No grooming recently. Still useable tracks, but they're getting pretty shallow. Too bad, wish they would keep on it down there, it's beautiful. One of the two island crossing tracks is snow covered, the other can be navigated with a short portage around a fallen tree. The Minnesota River side has some bare spots and icy track. Needs some TLC.

(John Kieselhorst)

Skied laps around Pike Island. Overall conditions good. Trails have not been groomed for a while, and tracks are soft sided. Many people are out today, trails are well used, and a little greasy feeling. I used skin skis which usually provided adequate grip. There are several short segments of track that are tending toward slushy, but so far not too bad. I heard one eagle and a number of red bellied woodpeckers; saw many deer. Air quality seemed worse than usual, due to airport smells. Still, it's enjoyable to get out along the rivers.

Photos:

(Lyndon Torstenson)

Pine island was icy in spots but doable. Has to take it slow in spots. Trails have not been groomed for a week or so but tracks are intact.

(Kathy Pascale)

Trail conditions are in great shape. Pike island was wonderful, did classic ski. Awesome time hardest part was finding a parking spot.

(Johhny Fozz)

Groomer was out re-grooming the trails late morning/early afternoon. Classic tracks on Pike Island were in great shape if a little slow. A few areas where the fresh snow had been blown off revealed some ice and shallow tracks. Tracks on the multipurpose trails elsewhere are still pretty soft and need more compacting.

(Bryce Pier)

When we started at 8:30 am, things were packed but largely untracked. (Uniskiers were in luck in spots as there was one groove!). By 930 the groomer came by and things were great. A bit soft but still lovely. My spouse spotted a fox crossing the river. Ski while the skiing is good! The photos are "before" and "after.".

Photos:

(David Glaser)

Conditions on Pike Island were ideal early this morning until the park performed re-grooming of the trails, which compressed the snow sufficiently that the underlying ice was noticeable while poling and in a few portions of the tracks. The tracks were still very good after the grooming, but no longer perfect. There was no debris and no deer or walker damage on the now-freshly groomed trails. Still very good conditions for Fort Snelling, The multi-use trail access to Pike Island is damaged by walkers, dogs, and deer, but the groomer may finish his work by resurfacing the multi-use segments as well.

(Mark Strobel)

Groomed throughout pike island, but tracks are soft and melting in the sunny area. Two places where there was actually water in the tracks. More deer than people. No damage from the many walkers in the park.

(Tom Eckstein)

Not recommend without fishscales. I ignored previous reports about forest clutter in the tracks and should have listened. Herky jerky ski with clutter grabbing my ski preventing any reasonable glide. The front desk at the park indicated the trail hasn't been groomed in the last week. Wouldn't recommend skiing until more snow and a regroom.

(Matt Sargent)

Skied the multiuse trail down from the Minnehaha dog park and around pike island. Multi-use was predictable boilerplate and trampled, but was mostly tracked. Island tracks were pretty nice and there wasn't much for pedestrian damage. Unfortunately the whole system is covered in debris including a lot of sticks and bark that scratched up my skis pretty good, and also made for extremely draggy skis. I would stick to waxless skis until they regroom.

(Spencer Davis)