Former Lutsen ski hill and Lutsen Resort owner George Nelson (front center in sweater) was one of many people on hand for the celebration commemorating the opening of the single track mountain biking trails at Britton Peak on Saturday, September 29. There are now three interconnecting trails open to bikers/hikers: an expert loop, a beginner loop and an intermediate loop. If all goes well with a current proposal for a Legacy Grant, as many as 17 more miles of trail will be built in the next couple of years and will connect with the ski hill built and founded by George and his wife, Patti.
Vaughn Swindlehurst’s cheeks were as red as the maple leaves splattered against the sky and matted on the ground around him and his legs looked a little bit like spaghetti noodles when he got off his bike. He took off his sweaty helmet, adjusted his glasses and told his dad he was headed to the food stand for some nourishment.
“He’s been riding trails non-stop since 2:30 p.m.,” said his dad, Mike, adding, “So he’s hungry.”
Pretty impressive for a 10-year-old to pedal single track trails for 2½ hours. This reporter couldn’t help notice that Mike Swindlehurst looked a little bit tired himself after he got off his bike.
Mike and Vaughn were just two of the more than 50 people on hand Saturday, September 29 to celebrate the newly built single-track mountain bike trails on Britton Peak in Tofte.
The Superior Cycling Association (SCA), Sugarbush Trail Association, Tofte town board, Sawtooth Outfitters of Tofte and Superior North Outdoor Center in Grand Marais, hosted the event.
It was a glorious day for a bike ride on Saturday, Sept. 29, and this smiling rider was one of over 50 people to try out the new single-track mountain biking trails at Britton Peak. Bicyclists that took in all three loops pedaled more than 5 miles and were awed by the vistas and beautiful boreal forest they rode through.
While most people rode mountain bikes, some people hiked through the fall leaves that decorated the paths and mostly hid blue skies tucked behind the overhanging pine branches or maple, birch, and poplar leaves.
Britton Peak is now the home of three interconnecting single-track loops for mountain bikers and hikers. There is a beginners’ loop, an intermediate loop, and an expert loop that offer 5½ miles of gorgeous scenery and a chance to build fitness in an enjoyable, yet challenging way.
“The trails are built sustainably to withstand erosion and will not need a lot of maintenance,” said Molly Hicken, a member of SCA.
“They are also built for safety using International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) standards,” said Hicken, adding that berms were built in to ensure safe, banked corners for riders.
So far funding to build the trails has come from a $30,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service to the Sugarbush Trail Association and a $27,000 donation from the township of Tofte. Several private businesses and individuals have also contributed money, Hicken said.
“As an organization SCA has recently applied for a Legacy Grant for $914,000. If we get the funds the plan is to build 17 more miles of trails, including a traverse trail that would connect us to Lutsen Mountains,” said Hicken.
To a layman that might not sound impressive. But to mountain bikers who crave riding single-track trails, that addition plus the seven newly built single track trails at Pincushion Mountain in Grand Marais, would put Cook County on the map as one of the top spots in the nation to ride.
SCA board member Tim Kennedy said the U.S. Forest Service has been instrumental in the development of the trails at Britton Peak.
“Originally this started as a Boy Scout project two years ago. When the Forest Service found out the Boy Scouts wanted to build a single-track trail they jumped in and gave them a lot of assistance. When we found out that they were in favor of building a single track trail at Britton Peak our club got involved along with the Sugarbush Trail Association and the town of Tofte and it’s been a good collaboration since then,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy said the Forest Service not only offered the land for the trails but also contributed staff time to help with trail clearing and trail siting. The Minnesota Conservation Corps has also helped with labor and the township of Tofte has given $27,000 to hire a professional trail developer.
The trails at Britton Peak offer spectacular views of fall colors and vistas of the surrounding area. They are located about one mile up the road from the Tofte General Store in Tofte just off of Highway 61.
Kennedy said the club would know sometime in January or February if the Legacy Funds will be awarded to ensure further trail building at Britton Peak. But on this day, all that mattered to most of the riders was the beauty that surrounded them and the challenges the single-track trails provided. That, and the hot dogs and food at the end of the ride, which Vaughn gave a huge thumbs up.
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