2019 March 30, Grooming Report;
The Forestville Trail Head is Open This last Weekend! Expect great skiing. Andy is out on the Noque from Co Rd 510 down to 14k. So too is Tim on the Saux Head trails.
Forestville (near trail head): We are not able to groom east of the logging (see map below) so skiing is either crust skiing or trail skiing in the Goldie Locks Zone. Skiers can access everything east of the powerlines all the way to the Tourist Park although I expect east of the 5k mark trails are very poor due to foot traffic.
Noque’ near 510 and Saux Head: Both Saux Head and Forestville from 510 are Ginzu groomed for skiers today. Ginzu grooming in these conditions is designed to knock down the sharp edges left by skate skis during the thaw end of the freeze/thaw cycle. Classic tracks are whatever they are and I expect they are rather thin and have a good deal of klister catching debris and dirt. Still, this skate lane scratching can lengthen the Goldie Locks Zone considerably. Of course, off piste the crust will be spectacular.
Too Long Grooming Report: One must embrace the blustery days too. If every day was like yesterday we would become soft and spoiled. I am reminded of the fantasy comedy “Click” in which the protagonist uses a remote control to speed through the unpleasant parts of life. Of course the moral of the story is that it is all good; one simply needs to find out how to enjoy it. I would like to see some pictures of skiers, bikers, wind surfers or kite boarders today. With the spring time sun, out of the wind I expect it will be quite pleasant. I hid the aerosol cheese (and forgot where I put it) so I have no reason to stay home. Now I just have to decide what equipment use. It will likely be a game time decision but back country crust skiing is looking like the smart money bet right now.
Fit Strip:. Likely not skiable .
Big Bay Pathway: Grooming has ended but trails are likely well covered except for water areas. Any skier comments will be appreciated.
South Snow Bike Trails: We are in spring “freeze/thaw” cycle. Any rider comments will be appreciated.
North Trails: We are in spring “freeze/thaw” cycle. Any rider comments will be appreciated.
Of course you can also post your own information on the FB page and you are encouraged to do so. Here is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/ntnsingletrack/
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