How Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area Groomed Its Trails

Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area groomed its trails with a Ginzu from West Yellowstone Track Systems, setting tracks for both classic and skate skiing when there was enough snow or when the snow was not too icy. If more than a few inches of new snow fell, the crew packed the trail first before finishing it. That grooming routine belonged to the area's original operators, Geoff and Ellen Miller Goins, who have announced that the Enchanted Forest will not open for the 2026-27 season.

The grooming method, step by step

The area's own trail-care notes describe a two-stage process that depended on what the weather had just done to the snowpack.

1. Check snow depth and surface. Grooming only made sense with adequate snow coverage and a surface that was not locked up in ice.
2. Set classic and skate lanes together. Using a Ginzu groomer from West Yellowstone Track Systems, the crew would set both a classic track and a skate lane in the same pass when conditions allowed.
3. Pack first after a heavy snowfall. If more than a few inches of snow had fallen, the crew packed the trail before setting the final track, rather than trying to groom it in one pass.

The Ginzu is a pull-behind grooming implement, so the sequence matters: packing fresh, deep snow first keeps the tiller and track-setter from cutting through to bare ground or leaving a soft, uneven surface.

What the grooming notes tell you about snow conditions

The grooming description doubles as a short lesson in when cross-country skiing works at all. Two conditions had to line up:

• Enough snow. Without sufficient base, there was nothing to set a track into.
• Snow that is not too icy. Ice resists grooming and produces a hard, unforgiving surface, so the crew treated icy conditions as a reason to hold back.

Deep new snow was not a blocker, but it changed the order of work: pack, then finish. That is why a trail can look freshly groomed and still feel soft right after a storm.

Why this matters for the 2026-27 season

The grooming details describe how the Enchanted Forest operated in past seasons, not a current service. In the operators' own announcement, Geoff and Ellen Miller Goins wrote that the ski area will not open for 2026-27 and that they will not be operating it this winter. The 600-acre area sits in the Carson National Forest above Red River, New Mexico, and remains for sale, with the operators saying there is hope a new owner could reopen it, possibly even this year.

So if you are planning a winter trip around Enchanted Forest, the practical takeaway is:

• Do not count on groomed trails there for 2026-27. The area is closed for the season under its longtime operators.
• Watch for a sale or reopening announcement if you want to ski those trails again under new ownership.
• Treat the Ginzu grooming routine as historical practice. A future operator could groom differently, or not at all.

Quick reference

For anyone who skied there, the grooming notes explain why some days felt fast and others soft: it came down to how much snow had fallen and whether the surface had turned to ice before the Ginzu went out.