This morning we did a fresh grooming of the skate decks on both the 6K and 8K trails. Trails are firmand tracks are very good (photo). We're open til 9 pm tonight, and I hope the trails saw good use today. Grooming plans: Tonight a storm with mixed precip is forecast to bring snow, mix, and rain, continuing through Saturday until Sunday morning. In order to preserve our fabulous base, and expedite post-storm recover/grooming, Snowflake will be closed from Saturday morning until sometime on Sunday afternoon. To complicate the weather, we are hosting a Minnesota Biathlon meet on Sunday, scheduled to begin at 11 am. So, on Sunday morning we will be trying to open and groom the biathlon course on the 6K trail. The 6K will be closed to non-participants until the end of the event (@ 3 pm) once the course is groomed, we will try to open the 8K, or sections of it to skiers, but it all depends on what this storm delivers, and how wet the trails are. I'd suggest skiers not plan to ski Snowflake until Monday; if we let the base dry-out, we could have good trails thru next week.

Photos:

(John Graham)

Today we compacted and skate groomed another 3 km of the 8K trail, hooking it into the segments groomed yesterday. So, we have about 7 km of the 8K groomed for Skating. The un-worked segment is the Pulse/Daves Doom loop, so just follow the grooming and use the bypass. No classic track on the 8K because the sleds could not get traction to pull the track-setter up the hills. Classic skiers may ski the sides of the trail. The 6K trail is groomed for slate and classic: firming-up from use and grooming, and the track is lovely. Good Luck, Birkie, Kortie, P. H. and Barnie Skiers!

(John Graham)

Skied the 6k several times. Smooth, firm skate deck and excellent looking, freshly-minted classic track. Three groomers have been out the last three days integrating our last big snowfall. Thanks, groomers, for your efforts!

(Gordon Mesedahl)

The 6K, groomed skate and classic yesterday, improved firmness overnight, and the skate lane was groomed repeatedly this morning. We then moved to the 8K segments of the Perimeter Loop and the loops in/out of Fisketti Junction. The Perimeter Loop is now skate groomed and we plan to set a track once the base is firm enough to let us pull the Ginzu uphill. The Ice Oval, Stadium, and Kiddie Loop were compacted, groomed and tracked today. Grooming plans: Tomorrow we'll be compacting and grooming the remaining segments of the 8K trail. The photos show the stages of todays work on the 8K.

Photos:

(John Graham)

The 42 hour snow event left 10 - 14" of powder on our trails. Today we were running three sleds, two Ginzus, and the roller/compactor for 7 hours to get a soft, but decent skate deck and a soft, but perfect classic track on the 6K trail. The snow won't really firm-up until it transforms. We planned to compact the Perimeter Loop sections of the 8K, but after 7 hours we were tired and started to make mistakes. Groom plans: Tomorrow morning we will open the 8K segments of the Perimeter Loop and, if it goes well, we will continue with the rest of the 8K. The 8K is open for back-country classic skiing, but not recommended for skating due to deep, loose snow.

(John Graham)

Groomers were out working on the 10km, 5km was groomed after the windy and blustering conditions Friday. Tracks not set up fully when we skiied.

Photos:

(Sophia Jungbauer)

Skied the 8K and it was beautiful. Freshly groomed skate deck. Quite firm. Classic track on the 8k also was in good shape. This is such a wonderful ski trail! Thanks to the groomers and everyone who makes Snowflake happen.

(Bruce Busta)

As first time visitors from the Madison area, Joanie and I classic skied both the 6k red and 8k blue trails this morning. Thanks to the previous evening grooming, the tracks set up well with just a dusting of powder in them. These trails have a nice flow and maximize the small acreage they traverse. A fun ski on our sixth day of touring Duluth-area trails.

Photos:

(Darren Blankenship)

We got 4-5" of snow during todays "clipper". Tonight we ran 2 Ginzus and the roller/compactor on all trails, to compact the new snow before Friday's forecast winds and temperature drop. The new snow is humid and compacted well. The 6K is now Ginzu-groomed, and very nice. The 8K skate deck was groomed with the roller/compactor; it is firm, but not as smooth as the 6K. We set new classic tracks on both trails, which should firm-up nicely as temps drop. Due to frigid temps on Saturday - Sunday morning equipment rentals will not be available until 11:30 on both days. Snowfake KidSki Session 5 will be on Sunday, 1:45-3:30. Congratulations to our "home-team", Duluth East Nordic, on sweeping the Section 7 ski meet!

(John Graham)

Trails saw a lot of use today, so tonight we ran the compactor and two Ginzus over both trails; it is still a soft deck, but much better given the heavy use and time. The new classic tracks on both trails, set last night, benefitted from today's use and are in very good condition. Thank you skaters and dog-owners! We left those tracks to firm-up. Tuesday's forecast means that we will not groom again until Wednesday. The trails are open to members from sun-up - 9pm, Chalet is open 8-8, and the lighted loop is lit 5-9 every day.

Photos:

(John Graham)