The Pipe
- 0.2 mi
- round trip
- 50 ft
- climb
- 1,187 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr, Jun–Oct
- best months
The Pipe is a short, out-and-back cross-country ski route in Minnesota, about 2.6 miles from the town of Golden Hill. The climb is front-loaded, with the steepest stretch at about 0.06 miles from the start, and the route rises about 50 feet from its low point of 1,121 feet to a high of 1,187 feet before returning to the same level. The total round-trip distance is about 0.46 miles. Winter is the natural season for this ski 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 warmer at about 27°F. The station sits roughly 117 feet higher than the route, so temperatures on the trail may run slightly warmer. Meander, a cross-country ski route, lies about 0.3 miles away, and Hammer Trail is about 0.6 miles off. For a change of pace, the Willow Creek Reservoir Loop hike is about 2.1 miles away, and Chester Woods County Park Campground is about 7.3 miles away.
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, 4.1 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
