Irv Warren Golf Course/Byrnes Park - Waterloo

 Waterloo Leisure Services regroomed the ski trail at Irv Warren this morning.  The skate lane is in excellent condition other than being a bit slow due to the new snow and cold temperatures.   The classic track was reset as well but unfortunately parts of it have blown in with new snow.

 Overall good skiing.   Thanks to Waterloo Leisure Services for their dedicated grooming.

 Get out and enjoy this weekend before next week’s warm up.

Jan. 18--Morgan Creek, Cedar Rapids

 More night skiing last night...this time with blowing snow. Base is solid but tracks for classic were covered by the blowing snow--this made it a bit more difficult than last week's trip. Still enjoyable! Hopefully the tracks will be regroomed for the weekend.

Just checked the website...looks like they were groomed this morning! Time to get out and ski!

Cedar Rapids: Sac & Fox, Wanatee, Wickiup

I've been out skiing Sac & Fox, Wanatee, and Wickiup in the past week. 

Sac & Fox has a single-wide packed track without any ski tracks in it. That has been overtaken by snowshoers. Portions of the trail have worn-in ski tracks from numerous skiers using the same trail. 

Wanatee was ungroomed. I called Linn County Conservation on Tuesday, and they said the grooming machine is broken for Wanatee and Matsell Bridge. They did not have any estimate on when that would be fixed.

Wickiup had been packed once after the initial snowfall last week, but it was completely drifted over when I skied there on Tuesday. I saw on https://www.skinnyski.com today that it had been tracked this afternoon.  

I continue to post updates almost daily on https://www.skinnyski.com and encourage other local skiers to do the same. It takes 30 seconds to post a quick update from your phone when you get back to your car after a ski.  

If anyone who reads this is located in Linn County and would like to join me in advocating for better and more consistent grooming of our ski trails, you can contact me at ebaertlein at gmail dot com.  

~Betsy Baertlein

Brynes Park/Irv Warren

 A lot of snow at Brynes made for a soft ski, but such great conditions. I believe Waterloo Leisure Services are going to get out and groom/pack tomorrow morning. Get out to Brynes this weekend for some good skiing!

South Side River Trail / George Wyth State Park - Waterloo

Skied the loop of South Side River Trail and George Wyth State Park this afternoon.   Excellent classical track laid down for the entire loop.   As of this afternoon little other traffic so the track was holding up well.  Big thank you to CVAST for their grooming efforts.

 Tomorrow’s temperature is predicted to be in the teens so get out enjoy before it gets colder again.

Morgan Creek--Cedar Rapids

Fantastic ski conditions last night at Morgan Creek. All trails rolled and groomed--in great shape! Wish the temps weren't dropping so much this weekend. Thanks, groomers, for all of your hard work!

 

Irv Warren Golf Course – Waterloo

Skied Irv Warren this afternoon.   We received about an inch of snow overnight and that was worked in as the trail was regroomed, both skate lane and classical track.   The skate lane is still a little soft but overall, in good shape.   The classical track looks to be in good shape too. 

 Overall length of the groomed trail is close to 3 miles.   For those not familiar with the set up at Irv Warren the trail head is next to the Byrnes Park Swimming Pool parking lot, 801 Campbell Ave, Waterloo.

George Wyth State Park, South Side River Trail and Hartman Reserve - Waterloo

 A classical trail was groomed today through George Wyth State Park, South Side River Trail and Hartman Reserve.   Conditions looked very good!   Get out and enjoy!

Brynes Park

 Thanks to the Waterloo Leisure Services for their grooming. Skate trail was firm, but wasn't fast. They did a fantastic job of packing the snow.

New Ski Season (finally)

 Hi Skiers,

 Finally – snow, at least parts of Iowa are getting snow today.   Hopefully your area is one of them.

 As we head into the new ski season just a note to encourage skiers to again post conditions here on the Iowa Ski Blog if you know of a place that has been groomed and the skiing is good.   Thanks to all of the folks that have posted in the past – please continue to do so.

 For those skiers that would like to post on this blog but don’t have access, please send me an email at xc.ski.wloo.cf@gmail.com and I will add you to the list.    Posting on the Iowa Ski Blog is a great way to let a broader audience know that you have skiing in your area.   Getting more skiers to your favorite ski trail is a great way to let your parks people and/or local groomer know that their efforts are worthwhile.

 We welcome posts from all parts of Iowa.    

Pilot Knob

 Skied Pilot Knob today.   Conditions were excellent.   Great snow/great grooming.   

Both the skate lane and the classical track were outstanding.  Thanks to Jeff for all his efforts.

Kent Park - Iowa City

 Skied Kent Park and conditions were good.   Base is thin in places but overall great skiing.  Thanks to Iowa City Nordic for their great grooming and for grooming so quickly after the recent snowfall.   

Get out and enjoy before the conditions get too warm!

Irv Warren/Brynes Park

 Big thank you to the Leisure Services of Waterloo, groomed this morning for both skate and classical skiing. The trail was in fantastic condition and had very good glide (even with the cold temp). Get out this weekend before the big warm up...this is as good as it's been over the past few years.

Irv Warren Golf Course – Waterloo

 Skied Irv Warren trails this morning.   Both classical tracks and skate lane are in excellent condition.   With the recent snow there are no bare spots / no grass showing.

 Waterloo Leisure Services groomed yesterday (Monday) and did a great job.   Thanks to Taylor for braving the early morning cold temperatures.

Jan. 21, 2023--Pilot Knob State Park

 Beautiful conditions at the park over the weekend! Thanks for the great grooming! Skied the main road and the lake area. 

Irv Warren Golf Course – Waterloo

 Skied Irv Warren Golf Course this afternoon.   The skating deck continues to be a little soft but over all good.   The classical track is in excellent shape other than a few spots where a skier has to jump out of the tracks to avoid a bare spot.

 

Irv Warren Golf Course

 Thanks to the Waterloo Leisure Services for the grooming. They did a great job for the little and type of snow we received. A little soft today, but if we could get some cooler temps, it should firm up.

Pilot Knob State Park

 We had beautiful conditions to ski in today thanks in part to the frost/ice in the trees. And since it falls down and adds more depth to the trail, we might be able to survive this weekend's warm spell.

Pilot Knob

 Skied Pilot Knob yesterday (Jan 11) and the skate deck was really good both on the road and on the lake.   The classic track was well formed but icy on the road but in better condition on part of the lake loop.  

Pilot Knob

 Outstanding conditions at Pilot Knob both yesterday and today. The road is in great condition for skating and classical. The lake loop is in even better condition. Thanks Jeff!

Pilot Knob

 Great skiing again today! Thanks Jeff for all the work you put in. 

Pilot Knob

 Great conditions at Pilot Knob today. Skate deck was in great shape, because of the wonderful job Jeff does in grooming. Not enough snow to re-groom the Classic Track. Thanks Jeff for all the hard work you put in!

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 Waterloo Leisure Services posted on their web page that they groomed the skating lane today (12/27/2022) but there was insufficient snow to set a classical track.  Get out and enjoy before the warmup!

Merry Christmas from the Knob!

 It was great to be able to ski with family and friends today at Pilot Knob State Park. It took a lot of raking to clean up after the blizzard and the snow was slightly dirty, but it groomed up well and made for a fun Christmas workout.  

There is more snow coming tonight so I plan on grooming the road and the lake early in the morning.  This should make for good skiing conditions until it gets a little bit soft later in the week with the warmer temperatures.

Pilot Knob Road

New Ski Season

 Hi Skiers,

 

With a major storm bearing down on Iowa it’s time (or is it past time?) to start thinking about cross country skiing and where to find good ski conditions.

 As we head into the new ski season just a note to encourage skiers to again post conditions here on the Iowa Ski Blog if you know of a place that has been groomed and the skiing is good.   Thanks to all of the folks that have posted in the past – please continue to do so.

 For those skiers that would like to post on this blog but don’t have access please send me an email at xc.ski.wloo.cf@gmail.com and I will add you to the list.    Posting on the Iowa Ski Blog is a great way to let a broader audience know that you have skiing in your area.   Getting more skiers to your favorite ski trail is a great way to let your parks people and/or local groomer know that their efforts are worthwhile.

 We welcome posts from all parts of Iowa.    

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 Repost from Waterloo Leisure Services web page;

Cross Country Ski Update:

Ski Skating trail was compacted and groomed 3/7/22.  Sticky snow made for difficult grooming conditions.  Snow depths were too thin to install classical track.

Wanatee Park

Skied at Wanatee Park this morning.  The snow was VERY sticky.  Had to wind our way around the blown open spots.  Broke through to the grass even in some of the deepest spots.  Maybe with the thaw and freeze conditions will be better tomorrow?  That is wishful thinking...  but maybe the potential 1-3 inches on Thursday will give us something to ski on?  

Pilot Knob State Park

It was a tough week of warm weather, but we seemed to have survived at Pilot Knob.  It was groomed both Saturday morning and Sunday morning after a fresh dusting of new snow.  The one mile long trail around the perimeter of the lake is good for skating and classic striding. The two mile road is good for skating, but the classic tracks are only fair.  My son and I had a very fun skate ski today!

Lake trail

Lake trail

Road trail

Road trail

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 Waterloo Leisure Services regroomed both the classical track and skating lane this morning.    Reports are that both are in good condition.   Get out and enjoy before the coming melt down.

Morgan Creek

Skied Morgan Creek this evening.  Conditions essentially still as good as previously reported.  

Morgan Creek-Cedar Rapids

 Conditions were pretty good today as they groomed yesterday.  30 degree weather brought out a lot of walkers and their dogs, so they did their normal damage that they do, but still pretty good conditions despite the minimal amount of snow to work with.  Pictures are representative of ~90% of the trails.  There are some icy spots and bare spots that are for the most part avoidable.

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 Skied yesterday on Irv Warren.   Both the skate lane and classical track had been regroomed on Thursday (1/27/2022).   The skating was excellent.    Classical tracks were also very good except in places where snow had blown in.

Brynes Park/Irv Warren Golf Course

 I went out over the lunch hour today and the new trail had been groomed. Skating was pretty good, as the winds came up and began drifting the trail quite a bit. Classic track was set and looked good, however it did suffer the drifting a little worse. The main loop, once you get away from the parking lot is roughly a 2 mile ski.

Thanks to the Leisure Services of Waterloo for being so committed and dedicated to providing an excellent trail to ski!

Morgan Creek - Cedar Rapids

Went for a ski over my lunch hour today.  Trails have not been groomed for a while but are still skiable.  Classic track in better shape than the skate deck.  A couple of bare spots but decent coverage for the most part. Dawn loop and Arbo loop in better shape for skating than the other two loops that have been damaged by foot traffic and drifting.  Linn county does a good job of updating the following website to show when they last groomed.  The site also has maps of the trails.

https://www.linncountyiowa.gov/1509/Cross-Country-Ski-Trails

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 

Irv Warren was regroomed this morning for both skate and classical.  

NOTE, that there has been a change in the trail at Irv Warren. A sanitary sewer pipeline running through the golf course is to be repaired. That work has cut off a portion of the trail system including the loop at the trail head. The larger loop is now being accessed off to the west right from the trail head, sort of like it was in the past.

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 Skate skied at Irv Warren this afternoon, and the skating was very good.   The trail was regroomed yesterday (Friday) for both skating and classical.   The skate lane is a bit hard / a bit icy but the regrooming added enough texture for good control.

In places the classical track is very good and in others not quite so good.   Overall Waterloo Leisure Services did a good job of working up the hard crust from the melt down earlier in the week.

Seminole Park and Ellis Golf Course - Cedar Rapids

Went looking for groomed track in Cedar Rapids right before sundown today.  The CR Parks and Rec Department is reporting grooming at many parks as I posted previously but they haven't updated their notice since Jan. 4.  I checked Seminole Park and could see a rolled lane for what I assume is fat bikes?  Some ski tracks but nothing groomed that I could see from the road.  

Over at Ellis park I found groomed tracks that started behind the maintenance buildings but I doubt they expect one to park there to ski.  The essentially 1.5 mile loop seems to have a beginning at what I assume is the golf club house parking lot.  This is some of the most difficult skiing I have done in awhile.  There has been relatively little foot or snowshoe traffic on the groomed tracks.  There are various grass spots but they are relatively easily avoided.  I was skiing mostly on ice this evening.  And there are a few hills with sharp turns that when you are skiing in rough, ice tracks are very difficult to navigate.  I would not recommend beginners try to ski these tracks at this point.  That doesn't mean that a beginner wouldn't have space to ski off track.  I also expect my skis got a little wear from just scraping against the icy, torn up tracks in various places, FYI.  If you are a talented skater you may be able to get something done out there at midday even though there isn't any corduroy for you?  

Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve - Jasper County

I skied the entirety of the 5.2 miles of trails here this afternoon.  While it is covered with snow grass is starting to show through where tracks have been skied and the sun reaches it.  The tracks I laid will likely freeze up tonight and be decent for anyone tomorrow.  With the cold coming maybe they will last for awhile before hikers and snowshoes trash them.  I spoke with a worker there who said they still own their groomer and snowmobile.  They stopped grooming years ago because people expressed preference for no grooming.  If you want groomed trail in the Jasper and Poweshiek counties area I encourage you to reach out to them.  They actually discussed starting again this morning.  There are two or three other parks they were considering grooming as well! 

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 The skate lane at Irv Warren Golf Course was regroomed this morning.   Conditions were still soft today, although that should change with the coming cold temperatures.

January 18 - Morgan Creek

Miles of expertly groomed trails, 30 degress, sunny, everyone I meet can't wipe the smile off their face........did I miss anything? Oh ya......I don't have covid!

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site

Skied a loop around the historic site and the prairie.  Reconstruction is being done on 80 acres nearest the interstate and thus some of the trails indicate closure.  Quite a few drifts in the prairie trails with a little grass sticking through.  But plenty skiable.  There were tracks (not groomed) that had blown in.  About 2 miles as an outer loop.  You may find you need to take your skis off to cross sidewalks or roads to get those miles in.  

Ames - East River Valley Park/Carr Woods

 Was groomed January 15.  We skied it around noon on the 16th.  Was pretty soft and thus fairly torn up by skies, hikers, and snowshoes.  A little grass showing in small spots of the tracks.  Skate deck is very soft.  Some tiny sticks on the groomed area but nothing to be worried about.  Lots out skiing.  Fun to see that in Iowa!  

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 Irv Warren was groomed this morning for both classical and skating.    The classical tracks are excellent.   The skating lane is a little soft but should be in good shape tomorrow.   Special thanks to Waterloo Leisure Services for grooming on a Saturday.

Cedar Rapids grooming

Cedar Rapids has groomed at Ellis and Twin Pines Golf Courses, Jones and Seminole Valley Parks, and the Sac and Fox Trail on January 3rd. I skied the 4 mile perimeter of Jones yesterday, January 6th. They had laid a parallel set of tracks and also "rolled" a separate single track that at times crossed over or under the parallel tracks. By yesterday the tracks were generally blown in but otherwise it has plenty of hills to make the ski interesting.

Brynes Park/Irv Warren

 Thanks Waterloo Leisure Services for the rolling of the trail today. With such a small amount of snow the trail was in very good condition for skating. Some, but very little grass was visible. It skied very quickly today, some soft spots, but very few. Hopefully we can make it for a week or so on this snow. Thanks again and great job Waterloo Leisure Services!

Pilot Knob

 Pilot Knob was fantastic again today. Jeff does a great job of grooming for a great trail. Get to Pilot Knob before the snow is gone, great conditions, great trail.

Pilot Knob State Park

 This area hasn't seen as much snow as the new snow belt through central Iowa has this year. 🙂 And it's great to see your areas thriving. I enjoy seeing pictures of other trails! So here's a picture of the road through Pilot Knob Saturday.  Fortunately we've got enough to play too!  I typically post about grooming at forestcityski.blogspot.com 

Happy skiing!

chichaqua bottoms

Classic tracks at their best! Fast and firm!

Brynes Park/Irv Warren

 Groomed this morning, best conditions we have had in my memory. Get out and enjoy the weekend!

CLEAR CREEK TRAIL - IOWA CITY

Excellent classical today. Between Ashton and Clear Creek the conditions were awesome for classic, skating and fat bikes!

Kent Park

 I skied classical at Kent Park yesterday and what a treat! The trails were in fantastic shape with well formed classic tracks and a wide smooth skate lane. It was about as perfect as I’ve ever skied on. Get out there if you can! 

Crow Creek Park

Trails were groomed at Crow Creek Park on Wednesday.  We have about 4 miles of skate lane and about 70% of that is tracked for classic skiing.  Very nice skiing conditions even with the hiker foot traffic. The tracks are some of the best I have have seen for CCP and they have firmed up the last couple days.  We'll be grooming later today to clean up the hiker foot traffic.  Note that CCP grooming is supported 100% by volunteers - time, money, blood, sweat, and tears. :-)  And we love doing it!

The City of Bettendorf also has groomed ski trails at Palmer Hills golf course.  They have a free XC ski clinic planned this weekend for today and tomorrow.  They have ski rentals, as well.  Here is a link to more info on the event.  https://sites.google.com/view/qc-nordic-ski-clinics

Morgan Creek Park

It just doesn't get any better - ever. Freshly groomed and both the skate lane and classic tracks are perfection. The walkers didn't get the message that it is a ski trail but they never do.

Brynes Park/Irv Warren

 Thanks again Waterloo Leisure Services, the trails are great! Classic track is just perfect and the skate trail has a lot of snow on it. It was soft today and got chopped up a bit, but with some packing of the trails this week they should be perfect by the weekend.

Crow Creek Park

Skied at Crow Creek Park again. Trail conditions are the same as yesterday- excellent. Pretty cold out there and I only saw a couple hardy souls. I stayed in the wooded area for protection from the wind. It’s amazing how quickly you can get your camera out, take the picture and put your camera away when it’s 3 degrees. 

Crow Creek Park

 Trail conditions at Crow Creek Park are excellent!  It was cold out there today, but very worth it.  The skate lane was firm and I think there is more groomed trail for skate then there was a couple weeks ago.  Lots of options to do loops with hills or stay on the flat.  The wooded area is my favorite area to ski in Crow Creek Park and there are a couple of loop options down there.  The classic tracks were in good shape as well.  I'm not sure, but I suspect the city of Bettendorf is supporting the grooming efforts at CCP.  Chapeau!

Irv Warren Golf Course – Waterloo

 Skied Irv Warren with my classical skis today and skated yesterday.   The classical tracks are in excellent shape – the best I have seen at Irv Warren.   The skate deck is very good too.   It has been a couple of days since grooming but the skate deck is holding up very well.

 A special thank you to Peter and Waterloo Leisure Services for grooming in this cold weather.

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 Re-posting from Waterloo Leisure Services web page.

Ski skating and classical tracks were groomed on 2/8/21 at 1:30pm.

Pilot Knob State Park

 Thoroughly enjoyed skiing at Pilot Knob today. Jeff does a wonderful job of grooming the road and down to the lake, which is one of the best if not the best place to ski in Iowa. Slow skiing because of the cold temps, but just a beautiful environment to spend time skiing. Thanks Jeff!

 Linn County Conservation cross-country ski trail update

Location	Miles	Date of Last Maintenance	Rolled	Groomed
Matsell Bridge Natural Area	5	2/05	✔	✔
Morgan Creek Park	3.8	2/05	✔	✔
Wanatee Park	3.5	2/01	✔	✔
Wickiup Hill Learning Center	3.3	2/05	✔	✔

Drifting snow currently is an issue along the trails.

More information about cross-country ski trails available at LinnCountyParks.com Look for the Cross-Country Ski Trail grooming button. 

KENT PARK

The trails at Kent Park today were a work of art. I guess it's our reward for surviving 2020!

Brynes Park/Irv Warren

 Conditions are as good as it gets! Thanks Waterloo Leisure Services to your commitment to provide freshly groomed trails. I have been skiing Brynes for years, with Mother Nature doing her part, these are the best conditions that I can remember. If you want to have a fun day skiing, I recommend you visit Brynes this winter.

Irv Warren Golf Course – Waterloo

 Irv Warren was re-groomed yesterday (2/1/2021).   The skiing is excellent for both skating and classical.    Enjoy before the next storm and the coming very cold weather.

 Linn County Conservation

Find the link to Cross-Country Ski trails at LinnCountyParks.com 

Location	Miles	Date of Last Maintenance	Rolled	Groomed
Matsell Bridge Natural Area	5	2/01	✔	✔
Morgan Creek Park	3.8	2/01	✔	✔
Wanatee Park	3.5	2/01	✔	✔
Wickiup Hill Learning Center	3.3	2/01	✔	✔

Morgan Creek Park trails are rerouted due to wetland construction on south side of the park.

Wickiup Hill Learning Center trails are groomed only on prairie side due to derecho damage.

Trails are no longer groomed at Pinicon Ridge Park.

Irv Warren Golf Course – Waterloo

 

The skiing conditions are excellent for both skating and classical.    The classical tracks are deep and well formed.   The skating deck has firmed up nicely.   Thanks to Peter at Waterloo Leisure Services for the great grooming this morning.

Ashton Cross Country Course

Regardless of your choice of snowsport, conditions at Ashton are awesome! Hopefully we make it through the weekend

Mines of Spain

 

Classic skied Thursday night under a full moon with temperatures in the mid-teens.  Tracks were deep and level.  Kick was very good with blue & Blue-green blend.  Skate deck looked a little soft.  Should still be very good Friday and Saturday. 

Crow Creek Park

 Beautiful sunny afternoon at Crow Creek Park. I got out there as the groomer was finishing up so the top layer was a little sugary, but overall the skate deck is in great shape. Saw some rough classic tracks. I wasn’t out very long so not sure if the classic track is better further in. More field work is planned.

KENT PARK

Skated, classiced and even ended with a little snowshoeing. Conditions do not get much better.

Brynes Park/Irv Warren

 Both classic tracks and skate deck were groomed today. Classic track looked like it was set nicely with plenty of snow...no bare spots for awhile. Skate trail was as expected with the amount of snow we received, soft and a little slower. Once again, the Waterloo Leisure Services and Peter have done a fantastic job of grooming. It shows by the amount of skiers out today.

 Linn County Conservation cross-country ski trail update (skate and classic tracks)

1/26: Matsell Bridge Natural Area - groomed

          Morgan Creek Park -  groomed

          Wickiup Hill Learning Center - groomed

updates when new maintenance occurs can be found at LinnCountyParks.com 

        

South Side River Trail & George Wyth - Waterloo/Cedar Falls

 Both the South Side River Trail and George Wyth paved recreational trail (excluding the closed section) have been groomed for classical skiing.   Good conditions except one spot in Hartman Reserve where foot traffic damaged the track.

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 Repost from the Waterloo Leisure Services Web Site;

Irv Warren Golf Course

Ski skating and classical tracks were both groomed on 1/25/21 at 9:00am.

 Linn County Conservation managed Cross-Country Ski Trails

1/24 update: Morgan Creek Park - regroomed (route detoured due to wetland construction this winter. Please follow signage.) classic tracks, skate track on edge.

1/24 update: Wickiup Hill Learning Center (prairie only) - rolled

1/22 update: Matsell Bridge Natural Area - groomed, classic tracks, skate track in center.

Brynes Park/Irv Warren

 Trails were very good today...expect the same for Sunday, should be a good day to ski.

Irv Warren Golf Course – Waterloo

 Irv Warren was groomed today for both skating and classical.    The conditions are excellent for both styles of skiing!  Kudos to Peter at Waterloo Leisure Services for setting a solid well defined classic track and breaking up the crust layer on the skate lane so that it is fast but yet with great control.    There are two bare spots on the classic track but those are easy to avoid.

 Linn County Conservation ski trails:   

1/21/20  Matsell Bridge Natural Area - re groomed (classic tracks each side, skate track in center) 

No updates to Morgan Creek Park, Wanatee Park, and Wickiup Hill Learning Center at this time.

No Iowa Winter Games in Cresco

 Re-posting from Prairie Spring's Facebook page, just in case:

"It is with regret that we have to inform you that the Iowa Winter Games Cross Country Ski Races to be held this Saturday, January 23, have been Canceled! This decision was not made lightly and has been wrestled with for quite some time. We look forward to seeing you next year, hopefully, with fewer health concerns and better ski conditions. Thanks to all who have been faithfully following this page for information on the the games. The skate deck is still good, but the classic tack is marginal. Many Iowa Winter Games events have been canceled because of COVID - we now join that list."

Brynes Park-Irv Warren

 Freshly groomed this morning, thanks Waterloo Leisure Services and Peter! Conditions were fantastic, fast and firmer than the last couple days. Looks like after today, we won't have to worry about the warm temps for a while. Should be a great weekend for skiing.

Jester Park

Skiing is limited at Jester. Golf course trails are closed. Plenty of snow in the woods but the base is hard and a little icy. The groomers have done an excellent job as usual but it is a little difficult to groom snow that comes down as slush. Hopefully we will get new snow soon.

Irv Warren Golf Course Waterloo

 Both the skating lane and classical track were re-groomed this morning.   There is good snow depth on the skating lane although it is a little soft.    The classical track is fairly good also with some bare spots as before.  Overall good skiing.

 

Note there is a new connector going from the small loop at the Trailhead to the large full course loop.   Instead of branching off the west side of the small loop the connection is on the southeast corner going towards the club house.   This is a good change as it avoids a gravel driveway and a ditch.   The overall trail length is still approximately 2.5 miles.   A trail map is attached.

Prairie Springs-Cresco

 Had a great afternoon skiing in Cresco. I thought there was plenty of snow and was freshly groomed when I skied. Both the classic and skate deck was just fun. A beautiful place to ski with just enough elevation change to get the heart rate moving.

Like everywhere, there are plenty of walkers and their dogs out, but highly recommend a trip to Cresco. 

South Side River Trail _ Cedar Falls/Waterloo

 Classical skied South Side River Trail in Cedar Falls this afternoon.   The track is fairly good and walkers for the most part are staying off the ski track.

6K Groomed Trails at Crow Creek Park, Bettendorf

With the snow last night we were able to groom trails for the first time this season.  We have a crusty 4" base with 1-2" of new snow.  Skate conditions are ideal.  Classic tracks were set, but are not very deep.  We expect to be skiing through the week.

Irv Warren/Brynes Park

 Groomed this morning. Out early for a good 90 minute ski, skate deck was in great shape. Thanks to Peter with the Waterloo Leisure Services. Doing a great job of grooming with what Mother Nature has provided us with.

Kent Park - Monday, January 11

Conditions still good at Kent Park. Some bare spots starting to poke through but 95% percent of the trails, both classic and skate, are in great shape. Some damage from the obligatory hikers that will be troublesome as temperatures warm but all trail systems in Iowa unfortunately seem to have that.

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 

The ski trail at Irv Warren was re-groomed this morning.   The skate deck and classic track are mostly in good condition.    Hurry and ski before the approaching warm temperatures does in the snow.

Big Woods decent for Classic

 I did something uncharacteristic and tried classic skiing in town. Started just behind Gateway, by road into compost facility. There are tracks from Gateway all the way around Big Woods. It's not bad--a few rough spots/grass, and of course, some road crossings, but a nice flat 4 mile loop all tracked.

Prairie's Edge, Cresco

 Hi friends,it's been great to see so many skiers at Irv Warren skating and classicking! Fun to get new skiers out there trying out the sport. 

I skied at Cresco today, and it is definitely thin, but still very skate-able. No tracks though for classic. Only loop not open is the high prairie (knocks off just one kilometer). Some areas are well covered, but on the bike trail your poles will definitely hit pavement, and it was dicey with some loose gravel on the campground loop (use rock skis unless you don't care about a scratch or two!). I enjoyed it though. Best trails I've found in Iowa. Hopefully we'll get a little more snow.

Irv Warren/Brynes Park

 Skate trail is holding up nicely, with classic tracks remain unchanged. Thanks Waterloo Leisure Services as you have provided a very good 11 day run of skiing. It looks like we might be in good shape for a few more days.

Irv Warren Golf Course – Waterloo

 Waterloo Leisure Services re-groomed the skating lane this morning.   Although the snow is thin in places the skating is good.

 

Some fresh snow was scratched into the classical track that helped to rejuvenate it.   There are several places where it has melted down to the grass but those spots can easily be avoided.

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 The skate deck was re-groomed this morning and is in good shape.   The trail is very thin in places.  The groomer also scratched over the classical track which helped to fill some of the melted spots and left a little new snow all along the track helping to cover the glazed surface from yesterday’s warm up.

Linn County - County Parks

 The following note was posted on the Linn County Conservation website.    Unfortunately no information on the type of grooming or on the ski conditions.

Cross Country Ski Trails 

(This content is updated when there is new trail maintenance information)

1/5 update:

Matsell Bridge Natural Area - groomed

Morgan Creek Park - groomed

Wanatee Park - groomed

Wickiup Hill Learning Center (prairie only) - groomed

Chichauqua Bottoms

Awesome day on this trail! For those unfamiliar.............if you are looking for hills this is not for you. Classic only but very nice grooming. Some through the woods and some striaght stretches on the perimiter. If you dont mind traveling to Polk County go for it!

Irv Warren in good condition

 32 Degrees and freshly set! good conditions. Don't know why my video won't post.

Blue Mound State Park, Blue Mound WI

 Classic ski at Blue Mound today.  I got out there early.  The parking lot was full at noon when I left.  The classic tracks were firm and the snow had a lot of moisture in it, so the downhills were pretty fast.  I assume they will regroom early this week.  Lots of elevation change.  A great place to get some Birkie training in.

Mines of Spain - Dubuque

 As of Satirday, January 2, the classic track was really quite decent.  The skate deck was a bit on the soft side, but that made it easy to control your skis.

 Thanks Leisure Services...trails are in excellent shape through today. Hopefully, Mother Nature will keep the temperatures down. 

Irv Warren Golf Course - Waterloo

 Irv Warren Golf Course was groomed for both classical skiing and skating today.   The skate deck is in excellent condition.   The classical tracks are good in most places but there are places where the groomer went down to grass.   Overall good conditions considering the 4 to 5" of snow received.  Kudos to Peter of Waterloo Leisure Services for his grooming efforts.

Waterloo / Cedar Falls

 Hi Skiers,

 

In Cedar Falls/Waterloo we received approximately 3 to 3.5 inches of snow with the Friday night / Saturday storm.   Not enough snow to do grooming but there is enough snow to ski on grassy areas.    I skate skied both Saturday morning and again today on Sunday morning.   My skies would stick slightly on underlying grass occasionally but not too often.

 

It gets even better if you go out a couple of hours ahead of time and pack down a lane with your snowshoes.