Camping at Cuyuna is Easy in a True North Basecamp Cabin Tent

One of my favorite places to ride is Cuyuna and when I do I stay at True North Basecamp. I've stayed at their lakefront cabins before but I wanted to try out camping in one of their cabin tents.  I have most of the camping gear needed from my bikecamping adventures but I didn't feel like spending the weekend in my bivvy tent so this was a much more comfortable option.  It would give me the camping/bike weekend experience without the hassle of setting up and tearing down camp.  All I had to do was unload my gear and bikes and get to riding.

Each cabin tent is a spacious 10'x12" that has enough room for you, a friend and all of your gear.  They come with two padded cots that I will say I slept quite comfortably on.  After the first night's rest I was ready for a full day of hitting the trails.

Cabin tent campsites include a fire ring, picnic table, plenty of trees for setting up hammocks and a nearby vault bathroom. If you don't have a camp stove, meals can be prepared over an open fire.  Firewood can be easily ordered and delivered right to your campsite by texting your cabin/campsite number and quantity of bundles before 2:00 pm for same day delivery.  Charges will be applied to the credit card on your reservation. 

Whether it's paddling the mine pit lakes, hitting the singletrack, riding the Cuyuna Lakes State Trail or crushing some nearby gravel, True North Basecamp puts you right in the middle of all the action Cuyuna Country has to offer.  Being trail connected is why it's my basecamp for a few days of on-the-bike adventures.

The Cuyuna Lakes State Trail is just a short ride from the Basecamp and offers 8 paved miles through woods and past lakes from Crosby to Riverton.  The trail also brings guests to access points for the mountain bike trails and nearby roads for roadies and gravel enthusiasts.

If gravel roads are your thing, Cuyuna has them so bring along that gravel bike.  Try one of the 40, 70 or 100 mile Woodtick gravel loops or plan out your own route with the help of Gravelmap or RideWithGPS.

One of my favorite amenities of True North Basecamp is the on-site access to 30+ miles of Minnesota's best mountain biking at the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.  I've been known to stay out on the trails all day with a stop or two back at camp for rest and refreshments.

These world class mountain bike trails offer something for riders of all abilities while providing spectacular views of the surrounding forest and mine pit lakes.

After riding all morning it's time to head back to the basecamp for some lunch and a little break before hitting the trails in the afternoon.  At the basecamp you can hit the trails hard all day or take it in at a leisurely pace.  When you're trail connected it's all just a short ride away.

After a day of riding I can cool off by taking a dip down at the lake or drop a line and try my luck at fishing for northerns and panfish.

When the day is winding down its a short ride or walk to the shower house to get cleaned up and changed before starting up the campfire and cooking dinner.

There is so much to do here that I end up exhausted after a full day of riding and couldn't wait to get back to camp for some much needed relaxation and a cold beverage or two.  When trying to fit your Cuyuna bike adventure into a day trip just won't do, the cabin tents at True North Basecamp make camping easy without roughing it.  Just bring your camping gear and bikes, the campsite is already set up and waiting for you.

True North Basecamp has special weekday rates that can save you cash.  Rent one of the cabin tents Sunday through Thursday for only $49 a night, Friday and Saturday nights are just $65 a night.  Check in time is at 4:00pm and check out is at noon.

To book your stay visit the True North Basecamp website for Cabin and Camping reservations.  For updates and more information visit the True North Basecamp Facebook Page, Twitter Page or send them a message on their contact page.

Fatbike Trail Condition Resources for Freeze/Thaw Season

As we head into March the weather will become warmer bringing freeze/thaw cycles to winter singletrack.  Below freezing temperatures overnight quickly become above freezing during the daytime turning a hard packed groomed trail into one that is soft and easily rutted.  To prevent this, trail managers use their discretion on whether a trail should close or remain open.  Closures are going to happen and knowing before you head out for a ride can save you a trip if your favorite trail is closed.  It's better to know beforehand than finding out once you get to the trailhead.

Twin Cities

The Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC) have made it easy to get updates on the latest winter trail conditions for the trail systems they manage.  The one way that has been around the longest and that most people are familiar with is the MORC Trail Conditions Forum.  MORC Forum members keep this page active with reports on trail status with a brief condition description for your favorite Twin Cities area trails as well as several others around Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Another way is to get the MORC Trail Conditions app for IOS and Android.  Both apps are free and use data that is populated from the MORC Trail Conditions Forum giving the user instant access to the latest updates.

The MORC Trail Conditions Twitter page is updated from the MORC Trail Conditions Forum.

MORC Trail Conditions

Tweets by @trailconditions

And finally, trail status updates can be found on Facebook at the links below.

Bertram Chain of Lakes

Carver Lake Park

Elm Creek

Hillside Park

Lake Rebecca

Lebanon Hills

Minneapolis Off-Road Cycling Advocates (MOCA)

Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC)

Minnesota River Bottoms

Murphy-Hanrehan

Theodore Wirth

West Lake Marion

Woolley

Central Minnesota

Cuyuna Lakes

The Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Crew regularly updates trail conditions in the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area via Twitter and their Facebook page.  Know the trail status and get tire pressure recommendations for freshly groomed sections beforehand.

Tweets by @CLMTBTCondition

Jail Trail/Plum Creek

The Mid MN Cycling Club posts trail status updates and conditions reports for Jail Trail and Plum Creek on the Mid MN Cycling Club Facebook page.

Duluth Area

C.O.G.G.S. (Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores) updates trail conditions for several trails in the Duluth area via Twitter.  These include Hartley Park, LesterPark/Hawk Ridge/Morning Side, Mission Creek, and Piedmont/Brewer.  You can also visit the COGGS Trails Status Feed page on their website.

Spirit Mountain

Spirit Mountain has winter lift-served, downhill fat tire biking Sundays with bonus days in February and March depending on weather and trail conditions.  Visit the Spirit Mountain Snow Report page for the latest updates.

Northern Minnesota

Detroit Mountain

Detroit Mountain Recreation Area updates trail and grooming conditions for its Nordic and Fatbike loops on their Detroit Mtn-Trail Report on Twitter.  Follow at @DMRA_Trails.

Donald D. Ferguson Demonstration Forest

The Donald D. Ferguson Demonstration Forest located just north of Two Harbors has eight miles of  non-motorized, multi-use trails that are groomed in the winter for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and fatbiking.  Get the latest trail updates by visiting the Lake County Mountain Bike Trails Facebook page.

Giants Ridge

Giants Ridge in Biwabik offers 60 km of Nordic trails and introduced lift-served downhill fatbiking this winter.  Check the Giants Ridge Snow Report for the latest status and trail conditions.  Reports are updated daily during the season.

Laurentian Divide/Lookout Mountain

The Laurentian Divide Recreation Area located near Virginia has groomed singletrack in both the Laurention Divide and Lookout Mountain areas in Superior National Forest.  Visit the Mesabi Outdoor Adventures Facebook page for the latest grooming reports and trail status.

Maplelag Resort

Maplelag Resort grooms 20 km of trails for winter fatbiking on their property in Callaway.  For trail status and grooming updates visit the Fat Biking Trail Report page.  Additional reports can be found on the Maplelag Resort Twitter page and Maplelag Resort Facebook page.

Pincushion Mountain

Just a short trip up the Gunflint Trail from Grand Marais sits the Pincushion Mountain trails.  These trails with overlooks of Lake Superior are groomed throughout the winter season for fatbiking.  Visit the SCA Trail Conditions page and Superior Cycling Association Facebook page for the latest updates and recommendations.

Tioga Recreation Area

The Tioga Recreation Area has groomed singltrack throughout the winter on its 500 wooded acres in Cohasset.  Regular updates on grooming and trail status can be found on the Tioga Recreation Area Facebook page and GRIMBA Facebook page.

Southern Minnesota

Gamehaven/Oxbow

Rochester Active Sports Club Facebook page regularly posts grooming updates and trail reports for both Gamehaven and Oxbow trails.

Heath Creek/Sechler Park

If you're looking to ride Heath Creek or Sechler Park in Northfield visit the CROCT Facebook page for the latest updates and recommendations.

Kaplan's Woods

The Owatonna Trails Association grooms the trails at Kaplan's Woods Park and regularly posts trail updates to their Owatonna Trails Association Facebook page.

Kiwanis

The Mankato Area Mountain Bikers post regular updates on the six miles of trail at Kiwanis Recreation Area on the MAMB Facebook page.

There are still plenty of opportunities elsewhere to ride if the trails are closed.  For a list of these places please visit my post, Alternative Winter Fatbike Riding Opportunities and keep on riding.

Welch Village Mountain Bike Park Season Opener This Weekend

Welch Village's season opener weekend has been postponed due to rain and wet conditions on the trails. "Opening weekend delayed until next weekend...June 23-24. CLOSED Sunday, 6/17. Unfortunately, trails still soft & wet from yesterday’s storms and they are not drying because of the 70 degree dew points & humidity. Plus, more storms in the forecast for this afternoon. We are bummed too but there is a whole lot of summer ahead."   Visit them on Saturday & Sunday, June 23 & 24 for lift served access to their downhill trails.  They'll be open at 10am on Saturday and 11am on Sunday with chairlifts operating until 5pm both days.

Three trails that opened last year, Air Bear (Advanced Riders ONLY, Trail has high risk features, Mandatory jumps, Steep drops with no ride arounds, Your wheels may leave ground, downhill traffic only), Joy Ride (Gentle to moderate climbs and decent, with obstacles such as rock, gravel, berms, bridges, and pot holes. Previous mountain biking experience highly recommended) and Aquaman (Intermediate riders ONLY, Large berms, Large Rollers, optional jumps on trail, downhill traffic only) will be open this weekend, weather dependant.

New this year is their Green Trail, "Squirrel Catcher" (Gentle to moderate climbs and decent, with obstacles such as rock, gravel, berms, bridges, and pot holes. Previous mountain biking experience highly recommended) including a new re-route for all of their trails and the new Blue trail, "Eagle Eye" (Intermediate riders ONLY, Large berms, Large Rollers, optional jumps on trail, downhill traffic only).  According to Welch Village on the status of  of Eagle Eye, "TBD..stay tuned...depends on rain!"

Purchase an all day lift and trail ticket for $25 (13 and older) or $20 (ages 8-12).  New this year is their Sunset Special (last 2 hours of any MTB operations day)  $20 (13 and older) or $15 (ages 8-12).  Season passes are also available for those age 8 and up for the 2018 season for $149.

Hours of operation for the upcoming Summer Season are Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 5pm through September 2nd, including Labor Day, September 3rd and ONLY SATURDAYS September 8th - 29th from 11am-5pm.

After a day of riding make sure to visit the chalet for a cold beer or two and maybe a bite to eat.

Note from Welch Village about the season opener weekend, "All, please check our website and Facebook page approaching this weekend for updates in case the weather doesn't cooperate. Weather folks are predicting chances for storms Friday - Sunday. Thanks!"

For more information about the Welch Village MTB Rules, what to wear and what to ride, visit the Welch Village MTB Orienteering Guide page.  More information about opening weekend can be found by visiting the Welch Village website or their Facebook Event Page.  Updates on the trails are posted at their Facebook page and on their Trail Report page.

New MORC Trail Conditions App Released for Android and an Update For IOS

The MORC Trail Conditions Forum is the best place to get up-to-date trail conditions for singletrack around the Twin Cities area.  There has been a mobile app for IOS for some time now and Apple device users have had trail condition updates at their fingertips.  Just recently an Android version of the app was launched for the rest of us.  I have been waiting a long time for this release and now it's finally here.

Although the MORC Trail Conditions app for Android is still pretty limited in its first release, it still uses data populated from the MORC Trail Conditions Forum in a list form with easy to understand icons as seen below.  Information for Monticello, Memorial Trail in Red Wing, Jail Trail in St.Cloud, Whitetail Ridge in River Falls, WI and Woolly in St. Croix Falls, WI are also included in this first release.

Andrew Reitz, the app's developer stated "the plan is to keep adding features such as the ability to get push notifications for your favorite trail when the trail status changes, see twitter updates and much more. Stay tuned!"

The MORC Trail Conditions app is free and feedback can be submitted by contacting @andrewreitz_ on Twitter.

For Apple device users, the MORC Trails app has been updated on November 9th to be compatible with IOS 11.  The app is a little more advanced than the Android version because it has been out much longer and has had updates along the way.  Links to the Trail Conditions Forum and Trail Forum are found at the bottom of each trail's page.  The MORC Trails is free and available in the iTunes App Store.

This app requires IOS 9.0 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Both of these apps let you see the latest MORC Trail Conditions on your phone or mobile device anytime so you can plan accordingly and avoid showing up to a closed trail.  With winter fast approaching these mobile apps will be a useful tool for fatbikers to help determine tire choice and pressure to get the best traction out on the trail.  Remember, never ride wet trails.

Welch Village Mountain Bike Park Brings Downhill Close to the Twin Cities

Image Credit: Clay Haglund

Welch Village will be having their Grand Opening Weekend for their new Mountain Bike Park Friday, July 28th through the 30th with lift served access for their downhill trails.  The chairlift starts at 3pm on Friday to kick off the weekend and will continue to run until 7pm.

As of now they have two trails open, Air Bear (Advanced Riders ONLY, Trail has high risk features, Mandatory jumps, Steep drops with no ride arounds, Your wheels may leave ground, downhill traffic only) and Joy Ride (Gentle to moderate climbs and decent, with obstacles such as rock, gravel, berms, bridges, and pot holes. Previous mountain biking experience highly recommended).  Welch Village hopes to open their third trail, Aquaman (Intermediate riders ONLY, Large berms, Large Rollers, optional jumps on trail, downhill traffic only) sometime over Grand Opening Weekend.

Image Credit: Clay Haglund

Purchase a daily lift ticket for $22 and under their "Try it" promotion if you really love it they will apply the credit paid towards a $99 MTB season pass.

Image Credit: Griff Wigley

Hours of operation for Saturday are 10am to 5pm and Sunday 11am to 5pm.  Activities for opening weekend include free mountain bike skills clinics from Valley Bike & Ski, bike rental specials, demos and door prizes.

For more information about opening weekend visit the Welch Village website or the Facebook Event Page.  Updates on the trails can be found at their Facebook page and on their Trail Report page.

Dakota County Parks Improving Lebanon Hills Mountain Bike Trailhead

Image Credit:  Dakota County Parks

If you haven't been to the Lebanon Hills Mountain Bike Trails at the West Trailhead recently you haven't seen the construction work being done as part of Dakota County Parks improvement for the park.

Image Credit:  Dakota County Parks

Currently new overflow parking is now complete and available in the old parking lot just to the north of the current trailhead parking.  Mountain bike and hiking trails will remain open during the construction improvements dependent upon the weather.

Image Credit:  Dakota County Parks

Improvement to include event and program space for demos and clinics, additional picnic tables and a fire ring, an expansion of the concrete patio pad around the picnic shelter, improved storm water management, as well as new turf & vegetation on the entire construction site.

Image Credit:  Dakota County Parks

The majority of the construction is scheduled (weather dependent) to be completed by August 18th.  These new facility upgrades will make the Wild Ride Mountain Bike Festival on October 7th even better this year.

Dakota County Parks Visitor Services Coordinator Katie Pata is looking to connect with local professionals and mountain bike enthusiasts for their ideas to make this year's event the best ever.  You can meet with her in person at the Wild Ride Mountain Bike Fest event planning meeting at the Lebanon Hills Visitor Center on Wednesday, July 19th from 2:00-3:30pm.  Please RSVP to let Katie know you will be attending.  If you can't make and would like your ideas heard, please send her an email at Katie.Pata@co.dakota.mn.us.