Skied the Valley and Northern Lights. The Valley was great. The Northern Lights was pretty sketchy compared to yesterday. The icy area at the base of the climb up Cowabunga was about twice the size. The track at the top of Cowabunga was plowed but I hopped in it part way down. Couldn't surpass yesterday's glide PR of about 20 feet past light pole 31. Icy areas throughout were bigger and more numerous. It wasn't groomed so there were also some leftover ruts. Bigger burn through area on the return along the road. The days are numbered.

(Mark Lahtinen)

It looks like they groomed on the Dark Side as I saw groomed deck going out on the chalet side of the bridge. Saw a couple of people go out there (didn't see them come back however...hmmm). The lighted trails were better and faster than yesterday as it wasn't above freezing when I skied. Made it to about 25' past light pole #30 hopping in the icy track coming down Cowabunga. Went a little further on the 2nd lap with a bit more push over the top. A yellow icy area is forming at the base of the Cowabunga uphill but not on the downhill side yet. Fun, fun for another day or two.

(Mark Lahtinen)

Skied the lighted trails. The other ones haven't been re-groomed and a skier who had been out there said there was some burn through and ice. Almost greased lightnin'. A new land-speed and glide PR in the bobsled track down Cowabunga...zoom-zoom. I wouldn't have sent my 7 year old granddaughter down it today but she made it down it yesterday. Fun skiing with Mr. Jimmy...we need code names like Woodland.

(Mark Lahtinen)

Great March skiing at Elm Creek on Valley and Northern Lights loops Sunday morning. Good kick and glide. Temps around 30F. Get out and enjoy!

Photos:

(Mark Skinner)

Skied Valley, Creek, and Northern Lights at about 10:30am. Valley was excellent of course. Creek had just been scratched up with the groomer, so it was really easy to get an edge. Silky smooth. A number of places where prior melting had created icy spots, but easy to ski around. Northern Lights was in good condition, but hadn't been groomed as recently so was icy on the South return loop to the chalet. Wonderful spring skiing!

(Keith Gilbert)

Skied all the classic only trails and they were very good for the most part. Some ice and crust and the skins didn't work everywhere but most of the time they did. The tracks disappear on some areas on the Nature Center loop... I think they got blown in from the wind in the last storm. Relatively minor. Kind of sketchy going down the long hill after the Nature Center and then an area of ice from melting and the rain that preceded the snow. The Northern Lights (didn't do Cowabunga) and Valley tracks were hard and fast.

(Mark Lahtinen)

Great March skiing at Elm Creek. Tracks are set on all the trails. Valley, Northern Lights and Eagle trails are in good condition. The trails in the woods by the nature center are good. There is trouble at the end of the long downhill run to the east after climbing out of the nature center. See photo. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Photos:

(Mark Skinner)

Spring skiing at its best. Conditions were variable, with high winds blowing graupel/snow and rain across the trail. I didn't ski the outer trails, and although they may be passable, I suspect there are open areas there. The snow-making loop and Northern Lights were fully covered and skiable, although the link section from the Thicket back to the snow-making loop is about to melt down. The snow-making loop had been re-groomed this morning. It was crusty to icy on top and soft underneath, resulting in fast conditions in the skating lane. The tracks were filled with fresh snow, which was soft, with reasonable glide. Great kick with Rex liquid red klister. The tracks on the Northern Lights trail had not been re-groomed. They are still skiable, but a few short sections are melted through (easily avoidable).

(Ken Tobacman)

Kind of slushy and slow as one would expect at 2:00 PM. Some of it was fairly fast. The manmade on the Valley was faster than the Northern Lights natural snow. No speed or glide records set on Cowabunga today. There were a few dirty near burn through spots but they were small. I asked at the4 counter and they are grooming through March 11...a little over a week left here.

(Mark Lahtinen)

Skied the Valley, Northern Lights and part of the Lake trails. The skins worked great on the Valley - fast and good kick. The Northern Lights classic track hadn't been re-groomed so it was icy. The track down Cowabunga was a bobsled run but not wobbly so I got a good ride over the hump and beyond the next trail intersection...zoom-zoom...might've been a new glide distance PR. The skate deck had just been re-groomed there by the Pisten Bully. Went out on the Lake trail a little. Classic track burned through on the north side of the swimming hole for a short distance. Track a little uneven at times in the areas where it is melting faster but just needed d-pole gear there anyway.

(Mark Lahtinen)