The 41 km. Banadad Ski Trail System is accessible from two trail heads, both with free parking; the eastern trail head is located 30 miles up the Gunflint Trail off the Lima Grade; the west end trail head is on the Gunflint Trail at Fire # 10045. In addition to the Banadad the trail system consists of the Lace Lake, Tall Pines and Tim Knapp Trails. The Banadad is the BWCA longest tracked ski trail and likely the longest wilderness tracked ski trail in the USA. For more info call 218-388-4487.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Banadad Ski Trail Maintenance Schedule
2008-09


  • September 30 open

  • October 9-12 Adventure Vacations Tours for more information contact Karen at 866-910-0300 or in the Twin Cities @ 651-644-0333 or go to www.adv-vac.com .

  • October 11 open

  • October 23-26 North Star Ski Touring Club contact Tom Rice at tjr@trhys.net

  • November 7-10 open

For additional information, to lend a hand, or possible other dates contact- Ted at 218-388-4487

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

MCC Takes on the Banadad Ski Trail

MCC Girls apply "warpaint" (mud) to take on the Banadad

One Island Lake Portage-The Minnesota Conservation Corp, six youth and two group leaders, yesterday head-out by canoe from the One Island Portage along the Moose Trail. Their destination- Rush Lake from where the group will spend the next four days brushing and widening the remote interior section of the Banadad Ski Trail around Moose Kill Hill. Seagull Lake, resident and winter Boundary Country Trekking employee accompanied the group to supervise the trail work. It is expected the crew should widen about a mile of the trail which when completed would finish the widening of all the remaining remote interior of the east end of the Banadad.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Banadad Ski Trail Carbon Offset Award Announced

Seagull Lake Resident, Jim Raml was the recipient of this year’s Banadad Ski Trail Carbon Offset Award of $134.44. Raml is planting some five thousand trees on his property ravaged by last Spring’s Ham Lake Fire. The planting of his property got underway this week.

“This award,” according to Ted Young, Banadad Trail Manager, “should at least help Jim plant a small portion of the tree needed to reforest his burned over property.”

According to calculation made at the end of the ski season this year’s maintenance and snowmobile grooming of the Banadad released 1.733 tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. The CO2 was produced by five mid size cars and one large van traveling some 3900 miles with volunteers maintenance crews to and from the Twin Cities to the trail, and 995 miles of snowmobile trail grooming.

In calculating the cost of off-setting this carbon the Chicago Climate Exchange's "Forest Accumulation Tables” for the amounts of CO2 that can be sequestered/acre by age group of white and red pine surviving for a least ten years was used. This was then multiplied by the amount of CO2 the Trail produced times the number of trees planted/acre times the cost/tree. From this it was determined that in order to sequester the carbon the Banadad produced this past year 335 trees would have to be planted at cost of $.134.44.

“It should also be noted” Young went on to state “that, Raml was the driving force behind and the author of a quarter of a million dollar Scenic Byways grant application, that if approved, will provide much of the funds necessary for the Gunflint Ranger District to implement their proposed Ham Lake Fire reforestation program.”

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Banadad Ski Trail Now Closed for Skiing- See You Next Winter

While the trail is now closed for the season. During the non-snow months, the trail is open for hiking. Later in the summer and into the fall we will be conducting the trail's annual maintenance and we are looking for volunteers to help. Information on how you can help is posted under Trail
Maintenance.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Snow along the Banadad Trail is slowly melting away, In sunny areas the brown vegetation is completely exposed yet in the woods up to a foot of snow still remains. Most of the snow went when a heavy rain drenched the area on Monday night.

Banadad Ski Trail- May 24, 2008

This morning the temperature is hovering at 38 degrees but rain followed by snow is expected by tonight and into tomorrow. The lakes remain ice covered.

The Poplar Creek at the Ski-Snowshoe bridge below the Poplar Creek Guesthouse is still well below flood stage.

Poplar Creek foot bridge- October 24, 2008

If the predicted rain and snow occurs, this bridge will likely be underwater.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Banadad SkiTrail Still Open for Business

There still is six inches of snow on most of the Banadad and there are very few bare spots. However the trail is no longer being tracked. Morning temperatures this past week have been in the lower twenties; afternoons have warmed to the mid forties.
Photo taken today at the eastern trail head.

The snow cover on the trail should last for another week at least. For you die-hearts, who want to make your own tracks, the Banadad remains open for very good spring skiing.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Banadad Trail Ski Report- Still Skiing

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

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 14"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 10"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: o

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 0

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: Lace Lake, east end of Banadad to Logging Camp re-tracked on April 2. Even with the warm weather the last two days the track remains. Great snow cover with no bare spot on the trail yet.


ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Good Spring Skiing; additional snow expected tonight, April 5 and continuing through tomorrow. Stay tuned you don't have to put away those skis yet.

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

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Banadad Trail Snow Report

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

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 19"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 14"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: trace

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 6"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: Lace Lake, Tim Knapp and eastern most-end of Banadad tracked March 26.

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Skiing continues to be excellent; trails are in great shape.

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

Monday, March 17, 2008

Bandad Ski Trail Snow Report

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

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 19"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 14"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 0

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 0

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: All trails tracked- Banadad tracked March 15, Lace Lake and eastend trails tracked March 14.

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Skiing continues to be excellent; trails are in great shape. Great BWCA crust skiing ushered-in with Spring thaws and re-freezing.

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

Saturday, March 08, 2008

Banadad Trail Snow Report

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


SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 19"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 14"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 0

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 0

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: All trails tracked- Banadad tracked March 6, Lace Lake and eastend trails tracked March 7.

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Skiing excellent; trails are in great shape.

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

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Banadad Trail Snow Report

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



SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 19"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 14"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: trace

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 3"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: All trails tracked- Banadad tracked February 15 and16, Lace Lake and eastend trails tracked February 16

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Skiing excellent; trails are in great shape.

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

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Banadad Trail Snow Report

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

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 23"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 17"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: trace

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 12"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: All trails tracked- Banadad tracked January 18, Lace Lake and eastend trails tracked January 17

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Trails are in great shape.

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

Monday, January 14, 2008

Banadad Trail Snow Report

Snow Conditions - by Boundary Country Trekking

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

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 23"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 12"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: 3"

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 12"

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: East end of to Meeds Lake portage -Banadad 6 km. Lace Lake and Knapp- 7.2 km.
Lace Lake Trail re-tracked January13.

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles open
ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Trails are in great shape.

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

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Banadad Trail Snow Report

Snow Conditions - by Boundary Country Trekking

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

DATE:1/8/08

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 16"

COMPACTED BASE ON TRAIL: 8"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: dusting

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: less then an inch

GROOM/TRACKED TRAIL: All Trails tracked - Banadad 32 km. Lace Lake and Knapp- 7.2 km.
Lace Lake Trail re-tracked January 7.

SNOWSHOE TRAILS: 6 miles open

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: Trails are in good condition but maybe ice in sunny spots

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

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

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

Monday, December 17, 2007

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.

Saturday, December 15, 2007

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

Friday, December 14, 2007

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.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

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.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

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.

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