Skied Green and Blue Trails today down to falls for a few laps. Trails are good in some areas and poor in others. Definitely do not bring any skis you don't want scratched up. Twigs, leaves, pine debris are quite common on all trails but overall the conditions are as good as can be expected with the small amount of snow. It would be better if the people hiking and walking their dogs could read and follow the signs saying "Skiers only" as there wasn't a single stretch I encountered without boot marks all over the place. Theres barely enough snow to ski on as it is and I saw many deep heel marks exposing the ground on the trail.

(Ben Harris)

The ski trails at Willow are now closed to everyone except skiers. The trails have been rolled and some leveled a bit with the groomer. The base is quite thin but generally OK skiing if you are careful. Lots of sticks and leaves poking through along with occasional gravel. Skiers report Red trail is in better condition than others due to its grassy base. Not enough base to set track.

(Dave Thofern)

I skated most of the park today (all but the pink trail) and was pretty happy with the conditions. Skate deck was bumpy, but for the most part completely covered and firm. There were a few spots with rocks sticking through (mostly on the big climbs). Personally, I would still use rock skis for that reason. Not enough snow for classic tracks yet. Thanks to the groomers!

(John Oman)

A qualifier first, trails are open but skiing only signs are not visible. They just need to be turned around which should happen soon. Rock skis recommended. No track. I classic skied the Purple just to the bench and out. Some gravel is exposed on the hill entry from the road. You might want to walk that. Other areas showed gravel. I drove up to the 300 camp and skied in from the entrance. No issues there. I turned right and out to the Blue Trail. Good so far. I kind of pooched it on the Blue downhill turn until I could see the main hill, then cut it loose. There is some dark material which I avoided. A friend came the wrong way with another skier so the three of us, all on classic gear, went back up into the 300. The 300 is decent, even under the pines. I did not see a skate mark that went through the base anywhere I skied. Okay, there are not many skiing or hiking marks at all out there. It was a cold trip with the car thermometer showing -5 degrees. I may be out later this week in daylight for some learning with the cabbed Gator and the roller. The 300 camp road is such a good learning or repeats area for skiing because it holds snow well. I might roll it out full width.

(Jeff Bolte)

All trails have now been rolled. The snow is thin but the trails are covered. It is currently not possible to set track.

(Rita Thofern)

I had time to roll the Red (both loops) and Orange trails. They both got multiple passes due to operator error. I forgot to put the comb down... No track. There are a lot of grass stick ups and some twigs around. I saw very little evidence of hiking. I chose to not cross the road to roll the Yellow so this rolling is somewhat out of sight; the hidden in plain view thing. Both trails have the typical early season variations from flat to lumpy. Both trails carry a blue difficulty rating; not the place to start learning. Rock skis or B skis suggested since it is turf beneath the snow. The down tree is easy to get around. No further rolling is planned. Trails are still "closed." Ski whatever direction works for you. Access from the Group Camp or the Gravel lot near the office. I will classic ski it tomorrow and report.

(Jeff Bolte)

Discussion among the groomers centered on rolling the turf trails only. Concern on the gravel trails is churning up gravel with the tow vehicle. I threw some golf ball size rocks off the Blue outbound hill on a walk this morning. Turf limits the choices to the Red, Orange, and parts of the Yellow. This does not line up into a circle route without skiing over covered gravel. Red and Orange are not heavily used hiking routes in snow season. I know there is a tree down on the Orange which will take some time to clear. I should hit the trail with the roller around 2:00pm.

(Jeff Bolte)

300 Campground Loop. Enough snow to cover the pavement. Walkers and a few skiers have been through the camp. Found enough snow and a few classic tracks to make the loop enjoyable. Really hoping for a decent snowfall.

Photos:

(Ginny Ballantine)

Skated the purple and (Green?) campground loops to the waterfall. Nothing was groomed but it was "Goldilocks skiing". The ungroomed base was thick enough to cover most all the dirt/rocks (I only felt one rock) but not too thick (ungroomed) so you could skate with catching your tips in the snow. About 9 degrees out so not terrible! If these trails were groomed (i.e., rolled/packed) the skating deck would be fabulous! The extra 1" or so of new snow really added that extra layer needed. I used rock skis but could have used B skis. Let's hope the rollers get out asap to protect and form the base! If so the skating would be great and would last with no melting! Might be a little light to set tracks. Go groomers!

(John Widdifield)

Since the last snowfall was a direct miss, I walked the 300 camp road with an eye towards another buckthorn cut soon. Random pocket knife pokes into the vehicle packed snow revealed a solid, but shallow base of one inch or less. The hard pack appears to be well bonded to the asphalt. Some footprints have burned through to asphalt. There is more fluff outside the hardpack. If you wanted to call the walked areas a soft pack, that also appears well bonded. If you are just looking for some laps, and not a trip to the Falls, the 300 entrance and road will support skiing at an easy touring pace. Bring the rock skis, classic or skate, go easy, and avoid the burn throughs. Pole baskets will not be much help. Sharpen the tips or bring the roller ski poles. No other trails checked. Less than one week left on the 2017 annual sticker.

(Jeff Bolte)