We waited until the last minute to post this because we wanted the most accurate data we could get.  Although we had a lot of rain the trails held up pretty well.  The problem is run off, so on many of the grant-in-aid trails there may be swampy water hiding under the snow.  From what we have seen most of the ice bridges survived and with colder temps coming we hope things freeze up and dry out.  All we can say is that if you ride on grant-in-aid be vigilant.  Also be aware of road crossings with ditches on either side of the road- you might want to send a scout across the road to check the other side of the snowbank if you can’t see what is across the road- we have heard of riders crossing roads and winding up in a ditch full of water on the other side.  We do know that the CJ Ramstad North Shore Trail is not only in good shape but is tentatively scheduled to be groomed Friday and Saturday night if the weather permits.  One other word of caution- if you go off trail the snow is incredibly water logged and it is like driving through slush on a lake- very difficult and potential to get hopelessly stuck.  Speaking of lakes there is a lot of slush out there under the snow so unless you know its good don’t risk it.

Today we spent a lot of time realizing that short track trail sleds are not mountain sleds and that 3 feet of powder, although fun, also wears your ass out when you put your sled in a place that it can’t handle! Looks like this week is gonna possibly suck warmth wise, here’s hoping for the best.

Lots of snow and cold temps have made the trails in Northeast Minnesota awesome, truly some of the best riding conditions we have seen in the last 10 years.  Since last week’s blizzard all of the drifts have been knocked down and the trails are amazing.  Ride right, ride safe and we will see you on the trails!