Trace of new snow overnight. Morning grooming on all skate trails, renovating the silky sugar snow with the dusting. Best skate ski conditions of the season reported by the locals. Classic tracks scrambled and reset on Sukkerbusk and Sap Run. The skiff of new snow added to the already magic carpet conditions making for a really nice day of skiing. Skate trails on tap for grooming again in the morning and select classic trails. Last two weeks for Midweek lodging, always ask for the skinnyski.com special!

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Skaters Waltz, the extension, Suicide Hill and Single Green skate groomed this morning. At lunch time, took advantage of the high humidity and conditioned the snow on Sukkerbusk and reset the tracks. We had off and on freezing mist today but enough skier traffic to work in the welcomed moisture and by mid afternoon the snow was very silky and really nice skiing. The regroom on Sukkerbusk was possibly the best skiing for the afternoon. Skate deck was tightening up in the afternoon and really incredible skiing, super fast and just the right amount of frozen granulated mix for edging. Snow doesn't look to develop as previously forecasted or enough to warrant extensive grooming in the morning. Either way, Sunday should be another dandy day for winter play!

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

After one too many Norwegian pancakes with lingonberries, we took in the skate trails first this morning. A fresh groom left a perfect skate deck -- flat, firm and fast with plenty of edge control. Just primo. Eventually we came back to the cabins to switch up for classic and went back out to hit the trails on the west side: Twin Lakes and Wavy Gravy. Again found great conditions with solid tracks and some better-than-amusement-park-rollercoaster rails to ride on some long downhill runs! Had a nice lunch to refuel before wrapping up our far too short vacation at Maplelag.

Photos:

(Bruce Adelsman)

Classic skied this afternoon over many of the trails, found very good conditions everywhere! Such a fun trail system, rolling hills everywhere and lots of places to work on your various technique issues (mine). Nearly all the trails are in the woods, which was nice today as there was some breeze. After a big supper, went back out to hit the solar lighted trail system and had a blast!

Photos:

(Bruce Adelsman)

The remainder of the double track trails renovated and reset with new double track this morning. With full moon last night and solar lit Sap Run trail, we made a few extra passes to get the tracks we wanted. if you haven't tried the Solar Skiing experience, come check out Sap Run! Forgot to mention in yesterday's report skied Bullhead lake trail for the first time. The lake crossing had good ice and great coverage. Since this is an adventure trail in the beginning, a skier made track exists, a quite nice one I should add. (nicely done to the person that set that!) There is some unevenness along the south side of the lake on this trail that is unique from the remainder of the trail system and provides some spectacular vistas. After the AMA segment, the rest of the loop is groomed including the Bootleg extension and is skiing very nice. All other trails should be set for the weekend, reports from skiers today have been good. If any new snow tomorrow we probably will groom in the evening.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Crisp temps, brilliant sunshine and firm tracks greeted skiers in the Moorhead Nordic Classic Invite this morning. Great day for a meet! Warming temps and skier traffic turned the snow to silk making for really nice skiing the rest of the day. Afternoon grooming on the outer singletrack classic trails and touch up on the skate lanes. Evening groom on select double track trails. We will be back out in the morning scrubbing out more of the double track classic trails and resetting new tracks. A great weekend of skiing on tap!

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

A rare day of no grooming or skiing, probably the only day this season! Instead, a sweet fat bike ride on the fresh groomed fat bike trails. Mint conditions! A very thin coating of fine grained snow falling today. Ski trails are holding out great and course conditions should be ideal for the High School meet tomorrow which will be held from 10am to 2pm on the Sukkerbusk and Twin Lakes ski trails. All other trails open during the entire day. Grooming planned in the afternoon and Friday morning to have the entire system in tip top shape for the weekend. Four weeks left in the lodging season, no reasonable offer refused for last minute and first time reservations. As always, mention the skinnyski.com special.

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

A crisp day on the trails but that just meant ideal conditions for classic skiing! Skied the trails set for the High School race, Sukkerbusk and Twin Lakes (now scheduled for the 28th), and found best classic conditions of the season. A thin layer of fine grained snow had fallen in the morning slowly down the tracks every so slightly otherwise as good as it gets. Other classic trails skiing excellent as well. Late afternoon set new track on Bullhead return and Bootleg extension. Groomed up very very nice. Still a bit rough on the north end to be expected. Machine Moors groomed the entire 25km fat bike loop this afternoon as well. Ideal temps tonight will set everything up for another great day of winter play tomorrow!

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Very good to excellent conditions. All skate trails groomed this morning, widening and working in the new snow from Saturday. Afternoon we renovated and cut new double track on Sap Run, Sukkerbusk and Twin Lakes. Twin Lakes groomed up very nice and should be fantastic skiing tomorrow. Wavy Gravy, another trail on the west side of the trail system skiing very nice and those two trails provide a nice combo. Be sure to look for the new gigantic eagle nest at the top of "Eagle View" on the final downhill on Twin Lakes trail. (The meet scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed until Thursday January 28th, 10am-2pm).

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Last night ended up grooming all the double track trails, heading out on the solar lit trail first Sap Run, after assessing the weather and seeing the temps and humidity was going to drop fast. Grooming before the temperature and dew point made the critical separation, allowed us to capture and maximize the moisture in the snow to the fullest potential. It paid off as this morning the snow had dried out big time and last nights groomed boned up nicely. This morning we combed all the skate lanes and set singletrack on North Loup and Wavy Gravy. Everything groomed out really nice despite the drier snow and skiing was great all day despite the cooler temps (also thanks to brilliant sunshine and no wind.) Sunday Funday ski was one of the best ever! Lots of powder stashes off the beaten path. Try it sometime! Tomorrow all the skate trails will be groomed in the morning, select classic trails renewed and late afternoon grooming on Sukkerbusk and Twin Lakes for the High School race on Tuesday.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)