Skated all trails but ski games. (Others said ski games was soft and groomer had been on it.) Very soft and lots of snow. Skis sunk in but good base beneath the new snow. Groomer was out making several passes on the trails. Will be great once the snow settles and compacts.

(Karen Katz)

Lots of YSL kids were hitting the trails at the same time I was (2:30pm). Nice to see the next generation of skiers slugging it out in the 3"+ of new snow, although most were skating and it was a tough day for that. I opted to spend most of my time on the Ski Games trail, as it had nicely set and then skied-in tracks (after my first couple passes!) and the tracks held up pretty well (unlike most of the Winthrop trails, where the tracks were thin and pretty crowned/squirrely in a lot of places). It was snowing the entire time so the Ski Games tracks never got very fast but they were solid enough to get decent thrust with a soft kick. Head over to Ski Games if you are striding Battle Creek on Monday and want nice tracks.
If you are skating, you'd best stay on the Winthrop side until the system is rolled again. There the new snow on the skate deck was reasonably skied in, whereas the Ski Games deck did not get enough traffic to compact the new snow - looked like pretty tough going.

(Pete Thurmes)

All trails repacked this morning, tracks on all trails except Gold. It's a winter wonderland. Lots of deer on the Ski Games side.

(Bill Kosfeld)

Skated the silver loop, which was super soft and slow but still fun. Swapped the skates for classics after one lap and did silver/gold plus ski games loops (gold and ski games not yet groomed but a blast). Classic was more fun. Grooming began when I finished (and looks really sweet) so these comments may be obsolete soon.

Photos:

(Alan Chapman)

We groomed late this afternoon towards the end of the snow. 1-2" fell as we were working. We concentrated on the 5K silver trail and ended up doing 4 passes that included setting a classic track on the last one. Lots and lots of snow. The wind was really picking up when we left so that will fill in the corduroy and the classic. The best skiing might be striding on the skate lanes as it is still soft out there .

(John O'Connell)

The 5 k Silver trail was fully groomed so the deck should set up nicely, although some push off on the uphills reveals ice just below the surface. Tracks were set, but will require caution due to ice underneath and debris/dirt in some areas, especially in the open prairie section. Trails in the woods held more snow, so groomed out nicely with tracks in better condition. The rest of the system was rolled including the Ski Games side. Caution: A crew has been removing buckthorn on the Ski Games side, so be aware of some debris present in certain sections. Plan is to groom more of the system as additional snowfall warrants.

(Doug Schumacher)

We were able compact the newly falling snow on the Silver trail this evening, finishing just as the snow fall stopped around 8:30 PM. Due to icy subsurface, grooming was not possible, and tracks were not set. Grooming plans: With little likelihood of snow fall tomorrow, more compaction will take place on other sections of the trail system with the hope that we will be able to groom and set tracks by the weekend.

(Doug Schumacher)

Enjoyed gold, ski games, and bronze loops - no significant difference in quality between trails.

Photos:

(Alan Chapman)

Trails smoothed out this morning. Very good conditions in many sections; ground and debris and uneven surface in others. High school teams enjoying being on the hills and natural snow. With taking some care one can have a fun ski. The tracks are especially prone to having leaves, twigs and bare spots.

(Bill Kosfeld)

Groomed the skate lane this morning and it is good but many areas of leaves or dirt spots showing through. The base is very thin in a lot of areas. Thus use your B skis and you will still have a fun ski. Classic trail is marginal but much better on the Ski Games side -- 70% good on Ski Games side. We need more snow and then we will groom again. We groomed the World Cup trail so the downhills have been groomed.

(David Gorringe)