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Trail Conditions
Blue Hills Trail CONDITIONS
No firsthand reports yet after the 4" snowfall late the evening of December 9. Anticipate soft conditions until grooming has a chance to work its magic.
Here's the December 8th report re: conditions preceding this new snow...
East Side: Since Sunday (November 30th), all of the East Side has been groomed (rolled/packed). The compacted snow (base) is 1"-2" thick, fairly firm on the Core Loop, a bit softer on the side trails. Skating is best on the Core Loop, striding is enjoyable throughout. Typical of early season skiing, anticipate an uneven surface with occasional dirt spots and grasses.
West Side: Groomed for the first time this season by rolling (packing) the standing snow the evening of December 8.
IMPORTANT UPDATES
Illicit vehicle traffic has created ruts on the West Side between Letters Y-Z. You may want to avoid that area until there's enough snow to fill in the ruts.
snowfall
December 9 late evening: 4 inches dense snow
grooming & MOWING
Grooming Report / Plans:
December 10: East Side - rolled (packed) the fresh 4" snowfall starting mid-morning and finishing early evening. More grooming planned for December 11.
December 8 evening: rolled (packed) many of the West Side trails, creating a corduroy surface. Also touched up (rolled) the East Side Core Loop.
weather forecast
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.
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Image information: If you want to save any images from this blog post for yourself, simply right click the full size image to obtain the original. Higher quality images are available by contacting our website. To avoid copyright infringement, reprints must credit the Blue Hills Trail Association, Inc.
Additional Recent Posts
A cold month of February is forgotten, pushed aside by an early March warm-up. However the great cross country skiing conditions the past couple months are well etched in skiers' memories. The Blue Hills microclimate was fortunate to receive adequate snowfall while nearby areas were snow starved. Temps skyrocketed beginning March 8, we looked at the weather forecast and then groomed one last time on March 11. Grooming equipment went to summer storage on March 13, and our skis did likewise. Here’s a bit of a recap:
- Fundraising in April 2014 allowed the purchase of a John Deere Gator with Camoplast tracks for use pulling our mowing and grooming implements. This past winter, groomers thoroughly enjoyed the Gator's ability to navigate the various challenges offered by the trail terrain and weather. And no one complained about operating in a heated cab.
- With an early heavy snowstorm followed by a cold month of November, we started grooming earlier than ever on November 11th, & skied in the Hills fairly regularly since then (120 consecutive days with groomed trails available). The summer and autumn of 2014 were very wet, many of the trails couldn't be groomed in November and December due to underlying unfrozen ground and/or eroded sections - but we did have 14 km of nicely groomed trails for mid-winter skiing in mid-November!
- We groomed a total of 58 times (probably a record for us).
- We survived a prolonged spell of warm, damp weather in mid December that melted much of the accumulated base. When wintry weather suddenly returned in late December, our groomers eagerly put our new John Deere Gator through its tracks and we were skiing on very good conditions by the New Year Holiday.
- After January 1, we received only 14 additional inches of snow prior to the season ending warm-up that began March 8. The snowfalls came in small amounts, just often enough to freshen the trails and help level the base. Despite a fairly dry winter, we had just enough base to maintain great conditions while pleasing the many visitors from snow starved areas to the northwest, west and south.
- The limited snowfall actually worked to the advantage of skate skiers. The skate lane was solid and fast most of the winter.
- February was persistently cold and both classic and skate skiing were consistently good.
- This year's "Blue Hills Trail Fun Day" was perfectly timed: a potluck moonlight ski event on Friday March 6 was very well attended. The previous day saw temps of -25 degrees F that morning; the evening of the moonlight ski we enjoyed temps in the 20s, a roaring campfire, great food, camaraderie, and perfect skiing conditions under the stars and a full moon.
- Despite the frequent grooming, we stayed well within budget, and had fun sharing the Blue Hills Trail with a record number of visitors. Thanks to everybody that helps spread the word regarding the beauty of this trail system.
A huge 'shout out' to our groomers. Once again, equipment break downs and mechanical problems were handled efficiently and never compromised the grooming. Thank you to our primary grooming team of Steve Gest, Jesse Wimer, & Adam Brockman for giving us great memories this winter of 2014-15! A sincere thank you to our diverse group of members, volunteers and supporters - your help this past year has been extremely rewarding.
It's cold outside, there's lots of snow on the ground, now's a good time to get psyched for skiing. Check out the following slide show video showing ten years of fun on the Blue Hills Trail. Get your skis waxed, come ski the Hills!
Grab a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, adjust your volume control, then sit back and follow the fun. See anyone you know?
Each autumn, the Blue Hills Trail Association Inc coordinates a single work day to prepare the Blue Hills Trail for fall hunting, and especially the coming winter cross country ski season. After last winter's heavy snows, the past six months have been unusually wet, and after a couple days of more rain, this morning the work day crew was greeted by 1" of wet snow on the leaf tops. Thanks to a dry spell in July and August, the trails are nicely mowed and provide nice hiking even though very wet. Despite chilly temps near 40 degrees F, one of our best ever work day turnouts showed sixteen hardy souls ready to go at 9 a.m. After a brief planning session in the heated warming house, we split up into seven different groups and spent ~3 hours on trail work each (that's about 48 hours of total labor if you're counting). Today's accomplishments:
- Cleared the entire WestSide of downed trees and encroaching limbs
- Cleared 90% of the EastSide core loop of downed trees and encroaching limbs
- Identified some additional downed trees in need of chainsaw work
- Cleared the snowshoe trail of encroaching limbs, & identified downed trees that need chainsaw work
- Put a new roof (metal) on the men's pit toilet
- Washed the warming house windows
- Cleaned the cobwebs from the warming house furnace & turned it on for the day; it's set to go when the winter ski season arrives.
Many thanks to today's volunteers: Sam Behrends, Mike Cragg, Roger Gray, Lori Gray, Janelle Gruetzmacher, Tyler Gruetzmacher, John Kann, Jenna Lisowe, Frank Lowry, Dave Olsen, Jan Paulsen, Tom Paulsen, Steve Poethke, Steve P, Jonathan Stanley, and John Ziemer.
Unbelievable! It keeps snowing, & snowing, & snowing! Accompanied by persistent cold temps (it hasn't been above freezing for 37 days; 28 of the past 31 days have been below zero), every snowfall adds to the last. Remember those mountainous snowbanks from your childhood winters? Don't let your kids forget this one. Once again, tip your hat to our groomers when you see them out working their magic. Conditions have been uniformly wonderful, our groomers have met this winter's challenges head on. And if you notice a huge divot next to the trail, that's one of our groomers working hard to push the margins. Even the most experienced groomer gets stuck periodically - then it's time to unhitch the grooming implement, extricate the snowmobile, back up to reconnect to the grooming implement, then off to create more corduroy and set more track. It requires continuous concentration, and lots of muscle - not as easy as it looks. The Birkie is just a few days away, invite your friends to ski the Hills while visiting the area. The beauty is contagious.
News Flash! Knowing he had a lot of work ahead of him, the infamous Blue Hills Bill set his anti-hibernation alarm for an early awakening today. Eager to get a start on things, he munched a quick breakfast, and started digging. With near-record deep snows, he dug & dug & dug... and dug & dug & dug... and just in the nick of time, he crawled out of his burrow at 7:25 this morning and delivered his annual prognostication to the awaiting crowd in downtown Bruce, WI. Read on...
Ice in early December,
Brought branches and trees crashing down;
Then snows like none could remember,
Polar winds making hardy folks frown.
Said Bill, "Time's a wastin' - Go play!
"Record snowfall's your ticket to fun;
Ski the Hills now, day after day,
No shadow! when snowbanks block sun!
Comments from the crowd
- 2/2: This winter won't last forever, bundle up the kids, we're heading to the Blue Hills Trail right away! --Bruce, WI
- 2/2: Bill says Spring's coming early! So what if it's cold now, this makes for easy waxing, mint conditions, great classic skiing. Time to get our kicks! --Rice Lake, WI
- 2/2: Thanks for the advice, Bill. So much snow, so little time... --Ladysmith, WI
- 2/2: Better ship some of this extra snow to our friends in Folsom, CA. --Sprinter Gypsy Camp, TX
The annual fall banquet for the Blue Hills Trail Association, Inc. (BHTA) was held Saturday, November 2nd at Lehman's Supper Club in Rice Lake. While bidding on the numerous silent auction items, the enthusiastic attendees enjoyed libations, great food, camaraderie, and a captivating wildlife presentation by DNR Naturalist - Chris Cold.
After a delicious buffet meal, master of ceremonies (Jerry Wilkes) turned the floor over to outgoing BHTA president Dick Pebler who summarized the many significant events impacting the Blue Hills Trail this past year, reporting the trails are in great shape as we head toward winter; and noting that fundraising this fall has been very successful. He was pleased to note that the Blue Hills Trail Association, Inc. remains financially solid. To honor just a few of our many volunteers, a special award was presented: Dick Pebler humbly passed along the "2 Busy 2 Pee" traveling trophy (a porcelain urinal) to Dave Olsen - honoring Dave's busy lifestyle. At that point, prizes valued at close to $7000 were distributed to the attendees -- including Dick Pebler winning the raffle for the Spring Street Sports $250 gift card, and Jeff Sirek winning the raffle for the New Moon $250 gift card. Our many donors graciously give back to their communities -- when the opportunity presents, be sure to offer them a sincere thank you. Pretty soon now, it'll be time to wax our skis!
It looked like March would go out as a lamb, but Mother Nature sure fooled us! It kept snowing and snowing and snowing - topped off by a record setting May 2nd snowstorm that dropped 18 inches in the Hills!
Recent comments from the logbook in the warming house
- 3/25: Great night for a ski. Love how late the sun is out. Thanks for such great trails. The skate lane was fast fast fast. --Bruce, WI
- 3/28: Wow! Skate trail is amazing. Thank you to BHTA for a wonderful ski season. March 28 & the sky is blue, the sun is shining & the skiing is fast. --Rice Lake, WI
- 3/29: Snowshoeing - Awesome. --Australia
- 4/1: Fantastic crust skiing on Westside & over & onto Audie Flowage, & also on Florida Loop. Early morning skiing is fast & almost effortless. Edge control is borderline in some places & the steeper donwhills are exhiliratingly fast. No fooling! --Ladysmith, WI
- 4/10: The snow cover extends unbroken at least 2 km from the warming house, & undoubtedly beyond. --Ladysmith, WI
- 4/12: With the new snow one can ski anywhere! --Ladysmith, WI
- 4/13: Another day's pilgrammage to the Blue Hills. Today I skied the entire Westside with side trips to Audie Lake & from Letter K north. I recommend it to anyone that wants to leave the beaten track. --Ladysmith, WI
- 4/17: The heavy wet snow that fell 3 days ago provided a new surface which this morning's colder temperatures transformed into a firm crust. Skating over it was fantastic, so much better than what I expected to find. --Ladysmith, WI
- 4/19: Getting Out There for a classic ski. AMAZING. --Rice Lake, WI
- 4/24: Eastside crust ski was wonderfully fast on the ski over to the Westside & to Audie Lake. Saw very large paw prints in the snow (wolf?). The return ski was slower in the soft snow in the sun. All in all a wonderful spring ski. --Eau Claire, WI
- 4/25: It ain't over 'til it's over! Skied much of the Eastside on an unbroken crust covered with a centimeter of new snow, which decorated the twigs & branches of all the hilltop trees - until the sun melted it. --Ladysmith, WI
A generous snowfall one week ago (February 22nd) initially created 'too soft' conditions despite abundant grooming. Several days later, sunshine and freeze thaw cycles created an icy glaze, 'too hard'. With the immaculate grooming performed yesterday (Feb. 28), the trails were 'just right'. Goldilocks is pleased. Should be a great weekend in the Hills, give those skis another go-around!
Recent comments from the logbook in the warming house
- 2/18: Loved it! --Cadott, WI
- 2/18: Enjoyed snowshoe trail. --Eau Claire, WI
- 2/18: Me & my honey. --Rio de Janero, Brazil
- 2/18: Nice day, good snow. --Hudson, FL
- 2/18: Loved the snowshoe trail! Beautiful 38 degree day! Thank you for the warm welcome. --Hudson, WI
- 2/20: Best conditions I've skied this winter. Right up there with the Methow Valley in Washington State. --Sumner, WA
- 2/21: Super grooming! --Madison, WI
- 2/23: Avoiding Birkie crowd in Hayward. It's just us & the groomer! --Minneapolis, MN
- 2/23: Silence of the North - it's deafening! --Ladysmith, WI
- 2/23: Ahhhh! The Blue Hills Trail - where the grooming is swoon worthy. Where every skier can imagine they've won the Birkie! Thanks to the groomers. --Ladysmith, WI
- 2/23: I'm so blessed! Wonderful trails - This IS the Life :-) 3 hours of solitude & beauty. --Chetek, WI
- 2/23: We are so Lucky to have such Great trails! Thanks to ALL involved! --Ladysmith, WI
- 2/23: The trails are great! Thanks so much for all your hard work! --Madison, WI
- 2/25: Skate deck firming up nicely. My last Midwest ski for year :-( Back to the Cascade concrete. Hope the snow here holds out thru March. --Sumner, WA
- 2/26: "Spring skiing" is here! Cool nights, mild days, soft breezes, & fresh corduroy in the Hills - thanks again groomers!!!--Ladysmith, WI
- 2/26: Great skiing today! It's good to get back here! --Barron, WI
- 2/26: Excellent classic tracks! The conditions don't get any better. --Exeland, WI
- 2/26: The speed on the skate deck sped up nicely after the sun went down. Nice post Birkie ski. --Bruce, WI
- 2/28: Waiting all year for a ski like today's! Totally under control when screaming fast coming around the curve at the bottom of Rut Road. Yeeee Hawww! --Ladysmith, WI
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