Voyageurs National Park Association

Winter Ice and Trail Conditions Report: 1/11/12

Kari — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:44:53 +0000

From the National Park Service, 1/11/12:

Snowmobile Trails – see trail status list at end

Winter weather conditions have allowed the park to open the Green Trail from Ash River to Crane Lake. Now, the entire Green Trail is open from Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Crane Lake.

Hazardous pressure ridges continue to be an issue along the Green Trail on Kabetogama Lake. Staff continue to re-route the trail in problem areas to provide a safer passage through the pressure ridges. Due to frequent and extreme changes to the pressure ridges, snowmobilers should use extreme caution and only cross the pressure ridges at designated crossings along the staked route. Slow travel speeds are highly recommended. Snowmobile land portages have rough riding conditions due to minimal snow cover.

Park staff are checking ice along the Blue Trail from East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake today and will determine if there is sufficient ice to stake the trail. At this time the trail remains closed.

Outstanding scenery is one of the reasons why Voyageurs National Park was established. Please enjoy the scenery as you ride and follow the snowmobile speed limit of 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages. Speed limit signs are posted at trailheads and overland portages

Ice Roads – see trail status list at end

In addition to the ice road on Rainy Lake, Voyageurs National Park will open an ice road on Kabetogama Lake. The anticipated date of this opening is Saturday, January 14, 2012. Ice and snow conditions this winter have allowed the park to provide this opportunity for visitors to enjoy a scenic drive, watch wildlife, ice fish and explore the park. Similar to the Rainy Lake Ice Road, the Kabetogama Lake Ice Road will have two-way traffic. The road follows a route along the south shore of Kabetogama Lake between the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center and the Ash River Visitor Center. Written authorization from the park is required for individuals to plow any lake surfaces off an ice road.

Snowshoe Trails – see trail status list at end

The Sullivan Bay snowshoe trail is now open and tracked. This trail is located along the Ash River Visitor Center entrance road. Travel about two miles in on the entrance road and look for the snowshoe sign on your right that marks the trail.

Cross-Country Ski Trails – see trail status list at end

Snow conditions are limiting the opening of park ski trails. Forecasted snowfall has the potential to improve trail conditions.

Regular weekly winter trail conditions reports are available on our website at www.nps.gov/voya.

Snowmobile Trails
International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Open & Staked
Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open & Staked
Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Open & Staked
Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Not Open
Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open & Staked
East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Not Open

Ice Roads
Rainy Lake Ice Road – Open to Rainy Lake City
Kabetogama Lake Ice Road – Starting, Saturday, January 14 – Open between the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center Boat Launch and the Ash River Visitor Center Boat Launch

Ski Trails
Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open with minimal snow cover
Black Bay Ski Trail– Not Open
Tilson Connector Trail– Not Open
KabAsh Trail– Open with minimal snow cover

Snowshoe Trails
Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open with minimal snow cover
Sullivan Bay Trail – Open and tracked
Oberholtzer Trail – Open with minimal snow cover

“STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE”

ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARDS

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 395 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

Voyageurs Participates in Icebox Days with Snowshoe Night Hike

Kari — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:20:08 +0000

Come celebrate Icebox Days on the Oberholtzer Trail in Voyageurs National Park. Snowshoe an easy one mile trail by headlamp. Afterwards, enjoy a warm fire with friends. Snowshoes are provided; bring a headlamp. Fun for the entire family! Meet inside the Rainy Lake Visitor Center on Friday, January 20, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. The program runs until 7:30 p.m. No early birds please.

This program is sponsored by Voyageurs National Park Association. No fee or registration is required to attend. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

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About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 395 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

Winter Ice and Trail Conditions Report: 1/4/12

Kari — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:40:49 +0000

From the National Park Service, 1/4/2012:

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minnesota: On Wednesday, January 4, the Purple Trail from International Falls to Kettle Falls and the Yellow Trail from Ash River to Kettle Falls opened due to improved ice and snow conditions.

Hazardous pressure ridges remain along the Green Trail on Kabetogama Lake. Staff have re-routed the trail in some spots to provide a safer passage through the pressure ridges. Due to frequent and extreme changes to the pressure ridges, snowmobilers should use extreme caution and only cross the pressure ridges at designated crossings along the staked route. Slow travel speeds are highly recommended. Snowmobile land portages have rough riding conditions due to minimal snow cover.

Park staff continue to find insufficient ice along the Green Trail from Ash River to Crane Lake, requiring this section of the Trail to remain closed. Staff will evaluate ice conditions early next week as cooler temperatures are expected to settle into the area.

Snowmobile Trails
International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Open & Staked
Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open & Staked
Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Not Open
Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Not Open
Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open & Staked
East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Not Open

Rainy Lake Ice Road – Open to Black Bay Ski Trail

Ski Trails
Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open with minimal snow cover
Black Bay Ski Trail – Not Open
Tilson Connector Trail – Not Open
KabAsh Trail – Open with minimal snow cover

Snowshoe Trails
Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open with minimal snow cover
Sullivan Bay Trail – Open and tracked
Oberholtzer Trail – Open with minimal snow cover

STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE”

ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARDS

Winter Trail Conditions Report: 12/29/11

Kari — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:46:51 +0000

From the National Park Service, 12/29/2011:

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minnesota: Voyageurs National Park staff, in northern Minnesota, is regularly checking ice and snow conditions in anticipation of opening the park’s 110 miles of snowmobile trails and 10 miles of cross-country ski trails when conditions are safe.

As of Thursday, December 29, lake ice and snow conditions are improving slowly in Voyageurs National Park; two inches of snow fell on Wednesday evening. The only snowmobile trail currently open is the Green Trail from Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama to Ash River. Snowmobiling conditions are marginal in the park because the lake surface has little snow and numerous bare icy spots. Several hazardous pressure ridges have formed along the Green Trail on Kabetogama Lake. Use extreme caution and only cross the pressure ridges at designated crossings along the staked route. Slow travel speeds are highly recommended. The park’s land portages have very rough riding surfaces due to the lack of snow.

The rest of the park’s snowmobile trails remain closed and are not safe for travel this weekend. The park will perform more lake ice checks next week and update the snowmobile travel status at that time.

The Sullivan Bay snowshoe trail is now open and tracked.

Snowmobile Trails

International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Not Open
Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open & Staked
Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Not Open
Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Not Open
Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Not Open
East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Not Open

Rainy Lake Ice Road – Not Open

Ski Trails
Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open with minimal snow cover
Black Bay Ski Trail– Not Open
Tilson Connector Trail– Not Open
KabAsh Trail– Open with minimal snow cover

Snowshoe Trails
Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open with minimal snow cover
Sullivan Bay Trail – Open and tracked
Oberholtzer Trail – Open with minimal snow cover

“STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE”

ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARDS

Winter Ice Conditions: 12/14/11

Kari — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:35:43 +0000

From the National Park Service, 12/14/11:

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minnesota: Aircraft observations last Sunday, December 11, 2011 revealed extensive open water and new thin ice on all major lakes within Voyageurs National Park. The existing ice is deceptively attractive and near shore testing by park staff has revealed ice thickness ranging from 1 ½ inches to 11 inches. In addition, the ice lacks visible signs of diminishing thickness without removing and inspecting ice wedges for quality and thickness.

During the overflight, open water was observed on the following lakes:

Rainy Lake north of Black Bay and east to the eastern shoreline
Kabetogama Lake from Blind Indian Narrows east to the eastern shoreline of Namakan Lake
Sand Point Lake — middle lake area

Current conditions are not adequate to support snowmobile use and travel is not recommended on any lake surface.

“STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE” ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARD

Voyageurs National Park Holiday Hours

Kari — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:08:08 +0000

The holiday hours for Voyageurs National Park’s Rainy Lake Visitor Center will be as follows:

Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, 2011 – closed
Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25, 2011 – closed
Wednesday-Saturday, December 28-31, 2011 – open 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
New Year’s Day, Sunday, January 1, 2012 – closed

Regular winter hours resume on Wednesday, January 4, 2012. The visitor center is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Visitors are invited to come to the visitor center to view winter exhibits, watch the park’s film, and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa. Keep in mind that the park has cross-country skis for rent (adult sizes) and loan (child sizes) and snowshoes for loan. Enjoy winter in your national park!

Call the visitor center for details at 218-286-5258.

www.nps.gov

Winter 2011-2012 Park News Now Available

Kari — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:54:03 +0000

Read the Winter 2011-2012 Voyageur Messenger, the official newsletter of Voyageurs National Park.

What’s Inside:

Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring in Voyageurs National Park
1936 Kabetogama Peninsula Fires
Ellsworth Rock Gardens Repairs
Exotic Species Education & New “Boot Brush Stations”
International Community Congress – Gateway Community Teams Develop Action Plans
2011 Fall Volunteer Rendezvous with VNPA

Sign the Petition to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund

Kari — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 23:35:33 +0000

VNPA is calling on you to sign our petition to show your thanks and support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, America’s most important conservation tool.

Through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) we can ensure that iconic places, such as Voyageurs National Park, are protected for future generations. The LWCF idea is a great one: A very small portion — up to $900 million — of the $6 billion in revenues that come from offshore oil and gas drilling each year (these are NOT taxpayer dollars) are to be spent on conserving America’s special places.

With tremendous fiscal uncertainty in our country right now, it is more important than ever to ensure we protect our economic drivers — specifically land, water, wildlife and the outdoor recreation industry.

Unfortunately, LWCF funds are being diverted from their intended uses and much less than the authorized $900 million a year is being spent on America’s parks and outdoor recreation areas.
We must urge the White House to stop this diversion of funds!

Help us thank the Administration for including full funding of LWCF in their FY12 budget, and call for support of full, permanent AND dedicated annual funding for LWCF at $900 million.

Sign our Petition at Whitehouse.gov: http://wh.gov/jTx

Voyageurs National Park Association is a part of the nationwide LWCF Coalition, working to gain the support of 25,000 individuals by December 15th. We need your help! LWCF funding makes our Land Preservation Initiative possible. For more information about the LWCF, download this fact sheet (pdf) or visit lwcfcoalition.org.

Please sign the petition, and share this article far and wide with your networks.

Snowshoe Lacing Class Open for Registration

Kari — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:12:25 +0000

From the National Park Service, 11/7/11:

Have you always wanted to make your own snowshoes or perhaps finish a pair you have started? Here is your chance. Join Laurentian Environmental Center’s Senior Naturalist Jim DeVries as he guides you through a full day of instruction on how to lace snowshoes on Saturday, February 4, 2011 from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

Pre-registration and a fee are required. Fees range from $110.00 to $140.00 depending on the type of snowshoe. Participants need to bring a sack lunch. The deadline to reserve a seat is Saturday, January 7, 2011. Call (218) 286-5258 for more information.

This class is recommended for ages 13 and up.

For detailed information about the park go to www.nps.gov/voya. Plan your visit today!

Photo by the Laurentian Environmental Learning Center.

Give to the Max for VNPA on Nov. 16th

Kari — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:58:36 +0000

We’re kicking off our annual year-end giving campaign, and we need your help!

Donations from you—as a Park user, volunteer, member, or believer in natural spaces—provide the foundations of Voyageurs National Park Association and our work to protect and promote Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park.

Please join us on November 16th for Give to the Max Day by making a contribution of $10 or more. Give as generously you can.

When you donate online for Give to the Max Day (click here to follow the link to our GiveMN.org donations page), you will help VNPA win special grants to maximize your gift.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE.

Remember, you can give anytime in the 24-hour period on Wednesday, November 16th. Each hour, one donor will win an extra $1,000 grant to give to their nonprofit of choice, among other prizes.

We hope you’ll help support VNPA on November 16th! A gift of any size counts, and helps us provide extraordinary services to Minnesota’s spectacular Voyageurs National Park.