I took advantage of the brief break from arctic temperatures to skate ski from P8 across the Doldrums, up the Connector, up the FP to Ridge Road, along Ridge Road to the Champlain Lookout, and back via the CP and FP. The snow was a bit cold for good glide (my skis were howling in complaint) but offered superb control. There was a lot of dirt in the lower part of the connector but I didn't see or hit any rocks. Coverage was complete in the Khyber Pass and along Ridge Road between Huron and the Lookout. In places (like the top of the FP) the grooming seemed very recent and skiing was fabulous but in others (the CP near the Lookout) it really didn't look like any recent grooming had been done, and skating up hills was a chore. The skate lane on Ridge Road was quite polished from skier traffic, but my edges still held. Be careful if you try energetic double poling in the tracks on Ridge- the snow is still very loose on the outside border and you may find your outside pole suddenly losing support. Given the spotty grooming I'd award 4.5 stars to conditions. P8 was effectively full when I returned, with lots out enjoying a great ski day.