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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Wanted: More snow

Seasonal events depend most on Mother Nature

Keith Vandervort
Posted 1/11/13

REGIONAL – The prospect of some additional snowfall late Friday into Saturday (predicted as the Timberjay went to press) could significantly brighten the economic outlook in the region as the peak …

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Wanted: More snow

Seasonal events depend most on Mother Nature

Posted

REGIONAL – The prospect of some additional snowfall late Friday into Saturday (predicted as the Timberjay went to press) could significantly brighten the economic outlook in the region as the peak of the winter recreation season nears.

More snow would also offer some hope to winter event organizers in the area who have been bemoaning the relative lack of the white stuff so far this season. The ongoing drought has threatened to cancel sled dog races, complicate events like the Ely Winter Festival, and has left snowmobile trails ungroomed and mostly untraveled so far this winter.

Ely Winterfest

Irene Hartfield, who chairs the all-volunteer committee that is organizing this year’s 20th annual Winter Festival, said the popular professional and amateur snow sculptures will be a part of this year’s event, whether more snow falls or not. “Whatever we have to do, we will do,” she said. She anticipates having a general lack of snow and is looking at the contingency plan used last year – getting snow off Shagawa Lake and hauling it to Whiteside Park.

“The city will haul snow from the lakeshore to the park and help us with getting it inºto the forms, but they will not go on the ice,” she said. “We will have to hire someone to get the snow off the lake and move it to the shore.” She said the cost for that is $800 to $900 and the event is looking for donations to help.

The need for snow will be even greater this year at the Winter Festival, since organizers have invited a long list of sculptors to help mark the 20th anniversary of the event.

“This year will are inviting all those who have ever sculpted to come back and mark this milestone with us,” she said. As many as 60 sculptors have participated in past years and Hartfield is hoping for a few more.

WolfTrack Classic

While the winter festival has been able to make do with poor snow years, the five-year-old WolfTrack Classic sled dog race has been cancelled twice in the past three years due to lack of snow. The race is currently scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 24.

“It is going to happen,” said WolfTrack Classic Board Vice President Theo Theobald. “There was a question last summer on whether we could stomach the event this year in light of the poor weather conditions in the past couple of years.”

Some adjustments have been made to the race schedule, Theobald said, to make the event more spectator-friendly and easier to manage in terms of permits, road crossings and the volunteers needed to help make it happen.

Instead of the 120-mile race from Ely to Cook and back to Ely, a pair of races will be held that day, including a six-dog 30-mile sprint from Ely to Tower, and a 10-dog 60-mile race from Ely, through Tower, and on to Cook. The race starting point will remain at the softball complex on the east side of Ely.

Activities actually start on Saturday with veterinarian checks slated for Saturday at Vermilion Community College. A chili feed will be held that evening at the Ely Senior Center.

Race Director Steve Branstrom said this week that the trail conditions are not good. “We have no base right now and could really use a foot of snow now to build that up. We have time and will make a decision about two weeks before on whether we can make it happen.”

Theobald noted that the State Farm Insurance agencies in Ely and Cook are “big-time supporters” in keeping the event going. “We are excited to have this in the Ely area. In past years we have had up to 50 mushers in town for the weekend and lots of spectators stay here and eat here and buy things here. It is really good for the community.”

Volunteers are an integral part of the WolfTrack Classic. More than 200 are required to safely complete the race. “Among a variety of tasks, volunteers help manage 15 road crossings, the starts of two concurrent races and multiple finish lines,” Theobald said.

The race has several volunteer groups involved in race-day support roles such as Vermilion Community College law enforcement students and the Tower Boy Scouts. “However, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities to help support the race,” she said.

Beargrease Marathon

Meanwhile, the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is set to take place Sunday, Jan. 27, even as organizers scramble to make course adjustments to deal with the lack of snow on the southern end of the race. Race officials cancelled last year’s classic because of the lack of snow.  Last year’s cancellation may be depressing entries for this year’s event— with just 12 of 30 race spots currently in the long distance race. At this point, there is plenty of snow up the shore, but in Duluth there is more brown than white, said Race Coordinator Pat Olsen. “If snow conditions do not change, we will begin the race for the Marathon Mushers in Duluth,” according to the event’s website, www.beagrease.com. “The Marathon Mushers will start with eight dogs and add in the rest of their dogs at Highway 2.  For the eight-dog race, we will start at Highway 2, use Finland and Sawbill as checkpoints and finish the race at Devil Track.”

Snowmobile trails open but marginal

While the major state snowmobile trails are open, the lack of snow has kept trail groomers idled. Riding conditions are reportedly passable but slow-going due to the large number of exposed rocks. While snowmobilers have been out, most are sticking to area lakes, where the lack of snow isn’t as much of an issue.

Randy Semo, who operates Good Ol’ Days Bar and Grill in Tower and depends on snowmobiler traffic this time of year, said the traffic has been pretty slow so far this year. The lack of snow has ensured good ice conditions, however, and combined with favorable fishing reports on Lake Vermilion and other area lakes, Semo said fisherman traffic is definitely up this year. “That’s the good news,” said Semo.