Most loops are groomed with tracks set; except for parts of Oak and Sally's Classic. I was classic skiing in well-set tracks, with good base for pole plants. The freestyle skiers found a softer base -- but still very skiable freestyle conditions. Groomer snowmobile has driven trail edges to firm them up for better pole plants.

(Chuck Olson)

JT and I cleared and rolled River Trail today. We also groomed and tracked Maple, North Loop, Balsam, Spruce, Aspen, River, Easy Entry and Return and Difficult Return. Expect a deep track, occasional heavy pine needles and sticks, some face slapping brush and a soft deck in places.

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(Jon Jurek)

We were able to clear most of the bigger limbs and sticks from the recent storm on Maple, North Loop, Balsam, Aspen, Easy Entry, Easy Return and Difficult Return. Currently about 6-7K of trail has been rolled and cleared. It's very slow progress since there is a lot of debris and a lot of heavy snow to deal. Any volunteer effort would be grateful.

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(Jon Jurek)

Decent early-season skate-ski conditions. Relatively thin and uneven base, but pretty much full coverage. B skis most appropriate, good skis OK with caution. No grooming since the light snowfall over the weekend. No classic tracks have been set this year, but folks have skied-in the classic-only trails. The warming/changing building is fantastic.

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(Todd Campbell)

It was low 30s when we started and stayed that way into the early afternoon which made for pleasant conditions for a long, easy ski and we skied almost all the loops. The snow was soft, wet, and relatively slow but it didn't feel like it was actively putting the brakes on so you could still get some glide. There were some places deep in the woods with grass coming through but 99.9% coverage.

(Jonathan Nyhus)

I skated the 18k race route this afternoon. Expect some thin areas under the pine trees but most of the trail has good coverage with a 1-3" base. The classic trail had some decent skied-in tracks.

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(Jon Jurek)

The trails set up great last night and the skiing was some of the best I have seen in 10 months. I rated this B skis, but I think you really could use your good skis. The conditions are that good. There are some bare spots but by bare I mean you can see some weeds sticking up and with the new wide cleared trails, you can easily ski around it. The trails are about 2x as wide as they were last year and similar to what I remember about 7 years ago, maybe even wider. I encountered very few sticks (thank you to all who help keep this trail clean!). The snow was fast today and fun. I think we are in for a good year at After Hours as we have a strong base. The trail is long. I stopped in today and the parking lot was full, but with 25K of groomed trails, I didn't see a single soul. I was able to take many moments and enjoy the Oak Trail, the Maple Trail, the Red Pine Trail and the Spruce Trail. The fun thing about After Hours is that with its elevation changes you really do get to see the change in trees and vegetation. After Hours does boast one the largest hill climbs in Wisconsin as you traverse from the River Trail to 6 Corners. It is a fun and challenging hill climb for sure! The views of the Brule River are stunning. This is going to be a wonderful year for the After Hours trail.

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(Jonathan Thralow)

Skied a longish outer loop at After Hours. For most of our ski we were skating through about 2 inches of powder over a groomed or at least rolled base, but towards the end we met the groomer! Definitely some soft spots in the fresh corduroy but hopefully chilly temps will help the snow set up. Some debris - we tried to remove any sticks or rocks the groomer picked up once we were behind it, so best recommendation is B skis though nearly everything is avoidable. No tracks set yet.

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(Ketzel Levens)

The WiDNR had groomed the 2" of recent snow on all the trails today except the Classic only trail. No tracks yet but the skate deck has set up well. Expect a few soft spots. The classic trail had a decent track skied into the new snow.

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(Jon Jurek)

I finished rolling River, Little Joe, Loop, Red Pine and Nebagamon Creek trails today. I also combed the 1-2" of new snow from last night on the previously rolled trails. All trails are now rolled and combed including the Classic trail. I also skated about 20k and the trails are starting to firm up nicely. No tracks yet. Expect a wave deck with soft spots.

Photos:

(Jon Jurek)