They have enough snow to cover - with one ten foot exception - but there is still not enough snow to make the nut. Skiing was uneven on the flats and on the hills. The snow varied from soft and slow to firm and compacted - these were the conditions for 80% of the trail. I was constantly on the defense as you could never trust the track of your ski.

(Dan Murphy)

Set new track and skate this afternoon. Conditions almost perfect, however we did hit a couple of rocks on the outside loop.

(Greg Hoelscher)

4 PM 3" of new powder but trails have not been rolled/groomed. Skating was still no problem unless you got into wind-swept drifts on the side in open areas. No classic tracks set but classic skiers have made tracks on side. Occasional branches from the windy weather we've had.

(Jim Kelley)

Good grooming as always. A few rocks, debris, and thin areas with exposed dirt on the outer loop, but easy to avoid. Lots of people out to enjoy the nice weather, always cool to see the swans staying in the open water west of the parking area.

(Bryan Lueth)

Freshly groomed - track and skate lane. Hit a few rocks here and there. Base still thin. For the most part, should be good skiing.

(Greg Hoelscher)

There was ample snow and groomed tracks that were skied in after a couple inches of newer snow. It was -8F at the start and -3F when we finished up. Had the place to ourselves and it was just wonderful. Skate lane is a bit narrow and hasn't been groomed since the last snowfall. Seems like the closest natural snow with good tracks. Highly recommend.

(Mark Trumper)

Sunday was an incredibly beautiful day at the Balsam Branch trails. All trails are open, with a wide, firm skate deck and what looked like fairy deep classic track throughout. Roughly 3" relatively new snow sat on top and had been skied on by at least a couple others. Coverage was consistently good, with the only challenging spots being the steeper uphills where you often find large rocks sticking out. I was careful and hit none, so your B skis will be just fine - particularly after a fresh grooming pass. Sincere thanks to the keepers of this tremendous trail system for maintaining such a beautiful and challenging yet skiable place.

(Alec Steward)

Skied classic under the lights Friday night. Track is perfect. Thank you to groomers. Skate had some loose snow, I think they are grooming Saturday morning?

(Wyatt Erickson)

The trails had been rolled and a pretty good track was set in. The skate deck had a lot of four wheel drive built into it, as there was not enough snow to fill in the dips. You need to be pretty nimble on the outer loops as there are some significant rocks sticking out. Going clockwise it was pretty treacherous at the bottom of the big downhills.

(Deb Murphy)

The tracks were set and in fairly good condition. Some leaves and sticks here and there but mostly nice to be skiing on natural snow in the woods.

Photos:

(Kris Diller)