Hi. This is Steve Robertsen, interpretation and education specialist for the Superior National Forest with the first National Forest Update of the year. 2020 seems like an incredibly futuristic date to me, and while we don’t have flying cars yet, we do have robotic vacuums, pocket computers, and drones.
In the midst of all that tech stuff, some of which might be still piled under your Christmas tree, it is nice to know that you can head out into the woods on skis or snowshoes and enjoy the true quiet of the snow covered forest.
Most trails are in fairly good shape for skiing, fat biking, or snowmobiling. The rain and ice that fell since Christmas created some very slick and unforgiving trails, but since then we’ve had enough real snow to cover that ice over. You will still need to be cautious of icy places where the wind might have scoured off the new snow, or where heavy use has worn the trail down to the ice, but for the most part, trails are good. That is in no small part due to the work of our trail partners who do the grooming and maintaining of most of the trails in the Forest.
Ice is thickening on lakes, but due to the warm temperatures and snow cover, some may still have thin spots and many of them have that wonderful layer of slush. Check ice depth before you head onto the lake, and be prepared to rescue yourself in case you go through.
We’ve said this one before: If you are planning on plowing a road in the Forest to access a lake or cabin, please, please stop by the office for a permit. These are called road-use permits and they are free. The permits allow us to keep track of open roads, and they are required if you are going to plow.
Some roads are in use by logging trucks. Trucks on the Tofte District are using the Caribou Trail, Schroeder Tote Road, Hoist Lake Road, and Lake County 7. On the Gunflint District, look for trucks on the Firebox Road, Greenwood Road, Sunfish Lake Road, Gunflint Trail, Cook County 14, Cook County 60, and the Hall Road.
It’s also the season to be on the look-out for people with binoculars. It’s time for the annual Audubon sponsored Christmas Bird Count. The Christmas Bird Count is the longest running citizen science project, with counts being held since the year 1900. The data are used in all sorts of research which require analysis of long term trends in bird populations. The count in Grand Marais was held December 14 and recorded 32 species and over 1400 individuals, somewhat fewer than last year. This weekend, a count is being held in Isabella, so if you see cars pulled over and people standing around gazing into the woods in that area, they are looking for the elusive black-backed woodpecker or boreal chickadee.
Birders might be out this weekend, but next weekend fat tire bike enthusiasts will be racing in the Norpine Fat Tire Classic. This race uses the connecting trail between the Massey-Hall and Deer Yard cross country ski trail systems, which is normally open to fat tire biking. It also uses portions of those two trail systems which are usually not designated for biking.
Skiers on race day morning may want to find alternative ski areas due to bike use, and bikers should be aware that there could be skiers on those trails. Please follow race guidelines regarding groomed ski tracks.
We at the Forest Service hope that your holiday season was a good one! If you got new skis, or a fat bike, or snowshoes, or a sled, or dog harnesses, or anything else that gets you outside in our Minnesota winter, it’s time to get out and use it! Tempting as it may be to hibernate indoors with the last of the Christmas cookies and a mug of your favorite holiday cheer, go ahead and find your coat and boots, get outside, and enjoy the Forest. Wishing you a happy 2020, this is Steve Robertsen with the National Forest Update.
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