I worked the chalet this cold Sunday morning. Phil had green and blue skiing mid winter form which is remarkable givin the amount of snow. I managed to get out and try the trials due to thin crowd today. The fields were a bit soft so I opted to stick to green and blue. Phil and crew have been working on the black.

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(Tracy Piontkowski)

Skied at 8am. Phil has already groomed the trails to Olympic perfection. Slow snow because of temps but fantastic conditions on the lower loops.

(Jim Rauchle)

Iola got under an inch of snow Thursday, but it was enough to make the skating good today: very fast but not icy except in a few spots that are easy to see. No classic tracks, but some folks were striding. The green and blue are just fine while the black is closed, but it wouldn't take much snow to re-open it. The western fields are skiable but much more tentative than the rest given the ice underneath and one spot where one needs to walk across grass for about 15 meters.

(Charlie Dee)

I skied Iola today, as I had heard it was skiable. It was! ( It's really quite amazing that it is, given the brown surroundings in the area.) I skied the Green. There is full coverage--there's just not a lot of snow to work with. I used rock skis, but I could have been on B skis. I skied down the little hill before The Pines once but decided to bypass it on subsequent loops. Just not much snow to corner. Given my skill level and time on skis this year, I decided to stick to just the Green loop. I imagine falls would be very hard, as there is an icy base underneath--although it is only exposed in a few areas and can be avoided. Others there said they skied the blue and it was OK. I traveled 25 minutes (from Point) to ski there, and it was worth it for me. However, how far you'd travel to ski there this weekend is a question you'd have to answer for yourself.

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(Bill Fehrenbach)

Grooming is currently underway at Iola Winter Sports Club in order to prepare approximately 2.5 km (the green loop) for skating tonight. The PistonBully is out tilling the ice and crusty snow. Expect fair skating conditions on the green loop. Classic tracks will not be set. The remaining trails are closed.

(Brian Nischke)

Very good conditions. 28 degrees, light winds. Worth the drive. Skated Black, Blue and Green loops. There are a few thin spots out in the far-reaches. The Blue Loop was in excellent condition. Solid pole plant throughout the network given there is a nice 1-2" inch ice base with 2-4" of compacted snow above. I used my good skis without concern. Carpe Skiem.

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(Bob Warpinski)

Wonderful skiing considering only receiving around 2-ish inches. You could likely ski your best skis most everywhere besides the field/some uphills.

(Jack Jones)

I live in the Wausau area where snow has been insufficient for skiing. Was pleasantly surprised to find the Iola trails to be in such good condition! Used my "A" skis and only had a few areas of stubble, dirt to ski around. Black trail was closed but skied the blue and green trails two to three times, and though the base was only 3 inches to 4 inches, it was firmly rolled and packed! The temps rose to the mid 30's and was sunny and beautiful out there..... snow became softer in the direct sun, but was still very good conditions for skate skiing! Classic trails adjacent to the skate ski sections were in rougher shape with some significant bare spots here and there. Phil is a grooming savant, and as usual, has done a fantastic job grooming the trails with the little snow he has had to work with.... thank you Phil! Think snow! Really enjoyed yesterdays outing!

(Jeff Waldman)

Worth the trip! 34 degrees, light winds. Conditions exceeded expectations! Skated and Classic-skied the blue and green trails. The black trail did not appear to be groomed. Full coverage, good early season pole plant. The area appeared to have received 1-2 inches of new snow yesterday on top of a well packed 4-5 inch base. Track had been set for classic. Carpe Skiem!

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(Bob Warpinski)

What a pleasant surprise! Phil had worked his magic (again)! Trail firm and fast with little loose snow and complete cover. Tracks not as good but very skiable if you jump out at the bare spots. Can use good skis.

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(Ian Duncan)