Cross-country Skiing, Snowshoeing, Ice-Fishing, Skating, Sledding

All ski areas are again open in Door County.

Trail groomers report the following conditions:

Crossroads at Big Creek Conditions: Very good. On Monday we had 4″ of new snow at the Crossroads. Trails were rolled on Tuesday and again on Wednesday. With the cold weather the base has firmed up very well. A track was  set on Wednesday for the Full Moon Ski. All trails are open and skiing is very good.

Newport State Park Conditions: Trails are fair but not groomed. Candlelight Ski is scheduled for Saturday February 12.

Peninsula State Park Conditions: Good. All ski trails are open and groomed. We have received 6″ of new snow, and the trails were last groomed for skate and classic on Tuesday January 18. Trails are in fair to good condition with adequate coverage with the exception of a couple of thin and bare spots under some of the more dense conifers stands.

Potawatomi State Park Conditions: Good. Trails last groomed Monday after 3″ snowfall. Skate lane and classical track have good snow coverage but are in fair shape due to un-level condition of the previous base. More grooming by the weekend should improve this to a good condition.

Snowkraft Nordic Conditions: Very good. Set track in almost all woods area trails. Snowkraft may perhaps be in the best condition of the year. Super smooth. Orchard has a few traces of dirt here and there, but you should be able to use your good skis.

Whitefish Dunes State Park Conditions: Fair. Last groomed January 19. Tracks have been set in most areas, but there are a few bare spots, so caution is advised. Many areas in the woods are very good to excellent. Unfortunately, there has been a recent rash of walkers on the trails, primarily before the trails were groomed. Signs have been posted at various access points to the ski trails stating that ski trails are for skiing only. It is looking like there will be enough snow to for the annual candlelight ski coming up on Saturday, January 29.

Weekly Cross Country Ski Report brought to you by Door County Silent Sports Alliance.

Light snow is currently falling and is predicted to continue to increase throughout  the day and overnight Friday, ending on Saturday, so ski conditions are expected to improve somewhat.

Trail groomers report the following conditions:

Crossroads at Big Creek Conditions: Fair to good. Crossroads had 2-3 inches of very light snow fall on Tuesday. Trails were rolled but no track could be set. Areas where some of the old base remained, are in good condition but other portions of the trail have grass showing in spots. A number of skiers have been out and enjoyed the experience. Our moonlight ski, sponsored by Door County Silent Sports Alliance is scheduled for January 19 starting at 7 pm. Hot chocolate will be provided in the Collins Learning Center.

Newport State Park Closed. Closed. Trails remain closed due to lack of snow. Candlelight Ski is scheduled for Saturday February 12.

Peninsula State Park Closed. We recently received less than one inch of new snow but there is not enough to groom.

Potawatomi State Park Fair. Potawatomi Park trails have a base of 3″ of new, dry powder snow that was machine packed on January 12. There is not enough snow to set or to maintain tracks. Enjoyable skating is possible except on the return portions of the red and black trails. It is best to turn around at the upper road crossings. Fallen twigs abound, but can be avoided. The next snow of at least 1″ should move the conditions from marginal/satisfactory to satisfactory/good.

Snowkraft Nordic Conditions: Good on the Woods trail. At present 90% of Snowkraft is open and skiable, however there are areas of very thin snow or dirt in many locations. A core of 1.5 miles is close to skiable with good skis and is also classic tracked. The rest of the trail system remains in rock ski status. The orchard is skiable for advanced skiers who realize they may hit obstacles and tumble. Unless you are an advanced skier, the orchard trials are not recommended. Snow is coming. It is probable that around 4 inches will fall by Saturday morning, January 15, which would likely render the entire system skiable with good skis. Head to Snowkraft.com for daily updates.

Whitefish Dunes State Park Conditions: Poor. Despite occasional light snow falls recently, there still isn’t enough new snow to groom. Snow base is very hard to determine in any one area since the new snow tends to make it look like there is a good base when bare ground might be just below the couple of inches of new snow. Therefore, skiing is not advised until we get a few more inches of new snow. We are hoping there will be enough new snow by January 29, the date of the annual Candlelight ski at Whitefish Dunes. If there isn’t snow to ski on by then, it will become a candlelight hike.

Weekly Cross Country Ski Report brought to you by Door County Silent Sports Alliance.

Unseasonably mild temperatures from December 29-31 are eroding ski conditions across all of Door County, but there are still places left to ski.

Trail groomers report the following conditions:

Crossroads at Big Creek Conditions: Fair but deteriorating. Thanks to the great snowfall last Tuesday and Wednesday with over 6 inches total snow, cross-country skiing conditions at the Crossroads had been very good.  All trails were leveled and rolled on Tuesday December 28th after a busy week of skiing. No new snow but the base is good and should hold up in shady areas even with the warm temperatures these next few days.

Newport State Park Conditions: Poor. Trail base still exists but trails are in poor conditions with debris and rocks showing.

Peninsula State Park Conditions: Fair to poor. Trails at Peninsula are still covered but melting fast. Last groomed on Tuesday, December 28.

Potawatomi State Park Conditions: Fair with deteriorating conditions. Last groomed Sunday 12/26/10. North loops were in good condition for skating and striding. South loops fair for skating and striding as these area needs more leveling to take out roller waves.

Snowkraft Nordic Conditions: Fair to good. Due to an excellent base, skiing should be OK when it is not drizzling, so you are welcome to come and see how it is. Planning to add snow to the woods and orchard trails New Year’s Eve if the trails are solid enough to travel on so that the orchard will be skiable January 1 or at the latest January 2. The woods should weather the warm temperatures fine, maybe needing to add a little snow to a few areas. If we receive more rain than is in the forecast, this could change and possibly only the woods will be skiable.

Whitefish Dunes State Park Conditions: Fair. Last groomed on December 22. Trails have been fair to good. With the current meltdown it is unknown what condition the trails will be in once the temps drops below freezing. Trails had held up quite well and tracks are still in good shape despite much use. Portions of the Yellow trail on north side of County WD were in very good condition with very little debris and excellent track. However, extreme caution is urged in the area of the third beach access with the very thin cover over ground disturbed by a recent construction project. To reduce further deterioration of the trails, skiers are advised to stay off the trails until the temps are below freezing again.

Weekly Cross Country Ski Report brought to you by Door County Silent Sports Alliance.

Weekly Door County Ski Trail Reports as of Thursday December 23, 2010

Snowkraft Nordic north of Sturgeon Bay

All of Door County has received two significant snowfalls since the last report and all cross-country ski trails are open. Trail groomers have been out working and report the following conditions:

Crossroads at Big Creek Conditions: Very good. Thanks to the great snowfall on Tuesday and Wednesday with over 6 inches total snow, cross-country skiing conditions at the Crossroads are very good. Trails were rolled on both days thus adding to the good base. All ski trails were tracked December 23. Skate lane is somewhat soft in areas due to the warm weather but the track is excellent. A couple of cold nights will help. If we get heavy use during the next few days, a new track will be set and the skate lane leveled for the weekend.

Newport State Park Conditions: Fair to good. Not groomed since last snowfall but single track is in good shape. Watch for rocks on Newport Loop. Grooming will probably occur December 24.

Peninsula State Park Conditions: Good. 6” of new snow last groomed December 22. Trails are in good condition with excellent snow coverage and a little debris. Tracks are soft on the red loop but nice and firm elsewhere. Unfortunately, we have already had hikers and snowshoers on the ski trails, so please discourage such activities.

Potawatomi State Park Conditions: Good. As of Wednesday December 22, the grooming was still in progress following Tuesday’s new snowfall. One pass on the south loop, but the striding track is skied-in for a back country experience. Grooming is done by an all-volunteer staff so please, be patient. There is good snow coverage and the trails should be groomed in due time. Check the park office at 920.746.2890 for current conditions.

Snowkraft Nordic Conditions: Very good. Trails have been groomed numerous times since the new snowfall. Base around 5 inches, although lower in windblown areas – dirt in a few areas. You may use your good skis now. Just a trace of dirt here and there. Classic track will be set late on December 23. All trails are now open.

Whitefish Dunes State Park Conditions: Good. Last groomed on December 22. Overall system is rated as fair to good. Track is set on all trails with full depth in most areas. Track is quite firm, but pole plant areas are still somewhat soft in many areas. The double-tracked areas of the Red and Green trails that were previously affected by a construction project are now covered with mostly new snow, but still are very marginal and caution is advised.

Weekly Cross Country Ski Report brought to you by Door County Silent Sports Alliance.