Category Archives: Uncategorized

I went out to enjoy last night’s freeze and discovered that fatbiking season is over in the Udell Hills. A mix of crust, ice, dirt and leaves will soon all be spring dirt, leaves and sticks. Might be time to … Continue reading →

Here’s the scoop: With 3-4 fresh inches, there’s a figure 8 groomed in with an O/B to NCT off the little loop to the north. Thaw freeze season starts next week with no significant snow in the forecast. Pay attention … Continue reading →

It will be interesting to see how these three different types of snow bonds together? We have the crusty base, Saturday’s wet system, snow and freezing rain and then today’s lake effect dry fluffy crap. Many thanks to Mike Reilly … Continue reading →

Big M fatbiking is all groomed up. Hopefully riders are responsible and adjust air pressure. Little loop, bullwhacker, polar express and north connector to NCT are recently groomed.

I made a quick pass through the School Forest at lunch before the winds get too hairy, figuring no one would go out once the winds picked up. The roller is still toast so I built up something to add … Continue reading →

Fatbiking is a go at Big M. The little loop along with a connector over to NCT is in great shape. The goal is to get Bullwhacker open around the south side and reopen the polar express by the weekend.

Fat biking, XC skiing, sledding and backcountry skiing should all have really good conditions this weekend. XC trails got a groom today as well as the little loop and NCT connector got touched up this morning and bullwhacker over to … Continue reading →

Just a quick trip in this morning to run the roller over the orange loop on the south side. I put caution tape across, anyone who gets there after about 4pm today feel free to take it down. Just to … Continue reading →

I’m feeling cautiously optimistic about last night’s groom. We got enough snow where pulling the roller might’ve been a struggle so I just grabbed the big truck tire and dragged that around to mostly clear snow off the base that … Continue reading →

The Lake Loop got groomed today along with the Vista trail and Capper’s Corner. Tuesday the Little Loop, Bullwacker and Polar express will get some TLC. We are also try to keep the outer loop from the little loop to … Continue reading →

Bit the bullet and did an opening pass with just the sled, hooked up the roller, hit the walking trails and then went back for a second pass on 3 of the 4 bike trails. The north side of Bryant … Continue reading →

Sorry for not updating sooner. Lots of snow, colds temps and busy volunteers. The little loop did get two passes on the 21st but the outer loop has not been groomed since previous post. Groomers are scheduling times to get … Continue reading →

Finally enough snow to groom and now this. At least there will be a base once this storm passes. Couple of trees down I was able to drive around. Snow blowing over the Dog.

Big M fatbiking is back. All trails are groomed except between post 26 and 27. The little loop is in the best shape but don’t let that scare you away from venturing out further. The thaw-freeze really turned the trail … Continue reading →

XC trails are groomed and fat bike trails will be worked on the rest of today and tomorrow.

When I got back from vacation the snow was too dry to groom, and not enough of it. Now the week looks like crap weather-wise so I’m going to hold off grooming until maybe the weekend. Such is winter fatbike … Continue reading →

Vaca is over and everyone is back to work. Including the groomers. Fat biking at Big M has groomed trails on the little loop, lake loop, polar express and up the bomber. Watch the temps!

XC ski trails are set. Fat bike little is set. Fat bike outer loop is fragile but with low psi and fortitude, doable. Vista hiking trail is set. Lots of snow out there in which to play so go get … Continue reading →

The outer loop got a groom yesterday with some new equipment engineered by Sloan Petersen. Up to 8 inches of new snow is reported so he worked pretty hard to knock the air out of the fresh stuff. It’s a … Continue reading →

4-7 inches of new snow and who knows how many trees, have fallen since Monday. Not really back to square one but it’s gonna take some time to get things back the way they were. Randy cleared and groomed the … Continue reading →

Despite the temps, the base has stuck with us and allowed us to keep riding. With the exception of the most western section, the north, south and little loops are still really good riding. Looking for more snow in the … Continue reading →

Well people, it’s like midwinter at Big M. XC ski is completely groomed, fatbiking has made multiple passes with the new set up, snowshoe trails are all broken in and the tele skiers are making runs from various vistas. It’s … Continue reading →

Went out again this morning, a little tougher than last night. Still just pulling a truck tire. Lotta snow out there. We’re going to try and go ride it in this afternoon if the wind doesn’t get too insane. Should … Continue reading →

I groomed tonight ahead of whatever storm is coming overnight in the morning, we’ll see how that snow pans out and maybe tomorrow will be rideable. Maybe tonight was just a maintenance groom to make it easier the next time. … Continue reading →

Mike completed the first full outer loop groom last night and loved every minute of it. The next 20 passes will be much easier (so he says)

Whoa, we are getting things started way early this year. With all the pre-season work put in by volunteers, we are hoping for new improved outer loop conditions and additional beginner loop options. So far, the litttle loop, polar express … Continue reading →

Got a full pass on most of the walking trails and all the bike trails. Should be soft, but rideable tonight. Low tire pressure for the first few laps will help. Got some signs up but before I even got … Continue reading →

I was on vacation last week during the big storm so I missed last week grooming but I made up for it today. Thanks to whoever hiked all of the trails on the south side of Bryant. That was very … Continue reading →

We’ll see what happens with this groom? I probably should’ve got out last night when there was a little more moisture, but I think it was too sloppy? It’s definitely cold enough to set up. And we’re supposed to get … Continue reading →

What could go wrong grooming at lunch on Friday the 13th. Not much actually, got stuck on a few downed trees and took a whopper of a tree branch to the face but other than that it went pretty well. … Continue reading →

First off, the cross country skiing is fantastic. The snow is somewhat of a challenge to groom, but I’m gonna head out at lunch and try and repair all the hiker damage, put up some signs, and at least repair … Continue reading →

A first pass has been made on all of the riding trails in the Ludington school forest and some parts of the disc golf course, I plan to go out with the roller this evening and finish it off, and … Continue reading →

I looked at the weather and almost didn’t go out. But on the off chance that we get some more snow Sunday Monday I wanted to have something laid down. There wasn’t a ton of snow out there and I … Continue reading →

Trails are awesome. I hereby proclaim this the week of fatbiking. Thanks to those that rode in my groom from last night.

Big M finally received some snow! Bother the Outer Loop and Beginner Loop were groomed last night. The groomers say conditions should be rocking this weekend!

The forecast is calling for temps well above freezing for the next few days. The trails are expected to be very soft. Please refrain from riding the trails until the freezing temperatures return.

Big M Trails has a newly established Instagram account for winter conditions. If you want to follow along there, check out @bigmtrails. The Big M Beginner Loop has been groomed with the pan. Hopefully things hold up over the next … Continue reading →

The Beginner Loop got too passes with the snowmobile today, but no pan yet. The pan will get dropped tomorrow. The Big M Outer Loop is going to take some time. Between 16 inches of snow, a bad back, and … Continue reading →

The walking trails are rolled. I made it through everything but the northern loop on the south side with just the sled. If anyone wants to snowshoe that it might be passable with the roller. Might be rideable by Monday … Continue reading →

All the walking and biking trails done. Didn’t venture into disc golf. Feet too cold. Should be good for the week.

We’re ready for snow. In case you’re wondering why Big M wasn’t groomed last week with all the snow they got, A > It’s firearm deer season, we like to give hunters these two weeks to do their thing, we … Continue reading →

Conditions seemed like they warranted grooming last night so off I went. It seemed like there was enough snow to cover the ice from the past few weeks of rain and then it got really cold overnight it is currently … Continue reading →

All of the Manistee area trails are holding up nicely considering the lack of snowfall and warmer temps we’ve been experiencing. The Big M Outer Loop and Beginner were reported to be in great shape last night. A rider commented … Continue reading →

A couple of riders made it out to the Big M Beginner Loop and a short section of the Outer Loop last night and reported that trail conditions are “perfect.” I rode the Manistee Non-motorized Trail last night and conditions … Continue reading →

The Big M Outer Loop survived Wednesday’s rainy meltdown mess! The trail is rock solid with no ice. Unfortunately the Beginner Loop was not so lucky, this trail is in a lower lying area and did not drain at all. … Continue reading →

The Big M Outer Loop and the Manistee Non-motorized Trail are going to get a groom tonight. Tomorrow’s forecast looks awful with a high of 44 degrees and rain. If we can lay off the trails for the next two … Continue reading →

I got out and groomed yesterday afternoon, we usually try and groom after dark, but life sometimes gets in the way, so I went out mid-day. That being said, if you’re riding anywhere and you see grooming operations underway, the … Continue reading →

The Big M Outer Loop was groomed yesterday morning. The groomer commented that Big M received a lot of snow and it may take a while to set up / another pass with the tracksled. Conditions may be soft in … Continue reading →

**UPDATE: As of Wednesday morning, 2/9/22 it was already 36 degrees in Manistee and temps will not drop at all today. Please do not ride during this prolonged stretch of warm temps. If we give the trails a rest, they … Continue reading →

We got enough snow to make it worthwhile to go in and touch up all the trails we have a pretty solid base on the biking trails The walking trails were pretty chewed up so I added some extra weight … Continue reading →

The Manistee Area Trails are bulletproof going into the weekend. The Beginner Loops was described as super fast and just a tiny bit icy. The Big M Outer Loop is also fast with slightly icier conditions. The Manistee Non-motorized trail … Continue reading →

We made it through the thaw. Trail is the stuff of dreams. That is all.

**UPDATE: The Big M Outer Loop and Manistee Non-motorized Trail Park were not groomed last night. It was too warm for too long yesterday making the snow too soft. Groomers will try again this evening and trails should be groomed … Continue reading →

Trails are in good shape, almost no hiker incursions, in fact footprints up to some signs and then tracks off to the side of the track. Amazing! Thank you very much. We have one biker, not sure who it is, … Continue reading →

Groomers have been hard at work on all of our trails this week and it just keeps snowing! Big M Outer Loop: Was groomed Wednesday night! See photos below. There was a lot of fresh snow out there and groomers … Continue reading →

The Manistee area received several inches of snow yesterday on top of our solid base. The Big M Beginner Loop was groomed yesterday and is reported to be in awesome shape (see photos below). Groomers will be working on the … Continue reading →

Did a full reset on walking and fat bike trails last night. Groomers rarely get to say this, but it was a nearly perfect evening on the groomer. Three minor issues, all operator error, going new places I shouldn’t have … Continue reading →

All of the Manistee Area trails received about a half an inch of snow this week. Not enough to groom. Reports are that trail conditions are excellent with a little fresh snow on top of a super solid base. Perhaps … Continue reading →

All of the Manistee area trails were in excellent shape last weekend and into the first part of the week. The Big M Outer Loop did suffer some ruts and footprints on the SW side on Friday afternoon, but these … Continue reading →

The Big M Beginner Loop and Polar Express were groomed on Wednesday, the Manistee Non-motorized Park was groomed Wednesday evening, and the Big M Outer Loop was groomed yesterday afternoon. All of these trails were groomed while temps were hovering … Continue reading →

Got in a full pass on all bike trails and walking trails last night and finally got signs up to education both riders and walkers about A – Lowering tire pressure and B – Helping stay off bike trails with … Continue reading →

All trails at Big M were most recently groomed on Saturday afternoon / evening. With the very cold temps and first few passes of the season the Outer Loop is a bit soft and fragile. This should get better with … Continue reading →

Groomed everything I could get my hands on. Too much snow to pull roller so just used sled. Even my ski contraption was too much. I would go first thing. As it’s going to be soft I bet with the … Continue reading →

The Big M Outer Loop and Beginner Loop each received two passes with the groomer yesterday! We received more snowfall tonight and groomers are planning to head out for another groom this evening. The Manistee Non-motorized trail park was groomed … Continue reading →

I got the snow dog out for the first time this year and laid down some corduroy for everyone. 4” Tires or greater please 3 to 4 pounds of air pressure will probably be the key with his first groom.

The Groomer headed out around noon today and is kindly asking that users wait until 5:00pm – 6:00pm this evening, or even until tomorrow to let the trail sit up before riding.

Big M received about a foot of snow yesterday and snowfall is supposed to continue throughout the day today. Groomers will be headed out to groom both the Beginner Loop, Outer Loop, and a new connector segment. Another Groomer will … Continue reading →

The other half of the Outer Loop was groomed yesterday afternoon. This means all trails have received their first groom of the season. Unfortunately temps are forecast to remain above freezing for the next several days with some rainfall here … Continue reading →

Big M has about a foot of snow on the ground. The Beginner Loop was groomed on Wednesday morning. The groomer reported that the trail is likely going to be soft and a bit bumpy. There is plenty of snow, … Continue reading →

There are at least four sets of tracks in the school forest trail system in Ludington right now and the riding was actually pretty good. We’ll see what kind of snow we get on top of the two or 3 … Continue reading →

I got out for a quick ride at lunch to give everybody an update on the trails in Ludington, Michigan and overall they are very, very good. Cartier Park had a couple of slick spots, no mud necessarily, and I … Continue reading →

It looks like a lot of the ice is gone from the trail some of it still exists. Fat tire bikes are probably fine as always if you’re leaving a rot in mud that leaves damage which we have to … Continue reading →

Big M is in great shape when temps are below freezing. Last night the trail was rock solid with no icy spots. Just a few bumpy patches here and there from deer tracks and some hiker footprints at the start … Continue reading →

A few of us rode the Outer Loop at Big M last night. We were happy to find that the trail is hard pack and smooth despite the warm temperatures over the past few days. There are a few bumpy … Continue reading →

We decided not to groom last night as it was too warm and just would have pressed all the water together and made ice when it froze. And then it stayed 40 all night. Trails will probably not be rideable … Continue reading →

We’re at the point of the season where we have to look pretty hard at the forecast before we groom, and before we ride. I didn’t groom last night as I knew today was going to be warm, and we’ve … Continue reading →

The Groomers felt like testing out some new tactics yesterday, mostly just using different machines/methods on different portions of the trail. The result was that every section of trail had anywhere from 2 – 4 passes with a groomer! Some … Continue reading →

Big M received 10+ inches of snow last night. The Outer Loop has not been groomed. Fire Tower Loop remains un-groomed. The Beginner Loop was groomed yesterday and again this morning. The trail was soft today, it could use some … Continue reading →

Looks like we’re skiing again! Just kidding. But we did get about 4 inches of fluffy white snow which might be rideable with the base we had on Thursday. It’s supposed to snow more overnight and I’ll try and get … Continue reading →

The Outer Loop was last groomed on Monday. One of our club members got out and rode it last night and reported back that the trail is firm and has set up very nicely! The only caution was that the … Continue reading →

Trail is in great shape, some minor hiker intrusion on the north side where hikers are coming out of the church property onto the trails to make a loop. We might have to create a hiking trail in there next … Continue reading →

The Outer Loop was groomed yesterday. The groomer commented that it seemed to set up well, but with the really cold temperatures and soft snow conditions it could be fragile and low tire pressure is going to be key. The … Continue reading →

Knocked down another five or 6 inches of fresh powder from Saturday afternoon’s groom this evening. Had to abandon the roller after the Smallest Loop, South of Bryant and continue with the ski abomination on the bottom of the ice … Continue reading →

I groomed late in the day Saturday, knowing that we’d get snow overnight. And we did. There’s about 4″ of fluffy snow over a pretty solid base. The trails should be rideable, but they are way better ski trails at … Continue reading →

The Outer Loop and Beginner Loop were groomed this evening. With slightly warmer temps, we are hoping it sets up well for the weekend. The Fire Tower Loop remains un-groomed.

Post work edit. We got about 3″ of really fluffy snow this afternoon and it looks like it’s going to snow for the next 24 hours or so, conditions might not be all that great until Sunday morning. Let us … Continue reading →

It has continued to snow each day since Friday’s report! The Outer Loop was last groomed on Saturday morning. We will be sure to post an update when the next groom occurs. The Fire Tower Loop remains un-groomed. The Beginner … Continue reading →

I’ve been wanting to try the SnowDog with the roller we built for the Rokon. It’s a beast, but does a really nice job on the trail, so I knew there wouldn’t be much traffic out on Sunday, pretty cold, … Continue reading →

Big M has received a foot of snowfall within the last 24 hours and it is still snowing! The Outer Loop was groomed this afternoon and there are plans to make another pass with the track sled tomorrow morning. The … Continue reading →

Got done about 12:30, trail should set up for after work riding. Gonna be cold though…

Got the SnowDog tuned up and man was it awesome. I hit the many of the walking trails with two passes to smooth them out and did a full pass of all the SFT Fat Bike trails. They were in … Continue reading →

No changes in trail conditions since Saturday. The Outer Loop and Fire Tower Loop are hard pack and grippy. Things get a little bumpy in the sections where the snow is still thin, but overall the trail is in great … Continue reading →

Big M is in excellent shape! The trail has been getting an inch or so of snowfall on top of the base every couple of days that rides in nicely. No need to groom. The result is a solid Outer … Continue reading →

Some riders got out to Big M last night and reported about 1-2 inches of fresh snow on top of a smooth and firm base. The trail is fast rolling with good grip! Doesn’t look like there is any snowfall … Continue reading →

Managed a full pass with the Rokon and roller (half the weight), not my first choice of weapon for the fluffy snow we had but we’re still struggling with the SnowDog and ignition. Grrr. Trail should be good, but the … Continue reading →

I managed to get out with the Rokon and the roller last night before the temps dropped to smooth out all the walking trails in the SFT proper, and I think that with the drop in temps to 19 degrees … Continue reading →

The Outer Loop and the Fire Tower Loop were groomed last night! With cold temperatures in the forecast, Big M should be in excellent shape for the weekend! The Beginner Loop was groomed on Tuesday and is is in good … Continue reading →

The Outer Loop was last groomed on Saturday. Over the past few days we have received and inch or so of fresh snow on top of that. The trail is in good shape and areas that were thin before are … Continue reading →

I took a little extended lunch break and groomed about 10 miles of fat bike and walking trails in the Ludington school forest today. I don’t normally groom in the daytime it doesn’t generally have enough time to set up … Continue reading →

The Outer Loop was groomed on Saturday morning and overall the trail set up nicely. The section known as “Road Monkey” or “The Outback” has thin snow cover with some patches of dirt. As the temperatures drop, this section could … Continue reading →