RANIER — The fire was blazing, and kids were sledding and skating at the Ranier Rink Wednesday afternoon.
A little east of the city, pickup truck drivers were heading to Rainy Lake Marine Services to check on its ice road, maintained by Travis Thompson.
Area skating rinks, ice roads, and snowmobile trails would all benefit first by below zero temperatures and then some snow, most agree.
The Ranier Rink will be open through the weekend despite what most people would call balmy weather for this time of year, said Bill Hanson, who takes care of the rink.
Without the normal dump of snow, he said the ice is good on the rinks, and the sledding hill is fast.
“The grass slows you so you don’t get going too fast,” he said laughing.
Ice road
Thompson agreed the lack of snow has assisted Mother Nature in making what he calls good ice on Rainy Lake for this time of year.
However, he said he, too, is waiting on some cold weather before opening the ice road.
“We’re on the edge,” he said Thursday. “We were on pace to be open about now — Dec. 15-16, but now we’re waiting. We need 13-14 inches of snow and there’s only about 10 inches.”
Now, he said he’s hoping to open the ice road by Christmas, but it might be Jan. 1 or later.
Warm temperatures forecast for the weekend should encourage folks to get out and enjoy the outdoors and all it offers, he said. Sand Bay and Black Bay now have 8-10 inches of ice, while the rest of Rainy Lake is not frozen.
He urged people to take care on the ice, but suggested anglers may park at the marina and take an all-terrain vehicle or walk out for fishing.
Thompson’s watching the 10-day forecast that now calls for about a week of temperatures in the teens and back to zero around Christmas. “We need a stretch of 5-10 below for about one week,” he said.
Most Borderland residents are about ready to get outdoors and have some fun, he said, adding the fishing has been good, with people catching a lot of fish and limiting out.
“We need the cold weather before the snow,” he said, noting snowmobiles and loggers would likely agree.
Thompson said access to the Rainy Lake Marine Services private ice road is by permit or daily pass, both of which can be obtained by calling him at 218-244-4152. He urged people to call him if they have questions about the ice conditions.
Sheriff’s warning
Koochiching County Sheriff Perryn Hedlund also encourages people to get outdoors and enjoy the beauty Borderland offers, “just do it safely,” he said.
“We urge people to use caution when venturing out on the ice,” he said Thursday. “We encourage people to stick to the marked roads and trails. When traveling in areas that are not marked or maintained, know that you are traveling on ice that had not been deemed safe for travel.”
When traveling on ice, Hedlund said people should keep in mind ice thickness is not uniform.
“There may be plenty of ice in one area, and just a few feet away, there may be thin ice that is unsafe,” he said. “Overall, we strongly encourage people to be aware of their surroundings and never assume that the ice is safe just because of the cold temperatures we have had.”
Falls rinks
The outdoor skating rinks in International Falls last week were being flooded, reported Bill Mason, International Falls Recreation director.
He said Kerry Park Rink would open soon, but the Eighth Street Rink may take a little longer before it’s ready for skating.
Ski trails
The Polar Polers Ski Club, which maintains the Tilson Creek Ski Trail east of Ranier, and the Manka Trail within the Falls, are ready for skiing.
The club’s Facebook page describes the following activities:
Dec. 11, 6:22 p.m. — Dedicated skate skiers will delight to the news that I rolled the Blue Trail today. It’s good in some areas, bumpy in others, and pure crud in a couple of spots. If you do it, prepare to walk down the first little Hill at the “caution” sign where I got stuck. ?. Overall it’s a nice ski. Here’s what that little drop looks like.
Dec. 9 at 5:27 a.m. — All right, skiers, hit the Tilson Creek trails today. Green, Orange, and Yellow are rolled for skating . And if you’re looking for fast skating try the new Tilson Bay race track south of the bridge. Enter from the west end of the parking lot.
Dec. 7 at 5:57 p.m. — Yes, oh Yes! We rolled the Green, Orange, and Yellow trails at Tilson Creek today. Best skating on the west side of all trails.
Dec. 1 at 4:04 p.m. — Not only did we roll the Green Trail, we also rolled a wide skate lane on Tilson Bay, south of the bridge.
IVSC
The International Voyageurs Snowmobile Club, which maintains about 158 miles of trail in the Falls and Rainy Lake area, conducted its annual trail clearing day, this past Saturday, drawing a dedicated group of about 18 people, reports club President Jim Bigler.
Meanwhile, the club lists the conditions as follows:
Dec. 10: The route through Ranier is marked and the new route north of the tracks has been fenced and signage has been put up. The Blue Ox at Big Falls around Page & Hill has been completed and marked also. Please watch your speed through both of these areas.
Dec. 8: The east side of our system has been brushed, trees removed from the trail and packed with the exception of the Slatinski Trail which will be started on next. There are a couple spots where water is flowing but most areas are frozen over. Please be careful when you’re out. Have fun and be safe.
Voyageurs National Park
No snowmobile trails or ice roads in the park are open yet, said the park’s website, which also urges caution at this time of the year.
The website on Dec. 6 said:
The Echo Bay Trail is currently packed but not tracked due to insufficient snow.
New this year: park staff will be grooming one side of the Rainy Lake Recreation Trail that connects Minnesota Highway 11 with the Rainy Lake Visitor Center for classical cross-country skiing. While one side of the trail will include a set ski track, the other side will not be groomed to allow for snowshoeing, winter walking and other non-motorized winter activities. The Recreation Trail is packed on one side and not tracked due to insufficient snow.
Most snowshoe trails — specifically Blind Ash Bay, Oberholtzer, Sullivan Bay, and the unpacked side of the Rainy Lake Recreation Trail — are open with minimal snow.
