On the last day of December, a white blanket of snow finally covered the ground in Rhinelander, WI.
The snow arrived more than a month later than usual.
That means cross-country ski and snow mobile trails are just now starting to open.
“We are now operating,” said Mark Stuber, the chalet coordinator at Minocqua Winter Park. “We have been biting our nails waiting for enough snow and we finally got it.”
After a late start to the ski season, Stuber said their core trails are groomed and ready for classic skiing.
Cross-country ski trails in Rhinelander, WI are also open to skiers.
The Rhinelander Area Silent Trails Association finished grooming trails in the area.
Dennis Zielinski, the association’s grooming foreman, said the trails have been compacted, but not tracked.
“Ski it, but don’t have too high of expectations because we just don’t have that much snow,” he said.
Zielinski recommended using rock skis.
While cross-country ski trails are opening, those eager to snowmobile have a bit longer to wait.
But not that much longer.
The Vilas County Forest, Recreation and Land Department announced it will open its snow mobile trail system the morning of New Year’s Day.
