After about 8" (20 cm) of new snow last Sunday, the Syncline trails were packed and cleared of deadfall today. Parking lots are clean.
So the skiing should be best conditions of the season so far.

Friends were out yesterday on the Syncline trails and say they were very good: 2-3 inches of new snow on top of some hard pack. And since then we've had another 4 inches of powder.
So, take advantage of these sunny days, before the wind blows and try out your new snowshoes and skis.

A couple of weeks ago the skies gave the Syncline trails more than two feet of snow. A week later and the chinook hit and by this last weekend all we had left on the trails was a few inches of crust. BUT, then, on Friday night it snowed a couple of inches and the ski yesterday, December 14, was very good and quite fast (be careful on the downhill!). Still not enough snow for snowshoeing. Conditions will deteriorate with a lot of use or lack of snow, but for the next while they should be good.
P.S. the trails have been designated by the Alberta Government to become a provincial park, though when this will actually happen is unknown.

I haven't any updated reports on the Syncline X-C trails, but I expect they are in decent shape, though no new snow from the last report.

On the other hand, good news from a member about Beauvais:

i just chattted with CarolLee and she said the trails at Beauvais were being packed and even track set today!
i had only found one small trail that had been packed long long ago this season…. so this will be very nice!

A couple of inches (5 cm) of new snow over the last 24 hours at the Syncline X-C trails, so the skiing should be good for a little while

I went out on the River Loop yesterday and with the fresh snow it was really

quite good. I used my classic skis with blue wax and even though it was

around +1, I had no problems.

I skied to the ski hill on the back trail and found that on the un-skied

area it was the best snow/no ice. Yes there was barely any snow under some

of the big trees 1/2 way to the hill by the river. There are some big moose

tracks punched along the trail and lots of coyote tracks as well. Either

wolf or cat tracks too. As this is a wildlife corridor, it is great to see

the wildlife using this route. Closer to the ski hill there are the usual

springs open on the trail - some I could ski over as there was a snow bridge

but the last ones I took my skis off and walked in the water and carried on.

It took me 2 3/4 hrs. pretty much straight skiing.... W

X-C skiing on the Syncline trails is not recommended. There's lots of snow, but it's old and it's hard-packed, fast and tricky, difficult going downhill.
We need snow.

I've learned that there is from 6-8 inches of new snow on the Syncline Trails, the parking lots have been cleared, and tomorrow, Sunday, the trails will be packed - starting mid-morning if all goes well.

Enjoy yourselves.