Eagle River Trail Conditions 7 FEB 2011

[MachZ990]

I wanted to post my trail report for the Eagle River/Conover/Three Lakes area. I just returned today (Monday) instead of next Thursday due to rapidly deteriorating conditions. I have used the reports on Snowtracks.com for the above mentioned area to help aid in my decision to make the trip to Eagle River. I left last Wed. (Feb 2nd) based on "excellent to very good" reported trail conditions. Thursday's ride was good but the I would have rated the trails in Eagle River as poor to fair at best. Outside of Eagle River I would rate them as Fair and the further north you went they went to Good. Up by Land O' Lakes were some very good areas but nothing in this area is excellent unless you are talking about the occasional little nugget of nice riding for a short stretch. The trails in the woods are the worst. Very tan snow color with a lot of grit in the snow. Basically snirt. By Saturday night the trails in this area degraded to poor in most areas and very snirty with icy corners everywhere. See the trail shots I took around 1:30 pm on Saturday.

 

[whitedust]

Rode from Phelps to IR MI this afternoon on 6E & Alvin & Nelma was not groomed & was badly torn up from traffic. MI 15 into IR was reasonable & met groomer south bound close to IR. 2W out of IR was great met 2 groomers a few miles apart & ducked into FRs before Watersmeet & back to Phelps. Phelps trails were in very good conditions for RT & Frs are getting rough but plenty of snow on them. I was going to ride 6W tomorrow to Lando & continue W towards BJ but not sure after seeing these pictures. Sorry about the Snowtracks.com trail reports as I know how off they can be.

 

[eyeman]

Today's Eagle River, snow Eagles report: Feb 8 Conditions Good w/12-16" snow cover. Thanks a lot, I guess that groups credibility is in doubt.

"Trails on average are GOOD. Some areas VERY GOOD to EXCELLENT. There is snirt at the road crossings. The sand & salt on the raods causes that & it can be dragged in pretty far on the trails when the number or riders is high." Thanks for the factual report MachZ990.

 

[arctiva]

The trails in the woods are the worst. Very tan snow color with a lot of grit in the snow. Basically snirt. By Saturday night the trails in this area degraded to poor in most areas and very snirty with icy corners everywhere. See the trail shots I took around 1:30 pm on Saturday.

I wouldnt hesitate to ride those trails. The 2 picture are a fact of the north woods and to be expected around eagle river. Very few weekends have i been up by eagle river and by sat afternoon the trails wernt bare corners and more snirt everywhere than white snow.

Everyone has there opinion on poor/good/excellent trails

 

[whitedust]

It does change quickly on weekends but Snowtracks.com does not often give that warning. To me they should tell you traffic will degrade trails & rider exspectations would improve....... oh well. Fresh snow & conditions get better warm up & will be a total mess.

 

[simonsr1]

If you want good to excellent trail conditions, stay out of areas like Eagle River, to much traffic to keep the trails good, all weekend, drive a little further like ironwood all the way to copper harbor, they get a lot more snow and and less traffic, and the trails are usually really good, Im going to eagle river this weekend, not by my choice, but we will probably run to the north and northwest to get better conditions

 

[erkoehler]

I wouldn't classify those trails as poor.....I've ridden poor, and it had mud in the pictures!