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Author	Message Text
Kevlar	03/01/2010 07:32PM   Gutmon, I envy your easy access to so many good places to ski, including your own backyard. I have golf courses within 5 miles, and Cedar and Lake of the Isles (lake skiing can be rather boring), but my favorite places are 21 miles (Louisville Swamp) and 43 miles (Maria st. pk.) I skied your Arboretum once, back in about 1989, for a fundraiser for MS. We hit a weekend of about -25 degrees during the day. That was tough.
Banksiana	03/02/2010 12:08AM   I thought yesterday might be the end of skiing the North Arm Trails and took a long tour through the woods and swamps . Today I gave it another shot and took the same tour. Still plenty of snow, but the warm temps and cold nights make the hills close to unskiable. (though exciting). On the positive side the lakes should soon set up for spring skiing. For those of you that skate ski [or are willing to try] spring skating offers the opportunity to cover the distance of a hard days paddle in a matter of hours. Spring Skiing
gutmon	03/04/2010 07:28PM   I was down in St Cloud today for work and there was standing water in the ditches and bare ground on my way home that wasn't there this morning. Oh well, paddling is soon again here and at the rate I experience time any more next winter will be here before I know it...
Kevlar	02/27/2010 02:12PM   Thought I'd start a new ski report thread...takes too long to scroll to the end of the old one. I skied Wild River on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday...our annual two night overnight at the guest house with another couple. I skied in conditions from 29 degrees on old snow (very fast), to 12 degrees with a .5" fresh coating (quite slow), to -7 degrees with no wind. All were great, but the fast skiing with the right wax (due to a tip from Tremolo) was by far the easiest. There were 8 trumpeter swans on the open water along the river edges, and I saw them several times. Saw no deer, only two skiers not in our group, several pilated woodpeckers, and one animal at night that I'm not sure of...probably a raccoon but maybe a fox. Skied Louisville Swamp on Saturday...got out early before the melt started. The bridge is now in and the apron work is about done. You can only ski partway to the bridge unless you want to bushwhack...the road is far too much dirt to ski on. Beyond the bridge the trail is good, although the 4 wheeler tracks still affect the trail (see earlier bitching, other thread, about 4 wheelers on ski trails. It was a clear, cool start, but even though dressed for more like 20 degree emps, I was sweating by halfway. Several idiot snowmobilers got off their trail and ran right down the hiking / ski trail for about 2 miles. No consideration for others at all. Met one of them, tried to block him, yelled at him, but he went around me and on downs the ski trail. It's still a beautiful area.
Kevlar	03/04/2010 06:08PM   Had a great ski today at Maria. We're into that ski period where you have to get the time of day right...as the trail starts to thaw, but before it has thawed and becomes soft. I was out before the thaw started...very fast, and a bit slick on the uphills, too, but pretty soon I had a good grab and a good glide. I did use the cheater skis (waxless) 'cause I hate clister, and going in and out of shadows can cause slide or grab. Saw 4 deer and 2 pilated woodpeckers, and two other skiers, both out about when I was finishing. Still plenty of snow on the wooded rails, but several open spots are showing on the southfacing hillsides. I'll try it again Saturday if the rain holds off. If this is the last day, what a great way to finish.
gutmon	02/27/2010 02:40PM   Kev- new thread's a good idea... Skied at the Arboretum in Brainerd this morning before it started thawing. It was very nice- trail was in good shape and only minimal leaf debris on the trail. I hate to see trails ruined by mechanical tresspassers. We had some snowmobilers come up on us on a designated ski trail one night many years ago. We saw their lights coming and got off the trail and proceded to hit them with our poles as they came through- hope we scared the absolute ____ out of them... I hope to get out in the backyard tonight for the full moon ski if it freezes up again (it's supposed to).