There’s still skiing in northern Minnesota.  Like most of Minnesota, we had warm temps and rain at the beginning of this week, but luckily we had so much snow that it didn’t matter much. We still have more snow than we know what to do with, as you will see by the high snowbanks and narrow roads around Bearskin.  No sign of winter letting up here.

The consistency of the snow changed — it’s icier, for sure.  But continuous grooming all week by both Bearskin and Golden Eagle has created some pretty good conditions.  We’re guessing this may be the last good skiing left in Minnesota at this point, as most of the north shore lost their snow base in the warm weather.

Parking in the Bearskin Lodge parking lot has been an issue in the afternoons Friday and Saturday.  You can go up to the next road and park at Golden Eagle, which lets you start on the north side of the ski system.  Ski to Bearskin to enjoy your chili or soup lunch!

We have soup and chili every day, hot chocolate with cookies, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, and a nice array of wine and beer. Spend some quality time in our lodge, sipping a glass of wine and watching the birds and squirrels at the feeder.

Here are the latest snow measurements, as taken by Golden Eagle on 2/24.

Central Gunflint Ski Trail Conditions on 2-24-17

New Snow Last 24 hours:  0.0”
New Snow Last 7 days:  Trace
Trail Base, Staked:  Average 7 – 10”
Snow in Woods, Staked:  Average 10 – 14”
Groomed with classic track:  70 km
Groomed with skate lane:  58 km
Surface Conditions:  Tilled snow
Last grooming day:  2-24-17
Total snowfall since Nov. 1:  64.23”

Comments:  We still have snow and we are still grooming and skiing! Expect fast conditions, abrasive snow, and a solid base. Skate skiing is particularly fast now; double up on the kick wax for classic skiing. All trails are continuing to be groomed with the tiller. According to the 7-day forecast, it looks like we are done with the fluctuating freezing/thawing temperatures for a while. Possible snow is predicted after the weekend, which will only improve things. Conditions aren’t perfect, but skiing is still very good and very much alive yet. Trail base is now averaging between 7 and 10 inches; areas that receive a lot of sun have less. Snow in woods is still between 10 and 14 inches, on average.