Trail Reports
Up-to-date Michigan Tech Groomer Reports
Note: As of April 13, grooming has ended at Maasto and Churning Rapids.
April 18, 2019
Michigan Tech – We are going to groom the Upper and Competition trails tonight and Friday night to set up for some nice skiing on Friday and Saturday. List of trails groomed will be posted on our website after grooming is complete. Saturday’s groom will be the end of our grooming this season. We are hoping to start bike trail maintenance first week of May.
April 13, 2019
Swedetown – All main ski trails tilled and tracked with the exception of Powderhouse and Pine. Trails are nice and white but may be hiding some debris down from this weeks wind. Add a few more km to this years total or enjoy a casual ski with friends, great spring skiing for all.
Michigan Tech – Lower trails turned out better last night as we got on it before it started misting. Some of competition trails turned out pretty rough. Use caution. This snow is not grooming out well.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracked except the River trail in the gorge, and Mud Lake. Due to the many open water hazards and areas of exposed ground, we are unable to continue grooming this season. Conditions range from good to poor.
April 9, 2019
Swedetown – Grooming has been suspended due to the current rain and warm temperatures. However, we will make every effort to groom as conditions allow–i.e., colder temperatures and/or some late-season snow accumulation. Expect to find much debris in the wooded areas on Pine and Powderhouse (“B” skis advisable), and there may be some thin spots on south-facing slopes as well as other less protected spots on the trails.
April 6, 2019
Swedetown – All ski trail freshened up with the drag this morning. Catch a spring ski before the snow goes away. Snow bike trail closed till freezing temperature return. There should be some great biking in the mornings next week
April 5, 2019
Michigan Tech – Full groom. Linden and Peepsock didn’t get fresh tracks since it started raining just before starting those loops and racks would not set.
April 4, 2019
Michigan Tech – Full groom Thursday and Friday night. No grooming Saturday and Sunday night. Hoping to get out early Tuesday morning to whip the trails back in shape. The rain and melt may cause some trail section closures.
April 4, 2019
Michigan Tech – All main trails tilled and new tracks set except on Portage, Balsam and Maple Loops.
Trails are still groomed most nights if conditions allow. Some days are good, others might have icy or soft conditions.
April 3, 2019
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – City-side and gorge trails dragged and tracked Tuesday afternoon. Good spring conditions.
Michigan Tech – All Upper Trails groomed and some of the Competition Trails touched up Tuesday Trails are still groomed most nights if conditions allow. Some days are good, others might have icy or soft conditions.
Swedetown – All skiers are asked to stop by the chalet and pick up a couple cans of EverLast Snow Conditioner and Extender (white) to be spread copiously throughout the trail system at Swedetown. With your efforts, we hope to push the season close to somewhere around July 4th.
Overall, the trails are in great shape after the weekend. However, spring thaw-freeze cycles are taking their toll, and expect to find a fair amount of debris in the wooded sections, especially on Pine and Powderhouse). South-facing slopes will be extremely soft. Skiers can expect to find the best skiing earlier in the day before rising temperatures lead to soft conditions. The weather is being monitored for optimal times to till and track as we get closer to the weekend
March 30, 2019
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled and tracked on Friday night. Overal excellent spring conditions, but you will find some debris on Powderhouse and Pine trails. The snow bike trail was groomed Thursday and is smooth, firm and fast while temps remain below freezing.
March 29, 2019
Michigan Tech – All main trails tilled and new tracks set.
March 27, 2019
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – Churning Rapids tracked Tuesday evening. No grooming for the next couple days while overnight temps are above freezing. Very good spring conditions.
March 25, 2019
Michigan Tech – Trails groomed nightly if conditions allow. Some days are good; others might have icy or soft conditions.
Swedetown – No grooming today. Snow bike Trail Report: Snow Biking Dos and Donts:
When reading, please regard #6 referring to spring riding conditions. Please ride with respect for the trail and other riders.
https://www.singletracks.com/
March 24, 2019
Swedetown – All main ski trails tilled and tracked this morning except powder, pine, birch, and papa bear. Excellent classic cruising and fast skate lanes. Snow bike trail firm and fast. Lots of smiles for all!
March 23, 2019
Swedetown – Ski trail: All trails tilled and tracked overnight. Excellent spring skiing.
Snow bike: Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon riders should have excellent conditions.
Michigan Tech – Groomed Birch, Isle Royale and Superior of the Upper trails and all of the Lower/Nara Loops. Base is very icy and very difficult to groom. Tracks are not setting well.
March 22, 2019
Michigan Tech – Upper trails turned out nice after being tilled and new tracks set. The base is holding a lot of moisture and the snow in tiller started to clump up and leave grooves as the surface started to freeze. We will do a full groom tonight after the base freezes a little deeper.
March 21, 2019
Michigan Tech – Main trails tilled and new tracks set. Excellent conditions.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – City-side trails tracked Thursday afternoon. We plan to continue grooming as long as overnight temps stay below freezing. Very good spring conditions.
March 20, 2019
Happy First Day of Spring!
Swedetown – Skate lanes were dragged this morning. Snow bike trail looks soft and slushy until temps drop below freezing.
Michigan Tech – No grooming today – trails did not freeze last night.
Churning Rapids Snow Bicycle – Trails partially groomed Wednesday evening. The trails that were not groomed should still be good when it freezes. Riding should be good Thursday morning, maybe all day Friday, and Saturday morning.
March 19, 2019
Swedetown – All trails are dragged including the snow bike trail. Expect to find softer conditions as the temperatures rise. Wooded sections have some debris accumulation, so expect to find the best skiing on the Bear loops and Tree loops. Grooming completed at 10 a.m.
March 18, 2019
Chassell – With the warm weather and spring conditions, grooming at Chassell has ended for this ski season.
Michigan Tech – Tilled and tracked main trails. Grooming completed at 2 am
March 17, 2019
Swedetown – All trails are tracked and killed, the snow bike trail was dragged as well. Excellent conditions Prevail throughout the system at swedetown==get out and ski! Grooming completed at 10 a.m. Snow bike report – Friday’s snow was groomed this morning. Expect loose over firm conditions until the sun has a chance to settle the snow. Hoping for excellent midweek riding once that happens.
Michigan Tech – Tilled and tracked. Excellent conditions.
March 16, 2019
Chassell – Grooming completed on Saturday morning at 7:45. With te additional new snow last night, conditions are excellent.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracked. Tracks did not set up as well due to the icy snow, but trails are quite firm.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Friday night and Saturday morning. Good conditions overall. Tomasi connector might be a little soft, but single track should be good.
Swedetown – All trails tilled and tracked and the Multipurpose Loops are freshly dragged. All trails are in excellent condition! Grooming completed at 11:30 a.m.
Michigan Tech – Tilled and tracked all main trails. It helped grinding up the ice on Friday to set nice tracks today. An inch of fluffy snow fell after grooming last night.
March 15, 2019
Chassell – The trail is very icy and will remain closed unless we get enough snow to make for safe conditions.
Swedetown – Grooming will resume on Saturday, March 16, when the snow if firmer and can safely be groomed without damage to the trails. The snow bike trail is still closed but should open this weekend if colder temperatures prevail.
Michigan Tech – No tracks today. Tilling/grinding ice all day. Trails will be in excellent condition tomorrow.
March 14, 2019
Chassell – Because of the warm temps and heavy rain, grooming has been suspended for the foreseeable future.
Swedetown – Due to warm temperatures and extremely soft trails, grooming has been suspended. The snow bike trails remain closed until conditions improve.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Plan on the bike trails opening on Saturday. It looks like the temperature will drop below freezing on Friday morning, but will take some time for the snow to firm up. If we get some snow on Friday we will use the V plow to push it off Friday evening or early Saturday morning.
March 13, 2019
Chassell – No grooming today.
Swedetown – Grooming is suspended for today: a quick pass showed the trails to be in excellent condition, but VERY soft due to warm temperatures. Expect some debris in the wooded areas, and please exercise caution when skiing in the wooded trails as the snow bombs will be falling today. The snow bike trails are closed until conditions improve. Grooming completed at 7:00 am.
March 12, 2019
Chassell – Grooming completed last night at 10 pm. Excellent conditions except in a couple of areas where the drifting creates side hills and soft spots.
Copper Harbor – Trails open, but grooming has been suspended until further notice.
Michigan Tech – Trails tilled and tracked. Excellent conditions. No grooming Wednesday and Thursday, given the rain and warmer temperatures. Back at it on Friday.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Most of the single track was groomed Monday morning, but we did not make it to either trailhead. KNSC is grooming the ski trails Tuesday morning so the single track can be accessed, but temperatures are expected to rise quickly on Tuesday and stay above freezing for the next few days. Please avoid making ruts so we can have good riding when the trails freeze later this week.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails dragged and tracked. Excellent conditions everywhere. No grooming for the next few days.
Please DO NOT walk on groomed trails! It causes unnecessary damage, especially when trails are soft. Please follow rules and use trails as intended. Thank you!
Swedetown – All trails are tilled and tracked, the Dog Loops dragged as well. Warm temperatures will mean softening trail surfaces later in the day, so get out and get ’em while it’s good! Grooming completed at 11 am.
March 11, 2019
Chassell – No grooming today.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set. We will groom upper trails again this morning because of blowing and drifting snow. Tolkien groomed this morning.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled. An abbreviated track pattern is currently being set. Tracks will not last long with the wind. We plan to drag and track all trails early Tuesday morning.
Swedetown – Another 6+ inches of new snow tilled and tracked, and the Dog Loops have been packed and dragged. However, added accumulation is building up quickly, so expect to find soft conditions throughout the system. We now have a 48″ base–go to Swedetowntrails.org for a view of current trail conditions, including our snow gauge. Grooming completed at 1:00 pm. Snow Bike Trail was reestablished today after the weekend’s snowing and blowing. The riding surface remains too soft for bike traffic. The trail will remain closed till conditions firm up. Thank you for your cooperation.
March 10, 2019
Chassell – Grooming completed at 10:45. Conditions are excellent. Just a reminder, the Chassell trails are not groomed so people can walk their dogs on the them. If anyone would see someone who is using the trail for that purpose, please ask them to leave the trail immediately. Thanks. Jim.
Copper Harbor – The Copper Harbor Trails, through Fort Wilkins have been groomed and are in good shape, except for a little drifting from the winds off the lake. The Bike trails at the Trails End camp have been buried and it will take time to have those trails returning to form.
Swedetown – All trails were tilled and tracked and the Dog Loops dragged, but rapid accumulation has covered this morning’s grooming efforts. Tracks are set for “normal” configuration, i.e., not Bear Chase race configuration. Grooming completed at 11:30 am.
HUGE “THANKS!” go out to the many volunteers, racers, friends and family who made the 2019 Great Bear Chase an overwhelming success! Even the weather cooperated, with perfect conditions for grooming and racing, and waiting until the race was over before the next winter storm started blowing in.
March 7, 2019
Michigan Tech – Touched up the heavier used trails this morning. We will do a full groom tomorrow. Trails in excellent condition
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – Churning Rapids, Mud Lake, and Gorge trails dragged and tracked. All trails in excellent condition.
Swedetown – Race course was tilled and tracked, excellent condition. Multi-use and snow bike trails triple passed and in very good condition.
March 6, 2019
Chassell – Grooming and track setting completed at 5:00 a.m. Conditions are excellent. The snow sculptures created by the wind are something to see. Enjoy.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – City-side trails dragged and tracked. Excellent conditions everywhere.
March 5, 2019
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – Churning Rapids and Mud Lake dragged and tracked. Wind and snow covering tracks quickly. Excellent conditions.
Swedetown – Race course tilled and tracked, only one pass. Normal intersections won’t be groomed again until after Bear Chase. Multi-use and SBT will be dragged today.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Tuesday evening. Should be very good riding for the next few days.
March 4, 2019
Swedetown – We will be doing trail widening today in preparation for Great Bear Chase race, expect irregularities in grooming patterns. Starting Thursday we’ll start race course grooming and will not be grooming some sections. Continued skiing is encouraged.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – City-side trails dragged and tracked. All trails in excellent condition.
Michigan Tech – Trails groomed early this morning. New tracks set and skate lanes are rock hard.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails have not been groomed since Friday night, but have firmed up with the cold temperatures and are now in good condition other than a few ruts and footprints. We plan to groom again on Tuesday evening.
Copper Harbor – All trails groomed. Good to very good conditions. Ski, Snowshoe, Bike
March 3, 2019
Chassell – Grooming completed at 8:45. Conditions are excellent.
Copper Harbor – Wescoat property is groomed and tracked. Very good conditions. Ski, Snowshoe, Bike. Fort Wilkins property in beginning stages of recovery
March 2, 2019
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled, tracked and in EXCELLENT condition, Multi-use was dragged and should be firm. SBT will get a couple more passes this afternoon, should be rideable Sunday morning.
Copper Harbor – Wescoat property is groomed and tracked. Very good conditions. Ski, Snowshoe, Bike. Fort Wilkins property is still ungroomed but should be back in business week of March 4.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails dragged and tracked. Trails are firm and in excellent condition.
March 1, 2019
Swedetown – We will touch up trails today as needed and do full groom Saturday morning. Trails are in very good condition.
Copper Harbor – Still in recovery mode.
Chassell – Grooming was completed at 7:30 a.m. The lower trail is in very good to excellent condition with the exception of a short distance with heavy drifts that caused some poor tracks. A couple sections of the upper trail were hit with some very heavy drifting. I did not set track in some of those areas. Please be aware as you ski, you may have to side step up and down some of the drifted areas. The majority off the trail is very good to excellent condition, but pole traction may be compromised in some spots. Enjoy.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails have packed in pretty well and we’ve done a fair bit of lopping to eliminate face slappers. We will make one more pass with the pan on Friday evening. Should be good riding for Saturday.
February 28, 2019
Chassell – We will not be able to have tracks by Friday. There are drifts up to 6 feet high on the trail that will require more work than originally anticipated.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – We’re getting there. All trails have been opened up with snowmobiles. We’ll be working on packing down a firm riding surface Thursday and Friday. Should be good for Saturday.
Michigan Tech – Trails tilled and new tracks set. They are solid and in excellent shape. Tolkien will be groomed this morning.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails dragged and tracked. Some bumpy sections remain, but otherwise all trails are in excellent condition.
February 27, 2019
PLEASE NOTE – Groomers continue to work to unclog the trails after the huge snowfall and gale-force winds on Sunday. Please be patient. Note that while the trails are groomed, the parking lot at Swedetown is not fully plowed and the access road is very narrow. The Chassell trail is not groomed – the snowmobile got stuck three times in 100 yards yesterday.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks finishing at 7 am. Trails are in excellent shape. We had a light dusting after we finished today.
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled, tracked and in very good condition. Multi-use has been rolled but will be a bit soft. Multi-use parking has not been plowed out yet and Woodland Road is only one lane so use caution. SBT loops 1,2 and 3 dragged but will be soft, loop 4 is still undiscovered. Chalet parking lot is only partially plowed, PLEASE, PARK IN FRONT OF CHALET so if plow comes his job will be easier. Respect the plow Man.
February 26, 2019
Chassell – The trail needs quite a bit of work. It is unlikely to be groomed before Saturday. Thanks for your patience and watch this page for updates.
Copper Harbor – Trails are buried. Recovery mode continues.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails are still buried after the storm. We’ll be out Tuesday evening to start opening them up, but they won’t be ready for use until later in the week.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All city-side trails dragged and tracked. Some sections are a little rough from drifting. We are currently packing down the rest of the system, but hope to have it all tracked by noon. Trails are quite firm as well.
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled and tracked except Pine and Powderhouse which have only been drift busted. We’ll do final groom on them tomorrow. Multi-use is impassable for now; buried the sled several times and had to bail. We will try again tomorrow. SBT loops 1,2 and 3 have been roughed in and will need more work, We haven’t found loop 4 yet.
Michigan Tech – Trails tilled and new tracks set. They are solid and in excellent shape. Tolkien will be finished this afternoon.
February 25, 2019
Swedetown – Waiting on plows to gain access to the grooming barn, then we’ll have to dig the barn out. Grooming will be delayed until sometime this afternoon.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – We are attempting to recover trails today. Quite a few sections are drifted shut and impassable with our machines. We hope to get all trails open by tomorrow.
Michigan Tech – Grooming since midnight last night to pack the trails. A hydraulic hose blew out but it now fixed. We hope to have tracks set on the upper and competition trails by 4:30. Lower trails will be packed. It has been a long day.
February 24, 2019
Swedetown – Delayed grooming depending on the storm.
Chassell – No grooming today
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – We will be packing down new snow throughout the day today. No tracks will be set until early Monday morning.
Michigan Tech – Ski races today. Grooming only on the race course.
February 22, 2019
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Thursday evening. Snow is still pretty soft. 2 or 3 psi recommended.
Swedetown – All ski trails being tilled and tracked, should be completed by 11am. SBT triple passed might be a bit soft 3psi recommended. Multi-use dragged and in great shape. SKI SOON!!!!
Michigan Tech – All trails groomed early this morning finishing at 8 am with new tracks on Lower and Upper trails. No tracks set on competition trails today except Linden and Peepsock loops. Maple and Portage loops will be closed all weekend.
Copper Harbor – Trails leveled and tracked. Excellent conditions.
February 21, 2019
Chassell – The trail was rolled this morning. Track setting completed at 1:30 p.m. Conditions are excellent.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set by 9:30 am. Most trails were tilled 3 times to knock the air out of the fresh snow. Tolkien widened and new tracks set. No tracks will be set on competition trails Friday and Saturday because of NCAA Regional Championships this weekend.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracked. Expect soft conditions on all trails.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – We will be grooming the new snow on Thursday night. Hopefully we can pack it down enough to have rideable trails on Friday and Saturday, before the next dump.
Swedetown – 10+ inches of new snow tilled and tracked in, very good condition. Multi-use is being dragged but we won’t start on SBT until tonight or in the morning, hope to have it rideable for weekend.
February 19, 2019
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Monday evening. Very good conditions.
Michigan Tech – Tilled and tracked. Excellent conditions.
Copper Harbor – Trails are in great condition. We have been grooming solid the last 4 days. Laid down X/C track and hiking/biking track. Copper Harbor invites all to come and enjoy.
February 18, 2019
Chassell – Grooming completed at 9:45 am. Excellent conditions.
Michigan Tech – All trail tilled and new tracks set. Grooming completed 7 am.
Swedetown – Skate lanes, SBT and Multi-use dragged, grooming completed 10:30.
February 17, 2019
Swedetown – All trails tilled and tracked; snow bike trails and Dog Loops dragged. Enjoy excellent conditions at Swedetown trails today! Grooming completed at 10:00 am.
Michigan Tech – Trails tilled and new tracks set finishing at 4:30 am
February 16, 2019
Michigan Tech -All trails tilled and tracked. Grooming completed at 9:30 am. Tolkien packed and tracked this afternoon.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails dragged and tracked. Trails are firm and in excellent condition.
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled, tracked and in EXCELLENT condition. SBT dragged last night but could still be a bit soft, Multi-use also dragged and in good shape, grooming completed 10am.
February 15, 2019
Swedetown – Trails being tilled and tracked. Grooming started at Noon and should be complete by 4 pm. SBT and Multi-use were dragged but most likely blown in.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and tracked. Grooming completed at 9 am. Tolkien packed and tracked this morning. Blowing and drifting snow is covering the groomed surface quickly.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracked. Tracks in open areas are getting covered very quick. Trails are still pretty soft.
Copper Harbor – Trail was packed leveled and tracks were set this morning. Fighting blowing and drifting snow in the exposed open space today.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails are covered with fresh snow. We will be grooming it hard Friday evening to make good trails for Saturday.
February 14, 2019
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and tracked. Grooming completed at 3 am.
Copper Harbor – We’re back up and running in Copper Harbor! The trails were leveled and tracks set this morning. The tracks will be a bit soft today but should firm up by the weekend with more grooming passes.
February 13, 2019
Chassell -Grooming completed at 5 p.m. conditions are excellent.
Copper Harbor – Grooming temporarily suspended for groomer repair.
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled, tracked and in excellent condition. SBT and Multi-use dragged. Grooming completed 10:30am.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracked. Trails are quite soft due to the low density snow. Expect some drifting in open areas, but otherwise excellent conditions everywhere.
February 12, 2019
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – Tracks refreshed on all trails. The wind is covering them up quick. Besides drifting in open areas, expect excellent conditions everywhere.
Swedetown – All trails dragged but are being covered quickly.
February 11, 2019
Michigan Tech – Upper and Competition trails tilled and tracks set. Lower/Nara trails – dragged.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Monday morning before 7am. Overall very good conditions.
February 10, 2019
Copper Harbor – Grooming temporarily suspended for groomer repair.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – City-side trails dragged and tracked for the Barnelopet. Excellent conditions everywhere else as well.
Swedetown – All trails tilled and tracked; last week’s bounty is adding to our ever-increasing base! Both the Snow Bike trails and Multi-purpose are packed, dragged, and ready to go! Grooming completed at 12:00 pm
February 9, 2019
Chassell – Grooming completed at 7:30 a.m. Conditions are excellent, but a little soft with all the new snow.
Michigan Tech – Tilled and tracked all trails ending at 9 am. Tolkien will be groomed early afternoon.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids -A ll trails dragged and tracked. Mud Lake was rolled due to the amount of drifting. Excellent conditions.
Swedetown – All trails tilled and tracked; Dog Loops and snow bike trails dragged and ready to go! Conditions are excellent for an adventure at Swedetown Trails! Grooming completed at 9:00 am
February 8, 2019
Chassell – No grooming at Chassell today. Grooming will resume tomorrow morning.
Michigan Tech – Groomers will be out later than usual this morning.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – We will work on packing down the new snow on Friday night and Saturday morning. Plan on rideable trails Saturday afternoon.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled Thursday night and Friday morning. Tracks have been set on all trails. Expect tracks to be covered in open areas. Excellent conditions.
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled, tracked and in great condition. SBT and Multi-use dragged but expect soft conditions.
Copper Harbor – Got out and broke trail today. No tracks. Excessive drifting.
February 7, 2019
Chassell – Grooming was completed at 7:20 a.m. Conditions are excellent for the time being.
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled, tracked and in excellent condition, Multi-use and SBT have a couple inches of fluffy goodness over a firm base.
February 6, 2019
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails re-tracked early this morning. Excellent conditions.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike -Trails groomed Wednesday morning, except the Tomasi connector. Get it today before it gets buried tomorrow.
Swedetown – All trails tilled and tracked; snow bike trails and Dog Loops freshly dragged. Excellent conditions abound at Swedetown, and we suspect that they are about to get even better! Grooming completed at 11:00 am
February 5, 2019
Chassell – Grooming completed at 8:10 a.m. Conditions are excellent.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Monday evening. The fresh snow didn’t pack in very well, so trails are still soft Tuesday morning. 3 or 4 psi recommended.
Swedetown – All trails tilled and tracked, the Dog Loops and Snow Bike trails have been freshly dragged. Conditions are excellent! Grooming completed at 8:30 am.
Copper Harbor -Groomed and tracked today. Trail conditions are EXCELLENT.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set. Tolkien widened and new tracks set. Citizen’s Night Series tonight!
February 4, 2019
Swedetown – We are holding off on grooming today because we can’t keep up with the rapid accumulation on the trails–not a bad problem! There is still a solid base beneath the new snow, but expect slow conditions because of heavy, dense snow that is building up throughout the day. Report at 9:45 am.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set finishing at 11 am. Only about an inch of accumulation this morning.
Copper Harbor – Trails groomed this morning. Snow covered them up.
February 3, 2019
Swedetown – All trails tilled and tracked with excellent conditions throughout the system. The Snow bike trail was dragged and the Dog Loops are open for business. Grooming completed at 10:00 am.
February 2, 2019
Swedetown – All trails tilled and tracked, the Snow Bike Trail was freshly dragged, and the Dog Loops are looking good with all the recent snow! Excellent conditions abound at Swedetown, with plenty of base and lots of fresh snow. Caution: the trees will be unloading some of this bounty as temperatures rise, so beware falling snow in the wooded sections. Grooming completed at 9:00 am.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and tracked.
February 1, 2019
Chassell – Grooming completed at 10:15 p.m. on Thursday. Because it was so cold, the snow was so hard that the tracks are not quite full depth everywhere. The track setter slid sideways a few times on hard drifts. Otherwise conditions are very good.
Swedetown – All Ski trails tilled,tracked and in excellent condition. Multi-use and SBT dragged, grooming completed 9 am.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails were groomed Thursday night. Should be rideable Friday, but still soft in places. We’ll be re-grooming Friday night to smooth out some bumps and pack it in a little better.
Churning Rapids/Maasto Hiihto – All trails dragged and tracked. Excellent conditions everywhere.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and tracked. Tolkien Trails widened and tracks set.
January 31, 2019
Michigan Tech – Trails are closed today.
Chassell – No grooming today.
Swedetown – Tilling and tracking today. Multipupose loops have been rolled and the Snow Bike trails will be dragged as the temperature rises. Please use caution while we are still in the throes of the latest Polar Vortex!
Churning Rapids Snow Bike -We’ve been grooming the last two nights to pack down the new snow. We’ll be out again Thursday night. Plan on good riding Friday and through the weekend..
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails will be rolled this afternoon. Tracks will be set early Friday morning.
January 30, 2019
Michigan Tech – Trails are closed today.
Chassell – No grooming today.
Swedetown – No grooming today.
January 29, 2019
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails were groomed Monday night. With more snow and bitter cold temps the next few days, trails may not be good again until later in the week. We will plan to have them whipped back into shape by Friday.
Churning Rapids/Maasto Hiihto – Churning Rapids rolled and Maasto dragged. Tracks set everywhere. Tracks in open areas are getting covered very quickly. Excellent conditions while they last. No grooming Wednesday.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set this morning. David will make a second pass through Birch, Oak and Isle Royale after lunch to keep the tracks visible. No grooming Wednesday but we will be back out early Thursday. This weekend looks to be fantastic!
Swedetown – Snow bike trails and Multi-use dragged. Ski trails are being tilled and tracked, should be completed at Noon but heavy snow and wind will cover them up quickly.
Copper Harbor -Great conditions. Fresh powder. Multiple passes for corduroy and cross country skiing.
January 28, 2019
Chassell – Grooming completed at 8 am. Conditions are excellent – a real winter wonderland.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set this morning. Tolkien Trails will be groomed and tracked this afternoon.
Copper Harbor – All trails groomed Monday a.m. Conditions excellent. Ski, snowshoe, bike.
January 27, 2019
Chassell – No grooming today, given the temperatures will stay below zero.
Michigan Tech – No grooming today, given temperatures and wind chill.
Swedetown – Snow bike trail (SBT) and Multi-use dragged this morning, tilling and tracking should be completed by Noon.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracked. Excellent conditions
January 26, 2019
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails were groomed Friday night and Saturday morning. May still be a little soft. We did not groom the Tomasi Road connector but the ski trail may be firm enough to bike.
Michigan Tech -l trails tilled and new tracks set. Tolkien – new tracks. No grooming Sunday because of windchill.
Swedetown – All trails tilled and tracked, and the snow bike trail and Dog Loops have been dragged. Cold (as in very) will lead to slower conditions, but the trails are in excellent shape. Grooming completed at 11:30 am.
January 25, 2019
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracked. Trails are quite soft due to the large amount of snow and drifting. Excellent conditions.
Michigan Tech – All trails double groomed and new tracks set. Tolkien widened and tracks set.
Swedetown – Even with the frigid temperatures, trails are currently being tracked and tilled, with grooming expected to be completed around 2:00 pm. The snow bike trails have been dragged but please use discretion. If they’re too soft please try again later in the day after the snow has had a chance to set up. The Dog Loops have been rolled. Excellent conditions! Grooming report submitted at 12:00 pm.
Copper Harbor – Trails groomed and tracked, excellent conditions
January 24, 2019
Michigan Tech – Grooming plan for today. Flat groom all trails this morning. We will go out again after lunch and set some tracks on Birch, Oak, Isle Royale and Superior loops. Competition and Lower trails will be groomed again without tracks.
Swedetown – All trails tilled, tracked and/or dragged, but rapid accumulations of snow are covering our efforts quickly! We will continue to groom throughout the anticipated blustery weather, but may delay grooming starts to take advantage of the snowfall. Grooming completed at 10:00 am
January 23, 2019
Chassell – Grooming completed at 7:15 a.m. Excellent conditions.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed early Wednesday morning. Very nice conditions for Wednesday.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids All trails rolled and tracked. Excellent conditions everywhere.
Swedetown -T he snow bike trails and Multipurpose Loops have been dragged, and the rest of the trails at Swedetown have been tilled and tracked. Excellent conditions prevail throughout the system, and getting better with every new snowfall! Grooming completed at 10:00 am.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set.
January 22, 2019
Swedetown – We decided on a delayed start for grooming this morning because it just keeps coming down! The snow bike trails and Dog Loops have been dragged, and the main trails will be tilled and tracked this morning. If you’re out early, please use caution as the Husky will be out working this new snow into our 2′ base!
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Nathan is out grooming right now (11 am), but the snow is still coming down. We plan to hit it again later this evening or early tomorrow morning. It may be rideable with low tire pressure today. Plan on better conditions for Wednesday.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set. Tracks also set on Tolkien Trails.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – Delayed start, but all Maasto trails tracked. No grooming has been done in Churning Rapids today. We plan to roll and track all trails early Wednesday morning.
Copper Harbor – Beautiful lake effect snow. Laid a single track and track for hiking/ snowshoeing
January 21, 2019
Swedetown – All trails dragged this morning; light use on the snow bike and Dog Loops yesterday left those trails in good shape. Grooming completed at 8:00 am.
Copper Harbor – Trails groomed Monday morning. Fresh snow, very good conditions. Ski, Snowshoe, Bike.
January 20, 2019
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracked. Excellent conditions everywhere.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Sunday morning. Very good condition.
Swedetown – All trails tilled and tracked; the snow bike trails and Multipurpose Loops freshly dragged as well. Stick with those New Year’s resolutions: get out and ski! Grooming completed at 10:00 am.
Michigan Tech -Upper and Competition trails tilled and new tracks set. Lower trails – skate lanes dragged.
January 19, 2019
Chassell – Groomed and tracked at 8 am. Excellent conditions.
Swedetown – It may be a bit on the cold side today, but all the more reason to bundle up and ski hard at Swedetown. All trails are tilled and tracked; the Dog Loops and snow bike trails have been freshly dragged. Grooming completed at 9:00 am.
Copper Harbor – Trails groomed Saturday morning. Fresh snow, excellent conditions. Ski, Snowshoe, Bike.
Michigan Tech – Trails tilled and tracked. Tolkien tracks have been reset.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Saturday morning. Excellent conditions.
January 18, 2019
Copper Harbor -Trail leveled and tracked. Conditions good.
Swedetown – Ski trails tilled and tracked. Multi-use and snow bike trails are in very good shape with minimal snow dust.
Michigan Tech – Competition and Lower trails tilled and new tracks set. Upper trails skate lanes dragged. Excellent conditions
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails dragged and tracked. Expect open areas to be somewhat blown over. Excellent conditions
January 17, 2019
Michigan Tech – Upper and Competition trails tilled and new tracks set. Lower trails – skate lanes dragged. Tolkien has fresh tracks today.
Swedetown – All ski and multi-use trails dragged and in excellent condition. The snow bike loops are also in excellent shape and ready to ride.
Copper Harbor – Groomed Thursday morning. Very Good conditions. Ski, Snowshoe, Bike.
January 16, 2019
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled, tracked and in excellent condition. Snow bike trail dragged and solid, Multi-use in good shape. Grooming completed 9 am.
Chassell – Groomed and tracked. Very good conditions. Grooming completed at 7:30 am
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Most trails were cleared with the V plow early Wednesday morning. The Tomasi Road connector (River Bypass) was not groomed but should still be rideable.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set. Tolkien loops dragged this morning and new tracks will be set tomorrow.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails dragged and tracked. Most tracks have been set after the wind calmed down, so there should be very few snow covered tracks. Excellent conditions.
January 15, 2019
Michigan Tech – All skate lanes dragged. New tracks on Isle Royale and Superior, but then an equipment breakdown. Other trails are tracked from yesterday, and the tracks are fine. Full grooming with the Bombardier tomorrow.
Swedetown – Trails were dragged and still in excellent condition with the snow from last week. Grooming completed at 9 am.
January 14, 2019
Michigan Tech – Upper and Competition trails groomed this morning. Lower trails show very little use and are still in excellent condition.
Copper Harbor – All trails groomed and tracked Monday morning. Very good conditions.
Swedetown – All ski trails and snow bike loops dragged today. Excellent conditions. Multi-use trail also in excellent shape.
January 13, 2019
Churning Rapids/Maasto Hiihto – All trails dragged and tracked. Excellent conditions.
Swedetown – All trails were dragged, and both classic tracks and skate lanes are in excellent condition. The snow bike trail was dragged on Saturday evening, and the Dog Loops this morning. Grooming completed at 10:00 am.
January 12, 2019
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Friday evening. Should be very nice for the weekend.
Swedetown – All trails were tilled and tracked. The snow bike trail was dragged on Friday evening, but may be a little soft due to warmer temperatures. The Dog loops are firm and ready for romps with your favorite pal. Grooming completed at 9:30 am.
Michigan Tech – Trails tilled and new tracks set.
January 11, 2019
Copper Harbor -Fresh snow. Tracked this morning. Some areas of trail need work with leveler. Overall trail conditions are “good.”
Swedetown -All trails dragged today and tracks were set yesterday. Conditions are excellent. Snow bike loops dragged today and are in great shape. Multi-use trails were dragged yesterday and also in great condition.
January 10, 2019
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Wednesday evening. We used the V plow to push the fluff off of the firm base. Should be good riding for the next few days.
Copper Harbor – All trails groomed and tracked this morning. Excellent conditions.
Chassell – Groomed and tracked on Thursday morning. Grooming completed at 8. Excellent conditions.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails dragged and tracked. Most drifts smoothed out. Excellent conditions everywhere.
Michigan Tech – Double groomed most trails this morning to shape trails starting to “U”. All trails tilled and new tracks set.
January 9, 2019
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled and tracked, multi-use rolled, and snow bike trail roughed in. Lake effect snow adding up.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and tracked this morning. Snow and high winds will continue throughout the day.
Chassell – Grooming/tracking completed at 9 am. Excellent conditions, but wind-blown in a few areas.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracked besides New River trail and Mud Lake due to drifting. With the steady wind and snow, tracks will not last long. Very good conditions. We plan to smooth out drifts with the drag tomorrow morning if not much more snow falls. Tracks will be reset on all trails as well.
January 8, 2019
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Monday evening. New snow packed down pretty well and should freeze Tuesday morning.
Copper Harbor – Trails open for multi-use, skiing, snowshoeing, and FAT BIKE! Not tracked as of yet. Trail conditions poor.
Churning Rapids/Maasto Hiihto -All trails dragged and tracked. Expect drifting in open areas. West side of Mud Lake is quite bumpy from drifting, but we hope to have it smoothed out in the next couple days. Very good to excellent conditions.
Swedetown – All ski trails were groomed last night with tracks set. There is some tree debris in wooded areas, but otherwise conditions are good. Snow bike trails were also groomed last night, but may still be soft due to high overnight temps. Multi-use trails were rolled this morning and are in good shape.
January 7, 2019
Swedetown – Due to high winds, rapidly accumulating snow (which is a good thing!), and drifting, trail grooming has been suspended this morning. If the weather settles, we’ll groom the closer-in trails this afternoon.
Chassell – Rolled and tracked on Monday morning. Good to very good. Grooming completed at 9:00 a.m.
Michigan Tech – All trails groomed, but no tracks set. Will look at setting tracks, depending on the weather settling down.
January 6, 2019
Swedetown – Skate lanes were dragged this morning; both skate lanes and classic tracks are fast and firm, due to the warm temperatures and consequent refreezing of the snow. Grooming completed at 9:00 am.
Michigan Tech – Skate lanes dragged today. Sloppy snowstorm tomorrow.
January 5, 2019
Swedetown – All trails were tilled and tracked this morning; the snow bike trail was dragged last night. Conditions are fast and firm, but expect to see some softening as the temperatures rise. Grooming completed at 8:00 am.
January 4, 2019
Chassell – Because of the very thin base and spring like conditions, grooming has been suspended until we get more snow. It would be best to stay off the trail until grooming resumes. Thanks.
Swedetown – Skate lanes were dragged this morning; expect to find fast conditions in both the skate lanes and classic tracks until warmer temperatures cause the snow to soften. The snow bike trail will be groomed tonight when temperatures drop. Grooming completed at 9:30 am.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set last night finishing up at 2 am. Excellent skiing today.
January 3, 2019
Churning Rapids/Maasto Hiihto – All trails dragged and tracked. A few rough spots remain on Mud Lake and the New River trail. Very good to excellent conditions. No grooming until the weather cools back off.
Michigan Tech – Skate lanes dragged today. Trails will be tilled and tracked this evening as the temperature drops below freezing.
January 2, 2019
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails were groomed Tuesday morning. Mostly good conditions with some soft spots in open areas that were drifted.
Michigan Tech – Skate lanes dragged today. Tracks still in nice shape.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All City-Side trails re-tracked as well as River Bypass and the New River trail. Trails are in very good condition and firm from the cold weather overnight. We plan to drag and reset tracks on all trails early Thursday.
Swedetown – All trails were dragged this morning, including the Multipurpose (Dog) Loops and snow bike trail. Some brushing was done on the snow bike trail to reduce the number of hanging limbs from the recent heavy snowfalls. The same snowfalls that have led to excellent conditions throughout the Swedetown system. Grooming completed at 11:00 am.
January 1, 2019
Swedetown -All ski trails tilled, tracked and in EXCELLENT condition. Multi-use rolled and snow bike trail dragged. Grooming finished 10 am.
Michigan Tech -All trails tilled and tracks set. Tolkien packed and tracks set.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracked. Mud Lake, New River trail, and the River trail in the gorge still have a couple rough spots. Trails are also a bit soft today. Very good conditions just about everywhere.
December 31, 2018
Michigan Tech – Snowing all day today so no grooming till tomorrow morning.
Chassell – The whole trail is now groomed. Conditions are very good to excellent. Grooming completed at 10:30 a.m.
Swedetown – Skate lanes, multi-use and snow bike trails dragged. Heavy snow falling. We will till and track all this great new snow in tomorrow morning.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids -D ue to heavy snowfall an abbreviated track pattern was set. The River trail in the gorge, Mud Lake, River Bypass, Ruby Marsh, and Diagonal were not tracked. Expect some normally double tracked areas to be single tracked. With increasing wind, tracks will not last long. All trails will be rolled and tracked early Tuesday morning.
December 30, 2018
Swedetown -All trails dragged this morning, including the Multipurpose loops. The snow bike trail was dragged, and Loop 4 should be open later today. The classic tracks and skate lanes are firm and fast, with very good to excellent conditions throughout the system. Grooming completed at 9:30 am.
December 29, 2018
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails were groomed Friday night. Fluffy snow seems to have packed down pretty well on top of the slushy base. Watch for low branches due to ice, we tried to cut the worst of them.
Chassell – The upper 7 km of trail are groomed and tracks are set. Most of that part of the trail is in good to very good condition. The snow cover up from the Heritage Center in Chassell is thin, and it would be recommended to not ski that section. Please use the Archambeau Rd trail head and avoid the bottom 2 km. Hopefully we will get several more inches of snow so we can get everything up and running. Thanks for your patience.
Michigan Tech – Upper and Competition trails tilled and tracks reset. Lower trails have been dragged. Tracks reset on Tolkien loops.
Copper Harbor – All trails are established but not groomed or tracked.
Swedetown -A ll trails tilled, tracked and in great condition. Multi-use rolled. Snow bike loops 1,2 and 3 dragged . We hope to open loop 4 tomorrow.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All Maasto trails rolled and tracked. Churning Rapids trails dragged and tracked. Sections of Mud Lake and the New River trail were not tracked today and are a bit rough. Expect to find very good conditions almost everywhere.
December 28, 2018
Swedetown – All ski trails tilled , tracked and in very good condition. Multi-use was packed and rolled. Snow Bike Trails loops 1,2 and 3 snowmobile packed but not dragged; loop 4 will need snowshoe packing and saw work.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and tracked. Tolkien packed and tracked today.
Churning Rapids/Maasto Hiihto – All trails rolled and tracked. The New River trail, Mud Lake, and the River Trail along the gorge are still a bit rough. Good to very good conditions on almost all trails.
December 27, 2018
Swedetown – We are suspending grooming until weather settles down. We plan to get out early Friday morning.
Michigan Tech – Rolling and base building today. Trails will be tilled fresh tomorrow with tracks set on all trails.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – We packed down the sloppy snow Thursday evening. Planning to groom again Friday evening, so hopefully good riding for Saturday.
December 26, 2018
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails were groomed Monday morning. Conditions remain pretty good for Wednesday.
Michigan Tech – Upper and Competition Trails dragged today. Tracks on Upper Trails are in excellent shape and Cemetery Loop is now open.
Swedetown – All trails were dragged today, and the Multiuse (Dog) loops were rolled as well, but expect to find some wet spots in low areas. The snow bike trail was dragged and is firm and fast. The tracks and trails are in generally very good condition with the new snow received earlier in the week. Grooming completed at 10:30 am
December 24, 2018
Swedetown – 6″ to 8″ of fresh snow, All Trails Rolled, dragged and tracked. Snow bike trail dragged but could be a bit soft. As of now we are not planning to groom tomorrow.
Michigan Tech – All trails tilled and new tracks set on Upper Trails. Tolkien rolled today and starting to fill in. Should be able to set track on all trails after next snowfall.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled and tracks set everywhere except the New River trail and the middle section of Spring Creek between Ruby Marsh and Diagonal. Good conditions just about everywhere. Expect some rough areas on the Quincy trail, New River trail, and Mud Lake. Trails remain pretty soft until we have enough base to drag.
December 23, 2018
Swedetown – All trails dragged and tracked, with much better results for the classic tracks today. A little new snow added to the mix didn’t hurt either! Good conditions throughout the system, with much less debris on the surface after two days of dragging and working in the new snow from last night. Grooming completed at 11:00 am.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails tracked today besides Mud Lake, Spring Creek, and New River Trail. City-side and gorge trails are still pretty rough and have many bare spots exposed. Most wet spots have frozen over, but still need more snow to cover. All trails in Churning Rapids are in pretty good shape besides the middle section of Spring Creek between Diagonal and Ruby Marsh.
December 22, 2018
Swedetown – The good news: all the trails were tracked and dragged today and the skate lanes should be firm and fast. The bad news: rock hard conditions precluded a decent track set for the classic tracks, but we will reset on Sunday morning with hopefully better results as the snow is worked more. There are some thin spots throughout the system, but generally good conditions prevail. Grooming completed at 11:00 am
December 21, 2018
Michigan Tech – Skate lanes dragged on Upper and Competition Trails. Tracks still set on Upper Trails and Linden/Peepsock Loops. They are in good shape and rock solid with a dusting of new snow to give some traction. Hairpin and Cemetery Loops are still closed because of ice and thin spots. Lower trails will need a little more snow before we groom since there were many bare spots showing through the last time we were out. Tolkien will get dragged today to break up the ice but won’t be in good shape until more snow falls.
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Some of the trails were groomed Thursday night to smooth out some ruts. Riding should be decent this weekend, but watch for icy spots.
Swedetown – All ski trails were dragged today. We did not get as much snow as we wished for, so there are still thin spots in the skate lanes which are avoidable. Pine needles and tree debris are obvious in the treed areas. Tracks were blown in with snow in more open spots and some tracks were damaged by uninvited snowmobilers last night, so please take care. Snow is thinnest on the Bear loops and Powderhouse field. Snow bike loops were freshly groomed this morning.
December 19, 2018
Swedetown – All trails dragged, Skate lanes are in good condition but a bit dirty in the pines and random thin spots that are easily avoided. Tracks are in good to not so good condition, depending on trail. Hardwood areas have best tracks. Pine tree areas are washing out and a lot of debris. Snow bike trail is still in good shape.
December 18, 2019
Churning Rapids Snow Bike Trail -Trails are still in good shape for biking. Generally snow covered and firm, but watch out for a few icy spot.
December 17, 2018
Michigan Tech:
- Upper Trails – Tilled and tracked. Very icy this morning
- Competition Trails – Tilled but not tracked. Hairpin is closed (the lower third of Hairpin is ice and bare spots). Very icy this morning.
- Nara and Lower Trails – Dragged, but not tilled or tracked
The grooming plan for the rest of the week is:
- No grooming Tuesday
- Grooming on Wednesday
- No grooming on Thursday
- And this is all depending on the weather and forecast. We’re trying to conserve the snow (and hoping for more!)
- Note, too, there are a lot of sticks and debris on the trail from last night’s wind.
December 16, 2018
Swedetown – All trails were dragged and tracks are still solid. Even with the warm temperatures, the trails at Swedetown are holding up well, but expect some debris on wooded trails such as Powderhouse and Pine, and beware of the occasional thin spot in places. Grooming completed at 9:30 am.
December 15, 2018
Swedetown – All trails were dragged and tracked today. Generally good conditions throughout the system; skiers will find the best conditions earlier in the day before peak temperatures cause the trails and tracks to soften. There is some debris (pine needles, etc.) in some of the wooded areas, especially on Powderhouse and Pine. As you send those final lists in to the big guy up North, please put SNOW! as the number one item for what you want for Christmas! Grooming completed at 9:30 am
December 13, 2018
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails are soft now (Friday 4:30pm). It should freeze tonight so we recommend riding before noon on Saturday. Sunday may be bad for biking if it doesn’t freeze on Saturday night.
December 12, 2018
Swedetown – No grooming done today, and minimal grooming will be done throughout the week to preserve the base on the trails. All trails will be dragged and tracked on Saturday morning for the weekend. Expect to find some thin spots in areas, especially in wooded areas where there isn’t as much snow.
Michigan Tech – Michigan Tech will host Junior National Qualifier races on Saturday and Sunday. Many loops will be closed for the weekend, including all loops that intersect with Core (Birch, Oak, Pine, Portage, Hairpin, Hemlock/Skidder, Balsam/Maple, Linden/Peepsock). Race courses have been cleared and tracks reset on Competition Loops. Upper and Competition Trails have been dragged.
No grooming Thursday to preserve snow for this weekends Junior National Qualifier races.
Friday – Sunday: access to Lower Trails will be available using the Nara Trailhead. Competition Trails will be closed and access to Isle Royale and Superior will be via the softball fields entrance.
December 11, 2018
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Monday night. May still be soft in spots, but overall good conditions.
Michigan Tech – Tracks reset on Upper Trails and skate lanes dragged. In preparation for this weekend’s race there will be 2k, 3k, and 5k classic race courses set today using Core, Hairpin, Skidder, Balsam, Linden and Peepsock Loops. Ski it if you’d like, the 2k and 3k split off taking a left on Core at the top of Hairpin. Friday will be the same.
Swedetown – All trails dragged including Multi-use. SBT is firm and fast, Bikers Please yield to skiers.
December 9, 2018
Michigan Tech – Classic tracks reset on Upper Loops. Tracks are still in great shape on the other trails (they will be reset tomorrow). All trails dragged today. Lower trails are starting to smooth out and looking better every day.
Swedetown -New tracks were put down and all trails were dragged. Conditions are firming up nicely, especially on the snow bike trail. Grooming completed at 10:30 am.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – Early Saturday morning all trails were rolled. Tracks were set everywhere except for Mud lake, New River trail, and most of Churning Rapids. We will try to set tracks on all Churning Rapids trails Sunday morning, excluding the Spring Creek reroute. Conditions are improving and we’re seeing mostly good conditions everywhere. The Quincy trail, Mud Lake, New River trail and the River trail in the gorge still remain pretty rough. The River trail still has a couple wet spots.
December 8, 2018
Swedetown – All trails were rolled, dragged, and tracked this morning. Generally very good conditions throughout the system thanks to an little unexpected snow on Friday. Dog loops are open for business and the snow bike trail is ready to go. Grooming completed at 9:30 am.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – All trails rolled. Tracks set everywhere except mud lake, new river trail, and Churning Rapids. Tracks will be set everywhere in Churning Rapids on Sunday. Trails are mostly good, with a few minor wet spots and bumps.
Michigan Tech – Tracks set on upper, competition, and lower trails.
December 7, 2018
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – Trails groomed Thursday night. We hit everything except Lake Annie Trail and South Basswood. It could be ridden today (Friday) with low tire pressure. The route from Tomasi trailhead will be very soft so it may be better to start at Christensen. We plan to groom more Friday night so there should be decent riding on Saturday.
Swedetown – All trails dragged and tracked, including all of Powderhouse as well as Papa Bear. Get yer thrills on Flamingo hill, but be careful, as it is a little rough yet! Take Fido/Fidette out for a walk on the Dog Loops: they are open, but still a bit damp in spots. The snow bike trail has been freshly groomed as well, so there is truly something for everyone at STC today! Grooming completed at 11:00.
Michigan Tech – Tracks set on all Upper Loops. All trails dragged today. Tracks will be set on Competition Trails tomorrow.
December 6, 2018
Churning Rapids and Maasto Hiihto – All trails rolled. Tracks set on the city-side trails only. We do not have enough base to drag trails yet, so there are many rough sections still. Trails range from fair to good conditions.
Swedetown – Sorry for the late report folks, but it was a long day! All of the new snow from Wednesday night was rolled today (Thursday), and limited classic tracks were set. All trails will be dragged on Friday, and tracks will be set on all trails. The new snow has allowed us to reopen Powderhouse Field and Papa Bear, as well as Flamingo Hill, but Flamingo is still thin and a bit rough, so use caution!
The Multipurpose (Dog) Loops will be opened tomorrow–stay tuned for an update on that.
Santa, all we want for Christmas is a little more of that Lake Effect Snow! Well, maybe a lot…
December 5, 2018
Churning Rapids Snow Bike – We’ve started packing in some of the trails and plan to do more grooming on Thursday and Friday in order to have some rideable trails for Saturday.
December 4, 2018
Michigan Tech – Tracks set on all Upper Trails. All trails dragged today.
December 3, 2018
Swedetown -All trails dragged and tracked except Da Bears and open field of Powderhouse.
December 2, 1028
Michigan Tech -Upper and Competition Trails dragged and classic tracks set on Birch and Oak Loops today.
December 1, 2018
Swedetown – All trails dragged and tracked, with the exception of Powderhouse field and Papa Bear. Generally good conditions, but there are some thin spots. The snow bike trail was freshly groomed this morning and is getting firmer every day. Grooming completed at 10:00 am.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids -All trails rolled except the New River trail, Vista, Mud Lake, and the north section of Thoroughfare to Christensen Rd. Still waiting for more freezing of wet spots and filling of trail hazards to groom again. We hope to start grooming again the week of Dec. 10th, subject to weather.
November 30, 2018
Michigan Tech – All trails dragged, and we opened the Lower Trails for skiing today. Racers Return still needs a little more snow, also the connector from Ridge Loop to Royalewood is a little rough.
Swedetown – Trails were dragged today; tracks will be set on Saturday. The snow bike trail was dragged and is in fairly good shape as well. Heikki Lunta make it snow!
November 29, 2018
Michigan Tech – Upper Trails dragged today. Competition Trails are starting to get a little thin so we will hold off on grooming them until we get more snow. Preserving snow for our JNQ Race (Dec 15-16).
November 28, 2018
Michigan Tech – Upper and Competition Trails dragged today. No tracks yet.
Swedetown – All trails tracked except Bears, Ed’s and Powderhouse, Skate lanes dragged except Papa and Powderhouse, Snow bike trail dragged. We will switch to minimal grooming until more snow falls.
November 27, 2018
Swedetown -All trails dragged except Papa Bear and Powderhouse open field, No tracks yet.
November 26, 2018
Michigan Tech -Dragged Upper and Competition Trails for skate today. All classic tracks have been removed and will be reset after we get some fresh snow.
Swedetown – We’ll be dragging skate lanes tomorrow morning; hope to get rid of ski ruts. No tracks will be set until more snow falls. Bear loops are too thin to drag. Snow bike trail frozen and rideable.
November 25, 2018
Michigan Tech – The trails held on to the snow quite well during this warm-up. It’s currently a little soft this morning (6am) to groom, but as it hardens up we will get out and groom everything for skate today. Classics tracks will be set after we get a couple inches of fresh snow, so looking like Tuesday.
Swedetown – Trails are open again at Swedetown – no set striding tracks, expect early season skating conditions. Please no walking on the trails.
November 24, 2018
Swedetown – Trails are closed today. Please stay off the trails; any activity will result in damage and delay the reopening when the weather turns cold again.
November 23, 2018
Swedetown – All but Powderhouse and Pine dragged and tracked. No grooming Saturday. Fat bike rules: Fat bikes only -3.8″ tire or larger, 3 to 5 PSI recommended for now. If you are leaving ruts please turn back. This is a trial season, please be considerate . Thank you.
November 22, 2018
Michigan Tech – Tails dragged this morning and competition trail tracks have been reset. With the warm up coming we will not be grooming Friday and Saturday, but hope to be back out Sunday morning.
Swedetown -Skate lanes and snow bike trails dragged this morning. We plan to drag and reset tracks Friday morning if temperatures are favorable. No grooming Saturday and possibly Sunday due to predicted warm temps and rain.
November 21, 2018
Swedetown – All trails tracked and dragged, including Fat bike trail,please run low tire pressure and do not ride on ski trails.We plan to drag trails Thursday morning. Fat Tuesdays do not start until we are tilling.
Maasto Hiihto/Churning Rapids – Still waiting for more snow to fill over trail hazards to the grooming equipment and the freezing of some wet spots. The trails are available for back country skiing and snowshoeing. We hope to begin grooming around December 1 but that is subject to trail conditions. Beware that due to flood damage only the middle portion of the River Trail along Swedetown Creek will be groomed this season with access via Sidewinder and Dam Hill.
November 20, 2018
Michigan Tech – Upper Trails and Competition Trails dragged this morning. Classic tracks are still in nice shape. Cemetery Loop is closed. Tolkien has been packed and is now usable with only a few small wet spots. Nara and River Loops are open.
November 19, 2018
Michigan Tech – Upper Trails and most Competition Trails groomed and tracks set this morning. Cemetery Loop is closed. Tolkien has been packed and is now usable with only a few wet spots. Lower trails have been packed but are still closed due to wet areas. Nara and River Loops are open
November 18, 2018
Swedetown -A ll trails were dragged. Fresh snow may cover some of the thin spots, so use caution (and perhaps not your best skis) for early season conditions.
The snow bike trail is now open! The elves have been busy prepping approximately 10k of trail throughout the system, dedicated to fat tire enthusiasts. The trail is still soft, so expect to run at a lower tire pressure for best performance. Snow bikes are still welcome on the trails on Tuesday nights (Fat Tuesday), but please, no mountain bikes.
Grooming completed at 10:00 a.m.
Swedetown Snow Bike – Snow bike update – Fat Tuesdays do not start until we are tilling; the base is still too soft, We will post when they are ready. The new fat bike trail is open and being groomed daily
Michigan Tech – Upper Trails and Linden/Peepsock Loops groomed this morning with tracks set. Competition trails groomed and open today. Tolkien has been packed and is now usable with only a few wet spots. Lower trails have been packed but are still closed due to wet areas. Nara and River Loops are open.
November 17, 2018
Swedetown – All trails dragged and new classic tracks were set this morning. Generally good conditions throughout the system, but expect typical early season conditions with thin spots and some debris on the trails. Deer season is in progress; dress appropriately!
Michigan Tech – Upper Trails and Linden/Peepsock Loops groomed this morning with tracks set. Competition trails groomed and open today. Tolkien has been packed and is now usable with only a few wet spots.
November 16, 2018
Michigan Tech update – Still a little mist just before noon here. We will attempt again later this afternoon. Trails should freeze hard tonight.
Michigan Tech – A little warm this morning with a rain/snow mix going on. We are going to wait a couple hours for the temps to drop then groom. Hope to be completed by early afternoon.
Swedetown – All trails dragged this morning, tracks are in good shape and will be reset on Saturday morning. Good conditions throughout most of the system. NOTE: you may see some hunters in the area. It is advisable to wear bright conspicuous apparel for the next two weeks. Enjoy!
November 14, 2018
Swedetown – All trails dragged and tracked. Fair to good conditions prevail throughout the system.
Swedetown Snow Bike – We are now grooming our new 10K snow bike trail, the trail starts just left of main Valley trail gate. Please do not ride on ski trails until we start Fat Tuesdays. Groomed today for first time so might be soft,
Michigan Tech – Upper trails and Linden/Peepsock loops groomed this morning. The lower and the rest of the competition trails were packed again today. They are still showing a few wet spots. We are still at a 3″-4″ base so holding off for a little more snow to set tracks.
November 13, 2018
Michigan Tech – Upper trails groomed this morning and Linden/Peepsock Loops will be ready for later this afternoon. Please stay off the other competition trails at the request of the Michigan Tech Nordic ski coaches for now while we work to build the base. More trails to open as we get more snow.
November 12, 2018
Michigan Tech -Upper Trails groomed today and in great condition. Portage is a little wet and there are a couple thin spots out there on the rest of the Upper Trails. Please stay off competition trails at the request of the Michigan Tech Nordic Ski Team for now while we work to build the base (that means everything east of Core Loop). More trails to open as we get more snow.
Swedetown – All trails are open at Swedetown! Papa Bear and Powderhouse were rolled and packed today, and will be dragged and have tracks set tomorrow. Tracks were set on all other sections, and all sections except Mama Bear and Baby Bear were dragged today, and will be dragged tomorrow. For those that log their season days: if we can hold snow until May 10th, it’s possible to get in 180 days of skiing this year! Six whole months!
November 11, 2018
Swedetown – Classic tracks are set on Len’s Loop, Valley, Cedar, Birch, Tamarack, Greenstone, Pine, and Pine Ridge. Grooming will continue throughout the day.
Sunday update: Mama Bear, Baby Bear, and Ed’s Loop are all packed and rolled. Tracks will be set on those loops tomorrow. Come and check out the new reroute on Ed’s Loop!
November 10, 2018
Swedetown – The following trails were rolled and packed today: Len’s Loop, Pine, Valley, Cedar, Birch, Tamarack, and Greenstone. Early season conditions prevail, but it’s not a bad start to the season! We plan to set tracks on the above loops on Sunday morning, and those trails will also be dragged, leading to a more uniform and firm surface. NOTE: deer season is now open, with archery hunting through November 14, followed with gun season starting on November 15. Please be advised that you may see hunters in the vicinity of the trails, and please wear BRIGHT FLUORESCENT ORANGE OR YELLOW colors for safety. Here’s to a long and fun season folks!
November 9, 2018
Michigan Tech -We hope to have a few loops for ready for Sunday if the expected snow falls. Loops that may be available for skate only will be: Core, Birch, Isle Royale, Superior and Portage Loops. All other trails will be rolled only to help build base for JNQ at Coach Tom’s request. As the base builds we will open more trails.
