Lack of snow closes trails

The lack of snow through early January disappointed cross-country skiers throughout the upper Midwest. In the Twin Cities area, the disheartened include Washington County's Parks workers who, this fall, finished construction of 5.4 miles of lighted ski trails at Lake Elmo Regional Park Reserve - believed to be the longest lighted ski trails in Minnesota.

Hikers rather than skiers have enjoyed the low-impact lights at the park during the mild winter weather, reported MinnPost.com.

Most of the Three Rivers Park District's parks and trails in the Twin Cities area have been closed to skiing, snowboarding, tubing, snowshoeing and skijoring for lack of snow. Skiing and snowshoeing lessons have also been cancelled. Wisconsin state parks have had to postpone or alter scheduled moonlight and luminary skiing and snowshoeing events.

Snow-making equipment has allowed operation of the Hyland Hills ski and snowboard area in Bloomington and the Elm Creek Park winter recreation area in Maple Grove. Elm Creek Park has a 2.5K lighted ski trail, and Hyland Hills allows cross-country skiing from 7 to 10 a.m. on weekdays and 7 to 9 a.m. on weekends.

At Lapham Peak in Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine State Park - Southern Unit, skiers have made due with a track of man-made snow less than a mile long.