The trees are beautifully coated with snow.

The 2013-2014 winter cross-country ski season is off to an excellent start.  We’ve had steady snow for all of December, gradually building a nice base.

We didn’t get the 40 inch dump of snow that everyone talks about, like  Two Harbors, MN received.  We love getting lots of fresh snow for our trails, but that was more than any of us were ready to deal with!  We received a good start on our snow base during that storm and it has continued to consistently snow a few more inches here almost daily.  That’s a much nicer way to build a base. The snow is falling again now, big floppy soft snow-globe flakes that make everything look like a scene from a Christmas card.

Our groomers have been out regularly packing the trails since early December.  Many trails have been tracked, and more are being added to the list daily.  Summer Home and Campground are in excellent shape, ready for both classic and skate skiing.  Ridge Run and Upper Beaver Dam were groomed yesterday and today; Oxcart was groomed before that.  Poplar Creek, Bear Cub, Lower Ridge Run, and trails on the Flour Lake side of the system have all been rolled, packed, and tracked. More tracks are being set on trails each day; call for the most current updates, as this is changing so fast that we won’t be updating this report with every grooming improvement this week.

This trail report site is now up for the season, so you can expect regular grooming updates here until the snow finally melts next spring.  But remember, you can always call either Bearskin Lodge or Golden Eagle Lodge to get up-to-the-minute reports on trail conditions. Both resorts are family businesses, run by a small number of  hard-working employees who not only groom ski trails, but run our front desks, clean our cabins, shovel our paths, plow our roads, and deal with our delightful guests. If you don’t see a current ski report and you think conditions may have changed, we’re probably too busy to be fooling around on the internet.  Just call us!

Season passes as well as daily ski tickets for the 2013-2014 ski season are available at both Bearskin Lodge and Golden Eagle Lodge.  We share the proceeds equally between both lodges, so it doesn’t matter where you purchase your pass.  The funds from your ski pass go to pay a portion of the maintenance and grooming on the ski trails; passes don’t even begin to cover all of our grooming costs, but the ticket fees help support the grooming efforts. In addition, the US Forest Service/Superior National Forest takes a portion of the fees, as does the Minnesota DNR, to pay for the use of their land for many of the trails.

Skiing through the deep woods on the Central Gunflint Trail System is a memorable experience that is only possible because of the extensive work that Bearskin Lodge and Golden Eagle Lodge do year ’round to build and maintain these beautiful trails through the woods. You are supporting a unique experience skiing on the Central Gunflint Trail System when you buy your pass. Thank you!