Grand Marais was really buzzing with sleds yesterday! Almost looked like the ‘old’ days around here with sleds everywhere and in line at the gas pumps! I’m sure the trails got pretty whooped out by afternoon but all I saw were smiles on riders faces when I was having dinner at the bar. The place was packed and hopping!

We will continue with our revised grooming schedule on Monday to include tandem grooming on each route. If you see one groomer, watch for a second one! And please stop and wait for the operator to signal that it is safe to proceed! Loggers are also going to be cutting just off #443 south of the Hardie Grade starting this week. They aren’t going to be having logging trucks in there but they will open about a 1/4 mile of trail for access to the harvest area. Keep an eye out for vehicles and logging equipment – the area will be signed!

And The Race is On!! The UP200 Sled Dog Championship started late last night. As of this report, I believe all the teams have arrived in Grand Marais. Some of the teams will be heading to Wetmore soon but they will be coming and going all day with the finish in Grand Marais tomorrow morning. Please, remember, it’s easier to stop your snowmobile than it is for a musher to stop 10 or 12 dogs in a race. See this map of the crossings in Grand Marais. There will be activities all day today at the Community Center. Don’t let the race interfere with your snowmobile plans, most crossings where you may be asked to wait for a team to cross only takes a matter of a few moments. Most snowmobilers really enjoy watching them so come on UP and enjoy!

Mark your calendars:

We are working on a fund raiser breakfast for St. Patty’s Day (March 17th). I’ll post details as they come together.

We are also in the early stages of another fund raiser on the 4th of July or during the Music Festival in August. If you can help out with any of them, let me know!

10/13/2012 ~ Fall Trail Maintenance date, dinner, and kick-off meeting for next season.