, IMO. Thank you groomers for doing what you can! One of my favorite systems I've skied, even with the sparse snow this year.
Photos:
(Mike Snell) -
Jan 7 - George Washington Pines (Grand Marais):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
We attempted to retrack, but it didn't turn out well with our equipment considering the rain and then sub-zero temps around the holidays. We have a nice base to work with but could use more snow in general. The trail is free of downed trees but there is plenty of debris from the recent high winds. The walking conditions are excellent, but ice grippers would be recommended due to the ice and hard packed snow.
(Kris Rich) -
Jan 7 - Bally Creek Trails (Grand Marais):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
We lightly re-tracked the "Sundling Loop" or from A-F-H-I-J-K-B as well as the first interior loop A-D-O-N-A. The road portions of the trail are the most pleasant to ski, but the hard snowpack has been hard for our equipment considering the rain and subsequent sub-zero temps around the holidays. On what we groomed, there were no trees down but some debris in the tracks from recent heavy winds. We have a nice base to deal with, just need some more, softer snow to sculpt and to be able to open some more trails up. Sand is available for the icy parking lot hill, but please use sparingly.
(Kris Rich) -
Jan 6 - Pincushion Mountain Trails (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
Trail Base: 3-5". Skate lanes restored to powder corduroy on West Overlook, Pincushion Loop, South and North Snowman, North Advanced Loop, B&B Loop and Canton Curves. The classic tracks are well formed, but hard and fast. Did not groom Oly Hyvaa or Hilfiker Hill because they have been skied very little since last grooming. More dirt is showing every day, so ski with caution.
Photos:
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club) -
Jan 6 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Skied most of the open trails including picnic loop - definitely recommend sticking to onion river road and picnic. Onion river road was perfect and most of picnic was in good shape. Homestead was very treacherous.
(Jacquelyn Bacigalupi) -
Jan 5 - Pincushion Mountain Trails (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
We drove from Brainerd to ski on real snow. Trails were hard packed and icy. Very fast conditions. A few bare and frozen water spots in low areas. We stuck to the Pincushion Mtn Loop, Upper and Lower Snowman, and West Overlook trails. One set of footprints throughout the trail, but did not interfere with our ski. Just annoying. Overall, so happy to ski and enjoyed the day. Definitely use B skis.
(Janet Hennies) -
Jan 5 - Pincushion Mountain Trails (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
With the current snow drought, if you want to ski an entire trail system or actually cover some territory during your ski this is a decent option. Specifically for skate skiing. Everything was skiable, but it was icy and if you are not familiar with the trail, you will need to check your speed in areas that it would not otherwise be necessary. Do not assume that all brown spots in the snow are churned up dirt/wood, bark, or leaves, some of these most certainly are rocks and stones. That said, it is possible to avoid these spots and I was comfortable on B skis. In the current conditions, the North Advanced trail and others designated "black" definitely held up best. They had the nicest corduroy and their downhills had the least ruts where you could catch a ski. It was possible to ride skis much longer on these "black" trails. Overall, the entire trail system had enough coverage to be flat and not at all bumpy from the contours of the ground below the snow.
(Sara Zimmer) -
Jan 5 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Classic Secondhand
I was striding and lots of wind blown debris in the tracks. Away from evergreens, tracks very nice, but most of the time, pretty grabby with tracks filled with needles. Skate deck okay according to my skating companions.
Photos:
(Eric Chandler) -
Jan 5 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
Attempted to classic ski the Onion River Road on my fish scale skis. Large amounts of tree debris has collected in the icy tracks and made gliding a very jerky experience. Skate deck was also very icy. But it worked better than the tracks. Don't stop dancing until it snows!
(Tim Nelson) -
Jan 4 - Upper Gunflint Trail (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Went back today to ski the major trails I did not get to yesterday. It looked like most trails were groomed overnight. The soft fluff was groomed in, which made the cold snow more abrasive but my polar wax managed to hold up for most of the afternoon. I skied Lonely Lake, Amperage, Big and Little Pine, Overlook, Rabbit Run, Aspen Alley, and Highlands. Grooming was excellent on all except Amperage where low snow was an issue. Deck firm, tracks solid. Classic skiers however should where protective eyewear as the face whippers were an issue everywhere.
(Tim Nelson) -
Jan 4 - Upper Gunflint Trail (Grand Marais):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
The groomer was out early again this morning to make sure the whole system is freshly groomed for the weekend. All of the trails were groomed with a skate deck and classic tracks including Little Pine, Highlands, Ham Lake, Northstar, Upper West End, Lonely Lake, Amperage. Amperage is in most need of snow with the swamps that still aren't fully frozen and the rocks on that trail. Hopefully we will get more snow some time soon!
Photos:
(John Fredrikson) -
Jan 3 - Upper Gunflint Trail (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
A nice coating of new snow up to an inch in places took the edge off cold abrasive snow and polar wax worked great. It was so nice to ski on natural and fresh snow. All trails were well groomed with a firm deck and well formed tracks. It was very cold (about 3 below) but the forest kept the wind impact to a minimum. I think I skied the Big and Little Pine, Overlook, West End, River, Ham Lake and North Star trails. Many more left unskied so I will be back tomorrow. My only issue is that there are very few trail signs and many junctions and it was too cold to take off my mittens to check my map. Felt lost most of the time, but all trails lead somewhere and usually back to the trailhead.
(Tim Nelson) -
Jan 3 - Central Gunflint Trail System (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
If you've got a long ski on the docket for the weekend and you took the storage wax off your b skis, then take them and some warm clothes up to the Gunflint Trail. We skied the Beaver Dam, Moose Fence, Summer Home Road, and Ox Cart. Each trail was different according to when they'd last groomed. Yhe trails are natural snow, some are fresh snow over ruts, some have a rock or two peeking out (easy to miss). There are tracks, which was good because it is cold and skating could be slow. The person at Bearskin who sold us our passes had good intel on which trails to avoid. We did a day trip from Duluth with three adults. Bonus: left and right turns.
(Kristin Riker-Coleman) -
Jan 3 - Upper Gunflint Trail (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
We were back out grooming the basin trails. The following runs were groomed this afternoon: Overlook, Rabbit Run, Aspen Alley, Warrens Road, Cut Across, Power Line, River Trail, Rabbit Run Extension, Short Cut, Lower West End, Little Pine. All were groomed with a classic track and a skate deck. Most of the trails have good early season conditions. Grooming plans: We plan to get out again tomorrow morning to groom the rest of the system.
Photos:
(John Fredrikson) -
Jan 3 - Central Gunflint Trail System (Grand Marais):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Spent the past few days skiing the trails and they are in good condition. It was a real treat to ski 100% natural snow for the first time in almost two years. The groomers have done a great job keeping things fresh, and the pisten bully areas are in great shape with only a few small rocks and some dirt showing up in areas of heavy usage. Trails with more snowmobile grooming are a little icier but still plenty of snow for safe skiing. The few lake crossings are mostly ice right now, but it's easy to take the scenic route ski trails around them. A big 'thank you' to the Golden Eagle Lodge and Bearskin grooming crews for their trail efforts!
(Mark Schulte) -
Jan 3 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle Observation
The trails were in great condition today! I skied up ORR and took a left on a "most difficult trail" when I saw that it was recently rolled. The coverage was great except for a spot where a creek goes through the trail. I only went up a few kilometers and back but it looked like the entire loop was groomed for skating. Great job groomers!
Photos:
(Melissa Kittock) -
Jan 2 - Central Gunflint Trail System (Grand Marais):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Classic skied the Golden Eagle side, logging camp, Deer mouse, Red Pine, then drove over to Bearskin and skied Bear Cub and Poplar Loop. Coverage was good, but periodic dirt and stubble under a tiny dusting of new snow (1/4 inches) made me glad I was on B skis. Temps were in the single digits, and the cold snow ripped off my green wax and binder in the first 10k. Then I switched to a pair of skis with grip tape covered by blue hard wax and skied another 17k which also ripped all the wax including the grip tape. Grooming was recent, skate deck was firm and tracks were well formed. It was great to ski on natural snow that wasn't iced from last week's rain.
(Tim Nelson) -
Jan 2 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Was a bit worried, based on earlier report, that the ORR would have icy classic tracks but maybe there was a light coating of new snow overnight? Found the outbound track excellent at noon today. Green wax, 14F. Great kick. The return track was shallow and icy in parts, especially around the 2K long downhill mark.
(Steve Amos) -
Jan 2 - Central Gunflint Trail System (Grand Marais):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The trails received a dusting of snow this morning. Beaver Dam and surrounding trails were recently groomed and perfect for skating. Classic tracks looked great too. There are a few dirt sports and divots that can easily be avoided. It was the best skiing I've had this year and a nice break from the sugary ice-snow in the metro area.
Photos:
(Melissa Kittock) -
NewJan 12 - Mount Itasca (Coleraine):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Made another pass with the Pistenbully this evening to further firm up the skate deck and reset tracks after the new snow. We had a total of about 6.5" this past week. Conditions are getting really nice with the new snow! We were able to groom the Service Road and Bittersweet Loop/Magview with the Pistenbully for the first time this season, so those trails should be just as good as the machine made snow loops. Conditions should be awesome!
Photos:
(Bob Conzemius) -
NewJan 12 - Sugar Hills (Grand Rapids):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
We received 5" of new snow last night and started grooming before sunup. Set classic track and packed and leveled skate lane on all trails except Atomic Drop which we will hit tomorrow. Conditions are pretty soft right now but not complaining at all. Grooming plans: We will plan to groom again later this week before the weekend.
(Tony Carter) -
NewJan 12 - Legion Trails (Grand Rapids):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Rolled the trail this morning. Snow seemed to set quite well. There is a layer on ice under the snow from our warm up a while back, so hopefully this fluffy snow bonds to it.
(Jeff Love) -
NewJan 12 - Mount Itasca (Coleraine):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Packed everything as much as possible before MyXC and set tracks on top (Bittersweet) on the Grant-in-Aid system. Packed as much of the upper biathlon trails as I could, but it will need more work. Enjoy the 5" new snow!
Photos:
(Bob Conzemius) -
NewJan 12 - Suomi Hills (Grand Rapids):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Groomed Amen and south Suomi up to the north Suomi parking lot. About 5" of light snow on top of a solid base. Track is squirrelly in places due to the groomer sliding, but plenty skiable.
(Randy Zupan) -
NewJan 12 - Amen Lake (Grand Rapids):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Groomed Amen and south Suomi. About 5" of light snow on top of a solid base. Track is squirrelly in places due to the groomer sliding, but plenty skiable.
(Randy Zupan) -
NewJan 12 - Trout Lake Recreation Area (Grand Rapids):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Rolled and tracked all Trout Lake system trails. Light fluffy new snow so tracks are a little soft. Best skiing we've had for quite awhile.
(Carl Nordgren) -
NewJan 11 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Good to excellent conditions for skate skiing. B skis to good skis. Mesabi East and Giants Ridge Invite was very organized and many happy skiers. New snow was falling on some of the icy areas.
(Lisa Martin) -
Jan 10 - Blueberry Hills (Deer River):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Classic
An inch of snow over ice made for nice skiing in the hard set track except for the downhills with curves where the track was damaged during soft conditions. Skate deck had been roughed up by groomer a few days ago and was really rough with chunks of ice balls! Extra blue wax worked fine in the new snow. Regardless of challenges, we happily did ski up Baker's Road to Red Pine Junction and back down safely. We did not do Lake Loop.
(Catherine McLynn) -
Jan 10 - Portage Park (Cohasset):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Freshly packed and attempted to put tracks back in. Some dirt, but not much at all. Thank you for getting out and grooming the trails!
(Kathy Kooda) -
Jan 10 - Sugar Hills (Grand Rapids):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Observation
We received about an inch of new snow yesterday. The grooming crew discussed going out and scratching up the skate lane but we decided that it was probably best left as is. The classic track is still decent from the last grooming. The skate deck doesn't have enough depth to renovate the snow, we'd just bring up dirt. Let's cross our fingers for more snow.
(Tony Carter) -
Jan 9 - Mount Itasca (Coleraine):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Just over 1" new snow today. Groomed the snowmaking loops and biathlon stadium (about 1.9 km). Hit mostly the skate deck because the tracks were mostly still in good shape, but set new tracks in the stadium and a couple segments of the loop. New snow should make for some really nice conditions albeit maybe a little slower because the sugar snow (refrozen and tilled after the thaw) was really fast. Did not groom natural snow trails because our groomer snowmobile is under repair, and some people like to ski on an inch of fresh snow anyway, even if it's also on the skate deck. We'll get that part next time. Hoping for more snow soon.
(Bob Conzemius) -
Jan 8 - Blueberry Hills (Deer River):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Took the groomer over the skate lanes on Prelude and Red Pine to try to break up the ice. Did nothing with the classic tracks. Can now snow plow to slow down on the downhill. The classic tracks coming down red pine are poor because of skiers coming out of the tracks on the corners during the thaw. Need some new snow to work with.
(Tony Neururer) -
Jan 4 - Mount Itasca (Coleraine):
Night[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming Scheduling
Groomed man made 1.6k loop. Tracks are good and deck is awesome! Natural trails are still B skis with some of the lower portions rock skis but bitter sweet is about as nice as it's been all year. Do be cautious behind the chair lift as the Pistenbully has chewed up the trail. Once again we are hosting a Minnesota Biathlon race Sunday with man made snow being closed to public starting at 10:45 am till end of race. Natural snow trails will be open to ski during the race.
(Derek Youngren) -
Jan 4 - Blueberry Hills (Deer River):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Hazardous skiing on icy ruts with skiff of snow. Tracks still set, but even the first downhill very dangerous due to frozen ruts from skiers falling and skiing out on the corners when conditions were soft. Flat areas around Prelude loop were nice in the track where there was no previous damage. Temps -5 degrees but sun was out and temps warming up to 0. Balmy! Trailhead fire going so maybe hike or just take extra caution. Falling hurts!
(Catherine McLynn) -
Jan 3 - Mount Itasca (Coleraine):
Night[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Groomed the 1.6 k man made loop with track. Natural snow was groomed Thursday with no track but a great skate deck. Would suggest B skis on natural trails as there are some thin spots. We are hosting a MN Biathlon race Saturday starting at noon and the man made will be closed to public but natural trails will be open.
(Derek Youngren) -
Jan 10 - Flathorn-Gegoka Trails (Isabella):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
The one-inch of new snow made for an amazing kick and glide and freshened up the forest. I imagine the wetlands will still have a slightly uneven glide due to the bog undulations.
Photos:
(Nancy Schultz, Friends of Flathorn Gegoka Trails) -
Jan 9 - Hidden Valley Ski Trails (Ely):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Skied the Bambas Loop, third time this week, noticing a large turnout from the local high school teams at training. A quick inch-and-a-half of snow and a slight warm up nicely lubricated things compared to earlier in the week, and my blue waxed skis had a bit more glide as a result. Still coming back from injury so out of shape but had a great time. Well up to top tier skis as of now but classic tracks are set quite shallow due to the thin base. Most debris now covered up by the fresh snow. Extremely impressive job by the trail groomers to have kept things this strong given the weather of the past month.
(Daniel Bliss) -
Jan 8 - Hidden Valley Ski Trails (Ely):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Skied Bambas, Manlove, and Birch Highlands. Skate deck was freshly groomed; the corduroy was nice and firm. Classic tracks were set on the Bambas loop and Birch Highlands and varied from shallow to medium depth. Only minor debris in the tracks here and there (just twigs, no rocks). Had a fantastic time. Thank you, groomers, for such well-maintained trails!
Photos:
(Sophia Spisak) -
Jan 8 - Flathorn-Gegoka Trails (Isabella):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Trails were crunchy, fast, and easy to ski on today. Nothing has changed much in the last few days regarding the conditions, the light dusting on the tracks has helped to keep the kick decent. We skied through the wetland from 14 to 21 and had little trouble with the set tracks from last week.
Photos:
(Nancy Schultz, Friends of Flathorn Gegoka Trails) -
Jan 5 - Hidden Valley Ski Trails (Ely):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Fast and crusty. Skied the Bambas loop and the Sommer Loop. Although the Ely Nordic trails page said Bambas had been groomed for classic skiing, the only tracks set were on the southern half of the loop. The groomed tracks were all pretty shallow. Great to be out again, Ely has plenty of snow base, just need some fresh snow for optimal grooming.
Photos:
(Andrew Slade) -
Jan 4 - Flathorn-Gegoka Trails (Isabella):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
I skied morning and afternoon, both on double-track trails and trails that go through the wetlands (see map showing wetlands in light blue). Some of them were groomed for a second time after the frozen conditions set up. I was on a mission to count birds for the Isabella Christmas Bird Count, so I was going slow. With that context in mind, the wetland areas had undulating spots, making it less than ideal but fun nonetheless. There is plenty of base and I encourage you to come out and enjoy one of the places where natural snow is present to ski on. My wide metal edge skis worked great on the non-wetland trails but were problematic on areas where ice had been set up around skinnier skis than I had. Regardless, I was outside in a beautiful forest and could ski on the outer edge of these conditions.
(Nancy Schultz, Friends of Flathorn Gegoka Trails) -
Jan 10 - Tilson Creek Ski Trail (International Falls):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
With a couple of inches of snow over the past few days, we used both Ginzus today to refresh the skate lane. We did not re-track. We covered everything but the east Blue and the Red Renegade. The skate corduroy looked great!
Photos:
(Burgess Eberhardt) -
Jan 8 - Tilson Creek Ski Trail (International Falls):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
9F sunny. Cold weather preserved the light covering on the hardpacked, but nicely formed classic track. I had good glide and kick on green, orange, yellow and red. A few inches of snow would be great.
Photos:
(Steve Langenbrunner)
Other Locations
Minnesota Northwest
-
NewJan 11 - Bemidji High School Trails (Bemidji):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
About a half-inch to inch of new snow on top with more coming down. A solid base of ice and snow underneath.
(Michael Meehlhause) -
Jan 10 - Movil Maze Trail (Bemidji):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Delighted to ski after a light "dusting" of snow, which improved the skate lane considerably. The groomer was on the trails on Thursday, a few areas of natural debris,
however skiable, and refreshing to be on skis.
(Lisa Martin) -
Jan 5 - Montebello Trail (Bemidji):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Montebello was groomed on Saturday for the Bemidji's Sunday Ski School. The trails by Bemidji Middle School are thin and icy but pretty good considering how little snow we have. There are a few thin spots closer to the Bemidji City Park softball fields, so I'd recommend avoiding those until we get another snow fall.
(Michael Meehlhause) -
NewJan 12 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic Grooming
Excellent mid winter conditions. All trails open. Grooming on 90km of trail past 24 hours. Storm total past 24 hours checking in at 6". After an early morning high of 17F we slowly dropped to -8F by evening. Comments: Just finished up a classic ski with Jonell under an incredible moon and "moon dogs" after another full day of grooming. The tracks we skied on three different trails were all a bit different but set up bit more firm than expected and grooming pulling up the transformed snow made for better glide than expected. Groomed all the inner classic trails today as well as Twin Lakes to the west. More skiers out today than we expected and the outer trails got skied in after the additional snow last night that fell after grooming. Nice job to the Holy Family Nordic team skiing across Bullhead lake in the wind and navigating the Bullhead Bootleg loop during an adventure ski. Skaters had a tough go today but glide reported better than expected and kudos to those skiers. Grooming plans: We will be back out in the morning rolling and combing all the skate trails and hope to track the remaining classic trails.
Photos:
(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort) -
NewJan 12 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Over 50 percent tracks reset-deep and solid track. Snow temp is dropping. I measure 5 inches new at trailhead that is getting colder but has mixed in well with base. Snow was just getting "squeaky" and my skis were slowing way down. Snow feels dry and powdery.
Photos:
(Jill Troutner) -
NewJan 12 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
It snowed, and again it was a great day in the woods! Jay had groomed last night. It continued to snow throughout the night which resulted in skiing through a layer of powder on top of a fresh groom. Overall trails were firm and conditions were great.
(Dylan Ramstad Skoyles) -
NewJan 12 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
7" new powder accumulated yesterday and overnight; average base depth 3 to 4 inches; 3K Classic, 6K Loop, Wolf Run, and Bucks Run now roll packed last night and combed, renovated, and track set this morning. Eagles Run, Rabbits Trail, Cougars Run, and Ridge run roll packed last night. Bring your good skis. Base is punchy now but should firm up. Started last night roll packing in light snow showers and 17F; then finished the last hour in a snow dump where it was hard to even make out the trail. Started this morning grooming with tidd tec at 5F above and completed early this afternoon at -2*f. Great to see all the new white powder on the trails and trees.
Photos:
(Douglas Schumann, Rainbow Resort) -
NewJan 11 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Night[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
5" new snow by the time we finished grooming. 17 degrees, powder/packed powder on top of rock solid frozen and loose granular base. Comments: Just came in from grooming around 74km of trail while it was snowing the whole time. Pretty neat the moon popped out the last couple of hours grooming but was still snowing. Wanted to work the snow in before the temperature dropped and snow dried out. All the trails were groomed except the far outer west loop of Island Lake trail and the north extension loops of Skaters Waltz. The first few inches of new snow, was able to pull up the old base and mix with new when setting track but continued snowfall ended up just combing and setting track. The new snow has made for top notch mid winter conditions. Grooming plans: Touch up grooming later Sunday morning on trails with the most new snow on top.
Photos:
(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort) -
NewJan 11 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Great fresh snow, on groomed trails! We skied Roy's Run, Mother Northstar, Mother Hen and Sap Run. Lots of fun, snow falling, great trails!
Photos:
(Tanya Jensen) -
NewJan 11 - Mountain View Recreation Area (Detroit Lakes):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Mtn View has a skied-in track that is good enough to get around without any problems. The recent light snow has provided additional coverage. The track wasn't icy. I used waxless skis which worked fine on the trail this morning.
Photos:
(Glenn Gifford) -
Jan 10 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Night[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic Grooming
1.3" new snow past 24 hours. All trails open on 90km of ski and fat bike tracks. 50km groomed classic, 15km groomed skate and 25km groomed for fat biking. Powder snow on top of hard transformed frozen and loose granular produced from renovating grooming. Comments: A great week of skiing, fat biking and grooming at Maplelag! Temperatures have been ideal for winter play as we have enjoyed hosting ski camps, ski meets and long time guests back to experience our new lodging arrangements with fully equipped kitchens. We have been grooming daily the past few weeks and have only missed three days of grooming since we started on November 20th. Late afternoon Jonell and I classic skied on trails groomed today and yesterday that had fresh snow on top. The tracks are mostly full form and skiing a bit slower with the new snow but overall really nice skiing. This evening under the moon, reset track on Sap Run, Sukkerbusk and JibFly. This morning all skate trails were renovated and combed and the Twin Lakes singletrack loop was groomed for fat biking. Grooming plans: We plan to groom Saturday evening into the morning for Sunday skiing.
Photos:
(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort) -
Jan 9 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Both
Half inch of new snow made this a very nice ski. We skated and strided and even got out on the lake. The groomer has done a great job of preserving a deck and track set as well on more than half the trails. We came in between skis and had a pizza and a nice chat with the owners. Great winter day!
(Kathy Gang) -
Jan 9 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
On Wed night/Thursday morning at Maplelag, a light snow had fallen to coat the classic tracks, producing fresh skiing conditions. I skied Jibfly, Sukkerbusk and Roy's Run. All were in good shape and fun to ski. After driving to Rochester and back to Detroit Lakes early in the week and seeing little or no snow for much of the way, we are fortunate locally that Maplelag has good snow cover. If you're looking for natural snow and good skiing, you will find it at Maplelag.
Photos:
(Glenn Gifford) -
Jan 5 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Both
Brought 25 skiers up from Chaska/Chanhassen and stayed on site in Rainbow's cabins. Trails were in amazing shape considering the recent warm weather. You can tell Doug worked hard to keep the snow they got and mixed in the fresh snow that fell. Tracks were decent with only a few areas of grass poking through. If you have never skied here, the outer loop at Rainbow offers many challenging climbs and fun downhills. It was really cold all weekend, but the wooded trails shielded the wind and the ski in/ski out cabins allowed us to take quick breaks and get back at it. So great to show my metro area skiers what it's like to be on different trails while enjoying nature. I love our manmade snow in the metro, but nothing beats real snow in the north woods. Overall great experience well worth the drive, my kids are already asking if we can go back!
(Eric Adams) -
Jan 5 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Trails were in great shape! Skied Roy's Run and Mother Northstar, both trails skied really well and showed little sign of the weather in the last week and a half. Tracks have held together remarkably well. Would love to have skied more, but unfortunately had to get back to town. It was a great morning in the woods!
(Dylan Ramstad Skoyles) -
Jan 4 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Both
Skied roughly 11k today consisting of both classic and skate. Given last week's warm temps and the minimal amount of snow our region has had I was not expecting the classic conditions to be as good as they were. We didn't venture off to the twin Lakes area or the north Loop but the areas we saw around the lodge were a hoot to ski on. The skate deck on skaters waltz was very firm and the dustings of recent snow helped slow it down a little bit. The groomer is definitely using his magic touch to keep things in shape and skiing well. Conditions might challenge you at times but that's how we get to be better skiers. Can't forget some Hot chocolate and a snack at the Hygge cabin for a cozy way to wrap up a great ski at the lag.
(Lance Strum) -
Jan 4 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Waited for warmest time of day to ski. Fine dry cold snow, put your coldest wax on. Only skied 6k loop for self timed tour today cause it was cold and felt like slow noisy ski -- every contact with the snow sounded squeaky loud. Trails holding solid and classic track was great for double poling. Only took a few pics because of cold fingers.
Photos:
(Jill Troutner) -
Jan 4 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Classic Observation
Trails were in great shape given the weather over the last week and a half! We skied two laps on the 6km loop and while there were a few icy spots and a few thin areas a majority of the trail was well covered and ice free. To maintain the tracks Doug has opted to not reset them, resulting in one or two areas where the tracks have washed out. Overall I was very pleasantly surprised and would highly recommend trying out the trail system if you haven't yet. The skate deck looked to be in good shape.
(Dylan Ramstad Skoyles) -
Jan 3 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Both
I enjoyed a really nice post-New-Years ski trip with my family at Rainbow. Ski trails were in very good condition considering the thaw that happened after Christmas. The classic tracks were a little icy, but had enough fresh snow from dustings on Wednesday and Thursday that kick was decent. There were some spots with vegetation sticking out, but all very avoidable. The skate deck was regroomed on Friday and was level and firm throughout. It was a little slow due to the cold temps, but I imagine will be a much faster when things warm up a bit. We also spent a lot of fun time on the ice rink. Accommodations at the ski-in/ski-out cabin were great. We're excited for our next visit
(Thomas Blackstock) -
Jan 3 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
A fantastic day on the trails! We woke up to another dusting of snow and brilliant sunshine that took the edge off the welcomed cooler temps. We wrapped up a two day grooming marathon renovating and combing the skate lanes once again which have been groomed daily the past two weeks. We also renovated and reset track on outer trails Roy's Run, Island Lake, Wavy Gravy and Bullhead Lake/Bootleg loops. Roy's groomed out the best as there was bit more air in the base making it easier to condition the snow. One of the benefits of having classic only trails, especially singletrack, is we can alternate sides and follow best line of snow to reset full depth tracks. Double tracks reset earlier in the week have a dusting of snow that has now been skied in on most of the inner trails by the Washburn team today. Conditions are the best of the week and cooler temps keeping everything intact... Sould be a great weekend of skiing on tap! Grooming plans: Touch up grooming as needed through the weekend.
Photos:
(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort) -
Jan 3 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
Weather 0F; clear skies, light nw breeze; average base depth of 2" with 1/2" of fresh powder snow from past 48 hrs. The base is for the most part frozen granular; track sets remain ungroomed and are shallow in areas and icy; deck does have a grip to it in sun protected areas of trails. 6 K loop: bucks run; rabbits trail; cougars run; and ridge run now renovated and combed on the skate lane. B skis recommended. Some grasses and a few twigs showing in thin areas. Went out to groom this morning at -4f below and with the sun shining actually felt warmer out in the woods. Renovated out the past few days of skiing activity and pack the ½" of new powder snow. All things considered found conditions to be fair to good.
Photos:
(Douglas Schumann, Rainbow Resort) -
Jan 3 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Both
Icy but still good skis if I ski smart. Doug just did another groom trying to mix the last two days of light dusting (maybe 1/2 inch of very dry powder), that squeaky stuff that doesn't really mix up but floats around and then blows everywhere when there is wind. And cold -- so conditions are fast and icy so I actually just want to ski slow and careful. I avoided hills and stayed on easy sections since I wasn't up for the wild ride on some of the downhills, with how icy the base is it is better to just Picabo Street down and have fast feet. I am more likely to damage my good skis on an icy downhill, so I only stayed on the moderate (blue loops). So I feel like in this cold polar snow with icy base that these are not conditions for hard interval ski training but go out and put in foundation and focus on drills. Classic skiing the track was solid but my skin ski were only good on flats.
Photos:
(Jill Troutner) -
Jan 2 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming Secondhand
Dusting of fresh powder/packed powder on top of frozen granulated base. 60km of trail open, 15km groomed skate, 45km groomed classic. We woke up to another dusting of very dry and fluffy snow. We worked the new snow into the skate deck on all the skate trails. We scrubbed out the double track on Twin Lakes and reset a singletrack best line where the coverage was best. The first and last third of the trail groomed out the best with the deepest track. We also reset the track on the first part of Island Lake trail and the return of Wavy Gravy trail. The rest of the classic trails we left alone as the tracks are decent and the new snow took off the hardness. Reports from the skiers today were good and best conditions of the week. Grooming plans: We will be back out in the morning grooming all the skate trails and resetting the track on Roy's Run. No plans to reset any other tracks that were reset earlier in the week.
Photos:
(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort) -
Jan 2 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Classic skied for our last ski of camp at Rainbow. Temp 5 degrees and flurries made for a great morning ski. Skied some in the older tracks and some out. Had pretty good kick with Rode Multi Blue. I wanted to give a thank you to Leah and Doug for their hospitality and grooming. It's been a while since Orono Nordic has done a camp at Rainbow, we will be back.
(Brian McCollor) -
NewJan 12 - Cut Lake Ski Trail (Pine River):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Cut lake was rolled today but not enough to lay tracks. A few down trees overall trail is in good shape. Snow was so dry it compacted down to just cover grass. In some areas grass is exposed. A good start to a good deck. Need a few more inches to lay tracks. It is all skiable without tracks I would use rock skis until we get more snow.
(Richard Dubay) -
NewJan 12 - Hiram Ski Trail (Hackensack):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Groomed and set track at Hiram ski trail this afternoon after getting around 6" of new snow. Recommend using rock skis since there are numerous areas where the track setter was getting into the grass, leaves and dirt. The groomer was wanting to slip sideways at times so the track has some kinks in it. The parking lot has not been plowed yet.
(Paul Klinger) -
NewJan 12 - Goose Lake Trail (Longville):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Snowfall Saturday night gave us close to 6". First grooming for the year. Trails groomed good with the exception for setting the classic ski tracks. Thanks to our fall clean up volunteers. There was very little branches on the trail.
Photos:
(Chris Weegman)
Minnesota Central
-
NewJan 12 - Wolf Lake Ski Trails (Brainerd):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
4.5 inches of fluffy snow. I rolled the trails only. Packed snow down to 2 inch base. 4 inch cut grass stubble poking through in some areas. Other areas have less grass showing. No classic tracks set due to inadequate base. Skate skiing should be decent.
Photos:
(Bryan Pike) -
NewJan 12 - Larson Lake (Deerwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
5 inches of fluffy snow. I experimented setting track but plenty of leaves/grass at base of track so I rolled the trails only. Packed snow down to 2 inch base. 4 inch cut grass stubble poking through in many areas. Other areas have less grass showing. Skate lanes are 10-11 feet wide.
Photos:
(Bryan Pike) -
NewJan 12 - Andes Tower Hill Ski Area (Kensington):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Everything has a skating lane and a set of classic tracks. Skating lanes look great some of the classic tracks are shallow but it worked fairly good. Have fun out there!
(Marc Lundeen) -
NewJan 11 - Andes Tower Hill Ski Area (Kensington):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
There was a 1 to 2 inch layer of fluffy new snow on top of the icy base. There is fairly good coverage, but watch out for the few existing bare spots that go down to dirt. The groomer was heading out as I was leaving at around 4:15 pm.
(Chad Bergerson) -
NewJan 12 - Vasaloppet Nordic Center Trails (Mora):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Excellent work by the snow farmers out in Mora. Snow was in excellent shape, and the 3-4 inches of new stuff certainly helped. About 5.5k was open.
(Mike Schowalter) -
Jan 10 - Vasaloppet Nordic Center Trails (Mora):
Night[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Grooming
There is 5.5km of groomed trail from the Nordic Center. Trail was groomed Friday night. Snow coverage is excellent and classic tracks are set on 4km.
(James Conway) -
Jan 10 - Vasaloppet Nordic Center Trails (Mora):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
What a wonderful ski this morning! Like being in a snowglobe! There is about 3.5 K of trail with a really good, thick base of manmade snow with about 2-3" of fresh real snow that was freshly groomed - skate and classic- this morning. There is still light snow falling so expect a layer of fluff.
(Phoebe Miron Kroll) -
Jan 10 - Vasaloppet Nordic Center Trails (Mora):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Grooming
There is currently a total of 5km of trail from the Nordic Center. We received about 2" of light snow last night which was groomed this morning on 3km of the total 5km. Snow coverage is very good to excellent and classic tracks are set. The Snow Farmers continue to make, haul, and spread snow.
(James Conway) -
Jan 9 - Vasaloppet Nordic Center Trails (Mora):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Observation
There is currently 5km of groomed trail from the Nordic Center. Snow coverage is very good to excellent and classic tracks are set. Skate deck is firm. The Snow Farmers continue to haul, spread, and groom snow to expand the trail length.
(James Conway) -
Jan 4 - Vasaloppet Nordic Center Trails (Mora):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The 2 mile loop put together for the First Chance race was the best skiing I've found this year! Firm, easy to get an edge, and fast. Basically no dirt or debris to watch out for on the skate deck. The 20 foot tall pile of snow in the parking lot points to good things to come, awesome work trail builders!
(Karl Holub) -
Jan 4 - Vasaloppet Nordic Center Trails (Mora):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle Secondhand
The snow farmers are hard at work. There was a 3.2km loop of crispy snowy goodness for the First Chance Race this afternoon. The trail winds back into the woods and is a ton of fun to ski. You will find a little debris or stubble in a few places. There was a track set on the whole loop and while it mostly looked deep and nice, there were a few dirty spots to watch out for. I heard from one of the farmers that they have put over 200 hours into snow hauling alone so far this season. That didn't include any grooming or snow making itself. Those farmers are real heros.
Photos:
(Ben Mullin) -
NewJan 12 - Black's Grove Park (Wadena):
Evening[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
Groomed almost all the trails. Coverage is good only a couple thin spots. Justski!
Photos:
(Andy Dombeck) -
NewJan 12 - Washburn Lake Solitude Area Trails (Outing):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
After about 6-8" of dry, fluffy snow, the trails are groomed. Some track is in good condition, but some is quite leafy close to grass. I decided not to roll first because who knows when we will get more snow, and with it tracked we can at least get some skiing in before the season is over. Note: The south trail's East Loop is closed for logging. Our plan will be to groom from the west up to intersections G and H, but the East Loop and Cut-thru East will not be groomed this season unless logging is completed. Be prepared that East Access and South Loop will be out-and-back from intersections F and J.
(Paul VanderWaal)
Other Locations
Minnesota Southern
-
NewJan 12 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Fresh snow on top of previous grooming made for mixed conditions, with some fast flats, deeper snow on curves, and boilerplate at the base of the sledding hill. The wind was fierce this morning, and only picking up, but that didn't seem to affect the trails too much. Uphill on the sledding hill was pretty good, without too much sugar buildup yet. Looking forward to some remaining loop connections. All told, a chilly but worthwhile exploration today.
Photos:
(Pieter DeHart) -
Jan 10 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Best ski trails in town! Well covered trails for skating from the lower section to the top of the hill. The classic tracks appear well set even with the thin layer of new snow. Thanks to groomers and park & rec! The mixed use and intertwined areas with sledders and even snowboarders could be a bit worrisome for potential collision. Sledders had a hard time stopping before heading past into the grass area. The Nordic trails cross over the main maintenance road four times I believe, and some hikers walk across the snow bridges probably because there's no other obvious way around. Hopefully the trails can be fine tuned in the following years.
Photos:
(Ian Chang) -
Jan 10 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
It's so great to have some connected loops now! With a light snow falling at midday, a few folks were in the classic tracks meandering around on the fantastic base. While there is still some connectivity needed/yet to happen, one can get in plenty of either skate or classic without worrying about your skis on most of the trail. I say B skis mainly because of the narrower passage from the bottom of the sledding hill to the lower loop/closest to the lower road, as well as the snow at the top of the hill is getting a bit gritty. All told, though, there's lots of snow, wide lanes, and now some creative ways one can work on their technique and get in quite a few miles. Huge thanks to the snowmakers and groomers - what an asset!
Photos:
(Pieter DeHart) -
Jan 10 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
The trails were groomed and a classic track was set this morning. There were additional trail segments open. Just one word for the trail conditions: Fantastic! Many thanks to the groomer (John) and to Rochester Park and Rec.
(David Greymont) -
Jan 9 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The snowmakers are closing up the loops! Really nice to get some speed up and do multiple variations of a figure 8 around the trail. Great snow conditions. Freshly groomed this morning. Thank you, snowmakers and RASC!
Photos:
(Melissa Broski) -
Jan 8 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Evening[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
Great for having no natural snow! It is so nice to have this option in Rochester— big thank you to everyone who worked to make the snow happen! I used good skis but there were some thinner areas at the road. Classic tracks were present essentially throughout the groomed areas. Good number of people out today. Connections will make it even better!
(Jennifer Dens Higano) -
Jan 8 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Trail conditions continue to be quite good, with a very nice base of snow and classic tracks set. No snowmaking today, but they were pushing the existing snow around, looks like the loops will be connected soon. Definitely the best skiing in the area! :-P.
(Amy Hocraffer) -
Jan 7 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Very nice trails with great grooming and well set classic tracks! They were making snow while I was out today and have almost connected the loop. Right now there are two segments, each shaped like an "e" so you only have to do a turn around once per lap, which is a nice improvement. You can ski across the road that separates the two segments, but it's just a small bridge of snow and they are driving equipment across it throughout the day, hence why I recommend B skis (everything else is beautiful). If you park at the lower parking lot, you can avoid the giant hill, though that hill is also groomed and looks quite nice now that kids are back in school again and not sledding on it all day.
Photos:
(Amy Hocraffer) -
Jan 7 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Conditions are excellent at Gamehaven, thanks to our fantastic groomers and many others who have helped to make this XC skiing park a reality! I classic skied laps on the 0.75 km cross-country loop today. The skate deck also appeared to be in excellent condition. The section that I skied is amenable to your best skis, as long as you stay in the human-made tracks.
(James Martenson) -
Jan 7 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Both
Machine made trail is now an honest 2km, but the footprint is not what the final trail will be. Classic track was only on about 1/2 Km today. Tilled and groomed. Excellent skiing. Grooming plans: The snow guns will be pulled out on Wednesday morning. Once the equipment is out the road crossings will be groomed and we should almost immediately have more trail open, and there will be loops instead of just out and back. After that the crews will work on the snowy mountains to the south. Thank you for your patience. The best thing you could do to support this project is get out and ski. Second best is give feedback to City Park and Rec, who have spent a lot of time and money to make this happen. We need continued support to make this work.
(Jim Bennett) -
Jan 6 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Evening[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Roughly 75% of snow-making loop is open and beautiful! Tracks are stellar for the classically oriented skier and the skate deck, though slightly chopped after ski team practice today, is equally good. Why drive to Winona or Hyland when the skiing is this good locally?
(Joey Furst) -
Jan 6 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Enjoyed getting out on the only snow in Rochester! Managed to get in 5+ miles going back and forth on the man-made snow, so definitely looking forward to some loops being formed: and that could be soon, based on the progress the snow movers were making this afternoon. Since I don't enjoy the fast downhill adjacent the sledding hill, I was happy to learn there's a lower gravel parking lot off of 45th St SE (shows up in Google maps as "Gamehaven Lake Access") that I'll use next time to access the trails.
(Luke Cossette) -
Jan 6 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Pros: The snow that has been made is nicely groomed and in good condition. Fresh corduroy around 9:30 this morning. A whole team of snowmakers and Roch Parks employees were out working this morning making snow and moving snow. Cons: The trail is like a series of cul-de-sacs- no continuous loop. Hopefully they are working to improve this as no one likes to do 180 degree turns in the middle of their ski. Lots of good quality groomed snow is all the way across the sled hill. Kids can't stop their sleds on such a steep downhill and could cross into "skiing" areas, which is a hazard to both skier and sledder. Long walk on gravel from lower parking lot, not great for ski boots.
Photos:
(Melissa Broski) -
Jan 5 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
First time here, so didn't know what to expect. In short, I found the snow that's there and the grooming to be quite nice, with wide skate decks and barely any sugar buildup. It's really nice to have both some flat, out and back, as well as a decent and wide (albeit steep) hill to climb. Much more snow has been and was being made while we were there today, so hopeful for more and more broadly connected sections in the near future. Huge thanks to all that are making this happen!
Photos:
(Pieter DeHart) -
Jan 5 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Great snow today, freshly groomed. Bridge over the road is better than yesterday. Hill was in great condition as well. Classic tracks looked perfect. Good to see other skiers out there.
(Andrew Shulha) -
Jan 5 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Both
Today we have 1.8Km of tilled, combed, and tracked, machine made trail. Excellent classic and skating. BTW, there is currently no trail fee, so you have nothing to lose to try it out!
Photos:
(Jim Bennett) -
Jan 5 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Yes, it's cold. But oh man was the snow good! Snow bridge is a little better today, and you can tell the trails are getting a little longer. Thank you groomers and Rochester Parks for making such an awesome place to ski! Thank you Jim Bennett for being the tip of the spear! Get out and ski!
Photos:
(Joey Furst) -
Jan 4 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Snowmaking loop is partially open, between 1 and 2k of rolled gold! The trails that are open are fabulous, but there is a snow-bridge at the end of the hill runout that's worth riding B skis for instead of your best.
Photos:
(Joey Furst) -
Jan 4 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The grooming on the man made snow was great today. I was skating but the tracks looked nice for classic as well. The ski bridge over the road is still thin with some rocks so recommend B/rock skis if you plan to ski over that. The groomed trail mostly consisted of the big hill and a couple out and backs, it would be nice if it became a full loop at some point. There were two snow guns running this afternoon so hopefully the trails get expanded in the future!
(Scott Foley) -
Jan 4 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Both
Came back to the car for my classic skis: freshly tilled, groomed, tracked, think about 1.5 km total now. Only place B skis are needed is the temporary snow bridge we built over the road. Great skiing.
Photos:
(Jim Bennett) -
Jan 3 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The hill and runout area are frozen granular but recently groomed - fast conditions. The park dept. has pushed out some of the new snow in the valley. Although you have to take your skis off to cross the access road, there is an out-and-back segment of new packed snow where a loop is about a 1/4 mile. Four complete laps was 1.07 miles. It isn't the most level but quite skiable. The guns were running when I arrived around noon and were later shut down to move them to different locations. It's the best skiing in townand you can spend an hour or more - worth the drive to the south of town.
(Bruce Walk) -
Jan 2 - Gamehaven Park (Rochester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
Machine made snow was tilled and groomed last night, very nice today. No track. The only sugar snow was at the end of the runout below Storebakken. Crews were pushing and packing the next trail section. Nice to see others out skiing. My loop was 1.5 to 2Km, depending on the degree of creativity.
Photos:
(Jim Bennett) -
Jan 9 - Saint Mary's University (Winona):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Observation
Our 2K multi loop trail is skiing very good. Skate lanes are firm with cushion on top and the classic track is deep and firm.
Photos:
(Steve Horeck) -
Jan 5 - Saint Mary's University (Winona):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
A bit more trail is now open after additional snowmaking (another loop toward the woods), which added to the interesting ways in which you can meander through the man-made course at present. Conditions were pretty good and consistent throughout, with a fairly fast skate deck (save a bit slower on the newer made snow), and some patches or thinner spots filled in. Folks were skiing pretty steadily throughout the late morning, but it never felt crowded. Great location, all around, and a big thanks to the groomers and snowmakers!
Photos:
(Pieter DeHart) -
Jan 3 - Saint Mary's University (Winona):
Evening[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Grooming
Our 1.5km man-made loop survived the warm spell and rain. It averages 8"+ and you can run good skis. We are also resetting track but it's klister conditions. The snowmaking group added a 300m section and touched up some areas today. Skiing should be great this weekend.
Photos:
(Jason Mork) -
Jan 3 - Saint Mary's University (Winona):
MorningObservation
Stopped by around 10:45am to check conditions. They were making snow. Saw no one skiing this morning.
Photos:
(Danny Suchy) -
Jan 2 - Saint Mary's University (Winona):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The 1.5km man made loop is surprisingly good - especially considering several days of rain last weekend. Thank you groomers for working your magic!
(Gary TerBeest)
Wisconsin Northwest
-
Jan 10 - Birkie Trail (Hayward):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
It's been a dry winter up in the Northland of Wisconsin. I got a little free time to come classic ski the snow loop hills today. Phenomenal conditions! Skied 13.22 miles in 1 hour 43 minutes. Just breaking myself into the birkie hill climbs again. And it felt great. 100% perfection for what the weather's giving us. My only complaint, and it's not a complaint, but there were a lot of people and they are sometimes standing in the middle of the trail or skiing the wrong way. I'll be back. Thank you Birkie Team for keeping the dream alive.
Photos:
(Kevin Grand) -
Jan 9 - Birkie Trail (Hayward):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
I skied for an hour and a half in the past two days from Boedecker TH to the south, There were some leafy spots that could easily be avoided and good snow in between. I skied the whole Boedecker flats loop and only had to walk once (the small hill on the classic side near the Big Rock crossover) and only fell once, that when my ski snagged a stick embedded in the snow. There were other tracks besides mine, both skate and classic. There is noticeably less snow where the trail is adjacent to the logged areas, but enough to ski safely. It is fun, and the peace and solitude is an additional benefit if you don't like crowds.
Photos:
(Tom Detzner) -
Jan 7 - Birkie Trail (Hayward):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Made a trip up to Cable to ski the Birkie man made loop Tuesday, was not disappointed. A perfectly groomed 5km loop with sunny skies and calm winds. The new MTV base camp lodge is right on the trail, was a special treat.
(Dan Dudley) -
Jan 4 - Birkie Trail (Hayward):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
I classic skied the Birkie start area manmade snow loops. The skate deck was level and freshly groomed, with very good coverage, offering great control when out of the tracks. The tracks and surrounding deck were firm and deep providing great kick, pole plants, and control. Plenty of happy skiers were out enjoying the trails.
Photos:
(David Martin) -
Jan 2 - Birkie Trail (Hayward):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Classic skied the snowmaking trails at the Birkie Trailhead this afternoon. A friend skate skied with me. We skied all the open trails, which probably total 5k including all the various loops and cut across connectors. Certainly would not call it "gerbil skiing". Lots of climbing and descending, but many rolling moderate trails as well. A nice fairly flat loop for beginners and young kids at the entrance to the system. The classic tracks were deep and the skate deck was in excellent shape. Best that I have skied there in the last couple of weeks. A dusting of fresh snow added more control than we expected. The guns are fired up probably for adding to existing trails plus pushing out into new loops. Thanks to the snowmakers for their hard work and to the groomers for making the best possible calls under difficult circumstances. Love the new lodge!
(Scott Wilson, Cresthill Resort) -
Jan 2 - Birkie Trail (Hayward):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Both
Classic and skate skied early morning on the entire manmade loop several times. Found impressively groomed conditions with flat skate deck and well set up classic tracks. Conditions were about as fast as it gets! Elevator shaft was a truly thrilling section. Much climb/descent with some flat sections as well. About 5K total. Snowmaking was underway to prep for the Seeley Classic next week.
(Randy Shelerud) -
NewJan 12 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Both
As usual, the conditions at Mt. Ashwabay were amazing - thank you to the groomers! There were many smiling faces out on the trails today, it feels like "real" winters of yore. Snow was coming down fairly fast for the entire ski, grooming staff was out pretty much constantly working to compact and refine the skate deck and classic tracks. We went through some of the classic-only that wasn't groomed too recently, but it was wonderful. I found the skating glide to be amazing (Rex Blue), but since the deck was a little soft and I'm a little "girthy" :), the push phase of the skate was pretty difficult. Amy and I switched to classic after about 5K or so skating. Abbey Road obviously gets the most use, but past the cabin the back of the mountain was sublime. Thank you again, what a treasure.
Photos:
(Rick Cochrane) -
NewJan 12 - Ashland Ski Trail (Ashland):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Ashland trails were rolled today after 5+ inches of snow. Not enough to run the groomer or set a track. Base is thin with some grass and leaves poking through. Skiable as long as you keep your expectations low.
Photos:
(Andy Goyke) -
NewJan 12 - Mecca (Mercer):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Four to five inches of snow last night with a few flakes still coming down. Groomers were out leveling, packing, renovating, and setting track. Trails have reverted back to early season conditions, low snow base, and not completely level skiing platforms. Trails are soft. Enjoy!
(Becca Bartling) -
NewJan 12 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
After 4+ inches of new snow, the groomer were out at 7:30 AM to groom the whole trail system! Yesterday was fantastic and today should be even better. Thanks to all of the skiers near and far who came out yesterday, it was so fun to see the parking lot full of nordic skiers.
(Kate Ullman) -
Jan 10 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Skied the outer loop - Abbey Road, Northern Lights, Seagull, and The Buzz. Most were in excellent condition. As noted elsewhere, The Buzz has some leaves in a couple spots, and a few places with dirt spots. These are up on the hilltop. All can be carefully skied around. Be careful about rocks, though, as you approach the parking area at the end of The Buzz. That's why I'm suggesting B skis.
Photos:
(Peter Nordgren) -
Jan 10 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
All fresh corduroy and I only saw the occasional tree debris. Seriously some of the best skiing in a long while. The downhill run on seagull to the anchor intersection is phenomenally fun! I'm rating it a cautious good skis. I had my B skis because I didn't think it would be as good as it was. I would have switched to my good skis but I didn't want to go back to the car.
Photos:
(Peter Aggen) -
Jan 10 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
A dusting of fresh snow! Groomed skate on Abbey, Anchor, Beginners Loop, Skid, Northern Lights, and Seagull. Classic on Abbey also tracked.
(Ann Mosey) -
Jan 9 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
Skate trails Anchor, Abbey and Big Loop groomed again this morning. Good skate skiing. But Buzz skate is still very rough with dirt exposed and Buzz classic is nearly nonresistant.
(Ann Mosey) -
Jan 8 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
I skied up Anchor, which was newly beautifully groomed. Then up the steep Seagull hill, which had been the day before and had a new dusting of snow on it. Both were great. Then I skied Seagull out to the top of the Alpine area. Then skied back and down northern lights to the cabin, then back up to Anchor and across to the start again. Everything was fantastic. There were a few areas with debris and a couple bald spots. I don't think I would've damaged my good skis, but I'm glad I used B skis.
(Steve Smith) -
Jan 8 - Mecca (Mercer):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Observation
Trail conditions have deteriorated with the snow base transforming into a snowy/icy surface. Conditions rate as poor and rock skis are recommended.
(Becca Bartling) -
Jan 8 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
Skate trails groomed this morning included Abbey to Sugar Shack, Lower Anchor, Beginners Loop, Zig Zag, and Northern Lights maintaining the good skiing conditions.
But Buzz skate is very rough with dirt exposed and Buzz classic is nearly nonresistant.
(Ann Mosey) -
Jan 7 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
I skate skied the big loop (Abbey Road to Northern Lights to the Buzz). It was great. Not perfect, but excellent. Then I skied Anchor and it was even better! Thanks groomers! This is the most beautiful trail system in the upper Midwest I've skied, and now they have a Pisten Bully to make it perfect, even when there is not much snow.
(Stephen Smith) -
Jan 7 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The light grooming on Abbey Road, Anchor and the Big Loop made all the difference in the world with this light snow cover! Beautiful ski today. Thank you groomers!
(Deborah Zvosec) -
Jan 7 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Skate trails on Abbey, Anchor and the Big Loop were lightly groomed this morning. Waiting for more snow to refresh classic trails, but they are all still skiable.
(Ann Mosey) -
Jan 5 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Abbey and Anchor skate trails were groomed late Sunday. Jolly and Buzz have a few bare spots that can be skied around. Seagull, Northern Lights, Roller Coaster and Beginners Loop are all good. Classic on Abbey has some icy spots and a spattering of oak leaves. Still lots of good skiing, how lucky we are!
(Ann Mosey) -
Jan 5 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
A fantastic skate ski at Mt. Ashwabay mid-morning today. Freshly groomed, firm flat skate deck and great glide. Skied Jolly, Abbey and Northern Lights trails. Thank you groomers!
(Suzann Mouw) -
Jan 3 - Mt. Valhalla Ski Trails (Washburn):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Classic skied the Teuton ABC loop. Trail had a crusty base with light snow cover making the classic track a little hard to follow at times. Downhill portions are tricky due to piled up snow (that froze). Overall the trail was in good condition with a solid base (no bare spots or debris on trail).
Photos:
(Steve Thumm) -
Jan 3 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Fresh snow yesterday. All skate tracks were groomed this morning. Very good skate conditions with some thin spots on the Buzz. Still waiting for more snow to groom the classic tracks, though they are open for skiing.
(Ann Mosey) -
Jan 2 - Mecca (Mercer):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Groomers were out mid-day and again this evening mixing old snow with two inches of new moisture starved lake effect snow. Overall the trail has 95 percent coverage; however, base is thin with some bare spots. No tracks set, skiing is fair.
(Becca Bartling) -
Jan 2 - Mt. Ashwabay Ski Trails (Bayfield):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Wisps of new snow in the air. All the skate trails were groomed this morning, except Skid Road and Jolly. Buzz has a few places with exposed leaves.
(Ann Mosey) -
NewJan 12 - Silvermine Nordic Trail (Eau Claire):
Evening[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
More snow was made last weekend and expanded the trail a little bit more in the field. Skate deck was packed and tracked, with a classic track set all the way around the expanded loop. Snow was nice and decently fast, even with flurries happening. And new this season, Silvermine has lights! For any early or later skiers, you can now turn on the lights and get some skiing in without depending on the daylight window; just plug it in, located off the sled nearest the first light. For the field light, you may need to go hit the button as well. If you do use the lights, be sure to turn them off before leaving. If you want to support the snowmaking, grooming, and light pole setting efforts, buy a pass or donate! And enjoy one of the few skiable snow areas open in the Chippewa Valley for now, although here's to hoping we get more snow soon so all XC ski areas can open up!
Photos:
(Tiff Miller) -
NewJan 12 - Silvermine Nordic Trail (Eau Claire):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Skate skied during the 11am hour. The new snow was on top of the man-made snow, but about noon grooming had begun on the small lap. Was a lot of fun, fast, and great place to ski without having to worry about damaging your ski base.
(Brady Zwiefelhofer) -
NewJan 12 - Red Cedar River Trail (Menomonie):
Morning[ Trails: Closed, ]Observation
A couple of inches new snow but not enough to roll or groom. Some adventurous types might try rock skis but not recommended.
(David Gorman) -
Jan 6 - Silvermine Nordic Trail (Eau Claire):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Volunteer snowmakers added another 200 meters on to the snowmaking loop. Skate deck is flat and groomed. Classic tracks are set. Only snow for miles around!
Photos:
(Craig Manthe) -
NewJan 12 - Round Lake Trail (Fifield):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Classic
With the snowy conditions I decided to Bushwack at Round lake, which is a Cheq/Nicolet ungroomed ski trail. 3-4 inches of fresh snow. I used fishscale skis and had a good ski in winter wonderland with no one else around.
Photos:
(Brian Ciske)
Wisconsin Northeast
-
NewJan 12 - Moccasin Ski Trail (Elcho):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
With 2 inches of new snow, the ski trail was rolled but not dragged or tracked. There is about a one inch base and the trail would be better for classical rather than skate skiing. The Luge Loop has some exposed rocks.
(Chuck Wetzel) -
NewJan 12 - Razorback Ridges Trail (Sayner):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
With about four inches of fresh powder on the trails this morning I was able to roll all loops with the panning bar down behind the roller. Rock hard ice underneath but decent coverage of snow. Not enough to set track but mostly fair to good skiing for both skate and classic. There are patches here and there with stubble sticking up due to not being able to mow until early December when extensive logging operations were completed. Until I can set tracks, classic and skate skiers are welcome to ski all loops even though the system is normally split with skate loops to the west and classic groomed loops to the east.
(Will Maines) -
NewJan 12 - Schlecht Lake (Minocqua):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
5 to 6 inches of new snow was packed down. Track set on the lake Loop. Lights are on till 8 PM. Couple of spots need to watch for bareground otherwise enough snow to level the surface.
(Chad Metzger) -
Jan 10 - WinMan Trails (Winchester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
Trails were all groomed overnight Thursday, into Friday. They set up really well before about a 1/4 inch of snow very early Friday morning. Conditions are good to very good with fresh grooming and new snowfall to help create and edge and provide coverage on the handful of thin spots out there. Small portion of the 10k loop remain closed (Post O > U > T).
Photos:
(Isaac Cowart) -
Jan 7 - Minocqua Winter Park Nordic Center (Minocqua):
Morning[ Trails: Closed, ]Observation
Trails remain closed to skiing. However, as we wait for the fresh snow needed to re-open the ski trails, our crews have assessed the conditions and have made the decision to temporarily open a limited selection of ski trails to hiking and fat biking. Base Loop, Nose Dive, XC Express, Silver Strider, Nepco's Cruise, Tower Road, Fire Tower, and Cedar Creek. Please note that while the groomers did scratch up the trail surface, there still may be some icy patches so we have the following safety precautions in place: Traction devices are strongly recommended for hikers; Studded tires are strongly recommended for fat bikers; Please stay on the groomed trails; Snowshoe trails are not recommended Please park at small lot outside the gate to access trails.
Photos:
(Erin Blow) -
Jan 6 - WinMan Trails (Winchester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Groomers were out after a few fluffy inches fell overnight. Firm deck and skiing was great! Still a handful of thin spots but those were easily avoided. Seems like 10k loop was still closed but all the other loops were open and in good shape. Big thanks to the folks and groomers for keeping things going, what a great facility!
(James McLaughlin) -
Jan 5 - WinMan Trails (Winchester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Cold but decent day at WinMan today. I was actually on my way up to Ironwood but stopped at WinMan to see how conditions were and decided to ski there instead of driving. Talked to a few folks in the lodge who said conditions were good, so I gave it a go. Skied the 7k loop a few times and indeed conditions were really good considering. It was hard and fast with a layer of light snow on top but you could definitely hold an edge and have fun. Super cold though for sure. It was lightly snowing the whole time I was there and looked like they were getting some cover. Hopefully they will groom again soon.
(James McLaughin) -
Jan 5 - WinMan Trails (Winchester):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Generally good for skating. Mostly flat with a few dirt spots that you can easily avoid. A packed base with about an inch of fluffy new snow on top.
Photos:
(James Beno) -
Jan 5 - Minocqua Winter Park Nordic Center (Minocqua):
Morning[ Trails: Closed, ]Observation
Crews have been out over the last week assessing the ski trails and have even tried scratching up the surface with drags. But we have deemed them still too unsafe to open for skiing without a few inches of fresh snow. We are looking into possibly opening up a few trails for fat biking and snowshoeing/hiking this week. Stay tuned.
(Erin Blow) -
Jan 3 - WinMan Trails (Winchester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle Secondhand
Some trails had been roped off since I was last there a few days ago. Thin cover, but edging was decent. Not much in the way of tracks. Worth the trip for me as the closest skiing from my home. Got a very positive report regarding the fat bike trails.
(Brian Ciske) -
Jan 2 - WinMan Trails (Winchester):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
We have hit all the trails, but the portions that are still closed have more exposed rocks and dirt and are not in good condition. No tracks have been set anywhere on the system due to minimal snow depth. In addition to the North Trails which were opened yesterday, we have opened the majority of the South Trails, including the 5.7k and 7k loops.
(Isaac Cowart) -
Jan 10 - Nine Mile County Forest Recreation Area (Wausau):
Evening[ Trails: Closed, ]Observation
We have a dusting over the ground to make it pretty, but not even as deep as the sole of my shoes. We are closed to skiing, but we are open to fat tire biking. Chalet will be open 8-4 Saturdays and Sundays for fat tire biking. Pay at chalet when open, or in parking lot when chalet is closed.
(Barb Maguire) -
NewJan 12 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Approximately 3.5 km of well groomed trail, which includes some newly opened northern section. The skate deck is clean, well compacted, wide, and level. Adjacent diagonal tracks were also substantial. Very good conditions today.
(Jules Blank) -
NewJan 11 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Excellent conditions, perfect corduroy, fast and fun. Well worth the drive. Classic tracks excellent, skate line wide and perfect.
Photos:
(Lynne Dzuba) -
NewJan 11 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Fabulous conditions. World class grooming. Lots of skiers but far from crowded. Classic tracks were deep and firm.
(Pete Wurl) -
Jan 10 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Mother nature dropped about 1/3" of snow on top of a freshly groomed 3.4K trail early this morning making for excellent ski conditions. The latest loop, aka Mount Becker, is a sight to behold offering significant additional elevation and banked curves on the down hill for skaters. Super fun. Carpe Skiem!
Photos:
(Bob Warpinski) -
Jan 10 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Approximately 3.5 km of well groomed and clean snow. Very good conditions. Diagonal tracks were slightly slow but substantial. A very good day to be here.
(Jules Blank) -
Jan 9 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
If you haven't skied Ariens then you are missing out. As close to perfect as you can get. Around 4k of trails. Snow anywhere from 1 to 10 meters deep! Sean Becker had done a fabulous job in this (once again) snowless winter. He added height to some hills with man made snow. Biathlon range is perfect and ready for an event this Sunday. Fun, fun course! Worth the trip!
Photos:
(Tom Davenport) -
Jan 9 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Another beautiful day for a ski. A new section of trail was added since I skied on Tuesday. What a treat to have the opportunity to ski here this dry winter.
Photos:
(Jim Van Akkeren) -
Jan 9 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
They are up to 3.5k now with some of the North loops partially open. Basically, one more longer climb with a bit of headwall at the top from a part of the trail we haven't seen open since the opening year with natural snow. The snow in the morning was cold, slow and squeaky. The whole system just skis with a nice flow of climbs, descents, turns, an occasional flat area. Really enjoyable.
(Philip Nelson, Bay Nordic) -
Jan 8 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The skiable groomed trail now totals 3.3K. Superior conditions for both techniques. Deep tracks. Firm & Flat deck. Lots of man-made snow stocked with some initial placement taking place on the northern side of The ANC. Carpe Skiem!
Photos:
(Bob Warpinski) -
Jan 8 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The trail is 2.5 km of well groomed and fast snow. Diagonal tracks were also very good. Another good day out here.
(Jules Blank) -
Jan 7 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Solid base with good coverage throughout. Just enough loose surface snow made for decent control and fast conditions. Great looping 2.5k course with a few short climbs - generally open terrain. (Think Birke / Korte 2024). Despite steady north wind - very enjoyable skiing at Ariens today.
(Dave Miller) -
Jan 7 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Nice conditions for both classic and skate skiing. 2.7K groomed was enough to keep it interesting. I prefer skiing in a forest but this is a great alternative. Good weather today: some sun, upper teens to low 20s, and tolerable winds. A good group of sprightly old duffers out here this morning.
Photos:
(Jim Van Akkeren) -
Jan 6 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
There are 2.7 km of skate trail available. The snow is clean with crisp corduroy and tracks are also excellent. Very good skiing today.
(Jules Blank) -
Jan 5 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The skate trail is 2.5 km. It is well groomed, clean, compacted, and wide. There is drifting from the snow guns but these areas are short. The tracks were substantial. Good conditions today.
(Jules Blank) -
Jan 2 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Both
Terrific skiing for skaters and striders today at The ANC! Skaters were rewarded with firm and fast. While those in the well formed tracks zipped along nicely except for the 100 meters or so where the wash from the snow guns made it feel like winter once again! Heavy snow-making taking place. The 25 degree temp, the brilliant sun and a good breeze all added to the fun. Carpe Skiem!
Photos:
(Bob Warpinski) -
Jan 2 - Ariens Nordic Center (Brillion):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Approximately 2.5 km of ski trail is open. The skate deck was clean, freshly groomed, well compacted and fast. The adjacent diagonal tracks were substantial and also fast. The only slow part was the scatter from the snow guns near the southeast corner of the stadium. Very good conditions today.
(Jules Blank)
Wisconsin Southwest
-
Jan 7 - Mt. La Crosse Ski Area (La Crosse):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
A huge thanks to Mt. La Crosse for the early tracks program for XC and Uphill skiing! Lots of perfectly groomed terrain with plenty of climbs. Note that all skiers need to sign a waiver and purchase a day or season pass, this can be done online. Morning hours vary based on the hill crews plans, so be sure to check the schedule and sign up before heading out.
Photos:
(Chris Jackson)
Wisconsin Southeast
-
NewJan 12 - CXC Outdoor Center (Middleton):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Snow was spread around the large field just north of trailhead, and was groomed for both classic and skate (in addition to the usual artificial loop). The tracks were in very good shape, with only a handful of icy and dirty spots. Conditions were a little softer than they usually are, given temps right around freezing. This is the best shape the artificial loop has been in all season, and it's finally a proper loop now, rather than what was essentially a connected series of out-and-backs.
(Kyle Richard) -
Jan 10 - Blackhawk Ski Club Trails (Middleton):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Both
In my opinion, the best snow around within an hours drive from Madison. Tons of man made base and firm skate deck on the Siberian highway loop and perfect grooming for classic with nice deep tracks.
(Ken Walz) -
Jan 5 - Blackhawk Ski Club Trails (Middleton):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Blackhawk groomed the trails and the snow was pretty good. The skaters were flying around while the classical skiers were gliding on icy track in most of the trails with some tracks being softer than other areas. Good to get out even though it was quite brisk in the windy areas. Man we could sure use some soft natural snow.
(Christopher Quandt) -
Jan 4 - CXC Outdoor Center (Middleton):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Lots of skiers on the man-made loop, which is holding up decently considering all the traffic. Solid, if a tad icy base, with a few corners and the hairpin turnaround on the field spur a bit tricky to manage. Not too much sugar buildup on the power line. I recommend good skis, but one might want to use B for your first loop to scope things out. All told, it's great to have some technical skiing in the Madison area during this cold stretch. Many thanks to the groomers.
(Pieter DeHart) -
Jan 2 - CXC Outdoor Center (Middleton):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Things were in pretty good shape in late afternoon, with low to moderate skier traffic. Skate deck is fast but not too icy, and not overly sugary on the uphills or powerline, sans a tiny patch coming back up from the lower field hairpin. Really enjoyed the switch in direction on the first loop, as after their evening grooming it really did help prevent icy patches from forming on that first (formerly left) turn. Much appreciation to the groomers!
(Pieter DeHart) -
NewJan 12 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Great coverage throughout the man-made loops. Fast and firm conditions with good control - surprisingly fast even with intermittent mist. Lots of skiers of all ages out this morning. Hats off to the groomers for some truly enjoyable skiing!
(Dave Miller) -
NewJan 11 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Night[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
The Piston Bully was out grooming at night. The skate deck was tilled and is in excellent condition. The little bit of new snow we have had has improved the trail. The classic tracks were left as is and are in great shape. Mark's park , Beattle's loop and Jerry's half acre were groomed as well.
(Mark Janis) -
NewJan 11 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Manmade trails all open around the outside. Playground area partly open. Short summer stage hill, and the short steep up hill near there, closed today, storing snow whales, Skate deck in very good shape. Classic tracks all in good shape.
(Sandie Pendleton) -
Jan 10 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Night[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
Mark spread and groomed the playground area Friday and is ready for fun! I groom and set new tracks over the entire manmade trails. Skate deck is excellent and tracks are full depth all around. Trailend still needs new snow spread so that short segment is still closed. Enjoy a great weekend of skiing.
Photos:
(Mike Koester) -
Jan 10 - UW-Parkside Ski Trail (Kenosha):
Night[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
The trails were regroomed with the tidd tech following the 1/2" of snowfall. We have a 1 - 2" snow base. No track was set. Good rock skiing conditions on natural snow.
(Steve Wikner) -
Jan 10 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Natural snow mixed with the fresh groomed snow made for a soft, easy skiing surface for skating. Newly set tracks received a thin layer of new snow, providing good kick. Great skiing for all abilities, as evidenced by the large number of skiers on the trails.
(John McCarthy) -
Jan 10 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
New snow was leveled and tilled everywhere except tailend segment. Skate deck has been tilled and new full depth tracks have been set everywhere. Might have a few patches of corn type snow where new snow was leveled. Enjoy!
(Mike Koester) -
Jan 9 - UW-Parkside Ski Trail (Kenosha):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Definitely skiable but the groomed trails are soft and pretty chopped up by other skiers. Tracks were skied in around the whole system. The open area in the middle is in the best shape. If you live in the area, get out there and enjoy what there is before the hikers show up to demolish it.
(Kurt Eby) -
Jan 9 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Overnight and morning snowmaking on the trails made a huge amount of snow. Open segments were not groomed last night but are still in very good condition, with a firm skate deck and solid tracks on the lower trails and a more sugary surface on the Woods trails, especially the Green Cutoff. Most pleasant surprise was the Magic Carpet, which has a nice layer of loose snow. Watch for one icy spot on the climb up Summerstage Hill.
(John McCarthy) -
Jan 9 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Grooming
Snowmaking has been going all night. We will have sections of the manmade loops closed Thursday and most likely Thursday night. The closed sections will be the starting hill up to summer stage, tailend, and the north field from northeast corner to past rental access. You will be able to ski straight out from parking lot, up summer stage, around the woods loop, down magic carpet, turn around at the corner, then back towards summer stage. Tracks should be full depth in most all areas. Thanks for your patience while we freshen up our trails.
(Mike Koester) -
Jan 8 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Excellent conditions for skate and stride. A shallow layer of loose snow on a firm, flat base made for easy skating. New tracks are firm and fast. Some segments where new snow was made and groomed are a little chunky, but it is great to see the snowmaking team taking advantage of the cool, calm weather to reinforce the snow coverage.
(John McCarthy) -
Jan 7 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Night[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
The Piston Bully was out at night pushing out the snow that was made. The trail is now wider and flatter along the pond and where the finish line is. The rest of the man made trail was groomed as well. The skate deck is in great condition firm with a nice layer of soft snow on top. New classic tracks were set throughout and are in great shape. They are full depth and firm. The man made loop is setup for the Wednesday night races so the classic tracks have been set differently and will be back to normal on Friday.
(Mark Janis) -
Jan 7 - UW-Parkside Ski Trail (Kenosha):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
First time skiing here and very pleasantly surprised. Was heading to Lapham Peak but took a detour here because it's closer. About 5" of lake effect set up pretty well overnight and skied well. Groomed for skate (not classical). Only saw four other skiers. Real and well groomed snow, and decent glide.
(Jamie Moorhead) -
Jan 7 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Generally very good conditions for skate and stride. Some trail segments closed or impacted by ongoing snowmaking operations. Appears to have been groomed with the ginzu, which left a shallow layer of loose snow on a solid base. Tracks were solid.
(John McCarthy) -
Jan 6 - UW-Parkside Ski Trail (Kenosha):
Night[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
We received 5" of lake effect snow. The northside trail, the trail up the middle, and some of the upper loop trails were pack to a 1" to 2" base. The wood trails are thin and better conditions can be found up the middle. No classical track was set.
(Steven Wikner) -
Jan 6 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Evening[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
Multiple loops were open, longest is about 1.1 miles and is all lit for night skiing. Hardpack and well groomed for both skate and classic. Good skiing!
(Tom Graham) -
Jan 6 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The skate deck was hardpacked and uneven which made some difficulty with edging. It appeared to not have been groomed recently.
(Don Howell) -
Jan 6 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
Manmade Loops were surprisingly good Monday afternoon considering no grooming Sunday night. Very skiable with the expected amount of dirty snow in a few places. A little sugary in places, a little firm in others but holding up well. Tracks were decent as well. Good skis ok if careful.
(Michael Graham) -
Jan 5 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Got out a little before 11am. Park had a lot of people getting in laps today, from the experienced to beginners. Skate deck had fresh man made snow and was fast despite all of the traffic beating up the deck and single digit Temps. The area in the tree section was a little more sugary, but still great skiing today. Looks like they need directional signage, saw several people going against flow of traffic in areas.
(Josh Heurung) -
Jan 4 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Night[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
The Piston Bully was out at night grooming the man made loops. The skate deck was tilled and is in great condition. There is one thin spot on the cut off from summer stage to tail end hill. Other than that it seems the sugar snow has been covered by the recent snow making. New classic tracks were set though out the loop and is in great condition. They are full depth and firm. Grooming plans: A new round of snow making will start sometime next week so stay tuned to possible trail sections being closed.
(Mark Janis) -
Jan 4 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Skake skied like from 3-5 pm on late afternoon. The deck then was hard (not surprising), with mostly a thin tilled covering. Uphill through the pines was the exception, with a nice, deeper tilled base. Speeds were slower than they have been, given the low overnight and morning temperatures, but still fast enough to be enjoyable. Magic carpet has no bad spots. Full manmade loop is open, and overall, is in very good shape for both skate and classic. My sincere thanks to all of the groomers and snow makers!
(Sandie Pendleton) -
Jan 4 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Classic
The manmade loop was in excellent condition. Tracks were deep throughout (some shallower tracks on the flats), and only the occasional icy chunk or leaf.
Photos:
(Kyle Richard) -
Jan 3 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
The Piston Bully was out this morning grooming the man made trails. New snow was made on most of the problem areas and continues to be made in the playground area. The new snow was tilled into the skate deck and should cover the sugar snow in those areas. A new classic track was set with mixed results. Some areas are in excellent condition and some are not. Hopefully they improve with skier traffic. Grooming plans: The Piston Bully will be out tonight to touch up the skate deck. It will also be out Saturday night to groom again. Thanks for your patience as we get the trail system back together.
(Mark Janis) -
Jan 2 - Lapham Peak (Delafield):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Grooming
The skate deck of the snowmaking loop was groomed with the Ginzu early this morning. The entire snowmaking loop is open. There are a few thin spots and may be a couple icy areas, but conditions should be pretty good throughout the day. Classic tracks were left as is and are full depth and appeared to be in good shape. Grooming plans: There are plans to make some snow overnight to fill in some of those thin and icy areas. Please use caution if you see the snowmaking equipment or groomers out on the trails and give them space.
(Collin Bergholz)
Michigan Upper Peninsula
-
NewJan 12 - ABR (Ironwood):
Evening[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
A busy weekend, topped of with 4 inches of new snow Sunday! Saturday there were 285 SISU racers that stopped by to pick up racer packs and most skied afterwards. Sunday we woke up to new snow and took one of the Pisten Bullies out on "old ABR" main trails, all the classics were regroomed and are open except Puumala. Ridge Runner is open and groomed but there are five areas with exposed bedrock or thinly covered in snow, The Anderson Bluffs and River Trails Foundation had a campfire with s'mores as part of "Project Connect". The 4-H had a youth ski outing with 28 youth. 83 km are open for skiing. Grooming plans: Tomorrow we have three groomers heading out and we will check out opening the Puumala Trails.
Photos:
(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails) -
NewJan 12 - ABR (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Piston bully was out setting tracks this morning. Tracks on combi-trails are very good, mostly good skis skiing but some dirt here and there, so would still recommend B skis. Skate deck looked good too.
Photos:
(Will Andresen) -
NewJan 12 - Miners Memorial Heritage Park (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Great day skiing with visiting friends at Miners. Lots of fresh snow falling over the morning groom. Great full-depth tracks. Use your good skis if you pay attention for the one thin area coming out of the G shaft loop. Winter Wonderland with friends... that's what skiing is about.
Photos:
(Sue Schroeder) -
NewJan 12 - Miners Memorial Heritage Park (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
A few fresh inches overnight into the morning made a big difference in Ironwood. I'd only skied Miner's as part of the Sisu, so it was nice to see the whole park. The groomer was Johnny on it, and had fresh corduroy and tracks laid before we got there. The corduroy was soft and needed time to set, but the tracks were very nice. There were only a couple thin spots, but I felt fine with good skis.
(Adam Schwartz-Lowe) -
NewJan 12 - ABR (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most ]Observation
This report is only on Ridge Runner. Woke up to about 4 inches of snow and saw Ridge Runner was groomed, headed out to check some things out. Found soft conditions with a couple of thin spots and some rock showing. It is open but I recommend caution and rock skis until we get more snow.
(Ken Hazel) -
NewJan 12 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Appeared the trails were groomed this morning. Falling snow was accumulating so it wasn't easy to skate through but it was slippery enough. Overall a good powder day on the skinny skis. Plenty of base for good skis.
Photos:
(Karen Katz) -
NewJan 11 - Miners Memorial Heritage Park (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Classic
Always happy to ski a new trail. The grooming was good and 90% of the track was in very good condition. It wasn't too hard to get around what debris was out there. I really enjoyed reading the signs and learning about the mining history.
(Peter Aggen) -
NewJan 11 - ABR (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Popple Flats and Popple Climb, Blueberry Bluffs, Memory Lane, Jack Pine and Cherry Derry skied well. Tamarack Two Track and White Pine were groomed for skate and skied the best - really enjoyed skating both those trails. Hautanen Highlands had treacherous sections where the deck was scraped to ice on some downhill turns and was uneven in low wetland spots. River Run was good overall but looked like it had a lot of traffic and some spots were thin. I recommend rock skis because the ice made it hard to avoid debris and it was more enjoyable to ski without planning out every maneuver. Photos are of White Pine and River Run. Hope to be back for the Sisu in 2026.
Photos:
(Karen Katz) -
NewJan 11 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Great snow! Went classic because I had forgotten how long these uphills were! Tons of other skiers there today, but it didn't feel crowded, except at TH. It was like magic how the snow got thicker even on the drive in about 10 miles from here. Tracks were fast, but had pretty good grip (Toko Red). Glide was amazing (Rex Blue, the One True Glide).
Photos:
(Rick Cochrane) -
NewJan 11 - ABR (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
The new snow groomed up well this morning; we groomed up 64k. We had a busy day today and many happy skiers. Grooming plans: We plan to set some or many of the classic tracks in the morning and I am planning on taking out my Pisten Bully to groom the closer combi trails with the powertiller and set tracks. Highlands and tamarack and ridge runner are not quite ready for Crasher with his smaller Pisten Bully.
Photos:
(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails) -
NewJan 11 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
All trails groomed and tracks set. Very good to excellent conditions. The snow we received last night helped! Light snow falling again this morning. Keep up the Heikki Lunta dance!
(Deborah Leonard Greiter) -
Jan 10 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
What a difference 5 miles can make. There appears to be more snow here but that's lake effect for you. Skate lanes were groomed and smooth with plenty of snow. Haven't skied here in a few years so I've forgotten how scenic the area is and how long some of the climbs are. Did not ski the novice loop or cliff hanger so I can't report on them. There was a thin area with some grass showing on pond loop maybe 30 yards it was mostly grass so I doubt I scratched my skis but you can bypass that short loop if you don't want to ski though it. There was some thin and icy patches coming out of Sulo's field but that wasn't for very long. Used the tracks on a lot of the downhills and did a fair amount of double poling, I found them to be firm, fast and plenty deep, wasn't classic skiing so can't speak to the whole system. Gave a B ski rating because I had to choose one, personally I don't take out my good skis out till we are at mid winter conditions so keep that in mind. Had a blast skiing in a pack of 5, sure was nice being able to cruise around again without having to dodge bare spots or rocks! If you're coming to Ironwood to ski this appears to be the place to be. Thanks to the all volunteer grooming crew for a job well done.
(Ken Hazel) -
Jan 10 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
All trails groomed again today. Skate lanes look good. Classic skiers advised to step out of tracks at times, some ice could not be ground up. Light snow falling this morning. Do the snow dance! Grooming plans: Will be groomed again Saturday morning.
(Deborah Leonard Greiter) -
Jan 9 - ABR (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
We are skiing on 71 km of trails. Pig Heart groomed with Crasher this morning, we groomed 47 km of trails -- mainly the main combi trails and a few connectors. The skate lanes are skiing quite well. We are bypassing three of the big hills and using bypasses. The classic tracks on the side of the combi trails are now skiing decently. It is an older track with hard, well formed, sidewalls and has several inches of powder compressed from skier traffic. There are portions where we wiped out the classic track but in general 75-80% of the combi trails have decent track. A hard wax works in this condition and temperature. There are some thin areas and some areas with bare spots, mostly due to the conifers blocking snow and groomers being aggressive, but easy to ski around them. Classic trails have been skiing ok, tamarack close up and jack pine white pine are groomed flat but have decent coverage. Hemlock return, jacks flats, tamarack after. The crossover is skiing ok, sunset is rated up a notch with its hills. We closed Wolf tracks, ridge runner and puumala until we get more snow; they are a bit rough with bedrock outcroppings and are more hilly. Grooming plans: Groomers heading out in the early morning to regroom.
(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails) -
Jan 9 - ABR (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
We have been out grooming the skate trails daily, the dustings of snow have helped maintain a skiable surface. We have not been able to set new tracks for quite a while. There are some old tracks on most of the combi trails and most of Tamarack in the back portion and hemlock. The quality of the classic track is poor to fair. We are keeping Wolf Tracks, ridge runner and puumala trails closed until we get more snow.
(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails) -
Jan 8 - Miners Memorial Heritage Park (Ironwood):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Conditions continue to improve with regular grooming and light snowfall. Trails are firm, and flat with a wide skate lane and good classic tracks throughout. There are some very small spots of debris or dirt that are easy to ski around. I used good skis without much worry. If you are in the area, check these trails out!
(Jonathon Rulseh) -
Jan 8 - ABR (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Walked out to check out Ridge Runner which was groomed for the first time since the warm-up and rain. Unfortunately there are some bare spots and rocks showing not to mention the things you can't see like the bare granite that is just below the surface and it wouldn't take much to ski that snow off exposing it. Therefore it will remain closed until we get more snow and even with that I will probably have to get out there to do some shoveling. Even though we have been getting an inch or two of fluffy lake effect snow the volume is as much air as snow. I'm hearing a lot of grumblings about conditions and cancellations, remember the only one responsible is Mother Nature so let's hope she changes her mind soon.
(Ken Hazel) -
Jan 7 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
I classic skied the two outer loops, Powderhorn and Wolverine, plus the novice loop. Skate deck I only saw 2 or 3 small dirty spots, and on the outer loops the classic tracks had a dozen or so dirty, or refrozen dirty spots. It seemed the trails had been groomed with tracks set Sunday or Monday and then 1-2 inches of medium density snow/powdery snow had fallen yesterday this had been skied nicely in. At 15 degrees with the mix of cold fresher snow and tracks that were glazed underneath the new snow, old reliable Rode Blue Multi kicked great throughout. The skate deck was very good in terms of good push, and plowing and control were easy to get on the downhills. The tracks were medium depth, neither shallow nor deep, but somewhat firm on straight sections, thinner on curves, the novice loop appeared to have 4x the traffic as the outer loops so the tracks were more beat up. B skis if you are from the snowbelt, good skis for us southerners.
(Mark Plane) -
Jan 6 - ABR (Ironwood):
Evening[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming
Wully Bully, Snowcross and Pig Heart groomed up 78 km of trail this morning after the new snow. It was so nice to cover some of the thin spots and have fresh snow. Trails groomed are most, trails closed are windy ridge and puumala and wolf tracks. Highlands exit hill is icy, it may be better to take highlands/blueberry connector, blueberry downhill is closed. Grooming plans: We are grooming again tomorrow.
(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails) -
Jan 6 - Miners Memorial Heritage Park (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Miners groomed up well this morning. We re-set tracks. They are full depth on much of the Pabst Loop, shallow on Aurora. There are places where we pulled up dirt on the Aurora Loop. So that is the reason for the rock ski rating. B skis could readily be used on Pabst and G shaft.
Photos:
(Sue Schroeder) -
Jan 5 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Arrived during snowfall to discover 3 inches of fresh powder covering the skate lanes. The powder added to the effort needed to skate but the reward was easier to control downhills. Tracks were not affected as they were probably cleaned out by classic skiers. When I got in the tracks they were definitely faster. Classic was probably the best choice today. Only a few areas lacked tracks. No rocks, sticks or other obstructions. Using your good skis is fine.
(Brian Ciske) -
Jan 5 - ABR (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Grooming
The five of us were bundled for -3 degree grooming early this morning, we just hunkered down and got it groomed up. We groomed up 32 km today, no new tracks (yet). We groomed River, Popple, Memory returning on River, Bards, the Tamarack, blueberry to cold feet shortcut. We also groomed Jack Pine/ White Pine, Cherry, Deer Trail and Jacks Flats. Grooming plans: Good news tonight! We received 2 inches of lake effect snow (not forecasted) during the afternoon. This will not make the trails race ready, however it will improve the trails conditions. Three of us heading out early morning to groom, we are not planning to reset tracks yet. We plan to groom more trails but will be "squeegee" grooming the new snow covering some of the debris we brought up over the last week. Check in the chalet for a personal report from Eric or Angela as some trails may not be open or safe. I personally want to encourage the SISU racers to come up and ski the trails here in Ironwood with the other recreational skiers this coming weekend. Skiers have been very happy with skiing in the woods on natural snow.
(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails) -
Jan 4 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Evening[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Wolverine was groomed about 6:30 pm. All skate decks were refreshed with the exception of the Pond Loop. Should be good corduroy. Classic tracks are still in decent condition.
(Deborah Leonard Greiter) -
Jan 4 - ABR (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Partial, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The groomers did amazing work with a thin base! It was definitely worth the trip. I did hit two unexpected rocks. I even saw tracks on a few trails like Hemlock. Most of the trails are closed but there is enough open to keep most skiers happy.
Photos:
(Eric Koch) -
Jan 4 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
The 2" of snow that fell overnight really helped. All trails were groomed and track set this morning. Pond loop has some grass poking thru so use caution. It was a blue bird day but cold.
Photos:
(Deborah Leonaed Greiter) -
Jan 4 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Drove up from Duluth on search of good snow, wasn't disappointed. The groomers did a wonderful job and the trail was beautiful. Tracks are slick and icy in spots and the cords are soft and powdery. Wolverine loop, cliffs trail, and beginners loop were all in great shape, only had to dodge a stick or bare spot a couple of times. Happy skiing!
Photos:
(Rachelle Walker) -
Jan 3 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic Observation
Wolverine received about 1" of new snow overnight which improved conditions. Groomers appear to have made passes on Cliff Hanger and Wolverine between the Hospital and the Chalet so I think all trails are now open. The Hospital to Chalet stretch of Wolverine and the Beginner loop remain somewhat icy/marginal, but Powderhorn Loop, Cliff trail and Cliff Hanger are all in good to excellent shape. Tracks are variable and in most cases are still the old tracks from before the rain with some very dry skied in powder on top, but there were new set tracks on Cliff Hanger.
Photos:
(Eli Anoszko) -
Jan 2 - ABR (Ironwood):
Evening[ Trails Open: Most, ]Grooming Secondhand
We groomed with five groomers this morning, turning then old snow to a mix of new snow and old snow. Still no new classic tracks but classic skiers are enjoying the trails as well as well as skate skiers. We are grooming about 45 km. Conditions have been improving daily with the new snow and a daily arsenal of groomers.
(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails) -
Jan 2 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming Secondhand
The groomers were out this morning. A few trails were track set. Did not groom Wolverine loop from the hospital to Sulo's field, the ponds and Cliff Hanger. The skate lanes were reported as excellent by those who went out early.
(Deborah Leonard Greiter) -
NewJan 11 - Valley Spur (Munising):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Both
Tons of snow. All trails were groomed and good conditions all around. A bit soft with the new snow. Classic was better. The tractor just arrived as we were heading out.
Photos:
(Adam Kox) -
NewJan 11 - Valley Spur (Munising):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Incredible conditions. Grooming was perfect. This place is a gem. All trails well marked. Couldn't ask for a better location to ski.
Photos:
(Tim Rafalski) -
NewJan 11 - Valley Spur (Munising):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Mother Nature dropped about 4" of LES last night, so John C was out early and groomed the whole system. Classic tracks were very good. Scenery was fantastic. A great group of skiers out today enjoying classic and skating. Skiers training for the Birkie were adding some quality kilometers on our G and Z trails(challenging hills). Our non-profit ski club appreciates all who showed up as out of area skiers allow us to operate, this system could not operate without you.
Photos:
(John Gierke) -
Jan 10 - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Munising (Munising):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
All loops have been rolled and Tidd with track skied in throughout the system. The higher loops are in great shape but lower trails like H and A return are a little bumpy and wet due to normal seepage. We had a great time out there today. Thanks Joe!
(Michael McFadzen) -
Jan 10 - McKeever Hills (Munising):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Way fun ski with very good classic conditions. Catch these tracks before they are gone. We skied a and b twice.
Photos:
(Howard Wilson) -
Jan 10 - McKeever Hills (Munising):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
Just finished up grooming loop A and B, C didn't need it. Overall conditions are about as good as they can get. With some powder out there on loop C, things should be somewhat slower on the big hills. Grooming plans: Grooming operations will continue next week.
(Mark Bender) -
Jan 9 - McKeever Hills (Munising):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Plenty of Snow. Great conditions and grooming. Track set plenty deep. Little to no debris on entire Yellow "A" loop. Great day in the woods.
Photos:
(Tim Rafalski) -
Jan 9 - Valley Spur (Munising):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Observation
Valley Spur has the snow! All trails freshly groomed. Excellent skating and classic
Ski Heaven.
Photos:
(Laurie Lata) -
Jan 8 - Valley Spur (Munising):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
With about an inch of fresh snow overnight, classic tracks were very good. Great scenery with the fresh snow on the trees. Snowshoe trails are in great shape. Lodge open every day from 10am-4pm.
Photos:
(John H Gierke) -
Jan 8 - McKeever Hills (Munising):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic Secondhand
A couple inches of fluff in the tracks. Skied the whole system in. Tracks still nice. Ran into a ranger who said they planned for a fresh groom on Friday.
Photos:
(Mike VanWormer) -
Jan 7 - Valley Spur (Munising):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
We skied trails B, H, I and D. The trail conditions were perfect for both classic and skate skiing today, with a firm fast deck and deep, well set tracks. The glide was amazing!
Photos:
(Rhonda Lassila) -
Jan 6 - Valley Spur (Munising):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Made the commitment to drive far north to Valley Spur today and what a good decision that was! Terrific striding. Plenty of snow. Freshly groomed. Lots of happy skiers and a nice group of volunteers running things. Highly recommend, particularly for classic skiers. Carpe Skiem!
Photos:
(Bob Warpinski) -
Jan 6 - McKeever Hills (Munising):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
We groomed everything after a weekend of Lake effect snow, the entire system is in outstanding condition, the snow today groomed up amazing.
Photos:
(Mark Bender) -
Jan 3 - Valley Spur (Munising):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
The area received about 6" of LES overnight which was rolled and tracked. Snow bands kept coming through during the day, so another 4" after grooming was done at 10am. Classic was very good.
Photos:
(John Gierke) -
Jan 3 - Valley Spur (Munising):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Too much fresh snow for quality skate. Classic tracks set, but were quickly covered by drifting snow. A fantastic winter experience!
Photos:
(Jacek Witkos) -
Jan 3 - McKeever Hills (Munising):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
We received about 6 inches of lake effect snow this morning. We groomed the entire system this morning, I'll give the groom a B+: still a little icy under some of the Hemlocks. It was still snowing when we left the parking lot.
(Mark Bender) -
NewJan 12 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Both
Skied before they could finish grooming whole system - but skate deck under the new snow was fine. Friends classic skiing also had good fun/conditions. Not quite back to pre-Christmas but getting there.
(Chris Merkel) -
NewJan 11 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
We classic skied 15 K this afternoon and the classic tracks were wonderful. All trails very well marked so it's easy to go from trail to trail. Tracks were in great shape, firm with new snow compressed in the tracks. Mama bear seemed to be freshly groomed when we went on it.
Photos:
(Laurie Fabrizius) -
NewJan 11 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Great skiing at Swedetown today. The skate deck was in good shape on Valley and Greenstone but with the fresh snow, it was a little slower going on the other loops. It could use a little more rolling. Ed, Birch, and Tamarack were pretty good, but Mama and Papa bear had so little traffic, it was quite deep and slow. Was able to glide above most of the powder going downhill, but it was a slow climb going back up the other side. Given the conditions everywhere else in the Midwest, it's hard to complain about too much snow.
Photos:
(Will Young) -
Jan 10 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
A couple inches of overnight snow were groomed resulting in a magic carpet ride in the skate lane. A lot of the tracks were freshly reset, and classic skiers were pleased.
(Larry Zurawski) -
Jan 9 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle Secondhand
Nicely groomed skate deck. No debris or dirt. Tracks were not refreshed recently, however. Just a few skiers seen on this extensive network. Groomer said they would test to see if tracks could be worked on for tomorrow.
(Brian Ciske) -
Jan 9 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Drove north to find snow. Houghton/Hancock, two very good days skiing at Swedetown. Skate deck terrific. Classic looked only fair, need more snow.
(David Macdonald) -
Jan 9 - Michigan Tech University Ski Trails (Houghton):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Tracks were solid and fast this morning. The skate deck had a dusting of snow, making it a tad slower, but not by much. Excellent conditions throughout.
(Dean Woodbeck) -
Jan 8 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
All the trails have been groomed and track set. The conditions are very good. Grooming plans: We will be trying to set new track in the days ahead. The track currently is also in good shape.
Photos:
(Tom Alberg, Expedition Inn) -
Jan 6 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Morning[ ]Firsthand: Both
Great conditions. Tracks were firm with a little blown snow. The skate lanes were perfect, flat no bumps of any kind no ice or rocks. Great place to ski when others are marginal. Best groomed trails anywhere year round, IMO.
(Larry Heathman) -
Jan 5 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
All trails have been dragged for this morning. By the time we finished, it had started snowing pretty good and if it keeps up through out the day we may be able to get a track set. Stay warm and get out and enjoy.
(Tom Alberg, Expedition Inn) -
Jan 5 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Trails were groomed early this morning, then several inches of snow (which was not in the forecast - the best kind!) came down. It made for some really nice skating - cold fresh snow is supposed to grab skis, but the opposite happened - good glide! From the Swedetown Trails Club, thanks to all who visited us over the holidays!
(Larry Zurawski) -
Jan 4 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
Condition of tracks ranged from good to fair on green trails to non existent on all of the blue and black trails. Skating lane had been groomed this morning on all of system.
(Patrick Doornek) -
Jan 4 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Grooming
To say that we need more snow is an understatement at best. All trails have been dragged and Valley, Len's, Tiger, Pineridge, Greenstone, Mama Bear and Baby Bear have been tracked and the rest of the trails have just been dragged. Setting track was very difficult because of the ice under the little bit of snow we have gotten. Hopefully we'll get some snow soon and get back to where we want to be. For those of us less spoiled and not having snow, the skiing is fantastic.
(Tom Alberg, Expedition Inn) -
Jan 3 - Michigan Tech University Ski Trails (Houghton):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
I skied the upper loops and the classic tracks had been reset this morning. Tracks were solid and I had good kick. The skate deck looked firm. The groomers did a nice job mixing in the couple of inches of snow we received overnight.
(Dean Woodbeck) -
Jan 2 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Freshly groomed and some track reset, but even the old tracks had a couple inches of powder that easily skied in. Great day of skiing on Ed's, Relentless, Valley, Powderhouse.
Photos:
(Daryl Hinz)
Iowa
-
Jan 7 - East River Valley Park/Carr Woods (Ames):
Afternoon[ ]Firsthand: Classic
it was rolled, but we only had about 4" of snow, so that didn't work well at all. Trail is especially bad on the multi-user, overused prairie loop, and on east and northeast outer loops, where the city added new water pump station and lines last summer. You can trudge along in the woods and enjoy being outdoors, but basically - pretty terrible condition. I even felt sorry for my rock skis!
(Jeri Neal)
Illinois
-
NewJan 11 - Lake Bluff Golf Course (Lake Bluff):
Morning[ Trails: Closed, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Trails are officially closed but plenty of people out skiing today. Conditions were decent on the fairways and there were some informal classic tracks, but the sun was starting to melt the snow. Creek crossings and cart path sections had some bare spots.
(Carter Green) -
Jan 9 - Lake Bluff Golf Course (Lake Bluff):
Evening[ Trails: Closed, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Skate skied the fairways after dark under the moonlight and was surprised at the conditions. Maybe 1.5 inches of snow, some crust, and probably more 'just ok' than 'decent' conditions, but I got a good workout skating around and with a fairly good glide. What it lacked in ideal conditions, it made up in a much shorter drive than Lapham or Parkside. There were many other tracks out there, so it looks like classical could be done, too.
(Jamie Moorhead)
Other Locations
United States
-
Jan 8 - Trapp Family Lodge Outdoor Center (Stowe, VT):
Morning[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Classic
Got up before dawn for one last ski. Grooming perfection after the last 24 hours of non-stop powder. They know just where to start and stop the tracks and the skate deck is smooth and bump free. We bowed to the groomer on the piston bully as we left. Sad to be going back to snowless MN.
Photos:
(Karla Anderson) -
Jan 7 - Steamboat Ski Touring Center (Steamboat Springs, CO):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
The recent snow made it a little soft but trail conditions were very good and plenty of depth. I skated but classic tracks looked pristine! It was a quintessential beautiful Colorado winter sunny mostly windless bluebird sky day!
Photos:
(Dave Carlson) -
Jan 6 - Trapp Family Lodge Outdoor Center (Stowe, VT):
Morning[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Both
More trails continue to open every day. The piston bully was out working its magic with pristine corduroy and deep tracks.
Photos:
(Karla Anderson) -
Jan 5 - Howelsen Hill Nordic Center (Steamboat Springs, CO):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: All, ]Firsthand: Freestyle
Good snow depth and conditions, new snow made it a little soft and slower but a good workout and fairly good acclimation for just arriving in Colorado last night!
Photos:
(Dave Carlson) -
Jan 5 - Trapp Family Lodge Outdoor Center (Stowe, VT):
Afternoon[ Trails Open: Most, ]Firsthand: Classic
This area also had recent warm weather and rain but has recovered with more snow following the rain. The trails have recovered nicely, almost all have been regroomed and all the trails we skied were fully covered with deep snow. Our ski today included a 900' climb to the pasture cabin.
(Brad Anderson)