7 Wild Winter Adventures

November 2006 Special Sections

When it comes to winter adventure in the Upper Midwest, there is no singular, defining activity. And no, dodging the I-94 traffic after a three-inch “snowstorm” does not constitute winter adventure. You can do better than that!

Just a few hours north of the Twin Cities, an adventureland awaits, in all its glory and variety. Your exploit of choice might be an open-throttle dash under the midday sun, or a serene journey on a moonlit night. Whatever your fancy, here are a few adventures to whet the winter appetite.

John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon
Up to 3,000 fans gather to watch the start of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon, and the excitement is palpable. Not just from the fans, but also from the raring-to-go dogs yelping the canine equivalent of “Hey, get this show on the road!”

The Beargrease, which covers 400 miles from Duluth to the Gunflint Trail in northeastern Minnesota and back to Duluth, is a North Shore institution. It passes muster as both sporting drama and spectator showcase. Pat Olson,  president of the board of directors, describes the race’s appeal as “the excitement of the dogs, their eagerness to pull, and watching the relationship between the musher and the dog.”

Fifteen years ago, the race offered large purses and many world-class mushers. After experiencing a bit of a decline, much of it warm-weather-related, Olson says of the Beargrease, “It’s coming back.” The twenty-fifth –anniversary Beargrease starts January 28. The purse has been doubled—the winner gets $25,000, enough to buy a ton of Alpo—and up to eighty mushers could start the marathon and accompanying mid-distance race.

At nine checkpoints, fans can watch the goings-on free of charge. There is prime viewing at the wilderness checkpoint on the upbound part of the course on the Sawbill Trail, where dog trucks, handlers, and veterinarians are not allowed—only Man and His Dog. Many accompanying events are open to the public: a cutest puppy contest, the opening ceremonies and bib draw, and the ticketed Friday night pre-Beargrease gala featuring a silent auction.

American Birkebeiner
The American Birkebeiner is North America’s largest cross-country ski marathon, as well as winter’s equal-opportunity spectacle—participants and spectators can enjoy it equally. And they do. In droves.

This year’s Birkie races are expected to attract close to 9,000 entrants to the Hayward-Cable area of northwestern Wisconsin. Another 2,000 volunteers run the show. And thousands more line the trails, leading to the throng that fills Main Street in Hayward and roars for the internationally renowned racers who battle for the title in the fifty-one–kilometer Birkebeiner, the coup de grace of three days of racing. Farther back on the race course, thousands of citizen skiers live out their own dramas, perhaps straining for a personal-best time or just the mere satisfaction of finishing the race.

“It’s such an incredible thing,” says Holly Henry, executive director of the Cable Area Chamber of Commerce and a Birkebeiner board member. “The people who participate in it, it’s a huge accomplishment for them, and most of them are not elite skiers. There are a whole lot of people out there doing this as a personal challenge and for fun, with their friends, spouses, and children.”

The thirty-fourth annual Birkie races will take place February 22–24, with the Birkebeiner and twenty-three-kilometer Kortelopet accepting registration up until the day before the races.

Snowmobiling in Bemidji and Grand Rapids
The adrenaline rush of a winter adventure isn’t limited to organized sporting events. There’s also the high-speed thrill of navigating Minnesota’s snowmobile trails—more than 20,000 miles’ worth. The cities of Bemidji and Grand Rapids are outstanding launching points.

“We have a saying up here—‘We have more trails than you have time,’” says Gayle Quistgard of Visit Bemidji. The Beltrami County and Blackduck areas feature about 500 miles of trail and connect with systems that lead to Winnipeg, Grand Rapids, and Brainerd.

One of Grand Rapids’ draws is that “you don’t have to trailer out of town to get on the snowmobile trails,” says Cheri Bialke of Visit Grand Rapids Tourism. “People park once when they get here and ride all weekend, and they don’t have to load up when they want to go home.”

The Itasca County Snowmobile Trail Map details close to 1,000 miles of trail tended by thirteen area clubs. Attractions include the remnants of mining towns in eastern Itasca County and the lakes and pines of the Chippewa National Forest north of Grand Rapids.

Snowboarding and Skiing at Giants Ridge
Whether you strap your feet to skis, a snowboard, snowshoes, or even a pair of sandals for lounging around the lodge—all are welcome at Giants Ridge Golf and Ski Resort, just east of Biwabik.

There’s no stopping winter adventurers like Jim Rothman, a sixty-four-year-old former Twin Cities resident who retired and built a house at Giants Ridge two years ago. Rothman snowboards five days a week, but he also skis downhill and cross-country. “It’s a great place to be active,” he says. “It’s all right in your back yard.”

Giants Ridge’s Alpine runs feature vertical drops of up to 500 feet with lift lengths of 1,800 to 2,500 feet. There are sixty kilometers of Nordic skiing trails, some of which straddle the Laurentian Divide. And snowboarders can try the terrain park or the freestyle park, where a top-to-bottom mogul run is expected to debut this winter. The family appeal is unmistakable. “It’s quite common for the teenage boys to be on the hill or spending pretty much all their time in the [snowboarding] park, while Mom goes cross-country skiing in the morning and is on the hill in the afternoon,” says Giants Ridge winter sports director John Filander.

Lodge-to-Lodge Skiing in Northeast Minnesota
If solitude is more to your liking, lodge-to-lodge cross-country skiing could be the way to go on your winter adventure. Bluefin Bay resort in Tofte, which offers lodge-to-lodge hiking in the summer, does the same with Nordic skiing. It’s simple: Strap on your skis, step onto a trail system, and your starting-point lodge will transport all of your travel belongings to your destination lodge.

Dozens of northeastern Minnesota resorts offer lodge-to-lodge activities, which can be tailored to skiers’ level of expertise and stamina. “You can have a wilderness experience but enjoy all the creature comforts in the evening,” says Bluefin Bay founder and co-owner Rob Buntz. “You’re on a trek, so to speak, not just doing a trail loop, and you’re actually making progress up the trail.” 

Skijoring under the Northern Lights
Aural sensations give way to visual with skijoring. Never heard of skijoring? Think cross-country skiing, only with a dog pulling you. Then think of skijoring under the lights—the Northern Lights. The atmospheric fireworks are spectacular along the North Shore.

“It’s really incredible up here sometimes,” says naturalist John Silliman, who runs the skijoring demonstrations offered during the day at Gunflint Lodge, north of Grand Marais. Skijoring can be more of a workout than traditional cross-country skiing because the dogs pull skiers faster than they’re accustomed to skiing, and there is the physical challenge of staying upright. Silliman has clocked his dogs at eighteen miles an hour while he was skijoring across ice. Gunflint also offers skiing and snowshoeing across the North Shore’s remarkable overlooks and under the stars.

“On a full-moon night, it’s almost like early daylight,” Silliman says. “There are nights where you can hardly see the constellations because there are so many stars.”

Ice Fishing and Mushing in Ely
The Ely area is a hub of winter activity, where the adventuresome might try their hand at an ice fishing-and-mushing package offered by Northern Lights Lodge on Bear Island Lake in Superior National Forest.

A typical mushing-and-fishing adventure might be to ride dogsleds for two hours, set up camp, build a fire, prepare a hot lunch, and fish. There are half-day trips, full-day trips, and trips with as few as two participants or as many as eight. Destination lakes include Wood, Basswood, Knife, Ima, Perch, Whisper, and Thomas.

“Guests enjoy being around the dogs, mushing a team,” says lodge owner Marie Vogt. “Getting out and trying a fishing hole that is somewhat remote is exciting—and so is getting out and, in all likelihood, not encountering another person.”