Trail Reports
Minnesota Metro Area
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Apr 12 - Manitou Ridge Golf Course (White Bear Lake):
Conditions: plus 32, sunny.
One last ski outing for the season. Just enough snow for a 45 minute workout. If you did not get out this morning, it is probably too late!
Photos:
(John Strand) -
Apr 11 - Metro Golf Courses (Minneapolis):
Conditions: Sticky and thin but fun!
Last ski in the Meteo area? Get out your crown skis and hit the golf courses! Not perfect but its skiing. Can someone please build a ski tunnel in the TC area; skiing today made realize how much I have missed skiing over the last few weeks.
(Matt Liebsch)
Minnesota Northeast
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Apr 13 - Big Aspen Recreation Area (Virginia):
Found out what a truly desperate person does to ski today. There are ski a holics and then there is my buddy George. He talked me into going up there. Like Mom said when you were a kid, "if George jumped off the roof would you too?" Yup! There was SOME skiable snow. Then skiing on rocks, mud, leaves, ski 100 ft., walk 100 yards, ski 100 yard, walk... you get the picture. Yoko Ono's Whyyyyy Whyyyy Whyyyy was the song of the day. And a line from Pink Floyd, "hello, is there anybody in there?" It is safe to say it is done for the year. And when George says it's done, then it's done. We went from the gate to # 7 sign along the bottom to the upper shelter. Out further west of that in search of snow and back along the #22 I think back to #8 and to the gate. Sunny and upper 30s early on. 40s when we got out. See you next season!
Photos:
(Ron Kutsi) -
Apr 12 - Mount Itasca (Coleraine):
Conditions: Sunny and 38 degrees, very nice.
We did not get any snow yesterday but the snow from last week on top of the old base provided some nice skiing. This place has seen a lot of action this winter, Jr. National Biathlon, Super Tour, many HS races and HS Regional finals, and lots of training. Thanks to the groomers who kept this trail in great shape all winter! There was a report last week about there not being 10K here: during a normal year at the top of the biathlon trails there is a trail that takes off behind the ski jumps over to a very nice wooded section of trails, from beginner to challenging, equaling 10K or more.
Photos:
(Joe Muller) -
Apr 12 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Conditions: Warm and partly cloudy. It's a beeoootiful spring day (actually, my son called it a summer day.)
We have variety skiing at Snowflake. Whatever surface you'd like to ski on, it's present on the 5K. There's good spring snow, ice, grass, open water and mud - you choose. Actually, you don't get to choose - it just comes at you one after another. Where there is snow, it's great. Where there's grass, it's grabby. You can ski on about half of the trail, the rest is some other non-ski surface. It's only fun if you want to say you skiied in April. Dave J. and Doug Lane were there when I set out. They were taking the snowmobiles to the shop for their yearly rehab. Dave said it was O.K. to say it was dead. Not yet, but it's close. After the skunky winter we had, who would have thought that we'd be able to ski (a little) on April 12. What a season we've had. Big thanks to George, Dave, Doug, Adam and all the others who have worked so selflessly to keep Snowflake one of the nicest nordic areas around.
(Jack Burklund) -
Apr 11 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Major meltdown on Summit and Biwabik Spur. More rock ski hikes in between snow areas. The base I thought would last is half the thickness today at 8 AM. The Biwabik Spur has sections of a couple 100 yards here and there that are good then bare spots. Skied to the Trappers creek intersection and ATVs have butchered that to the Bronze. The long downhill on Summit is no longer full of snow so you can't ride it out at full speed like yesterday due to bare spot in the corner. I didn't bother with the Gold at all. But at 8 AM parts of the golf course by the Gold and Cedar were great crust skiing! By 10 AM the sun still made it's way out to slow things down as I was finishing up. It could be best said this was a nature hike/ski. Time to wind er down.
Photos:
(Ron Kutsi) -
Apr 10 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Conditions: 34 degrees, sunny at 11 am.
Tricky ... on most trails. Lost a lot of snow over the weekend, but the Cat Track and bottom of Gold have a nice base. Last ski? Maybe... Great ski season? Absolutely!
(Cheri Johnson) -
Apr 10 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Conditions: 40+degrees & melting fast
As I skated the 5K, I saw a small herd of goats taking advantage of the open grass in Bee Hollow and in a couple of other spots. There is no longer one continuous path all the way around the trail. There's still more skiing than walking, but I think I'm through skating. We'll try the classic B skiis tomorrow. There are still a few days left. Who would have thought that we'd be skiing on April 10. Eve said that we may be here until mid-April.
(Jack Burklund) -
Apr 10 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Conditions: 8 AM sunny and 15 degrees. FAST! ROUGH, more bare spots overnight. But very good crust skiing on Golf course in spots. Deer running from crazy skier.
Parts of the golf course where it was thinner were very solid and great skating. Deeper wind blown areas you could break through to expose 3 inches of snow cover. A few more freeze thaws would be great. Elton and I did some half of the Summit. That early morning crust was still firm and a hoot coming down the big hill. No rocks there since it wasn't groomed. I went up the Biwabik spur only about 1KM some fun spots but also some deeper snow that you sunk in even in that cold overnight temps. So I decided to leave well enough alone in case we get some more good freezes and check back later. Someone went up the middle of the Summit and was sinking in even last night. We went down Wynne Creek to check out the beaver swamp and it's flooded over now. danced around rocks and grass on that trail. Lower 3rd of Summit is really hacked up so you have to be careful. Great to be out with the early morning sun for 2 hours. Cat track is still in great shape.
Photos:
(Ron Kutsi) -
Apr 9 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Conditions: Still ski worthy but getting chewed up from daytime skiers and more ground appearing. Went near 6 PM and it was setting up from the warm day. There were more ice floes and almost every pole plant the baskets get caught on crust. Cat track and Gold along the golf course are the best. Very good skiing there.
Again, blue sky and about 33 degrees. Deer out running. You really have to pick your path now and not be in any hurry. I made a couple loops. Just enjoyed being out in peace and quiet. I won't say when the last ski will be but it's getting close.
Photos:
(Ron Kutsi) -
Apr 9 - Jay Cooke State Park (Carlton):
Conditions: Spring corn.
Just had another great ski on the snow here at Jay Cooke. Ran into Adrian Watt and had a fun ski around the Triangle trail and some other trails. Looks like the next storm might freshen it up nicely for a few more days.
(Hansi Johnson) -
Apr 8 - Gooseberry Falls State Park (Two Harbors):
Conditions: Fair but very skiable. Great conditions for April.
Wow what a beautiful sunny day on Easter Sunday to ski at Gooseberry Falls State Park. I skied on the trails along the Upper Falls. Trails were in fair condition, but would have been better if hikers won't have walk on the Classic tracks. Conditions improved as I went further in on the trail. What breathtaking beauty from that vantage point overlooking the Upper Falls with the April snow. Skied along the river and Upper Falls area. I could view the flowing water and Upper Falls from the trail. Quite day and nobody else around so I could hear the water and Falls from the distance. What a way to spend Easter Sunday in April on the North Shore. Didn't have many better conditions all winter. Ironic some of the best skiing of the season has been in March and April.
(Gerry Kummer) -
Apr 8 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Conditions: Trails took a beating today. I went up there at 6 PM and more dirt and grass exposed and deep ski ruts, especially on the Summit. Big time Ice Floe on the Gold hill to Summit swamp connection. Sunny 30 degrees. Light breeze. Trail was starting to set up hard by 7 PM. Did the Texas two step to get around obstacles. Perfect night for skiing. Used Swix F4 instead of the armor all.
I thought I yesterday was my last time out. I just can't quit! Especially when it was faster tonight. I saw 4 deer running across the golf course snow spraying up with each stride into the sunset. NICE! I didn't see anyone up there tonight. Unbelievably quiet. I'm hoping that some of the areas that didn't get groomed will freeze up enough to crust ski some morning. Just too enjoyable to give it up yet.
Photos:
(Ron Kutsi) -
Apr 8 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Conditions: Sunny and Gorgeous!
I couldn't have asked for a better Easter Sunday! Skiing at my home trail with my mom on a gorgeous April day is definitely worth a HALLELUIA! The trails were soft and grass was showing here and there in the classic tracks on the 5k...but it's April and snow is snow. The waxless skis helped quite a bit. Get out while it's still around.
Photos:
(Chandra Ziegler) -
Apr 8 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Conditions: Significantly different from yesterday!
I skated all the trails today starting around 11:45 or so. It was in the upper 20's sunny and the "ponds" were still frozen. Someone skate the 10 backwards causing horrible ruts in many spots on the 10. On some of the downhills where they skated uphill, there is now grass showing in their skate marks. If it warms up and gets soft, the skiing will be easier, it was kinda rutted all over when I was there. There is grass showing in parts of the classic tracks and since there is no base, there is some showing on parts of the skate. It is still great skiing, but if temps get above freezing and people keep skiing backwards on the trail, it will be gone quickly! Yes...I said it...but it is kinda mid April!
(Eve Stein) -
Apr 7 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Skiing at SnowFlake today.
Photos:
(Dave Johnson) -
Apr 7 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Conditions: Very good overall; a few exposed rocks; a few iced-over washouts.
Thanks Ben Croft and John Filander for one last spring fling! The 8K of groomed trails are in very nice shape. Given the forecast, it could hold out for a few more days.
(Charlie Corcoran) -
Apr 7 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Conditions: At 4 PM still holding up well for skating. A bit soft in sunny areas. Good to see the trails got used today. Somewhat rutted up in spots. But great for April. The icy areas are about the same. Be careful on the Gold to Summit swamp hill.
After classical skiing at Big Aspen, I wanted to finish up on the skate skis. Glad I went for an hour more. Should still be good for tomorrow.
Photos:
(Ron Kutsi) -
Apr 7 - Big Aspen Recreation Area (Virginia):
Conditions: West trails not skied on since the last snow. Which was good cause there are lots of rocks that had just enough cover to get by. We broke trail to the bottom shelter. Avoided the ATV tracks most of the way there. Temps in the 20s to 30s sunny and windy. Once we broke trail and came back the same way the tracks got faster with a glazing. If there would have been a base this would have been fantastic skiing. But we had plenty of ZIIIINGGGG when the skis hit rocks or tree roots.
We revived an old tradition, the hotdog run. The last ski of the year at Big Aspen we take out hotdogs and cook at the farthest point. Afterwards there is a small lake at that shelter to skate on. It was in great shape. had about an inch crust on top. Even the waxless skis skated well. It was perfect snow for them. Great grip and decent glide. Great scenery and weather to be out. Definitely use rock skis and be on your guard if you go. Giant's Ridge has more snow and far less rocks to deal with.
Photos:
(Ron Kutsi) -
Apr 7 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Conditions: gotta love global cooling!
Wow...! All those snowshoe hare Easter bunnies George has running around the trails at Snowflake brought the best Easter surprise a skier could want! I skated all the trails today around midday and found them to be awesome! I did use the "b" skis but that was because I knew there would be some minor frozen ponds and I wanted to preserve my best skis. The trails are completely covered, the tracks are primo, and the temperatures are supposed to be conducive to keeping it this way! Thanks a million to Dave and Doug for all their hard work of pulling the grooming stuff out of the shop, taking the time to groom, cleaning up the trees, and all the rest they do! They made Snowflake a spring treat!
(Eve Stein) -
Apr 6 - Lester Park (Duluth):
Conditions: still very skiable.
A few small bare patches are starting to appear, easily stepped around. The worst I saw was at that first left turn where there is often a skied-off spot.
(Catherine Winter) -
Apr 6 - Korkki Nordic (Duluth):
Conditions: Low 20's, medium overcast and windy in the open. Skier-tracked, classic trail through recent, approx. 9 in. of snow that was on top of ice in several extended spots. Used Swix blue classic. Didn't get great bite on hills perhaps because of the uneveness of skier-tracked trail but the glide on the flats was great.
This was what I was looking for. While the bridge was out shortly after where the 6K trail intersected with the short, Dorothy's Loop, the previous skiers had created a track to the return portion of the 6K loop. And the rest of trail was frankly very good (except for my 33-year-old, classic pole's rounded point's inability to get adequate purchase on the few sharp climbs that resulted in a couple of falls and one broken strap for me on the return). The trail was tracked all the way to the 6K trail return (from where the 7.5 and 10 K trails continued) and I broke trail up, around and down the Big Hill and then the bypass back to the 6K trail return. It was good judgement on my part not to ski down the Big Hill's steepest pitch because once I intersected backs with the 6K trail at the bottom of the Big Hill, I still carried a lot speed down the much more modest remaining slope. In fact, my entire return was really fast after the trail had been freshly retracked by me.
Photos:
(Keith Carlson) -
Apr 6 - Mount Itasca (Coleraine):
Conditions: High teens, sunny, groomed for skating. Couple of bare spots and occasional vegetation and sticks. I tried both Swix CH 6 and SWix LF purple - the later might have been a little faster after it was skied in. Both were slow.
While this is a great area for training, it was not worth a three hour trip for somebody like me looking for extended touring. Granted it was one of the only trails with a recent report that was groomed for skating but its only 2.9K The only way the mileage could equal the 10K reported in the trail summary is if the several loops which share common pathways much of their length are combined. Good hills though but watch the bare spots.
(Keith Carlson) -
Apr 6 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Conditions: Very good!
I classical skied the 5 km at 5 pm and it was freshly groomed. Very good snow! The groomer was doing the 10 km while I was there, and the weekend skiing looks great. Skating is groomed as well.
(Greg Rupert) -
Apr 6 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Conditions: Groomed!
After learning that our wet areas on the trail were now frozen, George and I decided to go out and retreive the snowmobiles from the shop. Only one snowmobile was able to be started, so I headed out on my own and groomed the 5k. It packed down very nice and all of the wet areas on the 5k trail were frozen and supported the snowmobile and Ginzu groomer. The snow was only slightly transformed on the top layer. Underneath the crust it was like fresh January powder.
Doug Lane showed up to help groom after I finished the 5k. We went out together to cut up and remove 3 trees that had fallen on the 10k. Then I had to head home and Doug stayed on to groom. So what is the skiing like? I think it will be a tad bit soft, but will firm up nicely with our low temps tonight. Is it worth a drive up from the Cities? Yes for sure, great skiing on Easter weekend, now that is something worth enjoying!
Sorry no pictures to share, I will send some in tomorrow after Sarah and I ski in the morning.
(Dave Johnson) -
Apr 6 - Sugarbush Trail System (Tofte):
Conditions: 6-8" of ungroomed powder. Great backcountry skiing.
Today, Liz and I followed the Norwegian tradition of cross country skiing on Easter weekend, with a great 2-hour ski on the trails out of the Britton Peak trailhead. We didn't know what to expect so we used our "dumpster skis"; 1980's TRAK waxless skis salvaged from the Tofte Recycle station about 4 years ago. They worked great. There was a slight crust on the snow on south facing and west facing hills, otherwise it was beautiful soft powder. We saw lots of animal tracks in the fresh snow including those of Pine Marten.
We may have to go wooden the next time out after reading the reports from Snowflake.
Photos:
(Greg Fangel) -
Apr 6 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Conditions: Still deep, white & cold. It's good, non-refrozen, non-compacted, but there's no base under the new snow.
[ Rumor is George and Dave are hoping to get a grooming sled out on the trail later today (Friday) -- Ed. ]
It's still backcountry skiing at its finest. The tracks are made by the previous skier or by the snowshoer. It was nice to stop in ankle-deep snow and not hear any sound except the wind and the creaking of the trees. There are spots where a deer or a dog has stepped through the snow and you can see bare ground. There are a few bare spots in the track, but it is April. It was fun striding in the snowhoe tracks on the Special K. If you like skiing out of the tracks, this is the place for you. The wood skis were wonderfull. Greg Fangel, you should have been here.
(Jack Burklund) -
Apr 6 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Conditions: very good!!!! John stole my thunder as I was going to say thanks to Ben for the great job grooming. You could use your B team skis easily now. Base packed so much better than yesterday. Fun! Even the icy part of the Gold downhill to Summit had a bit more snow dragged onto it so it was more manageable.
I went back to my Armor-All on rock skis and it was pretty good. I thought it was better until rocket Mary came by on her race skis with real wax. There was no catching her. Suddenly that snow felt a whole lot slower. Oh welllll. :-) Saw 2 skiers with 3 dogs running loose on the trail (please keep Fidos home). Bambi and Thumper would appreciate it too. ENJOY.
Photos:
(Ron Kutsi) -
Apr 6 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Conditions: 2-4 inches of base, groomed again this morning, should hold through the weekend. Assess trails from North Face Cat Track, lower Cedar, Gold, Summit Trails are groomed. Great for April 6!
Thanks to Ben Croft for putting in the time to "groom er up". Get out to it while it`s still good. Lows in the single digits the next few nights and highs in the high 20's and low 30's. Sweet! And happy Easter!
(John Filander) -
Apr 5 - Lester Park (Duluth):
Conditions: ungroomed
More of the system has a skied-in track now. The slushy spots here and there have mostly turned into icy spots. Coverage is still good. Enough of that spring sun was penetrating the woods this afternoon that the snow was a bit sticky even though the temp was below freezing. It was just a blast to be out there today. I saw two other skiers. Where was everybody?
(Catherine Winter) -
Apr 5 - Snowflake Nordic Ski Center (Duluth):
Conditions: Deep, white and cold.
It was backcountry skiing at its finest, and only three miles from home. It was deep and tracked by the previous skier. There were even a couple of frozen-over ponds. It was great. It was just like skiing in the BWCA. The snowshoe lady was there, too. Tomorrow, it'll be woodies or 'shoes.
(Jack Burklund) -
Apr 5 - Piedmont Trail (Duluth):
Conditions: Ungroomed - backcountry like.
Skier groomed track isn't bad with only a few spots of slush poking through but it was frozen - fun April skiing!
Photos:
(Staci Gilpn) -
Apr 5 - Giants Ridge (Biwabik):
Conditions: 25 degrees sunny and windy. Brrrrr but it is holding the snow in that sun! Groomed yesterday on parts of the Gold Cedar and Summit. Some soft parts but mostly packed good. Even some tracks set!
Water and ice in scattered areas on Gold and Summit. One scary icy spot where the Gold heads down to the Summit swamp intersection. Only a couple rocks showing.
There is enough snow but stick to using your rock skis.
It felt like November but with more snow than that first ski of the year. Deer looked confused too. : -) Thank you, those who begged for the grooming to be done. And thank you John for doing the grooming! We got cheated a week with the meltdown the last week of March. But now you can get some of it back and feel redeemed. I tried a different wax this time - a pump on wash wax. It worked good but when I hit a water crossing the snow froze right away on the base and had to scrape it off. Will try something else tomorrow on the rock skis. Enjoy while you can!
Photos:
(Ron Kutsi) -
Apr 5 - Korkki Nordic (Duluth):
April skiing is usually klister, crusty snow and mild temperatures. But kicking onto the trails at Korkki Nordic this morning was more reminiscent of a mid January day--twelve inches of powder, cold toes, trees popping. I was a bit disappointed when I arrived and the trails weren't groomed, but the more I skied the happier I got. It was backcountry powder skiing at its best. Freshies! Due to an overflowing stream rendering the bridge useless, I skied up the return trail to the top and back down. Beautiful! Only one slushy spot, but bring a scraper in case your skis ice up. Throw a few bucks in the box for next year's grooming.
Photos:
(Sparky Stensaas)
Minnesota Northwest
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Apr 12 - Maplelag Resort (Callaway):
Conditions: Skiable and Fun! Beautiful sunshine, mid to upper 30's. No new snow last night.
After being gone for a week, I did not expect any snow, at least skiable snow, upon returning today. I went out mid morning while the crust was still hard and just getting soft, skiing a 10km loop using various trails with the best coverage with some grass to ski across from time to time. My mom had gone out on Monday and enjoyed some nice skiing and was hoping to stake claim to be the last person to ski this year. She was bummed out to find out I had gone today. If she goes out in the morning I'll let her have her glory but quite a bit of the snow melted off today so it might be tough. Hopefully in 8-10 days we can start biking on the trails as the frost was starting out before this last shot of snow.
Photos:
(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)
Minnesota Central
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Apr 7 - Riverside Park (Saint Cloud):
Conditions: Limited coverage
The loop from earlier this week is reduced from sun damage. You can ski ungroomed untracked sections of snow abot 4 minutes in legth. Best area is soutern park near talahi.
(Kris Anderson)
Wisconsin Northwest
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Apr 15 - Mt. Valhalla Ski Trails (Washburn):
Conditions: spring skiing
I skied for a couple of hours yesterday. There was approximately 70% coverage with the best loops being benchmark-B. Coverage was down significantly from Saturday. Probably the last ski of the season.
(Paul Belknap) -
Apr 12 - Mt. Valhalla Ski Trails (Washburn):
Conditions: Good.
Generally 2-4 inches packed and groomed, with occasional thinning and dirt spots poking through on south-facing hills. Up to 8" of good snow in the higher parts of the trail. Classic tracks look about 50% good. I was skating and it was a little soft at 5pm today. A serious water hole will soon develop about 200 meters in from the trailhead, and two short climbs on A loop are showing dirt, but still passable. One dirt spot is developing on the last big downhill of C loop, and B loop is still excellent. Perhaps one more weekend of good skiing.
Photos:
(Paul Beeksma) -
Apr 10 - Mt. Valhalla Ski Trails (Washburn):
Trails were good. A little rutted this morning but skating was good. Classic tracks were also in good shape. Hope to get back again this week.
(Dave Harju) -
Apr 9 - Mt. Valhalla Ski Trails (Washburn):
Conditions: Very good.
The trails were fully groomed for skating and classic last night. By the time I got out after work things had softened up in places, but other places the snow was untransformed. There were couple of thin looking spots, but I used good skis with no worries. It looks like we'll be skiing for at least the rest of the week.
Photos:
(Paul Belknap) -
Apr 9 - Mt. Valhalla Ski Trails (Washburn):
Conditions: Good to very good.
Teuton was groomed this morning for both skating and classic. Good base, should be good until the sun melts it. There is a small area plowed for parking.
(Scott Nesvold) -
Apr 7 - After Hours Ski Trail (Brule):
Conditions: Perfect backcountry.
Not groomed but who cares! Deep snow remined me of skiing in the Sierras. Get out there while you can.
(Matt O'Toole) -
Apr 6 - After Hours Ski Trail (Brule):
Conditions: There was 7-8 inches of snow on the trails, and the road to the warming hut had been plowed.
There was plenty of snow there, but as of Friday afternoon it had not been groomed and no one had skied on it. If you go, plan to use your back country skis.
(Theodor Galdi) -
Apr 6 - Pattison State Park (Superior):
Conditions: Fair
Groomed today! Good snow depth, but slushy in spots.
(Kerry Isensee) -
Apr 6 - Mt. Valhalla Ski Trails (Washburn):
Conditions: Good.
Trails have been rolled but are still on the soft side. Classic skiing is good and skating is looks soft but good. Plenty of snow for good skis. You can't beat skiing on extra blue in April. Continued cold nights should firm things up some. Only one wet spot that I saw. Parking lot has not been plowed.
(Paul Belknap) -
Apr 5 - Birkie Trail (Hayward):
Conditions: Fresh powder on unfrozen ground, puddles.
Waxless touring skis make for fun times for a nice change of pace. Treat the bases with liquid glider to prevent icing. I think you could ski a the way to Telemark. Watch out for puddles. Saw some wild turkeys!
(Joel Harrison, New Moon Ski Shop)
Wisconsin Southeast
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Apr 12 - Whitnall Park (Hales Corners):
Conditions: 3-5" of dense, wet snow. Great day for waxless skis.
While my yard in Bay View is mostly green, there's plenty of snow for skiing on the west side of the Milwaukee metro area. We skied halfway around the golf course, and then through the woods of the Wehr nature center. Plenty of snow in most places, although it was pools of slush in some low areas. Tracks from a previous skier had also turned translucent in some spots, but still solid enough to ski over. Looks like the snow is going to hold up for the rest of the day, and if it freezes tonight, maybe well into tomorrow.
(Jason Bacon) -
Apr 11 - Romnes/Lakeside St. (Madison):
Conditions: Excellent for April 11 with 5 inches of wet heavy snow.
Wonderful skied-in classic track offering views of State Capitol. Icing on the cake for what was a great season in southern Wisconsin. Bike guys are bummin' while skiers keep smiling.
(Mike Ivey)
Michigan Upper Peninsula
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Apr 15 - Valley Spur (Munising):
Loops A, C, W, and most of D are PB-groomed. All these trails except C also have a classic track. W alone is about 4 miles one way. Bare spots? Check back in May with that question. Seven miles yonder at Munising Ski Trail the base is one-third as much.
Photos:
(Matt Zak) -
Apr 15 - Michigan Tech University Ski Trails (Houghton):
Grooming ended today at the Tech Trails. Thanks for skiing with us, and we hope to see you again next year.
(Jeff Parker) -
Apr 15 - Michigan Tech University Ski Trails (Houghton):
Conditions: Groomed bulletproof courderoy, getting very thin. Probably the last great day of skiing here for the season.
After skiing a 10km lap at MTU, Steve Hogan and I went to check the crust skiing at Trimountain. It was very good until about 11:00am when it softened and we used the snowmobile tracks to get back. Yesterday, I crust skied the Lac La Belle "triple nipple" of Gratiot Mountain, Mount Bohemia, and Mount Houghton. It was very good in places, extremely challenging in others. Back here in Marquette County, it looks like some good crust skiing opportunities if it freezes good.
(Ken Wikgren) -
Apr 15 - Blueberry Ridge Trail (Sands):
Conditions: Good
Still plenty of snow on the BBR trail system. Unfortunately, the DNR did not allow the NTN to continue grooming of the trail system, but plenty of skied in classic tracks to enjoy. 50 degrees, sunshine! Enjoy while you still can!
Photos:
(Brian Vamstad) -
Apr 15 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Conditions: Still skiable with a 4-6 inch base in many places. Still over 70% snow covered.
I skated mid-morning today on Cliffs Trail and back side of Wolverine Loop and it was great skiing! We have had cold nights which has helped keep the snow cover. Cliffs has very few bare spots and the classic track is holding up very well. Wolverine Loop has some brown spots but you can get around them. It's still good skiing! There are still a few more good days of skiing yet before it all goes.
(Paulette Niemi, Skinnyski.com Race Team) -
Apr 13 - Michigan Tech University Ski Trails (Houghton):
Set new track tonight for Saturday, April 13 and reconditioned skate lane. 10 km open. Base still holding up well, with a few thin spots beginning. Skiing should be good through the weekend. Base 2" to 6"
(Jeff Parker) -
Apr 13 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Conditions: groomed, holding up pretty well
I skied classic on the Powderhorn and Cliffs trails (only trails open). There are places where the track is down to the ground, but overall, it was great. The Cliffs trail had very few bare spots. The Powderhorn trail had some big bare spots near the top of the downhill area, but it wasn't too difficult to go around them. I used no-wax skis and needed a healthy application of Maxi-Glide to glide through the warm, sunny sections. The skating lanes were in good shape for most of the trail. It should be good on Saturday for both techniques. Thanks groomers!
(Connie Meek) -
Apr 13 - Valley Spur (Munising):
I'm being told by skiers who are there today that conditions are good. They groomed loops D & W again today. Weekend conditions will vary with the freeze/thaw, but the base is invincible.
(Matt Zak) -
Apr 12 - Michigan Tech University Ski Trails (Houghton):
10 km of trail groomed. Skate lanes reconditioned and new track set today. Base 4" to 8". 1" fresh snow.
(Jeff Parker) -
Apr 11 - Blueberry Ridge Trail (Sands):
Conditions: Not bad. Just below freezing on a trail that is well covered, but a little rough around the edges.
I classic skied in pretty good tracks however more snow fell last night (Weds into Thurs) and more is falling today (Thurs) so unless that wonderful person who groomed after the last snow is able to groom again, the really good skiing may be over. The skied in tracks will be okay though and maybe the skating lane will get skied in.
(Dennis Whitley) -
Apr 11 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Conditions: 4-6 inch base over most of trail. 10KM still open. Tracks in decent shape. A few brown patches but over 80% of the trail is still snow covered.
Got out mid-morning today for some great skating on a slight crust. The trail is holding up nicely. Yesterday's sun and temps in mid-40s did a little damage, but today it was cold and cloudy. Flakes are falling as I write this and we expect a few inches of snow which will make conditions great. The tracks are in good shape. Novice loop has the most damage with some big water holes but the rest of trail is good.
(Paulette Niemi, Skinnyski.com Race Team) -
Apr 10 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Conditions: Blue forty degree skies, lots of white snow. A few mud spots where the snow didn't stick (or the groomer did stick??), but generally good conditions.
Drove up from central Wisconsin for the day. Skating was of course pretty slow by midday, but really enjoyed the classic skiing later on when I switched skis and boots and put on the universal klister.
(Dave Wille) -
Apr 10 - Blueberry Ridge Trail (Sands):
Conditions: Nearly mid-winter on two loops, depending upon what time of day you ski.
Someone groomed the Wolverine and Lighted Loops following the big snows of last week. The classic track is great while the skate lane is a bit uneven. All-in-all, pretty good skiing on those two loops.
(Dennis Whitley) -
Apr 10 - Michigan Tech University Ski Trails (Houghton):
Conditions: 10 km of trail open (our beginner and intermediate loops). New track set today. Skate lanes reconditioned daily. 4" to 8" base, with good trail density. Soft in the sun after noon.
We will continue grooming daily as conditions allow and while the snow lasts.
(Jeff Parker) -
Apr 8 - Maasto Hiihto Ski Trails (Hancock):
Conditions: Sunny on Sunday, winds are done, 20s F, 1-2 feet of snow.
The tracks we left at Churning Rapids should stay intact given the winds have tapered and snowfall stopped. We were pleasantly surprised to find grooming operations in force throughout the weekend at the major Keweenaw systems. Local police reported a generally uneventful weekend; only one arrest was made when some cretin complained that the skate lanes were "too soft." Say yah 2 da Keweenaw, eh.
(Matt Zak) -
Apr 8 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Nothing like an Easter ski under sunny blue skies. About 7-8 K is now groomed at Swedetown. Skate lane is a bit soft but getting firmer. Classic tracks have been very nice. If weather forecasts hold, skiing should be good all week.
(Dave Mayo-Kiely) -
Apr 8 - ABR (Ironwood):
Conditions: I remember Easter's like this when I was was a kid.
Sunshine, warm temps and 2 feet of fresh snow!
Photos:
(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails) -
Apr 8 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Conditions: Awesome! 10KM now groomed including the novice loop-which has a few muddy spots. The trails set up nicely for some firm, smooth, and fast skating! The tracks were near perfect too.
What more could you ask for in April but near perfect skiing conditions! Skated about 25km early this morning on some smooth cordoruy. Ran into four people classic skiing the trails for the first time ever who were quite impressed. If you didn't know any better you would swear it's January looking in the woods. Cold nights and moderate daytime temps should keep the trail in good condition all week.
(Paulette Niemi, Skinnyski.com Race Team) -
Apr 8 - Michigan Tech University Ski Trails (Houghton):
Conditions: 9 km packed and tracked. Conditions are very good - soft in places. Base is 8" to 12"
The groomers are back from spring vacation, and surprised to see we're in business again. The tiller has been put down for the season, so we are snowmobile grooming. Trails are under standard early season snowmobile grooming, full 14' lane for skating with on one side tracked.
(Jeff Parker) -
Apr 8 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Conditions: 6-8" base with "January conditions.
Got out for an early Easter morning ski on fresh cord! Sulo was just finishing up with the Pisten Bully and conditions couldn't be better. The club has about 10km groomed and will continue to groom as long as we have skier traffic.
(David Johnson) -
Apr 7 - Mount Houghton (Bete Grise):
Conditions: Deeeeeep powder. It has been snowing hard for the past few days and the lake effect machine is still in full force.
The MTU ski team decided that there was simply too much snow (4 feet) to go skiing so we grabbed the snowshoes and headed up north in the Keweenaw to summit Mt. Houghton near Bete Griese, MI. As you can see in the photos, there was a lot of snow!
Photos:
(Erik Mundahl) -
Apr 7 - Wolverine Ski Trail (Ironwood):
Conditions: Over 2 feet of new snow and it's still falling! Trails are soft but will be regroomed Saturday night with tracks set for Easter Sunday skiing.
We have 8 km of trail open for some awesome spring skiing! Trails should be great for skating after setting up tonight. There is more snow forecast and colder weather all week. We hope to keep trails open for a few weeks! Come and enjoy some late season skiing on mid-season snow conditions!
(Paulette Niemi, Skinnyski.com Race Team) -
Apr 6 - Swedetown Trails (Calumet):
Conditions: Greenstone is packed.
Rick Oikarinen called from Cross Country Sports to tell me that Jon Neufeld has been out grooming at Swedetown, and that Greenstone (old Green Loop) is at least packed. Rick asked me to post something, as he doesn't "do that sort of thing."
Must be tough going to groom with the snowmobile in all this new snow! Many loops were already cabled off after the big meltdown to keep vehicles from damaging the trails, so there is limited accessibility for grooming equipment. It will be a short season all over again, but there is certainly fun to be had.
(Peter Vorhes) -
Apr 5 - ABR (Ironwood):
It is back to winter. We received over 28 inches of snow in the last 48 hours....and more is forecast. We put the groomers and ski shop to bed for the spring so we are unable to re-open. I called around and have not heard of anyone grooming in the area but there is plenty of snow here in Ironwood.
(Eric Anderson)
Michigan Lower Peninsula
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Apr 7 - MacKenzie Trail (Cadillac):
Conditions: One foot of untracked snow. Light snow on top, a bit thick on the bottom, good for tracking but also icing up in low-lying areas. Well marked system, about 18k, mostly easy and intermediate.
I skied a good portion of this system, and retraced a few loops several times. Nice overlooks, pretty area of the Manistee National Forest adjacent to the Caberfae downhill ski resort. Several intense, heavy squalls came through as I skied. Suggest it as a possibility on Easter. Saw deer, and one deer carcas, picked clean.
(Joe Drouillard)
Canada
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Apr 5 - Kamview Nordic Centre (Thunder Bay):
15km groomed for skating and classic. More snow expected tomorrow. If snow comes will have at least 20km of Pisten Bully groomed mid-winter skiing for Easter weekend. I will continue to keep trails open as long as it stays cold enough.
(Peter Crooks)
North Dakota
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Apr 5 - Lindenwood Park Ski Trails (Fargo):
Eight inches of new dry snow has people out skiing in Fargo parks again. Limited skiing since most of the parkland is flooded by the Red River - but still ok skiing for April. No base so it is easy to cut threw the new snow to grass or dirt.
Photos:
(Gary Brekke)
United States
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Apr 15 - 10th Mountain Ski Center (Fort Kent, ME):
Awesome conditions for any time of the year, although a bit slow at times. 20km of trails groomed with 10"+ base everywhere. Several inches of snow today and tommorrow, although some rain forcasted too. Good chance we will be skiing pretty close to May 1 this year. Should be grooming regularly through next weekend.
Photos:
(Jeff Dubis) -
Apr 15 - Glade Creek Meadows (Lolo, MT):
Conditions: Frozen fine grain corn to sun softened top with firm mid base. About 1 to 3 feet deep in the meadows.
Weather man was off !!!! Yee Haa ! The prediction was for 80 percent cloud cover and possible showers. Instead it was 95% sunny and near 70 degrees with the reflection off the snow. Suprisingly good glide. Did the whole trail system plus a few hours of cruiser skating the meadows. Saw robins, songbirds, double the butterflys, and a single white rabbit. The only other tracks on the back loop besides my skate marks was a full set of bull moose tracks!! At first you are confused what real large cow got loose if your from the midwest like me! Always a bizzare experience for a midwestern boy out in the land of the Lewis and Clark passage! Get out anywhere you can to be on snow if possible next Sunday......its the annual "Earth Day" skinny ski outing.
(Jeff Zalatoris) -
Apr 13 - Pineland Farms (New Gloucester, ME):
Conditions: 8" of fresh new snow overnight. Very wet! GREAT grooming for both skate and stride.
This rocks! Thought the ski season was toast. Came to Maine just in time for snow. Brad and I are trying our best to influence/ensure the 1 and 4 year old nieces love cross country skiing.
Photos:
(Karla Anderson) -
Apr 13 - 10th Mountain Ski Center (Fort Kent, ME):
Conditions remain excellent with 20km open on 10-14" of base. We are still grooming most trails on a regular basis and will continue to do so as long as conditions permit. Can probably expect another week or two of good skiing.
(Jeff Dubis) -
Apr 12 - Titcomb Mountain (Farmington, ME):
Conditions: Curst skiing *still* rules!
A bit warmer today without the sun, but it had frozen overnight, so the crust skiing was still good. Up, down, and around Titcomb for 45 minutes before work was a pleasure, seeing that it is April 12. The base thinned out in a couple places in the sun yesterday. Today, however, should be the last day of crusting for a while. 6-12" forecast tonight should keep the season going for a while yet. When I planned a trip on April 16 to California, I thought there was no way I'd miss skiing. And I was wrong. But I can't complain.
Photos:
(Ari Ofsevit) -
Apr 11 - Titcomb Mountain (Farmington, ME):
Conditions: Crust Skiing RULES!
Due to travel, I can't make it up to Rangeley this afternoon, so I figured I'd hit the crust at Titcomb this morning. My expectations were low, and they were far succeeded. The crust was just soft enough for a bit of an edge (by my ankles do hurt) but hard enough to support pole plants. A few problem areas under the pines (less crust) and where snowmobilers had illegally used the trails. Still, fabulous. Great views of the distant, white-capped High Peaks in the early morning, fast conditions all over. I am almost glad that they are done grooming, because the crusting was great. The base is still about 8 inches, so it should be good crust skiing tomorrow. Then, it is supposed to be buried by even more snow! (I forgot my camera and now regret it!)
(Ari Ofsevit) -
Apr 9 - Rangeley Lakes (Rangeley, ME):
Conditions: Ahhhhhhhh.
2 new inches of powder over a hard base. Lovely skating. About 20-25 k open, no grooming this week but as long as it doesn't snow too much more the skiing should be grand. I always have trouble finding motivation to train in April: it's wet, sometimes icy, the mountain bike trails are usually muddy, and I don't want to run. With skiing, it's easy to get 1-2 hours in a day. Now we are entering the second third of April with the best conditions of the year!
(Ari Ofsevit) -
Apr 8 - Rangeley Lakes (Rangeley, ME):
Conditions: Best skiing of the year.
Today was wonderful. Conditions were firm and fast as Rangeley never lost their base, and I used my best skis with no worries. Classic blue kicking in the morning, fast skating in 28? weather, mostly cloudy with a bit of sun and snow. I can really feel myself peaking for the season. Too bad it's April 8th. I did manage to convince them to groom next weekend. I still am flummoxed, however, every time I realize I have great skiing in April. Now, how do I get out of work this week?
Photos:
(Ari Ofsevit) -
Apr 7 - 10th Mountain Ski Center (Fort Kent, ME):
Probably about the best conditions of the season. 12" of snow on Thursday with another 3" forecasted today. 20km open. Looks and feels more like Christmas than Easter.
Photos:
(Jeff Dubis) -
Apr 7 - Pineland Farms (New Gloucester, ME):
Conditions: A few thin spots, but for April 7? Superb.
Went south to do about 25k on the trails at Pineland Farms. It's one of few places grooming around but today was half price because of the few sketchy sections. The great trail construction drained perfectly, there were no wet spots and only a couple thin sections. The sun barely made an appearance so the snow held up pretty well through the day, softening in the afternoon. It's so great to be skiing in April.
Photos:
(Ari Ofsevit) -
Apr 6 - Titcomb Mountain (Farmington, ME):
Conditions: Skier tracked, somewhat crusty.
The April sun has created a crust on the new snow (still a foot deep) but not enough of one for crust skiing. Someone had broken about a mile of trail on a relatively flat section, but had done so with a very narrow stride, so I found myself breaking the crust with my ankles as I skied. Still, it's April 6, so I can't complain!
(Ari Ofsevit) -
Apr 5 - Streets of Farmington (Farmington, ME):
Conditions: Ski to work!
The streets were hardpacked and icy, so it was a pretty quick trip. Much faster than digging out my car. 18" and it's still snowing — reports of 33" an hour north, and counting...
(Ari Ofsevit)