I skied two of the the inner trails today, Mother North Star and Jibfly. Temps were in the low 30s. I used Fischer Zero skis and they gripped very well. Extra caution advised before proceeding on some of the downhills, to check the sun has not opened any unexpected holes in the trail that may grab your ski and cause a fall. I also skied Twin Lakes and also part of the Island Lake trail. Coverage was surprisingly mostly very good in the trees. There were a couple of thin spots, usually on a south facing exposure after catching some extra sun. It was excellent spring skiing conditions (but the calendar still only says "January"). No matter the temps and despite the limited snowfall, you won't find better conditions in my opinion, and it's always a good day to ski Maplelag. Thank you.

(Glenn Gifford)

Fun spring like skiing this morning. Skaters Waltz was skiing well until noon or so. Tracks were bit icy but better at softening point. We spent the afternoon and early evening shoveling and farming snow on to Sap Run and Skaters Waltz and grooming after. Another day bit warmer than forecasted and along with sun, the base deteriorated with more thin areas opening up.
The trails will be closing at noon on Tuesday to try and preserve the base we have during this warm spell as we continue shoveling on the above trails.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

A beautiful morning of skiing before getting warm with a little bit of melting and softening in the afternoon. Great seeing everyone out this weekend enjoying the conditions we have. Sunshine and frost made for beautiful skiing despite the thin base. We will have the trails open in the morning Monday and Tuesday for those that have inquired. Expect icy conditions before it softens. No grooming since Saturday evening. We ask people to ski in the morning to help preserve the base of snow we have during this upcoming warm period. Operating plans: We will be snow farming and shoveling snow on Skaters Waltz and Sap Run every day this week for weekend skiing and the section races next week. We ask people stay off these trails to preserve our snow farming efforts. Thank you! Photos from Brittany Diederich.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Snow cover remains good at Maplelag today, and the classic tracks were in decent shape overall. I used Zero skis today and they worked very well for today's spring-like conditions. We were off the trail by early afternoon as the snow was starting to feel like March instead of January. Last night's soft rime ice/hoar frost on the trees was starting to fall from the trees which gave the ski trails a light dusting to freshen things up a bit for Sunday.

(Glenn Gifford)

Beautiful morning/afternoon of skiing Skaters Waltz/North Loop! Blue sky and frosty trees- a lovely gift. Trails beautifully groomed, and snow conditions very user-friendly. Thank you, Richards family!

(Cindy Spidahl)

A beautiful day on the trails. Clouds gave way to sunshine which highlighted the beautiful frost on the trees. A busy day on the trails and thanks everyone that skied in the morning. Trails held out well. At dusk, Skaters Waltz and the skate lane on North Loup was combed and compacted. Looks to be a bit warmer tomorrow, best to get out in the morning again for best conditions. Tracks might be a bit icy early but sweet spot around 10am-12pm. 34km groomed with tracks set, 15km groomed for skate skiing.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Skate deck was in great shape considering the lack of snowfall and warmer temps this season. Members of the grooming team were out tuning the trails while we were there. Shoveling snow into the low spots along with reconditioning the deck. Should be great for the weekend! We didn't classic ski but those trails looked in good condition also.

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(Ben Olson)

A frosty Friday, high temp around 29F. Snow and base holding out well. 34km groomed for classic, 15km groomed for skate. Reports from skiers good both skate and classic. This evening we groomed the Section Skate course. Get out in morning for best skiing. Photo: Skaters Waltz extension by Peder Arneson.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

Sub 30 temperatures remain in place and no melting. We are locked into a zonal flow of upper 20's, thick clouds and high humidity which looks to remain in place looking at the graphs on the NWS. This is keeping the base intact and providing continued skiing opportunities. The base is holding out well and reports from the skiers have been good. No grooming today but we shoveled snow on Sap Run today building up the base in the thinner areas. Best track skiing is on Rootin Tootin, Mother North Star and North Loup. Skating good on all the skate loops, better coverage on Skaters Waltz, couple thin spots on North Loup but totally skiable. Photo from Jamey Jessen on North Loup classic skiing.

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(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)

We were slightly cooler today then yesterday for a high temperature (29F) and along with thick clouds above, the base and deck held out well. Skied all the skate trails at lunch time and was pleasantly surprised the deck was a bit more firm than I expected after grooming last night. The thin base and frost down deep keeping the base cooler then the air temperature and helping with snow retention. North Loup and the extension loops of Skaters Waltz a bit more firm now. Skaters Waltz remains the most firm trail on the system. The snow farming crew was back at it this afternoon building up the base on Sap Run and Mother North Star and a new track was set in those areas. Also a new track was set on JibFly which is now double tracked. Before the evening groom on Skaters Waltz, went out for a short spin on the fat bike trail. The deck holding out nicely even after rider traffic today. Just a few areas minor rutting but overall riding great. Best to ride before noon or the evening.

Photos:

(Jay Richards, Maplelag Resort)