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 switch out the studs and put on your summer tires. Thanks to everyone who enjoyed winter, all four of them. And shout outs to the groomers for the labor of love.
See you next winter.
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 to your pressure and when you were riding during the day. If there’s a rut, get off
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 and Mike Petersen for the snow dog tuneups. A new carburetor and a new spark plug made a world of difference. As did having the engine bolted to the snow dog.
Whoever rides first on Monday, it’s probably gonna take really low tire pressure for the first couple laps until this sets up. 
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 some weight and corduroy to the base. I put up caution tape, so it would be best if no one rode today.
First one through on Saturday pull down the tape please.
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 polar express is in the works before midday tomorrow. There is a ton of snow in the udell hills so we should be able to ride into early spring with great conditions. What a winter….so far!
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 prove that there’s no such thing as a simple groom, and nothing ever goes perfect, I decided to run through the super drifty trail that parallels Bryant, made it through the turn and at least one tree and thought all was going well until I looked back and there was no groomer. One of the bumps along that route must have broken the 5,000# carabiner I had. So, that’s sitting in the middle of the trail. A problem for the weekend.
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 I had set Sunday. I went back to kind of shape out the entrances off Bryant from the plows closing the Trail back up, and the trail seemed pretty solid. Obviously what we need is riders with 3ish pounds of tire pressure to kind of ride it in and we should have good trails for the foreseeable future. We only got like an inch of snow last night so that shouldn’t affect it too much. We’ll see how much snow we get as the winter weather advisory ends around noon.
you can kind of get an idea of what the base looks like in front of the groomer. This is my second pass down this walking trail.
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 NCT open as well. Hopefully everything will be ready for a rad weekend of snow fun at Big M. Temps forecasted for the 20s and some sun would be kick ass. Thanks to the groomers for donating their time. If you see KBS, Mike, Andy or Mickey, tell them thank you and toss them a beer
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 and the red and blue loops on the south side should be good. The orange middle loop only had one pass with the sled. And I went off trail a couple of times. So it’s a mess.
Low tire pressure and lots of riders should give us decent trails for the week ( knock on wood). PR for mileage on the groomer. Almost 17 miles.
Kudos to Mike Reilly and Mike Petersen for being my pit crew. Lots of maintenance needed after this season.
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 out there and get it done but it’s a ton of really cold snow and conditions might not be optimal till a slight warm up. Atay tuned…..
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 into a gem.
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 riding and grooming.
Based on this the earliest I think we’ll try and groom is Tuesday maybe. Maybe we’ll get something to ride in this weekend. In the meantime, remember Silver Lake Sand Dunes is open for business.
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 it. Next plans are to get lake loop groomed as well as south side of outer to polar express cut through.
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 winter wonderland out there but the trail is pretty fragile. Next week warms up to settle stuff down with some thaw/freeze cycles. Fingers crossed it’ll be ripping.
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 little loop and polar express this morning and Sloan is heading out this afternoon or tomorrow to give the outer loop hell. We’ll update as often as we can. XC ski grooming is in the works. Stayed tuned.
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 forecast early to mid next week. Groomers will be back out there when it happens.
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 like winter from your childhood. A little warmup is on the way but fear not, the snow will simply get a chance to settle and firm up upon this weekend’s freeze. Get out there and begin to enjoy winter even before it’s officially started.
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 be good for the foreseeable future (knock on wood).
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. If you do ride tomorrow, obviously low tire pressure is gonna be clutch. Thank you very much. 
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 and the south side of the outer has been groomed but by no means is ready for shredding. It will take some time before the 12+ inches sets up and is ready to rock. Stay tuned and check out bigmtrails on the Instagram for updates.
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 through the southern loop there were footprints leading in. Such is life.
Potentially one of the earliest grooms.
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 helpful to have something to follow. I haven’t looked at the weather too close but I know we have a couple of warm days which should actually help it settle. My guess is Monday night. It’ll still be pretty soft. So come out and ride and if it’s a little Squirrley, keep letting air out. 
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 4 to 6 inches of snow tomorrow.If that’s the case, I’ll be back out there again tomorrow night. Maybe we can ride on Wednesday. If we don’t get 4 to 6 inches of snow the more people that ride it tomorrow the better. thank you, Kyle Nichols, and any others that cut down the trees, I groomed an extra mile of Trail in the same amount of time as my last groom. I think I set a PR for distancing average speed.  it looks like it might be a little too warm to ride Thursday or Friday but, in the evenings anyway, but if we can get a nice solid base before, then it might be good for a while. knock on wood.
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. There are LOTS of sticks down and trees bent over, I didn’t clear anything I couldn’t over or through so if you ride (with VERY low tire pressure) stop and clear some stuff please.
I did all of it. All the single track and most of the walking trails.
It will probably set up by later Friday night, there isn’t all that much snow in the woods, so much of it is in the trees still. If your tires aren’t squatty when you’re riding, in these first-groom conditions, you probably have too much air, I’m guessing between 3-4 will be the number that works.
As we get warm temps and rain on Monday the trails will probably be too soft to ride, but they should be great Saturday morning. Get out there and ride!
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 the base in preparation of additional snowfall predicted for This evening.
Here’s the intel I have on Big M…
We have made several passes on outer loop but there is so much snow and it has been so cold that it hadn’t set up much. I groomed it last night and it felt like the portions i started with had been setting up in the hours i was out there so it might be rideable with low pressure. Ken is going to groom it again tonight so it will hopefully be good for weekend. Beginner loop is similar but didn’t get groomed yesterday. Andy is grooming that this afternoon. Hiking trails are good for snowshoes hut kind of soft for normal boots. Tree down on the main corridor that is will cut tonight or tomorrow early.
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 it should’ve set up quite well for the coming week.
Second pass on 75% of the trail. The northern loop on the south side of Bryant has a couple trees down which I need to clear tomorrow and then I will groom that. It’ll probably be pretty soft for the first few riders so 3 1/2 pounds of air is probably gonna be the ticket.
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 kicked up quite a few sticks but it should set up pretty well by morning. Super low tire pressure will be required three or 4 1/2 pounds maybe
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 few days with rain and temps in the 40’s forecast.
The Outer Loop has not been groomed, but some trail angels got out with their snowshoes to help pack things down for the groomer.
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 a groomer in training, this week is likely a no go. We’ll be sure to update you as the groomers can get out.
The Manistee Non-motorized Trail Park got two laps with the snow dog today. The trail should be in good riding condition for the next few days.
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 morning but will need traffic. Merry Christmas.
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 get the woods the other 50 weeks. B > Our agreement with the Forest Service doesn’t allow any form of grooming until December 1st, probably because of reason A.
But we’re ready. I fired up the Snow Dog after it’s long summers nap, after replacing the battery, which cost 108 bucks, which brings us to our fundraising efforts. If you enjoy riding (or skiing) the Ludington School Forest trails, Big M or the Manistee Trail Park, consider donating or joining the club. We’ve made it easy to just donate by scanning the QR code over there in the right column, or you can join the club by clicking the link below.
Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone.
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 16°, so I think the trails are gonna be very good it’s supposed to warm up later today. So if you do go standard winter fat bike etiquette is to lower your tire pressure and if you’re leaving a big rut, abort and wait for cooler temperatures.
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 that the first half going clockwise had a few icy patches, but they were rideable even without studs. The Manistee Non-Motorized Trail Park continues to be solid with no reports of icy patches.
Looks like we are in for quite the warm up with weekend with chances of rain forecast on both Saturday and Sunday. Probably a god idea to get your rides in on Thursday and Friday this week to preserve spring fat biking conditions.
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 are the best I have seen out there. Solid with plenty of grip.
The next four days call for temps below freezing without any significant snowfall, so expect awesome riding conditions this weekend!
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. The trail is very icy and our recommendation is studs required.
The Manistee Non-motorized Trail is similar to the Big M Outer Loop. Rock solid with plenty of grip and no ice whatsoever.
Friday and Saturday look good with temps below freezing, then it looks like we are in for another heat wave on Sunday. Please plan your weekend riding accordingly.
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 days they should be in good shape by Thursday when temps return to below freezing.
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 trails will probably not be rideable, they need time to set up, so it’s best to bail and come back another day.
There was too much snow to pull the roller on the bike trails but I was able to pull a truck tire around behind the sled and then it got pretty cold last night. So the trails should hold up pretty well until Wednesday’s warm up. I would say that the trails should not be ridden Wednesday if it gets up to 4o+ like it’s supposed to. They’ll probably be fine after that.
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 the meantime.
The Big M Beginner Loop was groomed on Friday evening and set up very well. Trail is reported to be hard and fast.
The Manistee Non-motorized Trail park has not been groomed. We’ll be sure to post an update if anyone gets out there to groom or ride and reports back with some trail notes.
**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 should be good for weekend riding.
All Manistee Area trails are in great shape, rock solid with very few slippery spots. There has not been any significant snowfall in over a week now.
The forecast for the rest of the week looks pretty irregular with highs above freezing and a mix of rain and snow as the temps rise and fall for the next three days. Then proper winter conditions will return in time for the weekend.
Please use your best judgment and common sense when deciding to ride the trails this week. The weekend riding has been spectacular this season and we’d like to keep it going! If we get enough snowfall to groom, we’ll be sure to let you know
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 to the back of the pan and hit all those at least once so everybody should have a pretty good time in the school forest tomorrow whether you’re walking biking or skiing.

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 park is also solid with maybe a little slip here and there. There is more grip in areas where there was no tire tread prior to Tuesday’s warm up. Parts of the trail with tracks on them are a bit on the slippery side.
Overall, studded tires will be nice this weekend, but you don’t need them to enjoy the trails.
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 and set up nicely by Thursday evening.
Today is a warm one with temps well above freezing! Luckily it will be short lived. The Big M Beginner Loop has received a pass with the groomer since the weekend, the Big M Outer Loop will be groomed later this evening, and the Manistee Non-motorized Trail Park will also be groomed later this evening.
Please do not use the trails until tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon to allow for enough time for the temps to drop and these grooming efforts to set.
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, and, not to sound like a broken record, but whoever rode this morning, right before me, had 4″ tires and about 7lbs of air, at least 3 too many. What you’re going through on the uphills can NOT be any fun…
You should be able to press down on your tire, and make a fairly significant divot in the tire. If it’s too hard you can’t even press it, let some air out. See below. I started with 4.5 I’m guessing, and let a pound out after the first half mile.
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 made a pass with both the snowdog and the track sled. We are thinking this is going to set up very nicely for weekend riding!
Big M Beginner Loop: Was groomed on Monday after receiving several inches of snow. A few riders rode this trail last night and the base is solid with an inch of fresh on top. It should be in great shape for the weekend.
Manistee Non-motorized Trail Park: This trail was groomed Wednesday morning. We expect it to set up and be in good shape for the weekend!
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 Outer Loop this week to get it in good shape for the weekend. It may take more than one pass to get all of this new snow to set up nicely.
The Manistee Non-motorized Trail was groomed on Sunday before the big dump of snow. Expect a solid base with plenty of fluff on top until the groomers can hit this trail again.
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 gone, all to add more miles to the system. Only wound up on Jebavy Drive ONCE! In any case, this light fluffy snow we’re currently getting shouldn’t impact the base much.
That being said, the first couple of riders down the trail are going to want LOW tire pressure… 3-4 is my guess.
Also, 20 miles an hour is too fast for laying down sweet corduroy.
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 a little less traction in some spots than last weekend, but overall very good. Get out and enjoy the trails this weekend!
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 were somewhat smoothed out by plenty of weekend rider traffic. The Beginner Loop at Big M is rock solid and the Non-motorized trail park set up very nicely as well.
Temperatures were a little on the warm side yesterday, but it looks like we are headed back into below freezing temperatures today and tomorrow. If you head out today, pay attention to the stability of the base and adjust tire pressure accordingly.
There is some snow in the forecast for today and tomorrow. Groomers are on standby to smooth out the trails with any significant fresh snow that we may get. We’ll keep you posted!
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 right around freezing. With temperatures plunging overnight and staying low over the weekend we are hoping for solid riding conditions!
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 boots. There are plenty of trails for everyone in the LSFT so that is awesome. There might even be some opportunity to put in some walking trails in the winter on the north side. A snowshoer went in there and blazed a nice path. I didn’t have time to explore it last night, it might be more of a daytime thing. Looking ahead, if we can get through today I think we have a pretty good stretch of trail ahead of us. Knock on wood.
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 more snow and grooming. Groomers are likely headed out for another tomorrow. We’ll be sure to post an update here.
The Beginner Loop set up more so than the Outer Loop and is in good shape.
The Non-motorized Trail Park was last groomed Friday evening. Trail conditions are similar to the Outer Loop at Big M; on the soft and fragile side. Stay tuned for a grooming report or rider update on this trail.
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 rain. But after noon. It should be good. Major hiker incursion from the church property. I’ll try and get signs out in the morning. I roped the intersection off with Kenda tape.
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 yesterday and is ready for weekend riding as well!
The first groom was reported to be a bit soft, but with additional passes and time to set up we are looking forward to some awesome weekend riding!
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 be headed out to groom the Manistee Non-motorized Trail Park. This is a flat 5-ish mile loop just East of Manistee on M-55 that was established years ago, but has not been groomed in recent years. I am happy to report that due to increased volunteers and equipment we are bringing it back! Trail conditions will be posted here.
Stay tuned for a pre-weekend grooming update!
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 and there. We’ll see how the trails hold up.
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, but the ground didn’t get a chance to freeze prior.
Half of the Outer Loop was groomed starting from the main parking lot and heading out clockwise until Koon road. Groomers will look for an opportunity to get out and complete the loop.
First groom of the year. Hopefully the base sets up nicely and survives the upcoming weekend warm up.
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 inches that we got and keep everyone posted
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 was out at 11:30 so they may dry up by this afternoon, and for sure tomorrow and Sunday. But if you are in Grand Rapids where are you have clay based trails and you can’t ride your trails there or you are up north and there’s still snow on the ground and it’s not rideable the trails are 100% open and the restaurants are 50% open, so come to Ludington everyone
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 repair so it’s better if you abort your ride and hit the gravel road or pave road if that’s the case. But we are very close
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 of the Outer Loop if you head out clockwise.
The Fire Tower Loop remains un-groomed.
The Beginner Loop is similar to the Outer Loop. A combination of nice smooth spots with some bumpy deer track sections.
The temperatures are showing nice overnight lows well below 20 degrees. As long as folks continue to ride when the trail is frozen and not midday when it warms up, we could enjoy these nice Spring fat biking conditions for at least another week or so.
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 spots where deer have walked on the trail, but those sections are relatively short.
The Fire Tower Loop remains un-groomed.
The Beginner Loop is the same as the Outer Loop; hard pack with some deer track bumps here and there.
Looks like we continue to have warm daytime high temperatures for the foreseeable future. Please be considerate and plan to ride the trail in the morning before it warms up or the evening after temps have dropped.
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 until we get an overnight freeze.
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 had hiker and high tire pressure (and skinny tire) issues. I think I’ll give it a go tonight. But please remember at the end of the season there is a time to ride groomed trails, and a time not to. If you’re sinking in more than a half inch or so, try lower pressure, if that fails hit the roads.
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 sections are wider, some are skinnier, all should set up nicely! It was noted that the final track laid right down the middle of the trail will be the best line. All-in-all the Outer Loop and Beginner Loop should be in great shape this week!
The Fire Tower Loop remains un-groomed.
It looks like Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are forecast to have a high temperatures above freezing. Please keep temps in mind when you plan your ride time.
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 time to set up.
We will be sure to update when the groomers are able to get out.
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 out Saturday night and groom again.
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 edges can be somewhat soft (hello inverted balance beam!)
The Fire Tower Loop remains ungroomed.
The Beginner Loop was last groomed on Monday and also set up nicely!
We are currently under a winter weather advisory and Big M is forecast to receive 5 inches of snow in the next 24 hours. We will keep you posted on trail conditions and when the groomers are able to get out.
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 year. Mostly the trail needs traffic. The secret to making good groomed trails great is more riders and more traffic on them. I’ll be heading out at lunch today to repair the outer loop of the north side and then hit all the walking trails quick to smooth them over. It’s 4 degrees right now, but supposed to warm up throughout the day and then a break in weekend temps should do great things for the trail.
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 Fire Tower Loop remains ungroomed.
The Beginner Loop was groomed Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. This trail is nice and smooth after plenty of snow and multiple passes with the groomer, but like the Outer Loop, low pressure is going to make or break your ride
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 fishing sled, but that usually turns out OK. Again low tire pressure will win the day and the more riders the better.
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 this point. I think a couple of rider’s tracks would set up nicely. It is pretty cold though.
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 know in the FB comments if you go and how it is.
I got out at lunch to clean up north side of Bryant from a hiker incursion, and hang up a few more signs to hopefully educate them. And then blasted down all the walking trails as the bike trails were mostly good. And of course now it’s a total white out outside. We’re supposed to get snow all weekend, trails should be good and if we get 2-3 inches I’ll groom everything Saturday night.
If anyone rides this afternoon or tonight, I’d be curious to know how it set up. I would think, at 22 degrees it would set up by 4-5. But there were fresh biking tracks when I was grooming so they may get some soft track on the north side.
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 Loop was groomed on Saturday morning and again this morning.
Very, very cold temperatures mean that the trail is a bit soft, but we are hoping it sets up soon. In the meantime it is a slightly slower rolling winter wonderland out there!
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, so I reinforced the back of the SnowDog sled with a chunk of wood and a sturdy eye bolt and off I went. The previous groom with the ski and comb tray left a nice base, but the sides caved in from all the snow on Thursday night. The roller pretty much makes a clean cut on the snow bank. Can’t wait to ride it tonight.
I don’t see much in the ten-day forecast (knock on wood) that will change the trail much. Come on up and ride, the more traffic the better.
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 Fire Tower Loop is snowed in. We will look to open it back up as soon as we are able, but the top priorities are the Outer loop and Beginner Loop.
The Beginner Loop was groomed this morning and the bumps are gone! Yay! There are plans to groom this loop again tomorrow morning as well.
There is snowfall in the forecast ever day for the next few days. I guess this is what we asked for!
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 pretty good shape after a longer than normal period of inattention, due to me riding other trails, thank you Cadillac and Big M groomers! It’s currently 13 degrees so I’m guessing the trail set up fair, although the snow we got Tuesday was complete junk, granular, dry, awful stuff. BUT, we’ll take what we can get this season. The first few passes today and tonight will probably be a little soft, but after that we should be good to go. And hopefully we get some more snow this weekend to build up the base.
We hate to keep bringing this up… Why are regular MTBs (and runners) discouraged from using the groomed singletrack section of the SFT?
The trail base is very fragile. Fat tires (properly inflated between 3 and 5psi) “squat” upon the firmed up base created by grooming and “float” on that layer. Regular MTB tires, and shoes, break through that layer and ruin the trail for its intended purpose. The volunteers of the Shoreline Cycling Club groom ALL of the trails in the Ludington School Forest, and there are an equal number of ungroomed trails in Memorial Tree Park and Cartier Park where those activities will do no harm.
We are trying to create a regional, recreational resource to enhance winter opportunities and draw visitors to the area. We can’t do that if the trail is a mess from misuse. Apologies for the long rant, grooming is difficult, dangerous and takes us away from our families so we can try and create something. We’re just trying to educate the newer members of the community out there because of the limited indoor activities these days. We welcome you, we just ask that we all try and maintain the trails during this very short window of time that is the fat biking season. Thanks.
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 shape and fast rolling! The Beginner Loop has a similar hard pack surface as described above, but is still quite bumpy.
Looks like we have a chance of snow starting Thursday night and possibly all day Friday. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on how much we get and if/when the groomers head out.
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 Loop and Fire Tower Loop with plenty of grip.
The Beginner Loop has a similar hard pack surface as described above, but is still quite bumpy.
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 in the forecast, but with nice cold temperatures we expect these good trail conditions to hold!
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 first few riders on the WNR or before that will need to run some seriously low tire pressure. Guessing 3.5psi will be the hot ticket.
Fat tires only please. 3.8 or larger.
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 they should set up great for the shoe-based crowd. We’ve done a pretty good job keeping up their trails, and walkers have been very good about staying off the biking trails so I’m happy to report that we should have a stellar weekend of fat biking and walking in Ludington.
The screenshots of the maps below do a pretty good job of showing the difference between the biking and walking trails, as does the map here.
Everyone get your snow dancing boots on for Sunday, that looks like the best chance of any padding to our diminished base for the foreseeable future.
<soapbox>
With all the new folks we’re seeing outdoors, we feel this needs to be repeated.
We respectfully ask that only fat tire bikes with 3.8″ or larger tires ride the singletrack sections in Ludington and at Big M. There are ungroomed trails in many spots around the state and locally if you don’t have this type of bike, but the trails are not built for any other bikes than the fat tires and riding regular mountain bikes and walking on them ruin them for fat tire riders. In Ludington we groom an equal amount of walking and biking trails, and there are an equal number of trails we don’t groom, so they are available for non-fat tire bikes.
Thank you, the groomers.
</soapbox>
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 shape. Per usual it could be a bit bumpy in some spots until we get a proper dumping of snow.
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 now snow covered with very few icy patches.
The Beginner Loop was groomed last night and is in good shape. Per usual it could be a bit bumpy in some spots until we get a proper dumping of snow.
Forecast looks cold with a chance of snow each day for the next few days. The groomers plan to get out later this week and do another pass on the Outer Loop and possibly groom the Fire Tower Loop.
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 but I got a pretty early start and it should set up fine by five or 6 o’clock tonight. I also wanted to go in and Smooth down the walking trails, most of the walkers have been pretty respectful of the groom fat bike trail so I like to keep them happy. There wasn’t much snow, two or 3 inches maybe zero in the heavily forested areas, So riding them early won’t hurt anything and they are or will be in great shape once we get some more snow. Just a plug for the groomers and the Shoreline Cycling Club, if you enjoy the trails and want to throw a little coin our way, join the club, there’s a PayPal link on the front page of our site. Most of the money goes to support the grooming mostly. I break something almost every time I go out. This time only the battery came loose and was floating around by the time I got home, so only a bolt. But before that it was a spark plug and before that it was a staple gun to hang some signs and before that it was a clutch for the last track sled before that it was a track sled before that it was a Rokon, if you get my drift.
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 become a little icy. The forecast calls for consistently cold temperatures over the next few days with a few inches of snow possible. Some fresh snow will help with those thin/icy sections.
The Beginner Loop was groomed on Sunday morning and is in good shape. Per usual, the trail could be a bit bumpy in some places until we get more snow.
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