Wonderful day out in the woods! The trails that were groomed had great coverage, I think I would have been comfortable on good skis as long as I kept an eye out for issues, I saw one or two patches of pavement, but otherwise any thin spots were easily avoidable. Easily good enough for good B skis. A few of the trails were ungroomed, but had been packed down plenty by snowshoes so they were passable. The groomed trails almost always had a surprisingly deep track, and a firm deck off to the side.

Photos:

(Tyler Gilbert)

I observed a fresh, single track on the Dry Creek and Deer Creek trails Friday, and skied the Dry Creek Trail Thursday. It will be interesting to ski that stretch again with the new track sometime this weekend.

Photos:

(Kris Backlund)

I skied the Mitigwaki Loop, River Trail north and south of the boat landing, and the Old Logging Trail. I found mainly a single track, that disappeared in some sections, I assume due to difficulty setting track without getting into leaves or dirt. Going south of the boat landing was better than going north on the River Trail. In the places where dirt or grass were peeking through, I stepped out of the track. Saw a total 11 swans flying up and down the river corridor. The most consistent conditions were on the Old Logging Trail and other portions of the bike trail, but there were a few spots there with a little black showing through from the paved trail underneath. Nice to be skiing, even with variable tracking and conditions.

Photos:

(Kris Backlund)

Tried Amador Prairie, Trillium, Old Logging Trail, and Mitigwaki. There looks to be plenty of snow to work, but very inconsistent grooming and rough results. Seemingly random mix of single track, double track, no track, and the skate deck where present is surprisingly soft in many places. Hopefully re-packing will firm things up. Best stretch is Old Logging Trail south of the picnic area.

(Bryan Lueth)

Classic tracks are great, considering the paucity of snow. The Mitigwaki, Old Logging Road, down the hill to the boat landing and along the river are all tracked for both classic and skate. Western portion of Mitigwaki not as great-- but be happy. it's real snow and real winter.

(Sue Leaf)

The trails I skied on were freshly groomed and in pretty decent condition. There was a single track along most portions of the Mitigwaki Loop (paved base area), and going south from the boat landing on the River Trail. I skied in the track some, on the flat combed portion and in the untouched inch or so of new snow along the opposite edge. I liked the conditions for all of those surfaces. Where the trail turns west from the river heading back toward the Visitor Center, I broke through the base of the track a few times, I'm sure because of uneven terrain below the track. Just as the snow has come in increments, improvement in trail conditions has been incremental. But it's definitely better than a week ago. With a little more snow here compared to the Twin Cities area, there is just enough snow to accommodate skiing where there is no snowmaking. I would say fair conditions overall.

Photos:

(Kris Backlund)

I skied the old logging trail. No set tracks for classic but skiing is fine. Some of the skate trails were groomed.

Photos:

(David Gorman)

Today was my sixth time skiing at Wild River this season. With only 3/4 of an inch of snow this week, trails are only improving slowly. I found a skied-in track in some places, and freshly combed flat pack on most of the trails I skied, which included the Mitigwaki Loop, River Access Road, and a short section of the River Trail going south from the boat landing. Pretty much full coverage everywhere, but not enough snow to set a track. The hill on the River Access Road is a nice run. Overall conditions are close to fair, which is surprising given the lack of snow. I wouldn't drive a long distance to ski here, but if you live nearby, it's a decent option for some exercise and fresh air!

(Kris Backlund)