Gliding along the North Shore

The winter's first snowfall is downright exhilarating for ski enthusiasts like me. I enjoy hiking the North Woods, but by the time November comes around, I can't wait to savor the first snow on cross-country skis, to glide past snow-laden pines, delight in the peace of a gentle snowfall or wonder at moose tracks meandering along the trail. I'm lucky to live in Grand Marais, Minn., where I've skied my way through countless winters, thrilled to be outdoors -- with vigorous exercise to boot.

After many years in the woods, my favorite activity is cross-country skiing. Good thing, because we tally nearly five months of snow in northern Minnesota -- good snow (for the most part). We have enough well-groomed trails in the Arrowhead to offer endless variety in both distance and difficulty. While my city friends bemoan the chilly weather of post-Thanksgiving, I'm out enjoying the season's first groomed trails.

With more than 250 miles of groomed cross country ski trails in Cook County, you're sure to find a route that suits you.

Up the Gunflint

The Gunflint Trail offers the season's earliest and best snow. BearskinLodge and Golden Eagle Lodge, both about 30 miles north of Grand Marais and located in what is called the "snow belt," enjoy the Gunflint's heaviest snowfall. They share 45 miles of groomed trails, with loops from 1 to 14 miles ranging from beginner to advanced levels (try the one-mile lit loops at night). These are the best-groomed trails in the area, and both lodges offer rentals and lessons.

Poplar Creek Guesthouse is a small, friendly B&B that caters to cross-country skiers (along the Banadad Trail), and Gunflint Lodge (further up the trail) caters to cross-country skiers with its own groomed trail system and ski rentals.

Lutsen-Tofte area

My favorite of the west end trails is Deeryard Lake, a nearly 7-mile intermediate loop at the upper end of the Cascade Park Trail System. It's a great workout on a well-groomed wilderness track. You'll need directions to the trailhead, but it's worth the effort.

Grand Marais

Though Grand Marais has only one cross-country ski trail system, it's wonderful. Pincushion Mountain, just three miles above town, offers a 15-mile maze of clearly marked trails for every level -- and a warminghouse. When I taught in Grand Marais, I would slip into ski duds and zip up to Pincushion for a quick after-school ski. When after-school meetings delayed me, the short lit trail saved me. Night skiing is cool (pardon the pun) -- a bit surreal, but lovely.

There are plenty of motels, hotels and B&B inns in Grand Marais, but if you're a true aficionado, you might try the newly reopened Pincushion Bed & Breakfast, where you can ski out the door right after breakfast onto the trail system. Bear Track Outfitters/Bally Creek Cabins offers both rentals and lessons (by appointment).

If you stay near Grand Marais, you will surely enjoy its charming gourmet restaurants, and -- if you can prop up your eyelids long enough -- you'll find live music on weekends, from blues to reggae, at Gunflint Tavern.

It's wise to check ski conditions before heading north. Bearskin Lodge keeps a blog on Gunflint Trail ski conditions (www.bearskintrailreports.wordpress.com/), or you can call one of the many lodges that promote cross-country skiing.

If, by some unfortunate mischance, you arrive on a weekend that's too cold for skiing or after a thaw that renders the trails too risky, snowshoeing is an excellent alternative. It offers the same connection with the peaceful North Woods and the added incentive of off-trail trekking (and enough exercise to keep you warm).

In any case, you'll find the Arrowhead region a magical place to experience winter -- sooner (and later) than anywhere else in Minnesota.