Northwoods Volunteer Connection now recruiting stewardship volunteers for Banadad Ski Trail Project

Northwoods Volunteer Connection (NVC), a nonprofit based in Tofte, Minnesota, is now recruiting volunteers for a Banadad Trail clearing project from July 9 to July 14. It is located 30 miles from Grand Marais, up the Gunflint Trail. The Banadad, a 27 kilometer cross-country ski trail, is the Boundary Waters Wilderness’s longest tracked ski trail. It is managed, maintained, and groomed by the Banadad Trail Association (BTA).

Volunteers will have the option to drop in for a day or two and work from the trailhead, or camp for multiple days in the interior of the trail and work on the Wilderness sections.

“Skiing this trail is a simply magical way to experience the Boundary Waters, and we need these summer clearing trips to ensure that it remains safe and passable for trail groomers and skiers in the winter months,” says NVC’s 2021 Crew Leader, Kim Tri. “Experiencing this Wilderness trail in the summer lets you really get to know the country that the trail passes through, which in an ordinary ski season can seem like little more than a snowy blanket covered in trees. It really gives an appreciation for how much work really goes into keeping this trail open year after year.”

Those interested in volunteering can email info@mnnvc.org or check out more details on their website at www.mnnvc.org. The organization supplies tools, PPE, training and leadership, and a per diem to cover food costs while on projects. There is also camping gear available for a limited number of volunteers who wish to camp in the backcountry. NVC is continuing to add to their project list through the spring and will soon be recruiting for a variety of other projects within and near the Superior National Forest and the Boundary Waters Wilderness.

Since 2014, Northwoods Volunteer Connection—a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit— has been dedicated to recruiting, training, and delivering volunteers to work in and around the Superior National Forest of Minnesota. Their mission is to promote stewardship of the Forest by engaging volunteers and partner organizations in recreation and natural resource projects.