Decent skating tonight on a firm deck. A little rutted but all-in-all really nice to get out close to home. Usual route a bit cutoff by the 8th and 9th holes due to tree trimming, but still well worth trip if you're looking for a quick ski without the drive. Thank you groomers for doing a nice job with one snowfall and limited equipment. Get it while you can.

Photos:

(Ken Quant)

My wife (classic) and I (skate) skied Brown Deer ("BD") at night. Good to very good conditions for BD. I used my good skis. The "main" loop is in good shape. To the extent the groomers can roll it to harden it up and smooth it out some more, that would be helpful. There are a few low hanging branches too, that you need to watch out for (especially if skiing at night), and it would be helpful if those could be trimmed back. There are two places off of the "main" loop that need more rolling and widening. Those are the "hill loop" (located in the SE corner of the golf course), and the "home stretch" loop (on the far west side of the course). You are better off skipping those two areas, until the groomers run over them several more times. But really, very good conditions for BD. So good that someone might want to announce a "race night," or race event, like we did a few years back (followed by some beer). But if you want to ski BD, don't delay, because the snow is not that deep. Thanks to the groomers for all their hard work.

(Sandie Pendleton)

Fresh corduroy on the skate deck. It does get a bit thin in some places, so B or good skis is debatable. No tracks set on the golf course, as I'm sure the base is a bit thin.

(Mark Ehlers)

Excellent conditions. Widen. Cut the logging area off. Loop on golf course is now about 4 km. No track set on golf course. That is only on north side through woods. Great job by park staff groomers. This is as good as it gets in this park.

(David Anderson)

Full coverage! That said, was probably skied while the deck was still soft, so the grooves are deep. Some areas were almost entirely windblown. Track seems to be skied in rather than groomed. Still a fun, if slow, classic ski, but I was glad I didn't try to skate it. Photos are from one of the better parts. Very happy to be able to ski close to home, thank you park staff!

Photos:

(Sara Knutson)

Park was rolled and groomed on Sunday. A couple of passes were made and a track was set on golf course and on north side thru the woods Skate deck drifted and soft. Spoke to park employee and encouraged additional / daily grooming. Poles punch through to pavement but no danger to skis. 5 KM loop.

(David Anderson)

Skate deck was groomed, but looked a little soft. Skied the classic loop. Tracks were blown in, but skiable. North wind was brutal. Green Six wax on entire ski worked fine.

(John Kaminsky)