New forest ice skating trail in Baxter is a hit with winter enthusiasts

There are plenty of ski trails throughout the state, but hardly any skating trails. But a trail in Baxter, Minnesota is changing that. 

"It's 13 miles of cross country skiing. Two miles of snow shoeing. We have a nature playscape," said Trevor Pumnea, executive director of the Northland Arboretum. 

Northland Arboretum was built half a century ago on top of what was once a city dump. But over time, nature carved its own path with a little help from a Zamboni.

"Everybody wants to run a Zamboni. I mean, everybody wants to run a Zamboni," said Rick Hines, Facilities Supervisor.

"The first time the cross country skiers saw it, you could see them skiing through the woods and they are going - is that a Zamboni," said Pumnea.

It may seem out of place in the woods, but the Zamboni is needed to maintain a new half mile ice skating trail. Pumnea said someone threw out the idea during a community survey.

"One of them, we were sitting there and, forest ice skating? So, we were jumping on our phones trying to figure out what forest ice skating is," said Pumnea.

It's big in Canada, but not so much in Minnesota. At least not yet. Pumnea and his crew decided to lay down ice on the arboretum's fitness trail. Which isn't as easy as it sounds.

"We are going to need to re-work some of the trails because we are the only people foolish enough to make water stay on top of hills," said Pumnea.

It took a lot of time, effort and water to build a good base of ice on top of those little hills, and then more time to learn how to maintain it.

"You got to be an octopus. You got so many levers. You got to do this and do that. And there's augers," said Pumnea.

But as soon as they got the ice just right, the skates came out.

"I was the first person to skate the ice trail. It was fun right away, but it keeps getting more fun and smoother and better  "said Lacey Doboszenski.

"We've had record attendance. We've never had this many people out here in the winter," said Pumnea.

"We've had, probably at this point, well over 2,000 skaters that have been out here so far.  They just keep coming.

There are already plans to expand the trail next winter. And to add lights so people can skate at night.

"We want to put artificial Christmas lights, Christmas trees all the way around. And then light the whole trail up," said Hines.

The organization turned a former city dump into a winter wonderland, taking skaters from the ice rink to the Northwoods.

"It's so fun. If you've never skated on a hill, which most people haven't, it is a very unusual feeling," said Pumnea.

The Northland Arboretum ice skating trail is open seven days a week. And if you don't own a pair of skates, you can rent them on site.