Photo by Bill Lundberg

We’re in that desirable winter cycle now where we have more than enough snow.  The groomers head out whenever our trails need to be freshened up, and not much is changing. Ski conditions are fantastic. More than 60 inches of snow has fallen so far his winter in the mid-trail area. It’s not going anywhere soon. As usual, neither Grand Marais nor the end of the Trail have this much snow, but the central Gunflint Trail area seems to be a magic spot for snow accumulation.

Groomers were out on all the trails on Thursday and Friday. Because of the weight of the heavy snow, the lakes started to “slush up.” In the past week much of that slush has frozen hard, but there are still pockets in places. Our ski and snowshoe trails are good, but for people who are coming up to walk on the local lakes for winter camping or ice fishing you should keep a watchful eye out for slush.

Our long-time guests are saying this is the best skiing they’ve had in years. A recent review from skier Bill Lundberg sums up current conditions: “We had to go back for a second day in a row to the Central Gunflint trails! The conditions are just too good to pass up! This time we started at Bearskin, and skied the north-south loop to Beaver Dam and the Ridges. It was perfection again for both skate and classic. It’s hard to head back home the Cities after experiencing these conditions! Many thanks to the excellent groomers!”

Trail tickets are available at both Bearskin Lodge and Golden Eagle. We sell season passes, 3-day passes, full day passes, and afternoon passes for after 1 PM. For many people the coming weekend is a 3-day holiday, so expect to experience some parking problems if you start at Bearskin after about 11:30 AM. We recommend that skiers who are arriving later should drive a little farther to start on the north side of the trail system at Golden Eagle, as their parking lot is generally less busy. Bearskin will have soup and chili warm and ready, hot chocolate and espresso ready to serve, and wine or beer available to enjoy in front of the fireplace. Make a day of it at Bearskin. Or stay even longer, and enjoy a delicious meal at our restaurant on Saturday evening — we still have a few reservations available.  Check out the great menu here.