The track was nice and fast, still well formed on Green, Blue and Orange. Far back Blue toward Voyageurs was a little slower with a skied in track. 21° sunny.

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(Steve Langenbrunner)

Thanks to the groomers who did an excellent job setting new classic tracks a few days ago. The best glide I have had for weeks. Skater tracks looked like it was good for them too. I skied the Blue Return Loop and around the Red. It was fun to be able to ski Red Loop again with good snow and track.

Photos:

(Steve Langenbrunner)

Quite cold, very sunny, nice day to groom. We used both Ginzus on all trail segments. The tracks are good, skate deck already fairly firm.

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(Burgess Eberhardt)

In cold sunshine today we used both Ginzus on all trail segments. The Little Blue Hill trail is good to ski now, just watch the ridge tops. Sometimes the skate corduroy looked ratty but usually it's fine. The tracks are good.

Photos:

(Burgess Eberhardt)

All are open, but no grooming in last week after about 4 inches of snow. I skied in 1 inch of snow in tracks on Blue long loop and then Yellow. Others had skied in Green and Orange. At blue shelter, Voyageurs Park had snowmobile packed their trail up to the shelter. -8° but calm, so was a beautiful full sunny day to ski.

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(Steve Langenbrunner)

-1° F at start and windy in parking lot through Green Swamp Trail. Once I got in woods it was pretty calm and enjoyable skiing. There was about 2" of new snow on top of tracked trail on Orange Loop but several skiers had skied the tracks in. I went on Blue Loop which had about 2 inches of unskied new snow, and I skied over into the old tracks. Obviously slowed my glide but light enough to ski through ok. I went from old shelter on far end of Blue Trail toward VNP. Trail was snowmobile packed in past but no discerable classic track set, but I was able to go through about 4" of light snow because of solid base.

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(Steve Langenbrunner)

Today in warm weather we got at the east side and groomed and tracked all the blue except for the "Little Blue Hill" trail which we packed w sleds. In most places the skate deck and tracks look beautiful. There's one section of the main Blue, split rock hill , which is still rough as is the bypass below it. The north side of the Blue Shelter Loop is always lumpy this time of year but it's skiable.

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(Burgess Eberhardt)

4.5" of fluffy snow covered the icy deck nicely. We were down one machine, so the Blue Trail is untouched. The Ginzu did a nice job on the Green, Orange, Yellow, and Red trails. The tracks and deck are a bit soft but should set up. Grooming plans: We plan to open more of the Blue Trail tomorrow.

(Steve Johnson)

I skied the Green, Orange, and half the Yellow in light falling snow, 12F. There's just enough new snow in the tracks to make striding fun, but you do occasionally catch the pole basket under the icy crust. No one has skated. Herringbone is difficult because there's not enough snow to get an edge.

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(Burgess Eberhardt)

Very, very icy! The freezing rain left a thick hard crust everywhere. I skied Blue Return and around Red Trail. Many pole plants skipped off, I had to plant poles firmly, straight down. Herring-boning and snow plowing were almost non-effective. I went down hills slowly or side step, unless a straight away. With all the above cautions, my fish scales worked surprisingly good on the flats and in the well formed tracks, so it was a fun ski in spite of ice.

Photos:

(Steve Langenbrunner)