Decided to take an extended weekend to get another ski in. Parked at P17 and was surprised at how many cars there were... but that somehow didn't translate to the trails which were pretty quiet. Did a loop of the Wakefield triangle going up 52 from the start and then looping past P19 and back along 53. Added a little bonus by going up 54 black to Lusk lake and then down the groomed trail back to 50.

Everything was freshly groomed after last nights freezing rain (except 54 black of course) and in great shape. I found 52 to be a little bit icy compared to the other trails but perhaps it only received one pass of the groomer while the other main trails get an "out and back" double pass which ground up the crust a bit more. It was still in excellent shape but I could have used a binder on that stretch to preserve my grip wax.

The climb up 54 black was a bit of a challenge with the icy crust from the freezing rain. Someone had skied down it prior to my arrival and broken things up a bit. Perhaps I helped to break it up some more by going in the opposite direction. Once up to Lusk lake, the warm sun was already softening the crust a bit so that part of the trail was a little easier to traverse.

53 was groomed extra wide, no doubt in preparation for the upcoming loppet. I expect they can get 4 sets of tracks down it for the first few kms for Saturdays races and then be wide enough for 2 lanes of skaters on Sunday. As it was today, two classic tracks on the outside edges were excellent. A nice sunny day to be out on the trails.