The tracks were tight, the snow was fast -- please, can we make winter last? Green, brown, yellow trails - perfect classic conditions. Stop and you'll hear the owls hooting.

(Tom Kunau)

Skating conditions were excellent on both the east side trails and the Eagle Point Lake loop -- recently re-groomed, solid and fast.

(Paul Lohmann)

Skied almost all the trails on the east side this afternoon. Classic tracks were in great shape with just a few fallen leaves. Skate deck looked so nice I wish I had brought my skate skis and had the time to stay out longer. Beautiful day at Lake Elmo. Thanks groomers!

(Kimmie Sandberg)

Ski trails, both east and west trails, have been packed and tracked. Trails are in good condition with minimal debris.

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

On fresh grooming and new track it was one of the best trips in recent memory. The air temp. was above 20 degrees so I took the classic skins on the transformed snow. In new track I skied the track through turns that typically get blown out with wear or crashes. I think it was the first time ever through the Brown double "S" turn without having to bail out of one or both tracks. Fun stuff! The skins bit in solid for easy going on the uphills. Glide was very good since the last wax I remember applying was a low flouro for dry snow. I skied only the combined outer loop of the Green, Brown, and Orange trails.

(Jeff Bolte)

Ski trails have all been groomed. The skate deck was redone but the tracks were not reset. Trails are in good condition!

(Carolyn Friedrich, Washington County Parks)

Lake Elmo was in nice condition a noon today. Tracks were well used (not set today), but very nice. Skate lane was also in good shape. Just a touch of blowing snow in some tracks but that's part of being outside in the winter.

(Bill Stuber)

Great early evening ski at Lake Elmo. I skated all of the trails from the Nordic Center trailhead: Brown's Pond, Bur Oak, Lake Elmo, and Northern Lights. Clearly, many skiers had been out earlier on this sunny Saturday, so the skate deck grooming was long gone, but still excellent conditions. The classic track, which I jumped into for a few downhill sections, was in excellent condition as well. Thanks to the skier who pointed out an enormous trumpeter swan sitting in the snow just off the trail!

(Doug Cameron)

Started on waxable skis, east side, long loop of the Green and Brown. The skis ran slow in the new snow in worn track. Again, very dry new snow can takes many full grooming runs to make it transformed and thus set up stiffer on the deck and the track. The first grooming run was a dandy, but soft as expected. The skate deck was soft too. I switched to skin skis that fit a bit better, and skied the Orange loop. The skins ran a speed more to my liking. Being somewhat worn, the picky Xcellerator bindings added to the challenge. I experienced slow glide in track and on the deck this afternoon in the new snow. Still, it was fun as always. Look for all Lake Elmo trails to speed up with the next grooming run.

(Jeff Bolte)

Conditions were good. It has not been groomed in awhile. The skate track was really well used at this point. Classic was just fine. Great day to ski!

(Ross Jackson)