I would rate conditions as "not real fun". Lake alternates between drifts and hardpack so I had a hard time getting an edge. Classic tracks looked pretty good (better than the skate deck), so still lots of potential there. The climb up to the bridge out of Brownie lake is very very icy, so be careful for the big rock in the middle of the ramp when you descend. I walked down. Hopefully new snow helps!

(Tim Bontrager)

Good conditions on Cedar, deep firm tracks and pretty fast. Softer, shallower tracks on Brownie. Some icy patches on both lakes but easy to hop out and ski around.

(Lacey Hartman)

Epic conditions on the lakes for classic and skate. Mostly clean soft snow, just a few small icy patches. Excellent snow under all tunnels and bridges. I used my best skis, no problem - even the Cedar land trail is very good!

Photos:

(Bill Oyler)

Conditions Saturday late afternoon were consistently good across the four lakes with some variation. Isles and Cedar consistently strong, Brownie soft with a couple ice spots, Bde Maka Ska was soft but good except for about four ice spots, which were mostly navigable except for the west side right under Minikahda (So soft here with a bit of water, steer clear). Maka Ska got firmer quickly however at about 3:30 when I followed the groomer around. A few more skiers and it should be solid enough for a really good ski. (I did my part by pressing down on each ski with all my post-Christmas Cookie weight).

(R.T. Rybak)

Cedar Lake, Isles, Bde Maka Ska and all the connecting channels have been groomed, fine tuned and widened today after heavy use this weekend. The trails are in epic condition, get out and enjoy while we have it! Skate deck and classic on the inside. Walking/ cycling out the outside, shore side.

(Brian Crotteau)

Skied most of system, nice grooming. Watch for rocks at top of hill on Cedar woods loop by road. Lakes are great but woods section has a little grass and dirt. Poor tracks on Brownie, much softer skate deck on Bde Maka Ska. Found air pods buried in the snow just past tunnel on Brownie.

(Eric Sumner)

Two passes on skate deck around Brownie, Cedar (including woods), Isles; and one pass around Bde by Maka Ska. More work planned for Maka Ska this afternoon to widen skate deck.

(Steve Kotvis)

South Wirth and chain of lakes: started at the Bryn Mawr school and skied the woods down to the lakes just after sunset. Not much for classic tracks in the woods over to the parkway bridge over 394, but the fresh snow was great anyways. Bridge was pretty clean and groomer had been out over it on our way back. Brownie had some soft tracks and large icy patches, but tracks were great on Cedar and Isles with a lot fewer icy spots to dodge. Fresh snow on the lakes was also super fast-- so nice that we stayed out a lot longer than we expected. Plenty of snow under all of the tunnels and bridges.

(Dan Petters)

Bde Maka Ska, Isles, Cedar and the channels between are all groomed for skate and classic. The snow is still soft and will take another day or two to set up. An outside track was groomed for walkers, etc. and marked by signs. Skiing-only is also marked and between the classic tracks, inside the walking trail.

(Brian Crotteau)

A wonderful day out on Lake of the Isles! Classic tracks were very good. Just one small patch where the snow looked like choppy frozen slush, but 99.99% of the loop was great. This was the first time my husband and I went out on the Chain of Lakes (well, just one lake I suppose), and it certainly won’t be the last!

(Karoline DeSousa)