Lots of unofficial tracks from forest critters on the south Wirth trails from 394 to Highway 55. The Bog was a lot of fun for skating - just enough snow to freshen things up.

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(Bill Oyler)

Trails at South Wirth were not groomed when I left at 4 pm. No sign of a classic track. But the new snow was still nice to ski on, there was very little debris on the trails. I used my good skis but I marked it as B skis just because there were some icy sections and I think some people might be more cautious.

(Dena Coffman)

Trails were in surprisingly good shape. Skied from Brownie Lake across 394 and straight through the Bog to the beach, and then did the Wirth Lake trails. Made my way up Tornado Alley to the golf course and then did about 75% of the snowmaking trails. All were in really good condition. I was expecting them to be icy, but they weren't at all. The only portion I'd advise against was Cedar Lake - too icy. Brownie was in good shape.

(Melissa Noel)

Classic skied JD Rivers, Bassett Creek, Tornado Alley, and Skyline. The inch of fresh snow was covering a totally iced out base. The new snow was sticky and caking on my skis much of the time. Praying for at least one more good snowfall, big thank you to the snowmakers and groomers!

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(Cory Quirk)

I skate skied the Wirth Lake and Bog trails around lunchtime. The snow throughout was slick and hard packed, but still possible to get an edge. There was quite a bit of debris and a lot of rutting, particularly in the Bog trails. Overall, it was slightly better than expected given the weather conditions, and it left me optimistic that if we get more snow these trails can get back in fighting shape.

(Thomas Blackstock)

Race ready conditions! I tested out all of the Theo Wirth South trails between 394 and the Trailhead, and found conditions to be wonderful for skate skiing. Just the right amount of grooming, tiny bit of fresh snow, and de-icing to make for really good conditions despite the lack of much snow this season. There were just a few small dirty patches and some tree bark here and there, but easily avoidable. Plenty of snow under the bridges. I used my race skis without issue. Note that the Bog and Butler trails are mostly in the reverse direction compared to earlier this year (similar to the race course two years ago). Also note that the classic tracks are pretty shallow, due to lack of snow. Thanks to the volunteer snow shovelers who were busy fixing up all the shallow snow spots. Should be a great weekend of racing.

Photos:

(Bill Oyler)

I skied the Bog and Eloise Butler in this weekend's race direction. The course was marked for the race but didn't appear to have been groomed today. Snow was very thin and firm, with a lot of dirty spots. Eloise trails were pretty beat up since they are multiuse. SW corner at wirth parkway and 394 was in really bad shape - didn't look like it had been prepared properly yet and there was a large rock exposed on the climb.

(Spencer Davis)

Tornado alley was pretty solid, though the little bump on the bridge connecting it to Skyline has some exposed ice/cement (one of the worst spots). Around Wirth Lake, Jar Hill is better than it's often been other years (a little debris and one spot of ice but mostly good). The bog had moderate coverage. There were a few spots especially, at the tops of hills, where it looked like a groomer caught some wood and the trail was covered with bits of it. We didn't up doing Eloise except going around the huge ice/slush pool across the road from Wirth Beach.

(Dan Boody)

South Wirth (Wirth natural trails) are in relatively good condition. We skied from the Wedding Loop to the Erickson and Quaking Bog Loops then back to Wirth Lake. The cover was adequate, with a few thinner spots as well as a few dirtier spots. There were tracks most of the way, they were quite shallow, but mostly sturdy and still quite clean. Overall, the trails are holding up pretty well and we got a good ski in. I was pleased to finally see some tracks on the natural loops, and they were better than I anticipated!

(Marcus Bradt)

Skied everything between the Trailhead and 394. Things have been holding up very well in general. Hard solid base and a good track in most places. A few more problem spots with leaf litter, etc., and the beginning of the Butler loop had some problem areas on the hill and the piece of trail closest to the road. I still felt ok being careful on good skis but B skis are definitely the safer choice.

(Mitchell Campbell)