Tried skiing Louisville Swamp in the Minnesota River Valley just SW of Shakopee a couple of miles. (Hy 169 has a L.Swamp sign--it is the same road that goes to the Renaissance Festival). Shakopee had 21" or so in the Blizzard, and another 6" Thursday. Several snowshoers had been out ahead of me today, but it didn't look like anybody had been out right after the blizzard. If I had tried to break trail, I'd have been a foot under on every step, so I just used the snowshoe tracks...they were three abreast much of the way, so I was still sinking in pretty good. I very seldom felt like I was skiing, more like semi-wading on skis.

This is a very pretty area, but I would wait until January to try it again...maybe the snowshoers will have tracked more of the area.

L.V. swamp is is very pretty.

I skied Baker Park yesterday and the conditions were great. I'm starting to get used to my skate skis a little bit.

Skied Maria St. Pk. (near Monticello) today...about 14 degrees, mostly hazy sun, lt. breeze. Over a dozen cars in the lot, which is unusual. Conditions excellent, fast. My first real skiing. The first 45 minutes were fine. Then I started needing some wind at the top of the uphills, and my feet weren't keeping the skis straight all the time...I got tired. Gotta get out here again, soon.

For those of you unfamiliar with this park, it is an unknown gem! About 20 k of traditional trail, much of it up and down, but no "oh my God!" downhills. Almost all wooded and basically out of the wind. About 2k of skate ski available.

Nice heated ski center...the usual state park type.

Great you got to ski at Maria! I agree-- a gem.

I spent most my day editing the script we are using for the one act play competition. A Moliere piece-- hysterical, witty-- a physical, finely tuned farce. It's a theater piece you really have to be in shape to pull off.

No time to ski, but when I do get to go, I hope to make it to Maria.

Spent my weekend in bed with bad chest cold. Feeling better today, can't wait to get out and ski some groomed trails. 7 to 9 inches of new snow predicted for tonight will be perfect!

Tremolo, hope the play competition goes well. When you get a chance to ski Maria, email me. Maybe we can ski together.

Okay, Kevlar

Gutmon, that cold got me too:(

The trails around Ely are in very good shape. Tracks have been skied in for nearly all the North Arm Trails - except the loops to Cummings and the trail through Hook/Keneu/Rice and Slim. It's taken a while- I think there are only two other people skiing the system.

Kevlar, if you go another 10 minutes south - between belle plaine and jordan, the minnesota valley state park has some trails that seem to get more heavily used by snowshoers and skiiers (myself included on both). there are about 4 miles of trails for snow shoeing and skiing (ungroomed). all but one mile had been broken when i was there last saturday.

I go there often as it is about 6 minutes from my house.

Had a meeting in Pine City cancelled today due to weather so freed my schedule up and I am going for a ski this afternoon- Northland Arboretum in Brainerd. Full report upon return...

The Arb in Brainerd was fantastic this afternoon! Freshly groomed, setting up nicely, 100% coverage, good pole plants. If ever in the Brainerd area, make sure to add the arb to your to-do list.

Gutmon, I skied the Arb years ago in a Multiple Sclerosis fundraiser...maybe 1990 or so. Beautiful, as I remember it, but it was about -20...one of the few times I have skied with a facemask. Never been back.

Moosedrool, I skied that system several years ago, just south of Jordan. I thought some of it was quite pretty, but some of the trail just wiggled back and forth, sort of adding distance but going nowhere. Haven't been back there, either.

I'm told there are some good trails along the river starting right next to the Sibley House in Mendota. Have you been there?

Totally agree with everyone's comments about Lake Maria State Park. First visit there on 12/26 and the trails were excellent. Swix Blue Extra is a new best friend. Here we are in front of Cabin 3, which my daughter and son-in-law had reserved for the night. Great park with lots of backpack camp sites, too. 2 or 3 cars in the lot when we came in. 2-3 dozen after we finished our last loop.

Just got in from skiing the back yard- it was like skiing though an Ansel Adams photograph. Breathtaking!

Great photo, Gutmon. Hope the foot heals fast...skiing season is short.

I just skied Louisville Swamp this afternoon. Snowshoers had all the trails open and skiable. The trail between the first and second bridges and beyond to near the big rock (starting from the parking lot) is rather choppy and rough. Several of the surface rocks are almost exposed, probably due to the rain. The rest of the trail is good, until you get to where Sand Creek crosses the roadway (trail) to the old historical farm. Sand Creek is over the road for about a 30 yard stretch, flowing open water. I skied out onto the lake, upstream from the open water. The lake is wide and seemed plenty solid.

Lots of deer sign, rabbit tracks, a few pheasant tracks, one otter slide near some open stream water. A walker I met had seen a coyote.

This is not groomed ski trail skiing, but it is very pretty, lots of nature, history info at the old farmsite, and quite empty of people. On a weekday you probably won't see more than two people.

It is a great photo- wish it were mine rather than Ansel's...

Just a note to say that the North Arm Trails (off the west shore of the North Arm of Burntside Lake near Ely ( trail head location ) are in stunning condition. These trails offer the opportunity to ski through the woods, ridges, lakes and creeks in the BWCA. About 8km (outside the B-dub) are now machine groomed. Drop me a line if you want a tour, company or need a warming shack for lunch or to change.

Thanks for the invite, Banks. I would love to ski Ely one of these years.

Had some time today, but not enough to go out to Maria or one of the parks, so I skied the Minneapolis lakes...looped the perimeters of Isles, Cedar, Brownie, and thru the lagoon to look across Calhoun. Skied on the lake surface most of the way, Mpls Park Board tracks the lakes and a trail thru the Eloise Butler Flower Garden, but you need a special park board pass to go on land. Skiing was good, but the poles skid a bit with only about 3-4" of snow on the ice. Considering it was a weekday and still trying to snow, there were a fair number of people about. I don't consider this as good as skiing a park trail, but it sure bets sitting at home or the gym.

Kevlar- If you end up doing much ice skiing score some poles with carbide tips. Depending on the poles you have you may be able to just replace the tips (or tip and basket combo). Ski shops will often have relatively inexpensive (and decently light and stiff) poles with carbide tips.

Skied the West end of the Madden's trail system yesterday afternoon and it was some of the nicest skiing I have ever done. Trail had been groomed that morning, big flakes of snow were falling, had the trail to ourselves, and the woods were absolutely beautiful. If you ever get up this way put this trail on your todo list. The 2 mile section that is an out and back and crosses the truck trail in Pillsbury Forest is a series of rolling hills that offers some great down hill rides in both directions without anything being scary. The loop trail to the North of the truck trail is a lot of fun, but hillier. It contains what I consider now to be the toughest hill on any trail system around Brainerd- long, steep and tight turns on the fast parts of the hill. Be secure in your technical skills before doing this section.

http://www.skinnyski.com/trails/ski/images/pinebeach.pdf

Just home from the Arb in Brainerd- WOW! It was booooful. I'm starting to think that my foot problem is caused more so my my waxless skis. I skied a total of three hours in the last two days on my waxables and I'm in no pain at all. Hope I'm right. This is one of the best winters for skiing we've had in years. Hope it continues.

Banksiana, thanks for the hint. I skied the city lakes again on Sunday...coldish, but little wind at 1:00 pm. The skiing was the best I've ever had on the lakes...many people had skied Saturday and made a really good variety of firm tracks. Didn't even hit the ice with the pole tips very much. Many people out skiing, snowshoeing, walking, dog-walking, skijoring, and even icefishing. Great to see Minnesotans out in the winter. Maybe it helped that the Vikings weren't playing.

Skied the far West end of Madden's trail this afternoon. Very nice. the big hills were mellowed by the presence of fresh snow. Stay off this trail when it's icey.

Skied Wolf Lake trails today. Fantastic! I've skied each of the last 4 days and I think I've not had better skiing in all my years.

Seemingly bottomless snow on the trails. Skied 15km yesterday at -10 in a fine steady snowfall (relatively rare in the cold). New snow held all the glide of pumice- good thing though as I needed to work to stay warm and the windchill developed by even slow-speed hills was significant.

I can remember below zero skiing, but it has been a long time...and I don't think it will happen again.

I had to visit relatives in lower Michigan, near Kalamazoo, this past week. I took my skis and got in two sessions on their lake...lotta slush the first day, but after a -4 night, the slush was almost gone.

Got home from Michigan Monday, ran errands, etc., and then escaped to Louisville Swamp in the afternoon. Best skiing I have ever had there! Like Banks said, almost a bottomless trail. Actually skied most of the trail, rather than ski walking and stepping around stuff. Found a deer kill just off the ski trail, in the scrub oak woods. Probably coyotes, but it reminded me of a deer kill by wolves in the BW in winter that I saw in 1984. A lot of hair left, poop pellets, and a pile of the contents of the stomach...a little ways away, a part of the hide, but hardly a thing edible left except hair, and one foot.

Sand Creek has lowered so it is now runn ing thru the culverts, rather than over the road. The ice level is now about 2.5 ft below the previous level...must have been interesting when the ice sheet lowered.

Eight inches of powder sugar last night, A banner year for snow and skiing. Camp Dunord is grooming nearly all the trails that are outside of the b-dub. My plow bill for january is going to hurt.

Today's ski was soft, slow and beautiful.

Skied French Rapids yesterday and Larson Lake trails today. Fantastic skiing! There is starting to be a fair amount of leaf litter on the trails, but still really good ski conditions. What a winter!

Anyone still skiing? I got out a couple of times crust skiing a couple of weeks ago when we had the thaw- in the mornings before it was above freezing. Been out 3 of the last 4 days on the trails around Brainerd. The fresh powder (we got around 4 inches) has breathed new life into the trails. Going somewhere this afternoon as well. What a great ski year, huh?

went to flandrau state park in New Ulm yesterday for the first time. great park, easy trails. Good for a first year'er to work on technique. Trails were in great shape.

I havent been able to motivate out the door even though the snow is good and the trails tracked and my skis are waxed. I feel like I wasted a winter's worth of good snow. If the snow sticks, I am going to drive north during my spring break and ski.

Just home from a 2 hour ski at French Rapids. WOW! 24 degrees, 1/2 inch of powder on recently groomed trails. There was absolutely no debris on the trail- one of the nicest skis ever in my 41 years of skiing! There was no one else skiing.

sounds heavenly.

I confess to being an absolute ski-whore, over 200k in the last ten days. Recent snow has resurrected classic skiing. The big thaw has made crossing untracked lakes a delight. Get it while you can.

An empty Cummings Lake

Skied the Arb in Brainerd yesterday. For marginal spring skiing it was actually quite good. We received a 1/4 inch of fresh powder Friday night and it was just enough to cover the icy tracks. With the forecast this week, it may have been the last ski of the season on a trail system. I will still be able to ski in the back yard until all the snow is gone (it's totally flat so no icy hills to worry about). I usually get at least one ski in each year in shorts and a T shirt before the snow is all gone...

I am finally getting a break-- heading to Duluth with Daughter for the rest of the week. Was hoping for skiing but I think I am one week too late. At any rate, we have a room on the lake with a lake view and all the amenities, so no complaints. I'll take my skies and check out skinny ski just in case.

I think yesterday way probably the last classic ski on trails for the year- though it was excellent. Would have been possible this morning early, but I couldn't get it together quick enough.

Time to get the skate skis ready to glide the lakes!

quote tremolo: "I am finally getting a break-- heading to Duluth with Daughter for the rest of the week. Was hoping for skiing but I think I am one week too late. At any rate, we have a room on the lake with a lake view and all the amenities, so no complaints. I'll take my skies and check out skinny ski just in case. "

You could always check out the Superior Hiking Trail. There are some amazing sections through Duluth.

Spring skiing on the lakes has been good all week. Tuesday morning the crust in the swamps was sturdy enough that it was possible to skate-ski from the north end of Slim through Aggasa and then the Echo Trail at Ed Shave Lake. Spruce Slalom.