Only three cross country trails in Michigan will be groomed this season

[Skunk]

State officials: Only three cross country trails in Michigan will be groomed this season

By Howard Meyerson, The Grand Rapids Press, found at Mlive.com

December 11, 2009

The snow is falling and the holidays are just around the corner, but don’t look for groomed cross country trails in Michigan state forests this season -- at least not many.

State officials say tough financial times put the kibosh on grooming all but three for the upcoming season.

Big trail complexes such as the VASA Pathway in Grand Traverse County, Blueberry Ridge in Marquette County and Ogemaw Hills in Ogemaw County will continue to be groomed.

Parking lots will be plowed at those sites and at the other 20 historically groomed trails.

The agency groomed 23 ski trails during the 2008/2009 ski season. Twelve were located in the Lower Peninsula. Eleven were spread across the Upper Peninsula. The trails run from 6.6 to 30 miles long.

“We had a $100,000 General Fund budget cut and the trails are a non-revenue producer,” said Michigan Department of Natural Resources trail coordinator, Jim Radabaugh. “The General Fund money we do have is better used for the state forest campground program which is a fee based program.”

Radabaugh said volunteer groups may help the department with some grooming. The agency plans to announce the specifics next week. In all there are 41 state forest pathways that skiers and snowshoers can enjoy.

Groomed or not, they are all marked and open to the public. Ungroomed trails require skiers and snowshoers to break their own trail.

“All the trails traditionally groomed by the department are open. They just won’t be groomed,” Radabaugh said

No further campground closures are expected in 2010, according to Radabaugh. Twelve state forest campgrounds were closed in 2009 and will remain closed through 2010. That may change in 2011.

E-mail Howard Meyerson at hmeyerson@grpress.com

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2009/12/state_officials_only_three_cro.html

[Lloyd Smale]

saw a bunch of dem dar cross (censored word) skeers. It got me confused at furst. I couldnt figure what da hall had happened to da rest of der snowmachines. Thought thed all been in a big reck.  I figured dey were useing da poles to poke in da snow for some of der parts. Den they told me they did this for fun! One had da back pack on. I figured he was da one who carried the strohs and da blackberry brandy.

[Skunk]

  Ya, dat da trut der, ey Lloyd. I take it you and the wife won't be doing any cross country skiing this winter.

[varmintman]

Hey Lloyd, you drink Strohs? I do and there aren't to many of us around it seems. Getting hard to find too. Dan

[Lloyd Smale]

to be honest i dont drink much beer anymore and when i do its usually the cheapest stuff on sale that week. As to skiing only sking i do is when theres a snowmobile on top of them.