Trail Detail
Notes
The Balsam Branch trails are open to the public for no charge. When there is snow, tracks are set by Polk County Park and volunteers. The trailhead parking area is always well plowed. Toilet facilities are available at the nearby Kennedy Environmental center but no coffee shop or warming facility. Roughly 4K of lighted trails added in 2010.Trail Reports
Sunday, January 24, 2021
Morning
posted: 2021-1-24 11:07:22
Grooming [ Trails Open: All, ]
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Trails groomed and track set this morning, 3 inches of new snow over a hard base. Skate lane may be a little soft on the surface until it sets up. Only reason to use B skis is for the rare hidden rock. Skiing should be great today. Enjoy.
(Craig Johnson)
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Sunday, January 17, 2021
Morning
posted: 2021-1-17 12:15:22
Grooming Secondhand [ Trails Open: All, ]
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Groomed skate and track this morning. Skiers immediately started after grooming. They said it was great skiing. I have to think it was soft and a bit slower. Trail seemed nice and smooth with very little ice crystals. Some leaf debris. Still B grade skis need with a few rocks. Enjoy.
(Greg Hoelscher)
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Saturday, January 16, 2021
Morning
posted: 2021-1-16 9:49:11
Grooming [ Trails Open: All, ]
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Grooming plans: Waiting for cooler temps and snow to groom. Will groom Sunday morning. Hopefully we will have good ski conditions for Sunday.
(Greg Hoelscher)
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Friday, January 15, 2021
Afternoon
posted: 2021-1-15 15:45:03
Firsthand: Freestyle [ Trails Open: Most, ]
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The recent snowfall and higher temps made for a slower, aerobic ski, but it was sure pretty out there! I skied the greens and blues. Some tinder on the trails, especially on the blue loop, but no bare spots.
(Andy Fehrenbach)
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Monday, January 11, 2021
Evening
posted: 2021-1-12 16:24:07
Firsthand: Freestyle [ Trails Open: All, ]
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Skied everything that was lighted, but skipped the outer loop. Conditions were fast thanks to a well packed base and a thin layer of fresher snow on top. Not much leaf litter, but the trails have seen a lot of use since being groomed and have dips and ruts in the turns, as well as intermittent damage from walkers.
(Adam Scholl)
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Monday, January 11, 2021
Morning
posted: 2021-1-11 13:55:50
Firsthand: Both [ Trails Open: All, ]
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Frosty morning, trees decorated with the fog/frost. Very fast and light cover from the hoary frost coming down off the trees. Started getting sticky on my herringbones. However recommend getting out before the sun heats it up!
(Kim Weber)
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Sunday, January 10, 2021
Morning
posted: 2021-1-10 9:28:17
Grooming [ Trails Open: All, ]
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Skate lane groomed this morning. Trails are fast. Rare dirt spots but are easily avoided. Track still in fairly good condition.
(Craig Johnson)
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Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Afternoon
posted: 2021-1-7 6:31:39
Firsthand: Freestyle [
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Skated the outer and blue loops. Appeared to be groomed fairly recently, occasional dirt and rocks exposed but easily avoided. I'd rate it good to very good.
(Bryan Lueth)
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Monday, January 4, 2021
Night
posted: 2021-1-5 16:46:32
Firsthand: Freestyle [ Trails Open: All, ]
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It was a lovely ski in the foggy darkness. I appreciate the lighted trails as these trails are the only ones in the area that are lit and well groomed. The warmer evening didn't affect snow conditions too much. There were a couple sparse spots near the lake portion on the green trail (northwest part of the map). Conditions were fast. The only hiccup was the occasional foot traffic on a few segments of the green trail. Thank you groomers!
(Ashley Martinson)
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Monday, January 4, 2021
Afternoon
posted: 2021-1-4 21:09:54
Firsthand: Classic [ Trails Open: All, ]
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This is a gem of a trail system. It winds through woods, and for the most part is gently rolling. The trail labelled most difficult has one very big downhill. But there is a new bypass so the hill can be avoided. Freshly groomed, excellent classic track. The system has excellent signage; the only downside is that the trail can be skied either direction so care must be taken on the hills. There is a small parking lot with a port-a-potty.
(Ralph Schwartz)
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