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: 4/7/2023
• Trail Base:  Average 10+" 
• Trail Conditions Update/Notes: 4/7/2023: Jim is planning to groom the "green" trails tonight - Upper and Lower Snowman, East and West Overlook, Stadium, B&B Loop.  This will give our Pincushion skiing community one last day of nice skiing on Saturday before the spring temperatures arrive on Sunday.  Hope to see you out on the trails.
  
  We'll be sending out a more complete  newsletter in the next few weeks, including a survey to gather your feedback and suggestions.  It's been an excellent winter for skiing and we've seen very positive growth in our club-sponsored youth skiing programs, training workshops and fun social events over the winter.  
  
  A priority for the club during this off-season is to purchase a newer Pisten Bully groomer to replace our 1988 model.  It will be a major financial investment for the club, about 6 times more than our annual budget, but we need to make the investment in order to ensure high quality and reliable grooming at Pincushion in the years ahead. We'll be sharing more information about that fundraising campaign in the months ahead.
  
  Many thanks for your support for the club and the trails at Pincushion.(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: 4/6/2023
• Trail Base: 24"+
• Average Depth off the Trail: 30"+
• Trail Conditions Update/Notes: From US Forest Service, 4/6/2023: Looking ahead at the weather for the weekend/next week, we likely will not be grooming Bally Creek again this season. Thanks to everyone for their feedback and support throughout the season. We look forward to continuing the maintenance and improvement of these trails next season.
• 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: 4/4/2023: Skied the road portion of the trails, it had been entirely snowmobiled over all the way to the cabins before the snow Sunday. With the sturdy crust, it was good for setting tracks. (Tess Dornfeld)

Trail Conditions Update

• Date: 4/6/2023
• Trail Base: 21"+ 
• Average Depth off the Trail: 30+"
• Trail Conditions Update/Notes: 4/6/2023: From the USFS: Looking ahead at the weather for the weekend/next week, we likely will not be grooming George Washington Pines again this season. Thanks to everyone for their support throughout the season. We look forward to continuing the maintenance and improvement of this trail next season.
• Firsthand Trail Reports: From skinnyski.com: 4/4/2023: Classic tracks were in surprisingly decent shape on most of the loop, as much skier set as groomed but fairly good quality. Drifting was starting to cover the tracks in some places but the light powder was ideal for cutting through. Found: There's a pair of sunglasses on the sign near the parking lot, teal tortoiseshell rims. (Tess Dornfeld)