At press time, local ski and snowmobile groups provided the following snow report:
Sugarbush Trail Association
We do not have enough snow to groom the Sugarbush Trails. Some people have been skiing on the lakes or driving farther north to encounter more snow, although there is only about 8 inches on the ground near the BWCA. There is also some skiing off the Gunflint Trail with about 6-8 inches of snow. See www.sugarbushtrail.org for the latest conditions.
Gunflint Pines
All ski trails (approx. 42K) are open and packed except Amperage, Magnetic and South Rim. A single track is laid on Warren’s Road and the Gunflint Pines Campground loop. Snow conditions and skiing are good, with 6-8 inches of snow in the woods. As of Dec. 21, there is a packed snow base of 3-4 inches. Visit www.gunflintpines.com for all of the up-to-theminute trail news.
Sawbill Trail
Bill Hansen reports Dec. 20 that Sawbill is one of the few places in Minnesota that has enough snow for cross country skiing right now. “I’ve groomed the unplowed campground roads for both classic and skating technique and a few people have been driving up to ski. The lake is also excellent for skiing right now,” Hansen said. “The snow is a little deep near shore where the wind has piled it up, but it’s only 2 or 3 inches deep on most of the lake. The ice is over a foot thick and there is no slush on the ice which makes travel very pleasant.” Call (218) 663-7150 for the latest conditions.
Bearskin
Bob has groomed and tracked Summer Home and Campground trails. Everyone who skied has reported conditions on those trails to be great early season skiing. Lit Loop has also been groomed, but the snow does not completely cover the stubble yet — we’d call that fair to good in most places.
Lake skiing has been fairly good on East Bearskin. Lakes along the Gunflint froze up this winter at greatly differing rates; some are just starting to freeze. We know it’s safe to ski on East Bearskin Lake because we’ve been measuring ice thickness here, but we don’t know about ice thickness on any other lakes in the area. For all the latest conditions, see bearskintrailreports. wordpress.com/
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