Skied all the natural trails this morning. Trails were good for the most part but really started to deteriorate by the end of my ski at about 11am. Snow was slow and a bit mushy, as expected. The warm temps and sun this afternoon were likely unkind for the snow on the bridges and on the sunny portions of the trail. B skis were fine while I was out this morning (some sections of dirty snow or dirt, but easily avoidable), but rock skis may be more appropriate now after a full day of warmth and sun.

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(Melissa Berman)

Great to be on the natural snow trails. Good coverage throughout Creek trail with only a few brown areas from groomer. Snow not the fastest. Tracks faster and double poling technique in many places. Groomers were out in afternoon, just great to ski this again.

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(Dean Kleinhans)

Awesome classic skiing on very nice trails (including natural snow). I skied almost all the classic trails out there; the classic-only trails were in really good shape - slightly soft but almost pristine. There was almost no dirt; one spot near the nature center, and a couple places along the swamp. The Northern Lights tracks were fairly decimated, however. Toko violet was The Bomb at 28 degrees in late afternoon. Thanks, Elm Creek groomers, for a very enjoyable ski!

(Pete Thurmes)

The manmade was great. I went on to the Northern Lights on the natural snow and that was very good. The classic track was a little shallower and softer but kick and glide were good. The classic track is now on the left side of the skate lane which was good going up to Cowabunga as it is not the off kilter side slope now. There was a small bump in the classic tracks almost at the bottom of Cowabunga and I think I got a wee bit of air but stayed upright. Nice to be on real snow (7 inches at my place in Maple Grove). I talked to another skier who had ventured out to the Dark Side and he said it was good echoing the previous Elm Creek trail report.

(Mark Lahtinen)

I skated the outer loop (Creek, Lake and Northern Lights). The man made section was buttery soft, the natural snow had a few soft spots but they were still working on packing it. The classic tracks were missing from where you leave the whale tail, cross the bridge, up and down the hill until you leave the multi use trail and enter the woods again. The tracks looked good except above Mud Lake and near the beach, there they were thin with grass or gravel showing through. Overall I would rate the trails as good and they should get better as they set up. I talked to someone who was on the Eagle trail and he said it was a little soft. Thanks to the groomers who got them all open so quickly and in such good condition. I would skate with good skis but classic with B.

(Tom Harris)

I skied all the ski trails plus the multi-use trail at sunrise. Everything was better than I thought possible. Tracks set for all the ski trails, and multi-use had been groomed with multiple passes. My poles touched a bit of asphalt on the multi-use trail, but I never broke through with skis. Wildlife encountered: 3 eagles, 1 other large bird (falcon?), and 2 deer.

(Andor Langski)

Stuck to the man made trail and northern lights loop. The manufactured snow was in excellent shape. Felt pretty fast. The lights loop was pleasantly good. Very hard packed but skiable. Couple of things spots that are easily avoided. Parking lot was full when I left at 10.

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(Scott Greymont)

The multi-use trail was pretty good this morning. The few dirty or pavement areas were easily avoided. It was getting a little soft by noon. Nice to be on natural snow.

(Kate Karshna)

Went to Elm late this afternoon with my B-skis and a tentative plan to scout the natural snow trails. High school meet on the man-made loop forced my hand. Had to park in the overflow lot so I went ahead and hopped onto the Northern Lights Loop from there. This 1.7 km loop (turning right and going down the hill at the last intersection before reaching the man-made loop) was snow covered to the point I didn't see anything I didn't want to ski over with my B-skis. The surface had been rolled and was also somewhat packed down from some traffic. Overall, though, being a balance-challenged skier, the surface was still uneven enough to make it hard for me to ride a gliding ski before loosing my balance to the uneven surface. Better skiers probably won't have much trouble though. No classic tracks, the snow was not nearly deep enough. I noticed a few a few hand-sized patches of pavement showing through on that last stretch to the man-made loop as I transitioned over there after the meet. The base seems to be about 1/2" - 1" through there. Man-made loop was in great shape in spite of the heavy traffic from the race. Surface was fairly hard packed but soft enough to hold an edge. I wouldn't call the conditions fast but they certainly weren't slow either.

(Leif Irgens)

I skied the outermost loop this morning as that was the only natural snow trail rolled for skating other than northern lights. The snow was soft but very delightful and it was fun to get out off the regular loop! The man made tracks were very slow due to the nasty winds blowing snow around, but I stayed in the woods and the wind wasn't a problem. Overall, very good conditions and a nice time to get out and enjoy the new snow!

(Diane Thompson)