Freshly groomed, skate deck is firm, fast and flat. Some debis, but that's to be expected, considering all the recent wind. Classic tracks also looked pretty well set. A very enjoyable morning!

(Chris Lankey)

New Park Manager Mike had finished grooming on entire trail system by about 9:30 this morning. I was the second skater of the day and it was fantastic! Thanks for coming in at 4 a.m. to plow and groom Mike, much appreciated. Best conditions of the year for skating here. I didn't stride today but could see a couple areas where the grass protrudes through the snow in the classic track so you might want to stick with waxless or skins for classic skiing. People still ignore or are oblivious to the ample signs here. Two women were going down a hill against the traffic; said they knew it but didn't turn around. A walker on the Morningside Trail refused to walk on the outer edge of the trail instead of down the middle of the fresh corduroy - leaving big boot holes all the way. I asked her politely to consider walking on the edge but she was having none of it. Frustrating that Mike's good work being destroyed in short order.

Photos:

(Jim Bolton)

Fresh grooming. Very few bare spots this morning. I did a few laps on the Morningside trail only, but it was still in great shape. Get out there before it melts!

(Chris Lankey)

I'm only giving skate a fair rating because the skate deck is so uneven and also full of tire(?) tread gouges, etc. I appreciate the effort made here but something has drastically changed from prior year results. Not sure if it's the equipment, the groomer or a little of both. In some areas, the skate deck is pretty even but much more of it is not. So, you just have to be a little more careful than usual. It was getting lots of use which was actually helping to smooth out the rough areas, etc.
Classic only gets a good rating because in many spots the stubble is poking through; not blaming the grooming job for that! When I was striding, I used my trusty old waxless classic skis, which are not hung up at all on the protruding stubble. I'd say good skis okay for skating but you might only want to use your B skis for the classic track. Lastly, a bigger problem at Gov. Nelson is the lack of signage! Many skiers were going the wrong direction, most unknowingly. There are several parking lots and access points to the trails but they aren't marked to indicate which direction is the correct traffic flow. It makes a big difference on or at the bottom of some of the downhill runs here. Plus, some walkers and snowshoers were walking on the side that is skier use only (as opposed to the side that allows skiers, skijoring, snow shoes and hiking). In prior years, there was signage that a few ignored but mostly received compliance. Now, many people haven't got a clue where they belong or which direction they should be heading. Overall, I had a great ski at Nelson today but, as you just read, there are issues.

(Jim Bolton)

Skied classic tonight from 4-5. The entire course is tracked. Most of the track depth is good but they are a bit beat up. Unfortunately, a couple of folks skated over the tracks on the Woodland trail. There is a lot of grass poking through the snow in the tracks so, if you have the option of wax vs. waxless, I recommend your waxless. I used my skins tonight and was glad I did. There is very little debris blown into the tracks. The skating lane looked beautiful with great coverage everywhere.

(Craig Fischberg)

Trails not groomed yet but rolled out. No tracks set as of mid day. A bit on the slow side. Snow coverage is good almost everywhere. Hoping they add the section that goes by the boat ramp.

(Gary Stone)