Skied Lake Elmo from noon to 1pm today. Skied on my classic skis on green to brown to pink to green to yellow and back to the trailhead, approx. 3.5 mi. The tracks were still in place, not sure if grooming was done this morning. A bit icy in spots and when you hit the sunny areas the snow was starting to soften. Beautiful day, with the south breeze blowing almost felt like an early spring day. The skate deck still looked firm, and observing the skate skiers passing me by they looked to be moving along just fine.

Photos:

(Harlan Jones)

Somebody give that snowman a cowbell!! He's cheering skiers on at the top of those couple little hills on the Prairie Loop. Great conditions here this morning. Mostly firm, deep, fast tracks and skate deck had nice loose snow on it and some corduroy that hadn't been skied over yet. Sure a couple track sections washed out and a few leaves, but who cares! It was wonderful! Only thing I wish the especially nice groomer would do is continue the track on the uphills and downhills. Lake Elmo's trails are so nice for kicking the hills if there's tracks and riding the downhills in the tracks. So fun! Thank you especially nice groomer!

Photos:

(Carol Fitzgerald)

My first night ski under the lights this season, and it was stellar. Skate deck was fast and firm, but not icy. I'm a new skater, so getting used to it, and I crashed only one time. Conditions were excellent, and the classic tracks looked good and clean, hardly any leaf debris.

(Glenn Hansen)

Freakin fast. It was my fastest skate of the season! Despite 4:36 PM start, I was able to finish the 4.8 mile, Figure 8 loop formed by Hills, Browns Pond, Hills (again), Prairie, Savanna and Hills (again) in less than 40 minutes, just after dusk. Firmly packed with lots of corduroy. My narrow Fischers, which previously challenged my balance/smoothness, tracked perfectly allowing me to skate rather than snowplow the faster turns. It was about 20 degrees and overcast. I used FastWax Blue LF. Kudos to the groomers.

(Keith Carlson)

After seeing a groomer's report on SkinnySki this morning, I brushed out and waxed my skis, heading out to Lake Elmo this afternoon. I stuck to the Savannah, North, and Prairie loops to give my old legs a break after taking on the Battle Creek hills yesterday. By the time I got to Lake Elmo, the trails weren't pristine any more, just very good. The skate deck was solid with a good corduroy top (somewhat skated out in places), and the diagonal tracks ran fairly fast, as far as using them to run down some of the hills. I found the deck to provide good push, good glide, and good control uphill, downhill, and on the flats. All in all, a wonderful ski this afternoon.

(David Sonnenberg)

Started about 1 p.m. the track was mostly really good, hard and full depth. Just a couple of places where it was partially filled in from wind blown snow. Unfortunately, oak leaves and Amur maple seed is beginning to accumulate, which is disruptive to striding. For my tastes, in several places I wish the track had been pulled further up the climbs to provide for more striding. Skate deck looked really good.

(Stan Hokanson)

The groomer went out and repacked the trails on the East and the West side this morning and the tracks set on the east side yesterday have set nicely with the colder temperature. Things are in pretty good condition overall!

(Jen Garcia, Washington County Parks)

Conditions were fantastic. A bit chilly from the wind but skate deck was phenomenal. Surprised there wasn't any ice anywhere. Can't beat the lights at Lake Elmo at night. Get out there!

(Peter Johnson)

Skied all outer loops. Skate deck appeared to have been groomed this morning. Plenty of snow. Firm and fast but smooth and not at all icy. Overall, great conditions - thanks groomers!

(Jess Holle)

Did a classic ski at Lake Elmo this afternoon, approx. 2-3pm. Started on the green trail, turned off on Brown's Pond, and then turned right onto the mile long Flats section. Tracks to that point were decent, a bit icy here and there, but on the Flats section with the wind blowing a little some of the tracks were filled with some drifting snow, but not a real problem skiing. Went through the woods on the green trail and turned onto the yellow prairie trail. I finished with a loop around the savanna trail. Nice and quiet on the trails, the skate deck looked to be in good shape, downhill sections were not icy so skiing downhill not a problem. Nice afternoon of skiing.

Photos:

(Harlan Jones)