I went and did the lake loop after school and it was beautiful. The new snow did wonders to this trail. There were no leaves or sticks to be seen and the tracks looked super nice. The skate deck was super fresh and needed some time to set up so it was a little slow, but I didn't mind as it was so great to be out in the woods again. There was some drifting on the left side of the trail so I stayed on the right side to avoid deeper snow. The trail has seen some traffic but it was truly minimal. Northern lights was more beat up as normal but still easily skiable. The man made loop was a little icy and I personally preferred skiing the lake loop. I saw a total of 3 skiers out at 3:30pm.

Photos:

(Elizabeth Loper)

My dad and I went out for a presidents day ski. We stuck to the man made loop as NL and the outer loop were very icy after yesterday's warm weather. Today's snow was interesting. They had groomed it and pulled up snow so that it wasn't hard and icy. Most spots had a good layer of snow on top. This was more than enough to get an edge on flats and uphills. There were spots (bunny hill) where the snow was deeper than what I am used to at Elm. The downhill into the valley, outer doughnut, and the doughnut were slick and icy. On these downhills there were some groves that skis could get stuck in. Also beware that there were ice chunks in the snow. All that being said it was fast snow and I really enjoyed not being on ice or having to avoid bare ground.

(Elizabeth Loper)

Started at the playground and skied into Valley starting at 12. Skied outer loop on classic and did two extra Northern Lights while debris gathered on trails. Conditions were very good for classic on Nature and Monarch before 1 pm but deteriorating with debris on Lake and Northern Lights between 1 and 1:45 pm. Thanks to the groomers for their work. The classic track was great on the naturals and the corduroy is still working due to the grooming.

(Emil Pedersen)

Elm Creek revisited with classic skis. I skied Creek, Eagle, Monarch, all of Northern Lights, Lake, and parts of Valley. The snow gods have been kind to Elm Creek. There has been just enough snow for quality skiing. I also must compliment the groomers for keeping the natural snow trails in good condition. I used a blue Start kick wax with moderate success. I found in the hills I got better kick in the skating lane. It seems there is a glaze in the track, so I should have gone to a bit more aggressive kick wax. It would be interesting to know if waxless would grip the icy sections any better? The track has a few spots where soil is poking thru. Those were only on the combined trails. On Eagle and Monarch trails a person could use their best skis without regret. The one dicey area is the long bridge. Since it gets melting from top and bottom it is icy. There are oak leaves in the track so be prepared to have them stick to your kick wax. Also with so many parking options with good access to the trails without having to deal with the congestion around Chalet.

Photos:

(Craig Schulz)

Skating would have been great this morning, but I'm glad I opted to stride. First, note that while I rate conditions as good and safe for your good skis, there are a couple of spots to be aware of. The footbridge leading out to the Lake trail is icy, under a thin layer of snow, and the bridge leading back to the wading pond is thinly covered. Also, there are some easily avoided dirty snow spots just before the start of Eagle Trail. With that said, the classic tracks are good all over the park, with the usual accumulation of debris and footprints near the Nature Center. All classic tracks were regroomed a couple of days ago, and have good snow at the bottom. As usual, the tracks on the snow-making loop are just good fun - good kick and good glide. So, it's not perfect, but you can't ask for much more in a winter of limited snow.

(Ken Tobacman)

Classic skied the Lake Trail. Tracks were good, although with occasional leaves and bits of dirty snow.

(John Kruse)

Again a wonderful day of skiing. Skied all the freestyle trails. I was impressed with the coverage. The only area that is a bit icy was the long bridge. The conditions on the Northern Lights were the best, mostly because the conditions were great and, unlike the Valley Trail, you were protected from the wind.

Photos:

(Craig Schulz)

I went out and did the lake loop today and the conditions were technically difficult. The trails were very smooth and icy in spots making it more difficult to get an edge. You could tell there was corduroy so not impossible to get an edge but it was more work. The two wooden bridge decks were straight icy which made it very hard to control where you were going or speed. The big downhill on the backside as you make the right hand turn around the lake was very icy. With today's cold temps I felt with cold snow with limited glide. When I got to Northern Lights the conditions were so much better and there was more snow. There is still come washboard on the right side of the skate deck but it's not as bad as it was. The section of the man-made loop that I did was in great condition. The only spot where I had trouble was from under the bridge to ski school. That section has hardened up but also contained some icy patches to be aware of. The other thing that I noticed on the man-made loop was that the inside corners were much smoother than the outside of the skate deck. The attached photo is from where NL and the Lake trail meet at the top of that little hill.

Photos:

(Elizabeth Loper)

The trails are holding up pretty well here, and last night's dusting was really nice. Machine made snow is superb as always. The natural areas were mostly good, with only a few very tiny sections that were icy. It's worth heading out today. Bridge sections on the natural are where one really needs to be patient with ice. If you love skiing, you'll have fun! If you only like skiing, you'll have fun too. Good skis are good if your not afraid for them, otherwise B plus skis.

(Mike Schowalter)

I skated the natural snow outer loop early this afternoon. The front lots were chock full of cars, and many skiers and young MYSL participants were out in spite of the single digit temps. Overall, the trails were in good shape -- a very firm skate deck bordering on hard pan in a few spots, but the groomer had largely been able to till the upper surface into very workable and surprisingly fast snow. Classic tracks looked good although shallow in some areas and holding debris here and there. A few exceptions should be noted for caution. I skated onto the long wooden bridge leading out beyond the manmade loop and hit a virtual skating rink. Literally no control for a few moments until my speed reduced. The snow leading to the bridge is very good, so it is tempting to maintain your speed into the corner. Approach that baby slowly and you can more easily hold an edge in one of the classic tracks to double pole across. The second ice zone was at the bottom of one of the last downhills on the Lake Trail as you round the lake. The right turn is again going to mostly be a hang-on-and-glide-it-out experience for a few seconds. The manmade loop was excellent, no surprises there. Overall, it was a great afternoon ski, and nice to see so many folks enjoying the trails.

(Margaret Adelsman)