The Nowak Ski Trail Report

Hey all ABD'ers, there are some AWESOME x-country skiing conditions in the area.  Here is my first hand update on the local and some not so local trails.

The DuPage Forest preserves are in pretty good shape.  I classic skied Herrick Lake on Monday and the tracks were very good (other than one area where an old lady was walking in them).  The skate area had a lot of walking traffic, but looked to be decent.  Also checked out Arrowhead Golf Course and there was a nice wide skate lane.  The tracks there were not as good as Herrick Lake.

Also checked out Blackwell FP and the conditions were similar to Herrick Lake.

My personal favorite, Deer Grove FP in Palatine has EXCELLENT conditions right now.  This is all self groomed by the skiers there (i.e. me and a few other guys).  There is an unused road that travels from the west-most parking lot off of Dundee Rd. east for about 5K that is in very good condition right now.  It is very firm and getting fast.  There are also a large network of skied-in tracks that are getting worn, but overall they are pretty good.

Also, Rockford has a nice system at Rock Cut St. Park.  Check out the link below for Northern IL Nordic.

For those of you looking for a bit more adventure and challenge, I highly recommend the South Kettle area by Eagle, WI.  The Nordic trail system is in excellent condition right now and the DNR of WI does an great job of grooming.  If you are looking for a more challenging and anaerobic workout the trails at McMiller are also excellent.  This is also a shooting range and during the weekends it can be a bit concerning hearing gun shots.  However, this is a World Cup level trail and will leave you gasping.

Here are a few links for more info if you are interested.

Ski Reports:
http://www.skinnyski.com/
http://www.laphampeakfriends.org/ViewSkireportsExpanded.php
http://ninordic.org

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us


Hope to see you out there.  Feel free to send any ski related questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them.

Jim