Thurs. Afternoon Update

I groomed this morning, completing about 95% of the trails. Most were done with roller and snow comb only. I tried some tracksetting in the central portion, but it was only partly successful. The grooming was beneficial I think. First, I managed to pack down the crust so that it no longer collapses under your ski as you pass over. Second, I picked up numerous fallen branches and twigs, brought down by the ice. There are still some on the trails (and they continue to fall) but I think I got most of the bigger ones.
There are numerous wet spots, where slush was hiding just below the surface. When I packed the snow, these became evident. Now that they are exposed to the air, they should freeze as the temperature drops. Another bit of good news: the snowfall still continues as I write this, coming down at a rate of about 1 cm per hour. This is filling in the tracks and the grooves in the corduroy, and making for a nice surface to ski on.
If you come skiing, you will have to duck under some low-hanging branches, mostly pines. I pruned the worst of them while I groomed but there are more, so keep your eyes open!

Groomer sitting on Mainline in the north end. showing ice-laden trees

Trail #12 along the edge of the soybean field, with heavily laden maples