Skate skied the whole trail system this morning, and it was even better than when I submitted my last report 2 weeks ago. B-Skis to be sure. I was impressed at the consistently hard base and the flatness across the entire width of the trail. Big shout out to the groomers, who have done amazing things with little to work with...even a decent effort at setting classical tracks. For natural snow trails, this is the best game in town.

(William Sikorski)

Complete coverage but thin in the usual trouble spots. I skied all the trails except the 3 black diamond loops. The classic tracks were non-existent and there was evidence of moderate foot traffic. All in all it was an enjoyable outing and a nice to be on natural snow.

(Bob Bickford)

Although the snow surface was bumpy and uneven, I was surprised to find good coverage and some fast conditions for the majority of the entire ski course. Some type of tractor left deep tread marks in the trail which mostly affected the Hardwoods, Savanna, and Prairie overlook trails; this was unfortunate because, otherwise, they would have been pretty decent. Although there was decent coverage on all of the fast descents, these tread marks made them a bit treacherous in spots so I would advise staying off these sections if you are lacking downhill proficiency. I encountered some debris and dirt, but it was always avoidable. I was happy to see the park staff had put up some signs and the trail entrance to keep walkers off, but I still had to point this out to a couple hoofing it on boots with their dog. Overall, I was happy to ski the entire course - something I didn't expect to accomplish on this cold and low snow day.

(Michael Jorgensen)

Generally good coverage, with a few places thin; exposing sticks/rocks, etc. mainly on hills and in denser woods sections. Skied the main loop as well as the Prairie Overlook and Wedge Hill. Nice to get off the man made stuff.

(John Leaf)

Skate skied the full Wm O'Brien trail set. Pleasantly surprised at the quality. The main inner loop was hard, uniform, and fast even at <0 temperatures. B-Skis fine for that main loop except for the descent after crossing the tracks on the way back, but wasn't difficult to navigate around the exposed gravel. For the three "bonus" loops off the main circuit, the surface was a little more uneven, but still with ample snow coverage (didn't see any additional scratches in my skis at the end). All in all, a great alternative to the man-made snow hamster wheels on the west side of the cities.

(William Sikorski)

Skied O'Brien this afternoon and was happy I did. The trails were groomed/no classic tracks. There was a light snowfall the entire time I was there. I classic skied all the trails West of the railroad tracks. The only place I saw some rocks was the hill going down to the wetland (lower) section of the park, and a short uphill as you start South America. If you stay to the left off the road surface on the way down to the wetland (after crossing railroad tracks) you stay in powder. I used my B skis and did not get any new scratches. Some dirt/tree debris under the pines as usual. Just stay alert.

(Ray Johnston)

We brought our fish scale classic skis to bomb around in and see what the conditions looked like. The trails were groomed today. All of them. Rock ski conditions, but most of the trail is fully covered. There are no tracks set. We went around the perimeter skipping the outer hilly loops: duckhead, farm loop and South America. They were groomed too and I'm thinking about skating them this weekend. If you have been skiing at Lake Elmo or Jackson Meadow, expect similar conditions. Well worth your time if you own skis that won't break your heart if you catch a few dings.

(Paul Schaaf)

About 7 K have been rolled and groomed for skating. I classic skied with no track. Skating looked pretty good on the flats, with some care needed on the hills. The hill beyond the RR tracks is full of rocks and is best walked, but all in all it was very skiable.

(Jim Smith)

All trails are open but not all trails have been skied on. I took out the no-wax River Pigs to see how WOB was and it was not too bad. I just skied the flats. Nobody had gone up on the hilly sections- not quite enough snow. But the skiing was pretty good. I portaged the Railroad hill as it looked to have some buzzworms just under the surface.

(Dan Murphy)

Trails are not really open for skiing yet but the park does not mind if you are out there. It was a pretty good rock skiing on the flats and in open areas. Anything in the woods and with hills was rocky. Icy base with an inch or two of powder on top. Blue wax day, nice kick and glide. Tried to ski the center berm with grass underneath when it got thin. Fun day. Do not use any kind of good ski. No grooming yet - a classic old school rock ski day.

Photos:

(Jim Smith)