We had to make an about face today, and back off from grooming. The groomers were out at Washburn and Nose Lake, and they encountered jungles. Storm damage was extensive, and would take a few days to clean up. In addition the snow is very wet, and the temperatures aren’t cold enough to dry out the snow. As we are late in the season, and mild temperatures around the corner we reluctantly decided end grooming operations for the season.
WASHBURN HIKE & BIKE TRAILS CLOSED 3/11/25
In coordination with Oneida County and RASTA, the narrow hiking and biking trails at the Washburn Silent Trail Area are closed. The trail closures are important to protect the trail surface. These trails, as rugged as they look, are actually constructed by trail...
What a waste of my trail pass dollars. Today I skied at a wooded trail, Mocassin. Perfectly groomed with no trail trash. Grooming was done on the Northern highlands too. I’m most unhappy with your decision not to groom.
Sorry to have disappointed you. I was out on the east loop of Nose Lake, and it took me two hours to just get through, without doing a lot of clearing. I was able to remove anything that prevented the sled from moving forward. That didn’t take into account the multiple leaners hanging over the trail. As it is, I am returning this weekend to continue and hopefully complete the process of clearing both the east and west loops. At Washburn, the scene was similar. We did not have the time to check out the Cassian. It will take us several days to completely clear all three trails. Now take into account that we no longer have the January type temperatures. Sure it is getting cold at night, but the daytime temperatures are mild, and next week they will be warmer. Plus take into account the sun is higher and sunlight is more direct. So even if the air temperature is below freezing, snow can and is melting. With that said our grooming hours are limited, and daytime grooming is all but eliminated. Finally this snow was wet, unlike the clipper systems of the last few months. As I was out at Nose Lake, and moving trail debris, I could see my footprint stepping into slush. Our intent was to groom, but Mother Nature thought otherwise.