Saint Paul cross-country ski trails and fat tire bike trails are closed for the season due to thawing ground conditions. Even with major snowfall, the top layer of soil has softened significantly with warmer spring temperatures. Grooming, skiing, or biking on soft topsoil can cause major damage to the grass and soil beneath the snow. Because our winter trails double as golf courses, protecting the turf now is essential for high quality playing surfaces in the spring and summer. Thank you for your understanding as we transition into spring.

(James Bezanson, St. Paul Parks and Recreation)

Trails are closed. Lots of bare grass, lots of ice. Skate deck maybe a half inch thick. Closed until further notice.

(Dwight Vaughn)

Phalen was skate deck was groomed today. Icy spots, grass exposure and a thin base. Too thin to add a classic track. Ski while you can.

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(James Bezanson, St. Paul Parks and Recreation)

Very good skating - kudos to St Paul Parks and Rec for rolling and providing a very good surface! At first glance it looks rough - not the fine cord but the wide wale stuff - only the snow was fast and the grooves from the roller did not impact the skating. The wet spots from Thursday are a little icy but not an issue.

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(Ronald Okenfuss)

Phalen was rolled today, with multiple reroutes. There are multiple wet and thin sections, but the trail is navigable.

(James Bezanson, St. Paul Parks and Recreation)

The groomed trails are unskiable ice sheets. The ungroomed crust next to the trails is better than expected. My index of crustability is 7/10, because I had to avoid some bare areas and skiing on the lake is impossible. Definitely much more crustable then uncrustable.

(Scott Kyser)

Unfortunately we will be closing the Phalen cross country ski trails due to the recent weather. We are unable to groom right now because of all the ice. We are hopeful we can reopen when the conditions allow. Sorry for the inconvenience.

(James Bezanson, St. Paul Parks and Recreation)

The classic skiing was wonderful this afternoon as the tracks have been "maintained" by skiers using the tracks plus the recent snow. There are some parts of the trail that are iced or bare that you can easily ski around. It is mostly near trees, and I estimate less than 10%. We used our skis with permanent kick zones; otherwise, klister would be needed. There were skate skiers out skiing without difficulty.

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(Bruce Bostrom)

Phalen was groomed this morning and is showing signs of deterioration. Ice layer tilled on skate deck and groomed. The classic track was left alone. Be mindful of wet and iced areas.

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(James Bezanson, St. Paul Parks and Recreation)

Getting very slushy, and some puddles to avoid, but otherwise still skiable. Skate deck soft but easy to edge. Didn't ski classic but tracks are set and surviving throughout.

(Steven Goetz)