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Weekly Trail and Ice Report: 1/14/2010

From the National Park Service, 1/14/2010:

With an additional inch of new snowfall that has enhanced already good travel conditions, all snowmobile trails within Voyageurs National Park, including the Chain of Lakes Trail, are now open for use. All overland portages, with the exception of the Kettle Falls Portage, have been groomed with the use of a small grooming device pulled behind a snowmobile. As a result, travel over portage trails within the park is vastly improved and will be maintained until ice conditions allow for the use of the full-size groomer. Grooming of the Kettle Falls Portage is anticipated by the end of this week. Many thanks go out to the Crane Lake Snowmobile Club for grooming the snowmobile trail between Crane Lake and Sand Point Lake.

Tenacious thin ice conditions near the Rainy Lake Visitor Center prevent the establishment of the Rainy Lake Ice Road at that location. The Rainy Lake Ice Road to Rainy Lake City and the Black Bay Ski Trail is now accessible at the Dove Island Boat Landing off Highway 11 East.

Please remember that the snowmobile speed limit within Voyageurs National Park is 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages. Speed limit signs are posted at trailheads and overland portages. Weekly winter trail conditions reports are available on the Park’s website at www.nps.gov/voya.

Snowmobile Trails
International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Open & Staked
Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River – Open & Staked (Groomed on
Kabetogama Lake)
Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Open & Staked (Groomed between Sand
Point Lake and Crane Lake)
Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Open & Staked
Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open & Staked
East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Open & Staked

Rainy Lake Ice Road – OPEN (Access at the Dove Island Boat Landing off Highway 11 East ONLY)

Ski Trails
Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open, Packed, & Tracked
Black Bay Ski Trail – Open, Packed & Tracked
Tilson Connector Trail – Open, Packed & Tracked
KabAsh Trail – Open

Snowshoe Trails
Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open
Sullivan Bay Trail – Open
Oberholtzer Trail – Open

REMEMBER
“STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE”
ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARD