This past weekend, while the sun was shining and the temperatures rose up into the balmy 30's, there was still snow on the ground and the lakes were frozen two feet deep. What does that translate to? Purrrfect snowmobiling weather. In case you didn't know already, Trappers Landing Lodge is located smack-dab in the middle of what may be the best snowmobile terrain and trail system in North America. Let's discuss.

Trappers is surrounded by the Chippewa National Forest, which contains over 300 miles of snowmobile trails, including the 23 mile-long Chipp Connector, that runs just south of Trappers Landing Lodge, parallel to Highway 200, connecting Walker to Longville.

Once in Walker, snowmobilers can hook up to the Heartland trail, which runs south 30 miles to Park Rapids, and 19 miles north to Cass Lake; or the Paul Bunyan trail and head all the way south to Brainerd, or north to Bemidji. The Soo Line, the longest motorized recreation trail in Minnesota, goes all the way from Cass Lake to Moose Lake. From Longville, the 'Lost Girl' trail goes to Remer, and 19-mile-long 'Triville' trail goes to Federal Dam. And if you want to keep on going all the way up to Canada - by all means, there are trails that will take you there.

The Heartland Trail is 49 miles of level-ground railroad track, converted to a multi-use trail, running through from Cass Lake, through Walker, and all the way to Park Rapids. The entire trail is groomed in the winter for snowmobiling. Pictured below is the trailhead in Walker near Lake May. This trail passes through northwoods forests and by many lakes, including Leech, providing stunning and endless vistas. The pictures below are of the Heartland Trail in Walker. The snowmobiler on foot is looking at one of the maps of the Heartland Trail, which are posted a various intervals along the trail.

The Paul Bunyan trail is a 100-mile paved recreational-use trail that runs from Brainerd to Bemidji. The entire trail is for non-motorized use, except for snowmobiles. It can be accessed from Trappers Landing via the Chipp Connector Trail. The Paul Bunyan trail passes along the shores of 21 lakes, and bridges across many streams and rivers, allowing riders to view miles of scenic wetlands. Towns along the trail include, Pequot Lakes, Pine River, Backus and Walker, where riders can find many options for lodging, dining, and gassing up.

So, clearly, you can travel hundreds of miles from your accommodations at Trappers to many different destinations in northern Minnesota on snowmobile-designated trails. However, let's not forget that Trappers sits ashore a 184 square mile, wide-open snowmobiling arena known as Leech Lake! There's nothing like having a place to snowmobile where there's not a tree, car or ditch for miles, so you can really open it up and let 'er rip. Just watch out for the occasional fishhouse.

Instead of driving your car to find a place to nosh, rev your snowmobile engine across the lake to get there. Stop in at Bensen's for Pizza and a cold draft; or Zona Rosa's for the best Mexican food in the northwoods. If you're a more finicky gourmand, four miles north of Walker you'll find The Boulders (you can see it from the Heartland and Paul Bunyan Trail); or make your way to Ivan on the Bay just north of Brainerd off Highway 371. Charlie's Up North, at the junction of Highways 200 and 371, has a Chinese food-chef cooking on Tuesdays and Thursdays, if you're looking for some more exotic flavors. Bring your own fortune cookie, but not your own libations: Charlie's is a happening bar scene too.

Maps of specific snowmobile trails are available from the DNR and the national Forest offices in Walker and Cass Lake or at the front Desk at Trapper's Landing Lodge.

Forest Service Office in Cass Lake
200 Ash Avenue NWCass Lake, MN 56633(218)335-8600 Fax: (218)335-8637

Walker Ranger District
201 Minnesota Ave. E. Walker, MN 56484 (218)547-1044Fax: (218)547-3260

A more detailed map of snowmobile trails in northern Minnesota
can be found at the link below.
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/snowmobiling/map17.pdf

Now have yourself some happy and safe snowmobiling!

What is usually a great empty expanse of white, frozen lake just off the shores from Walker on Leech Lake, turns into Mardi Gras on ice for one weekend in February, with thousands of cars, trailers and fishhouses parked next to one another as a defacto city on the ice takes shape for Eelpout Festival.

Although the summer is generally thought of as the time when the population of the Leech Lake area is the most tourist -filled, Eelpout Festival is one of the biggest tourist events in the area, usually drawing in about 15,000 fishers and revelers for the weekend.

This year's 29th annual Eelpout Festival took place Feb 15-17. Although temperatures on Friday got down to a bitter 10 below, by Saturday noon the weather had rebounded into the 20's and peaked in the late afternoon at a balmy 37 degrees. It was perfect 'pout weather, as they say.

The official purpose of this event is to see who can catch the biggest eelpout. Especially if you're not from these parts, you might be wondering, "What's an eelpout?"

An eelpout is a fish from the family of perciform ray-finned fish which, in comparison to the other famous inhabitant of Leech Lake, the sleek and tasty walleye, has been judged as a lesser-than in the fish world. As the name suggests, eelpout are somewhat eel-like in appearance, with elongated bodies and the dorsal and anal fins continuous with the caudal fin. They are also notorious for doing the eel-like thing of wrapping themselves around your arm when you're trying to pull one off your line.

What's an eelpout look like? The eelpout pictured here was one that was entered in the eelpout race event. This particular eelpout seemed ill-motivated to move quickly, and meandered languidly down it's "racetrack." Kinda cute, don' t you think?

Trappers Landing Lodge was the sponsor of the big top tent located in Walker City Park (on solid ground), where bands played and a varied of events were held over the weekend: such as, the Bikini Contest, the Fashion Show, and the Karaoke Contest.

Other events taking place at the festival were: Best Encampment contest; the Eelpout Peelout 5 mile run; a Polar Plunge; Rugby Tournament; 'On-Ice" Auto Race (taking place at Garfield Lake); Eelpout Derby Pout Races; Ice Fishing Olympics; and the International Ice-Drilling Championships with hand auger divisions for men, women and youth.

Eelpout, kabobs and fries were served at the Trappers Landing Lodge tent. Everyone knows that Leech Lake walleye are good eatin'. However, locals and eelpout insiders know that when an eelpout is breaded, fried and served with a side of tartar sauce, most folks can't tell the difference. Especially if they're the typical Eelpouter, and already had a few drinks.

Adding an element of glamour and sex appeal to the festival were the Coors Light girls, who pranced about the events in matching outfits, posed for pictures, participated in the polar plunge, and entertained a tent-full of appreciative men in a Bikini contest.

Meanwhile, families and packs of cavorting adults and fishermen wandered about eating cheese curds and brats, drinking a variety of libations, trying on enormous fur hats, and touring the fishhouses on display.

This year, for the first time, a new fishing contest debuted, with a potential prize of $25,000. During the week of Feb. 11, contest officials tagged and released one rainbow trout into Leech Lake. Had any lucky angler happened to pull up that fish and bring it in during the hours the scales were open, they would have been paid $25,000 in cash. However, this fish was not caught. So if you happen to be out fishing on Leech and you hook rainbow trout with an Eelpout Festival tag, now you'll understand.

Official Eelpout Festival rules state that all fish entered into the contest must come from Leech Lake, and all anglers must be prepared to submit fish samples for DNA testing; a lie-detector test will be performed on the eelpout; and if the eelpout fails the test, one will be administered to the angler. Eelpout officials apparently have a sense of humor about the whole thing. And that is the point. Eelpout Festival manages to provide serious fun and fishing events for the whole family, all while not taking itself too seriously.

'Pout Festival 2009 will take place on February 20-22. (The Eelpout Festival has been scheduled on Leech Lake through 2020.) From all your friends in the Leech Lake area and Trappers Landing Lodge, we welcome you to come enjoy the world's biggest party on ice for many years to come.

Labels: Eelpout, Leech Lake, Trappers Landing Lodge, Walker

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