Onion River Road will again be accessible to skiers

The Cook County Highway Department will cooperate with Lutsen-Tofte Tourism Association again this year. The object is to help keep the Onion River Road open for cross-country skiers.

 

The road is the property of the U.S. Forest Service, but they don’t do winter upkeep on it. Last year LTTA contracted for routine plowing of the Onion River Road because it’s an important access to West End trail systems. But they asked the county to sand, salt, blade and wing the road as necessary throughout the winter.

 

The county cannot guarantee early plowing of the road, because its first priorities must be the school bus routes, This combination option works for the highway department because they’re reimbursed by LTTA for work they do as a part of their regular plow schedule.

 

County commissioners agreed to repeat the arrangement for the winter of 2010-11.