Cook County and much of the Tip of the Arrowhead received six to 16 inches of white fluffy snow over the last weekend (and early part of this week) which was a blessing for anyone who takes part in snow sports, be that cross country skiing, downhill skiing, snowmobiling or snowshoeing.
. George Washington Pines Trail— The trail is groomed and in good shape. Most icy sections are now covered with packed powder. The path is shared between cross country skiers, snowshoers, and people using dogs for skijoring. For those who are snowshoeing, please do not walk on the groomed cross country ski tracks.
. Banadad Ski Report—The skiing is excellent! All of the 41k Banadad Trail system trails are tracked. There are 19 inches of snow on the ground with a compact base of 16 inches. Both west and east end trails are tracked. On January 15 the Lace Lake, Tall Pines, and Knapp trails were retracked. For more information, check out banadad.blogspot.com or call 218-388-4487.
. Bally Creek Trails—The Bally Creek Trail system is groomed and in good shape. Watch our for skijorers and other trail users.
. Pincushion Mountain—All of the trails in the Pincushion System have been Pisten Bully groomed over the past couple of days. All classic tracks have been reset, and the skate deck is as smooth as it has been all winter. Enjoy the trails. pincushiontrails.org Minnesota Ski Pass required.
. Norpine Trail Association— Cascade River Area/ Deeryard Trails
Skate lanes are groomed, and all west end trails have been rolled, and tracks are set! We have good snow cover.
. Central Gunflint Ski Trail Report—Trails have been groomed and set with a classic track; 70 km groomed with skate lane: 64 km surface conditions. Conditions are still excellent on the Central Gunflint Ski Trail System. All trails are open, groomed, and in remarkable shape – don’t miss out on some excellent February skiing!
For the most up-to-date grooming information, as well as specific trail conditions, contact Golden Eagle Lodge (1-800-346-2203) or Bearskin Lodge (1-800-338-4170). Central Gunflint Ski Pass required.
. Upper Gunflint Trails—The Upper Gunflint Nordic Ski Trails have a 7– to 13-inch base, with 14 – 34 inches of snow off trail. Our overall snowfall since October is approximately 39.5 inches. Lonely Lake, Big Pine, Little Pine, Amperage, and part of Overlook have been recently groomed. The remaining trails should be groomed in the next 48 hours. Please support our trails by purchasing an Upper Gunflint Trail Ski Pass available at Gunflint Lodge (800-328-3325), Gunflint Pines (800-533-5814), or Heston’s Lodge (800-338-7230).
The 40 miles of the Upper Gunflint Ski Trail system is maintained by the Gunflint Lake Trails Group, and we require an Upper Gunflint Trail Ski pass for usage. Funds raised from these passes pay for land lease fees, and grooming expenses. All of these resorts are located on the South Gunflint Lake Road. Daily, weekend, week, and seasonal passes are available.
. Sugarbush Trail Report— “We received over 12 inches of fresh snow Feb. 18, and it’s still snowing lightly.” Groomers were out that evening, packing and rolling the new snow. It will take some time to pack the new snow, and once that is done, grooming will commence. Our priority trails out of Britton Peak and Oberg Mountain trailheads will be groomed first.
We had a successful candlelight ski and snowshoe hike on Saturday night. It was a beautiful evening with moderate temperatures. Thanks to organizers Lynn and Randy Wiitala, luminary volunteers, our marketing partner Visit Cook County, firewood provider Bluefin Resort, and hot chocolate/cookie provider Lutsen Resort.
Our next event is scheduled for Saturday, March 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Sugar Tour will start at the Oberg trailhead and is a fun, family event designed to challenge skiers. Distances of 5, 8, and 17k are part of this challenge.
. Fat tire biking—The Norpine Trail Association has opened some trails for fat tire biking both on Pincushion and in the Lutsen area. For more information go to norpinetrails.org Also, Gunflint Lodge and Bearskin lodge have said they will have trails open for fat tire bikers. Check with the lodges for more details.
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