The Arrowhead region of Minnesota boasts the highest seasonal snow totals in the state with the higher elevations around Lake Superior receiving over 100 inches of snow annually.  Add to that that Northeast Minnesota is usually the first area in the Midwest to receive rideable snow and also one of the last to have it melt and it is understandable why that area of the state is deluged with snowmobilers from surrounding areas both early and late in the season.  Like our neighbors in northeast Wisconsin and the U.P., we see tremendous traffic and with only about 1,000 miles of trails with good snow cover, grooming can become a losing battle for the clubs and the DNR when the rest of the Midwest is suffering from lack of snow.  So how do you make the most of your trek to Northeast Minnesota? It all starts with taking advantage of the grooming schedule.  The centerpiece of the Northeast Minnesota trail system is the CJ Ramstad North Shore State Trail.  This 150 mile gem will be the trail that leads to all of the other trails in the system.  All of the trails will be groomed

Not taking advantage of the Minnesota GIA trail system can make you miss out on views like this

at some point by the local clubs during the week so if you hit the trail Saturday morning you will find your Grant In Aid trails to be in the best shape of the weekend. We suggest taking advantage of the Grant In Aid trails on Saturday as they will be in the best condition and will also have less traffic.  So many people that visit the area often ignore these trails for the more famous North Shore Trail but if you do this you are missing out on some of the most fantastic trail riding you will ever experience, not to mention epic scenery and photo opportunities.  By Sunday most of the Grant In Aid trails will have been heavily ridden and portions of them may or may not be groomed Saturday night as some clubs have such large systems it is impossible to reach every mile of their trails in one evening.  The North Shore Trail, however, is groomed from end to end every Friday and Saturday night with local clubs each being assigned a section of trail, this also pulls those particular groomers off the Grant In Aid trails for the night making it even harder for them to groom their entire system unless they possess multiple groomers and have multiple available operators.  This makes the North Shore Trail your best bet for Sunday.  Also, the farther north you get the farther into the wilderness you are, making food and fuel stops essential.  If someone can carry extra gas and oil on their sled it is  good idea as fuel stops are few and far between- so take advantage of them when you see them.  It is also a good idea to bring a winter survival kit with you as a breakdown in this part of the state could mean an unexpected evening outdoors.  If you follow these simple steps you will have good trails all weekend long as well as an abundance of good times and excellent memories!