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Trail
Conditions |
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Looking
for a free place to ski or snowshoe?
Come out to the
Chippewa
Nature
Center
and enjoy over 15 miles of trails; open to skiing, snowshoeing
and hiking year-round!
Come out this winter and ski over 7 miles of groomed ski
trails. Of the
trails groomed, 3.6 are track set for classic skiing
following the river and wetlands and 3 miles of the Chippewa
Trail are groomed for both classic and ski skating!
We would love your input on your how you would
like to use the trails; i.e.: snowshoe, classic skiing, ski skating,
etc. Any
feedback or ideas are welcome. Please contact us at
cholsinger@chippewanturecenter.org or tlenon@chippewanaturecenter.org.
Enjoy the trails!
Bring the whole family: it’s free and open from dawn
to dark! |
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Update - 1/26/12:
Still holding out for snow! Currently, the trails are not in
good shape at all. In fact, instead of your rock skis, we’d
advise your crampons! With the freeze and thaw cycles we’ve
had, there are certain stretches of the trail that are solid
sheets of ice, and other sections that are totally
bare. Just watch your step, but it’s no reason to not get
outside! Take advantage of this mild winter and venture
out!
Update - 1/18/12:
Patience is still required for the ski trails
here. Conditions are honestly not very good; still in need
of a little more snow! We have rolled all of our designated
ski trails in order to preserve them through some of our
temperature swings we’ve had. So right now they are bumpy,
lumpy and crunchy. That’s the bad news. The good news is
that when do get a little more snow, we will have a great
base underneath it! Also, even given what’s currently
rolled, we still have ten miles of un-touched trails that
are great skiing right now! The un-groomed areas are
actually better for skiing than areas that are groomed! What
a winter!
Update - 4/28/11:
According to the National Weather Service, a Flood Warning
continues for Tittabawassee River at Midland. * From now
until further notice. * At 10 am Thursday the stage is 25.5
feet and rising. * Flood stage is 24.0 feet. * Moderate
flooding is occurring. * Forecast is to crest around 27.9
feet tomorrow morning.
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Arbury Trail is the one trail we can consider passable.
Most other trails will have at least some sections with
substantial puddles, and those near flowing water, like
the River Trail, Sugar Bush Trail and Meadow Mouse
Trail, should especially be avoided.
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Pine
River Road is now closed between Poseyville Road and
Grey Road.
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Water is flowing a little over Patterson Road and
Chippewa Trail at Pine River Road. There are also
various other sections of Chippewa Trail west of
Patterson Road that may be difficult for a bike to
navigate.
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The
parking lot gate at the Ridge Area is closed. The trails
are filled with water; it is unsafe for bikers to use
the section of Chippewa Trail from there to the Tridge.
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The
Homestead Road gate will close at 5 p.m. today to keep
vehicles out of a potential flood area.
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This
evening’s In Search of Woodcock and Snipe hike is
cancelled.
Update - 4/4/11:
Many trails are impassable due to flooding. Wear your boots!
Extreme caution should be used along the River Trail.
Update - 2/22/11:
The
trails are on their last hurrah, but are definitely
skiable. If you haven’t been out skiing yet this year, you
should do it soon! The Homestead and River Trail are groomed
with track set and look great, except for a few bare spots
here and there. We plan on grooming the Chippewa Trail
tomorrow, and possibly setting track, depending on depth.
Update - 2/21/11:
Yesterday's
storm left us with about 6
inches of fresh
powder to work with. It's
not enough to totally revive
our trails, but it's enough
to make them skiable for a
little while longer!
With the strong winds still
blowing, we rolled trails
today, and will plan on
setting track tomorrow. The
Chippewa Trail skating lane
had one major bare spot near
the Wetlands. We only rolled
this trail as far as the
Ridge parking area. (The
open field areas have no
base left on top of the
asphalt). The Homestead and
River Trail are also
rolled. There is an 80m-ish
stretch of bare ground under
the pines by the
Homestead. Rock skis would
be a good idea now; there is
a lot of ice under the snow
from our previous
half-melted base. If you are
hiking, YakTrax or some
similar traction aids would
be a wise idea!
Update
- 2/14/11:
Trails are going
fast! While conditions are by no means ideal, they are still
skiable here. In certain places with more sun and more
skiers, the tracks are worn heavy, but icy and hard. Other
places they are soft and slow. We still have about 4 to 5
inches of base in most places. The only bare patch we’re
aware of is in the Homestead Pines ... we'll see what the
next few days bring! The end is near! Come out and
ski/snowshoe while there’s still time!
Update
- 2/8/11:
After the warm
weekend (relatively speaking), the ski tracks iced up to
some degree, but the fresh snow Sunday night freshened
everything up perfectly! The Classic tracks are still
totally see-able and skiable. We may re-groom today or
Wednesday to smooth out the hard use they’ve received.
Update
- 2/4/11:
The Homestead and River Trail are groomed and track set, and
the Chippewa Trail has been groomed for skate skiing. We
will set track on this today. There were a lot of twigs that
were down from all the wind, but we got most of them while
grooming. The base is a fantastic 5 to 6 inches deep and is
very firm. We actually had to shovel the base away in one
place to make it under an over-hanging tree - that's a
first!
These are the best snow conditions we’ve had in a long time.
Come out and enjoy the winter views!
Update
- 1/31/11:
Conditions are the
best that they have been all season! All of our usual trails
were groomed on Saturday, and saw a lot of use over the
weekend! The first 100 yards of the River Trail are getting
pounded pretty flat, but the tracks are holding firm
everywhere else. We’ve got a great base built now. Get out
and take advantage of this great opportunity to enjoy the
Michigan winter!
More snow is predicted in the next couple of days, so we
should have the trails re-groomed and freshened up shortly
after the snow is done falling.
Update
- 1/28/11:
The Chippewa Trail has been rolled to pack the base and
gather the expected snow this weekend. The Homestead and
River Trails are in great shape for
classic skiing, snowshoeing or hiking. Come on out and enjoy
the new fallen snow!
Update – 1/20/11:
Trails are groomed
and track set! They are in the best shape that they've been
in all the year! The River and Homestead Trails have tracks
set on the left side, and so far walkers have done a great
job of staying on the groomed side and skiers in the
tracks. Thanks to everyone for making this work so well!
The Chippewa Trail has been groomed for skate skiing. We did
not set track here because the base isn't quite thick enough
over the asphalt. Your pole tips still hit, but at least
it's solid, smooth and makes skate skiing a lot easier!
Let us know what you think when you get out on the
trails! Comments are welcome to:
cholsinger@chippewanaturecenter.org
Update – 1/19/11:
The base is growing
in depth and firmness. All of our normally groomed trails
(the Homestead, River and Chippewa Trail) are rolled and the
base packed. With the recent warm temps and now the temp
dropping, we should have a really firm base. We will have the trails groomed and track set
by this afternoon for
the first time this year! Come on out and enjoy classic
skiing on any trail and classic or skate skiing on the Chippewa
Trail!
Update – 1/12/11:
Winter strikes again! The last
little snow storm left us looking a little more like we
should for mid January! The trails are freshened up and are
more skiable now. Tracks indicate that there have been a
number of skiers out, as well as hikers and kids being
pulled in sleds! The trails are more snow packed, and less
icy, but, as always in a Michigan winter, be careful of
slick spots under the snow. We have not recently rolled nor
groomed the trails … still in need of a little more snow!
Update – 1/6/11:
The River Trail has been “rolled” in the hopes of gathering
more snow. Currently, the base is very thin and fluffy!
Skiing is possible, but not good at all today. If you come
out, “rock skis” would be recommended. The Chippewa and
Homestead Trails have not been rolled. Use caution on all of
the trails as there is patchy ice under the snow, creating
some really slick spots in random places.
Update – 1/3/11:
The recent warm temps depleted what snow we did have on the
trails. The current freezing temps are keeping the trails
firm for hiking.
Update – 12/22/10:
The Chippewa Trail was rolled today. The Chippewa and
Homestead trails have a
solid based. The cross country skiers who have been out have
begun to set track. Once we get a few more inches of snow,
we will groom the Chippewa, Homestead and River trails.
Update – 12/14/10:
The
Homestead, River and Chippewa Trails have all been “rolled”
to compact the base and catch any drifting snow. We will
wait to set track until the wind adds a little more to the
base. Currently, we don’t have a very thick base, but the
snow that is there is quite firm due to the warm initial
temperatures.
The Chippewa Trail will be groomed for skate skiing with a
classic track set on the side. The other two trails will be
groomed for classic skiing on the right with walking room on
the left. All other trails will be left untouched for those
of you who like to break your own trail! Come on out from
dawn to dark and enjoy the snow while the cold, cold
temperatures keep it here!
Update – 7/13/10:
All trails are passable, including the rustic (north)
section of the Ridge Trail, although this section may be
quite muddy.
Update – 5/20/10:
All trails are passable, except for the rustic (north)
section of the Ridge Trail which is impassible due to
flooding.
Update – 5/14/10:
Due to the heavy rains this week, some of the trails are
very wet.
Update – 4/20/10:
All trails are passable, except for the rustic (north)
section of the Ridge Trail which is impassible due to
flooding.
Update
– 3/18/10:
All trails are passable and free of snow (in places with big
puddles and mud), except for the rustic (north) section of
the Ridge Trail which is impassible due to flooding.
Update
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2/23/10:
Trails are snow covered with a thin base. Grooming is
expected to happen in the next 24 hours!
Update
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2/11/10:
The trails are great
today! We got about four inches of powder Tuesday night,
with some deeper drifts in open places. The River Trail and
Homestead Trail were groomed Wednesday the 10th
with classic track set. Our Chippewa Trail bike path was
groomed Wednesday as well and is in excellent shape for
skate skiing! The base is solid ice in sunny places, but
there are no bare spots and the skiing is great!
Update
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2/3/10:
There is no bare ground showing through on the trail,
but there certainly are some VERY thin spots. The worst area
is through the pines at the Homestead and on the
Southern-most part of the River Trail. The base is very
hard and icy underneath, too solid to set track into it, but
our recent inch of snow freshened up the top. Using either
your worst good skis or your best rock skis would be a good
idea.
The Wood Duck Trail is not flooded currently, but only
because everything is locked in ice and snow right now!
There will certainly be several spots along it this spring
that will be impassable. The beavers that are living in the
lodge right next to the trail have done a superb job of
keeping the water backed up! Now is a great time to
hike/ski that portion of trail before ice-out.
There are no major limbs or trees down on the trails (just a
few twigs).
Update
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1/11/10:
Trails were groomed and track set this afternoon. As of
this morning (Monday), we had two inches of fresh snow.
Conditions are perfect for some great skiing!
Update
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1/5/10:
Like all of the local skiers, we have been hoping for
snow. Our grooming equipment is itching to get out and do
its job! We have rolled and groomed the trails only once so
far this winter. There just isn’t enough snow yet to do
anything with. Considering what snow we’ve had, though; the
base is good, and there are not many bare spots. Rock skis
would still be a good idea, especially in areas like the
Pines near our Homestead Farm. We will be grooming and
setting track on the River Trail, the Homestead Cut-Across,
and the Chippewa Trail Bike-Path (our normal routes). This
gives almost seven miles of groomed trail, and leaves over
eight miles of un-groomed trails. There is no admission and
we are open year-round. Currently the trails are rolled,
with no tracks set; however there have been a number of
skiers out that have begun to set their own tracks. Come on
out and make some tracks of your own! |
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Trail
Report as of 3/24/09:
Chippewa
Trail is pretty well clear and ready for hikers and
bikers. Other trails may be pretty muddy in spots, and a few
may be flooded and impassable, like the short connector
between the River Trail and Sugar Bush Trail by Six Island
Pond; in Oxbow Woods; some of the Ridge Area Trails; and the
connector between Chippewa Trail and the Badour Road parking
lot at the Wetlands Area. Of course, the Arbury and Meadow
Mouse Trails continue to be inaccessible from the Visitor
Center parking lot due to the preschool building
construction.
Trail
Report as of 2/23/09:
The 4"
or 5" of snow that fell Saturday helped a lot to freshen
things up! It's not enough to do any grooming, though. There
have been a good number of skiers out already and they have
set their own track, so we won't ruin it by rolling. There
are no bare spots on the River Trail, but in the pines on
the Homestead Trail it's quite close to bare. We recommend
your rock skis just in case you find some "trail" under the
snow.
There are
still ice sheets under the snow, so watch for those super
slick spots, especially if on foot!
The
weather coming up doesn't look all that good for skiing,
with Thursday and Friday calling for almost 40 degrees. Come
out and enjoy it while you can!
Trail
Report as of 2/20/09:
Trails are not so good for skiing now! The river has
gone back down since our warm spell flooded the trails.
There were sections of the River Trail that were under
water, and some still are, but now there are ice sheets up
on the trails – once again! The base is “base”ically all
gone! There are quite a few bare patches scattered along the
trail.
The Chippewa Trail has lost almost all of its snow; just
watch for ice patches! The Homestead Trail and Wood Duck
Trail are mostly high and dry and the low areas are now
passable.
Get out and enjoy the
“Spring-ish” weather and be looking for buckets to start
appearing on the Maple trees soon!! The Sugarhouse will be
open on weekends in March starting Sunday, March 1 from
1:30-4:30 pm.
Trail
Report as of 1/29/09:
We
groomed and set track on everything today. The trails are
perfect for classic and skate skiing! The Chippewa Trail is
hard packed all the way to the Tridge.
It's a good thick base and your pole tips don't hit the
asphalt underneath. We don't
have any bare spots anywhere.
Have a great day on the trails!
Trail
Report as of 1/23/09:
As of
last night,
the Chippewa Trail was groomed and tracked. That completes
all of our normal grooming. That still leaves 7.7 miles of
un-groomed trails! The temperatures have been great and
perfect for getting outside without freezing any exposed
skin!
We'll try to keep you updated and would appreciate you
keeping us updated on how conditions are for you on the
trails and how you're liking (or not liking) the grooming
and trails that are groomed or not groomed. Email Curt at:
cholsinger@chippewanaturecenter.org
Trail
Report as of 1/20/09:
The
trails are looking good. The River Trail and Homestead
Cut-Across were groomed with track set today, and hopefully
we will get to the Chippewa Trail tomorrow.
Trail
Report as of 1/16/09:
All
the trails have been groomed and track set! The Chippewa
Trail Bike Path looks great (a few bare spots) but overall a
good base. We set Classic Tracks on the one side and
groomed wide enough to skate beside it! Come out and give
us feedback on the skate skiing.
Trail
Report as of 1/13/09:
The trails were all rolled today. We're still trying to
build our base back up on top of the ice sheets that are on
the trail in the flood plain areas. We got 3 inches of cold
powder snow today, and are supposed to get some good
drifting overnight. We plan on grooming and setting track
tomorrow (Wednesday). Conditions look great!
Trail
Report as of 1/09/09:
The trails are improving. We've had 4 or 5 inches of gradual
accumulation over the last few days. On the Chippewa Trail,
there are 2-3 inches of solid base, but in a few of the
sunny spots there maybe less and potentially completely
bare! Watch out for those spots.
In most places, a good base is built back up on top of the
ice, so it’s not as slippery. Most of the trails are fine,
but down in the flood plain there are a few really
slick spots. (In fact, we re-routed the trail near the
Oxbow.) The re-route is obvious, and now includes a fun
downhill curve! (Okay, it’s only 15’ of drop, but for
Midland, it’s good!)
All the trails were rolled yesterday and we plan on grooming
and setting track today (Friday).
Come out and enjoy the weekend, because… it’s a beautiful
day for a beautiful day!
Trail
Report as of
12/19/08:
Wooo-hooo!! SNOW!! What a great winter this has been so
far! The trails are in great shape. No bare spots at all
now. We’ve got 4’’ of fresh, beautiful snow as of 10:00 am,
and it’s coming down hard still!
The trails were rolled early this morning, and
you can’t hardly tell it’s been done. Later this afternoon,
we’ll roll again… then groom and set tracks! First tracks
set for the season!
Trail
Report as of
12/17/08:
The base is building! With that last warm spell, the base
turned into mostly ice, and with last night's 3” dusting, it
made the trail quite slippery in spots!
The trails were rolled today and we plan on grooming Friday.
Track will be set when we get a little thicker base. There
are no bare spots, but the trail is either solid ice or
powder.
We are
hoping to keep getting enough snow to groom the Chippewa
Trail all the way to the Tridge!It’s about 3.5 miles, and
aside from the few road crossings, it’s a great trail to
ski! It should be wide enough to get some good skate-skiing
on too! |
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