Winter Trails Report - 3/1/21

SKI TRAILS:

There are many ski trails in the Brainerd Lakes Area; many of which are groomed Grant-In-Aid funded trails. To “legally” ski any GIA funded trail, cross country/Nordic skiers aged 16 years and older must purchase a MN Ski Pass. A non-pass holder can be sited by any Conservation Officer if caught on these trails without a pass. The Annual and 3-Year passes can be purchased at any ELS (Electronic Licensing Station) station (if they sell fishing licenses, etc., they will sell ski passes) and the Daily can be purchased from a variety of non-ELS providers. The Northland Arboretum is one provider in our area that sells the daily pass.

The Northland Arboretum contains trails for all experience levels. These trails are groomed for classic and skate.

2/24/21: Warm weather and fast trails. Trails were in pretty good shape considering the warm temperatures and sunshine. I skied everything except North Star and only Big Ben had thin spots in the typical places – easy to ski around. I talked to some folks classic skiing who reported good glide.

The Pine Beach Ski Trails are both classic and skate and include trails for all abilities.

2/25/21: The Lakes Area has received about 18″ of snow this season. We regroomed the West side of the trail system on 2/24/21, the trails are ok, but are declining very fast in the warm temps. The “Classic” golf course does not have enough snow to groom and unless we get additional snowfall, we probably won’t be grooming again.

The Larson Lake Trail system is a good mix of classic and skate trails. Please note that the interior loops are classic only.

2/28/21: A dusting of snow overnight. Groomed all skate lanes before 8:30 this morning. Tracks are still good but a bit icy with a few dirt spots. A Skis on skate lanes, B skis on skating deck.

The Wolf Lake Ski Trail is a classic only trail system.

2/26/21: We got skiing around 1:00 today. Wolf lake features nice trails and scenic terrain, but unfortunately, it is clear that the warm weather and wind have taken a hit on the trails. On the better parts of the trail, the tracks were well-groomed as well as reasonably deep and firm. However, a large part of the trail was littered with debris and had exposed earth poking through. Most of the red trail had pretty good tracks, but the yellow loop seemed to take the bulk of the damage, especially on the hills. The kick wax we brought was basically useless, but we were still able to force out 9k. Overall, we managed to get a good workout in!

Thank you to the Brainerd Nordic Ski Club, Skinnyski.com and Mark Kavanaugh for their reports.

MOUNT SKI GULL:

We offer skiing, snowboarding and tubing in one convenient location. Helping our community to become a better place to live has been our guiding principle for 50 years. Mount Ski Gull’s mission is to provide challenging activities in a fun and healthy environment which empowers youth to develop confidence, competency, and compassion.

3/1/21: Monday 11 am-8 pm. School groups day=bonus morning of skiing! Terrain Park opens at 3 pm.

Tues-Thursday closed.

Skiing & Snowboarding: Lift Tickets & Rental must be purchased PRIOR TO ARRIVAL!

Runs Open: All.
Lifts Open: Chairlift, BH Magic Carpet, TP High Speed Rope, Tubing Magic Carpet

3/1/21: Monday-Thursday closed.

Tubing (masks required): All tubing tickets must be purchased ONLINE PRIOR TO ARRIVAL!

SNOWMOBILE TRAILS:

Crow Wing County Snowmobile Trails Association Clubs 2/25/21: The Brainerd Lakes Area has only received about 18″ of snow this season so needless to say the trails are not in terrific condition. The lack of snow and warm temperatures have made any attempt at grooming difficult, so for now, most of the clubs have suspended grooming operations. However, some of the clubs have reported riding in the wooded trails is ok but the warm temps is taking its toll. The trails in the ditches and open areas are showing a lot of grass. Also, remember that the “Line 3” pipeline construction is going on in the Backus, Emily area so use caution.