Excellent grooming at ABR. Skate lanes were firm, clean, and wide. Classic tracks were full depth with good pole plants. The trails are really skiing well this time of year, with a lot of smiling faces and friendly staff. Ridge Runner was closed and not skiable, but all other trails appeared to be ready to ski and in tip-top shape.

(Jonathon Rulseh)

We went to ABR expecting very good but were amazed that they have actually achieved perfection. Hats off to ABR.

(Tom Dunaway)

An inch of new snow overnight, Pig Heart and Crasher groomed up all the combi trails including Ridge Runner (skate) with both Pisten Bullies. The snow continued like a lightly shaken "Snow Globe" most of the day. Skiing was reported to be magical. At noon, most of our out of town friends and guests were departing Rustic Cabins, trailside houses and local lodging. 1:30 we gathered for the Ironwood Nordic Skiers Team photo, From 2:00 -3:30 the SISU Endurance Team from our local 4H showed up, there are 42 youth enrolled. We ended up receiving about 2 inches of snow during the day so we will have a full team of 4 groomers including both Pisten Bullies out early morning. We plan to groom 76 k or more of trails; all the classic only trails and all combi trails except Peltonen 5 k, the Dog Trails 7 km and Ridge Runner is under discussion 7 K. The light powder on the more advanced trails sometimes is more attractive for the intermediate skiers.

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(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

It was chilly morning with -10 F at 6 AM when Pig Heart and Crasher went out. Crasher groomed most of the classic only except Otter Slide and Puumala Trails. Pig Heart was in the larger of the Pisten Bullies and groomed the main trails with a few shortcuts (Pelty, Bards, Meadow and the Dog Trails were left with 1-2 inches of powder). Honey Badger took care of the Pink Cabin Trail and serviced the cabins. Temps climbed to 1 above but with no wind and the sun out we had skiers, but mostly in the afternoon.

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(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

First time at ABR, best grooming I've ever seen. All trails with half inch fresh snow. Ridge Runner was nice today, Peltonen yesterday.

(John Dawson)

We had both Pisten Bullies out tilling up the new snow and Wide Track and Wully Bully tracking the single tracks including Ridge Runner. Ridge Runner is normally skating only but for the next several days it will be classic only.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Perfect midwinter conditions. Firm, fast skate deck and tracks were crisp. It’s always hard to find more superlatives for great skiing at ABR. Today I was working hills on the skate skis and both ups and downs were in great shape.

(Sue Schroeder)

Pig Heart and Crasher groomed all the combination trails with both Pisten Bullies, except the dog trails this morning. Conditions looked great. Widetrack groomed the single tracks except Puumala. All 95 km are skiing well. Kaartunen House just had a cancelation and is open Jan 23-26 (4 nights). Jackson Farm House is open Jan 18-24th and then again Feb 1-6th. The SISU SKI FEST was a great event yesterday. We worked well with the SISU Ski Fest Team, including Coleman Engineering on the road crossings and the Routsala Construction on stock piling clean snow, Gogebic Community College Ski Area Management director took care of the last 1/2 km rough groomed in (huge snowbanks to a ski trail), and a big thank you to the Miners Park Trail for the prepacking early season. The course turned out very good. But please remember it is not me all the work, or ABR Trails, it is several groups and businesses that contribute to the course preparation. It was fun to sweep the trail at 2 PM and see the course after 700+ skiers skied it, see the road crossing teams and see the Finnish Line. It was sad to close up the 5 gates (for now) that link ABR to Ironwood and on to Ramsey. Check out the Non profit Foundation for our future. We have a crew regrooming in the early morning as you would expect. The Bullies are heading out on combination trails and Wide track taking care of single tracks.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Skied out to the Highlands to help out at the SISU aid station. Tracks were great on Sunset. Racers had big smiles and said conditions for race were great. Eric always at the ready.

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(Deborah Leonard)

Skied the Sisu race 15km. Outstanding grooming on all sections of the race course including the ABR part and the section going into the city of Ironwood. Classic tracks were firm and nearly perfect. I did not skate, but the skate deck appeared firm and level. Ideal race conditions especially when you factor in the 14+ inches of snow that fell a few days earlier. Great job by groomers!

(Ron Fabrizius)