Thank you North End Grooming crew. Classic Track was in great shape - Skate Deck looked a bit soft but very understandable with the 4-6 we got last night. Blue Ski Blue Day and great trail conditions. Great way to end 2019 - Thank you!

(George Larson)

The main loop was tracked and groomed this morning, 12k groomed. The trail is soft. The NE Classic trail and Tony Wise have about 5 inches of light snow on them.

(Irv Berlin)

The warm temps and rain have put us out of business temporarily. It is snowing and the temperatures have dropped so we should be ready soon. A grooming schedule will be decided tonight as to which trails will be opened up first.

(Irv Berlin)

Plenty of snow still up at the North End Trail System just south of Cable. The groomer was out Friday chipping up some of the ice. The trails were fast, the skating appeared to be really good where they groomed. The classic track was abrasive, iced over, some leaves here and there but deep, firm, and fast. Due to the icy conditions, I had to reapply kick wax a couple of times. Thank you Ron Bergin for all the grooming. Happy New Year, enjoy the trails!

Photos:

(David Martin)

We skied the North End Classic trail all the way through. Conditions varied from perfect to a bit of glazed icy. there was quite a bit of "oak wax" on the trail. Under the big pines there was a lot of avalanche debris and you had to pay attention or you'd get kicked out of the track. The warm days and colder nights force you to time the trail so you can avoid the mush and the ice. Coverage was perfect and there were 15" of snow in the woods.

(Dan Murphy)

Very good skate skiing when I started about mid-morning. It looks like the groomers freshened up the skate deck between yesterday and today (thanks for that). Fairly firm but still an occasional pole punch through to keep you on your toes. Classic tracks are a mix of well formed tracks and tracks showing a fair bit of wear. At mid-morning the conditions were fine but as the day warmed up, areas in full sun got plenty soft and sticky. I would suggest that, for the next few days you get your skiing done in the morning before things warm up too much.

(Andy Schwartz)

The main loops were groomed for skate and classic this late afternoon. The trail should set up well overnight and be great for the weekend. The Tony Wise has not been groomed other than rolled at this time and is very uneven. There is a total of 24 k open including the NE Classic.

(Irv Berlin)

Really fine skiing at the North End trails today. I skied the A, B, and C loops on the skate trail today. A little soft yet as you might expect as they only have light equipment to work the trails with. Two groomers were out while I was there so they are working hard to get on top of all the snow. Tony Wise trail is not groomed yet but everything else looks like it is skiable. If you have the luxury of a variety of equipment, I might suggest that softer skis and larger baskets be in order for a few more days.

(Andy Schwartz)

The main loops (12k)were groomed again today, fresh tracks and skate deck. The trails are firming up nicely. The 12k NE Classic has not been tracked in a few days but appears to be holding up nicely. We are working on getting the rest of the trail system packed and rolled so a portion of the skate deck on the last couple of k's of the main loop have been run over by the roller to reach that part.

(Irv Berlin)

Excellent diagonal stride skiing and classic skiing can be found at the North End Trail System just outside of Cable. All the trails had just been recently groomed. With the cold temps, there was great kick and good glide. The Cable area has received plenty of snow, and the tracks are deep and firm and offer very good control. Warming house is open with plenty of firewood to keep you toasty!

Photos:

(David Martin)