Reports

Reporter:Ely Chamber of Commerce/Explore MN Visitor Center

Trail Conditions: Poor

Snow Cover: 6-12 Inches

Date of Report: December 26, 2024

Area Report:

Ely Area Trail Conditions
December 26, 2024

Taconite State Trail, Arrowhead State Trail, Putnam/Fishing Lakes Trails, and Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park Tails: With the rain and warm temps our area received over the last week, our snowpack throughout the Ely-Tower-Virginia-Cook-Int’l Falls area has been substantially depleted. There is a lot of water, very little snow, and little to no ice in the swamps. All trees have been cleared off our trails since last week. Our trail crew, along with all the snowmobile clubs in our area, continue to pack swamps and trails to help increase the ice thickness and facilitate grooming as soon as the snow levels allow. The trail corridors are open but not groomed, and there is very little snow on them. There is also a lot of water in the swamps, and ice in the swamps is still thin to non-existent. For those reasons, trail use is not recommended.
The main message to anyone riding trails this week is to use extreme caution when riding through swamps and beaver ponds. Despite the colder temps we have had, swamps still only have anywhere from 2 to 8 inches of ice in them, and due to beaver ponds continuing to drain after ice formation, we have been seeing a lot of shelf ice as we pack trails and swamps. We are also seeing that many beaver ponds have substantially less water than usual, meaning more hummocks and stumps to watch out for. Also, the dams have turned into a large, steep berm in the middle of the trail. Watch out for these conditions, especially in the following areas: from Big Aspen to Pfeiffer Lake, from Black Bear Trail to the Y Store Trail on the Taconite State Trail, and on the Arrowhead just south of the Hwy 1 crossing at the Frazier Bay shelter, and in the Elephant Creek/Blackduck grade segment north of Elephant Lake.
Snow: 6-12 inches with little to no base. Groomed: No Condition: Poor
Babbitt Golf Course Trail: The course trail has been groomed.
Babbitt Birch Lake Plantation: As of Friday, December 20, the trail is freshly groomed all the way to the beach. We need more snow for the plantation trails. Be careful with your new skis, and watch out for rocks. A ski pass from the Minnesota DNR is required for the plantation ski trail.
Bear Head Lake State Park: Despite our best efforts, without any of the forecasted snow, a classic track was set in the campground loops and the Beach Trail on Friday, December 20th, with fair results. We need more snow to groom the Norberg Trail.
Reminder: Activities such as walking or snowshoeing that damage any part of the groomed ski trail are unlawful.
You can snowshoe anywhere in Minnesota’s state parks and recreation areas, except on trails that are specifically groomed for another activity, such as skiing or snowmobiling.
Skiing Base: 3-4 inches. Conditions: Fair Groomed: Partially
Snowmobiling conditions: Poor. Base: 2-3 inches

Along with the DNR trail conditions website (https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snow_depth/index.html), continue to monitor these clubs’ websites (www.ridetheborders.com/trail-report.html & www.snowmobilevacation.org/trail-updates) for the most current Arrowhead State Trail conditions.