I skied about a mile around the Welch station. There were times I could hear the tips of my ski poles hit the pavement, but my skis were not in danger of hitting it. The snow was sometimes soft on the edge, and I sank down. The trail was groomed from the parking lot toward the direction of Cannon Falls but not toward Red Wing.

Photos:

(John LaPlante)

We skied from about mile 5 to mile 2 east of Cannon Falls. The snow was thin (about 2") but 100% cover on the trail, no bare spots. It was freshly rolled and was excellent. We saw a couple of dozen swans on the water and flying around. What a treat! Very pleasant outing.

(Timothy Vick)