The Laurentian crew (Roxanne, etc.) did a great job of re-grooming the trail this week after some new snow. Most trails are open. Excellent conditions. Ski now.

(Mark Roalson)

All sections were groomed today. The conditions are as good as it gets. What are you waiting for?! Enjoy.

Photos:

(Roxanne Tea)

Trail conditions are good, still some debris. All segments were freshly groomed after the inch of snow overnight.

(Roxanne Tea)

It's a beautiful thing when you look back and the track looks perfect. If you don't have skis you find yourself wishing you did. The fresh couple inches left it looking great but the drifts were coming across before we get out and back. All sections are freshly groomed. Enjoy it before the bitter cold sets in.

Photos:

(Roxanne Tea)

Our FS grooming crew where at it again today, as we had damage from an ATV on the trail. The crew was able to clear the trees and pack with snowmobiles the section from 3-5, but it is too soft to set a track. We may not get the section set from 4-8 this year as the swampy areas are not freezing well. The rest of the trail is in great condition!

Photos:

(Roxanne Tea)

100 % surprised! It has been many years since my last kilometers unfolded on this quaint out and back trail system. The terrain gently rolls through the Superior National Forest - with a ton of personality - around every corner. The tracks were well set and the pole plants were A+. (A round trip earns 21k in the ski log) Thanks to the USFS for maintaining and grooming! It definitely shows that this little trail is well taken care of.

Photos:

(Cheri Johnson)

Skied the Bird Lake trail from Hoyt Lakes to the east towards Bird Lake, and conditions were excellent. Firm, well set up tracks that were a little shallow but fast. Lots of animal tracks - it was a beautiful ski through the woods.

(Jack Greenlee)

This morning we cleared the rest of the downed trees from Bird Lake loop. It is now groomed with a track set. It is not in the best condition, there is a lot of debris on the trail. We hope to get the section from Bird Lake trail head to Lillian Lake groomed tomorrow.

Photos:

(Roxanne Tea)

Skied bird lake trail from hoyt lakes. Trail set, some snowshoe tracks over ski tracks at start of trail but otherwise good snow. Did not have any debris on trail.

Photos:

(Michelle Engbretson)

This was my first time skiing this area. I used the trailhead closest to Hoyt Lakes and skied towards Bird Lake to trail marker 3. The trails had just been groomed and were in excellent condition. Clearly some major trail clearing had occurred and I appreciated the effort expended by staff to make this wilderness of roller coaster type trail of spruce, popple, and birch accessible to us winter people. The downhills have good sight lines and the trail seems to meander along a comforting higher path of quiet beauty. Probably not for the true beginner but one that can be enjoyed by all other attitudes. I stopped often to listen and look on the way out, but quickened my pace back to the truck before dark and found the undulating track and double poling pace quite exciting, but certainly not terrifying in a wolf chasing you kind of way that the imagination can inspire as the night descends. I will ski in from the other side today and certainly start much earlier to try and survey the whole course.

(Michael Wilke)