Whipped back into shape...

Monday turned out to be quite blustery, to say the least but by the end of the day most trails were back to excellent condition.  All trails were rolled as the wind blew and blew.   By the afternoon, things had settled down.    With the drifting reduced the City side, gorge, vista trails, plus all of the river trails to Churning Rapids were drug to level out them drifts out, then tracks reset on those.

On Tuesday the mud lake trail and all of Churning Rapids will be drug and reset ASAP.

[caption id="attachment_2570" align="aligncenter" width="640"] On Thoroughfare trail in CR a dead fall had came down and across the trails. Not a problem for a UTV and its winch.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2560" align="alignnone" width="640"] Here you can see where the Defender UTV winched off the deadfall.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2561" align="alignnone" width="640"] Lots and lots of sticks, twigs, and branches down everywhere.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2562" align="alignnone" width="640"] The wind spurred tons of snow to slough off of the top of sidewider.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2563" align="alignnone" width="640"] As the drag worked the trails, everything looked better all the time.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2564" align="alignnone" width="640"] The Ginzu finished the job. Perfect![/caption] [caption id="attachment_2565" align="alignnone" width="640"] We'll keep things up as long as the weather cooperates. Hope you get out to enjoy the best time of the year to ski![/caption]

Another snowy excellent

We were out early this morning before the snow started up and dragged all trails.    As tracks were being made, the skies opened up with pure white. If you're out there and can't find any tracks, thank (curse?) Mother Nature for hiding them.

Sorry but I forgot the camera in the sled...will try to add some photos later.

More Excellent!

This morning the mud lake loop (trail 4 & 9), all of Churning Rapids and the River trail (4) north of Tomasi RD, plus Tomasi loop were drug and tracks reset.  They all looked quite nice and we'll of course call them Excellent.

[caption id="attachment_2549" align="aligncenter" width="640"] On the mud lake loop.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2548" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Along our River trail. Gee whiz this looked so nice.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2546" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Bonus photo! This is what operators see while dragging at night.[/caption]

Wednesday grooming

With the recent warmer days and colder nights, we're re-working the snow daily to keep the conditions as excellent as possible. Early Wednesday, most of the trails were reconditioned with the drag, then tracks reset everywhere. Everything was ready to go by 10 AM. Hope you got out to enjoy!

The rest of the system will be dragged and re-tracked this morning.

Remember to get your Glide N Gorge tickets....the trails and the weather this Saturday will be perfect for a day of fun with friends!

[caption id="attachment_2529" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The hard surface was chewed up then tracks reset.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2530" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Trails are ready and waiting for you and a friend![/caption]

Drug back!

In the early morning hours the city side and gorge trails were drug, then tracks reset.   Next , we headed to Churning Rapids and found the sleds that had been out there over the weekend, had left such deep ruts, our Ginzu could not take them out.  So back to town to get the drag again and went over the Lookout loop and down to 203 a few times.   After softening them up  a bit, the Ginzu could leave pretty darn good tracks.

After that, I'd call all trails good to excellent.

Pictures say it all.

Warming.

With the next few days being warmer and even some rain in the forecast, we'll stay off the trails until it cools.   Looks like Monday at this point.  Stay tuned for details.

Excellent!

Oh ya.  We drug the trail that goes past mud lake (#4 and 9), plus everything in Churning Rapids early this morning so they are now silky smooth.   All tracks were redone and as nice as they can be.  Excellent!   These photos say it all.

[caption id="attachment_2499" align="aligncenter" width="300"] In town.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2500" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Just in front of the chalet.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2501" align="aligncenter" width="300"] In Churning Rapids.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2502" align="aligncenter" width="272"] Hope you get out there to enjoy them.[/caption]

Saturday grooming report

As promised, here's photos from the trails taken this morning.

[caption id="attachment_2488" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The River Trail[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2490" align="aligncenter" width="266"] St. Urho's[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2491" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sidewinder[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2493" align="aligncenter" width="286"] The sun even tried to peek out! Hope you got out to enjoy the trails today. Remember, support the trails - buy a pass.[/caption]

Saturday grooming

This just in from the grooming team, at 11:40 this morning:

After a start slowed by some glitches, the trail are all being rolled this morning and tracks will be set shortly.

Bundle up and enjoy! We'll post photos tonight.

Too cool!

Because of the -20 windchill warning today issued by NOAA, we'll not be setting tracks.  It's just to darn cold to ski anyway!

Slow but Excellent!

We had a Houghton Powersports mechanic in our shop at 9am this morning to service our lame old sled.  They open at 9 so they couldn't come out any earlier than that.   This was thought to be a quick little job, but it turned into a three hour slug.  Nonetheless the city side and gorge trails were drug to perfection and the whole system retracked, when machines became available.

[caption id="attachment_2469" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Some friendly skiers from Alexandria MN.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2470" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Everything really, really looked nice when we got out there.   Sorry for the delay.[/caption]

Slow but Excellent!

[caption id="attachment_2469" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Happy skiers from Alexandria MN.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2470" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The tracks suuuuuure looked nice.[/caption]

Excellent but cool.

It was a cool one out there today with snow showers moving through.  If we groom and it's snowing or blowing hard, it might not look like it was groomed :-(.  Indeed all trails were rolled, a few drug and of course, fresh tracks made everywhere.   A breeze was blowing so some trails may have been refilled with loose snow afterwards.

[caption id="attachment_2456" align="aligncenter" width="640"] In the gorge.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2457" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Coming out of Churning Rapids. What a winter wonderland![/caption]

Grooming the wind.

Yesterday we rolled and set tracks as best we could in the breeze.   Trails did look rather nice but no camera was in hand, to capture images.   We do have 2 functional tow machines but neither are at 100% so we are struggling to keep up with the fresh snow.   Parts and repairs are on order.

Oh ya, Excellent again.

Today we have another machine operating, not at 100%, but at least it's assisting.    This is how it looked out there.   Some-days it's just gorgeous :-).   It was breezy so if you didn't get out there quickly, you may not have seen any tracks :-(.

[caption id="attachment_2442" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Hope you got out there to ski-n-see them.[/caption]

Today's report.

Sorry I couldn't get to this until late.   Everything was regroomed starting very early this morning and I had no camera to bring with myself.   With the Barnelopet kid's race happening here today, things had to be changed up some.    Hope you got out to enjoy the trails.   We did get our lame IQ repaired in the field, at least patched together enough to bring her in.

Groomed back to excellent.

Things have improved.   We got the Grizzly back late yesterday and whipped the trails  into shape today.  Do note, with just one machine operable, grooming will take much longer.

[caption id="attachment_2427" align="aligncenter" width="640"] The grade school yard was regroomed for their PE class. KNSC works hard to make sure kids can learn how fun skiing is.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2428" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Characters seen on the trail :-).[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2429" align="aligncenter" width="640"] This is how pretty it was out there today. Did you get out there to see it??[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2430" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Along our favorite creek![/caption]

Lost and gained.

We were out rolling the trails starting at 2 this morning. The plan, because of just one tow machine operable, was for the first guy to get the trails packed, and after that was done the next person would set tracks.    Sadly the sled broke down out while rolling in Churning Rapids.   The good news is, the Grizzly came out of Hancock Bike shop and hit the trails late this afternoon.    Tracks were set on the City side and in the gorge.   I took a few a photos but the camera was left in the Grizzly's tool box. :-(

We hope to have the rest of the system re-tracked on Friday.

Machines broken, snow falls anyway.

With our two most powerful tow machines broken down, we were out today on our lame sled to knock this snow down.   With our little roller we rolled and rolled again, all while snow kept coming down!  We apologize that we were not able to set tracks today. Barring more mechanicals, tracks will be set Thursday morning.

Our team is dedicated to getting tracks made ASAP.

[caption id="attachment_2412" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Enough fell overnight that the sled could not pull the little roller so we reverted to packing the trails via sled alone.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2413" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Thanks largely to the wind, the trails were being refilled with snow as fast as they could be packed. This photo was just a couple of hours after being here.[/caption]

Too many machines down.

Folks,   This past week we found that the idler bearings had failed on our Grizzly's track pods.   This is the blue ATV and the most important tow machine we have.   It immediately went into the shop and the necessary parts were shipped ASAP.    I stopped in there today and they had repaired the machine but found more parts were required, so they had ordered them ASAP.    Today we lost another machine, our Can-Am Defender, when its engine developed a terrible knock.   This leaves us with our sled which is not a strong tow machine.   We'll be out Wendsday morning and see if it can tow our small roller.    No promises but we'll give it a try.

Exl again

Today the trails were drug and brought right back to where we like them.  Excellent!

Photos say it all.   We also made a detour to the grade school yard to make tracks for there PE class.

[caption id="attachment_2401" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Oh ya.  This is what we strive to create.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2399" align="aligncenter" width="640"] KNSC grooms trails for the only grade school XC program in the Keweenaw.[/caption]