Snow and Trail Conditions Update

As of 3/10/22:

North half of county is holding up pretty good. South half showing more dirt but still good riding out there. Ladysmith north and east trails looking great. Hawkins groomed everything except from warming shack to Flambeau Lodge. Expect that to be done before the weekend. Bruce, Weyerhaeuser and Sheldon have not been out this week yet.

From Ladysmith Driftbusters (3/8/22):

Just did a 30-mile loop to check things out. City of Ladysmith has 5 blocks of alley riding that is bare. North-south is not as bad and east-west is passable but it will test your carbides. Trail 12 (high line) from Ladysmith to Flambeau Lodge is Very Good with few minor sun spots. Trail 99 from Flambeau Lodge to Tony is Excellent. Trail 116 from Tony to Ladysmith is Excellent. Trail 12/27 from Ladysmith to Trail 12 (high line) has a lot of dirt. It always sucks, we know, but it's only a mile. We'll try to come up with a solution to improve it next year. Somehow we escaped with hardly any rain damage. Trails are flat, fast and firm. I highly recommend studs and scratchers. For perspective I run a 600 Ski-doo with 1.25" track and 96 studs. My engine was running 120-128 degrees tonight. I normally run 102-106 degrees. I did not put scratchers down but 800/850 riders might want them. Groomers will be out all day and night tomorrow to touch things up and loosen up that top crust. We have 5 phenomenal final days of trail riding ahead of us before a full forecast of upper 40s!

(3/9/22): North loop done! Heading to Ingram! Scraped that ice glaze off but still recommend studs and scratchers. Trails are flat and firm. Please watch your speed! Very easy to get carried away!

-Please check the Ride Rusk page for confirmation on your trail routes and for updates on trail maintenance and grooming.

 

Cross Country Ski Trails

Blue Hills Trails report:

There should be decent skating conditions on the East Side today (check the 'Grooming Report'). On trails not recently groomed for skate skiing, the base underlying a 1-inch topping of snow is icy but skiable - especially if you wait for rising temps and sunshine to help soften the base. For skate skiers, it's a bit of a challenge to get an edge on the ungroomed trails. The old classic track is in pretty good shape throughout the trail system and offers nice striding - although it's glazed where it's received traffic.

Spring skiing - watch for freeze/thaw cycles that produce fast morning conditions after an overnight freeze. Sun exposed trails may have a fast crust until temps rise and the sun hits the trails. Try to catch the magic window between icy conditions and sun warmed sticky trails.

Look at the important updates on their website for a discussion regarding logging on the East Side of the trail system.

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

 

Ladysmith Area Trails report:

With the new snow last night the groomers were out in force today. Jim groomed the East side trails for skiing and reports they are in excellent shape. Dave groomed the West side this afternoon for skiing, fat tire biking and snowshoeing. With tonight's colder temps. the trails should all set up well and be firm and fun for the weekend. Get out and enjoy some winter fun on the trails. Remember please no hiking on groomed trails without snowshoes. Bikers and snowshoers be respectful of the set ski tracks when out on the trails.

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

 

Christie Mountain

Gotta love March in Wisconsin! A big thank you to everyone who had faith enough to come out today after a full day of rain Saturday. I applaud you for getting out there in less than ideal conditions and making the most of it. You are what Midwest skiing is about and your willingness to ride in every type of snow is what keeps us smaller ski areas in business!

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