Trail Detail

Grand Marais, MN
25.0k
Skating/Classic
Yes
No
218-387-1276
[ NWS ]
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Notes

Well designed trail 2 miles north of Grand Marais. Dependable classical and skating grooming by dedicated ski club. Gentle rolling beginner and intermediate terrain through birch, aspen and pine forest with expert options. Nice overlooks of North Shore far below. Separate snowshoe trail. Public warming building. 1.6 K lighted xc trail on each night.
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Trail Reports

2021-2022 season
Reports 1 to 10 of 58    Month: Apr | Mar | Feb | Jan | Dec
Thursday, April 14, 2022
Afternoon
Firsthand: Classic 
[ B skis ]
The winter that doesn't want to end. Rain and grass in town. A lot of snow at Pincushion. I skied the Pincushion Mtn Loop. I only put B skis because I skied in about 2" of fresh snow since last grooming, but base is still deep and firm. I encountered no ice, dirt or bare spots, just isolated branches. There is one large tree down just before 'return to trailhead' intersection. It was slow of course but still very skiable with waxless skis.
Photos:
(Steve Langenbrunner)
Friday, April 1, 2022
Morning
Firsthand: Classic 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
I am dancing a happy dance to the grooming gods! This was not spring skiing, this is the best conditions we've skied all year! We skied upper and lower snowman, Lucy's loop, west and east overlook and pincushion loop. One word - spectacular! I can't even write anymore as the pictures say it al!
Photos:
(Karla Anderson)
Friday, April 1, 2022
Morning
Grooming 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
No Fooling, new grooming! All Green trails (Upper and Lower Snowman, East and West Overlook, Lynne's Loop) plus Pincushion Loop re-groomed. Skate deck widened and new tracks set. North Advanced and Canyon Curves scheduled to be groomed this evening.
Photos:
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)
Friday, April 1, 2022
Morning
Firsthand: Classic 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
I skied this morning. I did the upper loops, e.g. Snowman, and the Pincushion one. All the loops were packed, groomed and the classic tracks were set. Some short sections (4 or 5 feet) of the Pincushion collapsed but it was my favorite loop anyway. The snow was soft and very easy on the joints. It felt like touching a white head of excellent Czech pilsner. Pure pleasure. Better than sex!
Photos:
(Jacek Witkos)
Monday, March 28, 2022
Morning
Grooming 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
Trails were re-tilled and widened on all Greens (Upper and Lower Snowman, Lynne's Loop, East and West Overlook), as well as Canyon Curves and a portion of Pincushion Loop (to 3k cutoff). Classic tracks are in good shape on all trails. We plan to groom again after any snowfall later this week.
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)
Saturday, March 26, 2022
Morning
Observation 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
All trails in the Pincushion system are being groomed this morning except for the inner loops Morris Maze and Hilfiker. Skiing conditions should be good for the next several days.
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Afternoon
Grooming 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
We received 8+ inches of wet snow yesterday and today (light snow is still falling). The wet snow needs to cool before we can groom. We're tentatively planning to groom on Friday, and with cooler temps coming the trails should be in good shape for the weekend.
(Timothy Lederle, Pincushion Ski and Run Club)
Sunday, March 20, 2022
Morning
Firsthand: Freestyle 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
Skied nearly everything. Essentially same as a couple days ago but with more ruts, including some from a classic skier who skied right down the middle of the trail on almost the whole system. Hard to stay upright even for an advanced skier. Will still be speedy in the morning and slow in the afternoon. Again, best to avoid the afternoon skiing to make things slightly better for skiers the next morning, though at this point it's in pretty rough shape.
(Mitchell Campbell)
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Morning
Firsthand: Classic 
[ Trails Open: All, B skis ]
Beautiful weather today for a 10am 25F ski. However the crusty glazed icy snow was very fast and made the advanced/black trails a little too sketchy for a beginner like myself. Groomed throughout, but tracks were lost on some downhills making it difficult to stop/snowplow, and uphills were hard to get an edge for herringboning. Southbound Upper Snowman's classic tracks were pretty chewed up from skate skiers hugging the right side of the trail. Another hazard on the green trails are the spots where a ski, boot, or paw sunk into softer snow and then refroze, making a bit of a pothole. Still doable for late season skiing, no bare spots to be found, but be cautious.
Photos:
(Cory Quirk)
Friday, March 18, 2022
Morning
Firsthand: Freestyle 
[ Trails Open: All, Good skis ]
Amazing crust ski at pincushion this morning! Skied everything at least once. Very fast but still easy to find an edge. Trail conditions varied from smooth to super rutted. Luckily the crust off the trail was strong enough to ski on to avoid the worst of the rutted areas! Pincushion mountain loop has many deep footprints frozen into the trail. Thanks to freezing overnight my skis barely left a mark, and I quit for the morning as things softened. I'd advise against heading out there this afternoon as it'll be very soft and slushy, plus it'll mean better skiing tomorrow morning if it doesn't see more skiers today.
(Mitchell Campbell)

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