Trail Conditions

Thanks to everybody that helped during our annual Work Day on September 26th!

‍Here's a list of our eager volunteers : Carolyn C, Andy K, Gary M, Gale O, Jan P, Tom P, Geary S, Bob L, John W, Amanda W, and Bob W.

We enjoyed gorgeous weather and good fall colors as we picked rocks, threw branches, removed logs -- generally getting the trails ready for our favorite time of the year: winter x-country skiing! We probably totaled about 30-40 human-hours of labor and camaraderie.

Here are some of our accomplishments

• Removed encroaching branches from the west half of the East Side trails
• Removed scattered downed trees and branches from the majority of the West Side trails
• Cleared trees and brush from the trail that parallels the beaver pond activity on the West Side between Letters H and I
• Placed new trail signage on the West Side on the northern loop created a year ago (between Letter G - Audie - Letter K)
• Cleaned the warming house interior, exterior, windows & skylights
• Cleaned the pit toilets
• Cleaned the roofs on the warming house, pit toilets, and storage buildings

Here's what still needs attention. If you weren't able to help on the designated work day, we have some leftovers for you.

• When out hiking this fall, you can help by carrying a hand pruner or hand saw -- and removing branches that might be an eyesore this winter.
• Clear the trail of rocks, branches, and windfalls that would damage your skis, impede your travel, and damage our grooming equipment.
• Contact our website if you find tree falls that need chainsaw work.

Thank you!

50-60 years ago, Jean Replinger and her friends enjoyed skiing the trails that eventually became the Blue Hills Trail. Recently the Blue Hills Trail Association received a generous donation from the Jean Sanford Replinger Foundation in her memory.

Jean passed away in November 2024 at the age of 96. Her decades-long connection to the Blue Hills Trail was just one of her many outdoor passions – her memory serves as a tremendous inspiration to her numerous friends and family, and anyone who knew of her.

Read the following message (in italics) from the Jean Sanford Replinger Trust:‍

Jean was a lifelong outdoor enthusiast and educator. Born in Ladysmith, WI, and a graduate of UW Madison, Jean was committed to using the outdoor experience to spark curiosity, discovery, learning and stewardship of the natural world, of human relationships, and the care of our communities through the values of diversity, equity and inclusion.

It was while teaching at Antioch College in Ohio (1950-67) that Jean began the tradition of an annual weeklong ski trip to the Blue Hills in northwest Wisconsin. Students, coworkers and friends were invited, experienced skiers and novices alike. This tradition continued after Jean and her husband, Randy, and son, Eric, moved to Marshall MN, where Jean was a professor of outdoor education (1969-96).

We are pleased to be able to make this contribution to the Blue Hills Trail Association knowing that it will go toward helping to keep trails accessible and in good condition so that all who are interested are able to experience the delight and rejuvenation that a good ski experience provides.

To learn more of Jean’s background, her love of silent sports, and to appreciate one person’s ability to favorably impact their world, visit this link to her beautiful obituary: https://www.hamiltonfh.com/obituaries/jean-replinger

On December 28th (2025), we received a big snowfall that began as rain, switched to heavy wet snow, then transitioned to another 6" of lighter snow - 10 inches total of moisture rich snow that provided plenty of snow for grooming & skiing. A short time later, an unusual weather system moved in from the Pacific Northwest, bringing a damp temperature inversion. Despite the associated recent freezing rain events, the Blue Hills Trail in northern Wisconsin has decent cross country skiing now that some drier weather has arrived. Take a look at the challenging weather this past week of January 4-11 (visit our snowfall site), then tip your hats to our groomers.

Following are some photos (January 12, 2026) from fairly good ski conditions on the West Side of the trail system. Nice sunny day with temps in the low 30s, and a distant glimpse of a couple playful otters.

December 21st is the solstice: it's winter in northwest Wisconsin. And this year (unlike the previous two winters) we have snow!

Since Thanksgiving, temps remained below freezing until just the past few days. As a result, weather systems have deposited snow instead of rain. And for a change, we've been able to ski in early December. That's a welcome contrast to those of us that look forward to traveling on skis.

Following is a series of photos showing cross country skiing conditions on the Blue Hills Trail (northwest Wisconsin) in the past few weeks. Come join the fun :-)

After two winters (2023-24 & 2024-25) that were oh so disappointing, we now have the polar opposite - an early start to winter. With 6+ inches of fairly dense snow the past week, grooming was initiated the afternoon of Sunday, November 30th. More grooming was performed the evening of Monday, December 1st; and again midday on Tuesday, December 2nd. This early season grooming has been limited to the use of a roller/comb to produce a corduroy surface. The goal is to knock the air out of the snow, allow cold temps to penetrate and freeze the underlying trail surface, and create a skiable corduroy surface.

Points worth noting...

• The heat's on in the warming house. Enjoy :-)
• With 6-7 inches of workable snow, a roller was used to groom (pack) the snow and create a corduroy surface on all the East Side trails the past few days. The Core Loop is the firmest, the other side trails on the East Side are softer but certainly skiable. Beginning with 6-7 inches of workable snow, the grooming created pretty good cover of the grasses, rocks, etc. The groomed trails have a 1"-2" thick base. Use your ''rock skis' or 'B skis' until there's a deeper base.
• There's not enough snow to set a classic track. But there's decent striding without a formal track. Typical of early season skiing, the surface is irregular and you need to approach downhills with extra caution.
• During the past 6 months, we've spent a lot of money (~ $60,000!) upgrading our equipment. And a lot of time prepping the trails for skiing. Please support us by taking out a membership and/or donating. If unsure of your current status, click here for a list of our current members.
• Remember to wear blaze orange during the remaining December deer hunts (muzzleloader season is December 1-10; antlerless hunt is December 11-14). There usually aren't a lot of hunters in the woods during the next 2 weeks, but please play it safe.
• Our snowshoe trails await you. Folks have been out stomping the snow already.

Thanks to everybody that helped during our annual Work Day on September 27th!

‍Here's a list of our eager volunteers : Heidi A, Rose A, Carolyn C, Dominic H, Jan P, Tom P, Geary S, Bob L, Bill R, John W, Kevin W, Amanda W, Bob W, and John Z.

We enjoyed gorgeous weather and good fall colors as we picked rocks, threw branches, removed logs -- generally getting the trails ready for our favorite time of the year: winter x-country skiing! We probably totaled about 50 human-hours of labor and camaraderie.

‍If you weren't able to help on the designated work day, we have some leftovers for you. When out hiking this fall -- feel free to throw a few rocks off the trail, perhaps clip some encroaching branches, and remove new windfalls. Please contact our website if you find tree falls that need chainsaw removal.

The Blue Hills Trail Association (BHTA) started our summer trail mowing on June 18th. The map (below) shows the trails mowed as of June 18th. Mowing is accomplished in stages during the months of June/July/August. For an updated mowing report and map, visit our website and click on the 'Trail Conditions' link at the top of the page, then scroll down to the 'Mowing Report'.

Background Details:

• We have 22+ miles of trail that need mowing.
• Our crew of mowing volunteers usually mows a total of about 50 hours each summer.
• Prior to 2003, the Rusk County Forestry Department mowed the entire trail system. They were using a tractor with a deck mower -- and the tractor often created deep ruts that negatively impacted the goal of a smooth trail surface.
• In 2003, we (BHTA) purchased a trail mower to be towed behind an ATV so we could mow the softer trail segments. Even that was less than ideal, still leaving tire ruts that later needed repair.
• In 2014, we switched to mowing using a John Deere Gator on tracks. That's when we organized a trail crew to handle the mowing. Using tracks on the soft trail segments has greatly improved the trail surface when it's time to start wintertime grooming for skiing.
• At this time, the Rusk County Forestry Department mows the driest trail segments with their heavier equipment, this amounts to about 1/4 of the trails.
• The Blue Hills Trail Assn mows the remaining 3/4 of the trails using our 2020 Honda Pioneer (with tracks) pulling our AcrEase Trail Mower that cuts a 57" width.
• The 2003 mower was replaced in 2012 with an updated model; and in 2021 we replaced the 2012 engine with an upgraded Briggs & Stratton engine that is working well.
• Mowing typically begins in late June, and our goal is to complete the bulk of the mowing by mid August.

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Winter. Welcome Back, Don't Be A Stranger.

At last -- a few days of fantastic skiing! This winter (2024-25) started late, was far too dry, and now is ending early. Hurry back my friend, but try to be on time.

Cross country ski conditions this morning (Sunday, February 23rd) were fantastic on the Blue Hills Trail in northwest Wisconsin. Temps started at 23 degrees F, rose above freezing for the first time in 3 weeks, and later in the day hit the low 40s. During the past week, timely grooming of the packed powder and sugar snow surfaces made for wonderful skate or classic skiing this morning before the predicted warmup moved in later in the day. Quite a contrast to the minus 30F windchills a few days earlier.

Enjoy the following photos showing the beauty of the Blue Hills Trail cross country ski trails in northwest Wisconsin -- taken February 21 - 23 (2025). As lovely as the pictures are, the skiing was even better. Right click the photos to open in a new window and enjoy the full size image.

If you'd like to help offset our expenses, follow this link for donations and annual memberships.