2019 April 13, Grooming Report;
Forestville: (Remember; grooming is being done from Co Rd 501 due to logging. See map and details below)
Andy groomed from Co Rd 510 down to 12k on the Noque’ and Animoosh. The weather has been a challenge and by late night moisture remained in some areas. The areas with moisture may be icy until late morning. Cold nights forecast for tonight and Sunday night will mean the Goldie Locks Zone will not begin before late morning. The non-groomed trails will likely be un-skiable due to the breakable crust until it consolidates later in the week. Freeze/thaw cycle skiing and biking will be with us into mid week. This new snow will be consolidated by late week and we will be back into crust skiing and freeze/thaw cycle skiing everywhere if cold nights return.
Saux Head: Tim reports it is a never ending story out at the Saux Head trail system. After receiving 4+ inches John went out Friday morning and dragged the Peep O Day loop and the inner loop of the Race Loop through Hemlock Pass. This made for an enjoyable ski with a soft deep base.
Too Long To Read Grooming Report:
With an extended Silly Season, we encourage photos of your spring activities. Mary Kay offered this series of an annual double ski event at the Ishpemning Ski Club. Dick (we typically use first names only at the Grooming report and, like Kafka and Plato, Dick, in the back of the second picture, needs no other) is a personage at the ISC and, as you can see from the pictures, has the youth of the area engaged in serious fun. If you have never been on a pair of skies where 4 feet are used you need to expand your horizons. I am reminded of working at a local alpine resort a lifetime ago. There was a pair of 220cm Kneissl White Star skis in the corner of the shop begging to be mounted fore and aft. Running the shop I had all the necessary tools and in no time we were into the double GS. The coordinated effort and trust required are not insignificant. Sadly, that pair of skis was splintered in a spectacular fall during the long distance jump but that is a story for another day.
Please do send in pictures,
Sondo
See map below for trail closures due to logging.
FOLLOWING IS A RE-RUN GOING OVER COMMERCIAL FOREST AND THE NTN (PLEASE READ ONCE) In
Over 99% of the trails we ski, bike, run and walk are owned by private land owners. Most of the trails are on commercial forest land. These land owners wish to see their land used by skiers, bikers, runners and walkers for 99+% of the time. All they ask is that we understand they need to use the land for a few months per decade.
I really want both of you to understand how important our commercial forests are to life in the U.P. In much of the country where commercial forestry has fallen behind other uses as the highest and best use, trails like the entire NTN are not possible. Land in such areas is owned in small private blocks and the public is locked out.
Effective March 25th, parts of our trail system were closed for logging. One of the keys to the NTN’s success is the fact our users understand this symbiosis. Our part in this process is to stay out of the way of the loggers and thank them for their support. Logging is a dangerous and capital intensive operation. We need to help them be safe and look out for their equipment. Trails will be marked as closed and we trust you will stay away from the logging operations.
The land owners always wait until late in the year to allow as long a ski season as possible. In addition, they attempt to keep as much of the trail open as possible. Beginning next Monday, several sections of trail near the power lines will be blocked and logging trucks will be driving on them.
The NTN is committed to providing top quality skiing if at all possible. You have come to expect nothing less and we are used to providing nothing but. We will continue to groom trails between Co Rd 510 and the logging areas. Most skiers (especially the spring time skiers) know the best skiing is near Co Rd 510 anyway.
Sondo