Conditions were variable. Mostly icy, unless in the sun. The snow we got March 10 helped extend the season. I skied the full loop around Flour Lake; the part that enters the BWCA was pretty dicey. There was fresh moose sign on the Wolf Point loop. Overall, a beautiful day to be out on skis and in the sun. Our ski days are numbered!

Photos:

(Peggy Stone)

King Winter has returned to the Gunflint Trail! We got 5" of snow last night and the good folks at Golden Eagle and Bearskin Lodges were out early grooming all, or nearly all, of the trails. I skied from Golden Eagle across Flour Lake to Ridge Run and Beaver Dam. Conditions were very good, with fresh but firm corduroy and pristine new tracks set. I will say that if your best skis are precious then you should leave them behind as there are spots where dirt and debris have floated to the surface, and maybe the odd rock poking through. Flour Lake also has some slush. But c'mon, this snow is such a gift! Ninety- five percent, or more, of the trails I skied were in excellent condition.

(Bob Amis)

Four inches of new snow overnight. Groomed 80% of the trail system this morning. Trails look great. Trails that had burned through do have some rocks present so use B-Ski's on those (Ridge Run for instance). Aspen Lake crossing and Skijoring Trail are not groomed due to slush. Flour Lake crossing is fine. Its a wet snow but trails groomed up awesome.

Photos:

(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge)

Fabulous spring skiing at Bearskin lodge. Early morning and later morning classic ski. Perfect klister conditions. 10 degrees this morning and warming to 32 at noon. This is such a perfect end of the season get away, the north woods. I’ll be on my skins this afternoon.

Photos:

(Diane Pattridge)

Gorgeous late morning on the way to the poplar trail. 30 degrees and warming. Great track. Skating decent. Love the pine trees and poplars.

(Diane Pattridge)

The ski trails are holding up very well through the warm weather. The skate deck is still solid as are the classic track tracks; you can still get a good bite with your skis and snowplow down hills. Expect some debris on the majority of trails. Expect icy conditions first thing in the morning but dissipating by around 10am as temperatures rise. Some trails have some burnout areas where there is dirt exposure. We still expect to have skiing for at least a good week yet as the current weather looks to continue through the weekend and into next week.

Photos:

(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge)

Regroomed trails today after a nice dusting of snow this morning. Good, fast conditions. Trails are in good shape but the base is starting to wear down to dirt in some places due to the overall low snow this winter.

(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge)

Update: A lot of wind today so some pine needle debris is present on trails with heavy conifer cover. We will assess trails tomorrow to see what needs to be re-groomed.

(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge)

Everything was freshly groomed on the 24th and 25th. The ski trails groomed up very well; expect fast snow. No ice is currently present after this recent grooming. We expect the trails to hold up great through the weekend with the forecasted weather.

(Zach Baumann, Golden Eagle Lodge)

Great conditions out of Golden Eagle Lodge. Re-groomed yesterday after trails got iced up due to previous day warm temps. The very scenic, well designed, and nicely groomed trails are my favorite in the Midwest.

Photos:

(Steve Mueller)