Cook County Ridgeriders
This week’s update from Sky Dan:
“We rode all the trails on Sunday and the conditions varied a lot. Starting at Devil Track Lake it is recommended not to use the X trail up to Two Island Lake. There will be a lot of bare spots and dirt. From there the Expressway had some fair conditions up to great conditions in different portions of the trail. Most should last for the next weekend.
“Conditions up near Poplar Lake are going to be poor and difficult to get to the facilities in that area unless you expect spring riding conditions and are expecting a lack of snow. The best areas I found that had no dirt and bare spots were the Swamper Trail, Musquash Trail and the lower portion of the Gunflint Trail. Expect to be able to access these areas from the east end of Devil Track Lake at the Landing Restaurant, the parking lot at Two Island Lake and the parking lot on the Gunflint Trail near the Greenwood Road. That is about 15 miles from Grand Marais.
“It is impossible to ride into Grand Marais as the south facing hill has lost all its snow. The State Trail has snow but again expect bare spot in the corners. The are plenty of lakes that offer good snow and fun riding, so spend some time in those areas to get your miles in. All the facilities will be open and will welcome any and all the hardcore folks who want that last chance to get out and ride in Cook County!”
We talked to the trail manager Sunday and there will be grooming going on into the week as conditions permit. For more information and contacts see our website at www. boreal.org/RidgeRiders/
Pincushion Mountain Ski Trails
Skiing has turned to spring-like conditions with the recent warm weather. As of March 5, many parts of the trail system still have good conditions but many parts now have transformed — icy snow where you need to let the warm temps soften the surface before skating. Classic skiing is definitely Klister conditions. The trail system is also getting a little “dirty,” as debris has not been covered by any recent snowfalls. Future grooming is likely to be by snowmobile to preserve the thinner-than-normal trail base. When cooler temps return, especially if combined with a little fresh snow, good skiing conditions will return quickly. Go to pincushiontrails. org for the latest conditions.
Sugarbush Trail Association
The skating lanes have been touched up to remove ruts from skate skiing in soft snow. As of March 7, the packed base was 4 to 10 inches, with no new snow during the last week. Season snowfall stands at 41 inches. More details may be found at www.sugarbushtrail.org
Bearskin Lodge
All of the trails were groomed March 6. With temperatures well above freezing for over a week and trace amounts of new snow, we were unsure how the trails would hold up, but the grooming was a success and all of the trails are in very good shape. We still have an 8-10 inch base in most places and the tracks are very hard. The warm weather during the day followed by freezing temps at night made some of the trails a bit icy so we used the power tiller today to break up the ice that was starting to form. It did the trick and most of the ice is gone.
We all have to take advantage of the warm weather and the surprisingly good skiing conditions, since skiing might not be much of an option if this warm streak keeps up!
For a complete round-up, see bearskintrailreports.wordpress. com or call (218) 388-2292.
Golden Eagle
We groomed all the trails on the north side of Flour Lake as well as the North-South Link and the west end of the Logging Camp earlier this week using the snowcat with renovator attachment. It is spring conditions, so firm in the morning and then softening up in the afternoon. There are a few icy areas on the south-facing hills but overall the tracks are holding in very well.
We will be using caution in grooming while we have these warm days so as not to destroy our base. Overall conditions remain “very good.” Visit www.golden-eagle.com for all the latest.
Norpine Trails
Expect early spring conditions, some bare spots on lower part of Hall/Massey loops. Best skiing in this area is from Caribou to Lutsen Ski Hill Road. Some icing in the mornings or after the sun goes down behind the mountains. Snow depth ranges from 8 to 50 inches. Base depth is up to 24 inches. Visit www. norpinetrails.org for the latest information.
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