Banadad Trail Snow Report

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Banadad Trail Snow Report

Banadad and Adjoining Ski Trails- Gunflint Trail, Minnesota. Ski and snowshoeing Trails

DATE: 12/26/07

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 15"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 7"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 1"

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 6"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: Lace Lake and east end of Banadad tracked- 24 kilometers; West end of Banadad tracked December 23 but now covered with by 2" of snow

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 Miles open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Westend of Banadad to be tracked December 27 or 28 depending upon weather conditions. Call 218-388-4487 for current trail conditions.

Lodging at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and Yurt
Boundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge

Ham Lake Fire – Good News on the Banadad

It was known that last spring’s Ham Lake Fire had burned over a portion of the Banadad Ski Trail but it was not known how much of the forest surrounding the trail was burned. From the fire maps it appeared the fire had burned through the red pine plantation located approximately eight miles west of the eastern trail head near Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B. This plantation was planted sometime in the 1960’s following the completion of the Moon Lake Timber Sale.

When the season’s first trail crew reached the burned over area the other day they found that the fire had passed over a half mile of the trail. And sure enough the fire had burned through that red pine plantation but the good new was that about three-quarters of the red pines survived and the forest floor had been cleared of competing vegetation. Now if, and only if, the surviving red pines should just happen to produce and release seed cones in the next few year the forest floor should be clear enough to regenerate a new red pine forest.

Banadad Ski Trail - Grooming Report

Banadad and Adjoining Ski Trails- Gunflint Trail, Minnesota. Ski and snowshoeing Trails

DATE: December 15, 2007


SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 14"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 8"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 0


NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 2.5"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: 7.5 Kilometers

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 3 miles open


ADDITIONAL COMMENT: The Lace Lake Trail at the east-end of the Banadad is open and tracked and 1.6
kilometers of the east-end of the Banadad is open and tracked. The remaining 16 kilometers of the east
end of the Banadad is packed. Packing and clearing is continuing on the Banadad Western end.


Lodging at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and Yurt

Boundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge- on the web

Banadad 2007 Trail Clearing Report

October 12-14, 2007- A five person crew from Adventure Vacations, a Twin Cities based adventure travel company widened a three-quarter mile section on the eastern end of the Banadad Ski Trail. The group found a larger number then normal of down trees, which they removed. The down trees were a result of a combination of the heavy rains and winds of the pasts two months. Total time (including BCT staff support) -120 hours

October 22, 2007 - Traveling by ATV Ted Young removed a dozen or more large trees that had fallen across the Tim Knapp Trail and a one mile section of the Banadad outside the BWCA up to the Lisz Lake Portage. Total time - 12 hours

October 23-28, 2007 - A two-person crew lead by Jim Raml spent five days widening a remote interior section of the Banadad west-end. In order to get to the site the crew was driven in by truck along the Moose Trail to the Croft Yurt. From the Yurt the crew hiked in two More mile where they set-up camp. They then worked out of their camp. According to Raml the trail was wet, there were a few large trees down along the way and they experience one cold morning when their water hole froze over. The net result of the crews efforts was a mile of the Banadad near the middle of the west end of the trail was widened. Total time- 86 hours

October 30 - Traveling by ATV the down trees blocking Trail were removed from Lisz Lake Portage west one and one-half miles to BWCA line by Mead's Lake Portage. Total time-11 hours

November 2-4 - A Six person trail-crew of parents and past members of the Minnehaha Academy cross country ski team worked one day clearing from the Meads Lake Portage to just past the Old Logging Camp. On the second day the crew widened about one-half mile of the west end of the trail starting at the Swamp Lake Portage. Total time- 96 hours

November 8-11 - The Twin Cities' North Star Ski Touring Club's seven member team cleared and widened from the westend trailhead three miles east on Friday hand cutting eight large trees along the way. Saturday and Sunday about one and have miles of the eastend of the trail was widened from the Tim Knapp west to just past the Lizz Lake Portage. As an aside- the Tim Knapp trail was name in honor of the club's first president. Total times (includes BCT staff)- 180 hours

Novermber 7- December 19 - Boundary Country Trekking's crews traveling by snowmobile clearing remaining down trees and brush on trail while packing- Total time- 50 hours

December 13- local crew hand cuts center stubble on Lace Lake. Total time- 13 hours

December 21 - Trail opened and first skiers through.

Lots of Snow on Trail

Mid-Gunflint Trail at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B eleven inches of new snow; sixteen to seventeen inches on th ground and counting. Snow expected to continue for several more days.
Banadad packed from eastern trailhead one mile past old logging camp -11.2 kilometers. Continuing clear and open remainder of trail. With the fresh snow it is beautiful out on the Banadad.

Snow on the Gunflint!

Gunflint Trail- Morning, November 28 at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B . There is five and one half inches of snow on the ground and it is still coming down.

While the Banadad Ski Trail is not tracked there is enough snow to ski. The Trail has been cleared from the east end to the Old Logging camp or 1o kilometers and from the west end in about six and one half kilometers. We are now starting to pack the trail and should have it ready to track, at least the east end, sometime within a week.

Finally Some Colder Weather on the Gunflint

Two nights at about zero; the mid size lakes such Poplar are finally "making ice."

It was not that many years ago, when we lived on an island across from Windigo Lodge on Poplar that by Thanksgiving we were crossing the lake by snowmobile. One of our measures to determine if the ice was safe for our snowmobile was to let Windigo's Ekroot boys get out on the ice with their snowmobiles then we would give the ice another week before we ran it with our machines. In those day is was not uncommon to have several -20 days prior to Thanksgiving to help set-up the ice.

Now we are lucky if it gets down to zero. At least the last few days of zero and with only about an inch of snow cover has enabled the swamps and beaver ponds along the Banadad Ski Trail to freeze-up. Now all we need is more snow to get the trails open. And guess what? I just looked out the window for the first time this morning and it is starting to snow.

Bandad Ski Trail Closes for Season

March 31, 2007- While there still is snow remaining on much of the Banadad Ski Trail, there are to many bare spots to ski. The last skier through the entire 29 km. trail was on March 23. Three skiers skied the east end of the Trail on March 25. On March 24 four dog sled teams mushed the Trail's west end as part of the Mush for a Cure- a Cancer Fund Raising Drive.

This past season the Banadad has an estimated 930 skier days of which 518 skier days were attributable to guests of Boundary Country Trekking, 410 skier days were by day skiers of which 30% were "locals" - from Cook Country. A skier day is based on one skier skiing one day. These totals came from the USFS Day Pass filled out by those using the Banadad from November 15 through March 31 plus an estimate of the number of skiers not filling out the Day Permit.

The Banadad Ski Trail is maintained and groomed by Boundary Country Trekking. From now until next winter the Banadad is open as a BWCA hiking/walking trail. Have fun and see you next winter!

Banadad Ski Report- March 20, 2007

Banadad and Adjoining Ski Trails- Gunflint Trail, Minnesota. Ski and snowshoeing Trails- map

DATE: 3/20/07

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 10"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 7"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 0

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 4"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: Banadad, Lace Lake -37 Km.

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: Open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Good to excellent spring skiing on Banadad. No bare spots best skiing Banadad East end.

Lodging at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and Yurt
Boundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge- on the web

Banadad Ski Report- March 16

Snow Conditions-Banadad and Adjoining Ski Trails- Gunflint Trail, Minnesota. Ski and snowshoeing Trails- map

DATE: March 16, 2007

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 6-8 inches

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 5 inches

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 1 inches

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 1 inches

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL:While the trails were icy the fresh snow last night has taken much of "edge" off the icy trails. The track is still viable and no bare ground along trails yet.

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: Open but since the snow is so crusty you do not need snowshoes. You can hike most anywhere!

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: -Even after three days of melt down the Banadad Ski Trail is still in good shape and seven inches of snow remains on the ground. Cooler weather and snow is forecast for the next few days. With a little help from the weather we should have good skiing through the rest of the March on the Banadad. See weather forecast. Great lake ski-skating!

You don't have to put your skis away yet! Lodging along the Banadad Ski Trail is still available at Poplar Creek Bed and Breakfast, the Banadad Yurts and two ski-in Cabins along the trail. For lodging information click on Lodging. at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and YurtBoundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge- on the web

Banadad Ski Report March 7, 2007

Snow Conditions-Banadad and Adjoining Ski Trails- Gunflint Trail, Minnesota. Ski and snowshoeing Trails- map

DATE: March 7, 2007

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 21 inches

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 9-11 inches

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 3 inches

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 13-14 inches

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: Banadad and all adjoining trails tracked (3/7/07)

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: Great Snowshoeing all Trails Open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Skiing Excellent- Best skiing of the year and with snow covering the trees the Banadad Trail is beautiful

Lodging at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and Yurt
Boundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge- on the web

Snow Report- February 27, 2007

Banadad and Adjoining Ski Trails- Gunflint Trail, Minnesota. Ski and snowshoeing Trails- mapDATE: 2/27/07

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 14

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: trace

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 6.5

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: Banadad 29 km. Lace Lake and Tall Pine 6 km being tracked today

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles all in great shape
ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Excellent Skiing. All trails single tracked

Lodging at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and Yurt
Boundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge- on the web

Snow Report- February 23, 2007

Snow Conditions-Banadad and Adjoining Ski Trails- Gunflint Trail, Minnesota. Ski and snowshoeing Trails- map

DATE: 2.22/23

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 14"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 4"
NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 6.5"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL:Lace Lake/Tall Pines/Knapp and east end of Banadad

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Skiing excellent. Fresh snow really helped more snow on the way this coming weekend

Lodging at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and Yurt
Boundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge- on the web

Snow Conditions- January 31, 07

Snow Conditions-Banadad and Adjoining Ski Trails- Gunflint Trail, Minnesota. Ski and snowshoeing Trails- map

DATE: 1/31/07

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 11"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 1/2" and still snowing

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 3"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: Banadad 30 Km groomed 1/14/07, Lace Lake and Tall Pines 7. 5 km. groomed 1/27/07

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Best skiing on Banadad where conditions are good to excellent.

Lodging at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and Yurt
Boundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge- on the web

Banadad Ski Report- January 18

Snow Conditions-Banadad and Adjoining Ski Trails- Gunflint Trail, Minnesota. Ski and snowshoeing Trails- map

DATE: Thursday January 18, 2007

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 9-10"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 5"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 0

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 4"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: 35 km. - Banadad tracked -January and 14, Lace Lake tracked on January 12

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles opened

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Ski good to excellent; Banadad single tracked trail through BWCA
Lodging at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and Yurt
Boundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge- on the web

Banadad Snow Report- January 8, 2007

Banadad Ski Trail- the BWCA's Longest Tracked Trail - Gunflint Trail, MN
Banadad Ski Trail mapSki/Snow Conditions

DATE: Monday, January 8, 2007

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 7"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 4"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 1"

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 1"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: All trails groomed January 1 and 2, 2007

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: Open but could use more snow

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: One inch of fresh powder on tracked trails good to excellent conditons


Lodging at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and Yurt
Boundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge- on the web

Banadad Snow Report- January 2, 2007

Banadad Ski Trail- the BWCA's Longest Tracked Trail - Gunflint Trail, MN
Banadad Ski Trail map

Ski/Snow Conditions as of January 2, 2007

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 6"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 4"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 3"

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 3"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL- all trails single tracked without skate lanes
Banadad-30 km; Tracked January 1, 2007
Lace Lake - 5 km., Seppala- 1.6 km., Tim knopp, 3.3 km - all scheduled to be tracked today

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: skiing good on tracked trails however do to the heavy wet snow approximately 6 1/2 km. of the Banadad has side-brush leaning into the trail.

Lodging at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, Ski-in Cabin and Yurt
Boundary Country Adventure Trips - Ski Yurt to Yurt and/or Lodge to Lodge- on the web