Skied Phalen Thursday night. Found the tracks to be rocket fast and firm. There were no concerns, hope they can stand up another day. Skate deck looked very good. Not boiler plate but firm. Tree cutting happened but doesn't cause much problem since there is plenty of snow to ski around the mess.

(Bill Stuber)

Tracks were well-defined, firm, and a bit slow; very good overall. Snow condition varies a bit depending on the amount of sun the snow receives. I expect changes to continue as the weather warms. Biggest problem is the oak leaves that fill the grooves in several spots. Plan on leaving the trail to avoid them.

(Bob Hartzler)

Course was freshly groomed today. Just great conditions, classic track was set on the entire loop and the skate lane was perfect. There is tree work going on but they cross the trail in just one section but this did not impede the skiing at all.

(Bill Stuber)

Some light tree work began on the golf course today and will likely continue tomorrow. The equipment being used and the number of trees being removed should not impact the Nordic trails too much, but there will be some disturbances. Please be careful as there may be some debris in areas where they have crossed the trail. We'll touch up the grooming as best we can once their work is complete.

(Tyler McKean, St. Paul Parks and Recreation)

Phalen has plenty of snow and is groomed for skate and classic. I didn't notice any bad spots to be aware of. Tracks are well used and washed out in a few spots but no big deal. Skate deck has a soft layer of snow, it looked like fun.

(Bill Stuber)

Full coverage, with very little debris to watch out for. Trails are rolled, but not combed or tracked, which made for some frustrating classic skiing. My skis didn't quite slot into the rolled groves, which made it tough to get good kick zone contact with the snow.
I measured a full loop at 6.1K. The southern portion of the course did not have all the fingers that the official trail map shows, which may explain why it's short of 7.5K.

(Karl Holub)

Classic skied late morning. Tracks are in very good shape except for a few grassy patches and oak leaves.

(Kathy Bjornson)

Skated 2 loops. Very fast snow. All around great conditions with good grooming. A few grass and wet spots, but nothing major.

(Ben Baltich)

Conditions are reported as great at Phalen after a full groom today. Get out and enjoy it before the weekend if you can.

Photos:

(Tyler McKean, St. Paul Parks and Recreation)

Very nice 3.9 mile loop. Snow was rolled but very nice to skate on. There is a wet spot in a few places but easily avoided.

(Bill Stuber)