Great spring skiing 52 degrees 10:30 am. They groomed the River and a couple other trails. A little softer than yesterday afternoon.

Photos:

(Diane Pattridge)

We groomed about 25 km of skate trails with three passes early this morning and they came out pretty decent especially on the main 15 km loop. We also retracked about 10 km of single tracks. The trails are skiing well for early season.

Photos:

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Very icy classic tracks. Took your life in hands first thing in morning. No classic tracks regroomed. Skating was rocket fast in the afternoon.

(Eric Koch)

Spring ski conditions at 2:30 this afternoon. So nice to be in the north woods Thanksgiving weekend. As a diehard classic skiing I took on skating today. Fun.

Photos:

(Diane Pattridge)

We had a good turnout today for the early season snow. The groomers worked hard this morning to renovate about 20 km of skate lanes for the 9 AM skiers. Most skiers arrived as the classic tracks were softening about mid day. With temps getting up to 40 today and sunshine, skiers were happy to be out on real snow in the woods. Temps are down to 35 but the trails is frozen again and we plan to be back out with a full groom team in the early morning. Looks like Saturday temps will be warm again so it is important to pick your time of day for skiing. I do not expect the base to go away, it is an honest 3-4 inches and solid with a few thin areas on the hill crests and under the conifers. We are planning to groom daily.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Happy Thanksgiving! Trails got groomed this early morning and we plan to be back out Friday morning.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Pig Heart and Snowcross were out this early morning doing touch up grooming and shoveling in on on some of the low spots that were icy. We put up a few signs, clipped some brush and had a great morning watching the sunrise on pit point. The trails are holding up well and skiing great. The PistenBully groomed combination trails are very level and flat and have rock solid classic tracks with good pole plants. The narrow, classic only have a few thin areas under the pines and pole plants are softer. We are open with about 51 km of trails for the weekend. Pig Heart and Wide Track are heading out Thanksgiving early morning. Full groom crew of 4 for Friday morning. Thanksgiving we are open at 9 am as always but we will close the ski shop and chalet early at 3 pm and the trails an hour early at 4 pm so we can have Thanksgiving dinner with family. Please respect being off the trails at 4 pm so we can do that. Happy Thanksgiving!

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Just coming in from checking the trails. The trails are holding up well and the cold night temps have been freezing down the base. Grooming plans: Looks we will be touch up grooming on the skate lanes early in the morning. A few days above freezing during the day may make it tricky for waxing the classics during the afternoon but should not melt much snow on the trail; skiing should remain very good for the next week. We are open every day until late March. Trails open at 9 AM.

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

What a fun day of packing and grooming more trails today. We hit the dog trails and then off to Woodward trails for the SISU. We did a bit of trail touch up and the trails are looking pretty good wet spots are frozen in the lowlands, and hills seem well covered. The 27 inches of snow helped smooth out the trail because we could run the PB for 2-3 groom cycles. I see warm temps forecast but with the firm base and nighttime temps freezing, I do not expect any issues with providing good quality ski conditions on 40-50 km of the trail system. If you did not notice, I am not the youngest groomer anymore! The two new guys still don't add up to my age but are doing great. Grooming plans: We are heading out to the south to pack more trails in the early morning.

Photos:

(Eric Anderson, ABR Trails)

Epic early season conditions. Skied about 28 km this morning. Conditions are consistent and fabulous on the 30 km of trails open. Tracks are firm yet giving and grippy. Skate deck is firm with some give as well. Hill climbs were excellent, only icy on a few sections of blueberry bluffs that I noticed. I'm in awe. November 21st and these conditions are awesome! Thank you groomers! I'll be back tomorrow and Wednesday.

Photos:

(Kevin Grand)