Lester is being groomed right now (11:30). Fresh grooming is significantly helping the skate deck. This freshly groomed track makes it evident that someone is fat-biking the Lester ski trails. If you see anyone biking the ski trail, remind them that there is a multi-use trail adjacent to the ski trail.

(Kristoffer Osthus)

34F. Partly sunny, not much wind. The trail was great. Solid tracks. Not groomed since the dusting of snow Wednesday night. On most of the trail you can't tell that we had 24 hours of rain over the weekend. There are a few spots with ice / water flow. And a few spots where there's a narrow crevasse from one side to another. Kind of like a tomten dug channels for the water so that it wouldn't flood the trail. Easy to ski over.

Photos:

(Louise Levy)

I got a good ski in a Lester this afternoon, all the trail are open and in good shape. Just a few ice flows that need to be stepped around and a few spots were the rain melted a trench in the trail. They are all easily skied past. I classic skied and the tracks were great. Extra blue was kicking great, just needed to reapply once during my ski. A good binder is probably in order. The skate lane looked great, although it wasn't as firm as you might guess. It was softening up a bit on the uphills in the higher traffic areas. Overall great conditions, considering the weather the past week. Thank you City Groomers for working the New Years holiday!

(Matthew Ryan)

Recently groomed and in surprisingly good shape. Tracks are deep and firm. Skating looked nice. Debris is not bad. Watch for a couple of deep fissures running across the trail on the lower main loop.

(Catherine Winter)

Lester was freshly groomed, looks like just this morning. Tracks set, too.

(Annalisa Peterson)

Trail was not groomed since fresh snow. The trail was bumpy throughout and I was busting through occasionally with the crust on top and the soft trail underneath. Creek drainages flowing across trail in several spots. Skating would be difficult until it’s groomed.

(Peter Larsen)

Lester was groomed this afternoon. Got lucky today.

(Ryan Reuter)

I skied most of the Lester trails around noon today. 98% of the trails are perfection. There are a few very tiny areas where water is starting to poke up and create ice - but easily seen in advance and manageable. Another trouble spot is the drop down to the chalet. Pretty uneven surface and not for the weak of heart. Best avoided until it's groomed again. The side loop down to the playground was very good on the uphill, but starting to get glazed on the downhill. Overall, nothing you need to avoid (except the drop down to the chalet).

(Ben Fornear)

The Lester system has held up very well to the weekend usage. I skated but jumped in the fast, solid tracks anytime the trail pointed downhill; they were really nice tracks. I skied everything but the very bottom portion and the trail extension to the Lester-Amity chalet. Yesterday the downhill to the chalet was rutted and track-less relative to the smooth downhills everywhere else, so I avoided it today.

(Sara Zimmer)

Best conditions I've experienced at Lester in 20 years. Firm but forgiving skate deck, immaculate tracks, and only a couple spots where ground water bubbled up on the surface are obvious and avoidable.

(John Paulson)