"TRAIL REPORT"

[311Hemi]

I'm still seeing 4-8" total being reported for up there be the end of day tomorrow....1-3" tonight. However, it's anyone guess where exactly this tracks.

[Xplorer]

8-16" STILL predicted here, but we have east winds off the Gitch that will blow up to 30+mph which worries me. It has pushed many a snow north/south/outta here many times before.

Currently dry here, tho schools have already been cancelled for tomorrow from willow river up to cloquet (come on Esko, cancel so "X Jr" is off of school)

[311Hemi]

Mike, what did you end up with? Any thoughts on the better places to ride this weekend? Trying to decide if it's worth heading up to DL to try to get some riding in or not.

We would head to the north shore, but sleds are in DL at the moment.

[icecold]

anyone have info on trails around littlefalls/hinkly milacs area

[Spearing Machine]

Dont bother with snowmobiling around little falls. We received about 7 inches of snow and I would say close to half of it shrunk up now. I noticed a few sleds riding the 371 ditch going to Brainerd this evening but I would say looking at the extended forecast it will be all brown by early next week here in across central MN.

[Macgyver55]

Well, my sleds are loaded and we are pulling out at 5:30am and heading to McGregor. From there I fully intend to ride as much as I can until its not worth riding. Looks like this may be our only chance judging by the weather next week.

[Meat-Run]

Spearing Machine that might have been us lastnight heres my report on the other post...

If you're coming up the Brainerd Lakes Area this weekend....bewarned the trails are in rough shape even after the groomers. We went on a 50-60 mile ride from Brainerd to Crow Wing State park down to The Fort and over to St.Mathias and the woods are "ok" but most of the trails are in the open and nonexisting of any snow (melted). I'm actually glad to make it home without braking a ski or wheel and any trail leading through a swamp is now all exposed bumps and horrible. Sorry to give such a gloom report but just wanted to inform the masses that might make the trek to focus on trails with more woods, less swamps so you have an enjoyable weekend.

Be safe and please come up but take it slow, winter isn't over just yet!!!

Meat-Run

[MN Mike]

A few guys were out at Naytahwaush yesterday, they said the trails were ok but they weren't bragging them up either.

Mike

[Macgyver55]

Changed our plans from McGregor to Cloquet and rode up to the north shore trail from there.

Turned out to be a good choice as the trails were very, very good!

[caseymcq]

I was on the trails between Silver Bay and Finnland today, they were pretty rough. They have been rode hard.

[311Hemi]

Drove up to DL Friday night and then drove to Grand Rapids yesterday and rode north.....there was decent snow on the trails, more snow the more north you got. I was surprised at the snow 40+ miles noth of GR...is was pretty good. Rode the Taconite up to the Viking bar (80 miles north) which was starting to get a little bumpy in some areas due to traffic. Took off west from there on the L and that was good and smooth, then headed back south on the Soumi? Sorry, no map in front of me now to know the actual trail names. The Soumi was getting a little bumpy as we headed south back to GR, but not bad as of last night. A few low sports here and there....but defintly decent riding if your look for a place to go.

180 miles total yesterday.

In DL now and will either ride White Earth or Bemidji today

[yoppdk]

Huh ... I rode the Taconite north of GR yesterday, too. I couldn't get past the "river" flowing across the trail just past the Taconite detour onto the Clearwater trail. Just wondering ... did you skip across the water flowing across the trail or just ride the Taconite through the closed section? I had hoped to get further north to enjoy some of the deeper snow, too. I was on that same section of the Clearwater trail earlier last week and there was no water flowing across it ... though there was less snow and more bumps then.

[caseymcq]

The groomer must have hit the trails around Silver Bay Saturday night / Sunday morning (3/3 - 3/4). It was a good ride today (Sunday).

[MN Mike]

12 of us put on 170 miles yesterday, we met in McIntosh and headed to points North and East. Most of the trails had been groomed at some point recently so they were decent. The trails in the woods were not too bad but as you went into the open country they were not as good. Lots of people out riding, that was good to see.

Mike

[BoxMN]

Crosslake/Emily trails were horrible Saturday afternoon. I bet they were good Thursday, but there was not much snow and beat to heck. We only did about 10 miles then back to the lakes to get a quick fix, then ice fishing for me... hopefully more will come yet, but I put two sleds on the trailer (storage) just in case... might be the end for me, unfortunately.

[leech~~]

Well on Sunday I met up with Loonasea-Randy and Ripstick-Gary and we trailered up the Northshore to Finland. When we got to about Two Harbors we hit an almost full blown Blizzed and it got worst all the way up to the Finland turn. Once we got over the hill, unloaded and up in the woods, the sun broke out and the wind died and it turned out to be a very nice day to be out on the trails sledding! We started off running the Moose walk trail which looked like maybe only 2-3 sleds had gone down it and it was not groomed but it was smooth and had some powder to run on. At the end of the Moose walk loop is one of the most scenic warming houses in all of Minnesota built right on the edge of a big valley and vertical shear cliff. I would be carefull getting to close to the edge if you have had to many "trail pops" as there are no guards rails on the edge there.

After the MW loop we ran up to the Trestle Inn for lunch and the place was packed with sledders when we pulled in. From there we went north and made a big loop back to Finland getting back just at dark. Some of the state trails were a little rough but not as bad as some had posted? We met a lot of nice people on the trails when stopping at some of the many warming houses along the trail. I think we put on a good 100 miles and would have done more if we didn't stop so many times and talk or talk to others we met along the way but that's a big part of having a good day riding! Gary, thanks for picking up the lunch tab that was really nice and unexpected! We will have to setup another ride sometime and see if we can't get more guys on the ride! I had a lot more pictures to post but half way through the day I realized I had my camera at it's highest resolution and can't seem to get the HSO site to post them? If anyone has any tricks to get them edited under 3mg that would be great! All and all another great day of riding!

[reinhard1]

thanks for the pictures Leech!!!!awesome country!!!glad you had a chance to go up there with some great guy's. good luck.

[ripstick]

It was another good day to be out for a ride. It is hard to beat the views up there and I know there is a lot more.

[Macgyver55]

I recognize that picture taken by the warming shack on the Moose Walk. Had lunch there this fall on my wheeler. The colors were awesome! We only stopped briefly there on Friday on our way back over to the North shore trail because I forgot my camera. Beautiful overlook to say the least.

[MN Mike]

Great reports and pictures guys!

I heard the north shore has been getting hit by lake effect snow.... Now if it was only December!

Mike

[311Hemi]

Just got back last night from a good weekend of riding. Already mentioned the Grand Rapids area, so Sunday we trailed up to the White Earth area and put in a Strawberry Lake. Rode west and then north to White Earth Lake, then east on Tulaby to Little Bemidgi. Most of those trails were in great condition, and from Strawberry Lake to White Earth Lake we were one of the first on the freshly groomed trail. We ate lunch on Little Bemidji and then took off north to the Naytahwaush trail system. Most of those were in good shape, with some being bumpier than others mainly due to higher traffic. We made a big loop north and then headed back to the trailed. Good snow throughout the area and put on 100 miles on a partial day of riding.

Naytahwaush trail system

Monday we rode from outside of Perham along 10 up to DL. It was ok riding in the ditch and the trail had been groomed the previous day, but drifting was making it a little bumpy. The trails north of DL riding out of town were in rough shape in the fields and swamps....very bumpy. Thing got a little better once we hit the trees and the snows had ok to decent snow but really needed to be groomed. Rode the trails around there...a few lakes...and ditch banged back to the house and called it a day after 75 miles. Definitely snow to ride...but not sure how long it will last with the warm temps.

A few of the Grand Rapids area trails:

[311Hemi]

Huh ... I rode the Taconite north of GR yesterday, too. I couldn't get past the "river" flowing across the trail just past the Taconite detour onto the Clearwater trail. Just wondering ... did you skip across the water flowing across the trail or just ride the Taconite through the closed section? I had hoped to get further north to enjoy some of the deeper snow, too. I was on that same section of the Clearwater trail earlier last week and there was no water flowing across it ... though there was less snow and more bumps then.

Not sure exactly where the "river" flowing across the trail was, but we did not skip any water nor did we ride trough the closed section. I don't recall seeing anything like your describing. I was not leading in this area so I wasn't paying complete attention to exactly what detour we took, but when we hit the sign below we took a right and made a loop around east and then north. I don't know if this was the Clearwater trail or another detour just north of the Clearwater that we took east?

[leech~~]

Very nice report 311Hemi. Sounds like you hit the groomer schedule just about right. You have got to get more smily faces in your trail pic's!

[yoppdk]

Yeah, that was the start of the detour onto the Clearwater trail. I guess the flow started after you went through. You would not have missed it if you had passed it ... it was 50-70 ft wide and looked like it could have been a couple feet deep. Some folks had skipped through it, but I suspect it was not as wide/deep when they went through it. My guess is whatever was causing the thin ice on the Taconite (and the detour) overflowed and created a new flowage. I was there around 2:00 pm.

[311Hemi]

We didn't see anything like what you descirbe. It was probably around 11:00 or so that we went through that area.