Trail conditionsNOTE! Our Facebook page is updated as-it-happens.
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 Photo: Tim Watson Several inches of snow have fallen and the news is great! We have all of our trails from Orr 0to Kabetogama and Ray open and initially groomed, with groomers going out tomorrow and Friday to be ready for the weekend. The new Heibel's Access Trail (purple on the map) that connects from Boondocks in Ray to the Dill/Arrowhead south of Ericsburg is open and groomed - shout out to IVSC!  Heibel's Access Trail - click for link to full map In Voyageurs National Park as of today there is enough snow on the lake trails that overheating shouldn't be a problem, but it's still icy in areas so may not have traction. Be cautious! The Green trail from Rainy Lake to Black Bay, Kabetogama to the Ash River is open, and several portages should be groomed by this weekend - check their posts and website. From Ash River to Crane Lake the Green trail is open, but the portages are not yet groomed. The Chain Of Lakes (dashed black) trails is open, will be staked by this weekend but not groomed. Other trails in the park are not yet open. Land portages are still rough as we wait for more snow. The Kabetogama ice road is open, and Rainy Lake should be open by this weekend. On the lakes be extremely cautious near pressure ridges - avoid them if at all possible - and be alert to other hazardous areas where the ice is still thin: sand bars, shorelines, and shallow areas. Ice is never 100% safe! The DNR reports that most trails have had an initial groom. Some areas through swamps and exposed areas may have exposed grass or ground, and you may encounter shelf ice in swamps and beaver ponds; open water has also still being seen. The Dill/Arrowhead and Taconite State Trails will be groomed as much as possible before this coming weekend. Big Aspen to Pfeiffer Lake and from the Blackbear trail to the junction with the Arrowhead. They are rough and have areas of shelf ice. Keep an eye on the DNR updates as they are changing daily. Be cautious and watch for hummocks and stumps in swamps and ponds. Stay alert to logging trucks and equipment as there is active logging in a number of locations throughout the Grant-in-Aid and State Trail system. Please slow down and give them space to safely maneuver. Come up and enjoy Voyageur Country this weekend. The trails are good, the weather is nice, and the scenery is gorgeous! Thank you for also stopping by our local sponsoring businesses. See you soon! For the latest info, visit:
A half-inch dusting of snow fell today - it's a start! Low temperatures have finally given us better ice on the lakes and ponds and swamps. Trails are packed but there isn't much snow on them - no grooming yet. Think SNOW! The Green Trail (Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River) in Voyageurs National Park is open not groomed. Lakes are ice with no snow cover (see the photo at https://www.nps.gov/voya/planyourvisit/conditions.htm). You'll need good scratchers! Park staff are not traveling far because of overheating and excessive wear and tear. Land portages are rough with a little hard packed icy snow. There are still hazardous areas where the ice is somewhat thin: pressure ridges, sand bars, shorelines, and shallow areas. We join them in reminding everyone - Ice is never 100% safe! The Kabetogama Ice Road is open and staked to the Sphunge sledding hill (lots of expose rock on the hill, though). Stakes will be removed once there is snow to make berms. Most ski and snowshoe trails are open in the park. The DNR reports that ice in the swamps is better (from 6" - 12" thick). They are seeing a lot of shelf ice in beaver ponds where water is still draining, as well as more hummocks and stumps to watch out for. A beaver dam encountered on a trail is likely a steep berm. Stay alert for these conditions especially in the following areas: from Big Aspen to Pfeiffer Lake and from Black Bear trail to the Y Store Trail on the Taconite State Trail; and on the Arrowhead just south of the Hwy 1 crossing, at the Frazier Bay shelter, and in the Elephant Creek/Blackduck grade segment north of Elephant Lake. Stay safe on the ice and courteous on the trails if you venture out to enjoy the scenery. The forecast is for a little more snow Saturday/Sunday. Every inch helps, but it will be a bit before the groomers work the trails. If you're in the area, please visit our sponsoring businesses! For the latest info, visit:
Rain, rain, go away!
We need some cold and snow to play! Temperatures are above freezing and a light drizzle is falling as I type this, but next week is forecast to be much colder with snow coming here and there. Voyageurs National Park reports that lake ice is highly variable in thickness (ranging 2-8 inches) and strength - with a lot of weaker "white ice". The lake ice is not yet strong enough for equipment, so they have been focusing on doing what is possible with land-based trails and the ski trails. No snowmobile trails are currently open in the park. The DNR is reporting similar to what we are seeing on our trails. There was 6+ inches of snow in the woods with little to no trail base. Some colder temps had started to make ice in the swamps, but this latest warmup will likely change that. Beaver ponds continuing to drain after ice formation mean lots of shelf ice. They also reported less water than usual in many beaver ponds - meaning more hummocks and stumps to watch out for, and the dams have become large steep berms in the middle of a trail. They advise to watch out for these conditions particularly in these areas: from Big Aspen to Pfeiffer Lake and from Black Bear trail to the Y Store Trail on the Taconite State Trail; and on the Arrowhead just south of the Hwy 1 crossing, at the Frazier Bay shelter, and in the Elephant Creek/Blackduck grade segment north of Elephant Lake. Active logging has also started throughout area. Please stay aware of conditions, slow down and give plenty of space to trucks and logging equipment. Also please remember that only snowmobiles are allowed on State Trails or Grant-in-Aid snowmobile trails. For the latest info, visit:
A special extra thank you to everyone that helped clear and pack trails for a second time after the heavy snow we received - over 90% of our area trails are clear, but rough. Teams are seeing the start of a packed base, but the swamps are not frozen. The groomers are ready as soon as conditions allow! The consensus is that we currently have more base than we did all last season - so that's a plus! We are all ready for colder temps to freeze everything up nicely and get this great snowmobile season going! The DNR reports similar conditions on trails they manage. Trees have been cleared and trails are being packed to help increase the ice thickness. Voyageurs National Park has no open snowmobile trails. Lake ice is highly variable in thickness and density - watch their posts for updates. They do have some ski and snowshoe trails open. We do have some good news to share! There is now a bridge over a small tributary to the Moose River on the railroad grade portion of the trail between Ash River and Crane Lake! This was a major backcountry undertaking. Getting materials to a staging area. Taking it all - plus equipment - across the Ash River to a second staging area. Then into the woods to the site, constructing and finishing just as the weather turned. Pictures can tell the adventure better than words. Thanks to Rob Eldridge and his family for their efforts and photos! Snow and cold mean the start of a great new season. Wishing you safe travels over the Christmas holiday. All of us in Voyageurs Country look forward to your visits this winter!
For the latest info, visit:
Thank you!!! to everyone who came out to help trail clear last Saturday. We think we set a new record for volunteers! Your hard work is much appreciated. Shout-outs also go to The Rocky Ledge and the Echo Trail Tavern for their great pizza!
Two days later the weather changed with 8" of wet, heavy snow that brought down more branches, brush and trees. Snow continued to lightly fall as temperatures dropped, and we now generally have about 11" on the ground. This cold snap has helped, but many areas are still more water than ice and trails are not in any condition to ride (yet!). The DNR reports that their crew spent the past few days re-clearing their corridors, packing swamps, and that they will keep doing this through this coming weekend. Their trails are open, but not groomed and there are some trees still down in places. Lots of water and thin to no ice in swamps - they recommend staying off the trails. In Voyageurs National Park, snowmobile trails are all still closed and the lake ice is not yet sufficient. Area teams will be headed out again to clear out brush, branches and logs. A couple we know of:
Check with your local clubs as others are also working on trails in different areas and the more folks that come out, the faster it goes. It looks to be a snowy start to a great upcoming season! For info, visit:
 Pull out your warm workwear, gloves and equipment ready... it's trail clearing time! All are welcome - no equipment or experience necessary. The more folks that can help, the more fun and faster we finish. Bring a smile and gloves. Schedule and key contacts:  Kabetogama Area
Crane Lake / Buyck Area
Special thanks to the Echo Trail Tavern and The Rocky Ledge for hosting pizza after we finish!
The sun is shining, making everything sparkle. It's welcome, but on the other hand some more snow would be really nice! Last weekend we had riders packing trails and swamp areas to prep for groomers, but there's still not quite enough snow with just about 8" on the ground. The forecast calls for an inch more to maybe fall over this coming weekend.
Land trails are rough. Ride very cautiously and thoughtfully on open trails only - and respect the gift landowners offer by allowing trails across their properties. The DNR reports that they have started trail packing on the David Dill/Arrowhead State Trail, but there are areas of open water and unfrozen wetlands. They recommend using extreme caution exploring on the trails. The Park has reported improved ice conditions, and said that if all goes well they should have the Green Trail staked today from Franks Bay on Rainy to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River. The lack of snow is making portages challenging and very rough, particularly Gold Portage. Use caution and watch for signage. They will open more trails as conditions allow. Please also remember that ice is never 100% safe! A couple of the XC ski trails are packed but not groomed, as are a couple of the snowshoe trails. Watch their posts for updates. Keep thinking snow!! For the latest updates, visit:
Happy New Year! In a more usual year, I could listen to the roar of sleds as I type this. December may have been the warmest on record up here (possibly breaking a record set in 1877/78), but 2024 is starting out with a big chill! The forecast shows us staying well below freezing continuously through the next week or longer. That will definitely freeze the swampy areas!
All land and lake ice snowmobile trails remain closed. The cross-country ski trails in the Park are also closed, but the snowshoe trails are open to hiking. Everyone here is itching for thicker ice on the lakes and snow to fall on the trails so we can enjoy riding and the camaraderie that comes with it. Please join us and THINK SNOW to get this season revved up! For the latest updates, visit:
A big Thank You to the many people came out on Dec. 2 and Dec. 9 to clear trails. With your help we were able to accomplish a lot!
After 3 strong La Niña seasons, which historically mean colder-than-average winters, we are now experiencing a "strong" El Niño season (the last strong episode was 2015-16). Warmer surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific ocean generally make the models for our area predict warmer temps and the potential for a little less snow. Clearly we're starting the season with less than the past couple years, but keep the faith... the snow will come! For now, we are hoping for consistently colder temperatures to make good ice on the lakes. Voyageurs National Park posted their first Trails Update of the season - snowmobile and ski trails are closed (no surprise!) and hiking is being allowed on the snowshoe trails. So far there has not been enough ice on the lakes to safely measure. Groomers are ready and we are all looking forward to getting this season going... so everybody THINK SNOW! For the latest updates, visit:
Another sledding season comes to an end as the Grant-in-aid trails close at midnight March 31. Remember that these trails have seasonal easements... starting April 1 you'll be trespassing unless you have landowner permission! The Arrowhead will remain open, but will not be groomed after the 31st.
Thank you to everyone who visited Voyageurs Country riding the trails and enjoying our area businesses. We appreciate you all and hope you'll return year after year. Many thanks to our groomers for taming the trails and making them so fun. Our area snowmobile clubs & early season trail clearing volunteers also deserve a shout-out, as do the Voyageurs National Park staff that maintains the trails in the park, and the DNR for their help maintaining the Arrowhead Trail. A special Thank You to our volunteer first responders who come when needed no matter the time of day, distance or conditions. Many hands help keep the trails open and safe for all to enjoy. We're thankful to have so many area resorts, restaurants, bars and businesses open to welcome our winter visitors with your hospitality and help. Voyageur Country in northern Minnesota is a special place to enjoy nature and wildlife year-round. As snow season comes to a close, we're now starting to guess at ice-out dates. Wishing everyone a wonderful summer... and look forward to your visits next winter. |
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