Ski North Ultra

03/11/2026

Grateful to everyone who came together for the second annual event. Grateful for a whole lot of snow. Grateful to be invited into a beautiful place and to spend all day basking in it.

Results, photos and commentary at skinorthultra.com
❄️🩵❄️

02/24/2026

It's snowing on the north shore (again), if you can believe it!

Ski North Ultra updates:

Just about one week until registration closes - get your spot if you're on the fence. It's going to be fantastic conditions. Will send photos later this week.

We're still looking for some volunteers - please consider if you could plug in somewhere.
https://grasshoppersignup.com/respond/6df3df23-c040-4237-9051-df59883a9501

And finally, I had a delightful conversation with WTIP North Shore Community Radio about what this whole thing is about, what we learned last year and what's new this year. Take a read or listen: https://wtip.org/fresh-snow-welcome-as-ski-north-ultra-returns-for-a-second-year/

02/20/2026

WELL, I have to confess I wished hard for some snow this week, and did Cook County deliver! Thank you Lake Superior. Reports range from 1-2 FEET of snow between Lutsen and Grand Marais. WOWZA! And the long-range forecast currently looks perfect.

A big thank you to Cascade River State Park, the USFS, Bally Creek trails, and the Norpine Trail Association. The majority of the race is on the Norpine trails, and their volunteer board has been beautifully supportive and has a dedicated grooming crew that keeps the trails in top shape. It's a very special place we get to play in for a day, and there's a lot of history and effort and love that precedes and is larger than this event.

Along those lines, Visit Cook County has been another incredibly encouraging organization that has supported my big-picture concepts as well as helped me trouble-shoot details. Cook County itself has over 400 kilometers of groomed cross-country ski trails, and once you've had your fill of breathtaking wilderness, you can cozy up in a cabin, find a local shop to enjoy, and you can see all of these options at visitcookcounty.com.

02/16/2026

This year's age group awards are jars of honey from Northland Apiary!

Northland Apiary is a small beekeeping business in Northfield Minnesota. It’s owned and operated by Eva Reinicke, who has kept bees since 2018. The apiary produces single source, location specific raw honey for sale and sells queen bees and nucleus colonies of bees in spring and summer. Eva Reinicke is also a honey bee veterinarian and inspects and diagnoses honey bee diseases in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Northland Apiary started as a project to learn more about beekeeping and the challenges bees face with common diseases, parasites, habitat loss and pesticide exposure. It’s turned into more than just a hobby with a fierce passion for local native pollinator habitat preservation, small scale beekeeping and producing amazing local honey and bees.

Northland Apiary keeps between 25 and 50 hives, overwintering them all here in Minnesota. Please check out their apiary website which also includes info on the veterinary business and queen rearing at www.northlandhoneybeevet.com.

02/13/2026

Just about three weeks out, and getting really excited!

We are looking for about a dozen more volunteers - please take a look at the full list and see if any of these look like something you'd be up for.

It's going to be a great day and we'd love for you to be a part of it! Thank you for considering.

https://grasshoppersignup.com/respond/6df3df23-c040-4237-9051-df59883a9501

02/12/2026

Say hi to Greg at the race or around the Trailhead — he’s a skier, biker, and chaser of his toddler. Also a really kind human.

Greg runs Pointed Home, a Twin Cities real estate team that believes in supporting the communities it’s part of.

Thanks for being a part of the team!

02/10/2026

Introducing our lead sponsor: Finn Sisu

"At Finn Sisu, we are committed to providing all skiers – from the occasional skier to the elite racer - with expertly fit ski gear. Serving the Twin Cities cross-country ski community for over 45 years. We want you to love skiing as much as we do!"

Finn Sisu has been full of encouragement and enthusiasm right from the start. Last year, employees drove a van-ful of supplies up, shovel snow all afternoon, skied the 100K with smiles and then helped clean up on Sunday. Among lots of other things like providing us with custom bibs and Tailwind and other supplies. In short, they are the BEST. I'm endlessly grateful to this joyful ski shop and can't wait to see them back on the start line this year.

Also, they sell saunas and canoes, which are also wonderful.

02/06/2026

🫶

skinorthultra.com

02/02/2026

ALSO, check out this feature in !

https://northernwilds.com/ski-north-ultra-returns-second-year/

Last winter, the Ski North Ultra Marathon introduced a new way to experience Cook County’s ski trails. The race weaves together miles of North Shore terrain, creating an endurance event that values exploration as much as competition. Now, the race returns for its second year on March 7, bringing s...

02/02/2026

Hey good lookin' people, you have until February 7 to order some SNU swag for pickup at the race. Check out all the options at https://runsignup.com/Race/Store/MN/Lutsen/SkiNorthUltra

Snow is looking good right now up north, keep sending snowy thoughts that way!

01/20/2026

Still room in the races, but we'd also love you to volunteer! Join some incredible humans to support this event. Feedback from last year:

"You have a truly amazing group of volunteers!”

“One of the biggest takeaways for me was the volunteers you got to work for this. The hiring criteria must've been super stringent because wow those were some all-star human beings. It felt like I was checking in to a 5-star all-inclusive resort each time I got to an aid station. They knew my name from my bib number, they asked me what I needed, asked how it was going, got my drop bag for me, they filled my water bottle, gave me as many cookies as I wanted, it was luxury full service. Only things missing were a masseuse and a pool. :)”

“My experience was absolute bliss...It felt so inclusive, so welcoming, so encouraging.”

“The aid stations were amazing!!!! Holy cow they did a great job!”

Check out options at: https://grasshoppersignup.com/respond/6df3df23-c040-4237-9051-df59883a9501

More info on the race at skinorthultra.com.

01/12/2026

Hey skier fam, here's a little snapshot of the long course this year. Spoiler, it's a different order than last year! A few adjustments/adds, but check out the video for a quick run-down. Sound on if you want the narrative :)

More info to come - it's a brief overview, but should give you an idea.

While no setup is totally perfect, improvements include:
- more parking availability
- more flexibility if snow conditions aren't 100%, staying closer to likely the best snow
- Hitting the hills first!
- Mid-day conditions for the Bally Creek connector
- Leaving the flattest sections to the last 25km
-Aid station at the Caribou Rd turnaround, so it would be really hard to miss!
- Allowing for a start/finish area hub to host a drop-bag zone, aid station & wax support where we can see you about 1/3 and 3/4 of the way through the race.

Excited to see how this flows.