The 25-mile Pincushion Mountain trail system is being groomed this winter with a new John Deere side-by-side utility vehicle (UTV). The UTV can pull behind special attachments and track mounts that groom for both skate and classic cross country skiing. The UTV can be used in the summer to repair washouts, retaining walls, and bridges. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation provided a Culture and Tourism grant to help acquire the new equipment.
Pincushion Trails are owned and maintained by North Superior Ski and Run Club (NSSRC), a Minnesota nonprofit organization founded in 1979. NSSRC partners with the United States Forest Service, Cook County, Superior Hiking Trail Association, and Superior Cycling Association (SCA) to maintain the year-round multi-purpose trail system. SCA maintains a separate network of single track mountain biking and fat-tire biking trails at Pincushion adjacent to the NSSRC skiing and running trails.
Pincushion is located on a bluff overlooking Grand Marais, and the trailhead is located two miles from downtown. The trails are used for Nordic skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, fat tire biking, mountain biking and running. The top of Pincushion Mountain provides a stunning view of Lake Superior, and 1.6 kilometers of trail are lit for night use.
Approximately 12,000 residents, tourists, and local youth athletes combined each year use Pincushion. It is the training and event site for a youth ski race league and the Cook County High School Nordic ski, cross country running, and track teams.
NSSRC has approximately 80 members who collectively volunteer about 300 hours per year to maintain the trails. The club generates revenue from a program administered through the Minnesota DNR called The Great Minnesota Ski Pass. A ski pass is required to access the trails. The pass is $25 per year or $10 per day. Proceeds help the club cover expenses associated with trail maintenance, the Pincushion warming chalet, and a waxing building.
“The new equipment enables our volunteers to keep maintaining Pincushion, an important asset to our region’s economy and quality of life,” said Chris O’Brien, NSSCR president, and board member. “Tourists accessing the trails patronize restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, and hotels. And the youth of Cook County utilize the area for athletics and overall health.”
NSSCR also received funding support for the new equipment from the Federal Recreational Trail Program. For Culture & Tourism grant-information, email Danae Beaudette or call her at 218-735-3022.
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