Just got back from a week at our cabin near Finland. Had some great riding. Got up there on Monday and rode everydat except Thursday as it rained most of the day. Trails are still in great shape, got 4-6" on Friday night and some friends near Isabella said they got 6" on Thursday night also. Had heard great things about the trails by Grand Portage so we hauled the sleds up there for a ride on Wednesday. What a gorgeous and very rugged area. Rode right up to the Canadian border, threw a snowball into canada. Saw the border patrol out on sleds, what a job! The trails that were groomed were excellent.The trail that connects Grand Portage to Grand Marais was groomed about 3 groomers wide. What a fun run that would be (assuming it's like that all the way to GM)
Xmas week on the North Shore
- Thread starter elf
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Canoepaddler
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Nice pics Elf. Glad you enjoyed the GP trails. Last year was the first time we rode them. They're kind'a remote and I don't like riding them 2-up alone with the Mrs. Which trail are you talking about that was so wide? If it's the one that connects the GP trails to the Gunflint trail system, I think that became an official complete trail last year. It was there before, but I think just not an official complete trail. When we were up there last year, people were complaining that a long stretch of that connecting trail was plowed for logging. No, it's not that way all the way to Grand Marais, but you'd like the Gunflint trails too if you haven't ridden them before. My favorite part of the GP trails was the one that went over to Ryden's at the border, going up through the draw and over the ridge. Glad to hear the rain didn't do much damage. We had planned to come up to Silver Bay on Wednesday through Friday, but we were both sick and when we saw the forecasted rain for our longest riding day we pulled the plug on the trip. There'll be another time.
Canoepaddler, up in the GP area the trail to GM followed the Otter Lake State Forest Road, thats where it was groomed super wide and flat. We followed it to just past Helipad site overlooking the Pigeon River. We rode back into Partridge falls, very cool and then took the next trail to the Northeast of that. Didn't ride the trail to Rydens, is that the one the farthest to the east? There was lot's of plowed roads to get over to that one.All the trails in the northeast of the parking lot were not groomed except for trail 4. You right though, it is very rugged and very isolated country. And beautiful!
Some guys from work and I went back up to the cabin yesterday for a day ride in the boonies north of Finland. We had a ball. Followed the powerlines, got in some river valleys and swamps. Had an easy 30-36" of snow in the swamps, they were a riot.
Some guys from work and I went back up to the cabin yesterday for a day ride in the boonies north of Finland. We had a ball. Followed the powerlines, got in some river valleys and swamps. Had an easy 30-36" of snow in the swamps, they were a riot.
Canoepaddler
New member
Elf - Yes, that's the one that runs to the east and dead ends at Ryden's border crossing store. We missed out on the Cowboy loop when we were up there last year because it was plowed so far in. Somebody said it was their favorite trail, so we followed it quite a ways until we started overheating and had to turn back. Maybe next time.