Lutsen to Bally Creek

Thursday
A long days work over the hot snow. Explored a possible connection between Sugarbush Trails and Lutsen Road. Ended at Bally Creek Trails north of Cascade State Park.

Connecting Sugarbush to Lutsen
It's five km from Sugarbush to Lutsen Road. Several years ago a Nordic ski trail was maintain between these points.  A new golf course followed by condo developments ended this connection. And, locals tell us, this old connector is grown over and blocked by wind-fall. Tim, Kathy and I skied westward from Onion River Road on Oberg Trail then turned south, breaking trail. The snow was deep and going rough. It we after a while we gave up, knowing we had many km to explore further up the Northshore and Gunflint Trail. Next time we are going to solve this connection with by snowshoeing the Superior Hiking Trail from Onion River to the top of Lutsen ski area where there is a restaurant with a view.

Breaking Trail

Lutsen to Cascade Lodge
This day was a glorious Blue Extra day. Sunny with clouds later. This section is long and rolling through Cedars and mixed forest with more views of Lake Superior. Groomed for classic and skate.

The Nap
Stop at our room at Cascade Lodge for a snack and a nap - not just any nap - and not a simple Churchhill power-nap. This was a nap of legend. One our children will tell their children about. We woke alert and ready for more skiing.

Cascade State Park
Refreshed we worked through a network of classic only tracks until we joined the the connector trail to Bally Creek.

Cascade River State Park

To Bally Creek Trails
This 10km classic only connector is a continuous uphill, forested, quiet trail. Even though we were racing to beat the setting sun we enjoyed this calm, gentle stride session.

For Friday we are search for a route to Devil Track Lake and a unplowed road called 154, which will move us northwest to the Gunflint Trail and, finally, to Bearskin Lodge.

Bally Creek Trail

Bally Creek Cabins

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Product Review
Atomic Skintec again

Kathy is Skintecs along with Tim - Kathy said when she first tried them "Tony you won't believe these things". Since I am the only one on this trip without Skintecs I watch Tim and Kathy stride up and glide down the North Shore trails ahead of me. The Bally Creek Trail is over 10km of nearly continuous climbing. Late in the day the temps climbed to the mid thirties I selected my light-weight fish scales. I could, kind of, keep up with them on the climb but when we hit the flats at the top they double-poled away as I worked to keep up. They disappeared around the bend and I skied the last few km alone. Members of Team Skintec were smiling waiting when I got to the car. I was breathing hard and spitting phlegm. I imagine I had just as much fun, however. 

Day One - Tofte to Lutsen (not quite)

Departed Mpls - 7am.
Sawtooth Outfitters in Tofte - 11am.

Owner, Jeff, Gave us some ideas feasibility of skiing from Onion River Road to Lutsen. "You may want some wider skis for that section".

Checking out Lake Superior

Heading up Tofte Trail

Kathy (Chief of Support) dropped us off at Bluefin Bay and drove to Onion River trail head where she skied westward along the Sugarbush Trails in hopes of meeting us. Tim and I hopped on the Tofte Trail and skied a long climb nearly to the top of Carlton Peak. We then headed east to meet Kathy.  The three of us skied the Northern section of Picnic Loop - which was spectacular. Hilly with views of Lake Superior to the South and a dramatic valley of Six Mile Creek to the North. Don't let me forget to tell you about the snow and the tracks. Six inches over the weekend and newly groomed trail gave us firm tracks for striding and soft snow for control on some exciting downhills. New snow on branches. See photos below.

It was getting late when we glided in to Onion River Trail Head where our van (The Beige Stallion) was waiting. The topo map posted at the trail head showed no easy want to cover the five kms to Lutsen Road. One map says "Back Country" but we are not sure we will find a path (with likely downed trees). So we put off this section for Thursday morning.

A stop at the Lutsen information desk supplied no additional information. We were hoping a route over the downhill area's Mystery Mountain - or something as fun.

Inflated by amazing conditions and scenery and deflated by this, seemingly impassable obstacle, we headed for our lodging at Cascade River. Limited web access there. So we are in Grand Marais, in our car, grabbing the internet from Sven and Ole's. Hopefully tomorrow will be as terrific as today.

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North Shore Trek Product Review
Atomic SkinTec

Tim Crampton - my North Shore Ski Trek partner, picked up a pair of SkinTecs just a couple days before our departure. Tim had heard SkinTecs are a no-wax ski that gets a great kick in any condition and glides better than other no-wax skis. He was not ready for the performance he found on the North Shore's Picnic Loop. He raved. He was thrilled with the kick and he flew down the hills. Tim is a double-pole fiend and he loved how he could power his new skis on the flats.

I was impressed as I tried to keep up to Tim and his new SkiTecs.

I watched him stride up the long climbs on the Picnic Loop with solid kick and glide with terrific speeds down the winding track. Missing was the tell-tail singing and drag of fish scales. As an outside observer I can say the Atomic SkinTec lived up to the promises of performance no-wax ski that delivers both kick and glide.

North Shore Trek starts March 13

Tofte to Gunflint Lodge in Seven Days
Wednesday morning Tim Crampton and I (Tony Mommsen) will start skiing from Tofte Minnesota, seven days later we will finish at Gunflint Lodge. This is not a hard-core adventure. We will be skiing on groomed trail networks along Lake Superior and  the Gunflint Trail (with just a couple obstacles).  Sleeping in lodges with saunas and hot tubs. Gear will be shuttled. And we will experience long warm days and views of Lake Superior and hills and forests along the Gunflint Trail.

A Few Obstacles 
We've been talking with resort owners, outfitters, Nordic skiers familiar with the North Shore trails.  There are two sections with no cross country ski trails where creative problem solving will be required.

Last year on the Gunflint Trail [photo: Ingrid Remak]

Tofte to Lutsen. More than one North Shore contact has told us we will not be able to ski from the Sugarbush Trail System to Lutsen Trails. So we may ski as much as possible then walk or shuttle to Lutsen Road.

Bally Creek Trails to Bearskin Lodge
30 miles. We plan on piecing together unplowed roads and lake skiing over the course of a couple days to get to Bearskin Lodge. Including Pine Mountain Road, South Brule Road and Lima Mountain Road.


The Idea
Family and friends became weary of my trek ideas. I talked about skiing across Minnesota - too much prairie.  Ski across Wisconsin - too far between towns. Then my brother Pete told me it had to be the North Shore - The best skiing and the best scenery around and it's begging to be linked together as a week-long trek. See map above.

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Product Review

Timex Marathon GPS
We are hoping this is a pilot trek, paving the way for a formal trip with a bunch of skiers. North East Minnesota tourism contacts will want to know if we find good connections. If people can make if from one lodge to the next without putting in double Birkies. So distances we travel is important and we will be using the Timex Marathon. This GPS is basic, it will tell us how far we travel each day and how fast we average and allow us to save previous day's records for up to 30 hours. And that is about it. So, it will not help us much if we get lost. Unless knowing how far from found we are.

Tomorrow we put it to the test.