Moose and calf through Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B's yard and bull moose on Little Ollie Road.

Ice-out Poplar Lake

If it was not for the cold weather last night and today  with temperatures now in the mid-twenties, ice in Poplar Lake would likely be out. As it is, yesterday a large flouting ice pack was still in the lake. The smaller lakes including Swamper and through out the mid-Gunflint area are ice free. On Little Ollie Lake, where Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B is located, the ice went out several days ago. Photos are of Little Ollie Lake and Poplar Creek,

Lakes are beginning to open in the mid Gunflint area - Most of the smaller lakes are open. Little Ollie Lake next to Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B is open with just a bit of floating ice in the east end remaining. Poplar Creek with the spring thaw is flowing nicely.

Still snow on the Banadad Ski Trail but not enough to ski.

New Snow; More on the way- Skiing Excellent

Snow Fall with in 24 Hours -3 inches

Snow Fall past 7 days-  3 inches

Snow on the Ground- 14 inches

Trails Tracked- 13 kilometers tracked- Banadad to just past Lizz Portage, Lace Lake, Tall Pines and Knapp trails..

Description   - Skiing is excellent. Groomed today (Saturday) more snow is expected the next two or three days. 

Banadad Trails still Open

Snow Fall with in 24 Hours -dusting

Snow Fall past 7 days- 2

Snow on the Ground- 13 inches

Trails Tracked- 13 kilometers - Banadad to just past Lizz Portage, Lace Lake, Tall Pines and Knapp.

Description   -Trails tracked yesterday and we planned to track the entire Banadad today when we were expecting more snow. Instead it rained and wiped out most of yesterday's fresh snow. Had to call off tracking the Banadad.

Snow on the Trails; More Needed

There has not been much change of the conditions on the Banadad this past week. We only had about 1/2 inches of snow during this period and what snow is on the ground is crusty so it does not blow around. There is still 16" of measure snow remaining on the ground. Banadad does have a slight track yet.  Likely groomable snow will arrive this coming weekend.

Last week four parties ski the entire Banadad and many more ski in and out from the two ends. I can not say we currently have great skiing but the trail is skiable.

Banadad Tracked Skiing Good to Excellent

Banadad Tracked Skiing Good to Excellent

Snow Fall with in 24 Hours -dusting

Snow Fall past 7 days- 2 1/2 inches

Snow on the Ground- 19 inches

Trails Tracked- Entire 41 kilometers of the Banadad Ski System tracked.  Banadad (tracked today), Lace Lake, Tall Pines & Knapp (tracked day before yesterday)

Conditions  - Ski Conditions are good to excellent with the exception of some spots where the moose were on the trail and trashed it. The snow that fell two days ago enabled us to set tracks over the crusty snow underneath.

  On the groomer is Missy,

Lots of Snow Falls; Banadad Trail Tracked

Snow Fall with in 24 Hours -dusting

Snow Fall past 7 days- seven inches

Snow on the Ground- 29 inches

Trails Tracked- Entire 41 kilometers of the Banadad Ski System tracked.  Banadad (tracked Yesterday), Lace Lake, Tall Pines & Knapp (tracked day before yesterday)

Conditions  - Ski Conditions are Excellent; tracks have a dusting of snow from last nights.For those that want to take on the Banadad. Do it!

Six Inches of News Snow East End Trails Tracked

Snow on the Ground: 28"

New Snow Past 24 Hours: 6"

Tracked Trail: 13 Kilometers - Lace Lake, Tall Pines, Knapp and Banadad to Knapp. Tracked yesterday

Conditions: Excellent but cold today; much warmer tomorrow (Friday)

Entire Banadad Open and Tracked

Banadad tracked yesterday- a cold and windy day. Skiing should be excellent except in a few open areas along the trail where drifting snow might have drifted over the trail. Lace Lake & Tall Pines trails tracked today. Cold again today but warmer tomorrow -Saturday

Snow on the 23"

Last Tracked- Thursday and Friday

Conditions Good to Excellent

More Snow on the Way

While we were going to track the Banadad today but we postpone it due to significant amount of snow headed our way over the next three days. More snow is good but it would not be good if we tracked the trail and the fresh tracks we cover with snow right away. So look for us with the tracksetter later this week.

Skiing Excellent but cold

The east of the Banadad Trails are tracked-Lace, Tall Pines, Knapp and part of the Banadad. Skiing is excellent. We are expecting to track the entire Banadad Sunday when it warms up.

Banadad Ski Trail Opened on East End

DATE: January 1

SNOW DEPTH IN WOODS: 17"

Trail  Base: 14"

NEW SNOW PAST 24 HOURS: Trace

NEW SNOW PAST 7 DAYS: 3”

TRACKED TRAILS: 10 kilometers Lace Lake, Tall Pines, Tim Knapp and 3 kilometer east end of Banadad

 

ADDITIONAL COMMENT: the entire Banadad has been cleared and packed awaiting additional snow to track the Banadad

Trail Maintained and Groomed by the Banadad Trail Association.

for additional information contact 218-388-4487.

Banadad Trails Awaiting More Snow

Maintenance Crews  have cleared most of the Banadad Trail System with only about 1/2 mile remaining to be cleared on the east end near the site of the Ham Lake Fire. The Minnesota Conservation Corp camped four nights on the west end of the trail clearing some 14 kilometer during their stay. Meanwhile thanks to the Northstar Ski Tour Club, the Minneahaha Academy Ski Team, 

Volunteers at Weekend Trail Clearing in October

and other volunteers who thus far have contributed 351 volunteer hours of labor clearing  the trails other 26 kilometers. When a bit more snow fall we should be able to get onto the trail with out trail groomer for a final packing and clearing run before we set trails. 

 Minnehaha Academy Ski Team- the Banadad Beavers

Currently there is about four or five inches of snow. Unfortunately the ground has not frozen yet and there is lots of water on the trail. There is colder weather on the way which should freeze up the water. Then we need snow.

Volunteer Trail Crew Work to Open Banadad

Volunteer Trail Clearers - October 22, 2016

Maintenance organized by the Banadad Trail Assocation (BTA) got into high gear this past weekend. On Friday, 8 members of the Northstars Ski Touring Club spent 56 hours clearing the remaining one mile of the

North Stars Ski Touring Club

Winchell Lake Fire Trail. This trail, most of which is within the BWCA, serves as a maintenance assess trail to the Banadad. Then on Saturday twenty three volunteers including the “Northstars” contributed another one-hundred sixty one hours cleared 4.3 miles of Banadad’s west end all within the BWCA. One crew entered the Banadad’s east end  through the Winchell Lake Fire Trail, another at the Mead’s Lake Portage and the third crew through the Moose trail at the mid trail junction.  The crews removed not only the brush and down trees from this past summer but also what remaining debris from last December’s storm.

In addition to these crews another crew hiked in 1 ½ miles from the west end trailhead to cut back a beaver house blocking the trail’s west end.

Early this summer a seven person crew from Minnesota Conservation Corp, camping on the trail, spent six days clearing the entire west end of the Banadad and an another ½ mile of the eastern to the Banadad Bridge. Conservation Corp’s efforts resulted in the clearing 9 miles of trail. Another crew of 9 boy scouts from Texas spent one half of day brushing about a ¾ mile west from the eastern trail head. The 4 ½ miles of trail outside the BWCA was also cleared earlier in the summer by BTA contractor Boundary CountryTrekking.

As a result of all these efforts- of the Banadad’s 25 miles of trail 24 ¼ have now been cleared. With all the work that has now been completed we hoping that all are work is not ruined by another freak storm, like last year’s.

Annual Meeting and Potluck Dinner

The Annual Meeting of the Banadad Trail Association (BTA) was called to order by President Andy Jenks on Friday, August 21. Committee reports and Trail clearing results were discussed along action to start setting up a Capital Fund for the construction of garage for the associations grooming equipment. Following the meet the thirty-two people present feasted on a great potluck dinner.

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Last Skier on the Banadad for the Season

For the second year in a row the person to close-off the ski season on the Banadad this winter season has a cabin on Little Ollie Lake. This year's honors goes to Joanne Nichols and her dog. She skied several days getting out as far as the Lizz Lake Portage a round trip distance of eight kilometer. Her last day on the trail was April 16. According to Joanne "you can't beat 60 degrees and nice snow on the Banadad. Making my own tracks was just fine!"



Last year on April 8 Judy Ross closed off the trail. Judy also has a cabin on Little Ollie Lake. Both Joanne and Judy and their husbands hail from White Bear Lake..

All and all it was a tough winter season on the Banadad Ski Trail- A heavy wet snowfall in mid-December resulted in dropping much of the side brushed and hundreds of trees into the trail. The Banadad Trail Association made a valiant attempt to clear the brush and trees blocking the trail. Eighteen kilometers of the east end was cleared however as fast as that section of trail was cleared more snow laden trees fell into the trail and the trail became impassable again. This continue throughout the winter.

Ski Trail Report

Ski Trail Report

Great/Excellent Spring Ski

Tracked this morning- Lace Lake Trail (5 km.), Tall Pines Trail (1.6 km ), and Knapp Trail 1.5 km.) opened and tracked. Banadad east end opened and tracked  out  3 km  to the Tim Knapp turn-off

Snow on the Ground- 18"
New snow past three days ago - 10-12 inches
Snow base on trail: 14"

Ski Trail Report

Ski Trail Report

Lace Lake Trail (5 km.), Tall Pines Trail (1.6 km , and Knapp Trail 1.5 km.) opened and tracked.
Banadad east end opened and tracked  out  6.6 km  to the Meads Lake Portage

Snow on the Ground- 22"
New snow past 24 hours- 1-2"
Snow base on trail: 19"





This year due to the December ice/heavy wet snow which littered the trail with brush and trees we have not been able to get the entire Banadad cleared. We cleared the Banadad's east end (19 km.) twice and a portion of the west end  but the trees and tops of conifers kept falling into the trail. Now it is litter with more trees. Don't know when the trees which are load with heavy encrusted snow are going to stop falling.

Twenty-six inches of beautiful snow on the ground-

Tracked: Banadad's eastern end trails tracked yesterday- including the Lace Lake. Tall Pines, Knapp and Banadad to Knapp. - 9 kilometers

Skiing is excellent on the tracked section of the Banadad Trails.

Snow base: 20"


Some low hanging branches along the tracked trails. We have cleared the whole eastern end at least twice and some of the western end of the Banadad but trees and conifer tops are continuing to fall on the more remote sections of the trail system.