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King of the hills

On Minnesota's Iron Range, Giants Ridge offers first-class skiing at great prices.

During three days at Giants Ridge one January, I kept wondering: Where are all the people?

The sun was shining, the snow was ideal, and most schoolchildren still were on winter break. The handsome Lodge at Giants Ridge was giving discounts on its already low midweek rates, and kids could ski free.

All that, and no lift lines.

Giants Ridge, which lies on the eastern edge of an exposed stretch of the Laurentian Divide that the Ojibwe called the Sleeping Giant, or Mesabi, is not as well-known as it should be. At least, not among ordinary skiers — as the site of Minnesota high-school state meets and many other races, as well as a favorite spot to train, it's old hat to elite skiers.

The ski hill was opened in 1984 to provide jobs on Iron Range. In 1997, an acclaimed golf course was added, and the Lodge opened in 1999; it's all still owned and operated by the IRRRB, or Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board.

What visitors to Giants Ridge learn is that the Iron Range is about more than mining.

From the top, alpine skiers gaze down upon Sabin and Wynne lakes, where the Embarrass River widens to create a lovely north-woods tableau, complete with islands. At the bottom, cross-country skiers can head out into 70 kilometers of trails through stands of birch and fir, on the edge of Superior National Forest.

Both trail systems were right outside the window of our suite at the Lodge at Giants Ridge. I'd planned to ski on the cheap, reserving a room at the Super 8 in Eveleth, which was offering breakfast, a pizza dinner and free skiing for kids. Then I got a card from Iron Trail tourism, offering 50 percent off a second night at the Lodge.

It's not hard to get a deal for skiing at Giants Ridge, which tries a little harder because it doesn't have the long-standing cachet of Lutsen on Minnesota's North Shore, and because not everyone knows where it is.

The biggest town on the 3¼-hour drive from the Twin Cities is Cloquet, and the nearby towns — Gilbert, Biwabik, Aurora — are not exactly tourist magnets. But it's not hicksville, either.

In fact, skiers live quite well at Giants Ridge. All the rooms at the Lodge are suites, which impressed my son Peter. "Isn't this great?'' he said, running from one room to the other. "This is so cool. We've got two rooms, and two TVs.''

After a couple of hours of late-afternoon skiing — free with the purchase of a next-day pass — we skied right up to the Lodge, stashed our gear in the ski room and walked in for dinner in its restaurant.

The next morning, a light snow was falling, and from our window, we could see skiers already disappearing into the woods. After pancakes, we headed up the alpine hill, skiing down runs as obsessively groomed as a prize poodle; even on a quiet weekday, Sno-Cats were combing out the runs.

Once, on our favorite Easy Way run, which has a panoramic view and cuts a long swath across the East Face, I got to make not only the first cut on a fresh track along the tree line, but the second, too.

At first, I didn't have such good luck on the cross-country trails. The 10-kilometer Silver trail wasn't tracked for classic skiing, and I ended up on Gold while trying to find the start of Laurentian.

The gradual slog up Gold got a little tedious, so I caught a spur to the Summit trail and skied back, past clusters of high-school teams training up for that weekend's Mesabi Invitational, North America's largest high-school ski event.

We'd gotten a lot of skiing in that day, with no waits at lift lines, so we knocked off early and headed for the Whistling Bird in Gilbert to snag a table as soon as it opened.

Not only is the Caribbean restaurant very popular, it's very small, with tables hugging brightly painted walls lined with folk-art birds and birdhouses. Its flavors also are flamboyant; my spicy rasta pasta, garnished with an orchid, was tossed in a fragrant broth of lime, cilantro and coconut milk.

That evening, in the hot tub, we finally met another Twin Cities family who'd taken advantage of the school break. Connie Diercks and Harry Pontiff of Minneapolis had planned to travel to Wyoming with their two teen-agers, but they'd come to Giants Ridge on the recommendation of a friend.

"We all had a really good day,'' Diercks said, beaming. "I'm going to put it on the calendar for next year.''

The next morning, I tried the cross-country trails again, taking the chair lift up to the start of the Bronze trail. There was a fresh track for skaters but not striders, but with gravity as my friend, I didn't need a great track. It was an exhilarating 6-kilometer cruise through the woods, requiring just enough exertion to let me feel virtuous.

Then Peter and I hit the mountain again, stopping at noon for lunch at Timbers, which was a vast improvement over the fried food in the ski chalet. That gave us enough energy to ski the rest of the day.

We felt lucky to have fit in so much skiing, at such good prices. On weekends, rooms and lift tickets cost more, and tourists and racers pack the place.

Of course, there are a few drawbacks to coming midweek. The North Face of the mountain may be closed, the trails aren't lit at night, there's not a children's ski program and there's no nightlife — as if people need that after skiing their legs off all day.

The bottom line is, Giants is one of the best places to ski in Minnesota, any time of the week. Its only real rival is Lutsen — and, considering the vagaries of Lake Superior weather and the extra hour to get there, Giants Ridge may have an edge.

Trip Tips: Skiing at Giants Ridge

Getting there: It's 3¼ hours north of the Twin Cities in best conditions.

Accommodations: The Villas at Giants Ridge are just across the road from the ski hill, along Wynne Lake. They have full kitchens, so families can save money on food, and there's a DVD lending library. Northwoods-style studios and one- to four-bedroom condos and villas, most with stone fireplaces and whirlpool baths, have a two-night minimum on weekends. 800-843-7434.

The Lodge at Giants Ridge also is very nice and even more convenient, right at the foot of the ski hill with a room for storing skis. All the suites have two rooms, two TVs and mini-fridges. There's also a restaurant, Aveda spa, pool and hot tub. 877-442-6877.

The Super 8 in Eveleth has a pool, spa and sauna and offers inexpensive rooms. 866-611-1661, 218-744-1661.

The AmericInn Lodge & Suites in Virginia has a pool and spa and includes a hot breakfast, 888-741-7839 or 218-741-7839.

For budget rates as well as convenience, stay at the Sports Dorm at Giants Ridge. It's next to the lodge and cross-country trails, with 24 motel rooms, each with two bunk beds and a private bath; linens and towels are provided. There’s a meeting room and lobby, each with TV, and a common kitchen. Cost is $65 for up to four people, and guests get $2 off the trail fee.

When reserving, it may be a good idea to ask how many high-school groups also will be staying there, though in general, they're well-behaved.

The Sports Dorm does book up early for winter weekends. However, group sales director Jeff Spolar can arrange group accommodations at the YMCA in Virginia, two camps south of Eveleth and the community center in Biwabik; call him at 218-865-3020.

Check Iron Range Tourism for lodgings specials. They can be very good midweek and in January.

Dining: In Gilbert, 13 miles from Giants Ridge, the Whistling Bird is lots of fun. Its a Caribbean restaurant with brightly painted walls, folk- art decor and fresh, spicy food. 218-741-7544 (reservations highly advised).

The Lodge at Giants Ridge includes Timbers restaurant.

There are pizza places in Biwabik, as well as a family restaurant.

Alpine skiing: In peak season, weekend lift tickets are $45, $30 for children 7-12; on weekdays, they're $40 and $25. Groups get generous discounts.

Cross-country skiing: It's included with a lift ticket; otherwise, day passes cost $12, $6 children, and skiers can use the lift. Rental of skate skis is $35; waxless touring skis rent for $12, $8 children. The three-kilometer Northern Lights loop is lighted on weekends. Lanes are wide and tracked for both skating and striding.

For more, see A Giant advantage.

Snowshoeing: The four-mile Sleeping Giant snowshoe trail climbs to the top of the Laurentian Divide. Rental is $12.

Information: Giants Ridge, 800-688-7669. For the Iron Trail guide, call 800-777-8497.

Last updated on March 11, 2010