Winter is a wonderful time to enjoy the great outdoors. Come on up the Gunflint Trail on Friday, March 2nd, to learn about some popular winter activities and maybe even try them for yourself.

     Take a drive to Gunflint Lodge for a Skijoring Demonstration at 9 AM. This is a fun activity where dogs are hitched up to humans wearing cross-country skis and then travel together across frozen expanses. Bearskin Lodge invites you to listen to local Bob Marchino as he talks about his wilderness canoeing adventures along the route of the Voyageurs. If you’ve ever wanted to winter camp then head on up to Heston’s Lodge for an introduction to this fun activity. There will be a winter camping seminar presented by Mark Darling at 1 PM and the outdoor brick oven will be hot and ready for pizza making from 1-3 PM. On both Friday and Saturday there will be free skiing at the Central and Upper Ski areas on the Gunflint Trail. For a real treat you can try some lit skiing at Bearskin, Golden Eagle or Gunflint Pines Resort. If you are interested in making some tracks of your own be sure to join the wolf howl guided trek at 8 PM at Gunflint Lodge.

     Friday evening make your way to Trail Center for a live broadcast from local radio station WTIP. Buck Benson and Bob Carter will present The Roadhouse beginning at 5 PM followed by the trivia challenge Small Change at 7 PM. Following the live broadcast local Ted Young will present a seminar entitled, Yesterday’s BWCA beginning at 8 PM. Join us on the Gunflint Trail for the 3rd Annual Winter Tracks Festival. Post by Sue Prom Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and the Boundary Waters Blog.

     Winter Tracks on the Gunflint Trail begins on Thursday, March 1st. Each day of the Festival there are many activities to choose from at participating resorts. You can find information about all of the activities on the Winter Tracks Website.

     Some activities happen each day during the festival. Ice skating is free of charge at Bearskin and Golden Eagle Lodge. These resorts in addition to Gunflint Pines and Gunflint Lodge will offer 10% off of their equipment rental for cross-country skis and snowshoes. Some gift shops on the Gunflint Trail as well as a few restaurants are offering specials during Winter Tracks. Local artists will be displaying and selling their wares at various resorts.(Betsy Bowen at Bearskin, Nancy Seaton at Nor’Wester, Tim Young at Moosehorn, Kelly Dupre and Tom McCann at Gunflint Lodge).

     Everyone is invited to Golden Eagle Lodge for an introduction to Snowshoeing and a guided trek at 10:00 AM on Thursday. Boundary Country Trekking is hosting a Mongolian Firepot Dinner and advance reservations are required.

     There is plenty of snow to enjoy winter activities on the Gunflint Trail. Be a part of the action and try some snow sledding, a dog sled ride, or participate in the Poker Run. Sit back and enjoy a seminar, browse local artwork, view a snow sculpture or just relax by a fire. We hope you make your tracks up the Gunflint Trail and join us for the Winter Tracks Festival. Posted by Sue Prom Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and the Boundary Waters Blog.

The Dog Sled Race was a huge success and fun was had by all. It was quite a sight to see all of the trucks and dog teams lined up on Devil Track Lake and an even better site to see the mushers scrambling out of their sleeping bags at the sound of the shotgun blast. It was an exciting start with mushers putting their boots on and then rushing to harness up their dogs and head across the lake. The finish of the race was just as thrilling as teams made their way across Poplar Lake to Trail Center. A big thank you to everyone who helped make the race happen.

      Now for more winter fun on the Gunflint Trail… Everyone is invited to participate in the 3rd Annual Winter Tracks Festival March 1-4 on the Gunflint Trail. Winter Tracks is open to the public and most activities are free of charge. Guests can register at their home resort and visitors can register at the Gunflint Trail Information Center in Grand Marais or at Trail Center.

     Activities are planned at many of the resorts and lakes on the Gunflint Trail. There will be seminars, demonstrations, art displays, snow sculptures and much more. Some activities require advance registration or a fee so be sure to check out the website at http://www.wintertracks.com. You can stop by the Gunflint Trail Information Center for more information or call 218-387-3191. We invite you to Winter Tracks where we hope you will make some tracks of your own on the Gunflint Trail.  Sue Prom the Boundary Waters Blog and Voyageur Canoe Outfitters

     The snow banks are building just like the enthusiasm and excitement about this Sunday's Sled Dog Race on the Gunflint Trail. The people around here are acting like kids on Christmas Morning; I hope we can all contain ourselves until Sunday.

      The sound of a shotgun going off at 10:00 AM, Sunday, February 25th, on Devils Track Lake will mark the official start of the race. Mushers will be tucked into their sleeping bags while only their lead dog is held by their handler. The racers will rush to get their teams ready and then head out across the lake for what will be a fun run up to Trail Center on Poplar Lake on the Gunflint Trail. The short race will end there while the distance racers will continue up to Gunflint Lake and then back to Trail Center for the finish.

     There will be plenty of opportunities to be a part of this awesome event. Spectators can start the day at Devils Track Resort with a breakfast buffet from 8:00 AM-Noon. After watching the start of the race everyone can head up to Trail Center to cheer on the teams and enjoy live entertainment, a bonfire, and get a chance to meet the mushers and their teams.

     To learn more about the race be sure to visit Trail Center's Website or check the Boundary Waters Blog. We hope to see you on the Trail this Sunday! Information posted by Sue Prom

     There will be a Sled Dog Race on the Gunflint Trail on Sunday, February 25th, 2007.  A short race will begin at Devil's Track Lake and end at Trail Center on the Gunflint Trail.  A longer race will begin at Devil's Track Lake, travel to Gunflint Lake and then head back to Devil's Track Lake for the finish. 

     This race is happening due to the cancellation of the 25th running of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon.  The Beargrease was originally scheduled for January, was postponed until February and then cancelled altogether due to the lack of snow on the race course.

     There is plenty of snow on the Gunflint Trail so race aficionados are welcome to partake in what will surely be an exciting event for all.  For more information contact Sarah at Trail Center 218-388-2214.  Posted by Sue Prom Voyageur Canoe Outfitters and the Boundary Waters Blog.

  One of the greatest things about the Gunflint Trail is the population of Moose.  Though I have made many trips to town (Grand Marais) from uptrail without seeing even one moose, it's not uncommon to see up to 5 on a trip.  My personal record is 23 on a single trip to town, believe it or not!  It seems they're more often spotted at night on the Gunflint trail than during the day.

   Of course it suprises many to find that the Bulls grow a complete set of antlers each year.  They begin shedding the old set anytime after the fall rut and on into the mid of winter.  They're rare to find, but on occasion a Lucky tourists may happen across a shed on a ski or snowmobile trail.  If you should ever come across one - don't quit looking, often  they loose the second antler within the same area. 

    While some people are just lucky to come across one, some people make a hobby of finding them - often averaging ten hours of searching for each one found.  Well worth the time to some.

Shari Baker

There is nothing like a sunny winter day on the Gunflint Trail.  The snow and ice just glisten and everything sparkles.  Although cold today, it is no longer sub-zero.  It is spectacular day to get out and enjoy the sunshine and take a winter hike.  Photo is of Clearwater Lodge from Clearwater Lake. Lynn www.clearwateroutfitters.com 

Rose Lake Waterfalls in the winter.  Photo by Travis Gunter, Clearwater Lodge.