CENTRAL GUNFLINT SYSTEM 1-6-16
(Golden Eagle Lodge and Bearskin Lodge)

New Snow Last 24 hours: 0.0”
New Snow Last 7 days: 1.0”
Trail Base, Staked: Average 5.5 – 6.5 inches
Snow in Woods, Staked: Average 11 – 13 inches
Groomed with classic tracks: 60 k
Surface Conditions: Fresh packed snow
Last grooming day: 1-4-15
Total snowfall since Nov. 1: 40.20”

Comments: The ski trails are in great to excellent shape offering a firm base and fantastic glide. With just under 32 inches of snowfall in December alone, most of which fell after the 16th, the low snow effects of an “El Niño” winter are a thing of the past. Temperature wise, the benefits of such a winter are still present; we’ve had moderate temperatures this last week with most days being in the teens and lower 20’s; it is expected to continue into next week with more snow also predicted. We are full swing into winter cross-country skiing!

For the most up to date grooming information, as well specific trail conditions, please contact Golden Eagle Lodge (1-800-346-2203) or Bearskin Lodge (1-800-338-4170). Central Gunflint Ski Pass required.



BANADAD INFO:

Lace Lake Trail (4 km.) opened and tracked.
Banadad east end opened out 10 miles but not tracked.

Snow on the Ground- 16"
New snow past 24 hours- 1-2"
Snow base on trail: 10+"

We are not making much headway on the Banadad- we move ahead one step and then two days later it's back one step. Two days ago two guys re-cleared the Lace Lake trail, it took 5 1/2 hours. This was after the Lace Lake was completely cleared about five days ago. Then yesterday Ted tracked Lace Lake and still had to cut two more trees that just fell across the trail. Today four guys will be re-cutting their way west on the Banadad. We are out about ten miles of the twelve to the mid-trail junction.

Any help is appreciated. It's manual labor with hand tools since the trail is in the BWCA.
bct@boundarycountry.com

Boundary Country Trekking/Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B
800-322-8327 218-388-4487

***Last I knew, Barb & Ted were paying $20/hr to those willing to help clear the trail.

UPPER GUNFLINT SYSTEM
(Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Pines, Heston's Lodge)

Report: Great Skiing!
When: Saturday, Jan 2, 2016

Description
New Snow past 24 hours: .25 inch,
New snow past 7 days: 5.25 inches
Trail Base: 4-8 inch packed base
Snow depth in the woods: 18 - 20 inches
Trail Conditions are great to excellent. All trails (with noted exceptions below) are open and have been groomed within the past 24 hours.

Amperage & South Rim remain closed.
Warrens Road and Cut Across are closed for the 15-16 winter season.

Central Gunflint Ski Trail Conditions on 1-13-16

New Snow Last 24 hours: 1/4”
New Snow Last 7 days: 2.25”
Trail Base, Staked: Average 6 – 8 inches
Snow in Woods, Staked: Average 11 – 14 inches
Groomed with classic tracks: 60 k
Surface Conditions: Fresh packed snow
Last grooming day: 1-9-16
Total snowfall since Nov. 1: 42.45”

Comments: We’ve had cooler temperatures these last couple days compared to the weeks before, but that hasn’t stopped the skiers or hindered the fun! Trail conditions remain excellent and the trees are still glistening with that beautiful snow cover. More snow is forecasted yet again Thursday and Friday.

An update on ice: Aspen and Flour Lake are now safe for travel. We have been able to snowmobile pack the section of North-South Link that crosses Aspen and Flour as of last week; we anticipate being able to groom classic tracks into these trails as well after the next new snowfall. We still want a bit more ice before we go out there with the big groomers.

For the most up to date grooming information, as well specific trail conditions, please contact Bearskin Lodge (1-800-338-4170) or Golden Eagle Lodge (1-800-346-2203). Central Gunflint Ski Pass required.

Golden Eagle Lodge
Gunflint Trail, Minnesota
1-800-346-2203



UPPER GUNFLINT SYSTEM
Wednesday, Jan 13, 2016

Description
New Snow past 24 hours: .25 inch
New Snow past 7 days: 3 inches
Trail Base: 4-8 inches
Date of last grooming: Jan 12th
Snow depth in the woods: 12-16 inches
Comments: Trails are freshly groomed for the weekend. The recently colder temps have frozen the swamps, low spots and any drainage that remained wet late into this season.
Amperage is packed but not yet tracked. South Rim, Warrens Road and Cut Across remain closed for this season. Don't forget to purchase your Upper Gunflint Nordic Ski trail pass at Gunflint Pines, Hestons or Gunflint Lodge.

BANADAD trail (MN State Trail System)

This message posted on Facebook:

We keep plugging away at the brush on the Banadad. Yesterdays a four person crew cleared seven tenth of mile on the east end. About one mile left to finish clearing the 12 mile east end. Looks like opening of the west end will have to wait until next summer. The
Trail Association is running out of money to finish the job this winter.

This trail is mostly in the BWCA so no mechanized equipment can be used in the clearing of trees and brush.

this news from Barb Gecas, Owner at Hestons Lodge, via FB:

"Barb Gegas reports the following- When we last posted here, the Banadad Trail Association had just hosted the annual trail clearing day and membership meeting. Several volunteers had clipped and sawed their way through miles of alder brush and fallen trees, readying the trail for the winter. More trail-clearing folks followed in the next couple of weeks, and we all had a good feeling about the upcoming ski season.

How quickly that changed! The much-anticipated snow finally came, but not as the fluffly, fat flakes that we prefer. Instead, it fell heavy and wet, cloaking every twig and tree in a thick coat. Mother Nature mixed in a bit of freezing drizzle, and then added more of that same kind of snow. Someone likened it to wet cement. That was an apt description, for when it solidly froze, just like dried cement, it weighted those trees until they were bowing down to the ground. For many miles, the trail was completely impassable. As beautiful as it was, it created miles of havoc, and a boatload of new clearing to be done.

For the last several weeks, many people, both volunteer and paid, have been working hard to clear the trail so that it is usable this winter. The good news is that at this point, the Lace Lake Trail (4K) and the Tall Pines Trail (1.7K) are both opened and groomed. The snow depth is 18". Snow still covers the trees, making for a uniquely beautiful trail. Come out and ski it!

The eastern end of the Banadad is once again nearly cleared, with about another day or two of work remaining. As soon as we get fresh snow, this section will be groomed and tracked. The trail will extend to the mid-trail junction, near the yurt. A loop will be possible, utilizing the Moose Trail. While not what we would have hoped for back in October when we were working, at least we have something here to ski. The distance for this section is 15.5K.

Unfortunately, it is not expected that the western end of the Banadad will be open this season. Much work remains on the remaining 12K. As time and funding permit, we will chip away at it, and we welcome your help if you so desire. To that end, a sign has been posted in the parking lot, and two saws are hanging for anyone who wants to snowshoe in on the trail and cut a few things away.

We are so grateful to everyone who has stepped in to assist in the herculean effort to re-open the trail. Mother Nature tossed us some lemons, but we didn't let that stop us. Join us on the Banadad, the Lace Lake Trail and the Tall Pines Trail, and see how pretty this season has turned out to be."

Wasn't it like about 8 years ago you had heavy wet snow that bent trees over similar to this? Remember the next spring some redpine trees were still bent over.

The massive ice storm of Spring 2009 might be what you recall. The most dominant feature on all of our hikes on the SHT that June were the miles and miles of bent over birches. This is from the Cross River Falls area, I believe.

Central Gunflint Ski Trail Conditions on 1-28-16

New Snow Last 24 hours: 4.0”
New Snow Last 7 days: 5.85 inches
Trail Base, Staked: Average 9 – 10 inches
Snow in Woods, Staked: Average 16 – 22 inches
Groomed with classic track: 68 K
Groomed with skate lane: 56 K
Surface Conditions: Fresh packed snow
Last grooming day: 1-28-16
Total snowfall since Nov. 1: 52.30”

Comments: Four inches of fresh snowfall again last night; trail conditions continue to be excellent! All ski trails are freshly groomed, and with more snow predicted Friday and Saturday, it looks like the groomers will be back out there again before too long.

For the most up to date grooming information, as well specific trail conditions, please contact Golden Eagle Lodge (1-800-346-2203) or Bearskin Lodge (1-800-338-4170). Central Gunflint Ski Pass required.


UPPER GUNFLINT


When

Friday, Jan 29, 2016

New Snow past 24 hours: dusting
New Snow past 7 days: 5.75 inches
Trail Base: 6-8 inches
Date of last grooming: Jan 28 & 29th
Snow depth in the woods: 18-24 inches
Comments: Trails are being freshly groomed for the weekend. The anticipation is for warmer temps for the upcoming weekend and great skiing. Gunflint Lake is now considered safe for skiing with an 10 - 12 inch ice average.
Amperage is now open and in good shape. South Rim, Warrens Road and Cut Across remain closed for this season. Don't forget to purchase your Upper Gunflint Nordic Ski trail pass at Gunflint Pines, Hestons or Gunflint Lodge.

Central Gunflint Ski Trail Conditions on 2-4-16

New Snow Last 24 hours: 7/8”
New Snow Last 7 days: 6.3”
Trail Base, Staked: Average 9 – 12 inches
Snow in Woods, Staked: Average 16 – 20 inches
Groomed with classic track: 70 K
Groomed with skate lane: 56 K
Surface Conditions: Fresh packed snow
Last grooming day: 2-4-16
Total snowfall since Nov. 1: 58.58”

Comments: We are happy to start this ski trail report with a very familiar statement: it snowed once again! We’ve received 3.2 inches of snow over the last few days, the perfect amount needed to resurface the ski trails back into perfection after the recent warm weekend. The trees are once again snowcapped and the wilderness as pristine and gorgeous as ever.

More snow is forecasted each day over the next 4 days so the groomers look to have a busy weekend ahead of them. If we receive a constant light snowfall like is being predicted, expect trails to have some light new snow cover on them in between groomings.

Trail conditions this year have been excellent and this weekend is looking to be no exception. Temperatures over the next several days are predicted to be in the teens and 20’s; perfect skiing weather if we do say so ourselves.

For the most up to date grooming information, as well specific trail conditions, please contact Bearskin Lodge (1-800-338-4170) or Golden Eagle Lodge (1-800-346-2203). Central Gunflint Ski Pass required.

Snow Totals

November Total 2015 – 7.25 inches

December 2015
Dec 1 – Dec 6: 2.55 inches
Dec 7 – Dec 13: 2.53 inches
Dec 14 – Dec 20: 18.0 inches
Dec 21 – Dec 27: 7.62 inches
Dec 28 – Dec 31: 1.25 inches
December Total 2015 – 31.95 inches

January 2016
Jan 1 – Jan 3: 0.5 inches
Jan 4 – Jan 10: 2.5 inches
Jan 11 – Jan 17: 4.25 inches
Jan 18 – Jan 24: 0.75 inches
Jan 25 – Jan 31: 8.2 inches
January Total 2016 – 16.20 inches

February 2016
Feb 3: 2.3 inches
Feb 4: .875 inches
February Total 2016 – 3.18 inches

Total Snowfall 2015-2016 – 58.58 inches