Winter Activities at Heston's Lodge and Resort

Year-Round Family Resort and Cabins, Up North on Minnesota's Gunflint Trail. Be in the Woods…

WINTER ACTIVITIES

Photo Gallery

Late fall and early winter are an interesting contrast to the summer season. A noticeable difference of course is the snow. Another change is the extreme quiet. Once the lake freezes, it feels as though there is an absence of sound. No waves lapping the shore, no wind rustling the leaves. Gunflint Lake usually freezes over by mid-December.

Occasionally, we are treated to early snowfall for Thanksgiving. This is a wonderful time for walks in the woods. Because the leaves have fallen, visibility increases, and it is fun to see new areas previously hidden by trees and brush. The Thanksgiving weekend also brings our tradition of candle-dipping. On Friday, we invite all of our guests to join us as we pull out the wax and the wick. We melt pots of beeswax and colorful paraffin. Then we spend the day hand-dipping candles to be used in the coming dark evenings of winter.

Snow most often begins to accumulate in December. Before we can blink, the December holidays arrive. I especially enjoy Christmas in the woods because of all of the peace and quiet. Families come up to celebrate and create some new traditions. We go sledding out back and take a hike to find the perfect tree. We take evening walks in the snowfalls. We go on a sleigh ride at Okontoe, our neighbors here on the Trail. In a rare year, the frozen lake will be free of snow and we are able to ice skate to our hearts' content.

January brings the usual winter fun to the front. We are a part of the Upper Gunflint cross-country ski trail system. Approximately 75 kilometers of groomed trail are ready for skiing. These trails vary, some with rolling ups and downs, a few with challenging climbs. It is possible to access the trails right from the lodge. Ski passes are available here, as well as at the other lodges on the lake. And don't forget cocoa! All of the lodges serve cocoa to skiers in need of a break.

Ice fishing is another winter favorite. Trout season opens in mid-January, and runs until March 15. Drill a hole in the ice right off of our point, drop a line, and see what happens.

If skiing or ice-fishing is not your style, you can always try snowshoeing. This sport has a slower pace to it than skiing, but it can still give you quite a workout. It also allows you to explore places where skis cannot go. From the lodge, you can access the Border Route Trail. This trail goes east all the way to the Grand Portage. The first four miles takes you to Bridal Falls, a waterfall on Gunflint Lake. Though the falls are frozen, you can sometimes hear water rushing beneath the ice.

February and March bring longer days, all the better for more of our favorite winter sports. No matter the day, any time is wonderful for a winter sauna. Our wood-fired sauna runs steadily many a day, with sauna bathers either rolling in the snow, or taking a plunge into the lake through a hole in the ice. I particularly enjoy a sauna on the full-moon nights. The snow looks blue, and we can sometimes see our shadows in the bright moonlight.

Star-gazing and occasional glimpses of the northern lights cap off the evening outside. Then it is back into the cabin, to sit and read by the cozy fire in the woodstove. If you forgot your book come and borrow one of ours!

Heston's Lodge & Country Store
579 S. Gunflint Lake, Grand Marais, Minnesota 55604
218-388-2243, Toll Free Reservations: 800-338-7230
Email

Home   About Us    Cabins in the Woods   Lodging Rates    Heston’s Country Store
Summer Activities   Summer Photo Gallery   Winter Activities   Winter Photo Gallery
Nature & Wildlife Photo Gallery   Historical Photos    Nature Journal   Planet Heston’s
Contact Us

Member of the Gunflint Trail Association