Janelle Peotter

Join us to ski all six groomed cross country ski areas in Door County this weekend: February 5 – 6.

We will be starting in northern Door County and ski the state parks at Newport, Peninsula, and Whitefish Dunes on Saturday and then ski at Snowkraft, Potowatomi State Park and Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay on Sunday. We plan to finish in time for everyone to head to their favorite Super Bowl party! This event will cater to all speeds, both classic and skate skiers, with accommodated distances and planned meeting times for meals on both days so this will also become the social event of the ski season! Perfect for those wanting a distance weekend to prepare for the Birkie or just the casual recreational skier who would like a taste of all the skiing options in Door County.

Saturday start point: Newport State Park’s parking Lot at 9 am. If you would like to carpool meet at the north end of the Crossroads parking lot in Sturgeon Bay at 8 am.

Sunday start point: Snowkraft at 9 am.

To register please call Janelle Peotter at 920.493.3568 or Debbie Kiedrowski at 414.791.1271 or send us an email at dcsilentsport@gmail.com

If there is no cloud cover, no headlamps will be needed. If there is cloud cover, feel free to bring a headlamp. Some of us have discovered that battery operated Christmas lights pinned to our jacket make a pretty fun addition to night skiing! The Collins Learning Center will be open for socializing before and after the ski. Bring your own favorite beverage. We will have hot water for those who would like to make hot chocolate or tea.

Facebook RSVP

Trail groomers report the following conditions:

Crossroads at Big Creek Conditions: Closed. With all the rain and warm weather, we lost all the base for the ski trails. All we have now is a dusting of snow over the trails but not enough for skiing. Our ski trails have become walking trails.

Newport State Park Closed. Trails remain closed to skiing due to lack of new snow. Hopefully by next week we can say something different.

Peninsula State Park Closed. We recently received less than one inch of new snow but there is not enough snow to ski. Go for a hike and pick debris off of the trail so when we do get snow again, the trails will be even better!

Potawatomi State Park Closed. No skiing until there is significant snow to groom.

Snowkraft Nordic Conditions: Good on the woods trail. Orchard trails are closed at this time. Skiing in Door County this week is only possible here at Snowkraft on Walker Road. There is 1.5 miles open for skiing on the woods trails. Large drifts formed from the first storm of one foot or so and this snow was used to add to bare spots on the trail, which there were many of. They are groomed for both skate and classic. There is a possibility we could have a few inches by the weekend, which may enable other areas to open. WARNING: Make sure to stay on trails that have been skied! It is not easy to see with the new snowfall that some trails have only 1/2 inch over dirt. If you venture out of bounds you will hit “sandpaper” and risk a bad fall.

Whitefish Dunes State Park Conditions: Poor. The New Year’s meltdown and rain had a devastating effect on the trails. Most of the trails have lost much of their base and what is left is frozen solid and spotty. The sprinkling of snow this week has been just enough to make it look better, but not enough to groom. Therefore, skiing at Whitefish Dunes is not recommended at this time.

Weekly Cross Country Ski Report brought to you by Door County Silent Sports Alliance.

It’s not the easiest place to find, but once you learn where to look, the ski trails at the former Cherry Hills Nordic Center, now renamed Snowkraft Nordic, will lead to Valhalla… a skier’s paradise. It’s because of the dedicated perfectionism of founder Tom Parsons, coupled with a team of avid supporters like Paul Anschutz and other members of the Door County Silent Sports Alliance that make this a five-star accomplishment.

There are 10K of skate trails and 5K of traditional diagonal tracks – all groomed to perfection. I skied there a week ago, on Saturday, the last day in January. All around me I saw bare fields. Under my skiis it looked like a giant cake-decorating tool squeezed out a perfect stripe of corrugated white icing… no, not icy, perfect granular snow.

With an inch or two of new snow recently, the conditions have gotten even better. Here’s the proof! Tom and four other skiers take you on a ski-cam lap of the Orchard Trail:

With 37 acres to work with, the trail layout takes advantage of every bit of terrain, providing a great set of rolling hills and climbs. Don’t expect to find a fancy warming house or other amenities… what you may notice is the equipment. Sophisticated snow-grooming tools are parked at various spots on the grounds. There is a table and a set of drawers with release forms and an honor box for donations – suggested contributions to sustaing the effort are $5 per day or $50 for a season pass.

OK! Here’s the biggest secret revealed… How to find Cherry Hills Nordic Center located at 5736 Walker RD on the north end of Sturgeon Bay.

The Center is open every day. Questions? Call 920.743.0272 or cell 920.495.8484 or e-mail latitude44@gmail.com.