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Ski Trail Report

Trails are open.  A nice Saturday of skiing in place with good early season conditions. The base is rock solid with a dusting of new snow on top. We have been grooming daily since freezing down hard after last Sunday’s warmth and rain.

Yesterday we set a track on Roy’s Run for the first time this year and touched up Skaters Waltz. Most of Roy’s groomed up nice with full depth track, some rough and thin areas, as expected, for early season but very skiable. Lots of animal tracks!

Classic only skiing on trails with machine set tracks: Sukkerbusk, Sap Run, JibFly, Mother Hen, Rootin Tootin, Mother North Star and Loon Return. Twin Lakes, Wavy Gravy and the first and last part of Island Lake trail now tracked as well. Use caution on the hills.

Skating on Skater Waltz, the extension of Skater Waltz and North Loup. Note: North Loup still has some rough areas on the downhills, use extra caution. 

Please do not skate on trails outside of the designated skate trails. Thank you!

Thursday we set a track on Twin Lakes and Wavy Gravy to Mac’s Mess than took Island Lake return to make a loop. It is passable through the Twin Lakes on Wavy Gravy but we need a few more inches of snow to groom through there. It has been skier tracked but snow has blown in since. We also farmed snow to Skaters Waltz on Tuesday on the areas that see more snowplowing. 

We survived the warm weather and rain last Sunday just fine and the rain actually helped solidify the base.    

We have been grooming and skiing since November 20th. 11″ of snowfall this season, compacted base on trail 1-3″. The ground was very warm when the first snow fell and much melted off but grooming and cold temps helping set frost into the ground. Snow depth in woods 4-6″ 

Skinnyski.com trail reports 

Season passes can be purchased here.

Fat Bike Trails are open. Click here for report.

Day 1 Ski Camp for St Paul Highland Park, December 13th, 2024.
Setting track on Roy’s Run on a segment with good coverage, December 13th, 2024.
Tracking long downhill on Roy’s Run, December 13th, 2024. Base is fast…..use caution!
Bottom of long hill on Roy’s Run, December 13th, 2024. Some grass etc. poking through but skiable throughout. 
Lots of tracks off of Roy’s Run ski trail, December 13th, 2024.
Members of the Moorhead HS Ski team out for afternoon practice, December 12th, 2024.
Members of the Moorhead HS Ski team on Skaters Watlz, December 12th, 2024.
Moon rise over Bullhead Bay, December 12th, 2024.
Setting track on Twin Lakes, not as deep as we hoped but still skiable with good coverage. December 12th, 2024.
Setting track on Wavy Gravy, December 12th, 2024. Since the base wasn’t as compacted/firm a few spots close to the ground but with rock skis very nice skiing. 
Setting track on Island Lake trail to connect the dots on the west side Wavy Gravy/Island Lake loop, December 12th, 2024.
Setting new double track on JibFly, December 11th, 2024.
Setting track on Mother North Star for first time this year, Decembrer 11th, 2024. For early season skiing just fine. 
Setting new double track on Sap Run, December 11th, 2024. Soft snow with hard base but very very skiable. 
Snow farming! December 10th, 2024.
Building up the base on Kamikaze Hill, Skaters Waltz, December 10th, 2024.

Fat Bike Trail Report

Fat Bike Trails are open. The entire FatLagChilada course is open which includes the west side and east side loops of Twin Lakes and Bullhead Bootleg singletrack loops. Ski trail segments and inner singletrack along with crossing of Bullhead lake consists of the “FatLagChilada”.  The base survived last weekends mini warm up and rain, has froze down hard and the deck is firm with a dusting of snow on top. Friday we groomed across Bullhead lake to access Bullhead Bootleg loop.

Twin Lakes singletrack loop was groomed Monday December 2nd. Bullhead Bootleg loop groomed Friday December 6th. Inner Loop singletrack was groomed December 10th. We have still have signs to place to mark the entire loop. Access across Bullhead lake is now possible. Ice thickness is 8-10″.

Bullhead Bootleg loop is also accessed using the Goat Ranch road (county road 110)  

 Click here to be part of the Strava Maplelag Mountain Bike Community

Snow Dog grooming on short segment of Bullhead Bootleg singletrack, December 13th, 2024.
Groomed path across Bullhead Lake to access Bootleg singletrack, December 13th, 2024. 
Twin Lakes singletrack, December 12th, 2024.
Groomed singletrack with dusting of snow on top, December 11th, 2024.
Groomed singletrack with dusting of snow on top, December 11th, 2024.
Grooming over one of the bridges on Bullhead Bootleg loop, December 6th, 2024.

Fat Bike Trail Report

Fat Bike Trails are open. The entire FatLagChilada course is open which includes the west side and east side loops of Twin Lakes and Bullhead Bootleg singletrack loops. Ski trail segments and inner singletrack along with crossing of Bullhead lake consists of the “FatLagChilada”.  The base survived last weekends mini warm up and rain, has froze down hard and the deck is firm with a dusting of snow on top. Today we groomed across Bullhead lake to access Bullhead Bootleg loop.

Twin Lakes singletrack loop was groomed Monday December 2nd. Bullhead Bootleg loop groomed Friday December 6th. Inner Loop singletrack was groomed December 10th. We have still have signs to place to mark the entire loop. Access across Bullhead lake is now possible. Ice thickness is 8-10″.

Bullhead Bootleg loop is also accessed using the Goat Ranch road (county road 110)  

 Click here to be part of the Strava Maplelag Mountain Bike Community

Snow Dog grooming on short segment of Bullhead Bootleg singletrack, December 13th, 2024.
Groomed path across Bullhead Lake to access Bootleg singletrack, December 13th, 2024.
Twin Lakes singletrack, December 12th, 2024.
Groomed singletrack with dusting of snow on top, December 11th, 2024.
Groomed singletrack with dusting of snow on top, December 11th, 2024.
Grooming over one of the bridges on Bullhead Bootleg loop, December 6th, 2024.

Ski Trail Report

Trails are open. A beautiful sunny day on tap with much warmer temperatures today. Today we set a track on Roy’s Run for the first time this year and touched up Skaters Waltz. Most of Roy’s groomed up nice with full depth track, some rough and thin areas, as expected, for early season but the second half seemed to have more snow and tracked a little better. Lots of animal tracks!

We have been grooming daily this week even in the sub zero air temperatures. Recommend classic skiing on trails with machine set tracks: Sap Run, JibFly, Mother Hen, Rootin Tootin, Mother North Star and Sukkerbusk. Twin Lakes, Wavy Gravy and the first and last part of Island Lake trail now tracked as well. Use caution on the hills. Skating recommend on Skater Waltz and the extension of Skater Waltz. Please do not skate on trails outside of Skaters Waltz and Skaters Waltz extension. Thank you!

Thursday we set a track on Twin Lakes and Wavy Gravy to Mac’s Mess than took Island Lake return to make a loop. It is passable through the Twin Lakes on Wavy Gravy but we need a few more inches of snow to groom through there. It has been skier tracked but snow has blown in since. The skate lanes on Skaters Waltz, the extension of Skaters and North Loup groomed Thursday. Note: North Loup still has some rough areas on the downhills, use extra caution. 

Wednesday we set new track for the first time on Mother Hen, Mother North Star and Rootin Tootin. Shallow to mid depth track, soft edges. Sap Run, Sukkerbusk and JibFly also reset. We also farmed snow to Skaters Waltz on Tuesday on the areas that see more snowplowing. 

We survived the warm weather and rain on Sunday just fine and the rain actually helped solidify the base.    

Early season conditions. Use a little extra caution. We have been grooming and skiing since November 20th. 11″ of snowfall this season, compacted base on trail 1-3″. The ground was very warm when the first snow fell and much melted off but grooming and cold temps helping set frost into the ground. Snow depth in woods 4-6″

Skinnyski.com trail reports 

Season passes can be purchased here.

Fat Bike Trails are open. Click here for report.

Setting track on Roy’s Run on a segment with good coverage, December 13th, 2024.
Tracking long downhill on Roy’s Run, December 13th, 2024. Base is fast…..use caution!
Bottom of long hill on Roy’s Run, December 13th, 2024. Some grass etc. poking through but skiable throughout.
Lots of tracks off of Roy’s Run ski trail, December 13th, 2024.
Members of the Moorhead HS Ski team out for afternoon practice, December 12th, 2024.
Members of the Moorhead HS Ski team on Skaters Watlz, December 12th, 2024.
Moon rise over Bullhead Bay, December 12th, 2024.

Setting track on Twin Lakes, not as deep as we hoped but still skiable with good coverage. December 12th, 2024.
Setting track on Wavy Gravy, December 12th, 2024. Since the base wasn’t as compacted/firm a few spots close to the ground but with rock skis very nice skiing. 
Setting track on Island Lake trail to connect the dots on the west side Wavy Gravy/Island Lake loop, December 12th, 2024.
Setting new double track on JibFly, December 11th, 2024.
Setting track on Mother North Star for first time this year, Decembrer 11th, 2024. For early season skiing just fine. 
Setting new double track on Sap Run, December 11th, 2024. Soft snow with hard base but very very skiable. 
Grooming on Skaters Waltz, December 10th, 2024.
Snow farming! December 10th, 2024.
Building up the base on Kamikaze Hill, Skaters Waltz, December 10th, 2024.

Fat Bike Trail Report

Fat Bike Trails are open. The entire FatLagChilada course is open which includes the west side and east side loops of Twin Lakes and Bullhead Bootleg singletrack loops. Ski trail segments and inner singletrack along with crossing of Bullhead lake consists of the “FatLagChilada”.  The base survived last weekends mini warm up and rain, has froze down hard and the deck is firm with a dusting of snow on top. Great riding!

Twin Lakes singletrack loop was groomed Monday December 2nd. Bullhead Bootleg loop groomed Friday December 6th. Inner Loop singletrack was groomed December 10th. We have still have signs to place to mark the entire loop. Access across Bullhead lake is now possible. Ice thickness is 8-10″.

Bullhead Bootleg loop is also accessed using the Goat Ranch road (county road 110) 

 Click here to be part of the Strava Maplelag Mountain Bike Community

Groomed singletrack with dusting of snow on top, December 11th, 2024.
Groomed singletrack with dusting of snow on top, December 11th, 2024.
Grooming over one of the bridges on Bullhead Bootleg loop, December 6th, 2024.