We’re still wishing  for a giant snowstorm, but meanwhile the little snow flurries we get regularly are adding up. The snow Tuesday night and Wednesday morning left the ski trails in pretty good shape again.  Do we wish we had more snow?  Oh, yes.  Do we have enough to ski?  Oh, yes.  People are pretty happy skiing out there.  It’s not the level of snow that Bearskin is famed for, but ski conditions are still better than they are in most of Minnesota.

Lake skiing is also an option now. Yesterday we were hearing reports from skiers who tried skiing on several lakes in the area, but encountered slush or windblown glare ice.  Then they tried skiing here on East Bearskin, and had great success.  We only see our own lake on a daily basis, so we didn’t realize the surfaces of so many other lakes had gone bad.  East Bearskin is still quite skiable.

As usual, don’t let reports of bad or no snow in Grand Marais and on the North Shore cast doubts on a decision to come up here to ski.  As you drive up the Gunflint Trail, you will see the snow conditions change and improve. We’re in our own weather world up here, so our conditions often don’t match those down by Lake Superior.

We’ll have soup and chili available in the Main Lodge all weekend, as well as hot chocolate, wine, beer, and sodas.  We still have dining spots available this weekend with Chef Scott  Bergstrom.  It’s fine dining, but you don’t need to dress up for dinner.  You are welcome to join us for an elegant meal after a day of good skiing.

Here are the latest snow and trail stats from Baumann’s at Golden Eagle:

New Snow Last 24 hours: 1.25 inches

New Snow Last 7 days: 2.23 inches

Trail Base: 3.5 to 4 inches average

Snow in Woods: Average 7 inches

Surface Conditions: Packed Powder, hard pack base

Snowshoe trails: Open

Total snowfall since November 1: 24.98 inches

Conditions: Fair to Excellent

 Comments: The snow last night was very helpful and we feel we are almost back to where we were before the rain. Most of the system was re-groomed today and fresh tracks were set. Summer Home Road, Campground Loop, Ox Cart, and Deer Mouse are in excellent shape; Red Pines, Cross Fox, Moose Ridge, North Shore of Logging Camp, Wolf Point, Bear Cub, Lower Beaver Dam, and Moose Pasture vary from good to very good.Please check with Golden Eagle Lodge or Bearskin Lodge for specific conditions and information on each trail.