Winter on the Superior National Forest: it’s all about snow. We get calls every day from people down in the Twin Cities and other places, and the first thing they ask is “What’s the snow like?” Temperature is a close second, but beyond a doubt, snow is what is on the mind of most Forest visitors. This is with good reason. Most of our outdoor activities in winter depend on snow – snow for skiing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, snowshoeing, skijoring, and sledding. You might think trees when you think forest resources, but our primary natural resource this time of year is snow.
So, what is the answer to “What’s the snow like”? How do you describe snow? There’s a well-known, but incorrect, tale that there are over fifty words for snow in the Eskimo language. It’s inaccurate in that there is no single ‘Eskimo’ language but rather multiple languages used by multiple groups of people living in the Arctic region, and it is inaccurate in that there are probably more descriptors of snow than just 50.
In fact, the University of Glasgow, Scotland, came up with 421 Scottish words for snow, and Scotland isn’t even in the Arctic. Some of the best Scottish words include ‘feefle’ for snow whirling around a corner, ‘flindrikin’ meaning a light snow shower and ‘sneesl’, to begin to rain or snow. I think I’m going to do my best to start including those terms into every conversation I have.
In English, we have sleet, snow, flurry, packing snow, graupel, pellets, crust, sintered snow, old snow, new snow, and many more including the dread “wintery mix”. Personally, I add styro-snow for snow that is so cold that it squeaks like Styrofoam when you walk on it.
Right now, we have packed hard snow with a crust on it. I read that the word for this type of snow in one of the Arctic languages translates to ‘red hole’ because caribou walking in it would sink in with the crust cutting into their legs, leaving behind a trail of blood red holes. I’m not sure of the truth of that tale, but it is a great description of our snow, and it is true that heavy animals like deer and moose are having a hard time of it as they break the crust and sink in.
Lighter animals have it easy and stay on top, hardly sinking at all. The kind of snow influences the battle between lynx and their primary prey the snowshoe hare, and with this crusty snow, it is hard to tell who wins. Both may be light enough to stay above the crust, but where the crust is thinner, the hare can probably bound away while the heavier lynx breaks through.
Wolves and deer have a similar dynamic, but reversed with the snow favoring the lighter predator. Deer may be mired down in deep snow, but wolves may be able to stay on the crust, making them more mobile than the deer and giving them the edge in the hunt.
Very small animals like voles and mice are probably doing great right now. With tunnels in the warm subniveal space beneath the snow, protected from owls and hawks by feet of snow and a hard crust, it’s a good time to be a mouse. You may think it is hard to be a mouse in winter, but studies have shown mouse and vole populations may actually rise during the winter because it is safe down there in their tunnels. Of course, weasels are still a problem, but if you’re a mouse, you can’t have everything.
Most of our callers though aren’t really asking about how the snow is for our resident voles. They are interested in skiing and other human fun in the snow. The deep snow and the crust make for good snowshoeing and snowmobiling, but that icy crust is not the best on cross country ski trails. Our larger trail systems use groomers that can break up the crust, making a good surface, but on smaller trails, this may not be possible. We do have some light snow predicted soon, and a layer of new snow over the crust should make for good trails everywhere.
Two places to check out on February 15 are Pincushion Mountain and the Sugarbush Trails at Oberg Mountain. The Pincushion Ski and Run Club is sponsoring a winter festival complete with races and skijoring at Pincushion Mountain all day on the 15th. See their website for details. And, in the evening of the 15th, the Sugarbush Trail Association is having a candlelight ski. The hosts of both those events are our trail partners who groom and maintain the trails.
Be sure you have your Great Minnesota Ski Pass to help support them in their efforts.
Roads are in good shape, but are extremely slippery in spots. The freezing drizzle that added the crust to the snow put a glaze on the roads as well. Be very careful on roads leading downhill toward Highway 61. While it has been sanded, the Onion River Road leading to the Oberg Trailhead has been dangerously icy. Increase your following distance and slow down.
Logging traffic and trucks are on the roads as well. On the Gunflint District, trucks are using the Hall Road, Cook County 14, Cook County 60, Cook County 8, Firebox Road, Greenwood Road, and the Sunfish Lake Road. On the Tofte District, trucks are on the Trappers Lake/Sawbill Landing Road, Perent Lake Road, The Grade, and Cook County 27.
And finally, there are those who are less interested in how the snow is, and more in how the ice is. All the snow has really insulated the lakes, so the ice is not as thick as it often is in February. There is a layer of slush on most lakes, and there are some areas where the ice is still too thin to be safe. If you are riding a snowmobile on the lakes, it is safest to stay on the trails which are already packed.
Whether you are interested in ice or snow, enjoy both of them this winter. This is a resource that will only last for another month or so, so take advantage of it while you can and get outside!
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