The Pipe
- 2.5 mi
- round trip
- 493 ft
- climb
- 1,189 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr, Jun–Oct
- best months
Caution today
Weather is marginal · OpenWeather · checked 7 h ago
The Pipe is a cross-country ski route in Minnesota, about 2.6 miles from the town of Simpson. It is a short out-and-back, roughly 5 miles long, with a high point of 1,189 feet and a low of 1,102 feet. The climb is rated hard, and the steepest stretch comes early, at about 0.3 miles in, with a grade of 6 percent. Winter is the natural season for this route. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Rochester show January highs around 23°F with lows near 7°F, while February runs a little milder, with highs around 27°F. The station sits about 115 feet higher than the route's high point, so temperatures on the trail may run slightly warmer. The Pipe sits close to other ski routes. Meander is just 0.1 mile away, and Hammer Trail is 0.4 mile off. Willow Creek Reservoir Loop, a hike about 2.2 miles away, and Bear Creek, a canoeing spot about 4.6 miles away, round out the options nearby.
Best time to go · Apr, Jun–Oct
Best time to visit The Pipe
Best months: April and June–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
23° / 7°
9 wet
Feb
27° / 11°
8 wet
Mar
40° / 23°
10 wet
Apr
55° / 35°
12 wet
May
68° / 47°
13 wet
Jun
78° / 58°
12 wet
Jul
80° / 61°
11 wet
Aug
78° / 58°
10 wet
Sep
72° / 50°
9 wet
Oct
58° / 38°
9 wet
Nov
42° / 26°
9 wet
Dec
28° / 14°
10 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Rochester Intl Ap, MN, 4.2 mi away at 1,304 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
