Conditions: Sunshine, light winds morning low temperature -22F. Early to mid season conditions on a 1-3" compacted frozen granulated base with dusting of fresh snow mixed in. Snow depth in woods 3-6", Snowfall year to date: 11". 45km of trail open. 15km for skate, 30km for classic skiing with 20.5 km thin to medium machine track set. Remainder of classic trails snowmobile packed with crust layer/fresh snow. Comments: Once the temperature warmed up to -10F we were out grooming combing the skate lanes on 15km of skate trail and setting track on the west side of the trail system. We set a thin/shallow track on Twin Lakes and a full depth track on Wavy Gravy minus the "Mac's Mess" segment. Also the first part and last part of Island Lake trail a track was set to make a nice loop on the west side. A few spots the tracksetter touched the ground otherwise should be very nice early season/rock ski conditions on Wavy Gravy and Island Lake trails. Late afternoon went back on Skaters Waltz smoothing out the deck after Moorhead HS team practice was completed.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Conditions: Dusting of new snow past 24 hours. Early to mid season conditions on a 1-3" compacted frozen granulated base with new snow on top. Snow depth in woods 3-6" Snowfall year to date: 11". 40km of trail open. 15km for skate, 25km for classic skiing with 13.5 km thin to medium machine track set. Remainder of classic trails combed. Comments: The temperature dropped fast overnight and we hovered around -10 all day with frontal passage frost snow and a little wind. We still put in a full day of grooming, rolling and resetting and setting new track on 13.5km of trail. I classic skied at the blue hour as the moon was rising checking out a portion of all the classic trails that had a machine set track. It's a hard base and soft track but considering weather on Sunday pretty darn nice skiing. The wind had settle down and was a beautiful evening in the forest.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Conditions: 1" new snow past 24 hours. Early to mid season conditions on a 1-3" compacted frozen granulated base with new snow on top. Snow depth in woods 3-6" Snowfall year to date: 11". 40km of trail open. 15km for skate, 25km for classic skiing with 7.5 km thin to medium machine track set. Remainder of classic trails combed. Comments: We had a great day on the trails grooming in the morning, snow farming in the afternoon and grooming again early evening. Snow fell most of the day accumulating to an inch or so. We combed all the no track classic trails and skate trails including North Loup that is now open. We snow farmed on one of the exposed hills on Skaters Waltz to build up the base since it is snowplowed on more so than other hills and also in the start area. This evening I skated skied on North Loup and coverage is adequate we are opening the trail for skating. There are a few rocks that warrant rock skis and extra caution advised on the downhills. Moon popped out while it was still snowing making for magical evening in the forest.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Conditions: Early season conditions on a 1-3" compacted frozen granulated base with dusting of new snow on top. Snow depth in woods 3-5" Snowfall year to date: 10". 35km of trail open. 10km for skate, 25km for classic skiing with 7.5 km thin to medium machine track set. Remainder of classic trails combed. Comments: After the base froze down this morning, went out grooming on the skate trails with the Ginzu groomer mixing the new with the hard transformed snow the best I could and squeegee grooming the classic track in a few areas. Considering we had nearly a half inch of rain, the deck came through quite well. The rain was gradual and absorbed into the base nicely and actually improving the base overall, from a grooming perspective. This evening I went out for a skate ski, using my good skis because they have the best edges. I had no issue on the skaters waltz trail but still putting the rating at rock skis for those concerned about the risk of putting a scratch in their skis. I double poled on some of the classic tracks, both groomed today and not groomed. Skiing was much better than I expected and it was a lovely evening in the forest despite the reported sub zero windchills.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

The base held up fine today with the warm temps and rain. Grooming plans: Freezing down tonight and should have a rock solid deck but we are closing the trails for a few days so we can work on at least 10km to have skiable again.

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Classic Trails were in good shape for skiing on Saturday at Maplelag, and held up well especially considering the day's use by ski teams and skiers from the area. I was on the trail from mid to late morning and the snow was good. Snow coverage was good overall. Maplelag's Hygge is a great spot to stop for a break or to warm up.

(Glenn Gifford)

Jay and the Maplelag team have done it again! Trails were in great shape considering the low snow accumulation so far this season. We skied Jib Fly and Sukkerbusk. Tracks were better on SB than JF but decent skiing on both. Skate deck looked good also with plenty of people out skating. It's always a good day when in the Maplelag forest!

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(Ben Olson)

We were back out early this morning grooming on 40km of trail, resetting tracks on 9km of trail, combing 15km of classic trail for no track classic skiing and 15km of skate trail. We cleared quite a bit of twigs and stick and the trails are in good shape for early season. I skied at lunch time on all the classic trails, using B skis and had no issue. The base has really set up nice and the tracks set are firm, thin to full set and skied will on a transformed base at the bottom with a scattered dusting of windblown/fine grained snow.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Early morning high checked in at 29 degrees before falling to sub zero this evening as we wrapped up the day's grooming. Off and on snow squalls resulting in an inch or so of new snow. This morning we reset track on 6km of trail and combed out the skate lane on Skaters Waltz and Bikwadinaa hill. Lunch ski on the skater trails flicking sticks and twigs off the trail from the blizzard and bumped into the lone skier today. The blizzard didn't stop us from grooming as we were back out this afternoon and evening reseting the tracks. 35km of trail open. 10km for skate, 25km for classic skiing with 6.5 km track set and remainder of classic trails combed or rolled (no track set). Lots of sticks and organic forest matter coming down with the wind we will clear off the best as we can moving forward.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Groomed around 15km of trail today. Roll packed Rootin Tootin, Mother North Star and North Loup, patched thin areas on the skater waltz, reset one track on Sukkerbusk and set a track on most of Sap Run. 35km of trail open. 10km for skate, 25km for classic skiing with 6.5 km track set and remainder of classic trails combed or rolled (no track set). Early evening after a spectacular sunset, skied on the solar lit Sap Run trail with Jonell. Early season conditions, be aware of unmarked thin or rough spots but overall nice skiing for early December.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)