Crews are at work in Duluth’s city parks, hustling to get ski trails cleared of fallen trees from the July 21 windstorm.
“Our goal is to get everything cleared before the snow flies, so we’re working like crazy to meet that goal,” said Jim Shoberg, project coordinator for the Duluth Parks and Recreation Division.
The storm damage was extensive, he said. An estimated 685 trees fell across 5 kilometers (3 miles) of ski trails at Hartley Park in Duluth’s Woodland neighborhood, Shoberg said. Another 360 trees fell on the trails at Lester Park, he said.
The city has hired A+ Landscaping to do the trail clearing.
“They’re in the parks as we speak,” Shoberg said Thursday. “They’re in Hartley now and will go to Lester when they’re finished in Hartley.”
At Hartley, the contractors are clearing the ski trails and Old Hartley Road, a gravel road that passes through the park from north to south.
The Duluth Cross-Country Ski Club (DXC) is hopeful the trails will be open in time for skiers to use.
“DXC’s main priority is that the trails get cleared and ready for skiing in winter,” said Annalisa Peterson, president of the Duluth Cross-Country Ski Club. “We understand they plan to have them done by Nov. 1. The city has asked us to get involved on a volunteer basis to clear smaller brush, which we’re happy to do.”
The A+ Landscaping crew also will clear trees from the snowmobile trail that passes through Lester Park, Shoberg said. About 380 trees need to be cleared from that trail, he said.
Shoberg said Chester Park was lightly damaged during the storm, and city workers helped volunteers clear fallen trees there soon after the storm. Volunteers also cleared trees soon after the storm on park property along Tischer Creek, Shoberg said. In addition, city crews have cleared minor windfall damage at smaller park properties throughout the city.
The windstorm did not affect Magney-Snively Park in far western Duluth, Shoberg said.
City crews also aided volunteers at Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory in clearing trees from hiking trails at Hawk Ridge, Shoberg said.
About five miles of the Superior Hiking Trail in eastern Duluth had to be cleared after the storm, said Gayle Coyer, executive director of the Superior Hiking Trail Association. That work was done by a paid maintenance worker and volunteers soon after the storm, she said.
Volunteers with COGGS (Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores) cleared about 850 trees along several miles of mountain biking trails soon after the windstorm. That clearing was done on trails in Lester Park, Hartley Park and trails between the two parks, Shoberg said. Those trails are all open for riding.
At Hartley Park, a mountain biking trail called the Guard Rail loop has recently reopened, said Waylon Munch, chairman of COGGS.
“We have elected to temporarily abandon a portion of the loop as the damage was so severe it left the trail far beyond repair,” Munch said. “As a result, the Guard Rail loop has been truncated to about 2.5 miles until a further plan is developed for the long-term future of the furthest northwest reaches of the park.”
