There is about 5cm of nice fresh powder at P8 overlying maybe 1mm of ice accumulation from freezing rain. I did a skate pass of the Doldrums followed by a quick poke up the GP towards P5. Skate conditions were surprisingly good. Most of the way I stayed over the pavement near the middle of the road and although I had to be careful to ride a flat ski, I did not ground out once. Skiing was definitely better where the snow had been packed down a bit by other skiers or the several runners/walkers I saw. I also skied on the grass margin at the side of the road if there were no classic tracks. This also worked well, and I didn't have to put up with my poles hitting pavement. P8 had perhaps eight cars when I left around 11AM, so parking will not be a problem. The roads around Chelsea are still a bit icy but the salt trucks are out and the pavement should be clear by afternoon. It is worth the drive from Ottawa and a more ambitious skier could easily have completed the parkway loop.