Snow on the trail, with the Finlandia cancelled, I jumped on the trail for an morning ski. Refreshing to simply be in Nature. Both skate ski lane and classic tracks were groomed. B to good skis.

(Lisa Martin)

Refreshing ski in zero degree weather. Noted more arriving in the parking lot later in the afternoon. Classic tracks set, with skate lane open, hard packed. If you like a bit of challenge with the unlevel trail system, a few hills to climb, and a quiet trail, this trail is possibly for you. Enjoy skiing. Let it snow!

(Lisa Martin)

30 Degrees below zero in morning. Skied in the afternoon for a quick and refreshing ski in nature. The trail is hard packed, skate and classic tracks are set. B skis to good skis. Let it snow!

(Lisa Martin)

Temps above zero and the tracks remain in great condition. Photos from Maplelag's Bullhead Trail Extension.

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(Glenn Gifford)

Morning low -5, high temperature 12 degrees, brilliant sunshine, light winds. 85km trail open. 55km groomed classic, 15km groomed skate, 15km singletrack fat bike groomed. Comments: Clouds moved in overnight keeping our low around 0 and didn't drop to the official low until it cleared at sunrise. A nice warmup to the teens and combined with light winds and spectacular late February sunshine, it was a near perfect day on the trails. Classic grooming on the singletrack trails today, Island Lake and Wavy Gravy to the west, Roy's Run and North Loup to the north and Rootin Tootin on the inner trail. Everything groomed out very nice, Roy's and Rootin not quite as clean but still great skiing. Grooming plans: All 15km of skate trails on tap for a gentle renovation and comb as well as a new track to be set on Bullhead Lake.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Morning low -19, high temperature of +3. Handful of scattered lingering flurries, a noticeable wind, thanks to dew point close to air temperature. 85km trail open. 55km groomed classic, 15km groomed skate, 15km singletrack fat bike groomed. Comments: People that know me well know I always say it's about the dew point. Whether it's ski trail grooming, skiing or riding hero dirt/snow on the singletrack, the dew point is a game changer. Definitely made it raw out but a little bit easier to condition the snow when grooming. This afternoon and evening tracks were scrubbed out and reset on Mother Hen, JibFly, the easy bypass of JibFly and Sap Run. Fat bike loop "InnerWest" continues to ride fantastic. Grooming plans: Tomorrow plan to reset track on Wavy Gravy, Island Lake, Rootin Tootin, Roy's Run and North Loup.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Calling all Day Skiers! Maplelag is groomed and the ski trails are in great condition. Temps today hovered around zero. The classic tracks are good. If you're not skiing the Birkie, check out Maplelag. Ski conditions should be near perfect!

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(Glenn Gifford)

Had a cool lovely sunny morning ski on Sukkerbusk and sap run. Conditions were perfect. Great tracking and weather. Would keep skiing if didn't have to leave for home. Thanks Maplelag for a great aki.

(Mary Wierschem)

We had a cool beautiful morning skiing wavy gravy. Trail was in good condition. Did Twin lakes trail in the afternoon which is great skiing condition. Freshly tracked. Another sunny cool day skiing. Finished off with Sukkerbusk and rootin tootin. Overall great day of skiing.

(Mary Wierschem)

Morning low -29, warm sunshine, light winds high temperature -3. 85km trail open. 55km groomed classic, 15km groomed skate, 15km singletrack fat bike groomed. Comments: Little bit better action on the tracks today. especially the fresh groomed today. Skate trails still skiing a bit slower but deck is solid. New tracks set today on Sap Run, Loon Return, Sukkerbusk, Twin Lakes, Bullhead Bootleg Lake loop, Kristin's Kutoff and segments of Mother North Star, cleaning up the short segment of that the fat bike loop shares. Grooming plans: New tracks to be cut on additional trail tomorrow on select trails.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Sunshine, light winds, high temperate -7 after morning low of -24. 85km trail open. 55km groomed classic, 15km groomed skate, 15km singletrack fat bike groomed. Comments: Bit more quiet on the trails today. The Arctic frost made the glide a bit slower for the first skiers but better after a few skiers passes. Fat biking best it has been in a week. Grooming plans: Will plan to groom the Lotvola Cup course Tuesday afternoon. Sukkerbusk, Twin Lakes, Bullhead Lake/Bootleg trail, Kristin's Kutoff and Sap Run.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Cold day but skiing was great. Beautiful sunny day on cold trails. Skied Rootin tooting, sukkerbusk, Jib fly and inner trails to stay out of wind. All skiing was good and a bit slow due to cold. Tracking was good on all skied. Yesterday skied Mother Northstar which is rough in portions due to mountain bikes. Also skied twin lakes yesterday which is in great shape.

(Mary Wierschem)

Excellent conditions! Skied a touch under 30KM covering most of the classic trails on Sunday. Had never skied over Bullhead lake trail and east of the lake before prior to today. That trail is a new favorite. Great ups and downs. Eira hill has tracks set so getting out on to the lake is a true hoot. The kids enjoyed is so much they had to hit it several times. Definitely worth the climb. Another great experience at Maplelag. Can't wait to go back.

(Lance Strum)

Sunshine, 2.7 degrees, Arctic passage with a dusting of frost snow. 85km trail open. 55km groomed classic, 15km groomed skate, 15km singletrack fat bike groomed. Comments: This morning skied the Lotvola Cup course. The recent grooming had set up nicely and tracks skied surprisingly fast for single digits. Skate trail bit more responsive today with better action on the glide. Fat bike trail in good to excellent condition. Grooming plans: Touch up grooming as needed this week.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Sun/cloud mix, high temperature 8 degrees. 85km trail open. 55km groomed classic, 15km groomed skate, 15km singletrack fat bike groomed. Comments: A fantastic and busy day on the trails for classic skiing, skate skiing, fat biking and grooming! Went out for a morning skate ski with son Jake. Skied all the skate trails with a few extra trips up and down Eira Bikwadinaa hill. The extension loops skied really nice and Jake said North Loup was his favorite. Classic trails were providing good action, especially the tracks set last night after the fresh snow. First skiers on the fluff snow had a bit tricky kick wax but once skied in was better. The Flatlands Cycling Club was out today riding the InnerWest loop and reports were good. Late afternoon groomed Skaters Waltz and Eira Bikwadinaa hill and also reset track on Sukkerbusk and Twin Lakes.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Top conditions, to say the least. Trails in perfect shape following a little dusting overnight. No wonder the parking lots were full. I did Roy's Run, then the Bullhead extension, then Twin Lakes, total of 23 K of challenge, adventure, and fun!

(István Gombocz)

12 degrees, cloudy 1" fluff snow falling on Friday. 85km trail open. 55km groomed classic, 15km groomed skate, 15km singletrack fat bike groomed. Comments: Warmer temperatures brought the locals back out today. A busy day on the trails with skiers, fat bikers and grooming. We did most of the grooming in the afternoon and into the late evening. All the skate trails were groomed and new track cut on Sukkerbusk, Twin Lakes, Mother North Star and JibFly with 1" fluff snow falling after grooming. After the snow stopped, back out in the evening to track Rootin Tootin, Bullhead Bootleg, Roy's Run, Sap Run and combed out Skaters Waltz. In between grooming, got out for a lovely ski with my granddaughter while it was snowing and had to check out the new trailhead sign! Grooming plans: Touch up grooming as needed over the Presidents weekend.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

The classic trails at Maplelag remain in great shape. I skied the Island Lake trail; the tracks were fine and firm.

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(Glenn Gifford)

A spectacular day on the trails. Sunshine, light winds -5 for a daytime high after morning low of -24. Comments: It was a chilly day for sure but the sunshine was brilliant taking off the edge. Classic skiing is as good as it gets. Skating a bit slower but the deck is solid and firm. Despite the early morning lows the snow provided great action in the tracks. The trails have been a bit more quiet these past two days but conditions really can't be beat, especially for classic. Skied the Lotvola Cup course over lunch which is in great shape. Jonell and I just wrapped up a moonlit ski under the February snow moon...fantastic light! Grooming plans: Tomorrow the skate trails will be refreshed and we will complete fat bike grooming on the Twin Lakes singletrack.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Made a single pass around Hiram ski trail this afternoon with the groomer to reset the track and try to cover up some of the oak leaves in the old track. The track did not form up as well as I wanted. It is shallow and ragged in many places and there are many oak leaves mixed into the track in some areas. There are no bares spots right now. Overall the conditions are good.

(Paul Klinger)

Trails were in great shape this morning! There were a few fresh inches of fluffy snow on top of the well-set tracks. Just a beautiful ski.

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(Andy Lehner)

Very good conditions. Clean, well-set tracks. A pretty trail, with fun hills and nice straightaways through the woods. Great work, groomer!

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(Ernie Ogot)

Trails tracked Saturday morning: Middle Loop, South Loop, Connectors, and Beginners Loop. Tracks in much better shape with new snow.

(Neal Tacheny)

Pristine conditions, the entire system has just been re-groomed. I chose first the Desoto and Ozawindib trails through the woods. Solitude. Be careful, of course, on the steep sections. Then I went to the trail toward the Southern Entrance, total of 25 K. An absolutely magnificent park.

(István Gombocz)

Excellent conditions and grooming, all trails classic and freestyle. Snow depth is about 14" with 2" new, very dry and fluffy snow. Trails have a good 3-4" packed base. The chalet provides a warmup for brave skiers. Open house with free ski rentals Sundays from 1-3. Snowshoe trails are groomed and well-used.

(Deane Johnson)

Well groomed, solid trails with minimal debris here and there. I did Eagle, Lake Trail, and Lilly's, 8 K on a quiet Friday morning. Fast and hard enough, but not dangerous. Definitely worth a visit.

(István Gombocz)

Turned out great this time, hurry before the oak leaf cometh! All loops are groomed. You'd be a fool to not come now before the deer and warmer temps wreck it.

(Larry Michael Blesi)

New cold powder, about an inch, over a firm skate deck. Definitely slower than yesterday. Tracks ok but somewhat filled with the aforementioned powder where not yet skied.

(Keith Brugger)

Trails were groomed recently as the skate deck appeared to be untracked corduroy, at least the sections we skied. Deck is firm and fairly fast. Classical track are also in good shape.

(Keith Brugger)

At the entrance to Pine Beach ski trail at Craguns parking lot onto Maddens golf course. You can see a visible trail, but it's very rutted and not groomed for either type of skiing. The entrance near Kavanaugh's has skier made tracks but not groomed for skate. The snow was too deep to skate (at least for me).

(Jody Carey)

The Arboretum groomers groomed up the skate lanes late this morning. The classic tracks are in decent shape when they were set last weekend, however I skate skied on the textured corduroy.

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(Bryan Pike)

No new snow, but the Arb groomers were out mid-morning today and groomed all skate lanes and set a new classic track with overall good results. I skied there this afternoon in bright sunshine.

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(Bryan Pike)

Trails are groomed and tracks set on all trail segments. Two 3 inch snow events late last week have allowed for good conditions. Classic tracks had some blowouts, but overall are good.

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(Bryan Pike)

Trails are groomed and tracks set on most trail segments. Two 3 inch snow events late last week have allowed for good conditions. Classic tracks are decent.

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(Bryan Pike)

12 degrees F with maybe 10 mph wind. There was plenty of fresh snow from the last week or so. Most segments were pretty firm with a fresh YTS Ginsu groom. Most segments were classic set as well. No sign of bare ground or much debris at all.

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(Jeffrey Quam)

Beautiful conditions at Giants Ridge today. Silver, Gold, Cedar and Summit trails freshly groomed. I was skating but the classic tracks are perfect. Never better. 40K and still reluctant to leave (but my legs were screaming...).

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(Steve Squillace)

Stunning conditions (if you can embrace the cold). Freshly groomed after recent HS State Meet.

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(Steve Squillace)

Absolutely beautiful conditions with freshly groomed trails. Great tracks for classic, with very little use. Can't imagine a better ski!

(Mary Brainerd)

Ski, the Homestead connector and Homestead loop from the Oberg Mountain parking lot conditions were excellent freshly groomed.

(Steve Eberly)

Family was thrilled to enjoy the perfectly timed fresh powder and stunning candlelit ski! So memorable and special! Thank you to the groomers and folks who hosted and made this lovely event possible.

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(Theresa Michel)

3-4" new snow Friday evening. Was at Moose Fence, Britton, and Oberg. No grooming yet, but plenty of people out today set decent classic tracks in the existing set, especially around Britton Peak and Onion River road areas. The skate deck was firm under the fluffy snow and was skiable, but the temp and dryness of the snow made for a slower glide. Overall great conditions.

(Peter Swenson)

Skated on Britton Peak trailhead on the green trails to Hog Back loop. Just great stuff. If anything, occasional tree debris to look out for. A few days ago I saw a massive owl pellet on the trail here.

(Cory Quirk)

Picnic loop was in excellent condition. Full depth tracks throughout and firm pole plants. Good control on downhills. Thank you groomers!

(Tracy Stacy)

At night we re-groomed all skate decks. They are firm and flat. Classic tracks on both trails are hard, well formed, 99% intact. Scheduling: Saturday is a Member Dog Day. On Sunday we are hosting a Biathlon Meet. Most of the 5K trail will be closed from Saturday 7pm-Sunday 1pm for the meet. The 8K and SpecialK will be open. We anticipate being closed after noon on Monday to Wednesday next week, in order to preserve our base for March skiing. No Member Dogs if the temp is above 32 degrees.

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(John Graham)

6" of powder last night! Today we compact all trails, groomed all skate decks and set new tracks on all trails. Untransformed powder is still soft, but afternoon skiers were very happy. Today is No Dogs due to fresh grooming, but Sunday will be a Member Dog Day. The final KidSki session is Sunday 1:45-3:45. Parking and chalet will be crowded during that period.

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(John Graham)

Really good conditions (possibly the best I've seen this year?) Skate deck was very hard down the middle, and softer on the edges. I was able to get really good glide and it was not too rutted at the moment, so a really fun ski. Classic tracks were washed out in the usual areas, but looked "OK".

(Tim Bontrager)

I classic skied on the 8k loop early evening, and it was excellent. Tracks were well-defined, hard but unglazed, with just a few occasional leaves in the tracks. Skate deck was wide and firm. I didn't ski the 6k but it appears to be getting much more use.

(Tom MacDonald)

Korkki has great snow cover, debris free tracks and we pretty much had the place to ourselves! Tracks are solid with some corners and downhills wiped out so just keep your eyes open. Tracks are kinda misshapen like someone followed the groomer and they almost have steps on the sides of them where you can see the different sizes of skis that went through them. Overall in great shape for anyone who is a confident, experienced skier!

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(Eve Graves)

Absolutely perfect! All trails were open (even lower rollercoaster) and the big hill was fast and fun. Skiied all 11k!

(Dylan Linet)

Perfect day to be at Korkki. Last night's 3 inch snow freshly groomed this morning, evergreen snow mantle. Extra Blue kick wax. What could be better?! I skied the 6 K loop.

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(Dave Arvold)

Freshly groomed today. Solid skate deck and classic track. I skied Lonesome grouse and nine pine, just a few cars in the upper parking lot.

(Skip Van Kessel)

Beautiful warm 22 degrees under deep blue sky. Skied Lonesome Grouse and Nine Pine from East parking lot. About an inch or more of new snow not groomed yet, but very nice skied in tracks on both loops. A skate skier told me that Nine Pine skating lane was pretty slow as you could tell from my picture. Beautiful afternoon!

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(Loren Janson)

Classic skied Lonesome Grouse and Nine Pine Trails at 4PM at 5 degrees. Absolutely beautiful conditions. The tracks were wedding cake smooth. I hadn't been on Lonesome for two years. Thank goodness the county was able to manage the spruce budworm damaged balsam trees. And now the new growth is coming back! So good to see.

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(John Paulson)

Skied Bear Paw and across the lake. Absolutely perfect tracks and the skate deck looked pristine and barely used when we were there in the later part of the afternoon. Tracks were firm and somewhat fast. Boulder lake had some snow that had blown into some of the tracks, but it was still manageable and a wonderful ski!

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(Terra Ranum)

Skied all the north trails and bear paw. North trails are in great condition with skied in deep tracks that are speedy. South trails are not in great shape but they should be groomed soon. Was fun to see all the dogs out for dog days!

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(Rachelle Walker)

We skated all the skating trails Saturday evening. Three inches of snow had fallen on the woods from grandma's feather bed, which finally covered the sandpaper snow of this past week, and allowed for the skate skis to glide perfectly. Tracks were deep and had good glide too, but not as good as the skate lanes.

(John Paulson)

Skied the south trails (bear paw, blue ox) and the lake crossing. A couple inches of snow has fallen since it was groomed but the conditions are perfect. Plenty of classic and skaters were out enjoying the trails.

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(Rachelle Walker)

Not yet groomed from the recent snow, several inches of fluffy snow but smooth base underneath including a good track. Beautiful out there. Would probably be fine with your good skis.

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(Gabrielle Hester)

Tracks for classic set great. There is some straw poking up here and there but overall very good for the amount of snow down. Pine tree debris has blow down some on the trails. Great ski tiday.

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(Leigh Ann Weum)

Excellent coverage and solid base for skating. Tracks are immaculate. I skated Nine Pine and would have kept skating, but the cold snow was a chore for me today. I waxed for cold, but somebody forgot to tell me how out of shape I am!

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(John Paulson)

Whee! I was finally able to ski Spirit and Magney! Spirit was surprisingly good with firm corduroy and a beautiful set of tracks. The Connector was a little dicey at the bottom (water flowed over and then froze - see pic). Magney was good with fresh fluffy snow that was skied in (and snowplowed on the usual downhills). Had a smile the whole ski!

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(Elaine Nelson)

Classic skied everything at upper spirit. The classic track was a mess. It was recently groomed and full of sticks/brush/debris. I don't think I made it more than halfway through a section without being forced out by a low branch or fallen limb. I shouldn't have skied on the good skis as the bases took a fair amount of minor damage.

(Jedidiah Adams)

Started at magney where everything seemed in quite good shape. Connector to upper spirit is in great condition. Upper spirit itself could use a fresh grooming if possible. Tracks were generally firm, but lots of places where they are gone, or drifted, or wobbly, or close to the edge resulting in soft pole plants. Skate deck looked like it could use work too, with a bit of soft snow over a firm deck. Ended with moonlit trails which is always fun.

(Will Daniels)

Trails exhibited heavy usage on skate deck and classic tracks. Tracks were generally good, washed out in some spots due to softness of recent snowfall.

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(Ken Kuznia)

It was great to ski Lester again! I skied only the A loop. It was groomed well for both classic and skating! Nice to see people of all ages and families on the trail!

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(Kevin Hoeschen)

Skied on corduroy, trails in good shape, but some places soft and slow snow. Classic tracks looked mostly set.

(Linda Magni)

Belated thanks to the Hidden Valley team for sharing their gorgeous ski trails. Full snow coverage, great grooming and the wooded rolling hills are so fun. My daughter particularly enjoyed the surprise on Sommers loop and we both marveled at what we think was the aftermath of the final moments of a ruffed grouse.

(Anne Valaas-Turner)

New Snow Last 24Hours: 1"; Full system groomed for skate and classic style skiing. Conditions are excellent.

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(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)

Ole Hyyva, Hilfiger, and North Advanced were groomed and barely touched when I was out. The deck was rather hard and I saw some twig debris to dodge from recent winds.

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(Cory Quirk)

New Snow Last 24Hours: 4". All trails groomed for skate and classic style skiing. Conditions are excellent.

(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)

We groomed everything Wednesday afternoon and evening. Trails groomed up beautifully! We received a little bit of unforecasted glide dust Thursday morning; a firm base should make for wonderful skiing throughout the weekend!

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(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge)

Trails were groomed perfectly for skating and classic. Beautiful trails and tons of snow. We started at Golden Eagle Lodge and skied to Bearskin Lodge.

(Flannery Delaney)

We received just shy of 2" of fresh snow. All trails were groomed again early this morning. Deep classic tracks and firm deck. Great skiing!

(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge)

The Central Gunflint system was groomed to perfection (as always). The classic tracks were deep, firm, and completely free of debris. All of the hills had ample loose snow for climbing or descending. XC skiing does not get any better than this! Now that the Bearskin Lodge is grooming the Lace Lake Trail, that three-mile loop is an excellent addition to the Poplar Trail. The Poplar-Lace paired loops made for an excellent outing of ca. ten miles from the Bearskin.

(Mark Strobel)

We finished grooming the ski trail system for the upcoming weekend. This afternoon we groomed Overlook, Highlands, Ham Lake, Upper West End and the lighted trail Little Pine. All of the trails are groomed with a skate deck and a classic track. We are getting a lot of good feedback from our guests on the trails this year. We hope you can come up and enjoy the winter before it's gone!

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(John Fredrikson)

We got about an inch of snow overnight. We were out in the morning grooming some of the more busy trails. This morning we groomed Overlook, Rabbit Run, Aspen Alley, Warren's Road, Power Line, Cut Across, Short Cut, River Trail, Lower West End, Big Pine, Little Pine (our lighted trail), Lonely Lake and Amperage. All of the trails are in great shape and are groomed with a skate deck and a classic track. We also cleared the skating loop on the lake. The ice is holding up well with lots of people out using the trails.

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(John Fredrikson)

Great conditions on the Gunflint Trail! We have groomed the whole system in the last two days. This morning we groomed Highlands, Ham Lake, North Star, Upper West End and Overlook. All of the trails are groomed with classic tracks and a skate deck. We had a couple of inches of fresh snow yesterday morning. The trails are in great shape. We also have about 6 miles of skate trails cleared on the lake along the Canadian border!

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(John Fredrikson)

We were out early again today to get the rest of our trails ready for the busy weekend. This morning we groomed Overlook, Highlands, Ham Lake, North Star, Upper West End, Big Pine, Little Pine (our lighted trail), Lonely Lake, and Amperage. All of the trails are set with a classic track and a skate deck and have great coverage. The ice skate lanes on the lake are cleared and in great shape. Skates and skis are available to rent at the resort.

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(John Fredrikson)

We were out this cold morning to touch up some of the trails. Overlook, Rabbit Run, Aspen Alley, Warren's Road, Cut Across, Power Line, Short Cut, River Run and Lower West End. All of the trails were groomed with a classic track and a skate deck. We have great snow coverage on the Gunflint Trail and the trails are grooming up really nice. The skate trails were also groomed this morning. With light winds they should be in great shape for a few days. Grooming plans: We plan to get out tomorrow morning to finish up the system.

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(John Fredrikson)

We just finished grooming the Banadad Trail , the first 10 km, going West from East End Trailhead. Great conditions.

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(Andy Jenks, Banadad Trail Association)

Excellent! Trail was groomed on Friday for classic skiing. Trail is sheltered by woods on both sides so very comfortable even in the cold temps. Highly recommend skiing this trail.

(Flannery Delaney)

We got a few inches of really fluffy snow! Groomed and tracked the trail. There may be a few little ridges, since the snow wanted to plow a bit more than normal. Should be great skiing!

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(Jeff Love)

Good afternoon, I would say to stay off of the advanced loop here, but it's just not groomed or track set for this loop. All the rest of the loops are groomed wide and track set well with deep tracks for the most part. Be careful on the downhills like always and have fun. The weather was beautiful for a ski this afternoon.

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(Spring Higley)

The advanced loop on the backside is closed. trails is taped off for now will be back out to fix it tomorrow morning.

(Spring Higley)

I packed the skate lane on all trails. Set new classic track on Rajala, Sunset and Snag. Conditions look really good. Grooming plans: I'm planning on setting classic track tomorrow mid day on the trails I didn't set it on today.

(Tony Carter)

About 2-3 inches of fluff on the skate deck to ski through. Underlying base was firm, and surprisingly had good glide for how cold it was. It wasn't too much work to lift skis through the fluff and was an enjoyable outing. Classic tracks looked good and had been skied in after the last snowfall.

(Holly Kruchoski)

Groomed and track set all north Suomi Trails. Go and enjoy the trails. The trails are great and the scenery is fantastic!

(Dale Juntunen)

A couple of inches of fresh powder made it possible to enjoy even the big hills for this novice skier (i.e. snowplowing down them). We used the classic tracks under the new snow, and they held up well. What a glorious bluebird day of skiing. Beautiful trail system! Lit a fire in the warming house. Skied most of the trails. Came back for lunch in the warmed cabin, and went back out to do the entire system. Thank you Northern Lights Nordic Ski Club for maintaining these trails!

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(Debra Gagner)

Groomed all skating lanes. Classic tracks were in good shape so I left them as they are. I did ski through Red Pine and then the Tower Loop. Nice base and beautiful scenery.

(Tony Neururer)

-4° but sunny and no wind. With face mask I was nice and warm. Wonderful morning for a ski. The track is in great shape on Blue and Red Loop, pretty fast glide.

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(Steve Langenbrunner)

Joe got out today and groomed the whole system. Snow conditions are pretty close to perfect for a good glide - soft on top from the inch or so of new snow from yesterday with firm base. In spite of winds, there is virtually no debris on trail. Tracks are well set in most segments but there are places where tracks are a little shallow.

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(Mary Lawler Shedd)

We decided not to groom today due to the light fluffy snow that was on the tracks from Friday night snow. It was the right decision because nearly all the trails had been skied on and were in excellent condition to enjoy the trails with this fresh covering of white sparkly flakes. We skied from the new trailhead up to the shelter between Post 19 and 23 excellent conditions the entire way.

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(Nancy Schultz, Friends of Flathorn Gegoka Trails)

There was about 2 1/2 to 3 inches of new fluffy snow that fell last night covering up the tracks that were groomed on Friday. But many skiers have been over the groom trails today making it easy to enjoy the trails with the new snow.

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(Nancy Schultz, Friends of Flathorn Gegoka Trails)

Epic conditions - real snow and lots of it! Pictures show just how much snow is up there in the woods. Skied along Lake Gegoka, through the woods, across a bog and up to the pine ridge. Just beautiful! The grooming was outstanding with nice deep tracks with zero sticks or rocks. I don't know who had more fun - us or the dog but after 2 1/2 hours I was pretty tired so I vote the dog won.

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(Karla Anderson)

Mary and I skied the western trails, a three-hour trip starting from Jensen Trailhead. With the zero-degree temperatures, we expected the tracks to be slow, but they were not. We had a perfect ski. There was a very slight dusting of new snow on the tracks sunny skis and a little windblown in the open area near the shelter.

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(Nancy Schultz, Friends of Flathorn Gegoka Trails)

Great skiing on Norpine trail today. Absolutely beautiful with deep snow everywhere, sunny and surprisingly warm with trees offering protection from the gusty wind today. Three of us skied 6k Massie loop. Upper loop had about 3 inches of fresh snow on top of the groomed/tracked trail. Lower portion of the loop was freshly groomed this morning and basically perfect mid-winter conditions. Excellent classic tracks set and untouched corduroy on skate track. Wish we could have skied all day, but had to rest the legs for Birkie week.

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(Kirk Geadelmann)

The following trails were groomed today: Deeryard Main Loop, Firetower, Short Loop, Pioneer to Deeryard Connector, Pioneer Loop, Connector between Cascade Lodge and Ski Hill Road, Whitesides/Deertracks. All trails are in great shape.

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(Adam Dettman)

Pioneer Loop and Deeryard Main Loop groomed today. West End trails groomed yesterday, including Massie/Hall and Connector between Cascade Lodge and Ski Hill Road. All trails in great shape.

(Adam Dettman)

We had 3-5" of very dry, light, fluffy snow overnight. Despite that, the track seemed to set pretty well, so get out there and ski - this is probably the best conditions we'll have all winter. Grooming was completed by 10 AM, and I just skied and found that snowmobiles had travelled on a portion of the south trail that has been groomed for skate skiing. Grooming plans: I will re-groom that portion of the trail tomorrow morning.

(Paul VanderWaal)

Freshly groomed Red Top Loops in addition to Big Hole and Campground Loops. All in excellent shape. Getta goin', only a few weeks 'til Spring !

(Neil Gardner)

The trails that loop off the river (western) were groomed recently and in good shape while the trails more to the east (e.g. overlooking the lake) were not groomed since the Friday/Saturday snow and just have skier skied in tracks. A lot of walkers on the lower elevation areas just across the hwy from the Visitor Center.

(Jim Carlen)

Not yet groomed since the snow overnight so we broke trail on the path where the luminary event will take place tonight. Absolutely beautiful with the light fluffy snow covering all the trees!

Photos:

(Karla Anderson)

Another picture perfect day skiing Gooseberry with sun and deep blue skies! For the second day in a row we saw a huge white snowshoe hare right off the ski trail. Tracks are well set throughout entire park and campground trails. Very large wolf tracks all over and very little foot traffic made for a fun ski. Even the deer were peacefully meandering down the frozen river as we headed back to the main park building.

(Karla Anderson)

All trails were groomed and tracked today and are in great condition. Get out and ski!

(Mark Gordon)

All trails were groomed and tracked this afternoon and are an excellent condition. The lights are still down but we're working on it.

(Mark Gordon)

All trails were groomed and tracked today, including tracks on the two advanced spurs. Trail is in excellent condition. the lights on the 3k are still out. City crews have been out twice to dig up the line but they are having difficulty finding all of the breaks. They are doing a heroic job though. We will let you know as soon as it is fixed. Grooming plans: All our groomers are out of town on Saturday, so the next earliest grooming will be Sunday.

(Mark Gordon)

I was excited to ski these trails for the first time in two years, but the conditions were rough. The snow was probably too thin and soft for tracks in the first place, but the high volume of foot traffic did not help. Many areas had exposed rock that could be avoided, but I ended up with my share of new scratches.

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(Dan Carlson)

Impeccable conditions on the man-made 5K snow loop. Corduroy was just soft enough to get an edge, and classic tracks are bulletproof. And the snow seems to be warming up just a tad to make gliding a bit easier. Should be an excellent weekend for the free Winter Play Day at Hyland!

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(Bill Oyler)

The snowmaking loop was in very good condition at my 3:30 start. It was around 20 degrees and sunny. While there was little loose snow on the skate deck, I had no trouble getting bite or negotiating the Boulder Ridge downhill with almost no snowplowing. The snow was dry and, with my skis newly waxed with Opti-Wax in the -4 to 32 degree temperature range, I found it a little slow and tiring on the climbs, being .5 mph off my recent usual pace. The skier traffic was very light, with the front parking lot being the least crowded I've seen it all season.

(Keith Carlson)

Early morning skate ski on snowmaking trail. Only two other skiers out at 5:45AM....everyone must already be up at Birkie or tapering :). Conditions of the skate deck were excellent but a bit slow due to the morning temps (around zero). Groomers as always get a huge shout out for maintaining excellent skate deck and classic tracks. Thank you to the groomers and everyone else who's makes it possible for us to cross country ski each winter!

(John Nealon)

The trails have been groomed beautifully this season, and I love Hyland. But sadly, when I skied classic last night there was a groomed squiggle at the bottom of the last Frogtown hill. The track bulges out as the trail curves to join oak knoll/willow creek so you can't see the squiggle until it's too late and you're flying right at it. :( Now headed to urgent care for a shoulder injury after a high-speed fall.

(Alex Haglin)

Slow but nice. Corduroy was much more forgiving than yesterday. Over dressed yesterday. Today was just pants with no long johns, mittens, warm skin. and buff. No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes.

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(Kevin Wendland)

As usual, manmade snow trails were in good shape with a firm skate deck and tracks. Also skied the lake trail with natural snow. Of the total 2.0 mi / 3.3 km of the lake trail, about 1.2 mi / 1.9 km is the causeway and woods. In general this portion started with noticeable wood chips, then trended to leaves poking through the snow. It was usually easy to avoid the worst spots, and there was no scraping of bottoming out of skis. Once out of the woods, snow cover was sufficient but not enough for groomed tracks. Bundle up and enjoy the outdoors!

(Tom Pitchford)

Trail conditions were fair on the east side trails at my 3:30 start. There was a fair amount of generally avoidable snert. Snow was soft with some "soft" rutting that was easily skated thru. Skate deck was occassionally uneven or roller coaster-like in spots. Hopefully will set after being rolled again. It was low 20's with sun just breaking out as dusk approached. Skier traffic was light after Kids League ended for the day.

(Keith Carlson)

The man made loop is absolutely perfect this morning. Nice deep tracks. Nice skate deck. New snow was a bit staticy. Natural trails were rolled and there were a handful of people braving them. They looked thin but skiable.

Photos:

(Scott Greymont)

The snowmaking loop was in good condition at my 3:00 pm start. Only thing detracting from a better rating was one inch of new snow that slowed me, cutting my usual pace by 15 to 20%. Snow itself was fast but the resistance pushing through it on the climbs was simply too much for me to overcome. It was in the low 20's. At least I got to experience seeing the snow flow through the holes in the shovels of my Fisher RCS skis as I skated. Skier traffic was predictably light with the unusual phenomena of classic skiers outnumbering skaters, who were either trying to miss the snow-storm-slowed car traffic or the same on the ski trail.

(Keith Carlson)

I skied late morning and it looks like everyone (like me) skipped the early skiing because of the cold. Everything looked like it had just been groomed with firm and fast snow. The classic tracks were perfect with no ice in the bottom.

(Kenneth Kooistra)

With new snow, skate deck stable for skate skiing, but slow with cold temps. Classic track in good shape. Enjoyed classic today.

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(Ken Kuznia)

Skied the manufactured trails. Classic tracks excellent, solid and deep, and good for kicking. Skate deck concrete hard from cold temps and slippery, difficult to balance on and keep on top of your skis while V2ing.

Photos:

(Ken Kuznia)

Freshly groomed, tracked. Fairly thin, still good conditions. I did not ski the "most difficult" ski skate area. Hundreds of swans, geese in open areas on the river. Skied under an eagles nest, got scolded by an eagle along the Mondale River trail.

(Amy Storbakken)

Plenty of snow, however trails are not recently groomed. Trails are a bit beat up. Many of the ski trail have had walkers on them. A little cold for a ski with the 15-20 mph wind. Saw lots of wildlife along the river.

Photos:

(Mark Zelenak)

Upper trails (by the trail center and logging trail) had been tracked last weekend. Since that time, they've gotten some new snow that's been worked in by skiers. The lower trails along the river were, I believe, rolled but never tracked; there has been a decent amount of traffic, though, so self made trails exist just about everywhere. Very pleasant.

(Alex Leslie)

Conditions were very good on the trails closest to the visitor center including Windfall, Mitigwaki loop and the Old logging trail. Although the trails were not groomed recently they were deep enough with great grip and glide. Do not recommend the trails by the Trail Center including the Praire Loops as they are in rough shape (see picture) with sticks and rocks showing. Was worth the drive from the Cities as they have over 6 inches of fresh snow.

Photos:

(Scott Ford)

Skied the purple loop off the Visitor Center. Temp. was 21F and snow quality was quite good, but there was really only the minimum— no depth to hold a track. It was groomed a few hours before. Classic is kind of do-able if you're willing to hop into the sorta-track that exists here and there, that had been created by early die-hards. Some folks were skating and it seemed fine for that— they seemed to be cruising right along. But we'll need more snow before classic trails are decent.

(Larry Sawyer)

We groomed Bunker ski trails today. No track was set due to lack of base. Golf Course conditions are good, and B skis are recommended. Trails within Bunker Park are mostly skiable with some patches of exposed grass, B Skis are recommended. Skijor is borderline un-skiable with many grassy/dirt areas. Rock skis are recommended.

(Andrew Owen, Anoka County Parks)

Skated bunker during the snow Friday afternoon. All trails were groomed with 1-2" fresh snow on top of corduroy. Generally good coverage with a few areas of dirt/sticks poling through. All in all, very skiable and very pretty in the falling snow!

(Steven Goetz)

Surprised to not find a recent trail report so took a chance to make the drive only to be disappointed that the trails were not groomed. Eagan got 3" of snow but in talking to the park employee, it was not enough for groomimg. Plenty of coverage for skier made tracks with minimal debris so still nice to get out on the nice wooded trails but would only give a fair rating overall. The wind was quite nippy this morning and forgot my face covering which I won't do next time.

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(Scott Ford)

When it's good, it's good, when it's bad, it's treacherous. Tested the "poor" published rating which is probably a good average. There's some great stretches of awesome skate deck but especially at the end of King loop it was nearly bare rocks and sticks, had to take off skis and hike. Fun time but slow going for sure. Cmon Minny winter, bring more snow!

Photos:

(Drew Breyer)

Regrouped, as in rolled. Good for freestyle/skate skiing but the relatively decent classic skier made tracks were all but obliterated. Very disappointing and made for a much more difficult classic ski. Good cover in most areas and snow is good. There are more areas of leaves and exposed dirt and rocks, but all easily avoidable.

(Lincoln Fetcher)

The trails haven't been maintained since usage on Saturday and Sunday. With the cold, they were rock hard (as expected). Downhills were icy fast and hard. Green grip wax worked well. As expected, there were very few people.

(Bryan Heinle)

Not enough snow to set tracks. The user made tracks are often down to the ground. I can see new scratches and gouges on the bottom of the skis. The trails had not been re-groomed after Saturday's usage.

(Bryan Heinle)

They did not roll the trails today, but if you can brave the cold, the trails are good! Thankful for the extra snow! Skied the north side this time.

(Joey Nilan)

Good conditions! Rolled but not tracked two photos of the worst (and still good) on the red, green and yellow loops and the best. Essentially no bad spots. Good snow cover, soft, and fairly fast.

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(Lincoln Fetcher)

Still fairly good coverage with some grass and sticks showing but avoidable. Only man made classic tracks which are fairly shallow and non existence in sections but some good stretches where you could get a little rhythm. Groomed several days ago. Love Battle Creek and Hyland with their very good conditions on artificial snow but just needed a change of pace. Browns Pond trail was not bad with the skins performing quite well. Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Photos:

(Scott Ford)

Definitely still skiable, but the trails have seen a lot of use since the weekend's snowfall. Up and downhills have rocks/gravel that are at times hard to decipher from other debris. Most of flats are still pretty good for coverage. I'd again avoid the north loop that goes through the picnic area with the thin base over the bike trail until we get more snow.

(John Leaf)

Skied a couple miles but cut the loop shorter than planned due to debris. Trails are packed (no classic tracks) snow is soft and thin in many spots. Lots of sticks, roots, leaves, dirt, and rocks. Fingers crossed for more snow!

(Maddie Larkin)

All trails are open and had been packed. No tracks set yet for classic. Snow is minimal but coverage is even. Bit of grass poking up in the usual spots. Cut my own classic tracks in on the side. Skate deck looked good enough to have fun in 65% of places the other 35% was pretty skied out and soft but doable.

(Lori Goodsell)

The West is the Best! Freshly groomed, thank you groomers. Fast, firm, and nice deep tracks for Classic. The skate deck looked amazing and skaters were flying. I tried venturing off of the the man made trails on top of the hill (wooded area) but would not recommend due to the shallow track, debri, etc.) Great sunny day to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.

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(Scott Ford)

I must have arrived right after the groomers worked their usual magic. I believe I had first tracks, starting about 11:00 a.m. The classic tracks were fresh and well-set. Skating deck appeared to be solid and pristine. It was not as chilly as expected (bright sunshine certainly helped).

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(Paul Lohmann)

Skied the natural snow trails on my rock skis. They were soft and chewed up by the time I was there at 2pm but decent coverage except some spots on the downhills. The east facing uphill from Winthrop was bad: dirt and rocks so I recommend skipping that part. The other sections would be worth it if you have rock skis and want to mix it up.

Photos:

(Karen Katz)

I skied the front side covered with artificial snow. The coverage was excellent. Tracks were very good. Snow was fresh and moist. My wax gripped the snow, but the snow was soft and it was a little hard to get a good glide.

(Greg Filice)

Skied all trails this morning, natural snow and made-made. Thank you groomers for rolling the natural-snow trails, it felt really nice to ski in different areas of the park! Snow depth was sufficient this morning on the World Cup and Ski Games trails and it was beautiful. Be cautious as a few sticks or rocks may start to emerge, but it is well-worth a try on this nice winter day! Classic tracks on the ski games were set, but a little grassy, I classic skied on the skate deck which was good at that time.

(Véronique St-Louis)

All artificial snow trails are open and in good condition. The natural snow trails have been groomed but no classic tracks. There is a base of snow covering the trails but the downhills are getting snowplowed off so be cautious when descending. For the instructional groups out over the weekend please be aware of the abilities of your students and the conditions of the natural snow trails. Grooming plans: We are hoping to groom natural snow trails Saturday morning. The last note I have is the lights on the west side of the upper loops all the way down Cowabunga are out and we are working to get them repaired but they will probably be out through the weekend. The lights are working on the rest of the trails. Thanks everyone for coming out and skiing. Have a great weekend.

(Rob Adams, Ramsey County Parks)

Perfect skate deck, and slightly softer than Tuesday morning. There were only a couple very avoidable icy spots. The lights on the north woods weren't on, but the moonlight helped. Classic tracks looked good. Thanks BC crew!

Photos:

(John Greene)

Very firm corduroy, but just enough to get a good edge. The trails are in great shape. Snow was a little sticky for me, but I didn't properly wax for these conditions. Put on some wool and get after it. Thanks BC crew!

Photos:

(John Greene)

Recently re-groomed. Skate deck was pretty smooth: impressive given the lack of snow to work with. Still plenty of dirt patches with some rocks poking through, typically in the usual spots under the railroad and by the campground. Classic tracks were intermittent.

(John Leaf)

Skate deck was well used by the time we got out around 5pm, a few soft spots and rocky sections, but other than being a little slow due to the cold it was great to see these trails getting put to good use :) Thank you to the grooming crew out there and hope everyone is enjoying the trails this February.

(Dakota Holman)

Groomer was out this morning around 8! Snow is a little soft in places, there are a few bare-ish spots under thick tree coverage. Overall fantastic to be on new snow!

(Katie Swanson)

The natural snow trails (Skyline, Bridge, Tornado Alley) are still fully skiable with rock skis - just enough snow under 55 bridge to make it through. Rock hard snow in some places, but still possible to skate on the natural stuff! Snowmaking loop was in perfect shape per usual.

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(Bill Oyler)

As usual, great grooming for skate and classic on the snowmaking trails. Pretty cold this afternoon, but there was plenty of sunshine and not very many skiers. It's always a good ski at Theo!

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(Bill Lundberg)

What a distinctly different feel the natural snow is compared to the machine-made that many of us are used to on the snowmaking trails. Great conditions today, maybe a little loose and soft on the skate deck, but a pleasure to ski on it. Classic tracks were phenomenal in spots, surprisingly a little dirty in (few) stretches, but otherwise a nice outing all-around. Tracks were a little soft, lots of skate skiers hitting them and causing the top couple inches to crumble in spots.

(Mike Snell)

Skijored this morning on the natural trails north of Glenwood. If you don't mind hitting the odd stone or clump of dirt, the trails are still quite fun! About an inch (or maybe less) is packed real firm on the paved sections.

(Mike Schowalter)

As usual, great conditions for both classic and skate at Wirth this afternoon. It was another cold day, but not too bad without much wind. Had a fun ski on all the hilly trails! It was another day without many skiers.

Photos:

(Bill Lundberg)

We went skijoring on the multi-use trail. It was groomed but pretty thin base. Plenty of debris and pavement showing but easy enough to avoid.

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(Kyle Benson)

I skied the outer multi-use trail, the Northern Lights and the man-made snow loop. The multi-use was a little dicey as some of the tar path was showing thru. The trail was driven by a side-by-side rather than groomed like in past snow years. Northern Lights was groomed but there were some little pebbles and dirt here and there. Manmade loop was in excellent shape! Only a few had skated on it before me so corduroy heaven! Pics are from multi-use trail.

Photos:

(Jennifer Bennett)

Bright, crisp winter sun. Whitetail deer watching warily from the brush, nostrils flaring. The rhythmic crunch of poles stabbing into hard snow. My absolute favorite ski of the season so far, particularly for classic. I was the only one on the snowmaking course at 10am, and even by 11, not a single user of the skate deck, which I don't think I've ever seen before. The conditions were fantastic (yes, cold at -5, but nothing a few layers can't counter). The tracks were the best I've seen all year - fast but not icy, grippy without being sticky, no washouts whatsoever. Absolutely pristine.

(Jason Goepfert)

Not enough snow for classic track to be set, only skier-made tracks on Medicine Lake. The trails are rolled and very thin on pretty much all places. Dirt patches on some parts. Overall, a pleasant ski given how little the base.

Photos:

(Scott Cummings)

Hard, nicely groomed deck with a few avoidable patches of gravel peeking through. It was cold today, hovering around -5F. I only saw one other skier, but got an excellent ski in on hard packed, lightly skied corduroy around most trails, which may be slightly better suited to skating. No classic tracks set due to snow depth, however, you can connect to an external double tracked (classic only) loop that someone made around the perimeter of Medicine Lake. The latter was firm, blown over in a few spots. Thanks to the groomers at French for pushing the limits to make this possible on thin snow cover.

(Andrew Kotila)

Trails were freshly groomed. I'd say you could get away with B skis but there were definitely some rocks in sections and my poles touched pavement in several places so I listed as rock skis. Still, it was beautiful to be out and the trails were better than expected with such little snow.

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(Katharine Woodman-Maynard)

Went after dark and stayed on lit trails but didn't see or feel any rocks. I was on my rock skis but I think I'd risk better in day time. Glad to have a whole week off fake snow.

(Benjamin Fuller)

Had a great ski, but rock skis recommended. Downhills generally had full coverage but there are small rocks poking through on many uphills and flats. Soft conditions and very mashed trails on uphills. It was groomed nicely but seems like it got a lot of traffic today!

(Anna Meyer)

The French trails were packed and in fair condition. There were no classic tracks except for skier made. There was decent snow coverage, especially on the hilly trails on the west side of the park. It just felt good to be able to ski at French this year. There were a few skiers out and about enjoying the trails.

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(Bill Lundberg)

Better than expected. I skied everything West of the visitors center without taking off my skis. Medicine trail was the best by far so I did 5 laps. The rest of the trails mostly were completely snow covered. The problem is they all had 1 inch granite stones scattered around even off the edge of the grooming so it was sometimes a challenge avoiding them especially on the downhills.

(Dan Zenk)

Really enjoyed a classic ski around Pike Island. There's a relatively consistent track around the outside - despite shallow snow coverage. Saw multiple deer, a pair of coyotes, and a red tailed hawk. Well worth the trip. I did hit a few rocks - so rock skis would be the best choice. Appreciate the report from yesterday as it got me out here!

Photos:

(Sara Brokaw)

Late afternoon/dusk ski around Pike Island, I found good to really good skiing in the outside track: a few easily avoided brownish places and just a few places where the track was hiked on. A very pleasurable experience!

(Jim Patterson)

Groomed the trail with mixed results. Decent base in spots and grass showing in others. Recommend using B skis. Get out and enjoy the weekend!

Photos:

(James Bezanson)

Phalen cross country ski trail was roll-groomed today, very soft and drifty snow. Hopefully it will pack in. No classic track was set. Stay warm.

Photos:

(James Bezanson)

I was out a little after the City had made a second pass to pack the trail (no classic tracks). It was nice to be out in the bright sun; skate deck was descent for the thin snow conditions; very slow in the cold. Near the pine groves and a couple other spots there were lots of branches and pine cones on the trail (I cleared some). There also was a spot.5-1 km from reaching the clubhouse parking where my ski found a sneaky rock under the snow and I landed on my nose. I was able to find the rock and clear it.

(Karl Dewahl)

Highland 9 hole was groomed this morning. The base is thin but skiable. We were unable to set a classic track. Some areas show ground or grass. B skis recommended.

Photos:

(James Bezanson)

Coverage for classic surprisingly good on the usual grooming path, which some small reroutes for thin spots. I was comfortable on B skis and didn't damage them. Just need to watch and go around a few spots. Some might want rock skis, especially skating. Only one spot where the asphalt path and some rocks threatened, otherwise it was occasional tuft of grass only one of which was grabby. Some homemade tracks are good, some washed out, some drifted over. No real soft spots anymore, it's all pretty hard packed from the cold and skiers. The skate deck looked intermittently chopped up, thin, drifted, hardpack. Awesome to ski in the neighborhood, thanks groomers, I'll be back soon!

Photos:

(Jeff Streier)

Soft, but skiable. I felt the first half was better set, but it could be the mental games after the "big" hill. ( Or drifting snow) Still some grass and path showing. Ski careful and you'll be fine. More snow is always appreciated, but the groomers are doing well with what they have. Classic tracks looked ok. Many classic users out, so it was getting skied in nicely.

(Jeff Miersch)

There was plenty of the fluffy stuff to roll-groom today, conditions are very soft. Hopefully it will pack and harden with the colder temperatures. No classic track set. Enjoy the holiday weekend, folks!

Photos:

(James Bezanson, St. Paul Parks and Recreation)

The loop was rolled this morning while I skied. Snow is soft and no classic tracks. I tried to grab sticks and toss them out of the way as I went. Got a couple of nice glides. Tracks were rolled around 10am this morning. Plenty of snow and no bare spots.

(Meg Nodzon)

No classic tracks set but followed other's tracks, skate deck looked barely set. It was hard to see where the trail was supposed to go and lots of leaves, twigs, grass. All that said, I was able to glide over frozen stuff the whole route so it was skiable, but barely. If you're a die-hard like me you'll still go out, but bring your rock skis. If you're a purist, better to skip it.

(Judy Sharken Simon)

Good snow coverage, completely ruined by unauthorized users walking on the trail. These are supposed to be ski only trails with a Ramsey County ski pass required for use in the winter. There is maybe 2-3 inches of hard packed snow groomed and packed down quite firmly (too firm for skis to sink through to the ground). The trails were groomed at one point, but are now super bumpy due to holes from foot traffic. The coverage is pretty good, but there were several spots where a boot hole caused a small hole of pavement to show underneath the snow. This is easily avoidable since the snow is frozen hard enough where skis should easily glide right over those small holes without touching the pavement (or can easily ski around them.) Also, a few spots had leaves on the course and a few small sections of the woods had a little dirty showing. If you're worried about ski damage by leaves etc, then I'd not use your best pair, but most easily avoided. There are classic tracks, but they mostly looked user made and were a bit washed out from foot prints or skis sliding out on uneven snow. The trail was a bit smoother for most of the grass trail portions.

Photos:

(Megan Evans)

Trails were rolled this morning. All of the trails are open, however, no tracks have been set. There is still decent snow cover - a few thin spots.

(Kristy Rockford, Ramsey County Parks)

Pine cone groomed a flat deck for classic ski only. But not enough snow to set classic tracks. There is one skied on track. Lots of people out today.

Photos:

(Amy Kay Kerber)

After seeing the groomer's report about Como I decided to check it out with my rock skis. I am happy to report that it was quite skiable. There were only skier-made classic tracks, but the skate deck was good enough not to unduly challenge my balance. Sure, there were bare spots at the usual places--the uphill by the chalet, coming down from the big hill by the downhill ski area, and under the bridge--but except for under the bridge it was possible to get around them. I ended up just doing loops on the north side to avoid the bridge entirely. The ungroomed snow was shallow enough that skating across it to close the loop was possible. On my last loop, when it was barely light enough to see, I noticed that the "glacier" on the north side of the ridge before the bridge, has a large flat groomed area with at least two pairs of machine made classic tracks for a hundred yards or so at the bottom of the downhill slope. That would be a good place to practice for those desperate enough to be satisfied by such a short distance. Thanks groomers! Skiing at Como spares me an hour in the car getting to Wirth, which gives me another hour to ski.

(Lois Braun)

Groomed the skate deck and overall it's in decent shape. There are a few spots where grass is peeking through and a few rough spots. Get out and enjoy!

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(James Bezanson)

Thought skiing the glacier would keep me from the wind, but I was quickly disabused of that notion. There was a shallow skied-in classic track, which was okay but very thin in sections. The skate deck looked okay but had not been groomed today. Because it is so close to my home, I really like the Como course, but I won't return until we get more snow.

(Michael Kuhne)

Como was surprisingly good - much better than I expected! The trail had been rolled and groomed, but at noon the grooming was mostly gone (broken up) but the deck was still solid enough to skate. There were also some sections that had been drifted over with our high winds. Classic tracks had not been set, but there were a number of skiers making their own. Coverage was adequate by avoiding some visible low spots (top of hill before steep descent is about the worst) so I don't believe my skis (B skis just to be safe) bottomed out. So great to ski in the neighborhood again!

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(Kent York)

Roll groomed today snow was fluffy and inconsistent. Overall, a few inches we received will help. No classic track was set. Get out there and pack it in. Cheers.

Photos:

(James Bezanson, St. Paul Parks and Recreation)

A very thin skate deck was groomed this morning, no classic track was able to be set. There are multiple bare patches. Hopefully the more snow soon!

Photos:

(James Bezanson)

Trails were groomed this morning. There is about 2 inches of packed snow.

(Levi Thesing)

We rolled the 5k loop, meadow, and river trail this morning. You can try to ski it but expect some sticks, grass, and some rocks. We could really use more snow. The man-made loop is skiing great with new tracks!

(Jason Mork)

Classic tracks were still in good shape after Monday's grooming and the skate deck looked good too. Warmer temperatures made the tracks fast and there was still little debris in them. So get out and ski!

Photos:

(David Wilford)

Groomed the skate lane this afternoon should be very good. Tracks are still pretty good especially the black loop.

(Craig Johnson)

Skate deck and classic tracks are still in good shape with very little debris and no bare spots. There have been a lot of skiers though the past two days so some of the tracks are widened in places.

Photos:

(David Wilford)

The trails after being groomed this morning were in great shape, nice deep classic tracks and the skate deck looked good too. Very little debris and no bare spots.

Photos:

(David Wilford)

Groomed fresh this morning. All trails look great. Skiing will be a bit soft with almost four inches of fluffy snow.

(Greg Hoelscher)

Beautiful trails in a hardwood forest. Used good skis but watch for small branches and bark. Tracks had plenty of depth, but here and there vegetation poked through. Falling snow mode everything slow.

Photos:

(Rick Vatsaas)

Both skate deck and classic tracks are in excellent condition and very little debris still. It was snowing when I was out.

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(David Wilford)

Just getting the last little easier ski in before the 0820 start tomorrow, classic skied 6 km in 24 minutes. This is the first Birkie I was forced to cross-train more and work 110 hours every two weeks throughout the winter, legs felt good as can be with what could be done with training this year. Tracks are well skied in, skate deck is semi-firm with some fluff on top. Glide is getting great with the warmer weather. Beautiful day to come ski this gem!

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(Kevin Grand)

Brought the good skis to New Moon for a Birkie wax. Took the B skis out for a kick-double pole ski to satisfy my nerves before Saturday. Classic skied 11km in 50 minutes on firm older tracks with a little bit of fresh fluff snow. Glide is getting good with the warmer temps. The skate deck and tracks are still a little uneven, but it's not too noticeable. Beautifully relaxing ski!

(Kevin Grand)

Classic skied 12 km after work today, 59 minutes. Cold snow, sticky glide in spots. Snow is still a little thin in places, with twigs popping up here and there. But, otherwise excellent conditions. Medium deep tracks, firmish skate deck. Trail is still a little uneven. Overall an excellent decompression ski after a day at work. Thank you groomers!

Photos:

(Kevin Grand)

Classic skied the Ashland trails Sunday afternoon. Good coverage, mostly good track except for Paula's Pond, which was windblown and thin. Skate deck was still soft after the fluffy snow.

(Andy Goyke)

All skate lanes were groomed including Abbey Road, Beginners Loop, Skid Road, Northern Lights, the Buzz, Seagull, Anchor, Zig Zag, Roller Coaster, Telford and Jolly Loop. In addition, Sugar Bush, Seagull, and Oppedahl Classic Only trails were tracked.

(Ann Mosey)

Reset track and combed Anchor system, Telford, Seagull to Nordic summit, Jolly, and Roller Coaster. Skate/classic groomed on Abbey Road, Beginners Loop, Skid Road, Northern Lights, and the Buzz. Classic Only including Sugar Bush, Oppendahls Alley, Seagull Classic, Deer Path also beautifully groomed.

(Ann Mosey)

Deer Path was double packed, rolled, and tracked. Abbey Rd, Beginners', Jolly Long, Anchor, Roller Coaster, and Telford had skate refreshed. Fresh tracks set and skate was groomed on Skid Rd and Seagull classic (except between nordic and alpine summit).

(Ann Mosey)

Well, it wasn't 40 km but classic skied 23.07 miles in 3 hours 38 minutes of Ashwabay hill climbs and controlled downhills. Half the combi trails had groomed skate deck and medium deep tracks. Conditions were firm yet soft because of the amount of snow they received. Glide was a little slow. All and all a great final long ski before the Birkie! Thank you for getting me to the first wave for the 53 km classic this year Ashwabay groomers! I'll see you in Hayward!

(Kevin Grand)

Skate/classic trails were fully groomed on Anchor, Abbey, Telford, Beginner, Skid Rd, Jolly, and Sea Gull. Classic Only was groomed on Sugar bush, Oppendahl, and Seagull classic.

(Ann Mosey)

Classic skied 20.2 miles in 3 hours 15 minutes. Al ot of fresh snow and skied on conditions. Soft and uneven tracks, soft skate deck. Definitely a kick kick ski rather than a kick glide ski. Hill climbs were great, glide was lacking due to fresh powder. Beautiful ski. Hopefully they groom for tomorrow, the plan is to do the last 40 km ski before the Birkie.

(Kevin Grand)

It is snowing! The Big Loop including Abbey Road, Beginners Loop, Skid Road, Northern Lights, the Buzz, Seagull were groomed. Combined skate/classic were rolled then track was set. Anchor and Seagull done a second time. Classic Only trails (except for Deer Path) were rolled and new tracks set. Excellent results!

(Ann Mosey)

All skate was beautifully refreshed including Abbey Road, Beginners Loop, Skid Road, Northern Lights, the Buzz, Seagull, Anchor, Zig Zag, Roller Coaster, Telford and Jolly Loop.

(Ann Mosey)

Groomers concentrated on the core loop, Far East, and side trails. Gravel Road and Excelsior Road were re-groomed. Looks like winter on the trails.

(Patrick Persons)

The groomers worked some magic and the skate deck was surprisingly firm and fast. The snow was falling fast too. Used my good skis and enjoyed the ride, but the Bs might have made me a little more care free. Excited to get out there again this weekend and do my part to ski in the new snow.

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(Amanda Wieckowicz)

The east side trails are shaping up nicely. I bided my time at work today and waited for the retirees to ski the trail in firmer. They did a great job! Groomers were out again at the end of the day. I used my good skis easily, but there are a few spots that could be leaves or could be dirt. I had a hard time telling. A classic skier said the tracks were the best he's seen this season after a long training ski.

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(Amanda Wieckowicz)

Conditions are perfect. There's about an inch of light fluffy snow on a firm skate base. The only problem is that I skied for an hour and didn't see anyone else! ;).

(Patrick Remington)

Absolutely fabulous groomed conditions: firm skating decks, and solid classic trails!! We left from the Trailhead near 2, skied most of the northernmost trails - didn't make it to White Pine, Re Md Pine or Nebagamon though.

(Kathleen Culhane-Pera)

After several inches of fresh snow over the weekend, the trails are in great shape. All the trails are well groomed.Track has been set throughout the trails and is excellent. With the cold weather, the regroomed trails have set up well (nice and firm). Thank you groomers!

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(Debbie Mikkola)

Trails look like they have been rolled. Still pretty soft from the fresh snow yesterday but a pleasurable classic ski.

(Dan Wolbrink)

Trails had not been groomed as of 1pm. Tried skating but it's just too deep. Hopefully they'll groom and I can get out tomorrow!

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(Michelle Hatch)

About 6 inches of fluffy snow fell over the weekend. We finally have a nice base to work with. All trails at Anvil were groomed this morning. Tracks are set everywhere but Devil's Run.

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(Valerie Knurr)

Anvil trail was groomed and tracks were set this morning. Our UTV is out of service right now so we used snowmobiles and a smaller groomer than normal. Tracks are set on East, West, Ninemile, Lake Loop, and Military Trails. Most areas have firmed up well in the extra cold temps today.

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(Valerie Knurr)

About 6 inches of fluffy snow fell over the weekend. We finally have a nice base to work with. All trails at Nicolet North were groomed this morning. Tracks are set everywhere. We used snowmobiles to groom, so trails are not groomed as wide as they have been previously.

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(Valerie Knurr)

The entire trail system was regroomed Wednesday and is in great shape. Deep tracks in most areas and a a smooth skate deck. The one area to beware of though - there is still thin snow on the trails to the right of the parking lot for the first 50 yards.

(Joe Panci)

We skied the trails Monday and the snow coverage was good - just that thin area on the trail to the right by the parking lot to be careful of. Some trail sections and tracks has drifted in - in the day since we groomed in the open areas, but overall the trails were in good shape! Fabulous to be able to ski the golf course again.

(Joe Panci)

Very excited to say that we groomed the entire trail system for the first time in 2 years! Some areas had big snow drifts and others still had thin conditions - most notably the trail to the right of the trailhead parking lot on the very first curve. We brought in more snow to cover this thin spot - but still - be careful. The rest of the trail system had good to excellent snow coverage. I would still recommend B skis just in case. I did put in a single track in quite a few areas where I thought the snow depth could handle it - and the tracks were deep and well defined. The wind was pretty strong though in the open areas - so drifting no doubt occurred and filled in some tracks. Enjoy the trails!

(Joe Panci)

Trails open! The elite grooming team had lots of fresh powder to work with and the trails are fantastic! Great base and corduroy through the trails. Should be great skiing for some while.

(John Gustavson)

It looks like the skating deck on all the trails was groomed today, leaving nice cord. A small bit of the classic tracks were re-set while the rest are still in good condition.

(Mark Blaskey)

The skating deck is hard packed powder. The last grooming was Sunday. As predictable as swallows returning to Capistrano, oak leaves are starting to fall and collect in the classic tracks in some spots.

(Mark Blaskey)

A dusting fell last night and the groomers set new cord on all the trails this morning. The deck is mostly firm and quick, given the cold temp. The classic tracks are very good but getting a bit worn.

(Mark Blaskey)

After getting another 3 inches of snow yesterday all trails here were groomed and a classic track was set this morning. Classic track was not deep, but very skiable. It's just great to finally have enough snow! Lots of people out there, both skate and stride. No bare ground and only a few spots (a few feet) where there was some grass poking out. No leaves in the tracks.

(Libby Stupak)

Grooming this morning of the 2" of powder that fell yesterday left fresh cord everywhere on top of the thin base. Skating is very good to excellent. Classic tracks were set almost everywhere and they also are very good to excellent.

(Mark Blaskey)

The groomers were setting new cord this morning. Some oak leaves were turned up in the sharp corners, but overall good skating. The 2-3K of tracks are firm and mostly free of leaves.

(Mark Blaskey)

The 1/2" of dry powder that fell yesterday did a decent job of covering the thin spots/leaves on the skating deck. The machine-set classic tracks got faster with more skiers going over them.

(Mark Blaskey)

Some fresh cord, some older packed snow on the skating deck throughout the system. Corners near the chalet have leaves on the deck and thin snow. The groomers were working this afternoon. The big news is the Tidd-Tech groomer that belongs to the Ski Striders was found in a warehouse after being missing for 10+ years and was used to set tracks on the lighted trails and Flyway. The tracks are very good with just occasional thin spots.

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(Mark Blaskey)

Birkie Ridge and Birkie Skate Trails: Nearly perfect conditions for both skate and classic. Really nice classic tracks today. Ski tech note: 3um pink polishing paper has had very positive effect on zero degree skate ski glide.

(Tom Dunaway)

Birkie start to Bodecker Rd had 5 inches of fluff, was soft in the groomed track and a couple spots with tilled leaves. After Bodecker past OO the trail was firmer, thinner base. Polar base and polar top coat good initial glide, drag evident at top speed.

(Kevin Smith)

40" feet wide ribbon of perfect virgin white corduroy from Mosquito Brook to Gravel Pit. Great tracks!

(Audun Mikkelson)

I skied north and south of OO on Monday morning and afternoon and just north of OO on Tuesday afternoon. There was enough snow but it was soft/slow except on the bigger hills where it was glazed. The section south of OO was closed on Tuesday in preparation for the Birkie events next week.

(Kenneth Kooistra)

Willow is pretty rough at this point. The thin base is hard packed and worn through in spots. Rock skis are a must if you ask me. You may be able find a clean stretch but I quit after a couple miles to save my B skis.

(Alison Wieckowicz)

I took my good classic ski's out today and found plenty of good skiing for the 7 miles I skied. Red trail Skate deck was in very good condition. Even the Classic tracks were 90% skiable. Yellow trail on the other hand, both skate and classic, is tough if you start at group campground so I'd avoid that. The blue trails around the campground are in perfect shape for both classic and skate. I skied from campground to the falls. Skate deck was in very good condition. Classic I could ski in 70% of the time. Overall, I had no worries skiing with my good skis. Planning on getting down there for one trip.

(Shane Meisner)

We did receive 3" of new snow and it really helped the thin base. All trails are now groomed for skate and track has been set. The skate deck is 90% covered with very good conditions. The 10% that is not is mostly areas under trees with grass and leaves showing thru. There are a few of the steeper downhills when the snow has beeen scraped off and rocks are showing thru. Beware of that hazard but if you look before heading down a steep hll, those spots are avodable. The classic tracks are 70% covered with grass and leaves showing mostly in trail secions going thru open fields. It is not much of a problem to step out of the tracks onto the deck to avoid grassy areas.

(Jeff Roberts)

Green loop is good. Other trails are passable. Groomers were out mid day. Not busy. B skis on the green loop. Thank you groomers.

(Ali Wieckowicz)

I started classic skiing at 7 am, at that time there were no classic tracks set, but skiing was great, and I very rarely ran into any debris. I started from the Nature Center to purple, then skied the entire silver trail to the Falls. From there I skied to the campground, then up to the group campground. The red trails were in very good shape throughout. Lastly, I followed the Brown trail back to the Nature center. As I ended my 3 hour trip, I did see them out grooming the classic tracks. Guess I was to early ;) I recommend getting there ASAP. Once again, thank you groomers!

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(Shane Meisner)

The Green Loop and Purple loop are still in pretty good condition for skating. For classic, the Green Loop is probably your best bet. Yesterday I skied the Silver trail as well, but that was a bit rough, especially on the big hill after the bridge near the Purple Trail. Hopefully we get more snow to keep it going. I'm planning to ski again tomorrow, but I'll probably stick to Purple and Green. Great job getting those trails groomed and ready to roll quickly when we finally got some snow!

(Joe Osterberg)

Touched up grooming on golf course but unable to use "teeth" of groomer due to limited base. Dragged course to flatten it. The trails above(east) of golf course groomed for skating, some dirt spots. Skiable but don't use your good skis.

(Ed Ludwig)

Trails were rolled, groomed and mostly tracked. Not tracked are Hawk Ridge and Lower Pines as the track setter developed an electrical problem. Conditions are much improved over last week. Only a couple areas have dirt and debris. The tower trails groomed up nicely with the fresh snow.

(David Challe)

I skied at Hoffman Hills this morning. The core loops are in good condition. Classic tracks are good - only a few thin/dirty spots where I had to step out into the skate lane. The dusting of snow from Wednesday night obviously improved conditions - but I avoided the ridgetop trails where snow coverage is thin. Compliments to Dave Challe for the nice grooming!

(Rob Strand)

Groomed and tracked from Menomonie to Downsville. Some ice flows across trail between mile 1 and 2. Good conditions.

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(David Gorman)

The trail was groomed this morning. Results are mixed with debris in many areas while some areas looked to be decent. We attempted to set a classic track with generally poor results. There are many icy areas due to water flowing over the trail.

(David Challe)

Skate lanes were renovated and combed this evening. A little slow from the recent snow, otherwise in excellent shape.

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(Becca Bartling)

I skate skied the entire trail system today. The skate deck was freshly combed and I was the first one to leave tracks. The skate deck was firm and moderately fast. Control on the dowmhiils was excellent. Conditions overall were excellent.

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(Jim Gantz)

MECCA Ski Trails are in excellent condition. Tracks are firm; skate lanes were renovated and combed this morning.

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(Becca Bartling)

Big night of grooming for the trails crew! All trails except Island Hop were touched up - with new classic tracks set by the Pisten Bully on the west side of the park (Nutcracker, Windy Ridge, Side Kick, Lake Marie, C&D, Yukon, Beaver Pond). Skate decks were freshened up everywhere else with the drag. The Wilderness Multi Use trails were also re-groomed. Trail conditions are in excellent shape now with great coverage in most areas. Skate decks are firm and classic tracks are deep and solid.

(Erin Blow)

Another great day on the Wilderness Trails at MWP. Just a light dusting over a firm track at 20+F made for surprisingly greasy kick and glide which easily outdid the slower cold snow of the last few days making for a Chamber of Commerce blue sky ski while introducing a southern friend to the newly revised (this season) set of three trails with Cedar Creek being the selection du jour. If not doing the Birkie Rag this weekend lots of nice skiing at Winter Park.

(Ken Schoville)

The cold weather means that groomers have been able to finally get a few nights off! Skate decks are firm with great edge control and classic tracks are in good shape throughout the park. Excellent coverage on all trails with only a few thin spots on the three remote trails (Lake Marie, Wolf Tracks, and River Run). Nutcracker and Windy Ridge have a layer of snow on top of the skate deck so expect slow going out that way.

(Erin Blow)

I classic skied the wilderness trails including Creek Trail and Tamarack Pond. The trail was freshly groomed and it was groomed to perfection. It has been a few years since I have skied Tamarack Pond and it was the first time I skied it clockwise. It was also the first time I accessed it from the wilderness trails versus River Run. It was an enjoyable day of classic skiing.

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(Jim Gantz)

Groomers are back at it! Trails should be a little firmer today with the second pass of the equipment following the snowfall. The Pisten Bully went out on many of the interior trails re-setting classic tracks and skate decks. Groomers also took the ginzu out and set new skate decks on River Run and VO2 Max! The Wilderness Multi Use Trails are also getting re-tracked this morning. Conditions are excellent on the interior trails and good skis could be used. The three long trails each have a spot or two of stubble/thin base but if you are careful, good skis could also be used.

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(Erin Blow)

I skied Base to Tornado Alley to Survivor to XC Express and out to Nekoosa and Wold Tracks and back to Nepco's Cruise to Tea Cup to Sleigh Ride. The trails all had soft new snow on top but the classic tracks were deep and had been tracked in well from earlier classic skiers. Overall conditions were very good, the warmer temperatures was a nice break from the cold temperatures more recently. Track speed was good.

(Jim Gantz)

It's a winter wonderland out there! We ended up getting about 6" of fluffy snow last night. This made for quite a busy night for the trails crew, but they managed to groom up most of the park including all three long trails and the Wilderness Multi Use Trails. Expect the trails to be soft with freshly fallen snow on top of the groomed surface as snow flurries are continuing this morning. But everything is absolutely gorgeous out there today!

Photos:

(Erin Blow)

A coldish, but lovely ski at Minocqua Winter Park. The heavy machinery is out, firming things up, but we spent a fair amount of time on the Wilderness Trails and found them to be well groomed with the lighter equipment. Should be excellent conditions.

(Ken Schoville)

Skied the improved wilderness trails today. Wonderful day, grooming excellent. That trail is designated multi use, but skis almost like a old classic trail. Thanks to Eric for great grooming and Ken for allowing access to his property. The regular MWP trails are also in great condition.

(Jim Mullen)

I skied for two days at MWP and had a great time on wonderful, solid deep tracks (mainly). There are some thin spots with dirt and sticks but they can be avoided. Tornado Alley might have been in the best condition of the trails I skied. Wolf Tracks was very good also, with a few thin spots. Firm skate lane with solid corduroy - excellent grooming.

(Ian Duncan)

Freshly groomed skate decks and classic tracks out on the C&D and Lake Marie route this morning! All trails are in great shape with deep classic tracks and firm skate decks, but if you are looking for some distance today, Lake Marie is a great option. A few thin spots remain mostly on the three long trails and some of the black diamonds. Skate decks on these trails may also have some soft spots. But these are easy to avoid and are getting better with every snowfall.

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(Erin Blow)

I skied Base to Tornado Alley to Survivor to Yukon to C and D to Island Hop to Nepco's Cruise. The core trails had all been freshly groomed with a fresh corduroy skate deck. Conditions on the core trails were excellent. The tracks and skate deck were fast and control on the downhills was good. Overall, I would rate conditions on the core trails as excellent. The outer trails like Yukon and C and D did not appear to have been groomed recently so I would rate them as good to very good. I skied a total of 14.5 kilometers. The cold temps did not cause any problems as there was little to no wind. It was a great afternoon of skiing.

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(Jim Gantz)

After skiing the full Uller, I finished my day at Montreal. Great good skis conditions on track S groomed in a couple days ago. A little fresh snow in tracks to enhance the kick.

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(Sue Schroeder)

The new snow and Dean's grooming created a very skiable experiences for both techniques. What a contrast from two days ago! Mound Bounder was good.

(Jim Mohr)

The snow cover isn't great, but the trails are skiable. Although the trails had been groomed a week ago, the last couple inches were left untouched. There are leaves in some places and even an occasional clod of dirt. I was able to plod through and get a workout although I didn't attempt Mound Bounder. There are no classical tracks.

(Jim Mohr)

Most of the trail system was groomed again today. Expect mostly good conditions for both classic and skating. You will continue to see some avoidable dirty and/or thin spots.

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(Louis Muench, CASTA)

Skied some short loops and enjoyed it! The trails are groomed, some have the fluffy snow on top still, others fully groomed after the new snow. There is a bit of dirt showing in very few places, one could avoid it pretty easily but you may want B skis.

(Anna DeMers)

We received about 5" of fluffy snow last night. Grooming was in progress most of the day and all trails are now groomed for skating and classic. There were a lot of people skiing today and I found good conditions. With the thin base, there are still some leaves and debris in places. This snow is powdery even after grooming but it was surprisingly fast and fun.

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(Louis Muench, CASTA)

I can't call it perfect, but it's definitely enjoyable skiing and the best we've had in a very long time. Some sections are excellent skiing while others have avoidable thin spots. The entire trail system is groomed and tracked.

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(Louis Muench, CASTA)

Skied Doug's Folly in the morning. Appeared to be the first one out since the last grooming. The trails were set with great care, it's quite impressive. Speeds were slower from the light powder coming in over the weekend. Tracks were pretty firm, which was surprising. I don't think I saw any debris poking through the trail, not even a pine branch or leaf.

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(Tyler Carrico)

I classic skied Lion's Pride and Pine Hollow. The recent logging along the middle section of Lion's Pride wreaked havoc on this once beautiful trail (picture). Pine Hollow had not been affected as much. There was an inch or so of new snow in the tracks and it was snowing pretty much the whole time I was there. Overall I would rate conditions as good. Control on the steep downhills was ok but not great.

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(Jim Gantz)

Skied classic loops this afternoon on Hair Raiser and Short Cut, a little less than 10k. Tracks were excellent, although skate grooming on shared trail for the final 2k in tracks got partially wiped out. Very firm track and deck. Excellent conditions overall. Grooming plans: I'll do a runaround with the groomer tomorrow to fix up the final 2K.

(Will Maines)

Tracks are set, firm and smooth. The road crossing is snow covered and clean. Coverage is mostly very good, but gravel has been pulled up in a few easily avoided spots - stay alert. Some leaves, some pine needles and other debris so no-wax skis are the best choice.

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(Mindy Borchardt)

I was looking for a place to ski where I'm out of the wind. Trail was groomed, tracks were thin especially on the blue trail. Green in better condition than the blue. Used good skis with green wax. Very few leaves in trail. A little wind blown near airport.

(Mike Glodosky)

Freshly groomed at Superior Municipal Forest. Some dirt and leaves showing through. But the fresh corduroy was beautiful. Thanks to the groomers.

(Bruce Busta)

Superior Municipal forest is kinda groomed. We went at 11:30 and the skate lanes in the red/green had been done, but there were a couple of inches of fluff on top. Classic tracks not done but skied in - looked like about 8 inches of fresh fluff and still coming down.

(Eve Graves)

Great skate ski conditions on all trails. I marked it as B skis because there are intermittent patches of dirt, but I did use mygood skis and just danced around the patches. Beautiful trails!

(Bria Schurke)

Gotta love those groomers at the Superior Municipal Forest! The skate deck was fresh when we got there and they were refreshing as we were going along. We did the red and green today. The tracks are great in some spots and skied out in others. There is grass sticking up in some places and some dirt. You may want B skis but you can get around everything that is sticking up or showing through in 5% of the trail. Grooming plans: Groomers said they plan to be out Saturday and Sunday!

(Eve Graves)

Low snow conditions with an average base of about 2". Overall, the trail system is in good conditions given the low snow. Expect some debris and bare spots. Stepping out of the track in those areas shouldn't be an issue. All skate decks, besides the Alps and Little Alps, have been regroomed this morning. THe classic track is in good shape, with a solid, deep track. Grooming plans: Maintenance grooming on the skate deck only, will take place both mornings of the weekends. We will look into resetting the classic track next week if needed and conditions allow.

(Bradley Mroczenski)

Skate lanes were widened and combed, the classic tracks were solid and well formed. Some squiggly in spots, the tracks were recently moved left to help with the shoulders and pole placement is now solid. All in all great conditions.

(Joe Barrick)

All trails have tracks set, including the alps and little alps! There are still some dirty spots and some debris, so beware. Overall good conditions. Skied the little alps for the first time in two years, conditions were excellent. Bushwhacker was good, just some leaf debris on the south facing hills. K was in good shape as well. Tracks have set up since yesterday's groom, they are firm overall. Thanks to the grooming team for their work!

(Luke Swoboda)

All trails (except the John Howard) have been regroomed and new classic track set. Base is thin, so beware of debris and bare spots. No further grooming planned until a maintenance comb is needed.

(Bradley Mroczenski)

Skied the lighted trail loop in the evening. Nice trackset. Some oak leaf debris. Skate deck needs to setup a little more after the fresh snow.

(Billy Kewer)

The 10k, 6k, lit loop and Leo's loop were all regroomed and tracks were reset. Bushwhacker, alps, marsh meadow and K were not groomed. Skate deck is narrow in some places, there are still some dirty patches in the track and deck, but only a few. Tracks at times were firm and clean, other times they were squiggly - on certain sections the tracks were set into the snowbanks - pole sinkers galore. Nice to have trails regroomed at nine mile!

(Luke Swoboda)

Classic tracks not set since last week. Fresh snow somewhat skied in but track very sloppy and damaged by traffic. Not a great classic experience. Certainly not worth the trip unless you don't like glide or have a "season" pass!

(Rick Barnes)

No grooming today after the snow yesterday. Skate deck is currently groomed really narrow, some places being only a few feet wide. Large piles of snow line the sides and around the classic tracks that per the grooming reports have not been reset since last weekend. Disappointing conditions for all the snow we have and short season. Would go elsewhere if traveling for snow.

(Katy Zielinski)

Called the chalet for conditions- trails were not groomed and will not be groomed until temps drop. Tracks have not been groomed since last weekend, deck was rolled yesterday morning before the inch of fluffy stuff. Tracks have been skied in, but due to the lack of grooming and fair addition of snow in the last week, it may be best to head elsewhere if you're looking to stride.

(Luke Swoboda)

All of the skate decks were freshly groomed except the big Alps. Warmer temps made for some fast fresh snow. It was truly a magic carpet ride. The tracks were not regroomed, but were skied in by the end of the day.

(Eric Koch)

A disappointing day for classic skiing today. Skate lane groomed but no reset classic track since last weekend after several inches of new snow last night.

(Greg Kresse)

Slow skiing, but the ground is well covered! After several inches of snow, most trails were rolled once this morning, though snow has continued to fall and skate deck is soft. Tracks have not been groomed since last snowfall, so classic skiers were breaking trail in the old snow-filled tracks. Some shortcuts were not groomed.

(Mindy Borchardt)

First time in two years having enough snow coverage to have the opportunity to ski the full segment of the Alps at Nine Mile county forest today. First segment had been freshly groomed this morning and second segment had fresh powder ontop of a firm base. Excellent conditions finally!

Photos:

(Mark Timken)

Skied the lit loop, snow was cold and crunchy. Tracks were solid, clean and fast. Trails have not been groomed since the light snowfall yesterday, but are in good shape overall.

(Lukas Swoboda)

Excellent conditions! We received less than a half inch of snow the night before, so regrooming was not required. All the tracks looked good. A cold day made for some slow snow. Too cold for pictures.

(Eric Koch)

All trails are rolled and tracked. The track has held up very well with the cold weather for the people practicing for the Birkie. Classic has been faster than skate because of the temps.

(Barb Maguire)

Went for an evening/night ski and conditions were wonderful with 1-2 inches of fine snow falling for the duration! I couldn't really see how conditions were because it was dark and I didn't have a light, but the trails felt great under ski, particularly the alps which had a nice wide and firm skate deck without any noticeable bumps, divots, or debris. This was my first time skiing at Nine Mile and it's awesome to see how much care the grooming team puts into the trails, thanks for all the hard work!

(John Fox)

Firm well manicured skate deck. Deep crisp tracks. The track was faster than the skate deck due to the cold weather. Trail N had 2 dirty spots on it which could be avoided. The Alps were perfectly groomed.

(Eric Koch)

Conditions were fair today. Skied the majority of the trail system over the past two days. Per the grooming board, the deck was regroomed on all trails this morning, tracks have not been reset since Sunday. There are still plenty of thin spots, tracks are fairly dirty on some trails. Leo's loop and F were a bit rough under the pines, bushwhacker had a dirt spots in the tracks throughout. Deck was overall good on Bushwhacker. The interior trails (M, A, K, D) were all in good condition. Overall still quite a bit of debris/dirt throughout the system for classic.

(Luke Swoboda)

Great day skiing classic today. The crisp weather and excellent grooming made it an amazing time skiing. I skied the 20k and 10k loops and saw very minimal debris. It was crisp and fast. Didn't see any bare ground.

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(Matt Pelland)

A great morning grooming with Wide Track and Crasher! The daily snows the last days have been great and we have been grooming 50-92 km every day, great coverage, firm tracks and Pisten Bully groomed. The Ski Shop has made the 30% off all soft goods, including, Clothing, hats, gloves, wax, ski boots and poles (swix quantum 1 poles $150 for example). Skis are on sale also at 20% to 40%. Some rental skis, boots, poles and snowshoes are on sale until March 16th. Grooming plans tomorrow: Crasher is headed out with his Pisten Bully to groom Tammarack 2 track to Jason Park. Then Ridge runner for classic and skate, then the Highlands and others as needed.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

92 km is groomed and skiing well on your best skis, we groomed 55 k of trails this morning. Grooming plans: We will be back out grooming 60-90 k tomorrow.

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(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Snow Cross and Crasher groomed most of the combi trails and PB groomed Tammarack 2 track and Ridge Runner with the PB. Ridge Runner is groomed for classic and skate, we will leave it for a while, looking for feedback from the skiers. We had the entire team of 8 groomers come in for a formal Foundation meeting and coffee and a group video and picture on snow. Grooming plans: Friday we plan to regroom some classic only and do touch up grooming as needed with Pisten Bully 1 or 2. This is a picture of our dedicated grooming team, they all are planning on working next year for the Foundation. I feel so blessed working with this dedicated crew!

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(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

They finally layed down a set of tracks, and they skied really nice. The tracks were super firm with some occasional weeds sticking up through them. Pole plants are a bit soft still. Looks like all trails were groomed. Get out before any hikers come!

(Ethan Anderson)

All trails groomed and track set again early this morning! Tracks are solid and skate lane looking great. Sun is shining brightly. Excellent conditions.

(Deborah Leonard Greiter)

All trails tracked and groomed today. Excellent conditions. Snowshoe trails are perfect.

(Deborah Leonard Greiter)

Novice loop was groomed and track set this morning. Cliffs trail and the Wolverine skate lane loop was groomed as well as the Hospital loop. Some lake effect snow this afternoon.

(Deborah Leonard)

Trails were groomed this morning, except for the Novice loop. Excellent winter conditions. The chalet is toasty warm.

(Deborah Leonard Greiter)

Superb conditions at Wolverine. Skate lanes were freshly groomed and classic tracks were firm and deep. Temps were around 5 F but sunny and the glide was much better than expected. All trails were skied.

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(Johann Geyer)

Skied Cleary this morning (9'ish) and was surprised how different Poplar and Lakeside were. Poplar definitely has better snow coverage to double pole without poking gravel or concrete than Lakeside (always hitting the asphalt below for the last 1/2 mile)
Both trails were groomed, thank you to the crew who has done great despite low snowfalls.

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(Jose Manuel Benitez)

The golf course loop is not groomed with a closed sign. The ski trails in the woods are groomed. The short poplar creek trail is over grass and some asphalt and was is decent condition. The Lakeside trail goes over several gravel sections with exposed rocks. If your looking for a short, flat, quiet ski in the woods the poplar creek trail trail might work well, I do not recommend the Lakeside loop until we get more snow. I wish they would have rolled the golf course loop, since the skiing was pretty good over grass.

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(David Potasek)

Last Groomed: Tuesday. Classic Double Track: 5.5km; Current Condition: Good. Trails for beginners and experts. North loop adds challenge for expert skiers.

(Sarah Weed, Stearns County Parks)

Last Groomed: Tuesday. Classic Double Track: 4.2 km; Current Condition: Good. Skate and Single Classic: 4km; Current Condition: Good. Trails are easy enough for beginners. Vehicle parking permit IS required.

(Sarah Weed, Stearns County Parks)

Last Groomed: Wednesday. Classic Double Track: 5.85 km; Current Condition: Good. Skate and Single Classic: 0.3 km; Current Condition: Good. Excellent trails for beginners and intermediate skiers.

(Sarah Weed, Stearns County Parks)

Skied the 16k loop of this classic single track system. Grooming was great, snow soft, Good kick with blue wax. My Birkie warm up.

(Tim Nelson)

Rock Lake received about 8 inches of very fluffy snow. Huge thank you to Tom who helped us get the trails groomed today. We packed the trails with the snowmobiles and then groomed and tracked all loops except Rock Lake loop. The whole Rock Lake trail system is classic skiing only. The tracks are deep, and the snow base is several inches. Hope to see you out there! Happy Birkie week!

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(Katie LeMoine)

Very nice ski today as a light Birkie warmup. The conditions are good - firm enough in the skate deck and only minor debris, and enough snow. The trails looked like they have seen heavy use since it was groomed, but not crowded while I was there. Beautiful scenery.

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(Louis Muench, CASTA)

Today, this place was a skiers paradise! Could not have asked for a better conditions for classic skiing. Tracks were firm and moderately deep with only an occasional leaf or other debris. I would have put in much more time there today if I wasn't racing this weekend.

(Craig Fischberg)

Mukwonago was perfect. Solid tracks for classic. Thank you groomers. You put a smile on every skiers face today.

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(Mike Sund)

Mukwonago received around 5-6" of dry snow Friday into Saturday. We rolled, packed and groomed all loops of the trail today. With colder temps the skate deck and classic tracks should be in great shape. This is the big week! Come on out to Mukwonago and get a couple of K's in before the big race and convince yourself that you are ready for it!

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(Christopher Geidel)

Trails were freshly groomed for skate only, no tracks set. Overall fairly good with scattered dirt mixed with snow spots from grooming. Easy to avoid classic skiing but probably harder skating. I wouldn't use your good skis.

(Bill Callas)

Fantastic skiing! Trails are all rolled. No classic tracks. Some leaves, very little sticks and light dirt going up one or two hills. Great to be on natural snow! Thanks groomers!

(Jeff Ranta)

Tracks were firm which made for a great classic ski. Did most of the hilly 10k trail. Always fun to ski these awesome trails!

(John Pfund)

-4F protected from 5 mph wind in the woods, sunny. Went out late morning for a ski on 3k classic loop and then snowshoe afterwards. The forest is beautiful, and the company is great! It's nice that others have skied in ahead of me.

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(Amy Xu)

Skate skiing was great at Rainbow this afternoon. The skate deck was wide, smooth and solid. Plenty of snow to work with here! The classic tracks look good so I'm coming back tomorrow.

(John Pfund)

Great groomed trails for skate and classic, 7F, sunny no wind in the woods. Went out around 12:30pm and skied the Black Bear trails, Brush Cat trials, Ridge Run, and then met Mike for another round. An inch of new snow on top of yesterday's groomed trails make a great workout. It's very beautiful. We enjoyed the outing very much!

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(Amy Xu)

Fantastic ski weekend on these well-groomed trails! Both classic and skate trails were in great condition. Enjoyed all the trails and the beautiful woods on afternoon and evening skis. Lots of options available, from easy to more difficult.

(Mary Roberts)

5* F above this morning; now 16*f above; trail base temp -10*c; average base snow depth 5".6 K loop; bucks run; rabbits trail ; cougars run; and 3k classic only trail renovated, combed, and track set. Eagles run and ridge run groomed last Saturday. Trail base is firm. Good ski rated conditions. Started this morning to groom most of trails which had a 2" fluffy white covering of snow from last week end. Cloudy skies and warming temps made for good grooming conditions. Other than a few leaves once and awhile the trails are in very good shape.

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(Douglas Schumann, Rainbow Resort)

Great ski conditions. 8 F, little wind, cloudy. It's pleasant to see Rainbow trails are nicely combed for skate skiing and tracks are set for classic skiing. I went out and classic skied the 6K loop and a part of 10k loop: Black Bear trails through the Bottom of Rainbow (BoR), East JCT, Brush Cat trails, South JCT, Top of Rainbow (ToR), Wolf Run trails, back on ToR, down the S turn-Owls Run, back on Brush Cat trails, South JCT, East JCT, Deer View trails; and Eagles Run and on Ridge Run trails! Thanks Doug for grooming the trails for the weekend skiers! Rainbow trails have good terrains with flats and nice hills for fun and good workouts. It's free skiing at Rainbow this whole winter season! Happy V Day and President's Day weekend!

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(Amy Xu)

Skate deck was freshly groomed and fast. Classic track looked deep and clean. Skied the North Loop. Not heavily used; we were the second people to ski on it. I give the trail a solid 8 out 10.

(Tim Shepardson)

Trail is picture perfect. Grooming is setting up really nicely. No debris. No dirt spots. Observed classic track set appeared more deep than shallow. Not much else to say other than get out there and keep skiing.

(Brady Zwiefelhofer)

Ski Trail - 3 to 4 inches of fresh snow. The crew had some issues with the rollers and ginzu freezing up but it's done as good as can be for today. Skate lane and tracks were set. It will probably be a bit soft today with not much set up time but its skiing. Grooming plans: The crew will go back either tonight or tomorrow morning to groom again. Fatbike - No grooming until late next week.

(Kevin Roytek, Friends of Hickory Ridge Ski Trails)

Freshly groomed earlier in the day. I was the second skate track out. Beautiful trail. A bit soft and poles may sink in a bit here and there. Cold weather slowed glide of course. Recommending B skis because of the possibility for hitting a hidden rock also a dirty spot on one or two uphills although easily avoidable. There is a classic track set.

(Brady Zwiefelhofer)

Skied around 2 pm. It appears that it hasn't been groomed since the most recent snow. Decent snow coverage so I still enjoyed my loop classic skiing on the boot packed trail. Trails get lots of hiker use. Probably won't be back again this winter unless it snows or I want to have some near death experiences skijoring.

(Kira Peterson)

There are 5 inches of fresh snow over the rolled trails. Conditions were good for my off trail skis, but touring skis would probably work. Parking lot was not plowed but not difficult to drive.

(William Wolf)

City of Cohasset successfully groomed out truck ruts and set tracks. Nice skiff of snow coming down today. Trailhead warm and lights on at night.

(Catherine McLynn)

Blackwater was groomed with tracks set. It's in great shape right now, go enjoy it!

(Stephanie Kessler, Cohasset City Parks)

Tracks set nicely and an inch or fluffy snow in skate lane made for fun skiing with kids both in and out of tracks on the two closest loops. But there were deep ruts near trailhead from a big truck driving in from parking lot 100 yards or so. I notified City staff.

(Catherine McLynn)

Chainsaw just reported in that he and DPR had just finished their evening run with the light screens for our Sunday skiing pleasure. The Engineer is out now working to lay down some light duty tracks for the MYSL group. Enjoy!

(David Anderson, Elk River Nordic Ski Club)

More snow than I was expecting. It was beautiful out there! It had been groomed for skate and was still pretty soft (I was the first one skiing on several trails). Mostly very good coverage, but a 2-3 spots on uphills had some debris. I love this trail system. Thank you awesome groomers!

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(Katharine Woodman-Maynard)

Only a scant, but wonderful, two new inches of snow at Woodlands this afternoon/evening. Shear Pin just reported that he and Refuge Guy just finished their evening run with the rollers to settle the new snow a bit. This morning, Ancient One and the Old Scout (fresh off a 5-year break from the grooming crew) pulled the tandem screens to both scuff up and level the skate deck a bit in preparation. Not enough snow to set decent tracks. Expect fair to good conditions for your Saturday skate skiing. Shear Pin even went so far as to predict the conditions would be "dreamy"? B skis still recommended. Enjoy!

(Dave Anderson, Elk River Nordic Ski Club)

Skijored for the first time in two winters. Trails were great. A bit uneven in some places but didn't see really any debris sticking through. Some easily avoided thin patches over pavement that would do a number on your skis if you didn't see them.

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(Ben Fuller)