Crasher and Pig Heart groomed most of the combi trails with light equipment today (Big Heart and Little Heart stayed in their stalls this morning). The combi and single tracks are world class today. Skate lanes firm and very skiable "natural snow". Classic tracks are firm rails but Extra Blue was kicking today both on the combi Pisten Bully groomed and classic only. We have all 95 km open and plan to regroom as needed again in the early morning. Everet's cabin is open this weekend.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

It was fun and easy to radio in the trail report this morning. "Big Heart, Little Heart and Wide Track have all 95 KM regroomed and open for great skiing!"
Big Heart and Little Heart tilled up all the combi trails and Tamarack and Ridge Runner. Wide track did the single tracks. The 2 inches of new snow made for easy grooming and great midwinter skiing conditions, cold dry powder. The snow is great and we will continue to groom...we are open for one more week.
The Ski Shop has a 20-30% off sale on soft goods and wax and accessories. Skis and boots have limited sizes but sale prices. Poles are well stocked. Ski Shop, Ski Trails Ski in Cabins and Season pass sales ends March 20th at 4 PM.

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(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

We had a great morning of grooming! I was in Big Heart, the bigger Pisten Bully, with the wide tracks and tiller and Crasher was in Little Heart Pisten Bully. We groomed up most of the combi trails and Tamarack. We groomed about 67 km today with the Bullies. We stopped grooming the end of the Highlands last week and the black diamonds end of Pelty. Rudy's is also not groomed. Grooming plans: Sunday we have three groomers scheduled to groom all the classics, and the same on the combis. Snow forecast overnight, groomers arrive at 5-6 AM. 80 + km on the schedule for Sunday grooming.

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(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

We woke up to a bit of a "snow squall" -- an inch of snow with wind. We had a crew of seven today from 6-10 AM. Four grooming and three cutting brush from the ice storm. We groomed 69 km today. We have 84 km open for skiing. Grooming plans: We are heading out early with both Pisten Bullies to regroom combi trails and Tamarack and Ridge Runner.

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(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

We had 61 km of the 95 km skiable today, We are working on grooming and brushing the other 30+ k after our 50 year "Epic Ice Storm" last week. We had a good brush cutting crew today. 5 of us worked 4 hours clearing Deer Trail, Blue Berry Cold Feet, Meadow Ridge and back. Skiing was very good. Friday, we are clearing the end of Blueberry, Bards, and Rascals on the combination trails. We have a two person crew grooming tracksetting and clearing Sunset, Wolf tracks, Puumala and Otter Slide. We are grooming all the skate lanes on the combi trails except dog trails and Pelty and the back/North end of Memory. Crews are working 6-8 AM and then 8:15 to 11 ish cutting brush from the ice storm. Discount Season Passes are on sale until April 1. Saturday we plan to take both Pisten Bullies out early morning and groom most of the combi trails. 80 k are looking good for the weekend.

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(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

The only time I skied on these trails was the SISU 10 years ago so I never paid attention to what trails I was on. I had a very hard time finding my way around. The maps are worn out, hard to read without glasses (and who brings reading glasses skiing!), and I could find no arrows saying "you are here". There is a lot of snow in the woods and the grooming was good but not that many trails were open, and what was open was pretty much flat.

(David Statz)

Wonderful skiing at Active Backwoods Retreat. Ski-skated The River, Cherry Dairy, Sulo's, and parts of Memory Lane and Blueberry Bluffs. Trees coated with ice and snow and weighing limbs down. Winter wonderland. Some tree debris falling down from melting ice on trail, but not at all bothersome to ski around. Skate deck excellent, not icy at all.

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(Ken Kuznia)

We had a great morning of trimming iced branches. Six of us grouped into three teams of two. It was fun to see the beauty of the ice covered branches in the sun... but they need to be cut for our trail system to be open for skiing. I am very thankful to our grooming crew to coming in to help this morning. Wully Bully groomed 12 km of skating after we completed our brushing. Grooming plans: I am heading out to groom about 20-30 km in the early morning with the bigger PB.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Wow just, wow! Best fast and skiable tracks I've seen in years and I've been skiing a lot of years.

(Dennis Isely)

Over 30k groomed up beautifully even after our rain turned to ice. Eric and crew did it again, fantastic skiing out there!

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(Will Andresen)