Corsair Ski Trail Conditions and Grooming Report

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Corsair Trail Conditions
Trail work and grooming is performed by a Corsair Trail Council employee. There are many other expenses: equipment acquisition, fuel, mechanical repairs, insurance, garage and cabin, etc. This extensive and expensive project requires continuous funding.
Funding is received by your financial contributions. An annual Corsair Trail Grooming Pass ($10.00) is sold as a fundraiser. This season's pass is shown here. Attach it to your zipper and wear it proudly to verify that you appreciate and support trail grooming at the Corsair Ski Trails.

CLICK ON THE GROOMING PASS TO VIEW MORE TRAIL INFO, WEATHER FORECAST, ETC.

TRAIL CONDITIONS
January 20, 2024

WE'RE SKIING !!! The Silver Valley trail sections, shaded in red, have been cleared of fallen trees and trail debris. They've been rolled, packed and graded to make a good smooth corduroy surface for enjoyable skiing. A volunteer snow plower opened up more parking spaces this morning and today's sunshine will warm things up to comfortable skiing temperatures.
After last week's storm damage, a tremendous amount of hard labor, team work and financial expense has occurred during this past week to make this skiing experience all possible. Our work is not finished. The same efforts and output will now be focused on the Corsair trail section across the road. Get out and enjoy the benefits!
If you have not contributed to the operation of the trails yet, 2024 Corsair Trail Grooming Passes are available at Nordic Sports, in East Tawas, for a $10.00 minimum donation. Your financial contribution is what makes the trail clearing and grooming happen.

No Dogs On Ski Trails
Sorry - dogs are not allowed on the groomed ski trails at Corsair, Silver Valley, and Wright’s Lake. Please leave your pets at home for the safety and enjoyment of all skiers. Other skiers will not share your affection for your pet because dogs commonly disturb and harass wildlife, bark at other approaching skiers, mess up groomed tracks, and leave excrement on trails that fouls ski bottoms and trail grooming equipment.
The Highbanks Trail, located 4 miles west of the Corsair Trails - at the end of Monument Road, is an ungroomed skiing and snowshoeing trail where pets are welcome.

Snow Physics and Trail Grooming
Ski trail grooming is part science, part art, part magic and a whole lot of experience. We invite you to learn the basics of the process.

Click on the track setter photo (below right) for information about the methods, the tools and some of the grooming procedures.

We pack the trails with a roller after each major snow fall to remove air from freshly fallen snow. A season long process, packing allows the snow crystals to bond tightly to one another, creating a consistently dense and supportive trail base. Also, packing smoothes the trail, filling dips in the ground. Rolling all of the trails requires a long day of labor.

Like icing on the cake, tracksetting is usually the last, and sweetest, step in the whole process of trail grooming. The key to setting good tracks lies in the snow grooming which is done before tracksetting. The best tracks are moulded when we operate the groomer at a speed of approximately 6 mph. To groom all of the loops we drive 45 miles. Patience is required to operate grooming equipment. Tracksetting is usually a two day job.

Occasionally a heavy snow storm or high winds will knock down a lot of trees across the trails. We cannot operate the grooming equipment until the trees are removed.