events, News, what's new

EVENTS

January 18 (See news below for more information)

Ribbon Cutting for Flathorn-Gegoka Nordic Classic Ski Trails

Jensen Road Trailhead

Sponsored by Friends of Flathorn-Gegoka Trails

12:30 PM - Ribbon Cutting at Trailhead

1:30 PM - Complimentary hot dogs and chips at 9905 National Forest Lodge Rd.

1:30 PM - Afternoon ski activities

What to Bring:

• Durable outdoor cloths

• Skis and ski accessories to use on the trails

• A smile

What to Expect:

• Soft drinks, coffee, tea, hot chocolate and water

• A place to change if needed

• Ski lessons for those interested

We'll be posting the weather forecast as the date approaches.

NEWS

Rain Event of June, 2024

In summer, 2024, a 1-in-300 year rain event damaged the bridges round Flathorn Lake (See photo on right). Two bridges cannot be used for skiing in their current condition. Since Flathorn Lake is the only access point to the ski trails, the Friends of Flathorn-Gegoka ski trails worked feverishly with the U.S. National Forest Service to establish a new access point on Jensen Road. Through the summer and autumn, we obtained the necessary permissions, lined up contractors, cleared an area for parking, and completed improvements on Jensen Trail from Highway 1 to the new access point parking area. The trail was completed a couple weeks before the first snow and has been used by exuberant skiers since the first snowfall (see trail conditions). We are hosting a ribbon cutting event on Saturday, January 18, to celebrate the completion of this trailhead. See Events above for more information about the ribbon cutting event.

About that rain event. As stated above, the rainfall over much of the Arrowhead approximated a once in 300 year rain event. Most of the region received at least inches of rain, with locations reporting more than 7 inches. But more importantly, this rain fell over a relatively short time of about 6 hours. The result was widespread flooding and considerable damage to infrastructure in the area. Below are some interesting links concerning this storm.

• MPR story on the event

• National Weather Service storm summary

• Bridge damage between Flathorn and Rat lakes

• Bridge damage between Flathorn Lake and Rat Lake

• Bridge between Flathorn and Gegoka lakes following the storm. Note the extensive flooding.

Forest North podcast

On October 8, Nancy Schultz, George Lokken, and Jeremy Pischke shared the history and their personal views of the ski trails and the Lake Gegoka area in a Forest North podcast. Click on the link above to listen to the podcast. The home page for Forest North podcasts is found at this link. These podcasts focus on activities, events, resources, and more for the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota.

WHAT'S NEW

This is a new section to which we will be adding information that may be of interest to people who use and support the ski trails and the Arrowhead region in general. We have been updating our web page to keep it more up to date and to provide interesting information. Examples of updated pages include this page and the new tab called Our Trails, including updates to Ski Conditions. Check them out.

Current Conditions

Just 6 weeks ago the entire Arrowhead Region was considered to be in a severe drought (U.S. Drought Monitor).  Despite extensive rain in spring and early summer, including the event mentioned above, the second half of summer and first half of Fall brought very dry conditions. The Arrowhead has been plagued by dry summers in recent years and therefore has a lot of catching up to do.

Conditions have improved with recent snowfall. While much of the region is still in a moderate drought, conditions have improved dramatically. The most recent DNR snow rankings show the entire Arrowhead with above average snow depth for this time of year. This should bode well for the upcoming ski season. Perhaps just as important is that a good snowpack is needed to rejuvenate lakes, rivers, soil, and wetlands in the coming spring. See maps below.