“It’s back!” read a recent Facebook post from Mueller State Park.

“It,” meaning corduroy.

The Teller County park is once again using UTVs to drag tracks and groom three trails well-suited for the cross-country skier: Black Bear Trail and others around the Grouse Mountain and Conifer Ridge campgrounds. Another trail recently joined that usual groomed list: Homestead Trail.

Rangers have spent the early season “really just trying to set a base,” said Brian Kerrigan, park manager. The goal is to “groom within a day of snowfall, but air temperature can also cause melting,” he said, “so the prime times for skiing will be within a day or two of a snowstorm.”

The skiing at Mueller State Park goes beyond the groomers. When snow builds, enthusiasts venture elsewhere across the 50-plus miles of trail weaving the scenic forests and meadows above 9,500 feet. Those enthusiasts have come to expect a workout; almost every trail trends up and down.

The groomed trails have been popular the past few years, Kerrigan said. “It’s not unheard of to see the trailhead parking lot to Grouse Mountain and Black Bear trails completely full of skiers within a day or two after a snowstorm, especially during a weekend.”

The popularity is perhaps no wonder. In terms of groomed tracks around the Pikes Peak region, Kerrigan could only think of the Woodmoor Nordic Center by Monument.

“Keep in mind that we are not trying to be a ski resort or Nordic center at Mueller, the climate and snow conditions will not allow that,” Kerrigan said. “But we will provide this recreational opportunity as conditions allow.”

For conditions, he suggested checking the park’s Facebook page or calling the visitor center: 719-687-2366.