These woods are dark and deep. They sheltered much of the recent snow fall and at times show cased perfect conditions. I found particular joy in this fact at the bottom of a screaming downhill to find only snow and firm track. If you are in the area and still desire a brief winter kiss come here. I had to skip around a bit for the good stuff, but hey transitional states I suppose are just transitional. An occasional interruption of the snow and a ski walk on this beautifully quiet evening on pine needles was certainly ok tonight. The change over was happening. Lucky me, two worlds meeting, a grateful good bye, and a very late winter reverie about the sweet mid summer nights a coming in Northern Minnesota. Oh, I forgot, the mosquitos and black flies. I guess we better keep dreaming. Lucky us.

Photos:

(Michael Wilke)

Terry groomed this morning (all but the Pine Hills segments) and said they are in fantastic condition. Good track sets, no bare ground, most litter buried. That’s the new 6" of snow and cold overnight temps. Of course at it warms up it will change, but we will have good tracks and enough snow to withstand warming temps for awhile.

(Mary Shedd, Howard Wagoner Trails Club)

Spring ski season is here! That means, of course, conditions can be glazed and somewhat icy in the mornings and soft in the afternoons. The trails have almost full snow coverage, with just a few south facing hills starting to show bare ground (mostly pine litter, I use my good skis with no worries, but in a few more days you might want B skis). Tracks are distinct in most places, but not deep-set anymore. We won’t be grooming again unless we get a good snowfall, but still expect the skiing to last for quite awhile. It might not be the best skiing, but arguably one of the best times to just be out and enjoying the woods.

(Mary Shedd, Howard Wagoner Trails Club)

LIke so many of the other trails in the North, conditions are not as great as they have been due to thin snow base and the warming temps. Our groomer Terry reported that trails are very variable: icy spots, areas with lots of debris from yesterday’s big winds, but also some decent tracks. Hoping for more snow!

(Mary Shedd, Howard Wagoner Trails Club)

This trail system is certainly underrated and is everything the classical skier is looking for! All trail segments offer up a super flowy, flat and hilly experience through a big pine studded forest, complete with a bog on the Golden Eagle Loop. My favorite take was all the “side by side” well groomed tracks, that allows for easy conversation while cruising with a partner. Done right by the city of Tower and all local ski volunteers, these trails showcase a beautiful and serene solitude of nature with an easy go-to from the Aurora, Embarrass and Giant’s Ridge areas.

Photos:

(Cheri Johnson)

Perfect. I finished a one and half hour ski around 6:15 in a classical Minnesota winter silence. This lovely area provided the ultimate sweet spot for a working man's life long pursuit of a religious experience without having to trek to a Himalayan mountain top. The track is fast, clean, and well designed for when you just need a get away, but only have time for a fast food lunch, but desire something special and a reorienting to your normal life demands. The ski club continues to polish this accessible gem with new signage, history plaques, community collaboration, dedicated volunteers, and a spirit of love for skiing and the outdoors, inviting all of those who might be considering canceling their trip south and the thoughts that perhaps this isn't so bad.

(Michael Wilke)

Trails groomed this afternoon. I skied only the west trails. Snow is so dry and crystalline that tracks are not well-set or frozen in. But they will give you a very good glide - and navigating hills and curves in this soft loose snow is pretty easy. There were some issues grooming the Tower Link - as we tried to see if we could actually fit a skate ski lane in beside the classic tracks. Answer is no, so we will redo that stretch tomorrow. Come on out - this is the weather we have all been waiting for!

(Mary Shedd, Howard Wagoner Trails Club)

Brrrrr.... I skied the Howard Loop on the western trails. Last grooming was Jan 24th. Tracks are distinct on all segments except for hills and curves. But they are shallow and very slow (not much glide) thanks to blown-in fine crystallized snow and frigid temps. We will be waiting till cold breaks and plan to groom again on the 18th or 19th in time for next weekend’s wonderfully warm temps. The plus of the slow skiing is that one can look around and take in the beautiful setting and brilliant sunshine.

Photos:

(Mary Shedd, Howard Wagoner Trails Club)

Trails newly groomed on Sunday. With the new snow over last couple days (~ 6”), there is finally enough snow and Terry was able to widen and reset the deck before setting new tracks. Additional inch of snow on Sunday evening means tracks will be waiting for the first skiers on Monday to open them back up. Snow is soft, slippery (but not icy) for a great, if somewhat slow, glide. Note: Lighted loop not available this season.

Photos:

(Mary Shedd, Howard Wagoner Trails Club)

Although we have a cabin nearby, I had not skied these trails near Tower before, and very glad I did. I mostly skate ski, so it was fun to classic ski these trails that are set up for classic skiing. It was snowing, so there was about two inches of fresh snow on the groomed trails. A little slow, but had more time to take in the great scenery. Lots of tall red and white pines to see. The trails were well marked, so very easy to navigate. Started at North Trailhead and skied down through Golden Eagle loop and back to Trailhead, about 5.5 miles total. Great ski.

(Jon Clark)