A recent generous snowfall has cross-country skiers excited. Some, but not all, of the county’s 500 kilometers of cross country ski trails have been groomed and are ready for action.
All skiers between the ages of 16-64 who ski on non-federal trails must pick up a Minnesota State Ski Pass. Nordic skiers who ski the central and upper Gunflint Trails must purchase a ski pass.
. Banadad Trails
Dec. 27 report: Ted Young reports that there are 15 inches of snow on the ground with a compacted base of 12 inches. “We tracked 20 kilometers of the Banadad,” said Young. All of the trails (Lace Lake, Tall Pines, and Knapp) on the eastern end have been tracked, Young said. They total 6.4 kilometers for cross country skiers to navigate. On Dec. 24 two groomers set out to track the entire 30 kilometers of the Banadad but were forced to turn back by frigid temperatures midway along the trail. “We plan to complete tracking later this week – hopefully, after it warms up a bit,” Young said. For the latest conditions, see bct@boundarycountry.com
. Bearskin
Dec. 20 report: We’re back in that cycle of new snow falling every day, which is what makes Bearskin such a predictably reliable cross country ski center. Quinn groomed Summer Home, Campground, Lit Loop, Upper and Lower Beaver Dam, and Ridge Run again today with the Pisten Bully. Quinn and Kate have skied the trails several times over the past few days, and they’re pretty happy with the results of the early grooming. Summer Home and Campground have been groomed many times now since our first snow in late October, so they are by far the best trails at this point. But the other trails on the above list are coming along nicely. This evidently will not be a Christmas season with low snow conditions on the trails. Two other trails, Bear Cub and Oxcart, have been Pisten Bully groomed once. Quinn will continue to go out on those whenever it snows. Poplar Creek Trail has been packed, and in amazing news, the wet areas that always cause problems on that trail finally might be frozen. It shouldn’t be too long before that trail is also groomed and ready to enjoy. See bearskintrailreports.wordpress.com/ for the most recent conditions.
. Golden Eagle
Dec. 20 report: We’ve been getting snow every day, even on days when no snow was forecast. We’re continuing to groom trails every day, preparing for the busy post- Christmas week. We consistently have snow over the holiday break, but some years have been better than others. This year is looking good! For the latest, call 1-800-346-2203 or 218-388-2203.
. Sugarbush Trail Association
On Dec. 22, we received 3-4 inches of light, fluffy snow over the past day or two. Groomers have been out rolling the whole system. The best trailhead for skiing access is Oberg Mountain. Snow is thin on the trails near Britton Peak and a little better out of Oberg. Onion River road is groomed for skate and classic skiing. The connector trail is groomed for skate and classic from Oberg to Homestead Loop. Picnic Ridge is groomed for skate and classic to Hogback Loop. Groomers are planning to groom Moose Fence shortly. There is more snow on the Picnic Ridge and at Moose Fence.
. Pincushion Trails
As reported Dec. 14 there are 6-8 inches of very dry and light snow with this last clipper. The West Overlook and Lower Snowman trails have been packed, and the entire system has been rolled. Snow amounts vary with elevation, with the lower Pincushion Mountain trail having the least and Upper Snowman and North Advanced trails receiving greater amounts. There is a decent base on Snowman, Lynn’s Loop, and West Overlook so that those trails will be tracked for classic skiing soon. The rest of the system needs more snow before we can do much – we’re hoping for wind and flurries over the next few days to help with the base. Again, Pincushion Mountain in particular still has exposed rocks and some very shallow areas.
Leave a Reply