Tofte

Mountain biking trail set to open in spring

A new 17-mile mountain biking trail connecting the Lake Superior North Shore towns of Tofte and Lutsen is set to open next spring, according to the nonprofit Superior Cycling Association in Cook County.

The trail will link to several other trails at Britton Peak and become part of 35 miles of single-track trail in the county, including 24 miles in the Tofte and Lutsen area and 11 miles near Grand Marais.

"It's one of the backbones of our trail master plan for the county," said Grand Marais Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux, who is also a board member of the association. The trail is well-built, deep in the wilderness and has features for both beginners and advanced riders, he said. "I've ridden in a lot of places. … It's one of the best trails I've ridden on."

The trail section cost a little more than $1 million and was funded by several grants. Officials expect it will open sometime in June.

Pam Louwagie

BYRON

Meeting to discuss Hwy. 14 corridor

A town hall-style meeting Thursday in Byron will allow residents and stakeholders in Olmsted and Dodge counties to pass on their thoughts for the long-term vision and construction of a portion of Hwy. 14.

Project team members will discuss the work and answer questions about the stretch from Kasson east to Byron and Rochester, from Hwy. 57 (Mantorville Avenue) to Olmsted County Road 104 (60th Avenue).

The meeting will be held at Byron City Hall from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with a formal presentation at 5:45.

Reid Forgrave

Otter Tail County

When you can't pick just one lake to fish

Otter Tail County is going big with the 2020 Minnesota Governor's Opener.

Usually, the opener focuses on one lake, said Erik Osberg, chairman of the local planning committee.

"We have 1,048 lakes in our county, so for us to pick a lake is hard," he said. "We want it to be a countywide celebration and highlight as many of our lakes border to border."

Otter Tail Lake — the county's largest lake — will host the May 9 opening ceremony and other activities, said Osberg, who is looking for 120 "boat hosts" to accommodate the media, dignitaries and others. But starting at midnight, anglers can fish any county lake and enter their biggest walleye in an online derby with the goal of beating the governor's catch, Osberg said. The prize? "Maybe a plaque and some bragging rights," he said.

Mary Lynn Smith