Poplar Creek Courier Brought to you by Boundary Country Trekking

The February 2007 issue of National Geographic Adventure included a feature article on the Gunflint's Lodge to Lodge Skiing program. The article by Jim Gorman, "Pushing the Boundary," is about his ski trip between Bearskin Lodge, Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, then along the Banadad Ski Trail to the Croft Yurt and ending at a Gunflint Lodge.

In describing the Gunflint Ski Trails Gorman writes, "In the Midwest and possible in the nation the Gunflint Nordic Trail system's fusion of wilderness and creature comforts is unrivaled and no portion exemplifies this like the Banadad.

The Gunflint's Lodge to Lodge Ski Adventures is offered through Boundary Country Trekking.

It was cold, dark and a slight breeze was blowing at the outdoor wedding of a northern Minnesota couple. Neither the weather or the time of day seemed to faze the guests seated on wood benches nor the bride draped in a white cloak and the groom in "carharts."

The ceremony took place in a wind sheltered area at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B. The walkway was lit by candles and white rope lighting. Small white lights hung from a steel arch constructed by the groom. The ceremony was preformed under the arch which served to frame the couple and the woods behind.

  The consensus of all in attendances was that it was a beautiful wedding but they were happy to retreat to the warmth of the B&B after the ceremony. After warming-up the wedding party and guests were shuttled by vans to Gunflint Lodge for Dinner.

An Article by Sue Prom from Voyageur Canoe Outfitter's  Boundary Waters Blog 

"I always get great gifts for my birthday and Christmas and this year was no exception.  Mike and the kids gave me a free cross-country skiing adventure.  It is truly a gift because it is usually one of the only times Mike will go cross-country skiing with me.  The past two years he has done this; one year we skied in to a cabin at Tettegouche and the other year we skied into a yurt.  I have a choice this year between those two options or a stay at a B & B in Canada with cross-country skiing during the day.  I'm leaning towards the Yurt to Yurt Skiing because it is in my favorite area, right on the Gunflint Trail. "

    Boundary Country Trekking is a business on the Gunflint Trail that specializes in adventure type packages.  They transport you to the beginning of the Banadad Trail where you begin your 8-mile ski to the yurt.  They bring your gear to the yurt, get the fire going, haul the water up from the lake and will even cook a Mongolian Hot Pot Dinner for you.(When we went for my birthday Mike decided to cook dinner for me.)   The yurt is cozy and warm with a wood stove for heat and a gas stove for cooking.  The night we spent there it was 20 degrees below zero but we never got cold.  There is a small wilderness lake for water and an outhouse nearby.  I'm not sure if some people spend more than one night at the yurt but on our trip we cross-country skied the 12 miles through the wilderness back to Boundary Country Trekking.  

         

     It was an awesome wilderness adventure that I will never forget.  I highly recommend this trip to anyone who loves the solitude of the Boundary Waters and the magic of winter.  It sounds like the perfect gift for me!

Grand Marais, MN The Gunflint Trail Association is pleased to announce the dates for the Third Annual Winter Tracks Festival. Planning is underway and the 2007 Winter Tracks Festival is scheduled for March 1 to 4, 2007. This festival continues to celebrate the best that Minnesota winter has to offer; in classic Gunflint Trail tradition.

Activities throughout the festival include cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, dog sled rides, races and contests, seminars, guided hikes and tours, a variety of unique dining options and shopping. Events are for the entire family. New activities in 2007 will include skijoring, geo-caching, curling and quin-zhee building.

Grand Marais, the gateway to the Gunflint Trail, this year is offering additional activities during the Winter Tracks Festival. The Sivertson Gallery will feature artwork of Canadian Inuit, Siberian Yupik, Alaskan Inupiaq and Yupik artists. The North House Folk School will offer a 2-day workshop weaving birch into baskets, shoes and hats.

"This is classic winter fun at its finest," says John Bottger, Winter Tracks coordinator. "There is something here for everyone. We realize that lots of folks need some how-to when it comes to the winter arts, so this year we are offering a variety of "intro to" events to get them started. All of us who live here love winter, and we want to share some of the fun and excitement with the rest of the world." The festival is open to the public and guests of Gunflint Trail and Grand Marais resorts, and most of the activities are offered free of charge to registered Winter Tracks participants.

The Gunflint Trail, originally a footpath for Native Americans to get to Grand Marais, is a 60 mile paved road that runs from Grand Marais to Saganaga Lake through the Superior National Forest and adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). The Gunflint's 200 kilometer Gunflint Nordic Ski Trail System is recognized as one of North America's finest ski trail systems. Snowmobilers can travel up to festival events along the Gunflint Snowmobile Trail from Grand Marais.

Plan to attend this year's Winter Tracks. Poplar Creek Guesthouse Bed and Breakfast still has opens for this exciting event. Information on Winter Tracks and a calendar for the 2007 events can be viewed at http://www.wintertracks.com. Among the events sponsosred by Poplar Creek Guesthouse are; a Mongolian Firepot Dinner for Thurday night - March 1, a wooden ski festival scheduled for all day Saturday - March 3,  a seminar conducted by Ted Young entitled "Yesterdays BWCA" on Friday night- March 2, and providing a list of Quinzees and Snow Forts built around the area.

News Years Eve day started with a light rain but by four in the afternoon the rain had turned to snow. The snow continued through most of the night. By morning three inches of heavy wet snow had accumulated on the ground.

Ski trail groomer, Jim Raml and Ted Young were dispatched to open the Banadad on New Years Day. The groomer were able to track the entire Banadad but reported that because of the heavy wet snow they encountered, "a lot of side brush leaning into the trail along approximately six and one half kilometers of the thirty kilometer trail." The groomers were able to cut some of the brush and noted, "that the trail is passable but skiing will be slow along the trail's brushy sections." The groomers also reported that the track they set while not great is at least fair.

Young encountered four skiers on the west end of the Banadad. The skiers stated that while the trail was brushy the skiing was very good and they were having a good time. They were skiing from the Croft Yurt to the western trailhead where their car had previously been shuttle by Boundary Country Trekking.

The thirty kilometer Banadad Ski Trail and ten kilometers of adjoining trails are maintained and groomed by Boundary Country Trekking under an agreement with the USFS and supported in part by the Minnesota DNR's Ski Pass Program.

The Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, the Little Ollie Ski-in Cabin and the Tall Pines Yurt are located on ski trails leading to the Banadad's eastern trailhead. The Croft Yurt Camp is located midway along the Banadad.