Feature Articles
Lutsen Mountains:
Four Peaks and a Superior Lake
It’s late March at Lutsen Mountains, a sudden freeze has wrecked havoc with the previously soft spring snow, and a group of us are perched at the top of the winch-cat-groomed Plunge. As we peer uncertainly toward the edge, resort co-owner Charles Skinner says, “I want to stress that this thing is steep, it’s the steepest trail in the Midwest, and I understand if you decide to skip it.”
We all laugh. We’re in Minnesota, for goodness sake, and we’re all well-traveled skiers who have honed our skills on some of the steepest mountains in the East and West. How steep can it really be?
And therein lies the question. For starters, you don’t know how steep it can really be until you crest the rollover at the top. You have absolutely no idea what waits below. You are skiing into the void. And so you have a bit of a head game to contend with.
But we brush that off. One by one, members of our group disappear over the edge. I don’t hear any screams of fright. No sounds of a big crash and burn. But, no hoots of joy either. In fact, I hear nothing at all. Huh. Wonder what that means.
Reaching New Heights:
Ice Climbing in Northern Minnesota
I’m afraid of heights, so what the heck am I doing dangling next to an icefall with an ice axe in each hand and crampons on my boots?
Oh, that’s right, now I remember. I came to ski at Lutsen Mountains and to fully immerse myself in the winter playground of Northern Minnesota. I’d heard you can’t fully appreciate winter here if you don’t at least try ice climbing.
The rugged landscape of Northern Minnesota, perhaps most well known for its 1,175 lakes that make up the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, is carved by rivers flowing into Lake Superior. The resulting deep gorges are full of gorgeous waterfalls that freeze solid during the cold winter months and attract climbers looking for world-class walls of ice.
And so I found myself with my husband and a group of friends—all men except two of us—hiking down the frozen Cascade River through a volcanic canyon to be indoctrinated into the sport of ice climbing. We rounded a curve in the river and came face to face with our challenge: the massive 60-foot Cascade Icefall dueling it out with rocky cliffs. Our chatter instantly ceased. It was awesome and intimidating.