Skiing the North Shore

Andrew Slade’s parents first set eyes on each other on the North Shore of Minnesota, and his life has centered there since birth—despite growing up in the Twin Cities. As a kid, he caught nets full of smelt at the Cross River, jumped cliffs into the deep pools of an unnamed North Shore river, helped to band woodcock in the open fields of North Shore homesteads, and shut his eyes tight each time the family wagon drove around Silver Cliff (readers, don’t worry— today there’s a tunnel through the cliff and Andrew’s eyes stay wide open). With his intrepid father, he had to abandon a mid-1970s assault on Carlton Peak due to a lack of recognizable trails. As a canoe guide and outdoor educator in Ely, he learned that “sauna” is a three-syllable word (sow-ooh-nah). In his twenties, he bushwhacked by snowshoe much of what is now the Manitou-Caribou section of the Superior Hiking Trail. At age 28, in his “before kids” era, he was the editor and lead author of the first Guide to the Superior Hiking Trail. Andrew graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in environmental education and from the University of Montana with a MS in environmental studies. His favorite wildflower is Mertensia paniculata, the native North Shore bluebell. Andrew has worked for environmental education, parks, and conservation organizations on the North Shore since 1992.

Introduction



Duluth-Superior Area: Urban Skiing Paradise






Jay Cooke State Park
Superior Municipal Forest
Pattison State Park
Afterhours Ski Trail
Pine Valley Ski Area
Grand Avenue Nordic Center
Upper Spirit Mountain
Magney-Snively Trail
Piedmont Trail
Chester Park Trail
Hartley Park Trail
Lester Park Trail
Bagley Nature Area
Snowflake Nordic Center
Boulder Lake
Biskey Ponds Ski Trail
Korkki Nordic Ski Center
Mother Bear Ski Trail



Lake County: Snow Country






Erkki Harju Ski Trail
Gooseberry Falls State Park
Northwoods Ski Trail
Tettegouche State Park
Flathorn-Gegoka Ski Trail



North Shore Mountains: Everything Is Connected






Sugarbush Trail System
Norpine/Lutsen Area
Norpine/Hall-Massie Loop
Norpine/Cascade Lodge
Norpine/Deer Yard
Cascade River State Park
Bally Creek



Gunflint Trail: Ski-In Hospitality






Pincushion Mountain
George Washington Pines
Central Gunflint
Banadad Trail
Upper Gunflint