I skated everything except Boulder Ridge this morning. The manufactured trails were great as always. The natural trails were decent, though with a lot of icy sections. There were some stretches where it was tough to get an edge, but mostly it was nice to be away from the crowds.

(Shawn Dodds)

Fantastic conditions on the man-made loop this early morning! No evidence of the freeze/thaw cycle, just perfect grooming and no ice whatsoever to worry about. Thanks groomers!

(Bill Oyler)

What a difference a day (or two) makes (especially if it's sunny and 40
degrees). Man made snow trails in great shape but the natural trails are fading fast. Lots of shallow spots and debris.

(Bob Pacieznik)

Trails with manufactured snow are packed, tracked in good conditions: Star, Willow Creek, Frog Town, Scenic Foothills, and Boulder Ridge loops. Trails with natural snow are packed, tracked and good for skate/poor for classic: Oak Knob, North, Nature Center, Lake, and Hill. Note: HS races are now completed for the season at Hyland. 100 middle schoolers on Thursday, 4-6 pm; and HS practice. Trail conditions may change when transitioning from daytime into evening.

(Sonja Bercich, Three Rivers Park District)

Wow, get out to Hyland and enjoy near perfect natural snow trails before warmer weather hits! I skied the lake loop and the North loop along with the machine made and although the recent cold temps make for slow snow, the coverage and grooming are excellent!

(Joe Dolan)

Trails were fabulous. There is a thing going on where the earlier you go the better even though it warmed up; as it warmed up, the man made became more compact, more squirrelly, and yet, slower. So, if you're going Monday, go as early as your work life, and tolerance of cold air will allow.

(Luke Smith)

The best Hyland's natural snow trails have looked in 4 years! We skied everything except the snowmaking loop and the track was firm and mostly great. Skate deck also smooth and clean for the most part. I think you could use good skis, but I was on my B skis. There are some sticks, dirt, etc but easily avoided and I didn't see any icy sections.

Photos:

(Eric Leugers)

Trails with manufactured snow are packed, tracked and in Good condition: Star, Willow Creek, Frog Town, Scenic Foothills, and Boulder Ridge loops.
Trails with natural snow are packed, tracked and Good for skate/Poor for classic:Oak Knob, North, Nature Center, Lake, and Hill
Note: HS races are now completed for the season at Hyland.

(Sonja Bercich, Three Rivers Park District)

Last night I dumped snow on thin patches where dirt was coming up on the hill (uphill right turn near the end), lake (near the start), oak knob (near the end) and nature center spur (weeds by the pond and top of the hill by the worksite) trails. Tonight, I will make sure that these spots remain filled in. All skate decks are excellent and are easily the fastest they have been in the last few days. Classic track is great on oak knob and north, thin on sections of lake. Track on the return side of the nature center has been "washed out" in a few spots, but I will reset that section tonight. I would get out and ski the lake and nature center trails while you still can!

(Iain McCrory)

Skied North, Nature Center and Oak Knob natural trails. Tracks were in surprisingly good shape, with only isolated tufts of grass poking through.

Photos:

(Tom Pitchford)