Stepping Outdoors with Craig

This is a fun website to take a trip down memory lane with. Look up the old cars you used to own and see the brochures used to market them back when they were new. Not all the cars I've owned are here, but most of them are. Have Fun!

http://www.lov2xlr8.no/broch1.html

Just up the historic Gunflint Trail out of Grand Marias Minnesota is some of the best cross country skiing in the area. This past weekend it was time for our annual family ski trip to the Gunflint Trail. Several resorts service the two trail systems up here, and again this year we were back at Bearskin Lodge on the Central trails. (The Upper Trail System has 4 resorts, the Central has 2)

Going in early March has assured us of nice weather the last couple of years, and this year was no different. Sunny warm weather, with light to calm winds were the rule for our three day visit. In fact if anything it was a bit too nice, with the deep snowpack of the Gunflint beginning to melt. We still had plenty to ski on, a lot more than around here, but it was getting soft by mid day.

Nearly 70k of trails are available just out our cabin door, and we made an effort to get to most of it. By the time we left only about 10k had not been skied, with my daughter getting the honors for the most k skied. Her favorite, and mine alike, was the expert only Bear Cub World Cup trail. Know for it's monster climbs and screaming downhills it didn't disappoint.

While it maybe too late for this season, if you're ever looking for a great place to get away from it all, cell phones don't work and there are no televisions, the Gunflint trail is a great cross country skiing destination.

One of the reasons many of like to stay active is that we hope we will not only enjoy some great recreation, but that will also live a longer live. But the question is

Spent Saturday exploring the frozen Gooseberry river and falls in the state park. While I have taken many trips to this park during the summer it was the first time I have been here in the winter. We heard the lower falls were some of the most beautiful frozen formations in the past 30 years. So that is where my wife and I started the day.

 Keep in mind the signs that say the trails are icy, are 100 percent accurate. They don't maintain the trails, and steps during the winter so you are walking on frozen packed snow. Once down below on the frozen river, the falls are certainly an impressive sight. Ice climbers were working their way up and down the falls, providing som entertainment. However, with the climbers in the way you couldn't not get a full picture of the falls. But, as we discovered we liked the close up shots of the frozen water better anyway. The best part was the newly frozen section, where you could see the water rushing down on the other side of the ice....very cool.

We next put on the cross country skis and headed out on the ski trails. They took us deeper inland to parts of the park I have never seen before. There are some great vistas along the trail, both of the river and Lake Superior. The great weather had a lot of other skiers and people on snow shoes were out exploring as well. We skied into the fifth falls, and then kicked off our skis and hiked down to get a look at these as well. These falls were a mix of frozen and open water, providing some great sights and sounds.