Trail Highlights- the Midtrail Junction

This is the first of a series of “trail highlights” on interesting features you will find along the trail. Additional trail highlights will be featured in future Banadad Bulletins and we hope to incorporate into future trail maps.

The Mid Trail Junction is located at the northern end of the old logging road that connected the Birch Cliff and Tucker Lake Logging Roads with Finn Lake Logging Road.  The Mid-Trail Junction is the spot were these old logging road came together. The site is located approximately midway along the Banadad.

_{Members of the Minnehaha Academy Ski Team at the trail’s Mid-Trail Junction- first week in March 2012}

Some additional history – Following the 1964 Wilderness Act and 1978 Boundary Waters Act, logging within the Wilderness where these roads were located was prohibited. Beginning in 1982 these road were reopened as a Nordic Ski trail. The purpose of the new 28 kilometer wilderness trail was to link the Gunflint’s Central and Upper Nordic Ski Trails.

The first skiers through this new trail were in 1983. They skied from Borderland Lodge (now Cross River Lodge) to Windigo Lodge. First called the Ski Thru Trail, Artery Trail or Tucker Lake Trail, depending to whom you asked, the trail was officially named, by the Gunflint ski resorts, the Banadad in l984.

For the past four years the carbon produced by the equipment used to maintain and groom the Banadad Ski Trail has been sequestered in tree planting.  According to the Linda Bosma, BTA President; “tree planting is our way to insure that the maintenance and grooming of the trail remains carbon neutral”.

• The highlight of this fall’s maintenance occurred on October 17 and 18 when eight volunteers rebuilt the Trail’s old dilapidated thirty-six foot bridge over the Banadad Creek between Banadad and Rush Lakes.  The bridge was in such bad shape that after the crew arrived at the bridge a portion of it collapsed as one of the volunteers walked across. Since the bridge was located in a remote area of the Trail, the construction crew canoed in, spent a night camping  on the trail and canoed out the next day. According to Ted Young, maintenance supervisor, “the old bridge certainly would not have supported the grooming equipment this coming winter.”

• West end of the Trail Cleared – Again this year five members of the Minnesota Conservation Corps widened one and half miles of the trail’s west end and then walked the entire eight miles of the west end trail clearing down trees as they walked.

• Half Mile of East end Widened, – BTA’s regular trail maintenance crew member Jim Raml and his dog Blanca “ATVed” up to the BWCA line at the Meads Lake Portage. From there he hiked-in three and one half miles, clearing down trees as he walked. Jim camped on the trail and spent four wet-buggy ten-hour days widening about three-quarters of a mile of the brush-blocked trail. Great job Jim!

• LaceLake, Tall Pines and Knapp Trails – Located outside the BWCA where mechanical equipment is allowed, chainsaws were used to clear all the summers’ accumulation of down trees. Later the center brush was mowed with a brush hog equipped track Bobcat on the trails outside the BWCA. “The swampier” sections of these trails we plan to clear by hand with a brush saw.
• Volunteers – working over two weekends twenty-five volunteers from the Banadad Trail Association, Minnehaha Academy Ski Team and North Star Ski Touring Club logged 174 hours clearing  2 ½ miles of brush and down trees at the trail’s two ends. This year volunteers worked exclusively within the BWCA which required that all work be done by hand.

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For the past four years the carbon produced by the equipment used to maintain and groom the Banadad Ski Trail has been sequestered in tree planting.   According to the Banadad Trail Association- “tree planting is our way to insure that the maintenance and grooming of the trail remains carbon neutral”.

If you would like help in the tree planting, give us a call at 218-388-4487. The Banadad Tree Planting is scheduled for 10:00 AM, Saturday, May 5 and May 12.  Planting will last about four to five hours. Meet at the Poplar Creek Guesthouse, 11 Poplar Creek Drive. Tools, tree seedlings and supervision provided.

For those that need lodging for the Tree Planting, Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B and Cabins is offering a special rate of $89/person plus taxes for two nights lodging, Barbara’s famous breakfasts each morning and one trail lunch. If you need overnight accommodations, go to lodging or call 800-388-4487.

This was the first year within the twenty nine year history of the Banadad that there was not enough snow on the Trail to ski well into April.  And with the Trail’s late opening this makes this year’s season one of if not the shortest ski season ever.

The several members of the Minnehaha Ski Academy’s Ski Team and parents will be spending this coming weekend working on the Banadad.

There was about an inch of snow last night; still snowing lightly now. More snow is expect this week while Anne’s team is here.  The team should enjoy this!

Banadad Work Day-Volunteers Wanted

In the morning prior to the Banadad Trail Association’s Annual Meeting (BTA), you’re invited to help get the Banadad ready for winter. Weather permitting, we will be clearing the summer’s accumulation of brush and downed trees between the BWCA line on the west end of the Trail and the Dawkins Lake Bridge.

Meet for the Trail Work Day at 9:00 am, Saturday, October 22, at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B, 11 Poplar Creek Drive (just off the Lima Grand). Hand tools and lunches will be provided to all volunteers. The North Stars Ski Touring Club will be joining us this day.

After the workday plan to stay-on for the Association’s Annual Meeting and Potluck Get-to-Gather

Greetings from the Association’s President!

Despite the warm temperatures the past couple weeks, it is Fall, which means work crews are on the Banadad Trail preparing for the Winter ski season.  This past year has been an ambitious one—many trail improvements, including replacing the Banadad Bridge.

The Banadad Trail Association continues our work to preserve and maintain this wonderful trail so that skiers will continue to be able to experience the truly unique experience of skiing in the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness!  If you have skied the Banadad, you know what a special experience it is—its single track goes deep into the BWCA. Some days you may not meet another soul while skiing—there are few places that provide that experience.  Whether you are going for a short ski, skiing the entire trail in a day, or breaking up a through ski with a stay in a yurt, the Banadad takes you deep into the woods where your privacy may only be disturbed by a lynx, grouse, or moose. I’ve been skiing the Banadad for nearly twenty years now, but have yet to find another ski experience that equals this trail!

We hope you’ll experience the Banadad this winter—and will love it as much as we do.  We also hope you’ll consider joining the Banadad Trail Association if you’re not already a member.  Volunteers like those of us in the BTA are essential to maintaining the trail and preserving it for future generations.  In addition to volunteering time to work on the trail, members of the BTA write grants and raise funds to support the trail, develop membership, and help educate the public on the Banadad.  We are always happy to have more people involved—please contact me if you’d like to join us and have an idea to suggest or want to join us for a working weekend in the woods.  We’d love to have you!

This has been a great year for the BTA and a special thanks to all our many members and friends who have supported us again this year!  Have a great ski season—see you at the annual meeting and on the trail!

Happy Skiing—Linda Bosma

BTA Applies for Grant to Solve West end Easement Problem

The Banadad Ski Trail was built by the United States Forest Service during the summers of 1981 and 1982 at the urging of the Gunflint Nordic Ski Resorts. This 31-kilometer trail serves to connect the Central and Upper Gunflint Nordic Trail Systems.

The Banadad’s western trailhead, since opening, has passed through private land on an old logging road. The previous owner had no interest in this land or where the trail was located on their land. Another party has now purchased this land. The new owner is willing to sell deeded easement to the Banadad Trail Association for the trail provided the trail is moved east of its present location. The new owners plan to build a home on this land and will be using the existing trail as an access road to this home.

The only other place to relocate the Trail’s western trailhead would be on Federal land to the west. However building a trail on this land would be quite challenging. Any trail built over this land would have to cross a large wetland, bridge a stream and then negotiate a very difficult hill.

The most feasible place to relocate the trail would be just to the east of the old trail on the privately owned land.

With this in mind, the Banadad Trail Association Board of Directors voted to work towards acquiring easement and relocating the west end trailhead. A grant application has been submitted to the Minnesota DNR for this project. If approved the grant is approved the Association will have to raise an additional $2000 as their local share of the grant.

Getting the Trail Ready for Skiing- It is a big job!

• Banadad Bridge Rebuilt-The Big News is the on October 17 and 18 eight volunteers rebuilt the Trail’s old dilapidated thirty-six foot bridge over the Banadad Creek between Banadad and Rush Lakes.  The bridge was in such bad shape that when the crew arrived at the bridge a portion of it collapse as Lowell Johnson was walking across it. The old bridge certainly would not have support the grooming equipment this coming winter. In addition to Lowell the crew consisted of Tom Rice, Steve Lenius, Lee Wenzel, Karla Miller, Len Voit, Pete Harris, and Ted Young. Funds to help support the project were provided through a grant from Arrowhead Electric Coop.   For more information concerning click on bridge.

• West end of the Trail Cleared – Again this year five members of the Minnesota Conservation Corps widened one and half miles of the trail’s west end and then walked the entire eight miles of the west end trail clearing down trees as then went.

• Half Mile of East end Widened, – BTA’s regular trail maintenance crewmember Jim Raml and his dog Blanca “ATVed” up to the BWCA line at the Meads Lake Portage from there he hiked-in three and one half miles, clearing downed trees as he went. Jim camped on the trail and spent four wet-buggy ten-hour days widening about three-quarters of a mile of the brush-blocked trail. Great job Jim!

• Lace Lake, Tall Pines and Knapp Trails – Located outside the BWCA where mechanical equipment is allowed, chainsaws were used to clear all the summers accumulation of down trees. Later this fall the center brush will be mowed with a-brush hog equipped track Bobcat on the trails outside the BWCA. “The swampier” sections of these trails we plan to clear by hand with a brushsaw.

Get Set For Winter – Join the Banadad Trail Association

Peter Spink, Membership Chairperson -Just like squirrels storing nuts for the winter, we have been feverishly working to get set for another ski season on the Banadad! Trail clearing has continued to widen overgrown sections, a bridge in the middle of the trail was totally rebuilt in September (see photos), and plans are continuing to improve and reroute the western end of the Banadad Trail where it connects to the Gunflint Trail. These efforts are funded both by DNR, federal grant funds, and a special grant from Arrowhead Electrical Coop for the bridge and by membership dues along with significant volunteer labor. To continue maintaining the Trail in excellent fashion requires more members, more donations and grants and more volunteers.

Just like squirrels storing nuts for the winter, we have been feverishly working to get set for another ski season on the Banadad! Trail clearing has continued to widen overgrown sections, a bridge in the middle of the trail was totally rebuilt in September (see photos), and plans are continuing to improve and reroute the western end of the Banadad Trail where it connects to the Gunflint Trail. These efforts are funded both by DNR, federal grant funds, and a special grant from Arrowhead Electrical Coop for the bridge and by membership dues along with significant volunteer labor. To continue maintaining the Trail in excellent fashion requires more members, more donations and grants and more volunteers.

Please join us in membership to support the Trail that you love. Membership categories range from $15 upwards for annual membership. Please see our website at http://www.banadad.org/ for more information and to sign up to become a member. We need your support, your muscle, and your pocketbook! The Banadad Trail Association is a 501 (c) (3) organization and your donations are tax deductible.

Support the Banadad Ski Trail by Joining the Banadad Trail Association!

Click on membership to join

The scheduled project was given special permission by the US Forest Service to enter the BWCA since the Pagami Creek Fire east of Ely had forced the closure of most of the B WCA entry points west of the Gunflint Trail including One Island Lake where the crew launched. While the fire had encompassed over 98,000 acres, recent cooler weather & slight moisture allowed for the the crew to proceed.

The group portaged into One Island Lake from the Moose Trail, two miles west of Poplar Lake, to reach Rush Lake canoing to the far west  end where the bridge is located and they set up camp. The projected involved removing the 3′x6′x8′ rough cut cedar decking and replacing the rotting 24′ log support stringers and abuttments. The total bridge is 40′ long that is made up of a 24′ center span and an 8′ approach on each end supported by cedar timbers. The cedar decking reinstalled on the replacement stringers that were put in place with a series of rollers, levers, pickaroons, a timber jack, cant hook and manual lifting.

The bridge was completed by late afternoon Saturday so the crew cleared about 3 km of trail. They returned from the Boundary Waters Sunday morning. Ted Young expressed relief in completion of the repair project noting, “The bridge previously installed in 1996 was solid until the last few years when the aging support beams rotted out and it became treacherous crossing, especially with the weight of the groomer.”

Front left to right- Pete Harris, Len Voit, Lee Wenzel, Tom Rice, and Steve Lenius. Back- Ted Young and Karla Miller

The BTA (banadad.org) is a non-profit organization formed to maintain and enhance the Banadad Ski Trail system, preserve the history of the forest and trail as well as promote appreciation and care of the BWCA. The Banadad trail is a 28.8 km linear ski trail of which 22 km is within the BWCA.

NSSTC (north-stars.org), founded in 1967, supports non-motorized outdoor recreation and social events with an emphasis on cross-country skiing and the maintenance of trails.