2019 April 10, (Not Really a) Grooming Report;
Mo reported great skiing yesterday and predicts skate skiing will be great skate skiing today. Don’t be waiting around for Goldie Locks; she is not coming. It will be cold all day. Andy plans to groom right after the forecast Thursday night snow.
Of course the shoulder season continues to confuse. Each bay has its own anchor ice and start to the kayak season. So too do each waterman have his/her own trigger for its beginning. I am reminded of the epiphany experienced when reading about surfers in Nova Scotia. In the sub-zero (f) air and 30 (f) water the surfers explained one of the rules; if you are caught yawning you have to return to shore because it is the first sign of advanced hypothermia. Wow; I’m a piker. Check out Mike! I have never needed ski poles when kayaking.
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