After enjoying the natural snow in the Madison area over the past 6 weeks I finally made the 50-minute drive east to Lapham Peak to prep for the manmade stuff awaiting in Cable next weekend. Had a great time at Lapham enjoying super fast ball bearing skate conditions. The classic track was icy and so fast you could double pole uphill if that was your thing. I offered up an “excellent” rating not so much for the conditions but for the fun loop and the chatty social setting. I ran into several friends from the Milwaukee area that cut into my “moving time “ but I could get used to these artificial snow venues. If that is the future of Midwest Nordic so be it.