I went out and skied about 4pm this afternoon. I saw three other skate skiers out. Today's snow was surprisingly fast. I did the loop that doesn't include going over the bridge. There were a few spots where the snow was dirty or there was grass sticking out but these were easy enough to ski around. The snow was slick/packed down with a few icy spots. There was enough snow to get an edge but there were times my skis wanted to slide. The icy base is close to the surface so if I tried to dig my pole in too deep it would slide out. The tracks were also toast. They were either filled in by drift or gotten smoothed out. Hopefully for more snow soon.

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(Elizabeth Loper)

Groomed and reset the tracks this evening. With cold temps it should set up very nicely. We have great coverage now, so I think good skis would be safe. Enjoy your ski at Columbia!

(Mike Keyes)

What a difference a few inches of new snow makes! No more ice, just cold, fresh snow (slow). Everything was groomed nicely and classic tracks were set. Tracks only partially washed out on a few up hill spots. The wind has caused some drifting, but nothing too terrible. Other than the cold, slow snow, trails were good. Bonus: No more grass poking through on the trails!

(Alyssa Murphy)

Columbia is looking really good after this morning's grooming. This recent snow has improved the course significantly. The following pictures reference sections of the trail. The winds were starting up and I wouldn't be surprised for some drifting, but should be good. Come ski Columbia and enjoy!

Photos:

(Jim Daggett)

Kudos to our groomers! Columbia was phenomenal today. The skate deck was firm and well dressed. It just doesn't get much better than this!

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(Greg Loper)

Groomed and set new classic tracks at Columbia. Saturday’s clipper brought a welcome 2 to 3 inches of fresh snow that has softened the course. It cleared up and temps dropped so it should set up well. Come out and enjoy your ski at Columbia today!

(Jim Daggett)

Groomed the skate deck and reset the classic tracks before dawn this morning. The wind was very strong, so you might not see much evidence of the grooming when you get out there. Due to the wind the new snow was not evenly distributed, so there are still icy patches -- but most of the skate deck looked pretty good. The classic tracks vary from full depth to very shallow, but I'm sure they're already drifted in. On the plus side they're not glazed! Enjoy your ski!

(Mike Keyes)

Skied the practice loop (near small building). Cold and windy. Thanks to the groomers who broke up the ice pretty well, with enough texture to skate, but fresh snow would be great!

(Karen Peters)

Trails are rutted and icy. I attempted to ski the practice loop but could not get an edge. I am a freestyle beginner, so factor that in. The tops of the rises were glazed and had grass poking through. Some snow (if you can call it that) had dirt mixed in. A biting wind didn't make things any better. We need some snow!

(Alyssa Murphy)

What a difference from yesterday! The second grooming last night helped break up the icy spots. Overall, 80-90% of the trail is in good shape. There are a few slick segments in the usual places, but as long as you stick to the outside of the skate deck, you can still catch an edge. It was cold to be sure but still nice to be outside!

(Alexander Forster)