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Trail Report: Ely, Minnesota – March 9, 2017

Ely, MN Chamber of Commerce

Trail Conditions: Poor
Snow Cover: 4
Date of Report: March 9, 2017
Area Report:

Ely Area Lakes & Trails: (Local Groomers report)  Grooming on all area trails has been suspended and trails will have icy stretches and areas of exposed ground.  Standing water up to 18 inches may exist in low lying and wetland portions of the trail.  Lake travel by snowmobile is not recommended.  Area snowmobile clubs are pulling staked trails from lakes.  Reports by local groomers say the lake ice is in poor condition near current areas and constriction points.  Recent warm weather and rain has created standing water areas, which is also causing dangerous ice conditions.

DNR Groomers Report: After the warm weather two weekends ago, trails are frozen hard with frequent patches of ice and exposed ground. Where water was running across the trail and filling the corners during the warm weather, there are now sheets of ice. Furthermore, the trail base through creeks and wetlands is totally gone in spots and not reliable in most other spots. Due to these conditions, grooming has been suspended. Please keep these things in mind and use caution when riding the trails. 

Taconite Trail: Snow – 5-15” depth  Base – 0-4”  Groomed – yes  Condition – poor   The entire Taconite from Ely to Hwy 73 is in poor condition.  There is a small section of open water between Big Aspen and Pfeiffer Lake that is flagged, signed, and passable.

 Arrowhead Trail: Snow – 8-18” depth  Base – 0-4”  Groomed – yes  Condition – poor  The entire Arrowhead is groomed and in poor condition.  Use caution when crossing the bridge in the Lost Lake swamp due to thin ice and open water.  This bridge is located two miles north on the Arrowhead from the Hwy 1 crossing. 

Putnam-Fishing Lakes Trail: Groomed – yes  Condition – poor

Lake Vermilion State Park and Soudan Underground Mine State Park: closed for season

Taconite Spur Trails and Stony Spur Trails: Base – 0-4”  Groomed – yes  Condition – poor