# Lutsen (Northern Minnesota)



## roremc (Oct 25, 2009)

I had a look at the trail map and it doesnt look that big. If you have a week you should fly out to CO or CA.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

It's not huge by any means, but the closeness of it allows us to drive and stay longer for less money. We're going to do a week in Colorado next year. The wife is still learning to snowboard. This will allow her a chance to see a semi-mountain environment without the mass of traffic. More convenience and relaxation while the skill level increases. If it were up to me, I'd already have the flight booked to CO.


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## mimalmo (Nov 20, 2010)

Plenty of stuff to do in the Duluth area but that's about 90 minutes from Lutsen. Check into Spirit Mountain if you want something closer to Duluth so that you can take advantage of nearby attractions. 

I haven't ridden Lutsen in a few years but from what I remember, it's typical of Midwestern ski hills with a good blend of beginner and intermediate runs.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

Excellent. Didn't know about this. Maybe we'll stay a night in Duluth and hit this up for a day. Anything else for hills along the way from Duluth to Lutsen?


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## mimalmo (Nov 20, 2010)

Not that I'm aware of. Lutsen and Spirit are your best bets for that area.


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## VESPADADDY (Dec 9, 2010)

Google Giant's Ridge in Biwabik. It's North of Duluth, and West of Lutsen. I've only been there once, last week, and it was my 3rd time on a board, so my opinion of the place would be of little use. It was a little icy when I was there, but MN had just gone through a warm spell, followed by a cool down, and it was over school break, so the place was mobbed. I liked it. IIRC, lift tix were $47. Most of the runs were too steep for me, but again, it was my 3rd time on a board, and I'm 41.

Anyway, it's worth a few electrons for a google search.

Edit FWIW, I am a lifelong resident of MN, and I have *always* heard that Lutsen is by far the best place in the state for skiing/riding.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

VESPADADDY said:


> Google Giant's Ridge in Biwabik. It's North of Duluth, and West of Lutsen. I've only been there once, last week, and it was my 3rd time on a board, so my opinion of the place would be of little use. It was a little icy when I was there, but MN had just gone through a warm spell, followed by a cool down, and it was over school break, so the place was mobbed. I liked it. IIRC, lift tix were $47. Most of the runs were too steep for me, but again, it was my 3rd time on a board, and I'm 41.
> 
> Anyway, it's worth a few electrons for a google search.
> 
> Edit FWIW, I am a lifelong resident of MN, and I have *always* heard that Lutsen is by far the best place in the state for skiing/riding.


 Thanks much for the info. I'd never heard of Giant't Ridge. Between the 3 and the time we have, we should be able to hit them all. I want to spent a full day at Lutsen. I'd be happy spending a few hours at spirit and a few at Giant's Ridge.


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## Norman426 (Jul 16, 2010)

Nefarious said:


> Thanks much for the info. I'd never heard of Giant't Ridge. Between the 3 and the time we have, we should be able to hit them all. I want to spent a full day at Lutsen. I'd be happy spending a few hours at spirit and a few at Giant's Ridge.


Where are you coming from?

I was at lutsen a few years back. Its a good hill for midwest. Lift tickets are 64 bucks. Their webpage has some good package deals, Stay at a ski-in place. I got a DWI leaving there on a Friday night. 
Not much to do except ski, one bar/restaurant. You can do the whole place twice in one day. 
I'm hoping to go up there Feb 5th, the gf wants to see the band Cloud Cult play at the bar. 

I've never been to Spirit, The drive from Duluth up to Lutsen is pretty though.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

Norman426 said:


> Where are you coming from?
> 
> I was at lutsen a few years back. Its a good hill for midwest. Lift tickets are 64 bucks. Their webpage has some good package deals, Stay at a ski-in place. I got a DWI leaving there on a Friday night.
> Not much to do except ski, one bar/restaurant. You can do the whole place twice in one day.
> ...


Coming from Alexandria, MN. 4 hours to duluth. 2 more to Lutsen. We want to be able to drive so we can hit a few places. Worth it to pay extra to stay there? I know theress not much to do, but will we have any reason to leave?


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## VESPADADDY (Dec 9, 2010)

Norman426 said:


> Where are you coming from?
> I'm hoping to go up there Feb 5th, the gf wants to see the band Cloud Cult play at the bar.


Your GF has great taste in music. Thanks for that bit of info. It might help me to persuade the Mrs. that we should spend a night in Lutsen. Boarding all day and then seeing Cloud Cult in a small venue would be a great day. Whenever they play in Mpls, the place tends to be mobbed.


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## Horarik (Jul 7, 2009)

Im making my first trip to Spirit and Lutsen in a week with some friends. Were hitting up Spirit on Sunday the 16th and then lutsen that night for the 17th and 18th. should be a sick weekend.......im puumped!!


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

Horarik said:


> Im making my first trip to Spirit and Lutsen in a week with some friends. Were hitting up Spirit on Sunday the 16th and then lutsen that night for the 17th and 18th. should be a sick weekend.......im puumped!!


Post trip report is now required. Let me know about each and pros and cons. =P


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## Horarik (Jul 7, 2009)

Nefarious said:


> Post trip report is now required. Let me know about each and pros and cons. =P


Will do my best and try to get enough pics! I've only been to places like afton, welch, and buck so I'm sure it'll be better than all those. I also sprained my ankle on Christmas day and am still healing from that. Hopefully the lack of confidence in it doesn't hold me back.


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## Horarik (Jul 7, 2009)

Today was awesome at Lutsen. We took the gondola over to Moose Mtn and spent the day over there. It was pretty sick and the most fresh powder I've ever ridden in. It was snowing when we got here at 6pm yest and kept snowing all day. I think it just finally stopped. Ill do a nicer review of spirit and lutsen when I get home weds.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

Horarik said:


> Today was awesome at Lutsen. We took the gondola over to Moose Mtn and spent the day over there. It was pretty sick and the most fresh powder I've ever ridden in. It was snowing when we got here at 6pm yest and kept snowing all day. I think it just finally stopped. Ill do a nicer review of spirit and lutsen when I get home weds.


Excellent. 1 month until we go. Gonna be spending 3 days in lutsen. Might hit spirit on the way back through. Any tips/ awesome runs would be sweet.

We're gonna be staying at Eagle Ridge. Super pumped for board in/board out. I just hope we get lucky and get a ton of powder the night we get there.


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## Horarik (Jul 7, 2009)

Eagle Ridge looks like an awesome place and the Ski in/out will be awesome (i will be staying at eagle when i go back in february). I will say tho that after doing 4 hrs spirit then 2 days at Lusten I was 100% spent.... Even at the end of the first day at Lutsen running powder all day I got a nasty upper leg cramp.


Spirit was pretty sweet. We stayed on the far side and kept on the longer runs all day. It was a Sunday and was pretty busy tho. If it hadnt been so busy it woulda been a lot nicer tho.

Lutsen made Spirit kinda look like a joke which makes all the other hills around here look bad too (welch/afton/buck). The first day at lutsen was all powder and we took the gondola to moose mountain and stayed there all day. It was a total blast. The second day at Lutsen was all blue sky, groomers, and terrain parks. We chilled on Eagle Mountain for the first half and did some sweet tree runs and hit up the beginner and intermeadiate terrain park. Halfway thru the day we went back to Moose and checked out the advanced terrain park and the nice long fun runs they have over there.

I cant wait to go back but am super sore today!!

Spirit: Spirit pictures by dshorarik - Photobucket

Lutsen: Lutsen pictures by dshorarik - Photobucket


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## Horarik (Jul 7, 2009)

That far left really turny one was pretty fun. We mostly stayed in that area of the hill.










Moose mountain was the shit!!


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

Thanks a ton for posting all those Lutsen pics. Sooo stoked to go. Place looks incredible. Have any favorite runs on Moose that you'd recommend?


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## Horarik (Jul 7, 2009)

My favorites were Lynx, Bobcat, Kit, and Cougar. They are in the trees and arent the runs most people take so it was a blast. Beat up my edges really bad on a few of them.

We mostly stayed to the middle chair lift and just took different ways down each time mostly picking our runs while we went up the lift.

People from work today are telling me to hit up Giants Ridge by ely mn. They say its the closest to mountain boarding in MN and its better than Lutsen. Might check it out in a few weeks.


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## cy bais (Jan 25, 2009)

Lutsen is nice. Moose mtn is nice. And there are lots of connections that you can make in between Ullr and Eagle Mtn(s). Considering we're in the North Central States, Lutsen and Spirit (Season Pass holder) makes winter fun here in MN. 

:=)


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

cy bais said:


> Lutsen is nice. Moose mtn is nice. And there are lots of connections that you can make in between Ullr and Eagle Mtn(s). Considering we're in the North Central States, Lutsen and Spirit (Season Pass holder) makes winter fun here in MN.
> 
> :=)


Heading up there this weekend. Pumped to scope it out. Only downside is that none of this fresh snow has hit Lutsen. They've only gotten an inch in the last month. Oh well. When life gives you lemons, board slide em.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

Made it to Lutsen but it was a hairy drive. We hit Duluth around the time the sun was going down. The following 2 hours was intense. We clipped a deer about a hour out and it took out my passenger head light. Found out the brakes work well in my car though. It would have gone right over the hood and into the windshield if I'd of delayed even half a second longer. 

Throughout the ride we saw upwards of 40 deer and 1 wolf (right on the side of the highway...was pretty sweet). Forecast for tomorrow is around 0. With wind it's supposed to be -15 or so. It's gonna be cold but it's our best shot at a semi-uncrowded hill. Will post videos and pics of the place tomorrow night.

For those of you shredding this weekend (including the east coast crew), Have fun, shred hard, and most importantly be safe.


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## mbesp (Jan 30, 2009)

I've been up there a couple times and that deer count sounds about right. It is rediculous. 
The riding up there really isn't anything special but it is fun. Gives you a little bit of a big mountain feel with the 4 peaks and the gondola and stuff. i like staying on the hill in the ski in ski out places since it is too spendy in CO haha. 

Uler mtn is pretty tiny but i think last year they had some boxes and jumps on it if you are interested in that. The rest of the hills are just groomers.

after hours there really isn't a lot to do haha. go eat, drink, watch a movie, sit in a hot tub. I did find a free poker game one night last year when i was up there at the bar/restaruant that is in the main lodge area.


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## Nefarious (Dec 26, 2010)

Groomers and the like are enough to keep me happy. They've got 3 terrain parks up here this year. And they set up a boardercross track for a little extra. Tonight there's a comedian and tomorrow there are 3 bands playing. I've got high hopes. Worst comes to worst, the wife and I have a hot tub in the room. ::queue the auto wah::


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