Get Winter Trail Conditions Before Heading to Your Favorite Mountain Bike Trail

Now that we have received our first significant snowfall it's time for the winter riding season.  There are many mountain bike trails that stay open year round and conditions change daily depending on the weather.  Closures can happen if weather conditions become unfavorable and damage to the trail could be the result.  Stay on top of the latest trail conditions with the list below that I have compiled for trails around the state.

Knowing the weather forecast can be very helpful to pick the best time to ride this winter.  I recently put up a post with information on a bunch of different weather sources for keeping informed of the changing weather conditions entitled Weather Knowledge Tools For Ride Preparation.  Use these weather tools and trail conditions links to stay informed and possibly avoid heading to a closed trail. 

I will continue to add more trail listings as information becomes available.

Twin Cities Area Trails

Carver Lake-Woodbury
Park Information
Map
MORC Trail Review
Facebook Page
Trail Conditions 

Elm Creek-Maple Grove
Park Information
Map
MORC Trail Review
Trail Conditions 

Hillside Park-Elk River
Park Information
Map
MORC Trail Review
Trail Conditions

Lebanon Hills-Eagan
Park Information
Map
Trail Review
Facebook Page
Twitter
Trail Conditions

Mendota Trail (Minnesota River Bottoms)-Eagan & Mendota
Map
MORC Trail Review
Trail Conditions

Minnesota River Bottoms-Bloomington
Map
MORC Trail Review
Trail Conditions

Monticello Trail (Camp Manitou)-Monticello
Map
Trail Conditions 

Murphey-Hanrehan Park Reserve-Savage
Park Information
Map
MORC Trail Review
Trail Conditions

Theodore Wirth Park-Minneapolis
Park Information
Map
MORC Trail Review
Facebook Page
MOCA Trail Conditions
MORC Trail Conditions 

Up North

Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trails
Sagamore Unit-Riverton 
Yawkey Unit-Crosby
Park Information
Map (Sagamore Unit)
Map (Yawkey Unit) Inset D on CCSRA Map
Facebook Page
Trail Conditions Twitter Feed (@CLMBTCondition)
Cuyuna Lakes MTB Trails website (Trail Information) 

Hartley Park-Duluth
Park Information
Map
Trail Conditions 

Organizations

Cyclists of Gitchi Gummi Shores (C.O.G.G.S.)
Website
Facebook
Twitter

MORC-Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists
Website
Facebook
Twitter
MORC Trail Conditions on Twitter
MORC Trail Conditions Forum

Minneapolis Off-Road Cycling Advocates
Website
Facebook
Twitter

Bookmark this post for future quick reference.

Wildlife Encounters Along the Trail

Over the past year I have encountered a lot of wildlife along the trail and was fortunate enough to catch some of them on camera.  The speed and quietness of riding a bike will often give you an advantage in encountering wildlife that usually doesn't see or hear you until they are in close range.  I have seen more deer while riding my bike than I have while out hunting and I think that is because of the stealth that riding a bike quietly down the trail gives you.  This is one of the reasons I enjoy heading to the trails that travel through the woods and the country, but I have seen plenty of wildlife in the city as well.

Most of my encounters have been with deer but I have come across many turkeys, bald eagles, golden eagles, owls, trumpeter swans and more squirrels and rabbits than I can count.  There have been numerous snakes sunning themselves on the warm asphalt in the afternoon but I failed to get any photos of them because they usually look like a twig or stick until I passed by them.

One of the more unusual encounters was when my wife and I were riding along the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail and my wife felt something on the top of her shoe while she was pedaling.  It seems that a chipmunk crossing the trail had jumped up onto her shoe and climbed to the top of it hanging on for dear life as she pedaled along.  She looked down and was very surprised to see the little guy clinging on tightly with his claws.  Startled, she gave a little kick sending him into the tall grasses on the side of the trail.  I was following behind her about a block away and was wondering what this strange action was, she stopped in the trail and I caught up to her where she told me what had happened.  She said she was moving at 16 mph when she picked up her passenger, that took some acrobatics on the part of the chipmunk to pull that maneuver off.

Scan the trail ahead of you looking for movement and you will see some wildlife you may have missed if you weren't paying attention.  With today's cell phones and smartphones most of us have a camera while out riding anyway, so why not get some pictures.  If you have any photos of wildlife you have encountered while out on a ride, e-mail them to me with the date and location (include the name of the trail) of the photo and I will put them together in future posts.

Here are some of the better photos from the past year and the locations of the trails I had my encounters.  

Afton Alps

Hastings, MN

Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional Trail

Eden Prairie, MN

Minnesota River Bottoms
Bloomington, MN

Mississippi River Regional Trail
Inver Grove Heights, MN

Cannon Valley Trail
Welch, MN

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Bloomington , MN

 

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 12/8/12

A cold sunrise beside the lake

Taken 12/8/12

Location:  Lake Calhoun

Chain of Lakes Byway District

Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway

Minneapolis, MN

GPS Map Location

Winter '12-'13 Minnesota Fatbike Events

With the ever growing popularity of fatbikes, fatbike related events are popping up all over from races, festivals, demos and a fatbike summit.  Below is a list of upcoming events in chronological order.  If you would like your fatbike event put on the list, send me an e-mail.

Winter Bike Expo-December 8, 2012
Freewheel Midtown Bike Center
Minneapolis, MN

Superfat Crit-December 8, 2012
Freewheel Midtown Bike Center
Minneapolis, MN

Donut Run-January 5, 2013
Fatbike Poker Run
Mendota Heights, MN

Freewheel Frozen Frolic Winter Race Series-January 5, 2013
Murphey Hanrehan Park Reserve
Savage, MN
Three Rivers Park District Info

Cold Bear Challenge Winter Racing Series-January 6, 2013
Hillside Park
Elk River, MN 

Freewheel Frozen Frolic Winter Race Series-January 12, 2013
Murphey Hanrehan Park Reserve
Savage, MN
Three Rivers Park District Info

Arctic Fat Fever Fatbike Race-January 19, 2013
Lake Minnetonka
Excelsior, MN
Online Registration

Lake Minnetonka Ice Race-January 19, 2013
Minnetrista, MN
Online Registration
More information 

Penn Cycle Get Phat with Pat Fatbike Race-January 19, 2013 
Minnesota River Bottoms
Bloomington, MN
More information

Donut Run-January 19, 2013
Fatbike Poker Run
Mendota Heights, MN
  
Cold Bear Challenge Winter Racing Series-January 20, 2013
Hillside Park
Elk River, MN 

2nd Annual Winter Fatbike Summit & Festival-January 25-27, 2013
Island Park, ID

Freewheel Frozen Frolic Winter Race Series-January 26, 2013
Murphey Hanrehan Park Reserve
Savage, MN
Three Rivers Park District Info  

Amity Creek Time Trial-January 27, 2013
Lester Park
Duluth, MN

Carver Lake Cold Catfish Cup-January 27, 2013
Carver Lake Park
Woodbury, MN
Facebook Event Page

Arrowhead 135-January 28, 2013
International Falls, MN
Registration closed

Elm Creek Winter Time Trial-February 2, 2013
Elm Creek Park
Maple Grove, MN 
Three Rivers Park District webpage 

Penn Cycle Fat Tire Loppet-February 3, 2013
Minneapolis, MN
Online Registration

Donut Run-February 9, 2013
Fatbike Poker Run
Mendota Heights, MN

Elm Creek Winter Time Trial-February 9, 2013
Elm Creek Park
Maple Grove, MN 
Three Rivers Park District webpage 

Cold Bear Challenge Winter Racing Series Fatbike Fest-February 10, 2013
Hillside Park
Elk River, MN 

Duluth Fat Bike Weekend-February 15-17, 2013
Duluth, MN 

NSCC Bikecicle 2013-February 16, 2013
Grand Forks, ND/East Grand Forks, MN
*Fatbike category for advanced race only
Online Registration (Closes February 15) 

Fatbike Frozen Forty-February 16, 2013
Elm Creek Park
Maple Grove, MN
Registration is full.  Registration is capped at 100 racers.

Donut Run-February 23, 2013
Fatbike Poker Run
Mendota Heights, MN

Cuyuna Lakes Whiteout-March 1 & 2, 2013
Cuyuna Lakes Mountain Bike Trails
Crosby, MN
Facebook Event Page
Registration information

Korrki Nordic Fat Bike Race-March 16, 2013
Duluth, MN
20K (12 miles)
Registration is capped at 100 racers.

I will continue to update and add events to this post as they become available.

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 12/3/12

Riding on the new trail

Taken 12/3/12

Location:  Mississippi River Regional Trail

Pine Bend Bluffs Segment

Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific & Natural Area

Inver Grove Heights, MN

GPS Map Location

2nd Annual Winter Bike Expo at Freewheel Midtown Bike Center December 8th

The 2nd Annual Winter Bike Expo will be held on Saturday, December 8th at the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center in Minneapolis.  This is a must attend event for the winter cycling enthusiast whether your a fatbiker, mountain biker or commuter.

Don't miss out on your chance to test ride all of the new fatbikes from Surly and Salsa on the fatbike specific demo course set up just outside.  Freewheel Bike will be giving out a free gift to all fatbike and studded tire demo participants as well as an entry for great door prizes.  Watch the video below to get a glimpse of what last year's course was like.  This year's course will even be better with more fatbike features to experience during your demo ride.



The Expo is also a great opportunity to check out all of the latest in studded tires from 45NRTH, Nokian, Schwalbe and Continental.  There will be a fleet of fatbikes and standard bikes with studded tires to demo ride on the icy patch outside the store.  See for yourself what kind of traction studded tires give you in the iciest of conditions.

Surly and Salsa representative will be there to answer all of your fatbike questions and to show off their latest bikes and equipment.  45NRTH will be on hand with a large stock of the new Wölvhammer winter cycling boot for you to try on at their sizing center and fatbikes equipped with the new Dillinger studded fatbike tire for you to demo ride.  If you are looking for winter cycling helmets, Lazer and Giro will have a large selection of styles, sizes and colors available for you to try on and purchase.  With winter's decreased daylight you will probably be looking for bike lights, Freewheel Bike will have plenty of stock on hand to choose from to light your way.  Winter biking apparel is key for a comfortable ride and there will be a large assortment from makers like Gore Bike Wear, Louis Garneau, Bontrager, Chrome and Pearl Izumi for you to choose from.



The Winter Bike Expo seminars this year will address a variety of winter cycling subjects.  The Arrowhead 135 with race organizer Dave Pramann, 45NRTH brand manager Dave Gabrys will be explaining the technology that went into the Wölvhammer and the Dillinger, Winter Bikepacking, Winter Commuting and Winterizing Your Rig are just some of the others.



Admission is free and so are the demo rides.  The Winter Bike Expo kicks off at 9 am and goes until 5 pm with a lot to see in between.  Click here for the event schedule.

Image Credit:  Winterbikeexpo.com

Stick around after the Winter Bike Expo for the Superfat Crit, a criterium race for fatbikes set up on a feature laden course along the railroad trench of the Midtown Greenway.  Racers must have fat tires of at least 3.7" or wider and lights since the race will be conducted in the dark.  Win door prizes and be entered in a drawing for a pair of Dillinger tires from 45NRTH just for participating.

The Freewheel Midtown Bike Center is located at 2834 10th Ave. S. in Minneapolis right on the Midtown Greenway.

Bike Trail Picture of the Day - 12/1/12

Along the creek

Taken 12/1/12

Location:  River Valley Trail-East Segment
Minnesota River Bottoms
Bloomington, MN

GPS Map Location