Six inches of fluffy new snow in the middle of the Pine Forest off Ski Hill Rd going to Cascade. The trail was magical. Groomed for classical skiing by some kind person ahead of me. The Norpine Trail offers a great gift with this relatively easy and magnificent trail.

(Mary Stephens)

Parked at the HH Rd. Trailhead and found the trails not groomed (after the overnight snowfall) but a few intrepid skiers set some decent track on the lower trail to the Cascade connector (the rest of the Massie and Hall loops were not skied in) so I stayed on that trail out and back. Some branches overhanging and one fallen tree that I removed, but all in all very fun and very beautiful after the new several inch snowfall. I'll have to come back and try the loops sometime when they are groomed.

(Dave Carlson)

Skied from Cascade Lodge up the Pioneer Loop, over to Deeryard, around Deeryard and up the Fire Tower and around Short Loop, and back down the rest of Pioneer Loop. A light dusting of snow overnight made skiing over the tree debris much less of a stop and go effort. Tracks were fine in most places and the skiing excellent. There have been snowmobiles wiping out tracks on the Deeryard connector and the fire tower hill but one set remains on the left. Just watch for descending skiers. I do not recommend skiing the Short Loop: it is rocking and rolling rough, no set tracks, deep footprints and skier divots. But everything else was great skiing, especially with the warmer temps today.

(Tim Nelson)

Same as yesterday, I stuck to the lower elevation trails to get a little warmer air. Skied from Lutsen Ski Road to Cascade and back. Plenty of snow, great tracks, firm deck, no issues with pole plunges. Tree debris was a problem on the downhills, but sun is shining and I am exhausted after a great day on the trails.

(Tim Nelson)

Beautiful ski from Lutsen to the Massie loop, wonderful grooming and tons of snow! Perfect conditions the whole way.

(Tyler Gilbert)

Skied from cascade lodge up to the fire tower. Lots of snow, trails groomed with tracks in good condition. A fair amount of debris has fallen with the wind picking up, especially in the lower elevations around the pioneer loop sections that have more conifers, so that might be a consideration on your best set of skis. Fantastic skiing through. Nice to be able to roll out of bed and walk to the trailhead.

(John Leaf)

Not too cold to ski! Today I chose trails at lower elevations to get a little lake effect heat. Temps were -1 to -3 F. on the trail vs at higher elevations were -7 to -10 F. I skied the Massey and Hall loops and the Cascade connector starting from the Hall Road trailhead. The trails were in excellent shape, the best I have seen them in several years. Snow cover was excellent, deck was firm, and tracks were well formed. Last night's wind blew down a lot of debris but it was not an issue and both kick and glide were great using Optiwax glide tape and Swix polar kick wax. Looking forward to the rest of the weekend!

(Tim Nelson)

Skied the Connector Trail from Ski Hill Rd. Excellent grooming. Just a few pine needles and small pine cones in the track. Ski skating section looks great also. Frigid temps with bright sunlight streaming through the snowy woods. Snow covered trees. Easy to stay warm when XC skiing! Thanks to the groomers.

(Mary Stephens)

Skied from Cascade up the pioneer loop, over connector to Deeryard, around Deeryard and Short loop and back down The second half of Pioneer. Three days of above freezing temps have taken a toll. Pine debris covered most of the Pioneer Loop, playing havoc with klister. This was not a problem on Deeryard, but skis kept breaking thru the track and pole plants always poked thru. It was better out of the track. The short loop was hazardous due to the dipsy doodles and the rough deck. I would avoid it for now. The downhill on Pioneer was screaming fast, and downed trees across the track scared the heck out of me. I did stop and remove them. I would avoid this system until the next snowfall.

(Tim Nelson)

Classic skied around Deeryard and the Short Loop from the top parking lot. The whole trail had been rolled and packed but no track yet set after all the snow storms. It was nice to ski down the center of the trail to get firm pole plants. Temperature was hovering around zero, but sun was out and snow in the trees was gorgeous. Glide was slow due to lack of tracks and cold. But the firm deck made for a very enjoyable tour around the loop. Great way to start the year.

(Tim Nelson)