Snow and Trail Condition Updates

As of 1/6/22:

Snowmobile Trails

County trails are expected to open on Friday the 7^th at 8am, but please check the Ride Rusk page for confirmation.

 

Please read in entirety. All Rusk County trails have a TENTATIVE OPENING for 8:00am Friday, January 7, 2022. An official announcement will be made in the coming days. I hope this early information assists locals and tourists alike in making weekend plans. Please consider choosing to ride locally and supporting our local businesses. Groomers are expected to be out in full force both day and night to prepare trails. Some trails may still not be groomed by Friday morning. Hazards may still exist until the groomer has been through a few times. Ride in anticipation of potential rough spots, brush, sticks and stones. As your comfort and skill allows, please try to avoid single tracking and pack the trail wide to assist in building a more solid base for a long season of smooth riding. Lastly, please consider joining a local club. All Rusk Co. clubs are inundated with work that needs to be done and not enough people/time to do it. If you come across signs that are covered by brush stop and clear them out. If you see a rock in the trail try to remove it. Break some branches, clear a little brush and pick up or wipe off a sign. To beat a dead horse, stay on the damn trail and take your loud exhaust off. Snowmobilers are unique to the recreation world where we cross tons of private property by the grace of generous landowners. ATVs, hunters, and hikers don't get that privilege. Without private landowner permission our 300+ miles of trails would shrink to about 50 miles of county land and ditch riding. Lastly, save the drunken shenanigans for after the sled is parked for the night. 70% of Wisconsin snowmobile fatalities involve an intoxicated operator. It takes all of us to project a positive public image in making Rusk County a premier snowmobiling destination.

-Keep checking back for updates, or visit the Ride Rusk Facebook page for reports on trail maintenance and grooming.

 

Cross-Country Ski Trails 

Blue Hills Trails report:

1/6/22 update: 3.5" snowfall yesterday - nasty wind chills limited the amount of grooming that was performed yesterday (Wednesday). Conditions now will be soft until more grooming is done.

The new snow sits on an adequate base. With just a bit of caution you can use your good skis. All the East Side trails are open. With repetitive grooming, the trails had firmed up nicely before Wednesday's new snow.

Some of the West Side trails were packed (rolled) for the first time on December 30^th. They'll be soft but probably skiable if you're interested in 'bushwhacking'. Until the West Side logging is done, you can access the West Side at Letter L. (West Side access currently limited due to logging- Read the important updates info section). West Side logging is supposed to be done by January 21^st. Until then, we're focusing our skiing (and trail reports) on the East Side trails.

-Be sure to visit their website or Facebook page for more trail conditions.

 

Ladysmith Area Trails report:

12/29/21 update: All trails at Sisters farm have been groomed and tracks set. East side for both skate and track skiing, West side tracked for skiing and Fat bike/snowshoe rolling complete. With the cold temps planned tonight the trail should set up well. Please remember the East side trails are for skiing and the West side for track skiing, fat biking and snowshoeing. When snowshoeing please do not hike on the tacked snow for skiing also please do not hike on the groomed trails without snowshoes, It potholes the trail and makes it difficult for other trail users. Get out and enjoy.

-For more updates, check out the Ladysmith Area Trail Association Facebook page.

 

Christie Mountain

1/2/22 update: These snowmakers have just pushed more than 20 million gallons of water onto our slopes in a mere 392.5 hours. (For the record: they got the job done this season with the least amount of snowmaking hours and in the shortest time frame compared to any other snowmaking season at Christie which is no small feat!). These men have officially finished snowmaking and we should be 100% this Saturday!!

-Check out their website or Facebook page for more updates.