Minnesota Trails

At long last, Google Maps has routes specifically for bikes.

With the click of a mouse, the new feature allows you to plot the best (and flattest!) ride from Point A to Point B. Several cities, including New York, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, have bike-specific mapping sites. But Google is rolling it out in 150 cities nationwide and announcing it Wednesday at the 10th Annual Bike Summit in Washington, D.C.

By Lisa Brainard

As you may have noticed last week, I’ve started a new “column within a column,” if you’d like to think of it that way. “Ask Lisa Your Questions” invites you to submit questions on the outdoors: things to see and do, new outdoor activities you might want to try, equipment and, well, whatever you might think of.

MORC and Freewheel Bike team up to Present MNSCS Spring Kick-Off Race:
The Freewheel Frolic Benefiting MORC

Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists (MORC), an IMBA chapter, announces Freewheel Bike as the new sponsor of the Minnesota State Championship Series (MNSCS) Spring Kick-Off race, The Freewheel Frolic Benefiting MORC, at Salem Hills Park taking place on Saturday, May 22, 2010.

By Kate Bergeron, Contributing Writer

It’s been said that the Gateway Trail is a true getaway.

In the next decade, that getaway likely will pass through May Township and Scandia on its way to Taylor’s Falls.

Construction on the Bemidji to Guthrie segment of the Paul Bunyan State Trail is complete and the 11.5 mile trail segment is now open to the public.

The trail follows the old Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad grade. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will construct the Guthrie to Walker segment of the trail over the next two years to provide a continuous paved trail from Bemidji to Brainerd.

Marine cross-country ski race returns Jan. 31

MARINE ON ST. CROIX - The 39th Annual Marine on St. Croix/O’Brien Cross-Country Ski Race will be held Sunday, Jan. 31 at William O’Brien State Park.

The park is located 12 miles north of Stillwater and one mile north of Marine on St. Croix, on Minnesota 95.

Minnesota state parks and state trails will host 30 candlelight events this winter, including a New Year's Eve walk-and-skate at Fort Snelling State Park.

The Minnesota DNR says the family-friendly events provide an opportunity to ski, snowshoe or hike through woods and prairies on trails illuminated by the warm glow of candles. Park and trail visitors can then warm up around a fire and roast marshmallows or enjoy a hot drink.

The candlelit trails are typically short and flat, suitable for people of all ages and abilities.

Rental equipment is available at some parks, but the DNR advises calling ahead to check availability.

Winter Trails Day, now in its 15th year, takes place Saturday, Jan. 9, at a number of locations across the upper Midwest.  There are over 100 locations across the northern tier of the U.S. and southern Canada and offers children and adults new to snowsports a chance to try snowshoeing and cross-country skiing for free on that day.

By Tim Ruzek, Post-Bulletin, Austin MN 

At least a half-dozen people ventured onto the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center’s 9 miles of cross-country ski trails Monday morning.

That followed the center’s busiest weekend yet this winter for ski rentals, said Ryan Leveque, an intern teacher and naturalist.

By Lisa Kaczke, The Daily Journal, Published Monday, October 12, 2009

A decade-long hope for a bike path between Battle Lake and Glendalough State Park is expected to become a reality.

The proposed 12-mile paved path will be completed in several phases, with the last phase to be completed in 2014. The path is expected to be a multi-use, non-motorized, 10-foot-wide paved trail.