No I didn't ski on the Doldrums for 5 hours! I was out twice, once for a short ski with a friend at 10:00, and again later in the day for a longer skate ski. Conditions were superb in the morning, although I misjudged the grip wax entirely. Something stickier than I used (minus 1 to minus 3) would have worked better. The skating was lovely in the afternoon, at least on the North Loop. By 3:00, though, the previously sunny spots were starting to become icy and a bit rutted, probably neither helped or hindered by the fact that a groomer passed around 2:00 in the skate lane while the snow was warm.
Also, this from a serious skier friend who skied more trails than I did today. " The conditions from P9-P9 were the best. Ridge was quite firm having been thoroughly skied in after grooming and Penguin was icy and treacherous."

The freeze-thaw cycles are a sure sign that spring is here. It's the time of year when a carefully timed (i.e. when it's cold out, not wet ) daily grooming can really extend the ski season and keep all the weekday pass holders happy. Fingers crossed that the grooming continues as long as there is snow.