DNR releases snowmobile trail report

Taconite and Arrowhead State Trail Conditions Update
Taconite Trail: Arrowhead Trail:
Snow: 10-24” Snow: 5-15”
Base: 1-2” Base: 0-2”
Groomed: Partially Groomed: Partially
Condition: Poor - Fair Condition: Poor - Fair
This the latest trail report for the Taconite, Arrowhead, Putnam/Fishing Lakes, and State Park snowmobile trails. We have some of each of the State Trails groomed. A large portion of all the trails this year are having issues with a lot of water moving in the swamps and the ice not freezing thick enough to sustain grooming equipment.
Continue checking DNR website for trail condition updates as they may change daily: http://dnr.state.mn.us/snow_depth/index.html
For all trails, use caution while riding. Trail remains ungroomed and rough in spots. There are also active logging operations on multiple sections of the trails. Please travel at appropriate speeds and stay to the right.
Taconite State Trail: The Y-Store Trail jct west of Tower going east to Ely, and From Big Aspen west past Side Lake was groomed before this last spell of warm weather. When temps go down again and we get more snow, we will continue grooming these sections. We anticipate grooming from the Y-store trail west to the Arrowhead State Trail jct early this coming week. From that point going west to Big Aspen, there are two major water crossings where the ice remains too thin to cross with grooming equipment. We continue to check ice thickness so we can groom as soon as the ice allows.
Same as last year, the spur trail leading from the Taconite to the Oasis Bar and Grill in Britt has been rerouted due to landowner issues. The reroute goes from the Taconite east of Hwy 53 (opposite side from the Oasis) to Peppard Rd, crosses Hwy 53 at the Peppard Rd Jct, and follows the ditch south to Peel Rd and to the Oasis.
Arrowhead State Trail: The Arrowhead is groomed from the Wakemup Trail going south past the Cook GIA trail down to the Vermilion Houseboats trail. We anticipate having the trail groomed down to the Taconite this coming week. Numerous swamps and water crossings throughout the trail have not frozen thick enough to sustain grooming equipment. We continue to check ice thickness in swamps so we can groom as soon as the ice allows.
Putnam/Fishing Lakes Trail remains ungroomed. As with our other trails, we continue to check pack swamps and check ice thickness so we can groom as soon as the ice can sustain grooming equipment.
Soudan Underground Mine and Lake Vermilion State Park Trails are groomed down to Stuntz Bay from Soudan. They remain ungroomed going to Cable Bay due to a wetland crossing with thin ice. We continue checking the ice thickness there so we can groom when the ice allows grooming equipment across.
Brad Dekkers, Assistant Area Supervisor