Closed, for now. Yes it's over, call it a day. Sorry it had to end this way... I am very proud of the volunteer trail crew at Woodlands. They work year round to bring us the best ski conditions that they can when the winter cooperates. Even in a snowy year, about 75% of their annual effort is done after the snow season is over and before it begins again. When the 'closed for the season' sign goes up later this spring, they will be back at it again. Till next we see you on snow. Enjoy!

(David Anderson, Elk River Nordic Ski Club)

Great morning ski at Woodlands! The trails were fast and fun. A few avoidable leaves and twigs and getting soft in sun exposed areas by 10am. Thanks groomers for working your magic and turning 8 inches of snow into a few weeks of fun skiing!

(Laura Peterson)

Gorgeous! Thanks for the extra touch Groom Team. Happy to report a dozen skaters taking advantage before 9am. Few avoidable twigs and leaves this morning. Grab some sun-tan lotion and soak it in!

(Kyle Henning)

This evening, Refuge Guy and Bullseye, made the grooming run with the tandem screens to put a little profile on the outer loop only. We were afraid we would start pulling the thin base off of the paved trails with multiple passes needed to groom everything. Expect a decent Sunday ski of the outer loop if you beat the heat. Given conditions and weather, this will be our last grooming run for the foreseeable future (hopefully not for the season). Expect trail closure soon. Enjoy!

(David Anderson, Elk River Nordic Ski Club)

The most beautiful morning of the winter. Just a few leaves at first but wonderful grooming. I went everywhere a few times and my gosh, I am addicted - sun shining, fast snow.

(Jody Quesnell)

Skated nearly all the trails on the West/South end of the system. My first time here, and was pleasantly surprised...especially once you get past the entry area. While there were plenty of leaves and twig sections in the woods, it was really easy and pleasant getting into a V2/V2-Alternate groove on the RR bed, with plenty of snow well packed. I would call the system "rolled" vs "groomed" in many places, but was still decently fast. This said, given the presence of unpredictable objects, I was glad to have my rock skis...one could use their B skis if they didn't mind them soon turning into rock skis, or were really paying attention. While I skated, I noticed multiple bare spots in the classic tracks, so be forewarned. Representative photos of the range of conditions.

Photos:

(Pieter DeHart)

Gorgeous! Beautiful skate day on the trails. Great conditions, compact, not hard, with light groom on top. Minor debris in spots. Thanks Grooming team!

(Kyle Henning)

Bobber and I (you know we are scratching the bottom of the groomer barrel when I catch a shift) just finished our evening grooming run with the tandem screens. The screens did their job, putting a decent profile on the trail surface. Expect good conditions for your Saturday skate skiing at Woodlands. The trail surface is mostly clean except for a little forest debris and the erosion control woodchips that are working their way to the trail surface on some of the uphill's. B skis recommended just in case. Enjoy it while it lasts.

(David Anderson, Elk River Nordic Ski Club)

I thought it would be excellent and was not disappointed! Great grooming! 99%+ coverage - only a couple of bare spots. Some debris on the trails as you would expect - mostly leaves, a few sticks/bark. I could have used my good skis. These are my favorite trails in the Metro!

(Doug McDonald)

Chainsaw just reported in that he and DPR had just finished their evening run with the light screens for our Sunday skiing pleasure. The Engineer is out now working to lay down some light duty tracks for the MYSL group. Enjoy!

(David Anderson, Elk River Nordic Ski Club)