The Parks Division of the City of Madison is hard at work trying to cope with the snow and ice storm that occurred over the past weekend. Crews have been busy plowing streets and bike paths.

The cross country ski trails are not ready for skiing at this time. Crews are working to break through the heavy crust of ice over the snow and will try to pack a base today. They will not be able to set any tracks for the next few days until the weather is more cooperative and provides snow with no rain or ice.

Cross Country Ski Passes for the 2007~2008 skiing season are now available for sale. Annual passes will be $24.00. The daily ski pass is $6.00. Skiers under 16 ski for free. Ski Trail Pass Replacements as well as passes for Senior or Persons w/Disabilities are $10.00. The City of Madison and Dane County maintain a cooperative cross-country ski trail pass program. Fees collected by each agency are used to support their own trails.

Trail passes are required at Madison's Elver Park and Odana Golf Course ski trails, and at all groomed Dane Country trails. Brochures containing maps of the various trails are available from both the City and County. For additional information please call 266-4711 (city) or 246-3896 (county).

No trail pass is required to use facilities at Owen Park, Olin-Turville, Monona Golf Course, and Cherokee Marsh.

Annual Passes can be purchased at the City of Madison Parks Division Administrative Office in Room 104 of the City County Building, 210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Madison, WI Daily and Annual Passes can also be purchased at the trail sites.

The Parks Division would also like to remind everyone, that for safety, until there is a minimum of 4 to 6 inches of ice, it is not reliable or strong enough to allow equipment to properly prepare the ice for skating. Until the ice is strong enough at the edges, equipment cannot move onto the ice surface to plane it for good skating.

The Parks Division will have the outdoor skating rinks ready for skaters as soon as conditions are safe. Please listen to your local radio station for the latest conditions.