Best conditions William O'Brien has seen in years. Full coverage on all trails; should be perfect for annual William O'Brien ski race this Sunday. Adult skate and classic races - 8k, 12.5k, 25k - held in the morning. Kids race in afternoon. (Images posted from top of South America loop this afternoon.).

Photos:

(Tara Tierney)

Just skate skied the Wetland Trail. Decent skiing. Obviously super packed and fast. . .not much to push off of, but good enough! Wasn't willing to go in to the park and brave the hills. . .still a cautious, beginner skier and afraid of skiing on ice. But Wetland loop was lovely and still a good workout. Classic tracks were still okay but thinning out.

(Elizabeth Westerhaus)

Skied outer loop with a friend at sunrise. Tracks were mostly skiable, but very thin in spots with much debris. Some sizeable rocks on the skate deck, especially on downhill sections. Dozens of high school kids were heading out as we were leaving.

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(Patti Bohaty)

Skated laps on the wetland loop. Best conditions of the year so far, firm base with only a few scattered places with a little dirt. Classic track had a few areas with more dirt exposed. Holding up well with the warm temps, it was great to ditch the facemask for once.

(Bryan Lueth)

Great conditions to get out for a skate session. Classic tracks are set and look pretty good. Some bald patches in the usual spots. The best ski I have had this year.

(Joshua Stamper)

All trails open, main trails tracked and groomed. The three loops were rolled in the early afternoon but the groomer (Thanks Taylor!) was working hard to get all the rest done right. We skied classic but the skate track looked great. All in all the best day of skiing so far this year!

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(Jeff Perkins)

We have classic tracks! I skied the full outer loop late this afternoon. Everything was groomed with tracks set. The tracks were firm and full depth. Skiing was wonderful. There is very little room between the bottom of the tracks and the ground, so "B" skis are recommended. If you don't have B skis, you can always step in the skate lane to avoid the occasional rough stretches. The worst conditions (from yesterdays wind) were on the top of the prairie toward the end of the loop before the last hill (suicide) down to the chalet. The skate lane was mostly beautiful, but still soft. I came across a highly regarded local high school team (not wearing red) out enjoying the best conditions this park has had in two years.

(Paul Schaaf)

Classic skied most trails. Good coverage, rolled but no track set. Possibly the worst grooming yet considering the conditions. Deep tire tracks, looked kind of like a 4 wheeler. Also big grooves/holes in the middle of several hills. I have been wanting to teach a couple of kids to ski but it's dangerous like that. We had fun but good grooming would have made it great!

(Kristina Vaughan)

I skied as the snow was falling. Conditions were pretty good. Classic tracks were not set, but in most places classic skiers had created a decent classic track.

(Wanda Davies)

Skated a few laps around the wetland loop. A few thin spots and some debris, but I used my best skis with no worries. Good firm deck overall with a few soft spots, but I could feel my poles hitting hard ground. A little more snow could do wonders, and the flurries were starting by the time I wrapped it up. There was a shallow classic track made my other skiers.

(Bryan Lueth)