Cross Country Ski Trail Conditions in Grand Marais

Click to expand on the trail system for complete trail report and trail details.

Pincushion Trail Conditions Update

• Date: 3/29/2023
• Trail Base:  Average 10+" 
• Snowfall Last 24 Hours: 1"
• Snowfall Last 7 Days: 10"
• Average Depth off the Trail: >24"
• Trail Conditions Update/Notes: 3/29/2023: We saw 1” of new snow yesterday evening and last night.  Single digit temperatures overnight set the newly groomed trails up nicely.The “greens”, Stadium, East and West Overlooks and Upper and Lower Snowmen received new classic tracks and renewed skate decks.  Conditions are very good. (Timothy Lederle, North Superior Ski & Run Club)
• Firsthand Trail Reports: From skinnyski.com: 3/25/2023: 35° and full sun at 11 a. m., beautiful day for skiing. No glazed ice but felt slightly grainular at start. Pincushion Loop was good kick and long glides on gradual downhills. Both Snowman loops were good but snow felt softer by then, not sticky but better grip with waxless skis. Tracks themselves are well formed most places. (Steve Langenbrunner)
• Firsthand Trail Reports: From skinnyski.com: 3/23/2023: Exquisite skiing at Pincushion today. Groomer was out the same time as me and by the time I left had gotten corduroy on all the trails. Was softening up substantially by noon or so, but still lots of great skiing to be had. Slow with the new snow but any nights below freezing in the coming days will have fast morning skiing. (Mitchell Campbell)

Upcoming Events and Activities at Pincushion 

• Ping Pong Wednesdays at Pincushion. We’re trying a new fun activity for our Pincushion community. Please join us at the Pincushion chalet at 6:30PM starting Wednesday, March 1, and at same time every week on Wednesday. We’ll provide a table and equipment. Bring your own refreshments.  
• Weekly Skate Ski Meet-up at Pincushion: Thursdays at 3PM. We're hosting an informal group skate ski today and each week on Thursdays at 3PM as long as ski conditions allow.  This is a follow-up to the recent NSSRC skate ski clinic and will be a great chance to practice the skills learned in that clinic to become a more efficient skate skier.

See you on the Pincushion trails soon.

The ski trails at Pincushion are maintained by the North Superior Ski and Run Club, with the financial support of sponsorships and memberships and also a grooming grant we receive from the Great MN Ski Pass program.  

Click here to become a member or renew your NSSRC membership

Click here to purchase or renew your Great MN Ski Pass (required to ski at Pincushion and other MN public ski areas)
 

Trail Conditions Update

• Date: 3/23/2023
• Trail Base: 24"+
• Snowfall Last 24 Hours: 10"
• Snowfall Last 7 Days: 16"
• Average Depth off the Trail: 30"+
• Trail Conditions Update/Notes: From US Forest Service, 3/23/2023: Winter keeps hanging around, so Bally Creek has been groomed yet again! All trail segments on the most current map (A through V) were packed and tracked and the trails are in good condition. Portions of the unplowed road were also double-tracked. Warmer temps since the last snow has made the surface a little soft, but lower overnight temps should make for some harder tracks in the morning and evenings.
• The Gunflint Ranger District is grateful for all of the comments that have been submitted this winter. The loops on the northeast end (Bally Creek and Moose Rub loops) as well as the Connector Trail to Pike Lake Road were difficult to access this winter due to blowdown events, heavy snow, and late freeze-up on water crossings. We will be working towards maintaining and grooming these sections in the future, but for this season will continue to focus on providing a quality experience for our users on the currently groomed trails. Stay tuned next season for updates, and thanks for the support!
• Firsthand Trail Reports: From skinnyski.com: 3/27/2023: There is still a pretty good track. Sometimes icy, sometimes sticky sometimes perfect! Overall a pretty good ski. Difficult snowplowing/navigating turns on steeper downhills because of the set track continuing down the hill and around the corners along with hardening of the surface. (Yvonne Mills)
• Firsthand Trail Reports: From skinnyski.com: 3/26/2023: Skied all the trails starting at 10:30 am. Trails still looked freshly groomed except for a lot of paw prints on some segments. Started off firm as it was still close to freezing. As the afternoon went on it got more challenging as tracks in open areas got slushy. Some downhills might be difficult after ski marks freeze. (Rick Vatsaas)

Trail Conditions Update

• Date: 3/23/2023
• Trail Base: 21"+ 
• Snowfall Last 24 Hours: 8"
• Snowfall Last 7 Days: 12"  
• Average Depth off the Trail: 30+"
• Trail Conditions Update/Notes: 3/23/2023: From the USFS: The trail was packed and tracked today with plentiful snow to work with. Warmer temps will soften the trail surface this next week, so be sure to keep hiking and snowshoeing traffic out of the classic tracks please! The trail is seeing a lot of skiing, snowshoeing, skijoring, and hiking. Please pick up after pets!
• Firsthand Trail Reports: From skinnyski.com: 3/28/2023: Fairly icy. Not the best track - old, but a beautiful morning. The largest downhill near the end (which is not very large) was a bit fast, rough and awkward for my mediocre skills. (Yvonne Mills)