This week is all about snow! We are coming off a banner week in that category; a heavy snow Monday topped off with a few more inches Wednesday. Reports vary but snowfall totals topped 10 inches across most of the area and all that has, at long last, set the stage for some exceptional conditions as we reach the halfway point in January.

What could be better? Well, maybe some mild temperatures for the weekend and that looks to be the case as forecast highs in the 20s will make outdoor activities far more bearable than a week ago when subzero nights locked things down.

All of which is to say that this weekend and the upcoming week are set to deliver some of the best conditions for outdoor sports that we’ve seen in some time.

Where to start? How about XC skiing. Bottom line is that all area trails should be in excellent condition this weekend. The heavy snow always brings some issues for trail groomers; it requires a lot of time to pack it down. The trails should be packed firm and new classic track set along with the skate lanes for the weekend.

We are fortunate to have over half a dozen ski trails within 15 miles of town and all of them should be in prime shape this weekend. There are times when one or two trails stand out but the reports coming in are that all area ski trails are in very good condition coming into the weekend.

The same should be true with snowmobile trails. The sketchy snow of a week ago has been topped off with the big snowfall of Monday. All trails in the region should be in very good to excellent shape this weekend. The big grooming machines have been packing and grooming the miles of trail in the area and we expect some very good riding this weekend in the good snow and moderate temperatures.

All riders need to stay on marked trails, especially on any lake crossings.

So, going into this weekend anyone who enjoys outdoor snow-related sports should be in their glory! Skiing and snowmobiling, snowshoeing and fat bike riding; pick your sport, this weekend will be a good one.

The Outdoor Report is prepared by the staff of Mel’s Trading Post, downtown Rhinelander, where a variety of outdoor products is available.