We received a ton of snow overnight, so groomers were out on both sides of the system before dawn. It was still snowing, so there will be “after-grooming” snow on some trails. Most of the 80k will be done by lunchtime. The skies are clearing and the sun is out, but it is a bit windy. Pictures to come when Quinn gets back.
Pictures and reports to come, but we got about 5 inches of great snow overnight and grooming is in process. They’ve been out since before dawn and all 80k will be groomed by lunch time, or shortly after.
It’s snowed a few times this week, maybe an additional 3-4 inches, so the groomers have been out several times this week. Conditions are excellent. We have more snow in the forecast this weekend, which is our typical winter pattern of snow every few days. Skiers are loving it.
If you recognize the location of the ski trail in the picture below from today’s grooming, go to our Facebook page and post your guess. Free cookie to the person who first guesses it correctly. Hint: this isn’t as easy as the last few. 😉
Temperatures are all over the place for the next few days, but nothing too dramatically cold. Decent ski temps.
We do have some northern lights in the forecast for the next few days, which could add some excitement to your trip. Bring a headlamp and ski out on the lake to get the best wide aurora view. We almost always post on the Bearskin Facebook page as soon as we hear about any northern lights activity. For more info about how to see the lights when you’re at Bearskin, go to: https://bearskin.com/bearskin-lodge-photography-series-chasing-the-northern-lights-on-the-gunflint-trail/
We will have soup and chili in the lodge all weekend, as well as hot chocolate, cheesecake, cookies, wine and beer. See you on the trails!
Almost everything was groomed Saturday morning, but then it snowed a couple more inches overnight— so out they went again early Sunday morning. System looks great!
Just an FYI for skiers who like to use the downstairs of the Main Lodge at Bearskin: the Cook County Ski Sparks group — basically every little winter-loving kid in Grand Marais plus their parents—will be meeting at Bearskin this afternoon. They never get real far on the trail system, so you’ll lose them once you start skiing. 😉. There will be kids all over the place for a while.
We’ve reached that magical point in the season where there are few reportable changes. It snows a little, we groom it. Snows again, we groom again. The endless cycle. No rain here, no melting, no giant storms, but just a bit more snow every few days. Skiers are happy.
Quinn updates our Facebook site almost every time he goes out. Todays’s grooming note is “We groomed a lake loop today. It should make for some nice skiing. With the wind on the lake it’s hard to keep lake trails as pristine as the rest of the system, but we’ll try to keep after it.”
Yesterday’s report includes a quiz: “We groomed the nice dusting of snow we received overnight. The trails just keep getting better. Who can name the trail pictured?” IYKYK. There’s only one trail that goes through a Black Spruce swamp. Go to Facebook and leave a guess: https://www.facebook.com/BearskinLodge
In other area skiing news, a portion of the Banadad Trail has reopened. As most regular skiers up here know, Ted and Barbara Young retired from the ski business so grooming is now being done by the Banadad Trail Association. It’s been a challenge for the Banadad to open up the trail this year after the “mini-blowdown” we had last spring. The first 10 K is being snowmobile groomed this week. If you are a patron of Chik-Wauk museum, then you’ve probably met Bonnie, the museum manager. She will be doing the Banadad grooming this year with assistance from her friend Mandy— they will do an excellent job. They are only doing 10k, starting at our end, so don’t plan to ski through the whole trail. The Banadad requires a Minnesota ski pass, not the same pass as the Central Gunflint Trail system uses. Also, a new family lives in Ted and Barbara’s house, so that is no longer a Banadad stop.
The forecast for the weekend is calling for a slight, temporary warm-up. We do have Cabin 10 open for a short stay for the next couple nights.
We will be serving chili and soup in the Main Lodge this weekend, as well as hot chocolate and cheesecake. Stop in and get warm with us!
The whole system was groomed today. Groomers got out early in the Pisten Bully groomers on both sides, so everything is pristine again. Lake trails wereTidd-Tech groomed in the morning, but it’s windy so the lake crossings might not be fresh later in the day.
Get out and enjoy this great skiing before the cold hits!
The new snow has let us get back out on the lake trails. If the slush stays away we’ll try to groom a lake loop soon!
We’re happy to report that we ended up with around 6 inches of fresh snow, maybe more in some areas. Everything was groomed today, including the BWCA section, so the trails are in great shape.
A new problem emerged this afternoon with access to the Poplar Creek Trail. It appears a beaver dam that holds back the Oxcart Pond broke, and water is flooding over the Poplar Creek Trail. We have this problem in the spring when snowmelt water overflows the little dam, but in May it’s not a ski trail issue. Today it is. Our cold weather should freeze the water, but don’t trust it yet. Bob tested the developing ice and went right through. We will just have to see what happens. EDIT: it fixed itself over night! Yay, water freezes. 😉
Out grooming in a snow storm. It won’t look like this for long, but should make for a great morning of skiing!
Quick weather update: it snowed overnight, it’s snowing now. Groomers on both sides have been out this morning doing many of the trails because we have lots of skiers here, but we are midway through the snowstorm. We’ll do it all again in the morning. Weather service says the heaviest snow is just sitting over Lake Superior and has not made it inland. That’s probably ok with us. The snow we are receiving is very nice.
Bearskin Lodge Ski Trail Reports 