Tried the classic track and skate lane last night and as could be expected given the weather, it was a mixed bag. The classic track is OK but really needs more snow as it is starting to ice over. For December in Central Iowa though, it is still darn good. The real trick was what grip wax? The temp was 34 degrees, some spots were icy and some still soft. Did I need a different grip wax or klister for the evening? Red/Silver was the softest kick wax in my bag and it just wasn't enough to avoid a double pole up every hill so I tried a universal klister and it was great for the areas that had been exposed to the light drizzle of the day but in protected areas it was way too much grip. Lesson learned, carry more wax and klister when you are skiing in tough conditions.
The skate lane remains in really good shape (at least by my limited experience). It is hard packed and icy at most trail connections but otherwise there is still good snow to push off and of course the glide is fast. Note dangerous, icy out of control fast, more like big grin fast.
Let's hope all this rain, wintery mix stuff misses us and we get another 4"-6" of snow. Merry Christmas all!
