Park hosts moonlight ski around granite quarries

Haley Entner and Dayna White of St. Cloud enjoy cross-country skiing at St. Cloud's Quarry Park & Nature Area.

Frost flocks Haley Enter on a super-chilled morning.

Minnesota's Quarry Park offers unique ski trails 

Story & Photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick

On a mid-December morning, the air bites so frigidly, even the snow seems to protest with a stiff-squeak as skis swish through the tracks. A few quick glides beyond the trail leads to pretty scene that almost looks natural: a snow-covered pond with a rocky edge.

Quarry Park's Annual Moonlight Ski

Friday, Jan. 3, 2014

6 to 10 pm

Free ski rentals (for this event) at Fitzharris Sports and Revolution Bike and Ski.

Free parking (normally $5/day). 

Event includes hot cocoa, a bonfire and places to warm up.

Study it more closely, and parts of the ledge seem artificially steep, rocks suspiciously square. Occasionally a rough chunk of cubed granite sports ridges left by dynamite and blasts that regularly reverberated throughout St. Cloud from the late 1800s into the 1950s.

These days, skiers, snowshoers and winter hikers head to the 625-acre Quarry Park and Nature Preserve for a woodsy escape minutes from St. Cloud’s busy retail hub.

Snow blankets Quarry Park's quarries.

More than 4.2 miles of winter trails loop through this vast park with about 30 former quarries. Traditional skiers can choose the 2.2-mile outer trail or an inner 2-mile loop with a 3.5K stretch for skate skiers who glide along with graceful speed.

On this far western edge of the city it’s quiet enough to hear the distant whistle of trains echoing across the Mississippi River and the rustle and rattle of brown oak leaves that refused to fall. The arthritic oak branches canopy parts of the trail while pines or birch flank other stretches.

Stripped of summer’s thick curtains of leaves, winter woods make it easy to see  “grout piles.” These rugged mounds of discarded quarry rocks tower above the tree line like snowy funeral cairns for giants. On thick summer days, breezes stir deliciously cool air that lurks deep within these grout piles, a wisp of natural air conditioning on the 10-minute walk to the designated swimming quarry.  In the winter, they shelter skiers.

Winter adds quiet beauty to St. Cloud's quarries.

Haley Entner and Dayna White, friends and work colleagues, dodged dangerous windchillls by sticking to a loop dotted with woods and rock piles, avoiding the park’s open stretch of prairie known for mid-summer’s Indian paintbrush. They wrapped up a morning outing with frost flocking their hair and hats.

While Entner visits Quarry Park often with her family during the summer and fall, she fell in love with the winter season more recently during the annual moonlight ski. 

“We went out there and just had a blast,” Entner said. The snowy season now outranks others at the park. “It’s so much more peaceful out there in the winter,” she says.

All of the ski trails are considered flat enough for beginners with a few gentle hills.  The easy pace gives visitors time to ponder the land’s history.

The first quarry opened in the early 1860s, with granite growing into an international commodity and St. Cloud earning the nickname “The Granite City.” St. Cloud Red Granite, which came from the park’s quarries, was used on parts of St. Paul’s Landmark Center and the James J. Hill House.

Quarry Park offers some of Minnesota's longest lit ski trails.

The region still claims the world’s biggest granite producer—Coldspring—along with many other granite and rock companies with sheds and showrooms along the Highway 23 corridor. The Stearns History Museum has a permanent granite quarry display, and the park itself continues to add to its interpretive displays that include quarrying equipment, rocks and a derrick that’s occasionally demonstrated.

Quarrying on what’s now park property ceased in the mid-1950s, letting Mother Nature take over. The giant granite bowls filled with spring water, making them irresistible to youth and college students.

“Swimming and partying at the quarries were a longtime tradition,” says Peter Theisen, Stearns County parks director.

The 112-foot-deep swim quarry remains the park’s biggest attraction, but other quarries also offer secluded and scenic spots for trout fishing, scuba diving, rock-climbing and challenging mountain bike trails. Hikers can find marsh marigolds while walking across a floating boardwalk, yellow lady’s slippers in the woods, and even prickly pear cactus on the dry, rocky outcroppings.

Winter boasts a more subtle beauty: iced branches that glitter like crystals, cool blue-gray shadows and pale sunshine mingling on a snow-white canvas, and the brighter blend of clear sky, dark pine and etched trees.

Returning after dark, the park feels even quieter. Trail lights shine like hip-high beacons, welcoming skiers to weave along its granite legacy while soaking in the beauty of a winter’s night.

For more information on St. Cloud-area attractions, visit www.GraniteCountry.com.

Lisa Meyers McClintick is a travel writer based in St. Cloud, Minn., and the author of Day Trips from the Twin Cities. This feature originally ran in the Star Tribune's Outdoors Weekend. 

Minnesota ice bars, ice fishing & polar plunges

Grand Superior Lodge's BLU ice bar takes inspiration from the Split Rock Lighthouse. Lake Superior helps keep it cool.

Minnesota dreams up icy frolics & February fun
By Lisa McClintick

Costumes add to the fun of the Pout Plunge that's part of Walker's Eelpout Festival.

Take warm welcome of Minnesota Nice, nip it with winter temps, and you get Minnesota Ice in all its quirky glory.

I used to think cabin fever inspired the more creative antics and winter traditions here in the north, but it's not just Minnesota. Case in point: Red Bull brought its international Crashed Ice championship to St. Paul two weeks ago. Picture plunging down an icy luge on skates with roller-derby demons.

It's always good to have a fresh, heart-pounding or light-hearted twists on traditional winter fun. Here's a rundown on other Minnesota winter festivals and events to celebrate throughout February, from glitzy ice bars to ice fishing fun:

Guzzling icy shots at Chase on the Lake's Eelpout ice bar.

Are you cool enough for ice bars?

According to Grand Superior Lodge's ice sculpting expert Chris Sworbrick, its BLU Ice Bar and Lounge is the longest running outdoor ice bar in the continental United States. It has the added advantage of a Lake Superior location, which offers the soundtrack of waves and a natural coolant to keep the 12-foot sculpture of Split Rock Lighthouse from melting early. 

This year's version of BLU is triple last year's size and features ice chandeliers, a wall lit like the northern lights, ice-carved shot glasses, a bonfire and specialty bar foods such as oyster shooters and North Shore sushi. The ice benches are fur-lined, but probably not the best place to wear a thong without a layer of long underwear. 

Head up the shore, and Caribou Highlands' Moguls restaurant and lounge has its own ice bar at Lutsen Mountains. It's ideally located for ski-in and ski-out options. If you're in the mood to party, there's a "Shot-ski," which is carved in ice and delivers a shot to four people at once.


If you're more of a city slicker, Rochester throws quite a happy hour with its downtown SocialICE. The event, anchored by a 200-foot ice bar plus eight new satellite bars, drew more than 11,000 participants last year. The 500 ice martini glasses sold out in 30 minutes. 


SocialICE runs from 4:30 to 9 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 9, through Saturday, Feb. 11. Live music starts at 7 p.m. 

Head north for eelpout antics

Walker's Pout Plunge into Leech Lake.

There's also an ice bar at Chase on the Lake during the 33rd International Eelpout Festival in Walker Feb. 16-19, but that's only a sliver of the shenaningans during this raucous weekend. The town population swells about 10 times as people throw together Pout City with crazy, comical encampments on the ice. You can kiss a slimy, ugly pout for luck or bragging rights, compete in curling contest, watch a frozen wet T-shirt contest and ride a mechanical ice bull. The event even drew a crew from Jay Leno last year.


Our favorite event is the Pout Plunge. It's family-friendly and hilarious to see what costumes are worn by the brave--and dare I say crazy?--folks willing to jump into frigid Leech Lake for a good cause. Read more from last year's Eelpout Festival feature.

Brainerd's ice-fishing extravaganza on Gull Lake.

Reel in a big one
Finally, for a fun, holy-cow kind of experience, try your luck at the world's largest charitable ice-fishing contest: the legendary Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing extravaganza. Usually in January, it got bumped to Saturday, Feb. 11, when winter started with a whimper. You need seriously chilly temperatures to drill more than 10,000 holes into Gull Lake. It's a mind-boggling sight to see. Read more about Brainerd's ice-fishing extravaganza.





 

Watch trumpeter swans in Park Rapids, Minnesota

No snow needed for winter birdwatching
It may be winter, but Minnesota claims excellent bird-watching with the comeback of trumpeter swans. The biggest flock of trumpeters gathers in Monticello along the Mississippi River, but you also can get close to this flock in Park Rapids which is closer to summer nesting areas. 

Take a look at this YouTube video to hear the brassy honks for which they are known and to admire the synchronized swimming of pairs that mate for life.

Check our last year's swan feature for more photos and information on these elegant swans.

Winter also is the best time to spot bald eagles soaring through the air.

"Narnia" wonderland on Minnesota sleigh ride

Mark Patten with Duke and Captain at Okontoe's sleigh rides. Photos by Lisa Meyers McClintick.

Take a winter ride through lantern-lit forest

By Lisa Meyers McClintick

Remember the magic of "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" movie as Lucy steps into the hushed winter wonderland of Narnia?

We've found it here in Minnesota, where people from more than 50 countries and almost every state have found their way to Okontoe Sleigh Rides, a wonderful discovery on the Gunflint Trail.

Our son jokingly wanted to know if our driver, Mark Patten, was Santa. He did, after all, drive a sleigh, and have a rather commanding (yet nurturing) presence. He also lived somewhere that looks a lot like a heavily forested North Pole.

How north is north? If you had on enough warm clothes to plow four miles through the woods, you'd hit Canada.

Just to clarify, The Gunflint Trail isn't as rustic as it sounds. It's fully paved and deservedly considered one of Minnesota's Scenic Byways as it climbs up from the Lake Superior shore from the pretty harbor at Grand Marais and into the thickly flocked fir forest.

Bob and I, along with friends Kasey and Beth and our three kids, kept warily watching our mini-van's thermometer on the way. We groaned as it hit 8 below and cheered when it once (briefly) went to 5 below zero. Were we nuts for driving more than an hour from Lutsen Resort and flinging our overtired kids into subzero cold?

Thankfully not.

They immediately and delightedly ran up to Duke and Captain, the maple-furred Belgians who were pulling our sleigh that night. With the cold temps, though, we didn't dawdle long before squishing close together for warmth and welcoming the quilts the family piled upon us. Then it was off along the trails, gliding through the trees, past the amber lanterns and along the hushed expanse of Bow Lake with a steady jingle of bells.

Carols & history lessons

It was the most fitting setting we've ever had for breaking into a round of "Jingle Bells" and a few other songs that romanticize sleigh rides. For us, it was adventure and fun and novelty. Educational, too.

Mark had the kids imagine how wickedly cold and uncomfortable it would have been to be a turn-of-the-century teacher who had to spend two days making the trip from Duluth to Grand Marais in a sleigh. We knew how numb our fingers were getting, and we had only logged about 35 minutes and had the comfort of Thinsulate, down filling, and hand warmers.

That led to a great discussion of how lumberjacks survived with meager clothing and long days in the forest.

There's plenty of time to ponder life in a sleigh whether it's past and present, earthly or celestial. We admired the moon (not quite full but plenty bright) and constellations of Orion the Warrior and the Seven Sisters. We paused at an outdoor chapel and rustic camp and giggled at the designated Kissin' Tree. It encourages guests--especially couples--to pucker up. Small wonder the tree has witnessed its share of engagements. A sleigh ride for two ranks way up on the romance-o-meter.

Despite all the quilts and hand-warmers, we did get chilled and cut the ride short by five minutes. No matter. It made the post-sleigh ride welcome at the Pattens' historic 1907 Finnish homestead that much warmer. With lanterns and candles lit, Nancy ladeled out homemade hot chocolate as the kids spooned in mounds of marshmallows. A perfect way to wind down the evening.

Gunflint Trail, moose and wolves

The sleigh rides are especially ideal if you're staying on the Gunflint Trail. Gunflint Lodge and Bearskin Lodge are two that are convenient and open year-round. Bearskin is the closest and has lovely cabins on a spacious lake. Gunflint is larger and has lovely dining in the log lodge with deer roaming throughout the property.

If you don't want to base yourself that far north or in Grand Marais, it's do-able to make an evening outing of the sleigh ride from Lutsen.

On our drive back down the Gunflint Trail, we startled two moose. (Good to know: They like getting out of the deep snow and walking along the roads--especially with road salt to lick.)

If you get really lucky, you might even spot a wolf along the way. We saw a lone wolf along the Gunflint Trail a few years ago--a fleeting and thrilling experience on another unforgettable winter night.

Travel to Minnesota's dogsledding destinations

Riding behind a dogsled team with brisk winter air rushing into your face should be on every Minnesotan's bucket list. You don't even have to spend much. For $10 a person, you can get a 10- or 15-minute dogsled ride around Gull Lake or across a golf course most snowy Saturdays at Cragun's Resort in Brainerd, Minnesota. All you need to do is bundle up and hang on for a winter vacation experience like few others.


Chaos, cacophony, quiet
Earplugs might help, too, especially if you're the first dogsled rider of the day. Be prepared for cacophony. A team of huskies jacked up for a run ranks at the same excitement and noise level of a classroom of ADHD boys with baseball bats, trampolines and pinatas. They are charged! The handlers have a major job trying to hook up dogs bouncing up and down, scrapping with each other and yelping and howling with joy.

Then you're bundled up in the dogsled, the leader yells "Gee!" and barking turns off like a switch. The dogs, in all shades of brown, black and cream, strain forward and quickly gain momentum. There's a beautiful shooooosh of movement and a magical silence barely touched by a few creaks from the wooden sled and whispered rhythm of running dogs.

Contagious exuberance
Sitting behind the Minnesota dogsled team, I wondered if their feet even touched the ground as they flew across snow, tongues flapping to the side of their mouths, mismatched eyes focused forward. It was a rush to recline into the sled and watch bare trees and thick pines spool past. On one ride, we hit a sharp corner and tipped into the shrubs. We laughed and got back on. The dogs' exuberance was contagious to the point of epidemic. After the ride was over, it was just as much fun to watch the canine team--barely winded--take off with more first-time riders in tow.
Where to have a dogsledding vacation
Cragun's Resort, Brainerd has the best deal I've found if you're short on time and money. Guests can sign up for a slot when they check in. It does sometimes book up, or need to be canceled depending on weather. Brainerd, Ely, Duluth, Lutsen-Tofte and Grand Marais are all good places to find dogsledding outfitters who will arrange a private half-day or full-day. Prices typically start at $90-$100 per person and go up from there depending on the length of the dogsled ride and whether meals are included.

Other good bets for a shorter sample: Plan ahead for Cook County's annual Volks Ski Fest. It hosted dogsledding in Tofte and at Bearskin Lodge on the Gunflint Trail last Saturday. The festival runs all this week, celebrating winter fun with sleigh rides, snowshoeing and the chance to try some of the area's 400 kilometers of groomed trails.

Further down the Gunflint Trail, historic Gunflint Lodge has three dogsledding weekends each winter with two left: Feb. 3-7 and March 3-7. Prices range from $345 per child for a three-night option (lodging/meals/activities) to $596/per adult for a four-night package.

Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge in Ely ranks as Minnesota's nationally known dogsled experience, with options ranging from $1200 all-inclusive, multi-day trips to affordable half-day trips starting at $100/person. They have one weekend a year devoted to a parent-daughter experience, with an emphasis on writing in addition to learning about dogsledding. The International Wolf Center in Ely has four spots left for its annual Mush with Dogs, Howl with Wolves program Feb. 19-21 ($470/night).

Finally, if you want to soak up the energy and excitement of the sport, travel to Duluth for next weekend's annual John Beargrease Dogsled Marathon, a prequalifier for Alaska's legendary Iditarod. There's a cutest puppy contest noon to 2 p.m. at the Fitger's complex Saturday, Jan. 30. The race begins Sunday, Jan. 31, and runs through Wednesday, Feb. 3.

Skating at The Depot in downtown Minneapolis

Give history a whirl
You know a place has full-blown charm when it lures an 88-year-old great-grandmother onto ice skates for the first time in decades. That would be my Grandma Cretia. She couldn't stand just watching while her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren had all the fun at The Depot's Minneapolis ice rink over the holidays.

It's easily one of the most popular places in the state to lace up your skates. Where else can you spin through a wide-open, yet sheltered former railroad shed? I remember when there were still trains crowded beneath its roof on Washington Avenue a block from the Mississippi River. The former station has been artfully transformed into historic hotel rooms with a cozy lobby and restaurant and hallways decorated in vintage train travel posters.

Life-size white statues of travelers, a sailor, a conductor and other characters throughout The Depot give a glimpse of the early 20th-century heydays of railroad travel. The spacious historic suites in particular make a memorable romantic retreat. Rooms in the adjoining Residence Inn have kitchens, which make it nice to truly retreat on cold days. Romance packages (promotional code XRP) start at $159/night with late checkout, champagne and breakfast.

Take the kids, make it a weekend
The Depot's even better for a family getaway. While the waterpark is relatively small at 15,000 square feet, it's great for younger children who love the caboose centerpiece, which includes slides, fountains and the sound of a steam whistle with chugging noises about every 10 minutes. There's a bigger slide and basketball area for older kids. You can easily fill a weekend with the water park, a scenic walk along the river, the skating rink, and a trip to the  Mill City Museum less than two blocks away where the modern museum rises from within historic mill ruins.

Guests get a 25-percent discount at the skating rink, but anyone can use it for $6-$8 per person. If you're like me--unable to squeeze into skates you've had since you were 14--it's $7 to rent skates. They also have walker-like braces to help first-timers keep their balance, which makes it an ideal place to introduce kids to the ice.

Most skaters, though, do as my grandma did: link arms with loved ones and go gliding around the depot. With the illuminated city skyline as a backdrop throughout the night, it's magical.

Call 612-339-2253 or check the website for rink hours, which fluctuate. It closes for the season Sunday, March 21.

More memorable skating rinks
St. Paul has its share of charm, too, with its seasonal Wells Fargo rink set up beneath the majestic, historic Landmark Center. It wins in the urban bargain category with free ice skating. Rental skates are only $2. It's also artificially chilled, which keeps conditions consistent. Hurry, though: It's only open through Jan. 31.

If you want a more natural place to skate, head to Minneapolis' beautiful Lake of the Isles. Some rental skates are available, along with a warming house and the option to figure skate or try a game of pond hockey. Call 612-370-4875 for more details. The city's rinks are usually open through mid-February.