The conditions were very icy. Thankful they were able to get out and groom during the refreeze so it wasn't a skating rink. Some spots were super slick and hard to get an edge on and others were textured enough to get by. The wind was also very cold.

(Elizabeth Loper)

Groomed Columbia skate deck tonight after skiing earlier in the afternoon. Previous grooming and shoveling salvaged a terrible thaw-freeze scenario. Tonight I was able to churn up some of the icy spots and set a decent surface throughout the course. Skaters should be able to set an edge well, minus a few icy patches/sections. Classic tracks are ice. Until we get another snowfall, they will be a challenge. Pictured is the deck on an icy section for reference. Columbia is going to be fast!

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(Jim Daggett)

Groomed the skate deck tonight after the snow had set up with all the warm temps today. The snow was too hard to reset the classic tracks unfortunately. They are in decent shape for about 80% of the trail. I covered all the bare patches I could find with more snow, though there's a few uphill icy spots coming back to the train bridge from the north that I wasn't able to fix.

(Blaine Gudbjartsson)

Great trails today, maybe best all season. Thanks groomers! Also, there was a lost brown lab/pointer mix in the park. Shy dog. Animal control has set up live traps to catch it.

(Karen Berglund)

Groomed this evening and spent some time covering the few small grassy patches that have formed along the way. If you are willing to step carefully in one or two spots, good skis should be no problem for you. The Nordeast Nordic grooming crew will be out watching conditions tomorrow and with a little elbow grease hope to have quality skiing through February.

(William Risse)

Groomed Columbia this morning and set new classic tracks. Added a driving range loop connector for those that enjoy the driving range loop. Tracks may not have the depth of recent days, but the course is smooth and should ski quite well. There should be very few thin spots, but ski with caution in the suspect areas. That’s the only reason I post B skis. Enjoy Columbia on MLK day!

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(Jim Daggett)

Classic ski this morning was delightful - it’s amazing the difference a few inches of snow can make! We skied the main loop and driving range and the tracks were in great shape throughout. Several skiers were out on classic tracks and the skate deck. As a beginning skier I’m thankful for some natural snow next to the groomed area on the steeper downhills (which is easier for me to manage than the packed snow). Best conditions so far this season - thanks, groomers!

(Kristen Brogdon)

I went out skiing about 2:45 pm and there were many other out. There were lots with little kids. I was one of few skate skiing. I was able to do the loop two times (minus going over the bridge). The deck was solid with good coverage. There was more snow on the deck than I would have liked but didn't affect skiing too much. There were a few leaves and I moved as many stick out of the way as possible. The tracks also looked nice. There were a few corners where they had washed out, but good overall.

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(Elizabeth Loper)

Groomed and reset the tracks this evening. I think good skis would be safe, the only trouble spot may be near the steep hill by the clubhouse. The new snow has set up really well, tomorrow should be a great day to ski Columbia!

(Mike Keyes)

Groomed and set new tracks tonight. The 3-4" of new snow was just what the doctor ordered. There are a few short stretches of windblown hard snow, and maybe a little grass showing here or there but the rest is nicely covered. We plan on grooming tomorrow morning to take care of any overnight drifting and again tomorrow evening since it will probably still be pretty soft tomorrow. Enjoy your ski!

(Mike Keyes)