After all the weather hype around yesterday's storm, I imagine skiers will be wondering whether the trails survived the predicted mess of rain and freezing rain. Well Chelsea received only a very thin crust of ice with several cm of powder snow beneath it and ice pellets on top - and the temperatures did not go above zero. All good!
The NCC grooming report indicated that all trail were "recommended" but the last grooming appeared as February 6th - well before the freezing rain event. This morning would have been a perfect opportunity to indicate the actual time of grooming and thus encourage skiers to come and enjoy the excellent conditions!
Only one bizarre thing on the north loop: A snowmobile chose to use the very center of the skate lane, apparently when the grooming was very fresh. This is despite there being already a large, dedicated snowmobile lane paralleling the classic tracks. ?!?!?!? Why?!?? It was hardening up as the temperatures dropped and certainly impacted the enjoyment and possibly even the safety of the skate skiers.