Image from April 1st, 2009 Gunflint Trail just out of downtown Grand Marais at water tower.This report updated April 3, 2009 1PM.
Major snow storm hit the North Shore March 31 and April st. Devil Track Lake area reporting 18inches of new snow with drifting to 4 feet. Downtown Grand Marais reporting 15 inches with drifting to 4 feet. Lutsen area reporting 16inches. Finland reporting 20 inches. Grand Portage reporting 18 inches with drifting to 4 feet. If you want snowmobiling in April this is the best you'll find. Should be good spring trail conditions inland through the weekend.
I need to correct a common misbelief; in a phone conversation with the MN DNR this morning, I was corrected that only grant-in-aid trails close April 1st. The North Shore State Trail does not close on April 1st, as previously stated on http://www.snowmobiletrails.com/ and http://www.snowmobiletrailsblog.com/. Riding grant-in-aid trails without the landowner’s permission is trespassing, if the trail crosses private land. Trails that are currently open for riding include the Expressway and the Gunflint Snowmobile Trail System, both are grant-in-aid trails but, no longer use private property, after these trails were moved. So these trails including the Grand Portage trails and the North Shore State Trail are open for use, snow permitting.
A Snowmobile State Trail sticker is required for all snowmobiles operating on state or grant-in-aid trails. Including the Expressway Trail, and the Gunflint Snowmobile Trail System. The annual trail sticker is valid from November 1 - April 30 and costs $16 ($15 permit fee plus $1 filing fee).
A $31 three-year sticker will be available beginning October 1, 2005.The three-year permit can only be purchased in conjunction with a registration.
Anyone stopped by enforcement and found operating on a state or grant-in-aid trail without a sticker may be subject to enforcement action and will be required to purchase a $31 annual sticker. ($30 permit fee plus $1 filing fee.) How to purchase a State Trail Sticker; http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/licenses/snowmobile/trailpermit.html
The North Shore State Trail from Two Harbors to roughly Grand Marais has a lot of downed trees and may be impassable, use extreme caution if you use this section.
The state is no longer grooming snowmobile trails this season.
These trailheads will be best for this weekend; trailheads inland/ over the hill from Lake Superior. Many spur trails from downtown areas have had snow melt due to being on the slope facing the sun and being close to warmer air near lake Superior. Details for trailheads can be found at; http://www.snowmobiletrails.com/#trailheads
There has been great spring riding after this storm, watch out for fallen trees and debris from ice storm. Snowmobile trails in Lake and Cook County were seriously effected by freezing rain that fell across northeast Minnesota March 23rd and 24th. Grooming is done for this season.
Access points from Minnesota State Parks are closed.
The following are preliminary snow amounts for the late season snow event Tuesday March 31 into Wednesday April 1st. These totals are not necessarily the final amount for each location.
Snow reports listed by amountinches location St County time
18.00 Grand Portage MN Cook 0801 am
14.80 Silver Bay MN lake 0703 am
14.00 Lutsen MN Cook 0740 am
14.00 Beaver Bay MN lake 0652 am
13.00 3 NNE Finland MN lake 0715 am
12.00 Grand Marais MN Cook 0750 am
12.00 Breezy Point MN Crow Wing 0900 am
11.00 5 N Pillager MN Cass 0831 am
11.00 Pequot Lakes MN Crow Wing 0715 am
10.50 Illgen City MN lake 0750 am
10.00 6 SW Two Harbors MN lake 0622 am
9.30 Hackensack MN Cass 0647 am
8.50 International Falls MN Koochiching 0711 am
8.00 5 N Virginia MN St. Louis 0845 am
7.30 Duluth MN St. Louis 0725 am
7.00 Chisholm MN St. Louis 0735 am
7.00 7 NW Two Harbors MN lake 0730 am
7.00 Babbitt MN St. Louis 0714 am
6.80 Duluth MN St. Louis 0708 am
6.30 Kabetogama MN St. Louis 0714 am
6.30 Northome MN Koochiching 0714 am
6.00 Wrenshall MN Carlton 0900 am
6.00 Cook MN St. Louis 0714 am
5.90 Kerrick MN Pine 0614 am
5.80 2 se Esko MN Carlton 0620 am
5.50 Ironton MN Crow Wing 0657 am
5.50 Cotton MN St. Louis 0629 am
5.40 3 NE Nisswa MN Crow Wing 0815 am
5.30 Orr MN St. Louis 0714 am
5.30 3 E Orr MN St. Louis 0618 am
5.00 Cass Lake MN Cass 0905 am
4.80 3 N Brainerd MN Crow Wing 0659 am
4.30 Maple WI Douglas 0705 am
3.20 12 N Isle MN Aitkin 0800 am
3.00 4 N Grantsburg WI Burnett 0824 am
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