Once again, kudos to John and the dedicated Snowflake grooming crew. After the warm temps and thin base, I was not sure what to expect today (after very good conditions yesterday morning) but, as usual, I was not disappointed. Fresh grooming this morning. It also looks like they touched up parts of the 8K. They lost very little base with the warm temps yesterday. I skated and stuck to the 6K and it was 98% really good early season conditions. I continue to be pleasantly surprised with how well the trails are hold up with heavy use, little snow and a not-so cooperative mother nature. B skis for sure but really great early season conditions continue at the snow-hole that is Snowflake Nordic.

(Thomas Heinitz)

Skate decks on both the 6K and 8K were groomed this morning. They are hard, but the base is thin and we can’t set the Ginzu knives very deep. The 6K is very good, B-skis. The 8K is thinner, with some exposed ground and I recommend rock skis on the 8K. Classic track on both trails is skied-in and firm. Since Saturday afternoon temps are forecast to reach 40 degrees, we will close at noon to preserve the base, since it’s all the snow we have for the foreseeable future. Sunday gets cold and we will reopen at 8 a.m.

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(John Graham)

All trails were groomed for skating, and classic tracks were set on both the 6K and 8K this morning. The skate decks are very good; the classic tracks are soft, and unlikely to harden given the forecast temps. Our trails are closed to Members' dogs today and tomorrow, due to warm temps, soft snow, and the thin base. Next grooming is planned for Friday morning. We’re open til 8:00 tonight, and 8-6 on Thanksgiving Day. Happy Thanksgiving!

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(John Graham)

This morning we groomed the 6K skate deck, two passes, and thanks to yesterday’s snow, it came out very nice: hard packed and corduroy surface. Can’t do anything with the 6K classic track until we get some more snow. It is well used, iron hard, but less icy due to yesterday’s snow. Ran the 8K one-time, grooming over yesterday’s skate tracks. The 8K looks better than it did after grooming on Saturday night, and I’d say B skis.

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(John Graham)

Nestled up on a ridge deep in the Duluth snowbelt, Snowflake consistently receives more snow than other areas around Duluth. It is one thing to get more snow, grooming and managing the snow you receive makes all the difference in the quality of the trail. It is this area that Snowflake really shined this week. By closing the trails during the midweek warm-up, they where able to preserve and protect the trails for great skiing for the weekend. Yes the snow was a bit thin in spots and the classic track was a bit worn down in places (not enough snow to reset the track) but still it was excellent skiing, especially for all natural snow in mid-November. I skied just the 5k but the spots where I saw the 10k trail looked equally as good. To end a great day at Snowflake I also had the good fortune to have a physically distanced chat with George Hovland.

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(Dave Johnson)

A very busy day on the trails! Tonight we ran the skate decks on both the 6K and 8K trails. Ginzu knives were set just deep enough to scrape off today’s tracks, but not tear the base off the ground. The 6K groomed remarkably well and has a mostly corduroy surface. Some rocks visible but easily avoided. The 6K classic track is like iron: it will be icy and fast, some washouts on the harder turns. The 8K has several sections with very thin base, and exposed ground. There are also sections where uneven ground freezing has caused “ripples” across the trail. The last 4K are better than the first 4K of that trail. I recommend rock skis on the 8K, or B skis and some agility. Average skiers may want to use the Pulse Loop Bypass (marked), and ski Pulse Loop. Let’s continue to keep dogs off the trails if temps are above 30 degrees. Early Bird pricing ends in 10 days.

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(John Graham)

Thanks John and Jim! Lots of skiers at Snowflake enjoying remarkably good skiing, both skate and classic. The classic track, on the 6 K loop only, was icy but not glazed, and my Fischer zeros worked well. Good upper body workout, so fast I was double poling most of the time. So great to be out in the north woods on real snow!

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(Tim Holst)

The 2 1/2 day closure paid-off. We have a solid 1-3” base on 99% of the trails. Not enough to dig deep with the Ginzus, but we were able to scrape the decks smooth. The 6K is groomed skate and classic; the classic track is the one set on Monday, and it is solid with some washouts on the curves. Not enough snow to rebuild it right now. The 8K is groomed skate only, and there are some small wet areas that are still freezing-up. The thin base has exposed a few rocks, which are very visible. Members-with-dogs are asked to check the temperature before bringing you dog up, and if the temp is more than 30 degrees, leave the dog home. We do not have enough base to repair dog tracks right now. Snowflake is open again, 8-8 on Saturday and 8-6 on Sunday. Rock or B skis.

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(John Graham)

Snowflake is closed after noon today, and will remain closed on Thursday and Friday, due to warm temps and possible rain. Grooming plans: We plan to regroom on Friday afternoon/evening when temps go below freezing again, and be plan to reopen on Saturday morning.

(John Graham)

All trails are groomed for skating, and the 6K has a classic track which firmed-up overnight. Today, a perfect day to ski. Scheduling: Tomorrow we start a major warmup. Snowflake trails will close at noon on Wednesday, and remain closed thru Friday, in order to preserve our snow base thru the warmup. Next week’s forecast temps are OK, but no significant snow, so we are trading 2 1/2 days of sticky skiing for a week of decent skiing next week. Please cooperate and stay off the trails during the closure. We will adjust if the forecasts prove wrong.

Photos:

(John Graham)