CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AT RAINBOW RESORT
RAINBOW RESORT supports high school varsity and junior varsity cross-country skiing.
CLICK HERE to read about the Northstar Conference Nordic Ski Meet,
held at RAINBOW RESORT on Tuesday, January 30, 2007.
CLICK HERE to view a photo gallery of the XC Ski Trails.
CLICK HERE for a trail conditions report during the snow season.
Testimonial Statements about Rainbow Resort XC Ski Trails
Greg Weier
High School ski coach from the Twin Cities, reporting about their school team's MLK weekend ski
trip at Rainbow Resort, January 18, 2009. Coach Greg Weier's daughter, Lindsey Weier, is an Olympian in xc skiing
competitions.
Jan 18 - Rainbow Resort Trails (Waubun):
Conditions: Very good to excellent.
Skied the entire Rainbow trail system over the long weekend and had a fantastic time. They haven't had snow
in a bit but the grooming and conditions were exceptional. Doug and Linda are two of the best folks you'll
ever meet and they will do anything they can to make your ski weekend a ton of fun!
Jan Guenther
Coach, Birkie elite skier, and owner of Gear West Ski and Run
"Rainbow Resort's xc ski trails have hills! The trails are better groomed, better maintained
and have more elevation than most Mpls and St Paul skiers might imagine. Big ol' trees add the
privacy and the up-woods feeling that us skiers, stuck at Elm Creek all winter, have missed. If
you're not stuck at a retail store all winter, it is worth the drive!"
Roseanne Hope
Coach and Birkie skier
"I attended the Rainbow Resort Ski Clinic last December and it was a great program.
There was no snow anywhere in Minnesota except a few inches at Rainbow. They groomed
the trails daily so that we had good snow to train on. There is a wide variety of
terrain which provides an opportunity to practice on all types of trails. Jill Troutner
and Scott Hatch did a good job coaching the program. We skied a lot, did stretching and
strengthening exercises in the lodge, had after dinner professional massages, ate good food,
hiked the disc golf trails and learned a lot."
Melinda Silbernick
Coach, Birkie elite skier, and teacher
"The first time I skied at Rainbow Resort was three years ago. There was no snow anywhere else.
The trails were unbelievable. I thought I was in heaven. I didn't want anybody to find out about
the gold mine I had stumbled across. The trails offer a quiet setting with challenging climbs and
flats to rest. I was able to skate and classic the 3 days I was there. As a high school ski coach
for over 16 years, one is always looking for trails that are challenging and give you the same type
of terrain that the Section and State meet are held on. The Rainbow trails offer just that -- climbs,
downhills, and flats, tracked and groomed beautifully for skate and classic. The resort also has
roomy cabins to fit the teams in. What I really like is getting into a bus to drive to the ski site,
one can ski right out the back door, and meals can be prepared right in the cabin with access to the
lodge food if you desire. In addition, there is a game room, which can be used for video analysis or
just plain fun. Rainbow Resort rents out snowshoes and xc skis as well. What a paradise! After 3
years of keeping it a secret, and having so much fun skiing I felt it is time to share my gold mine.
You truly will enjoy it as much as I do. I have been skiing there ever since."
Ahvo Taipale
Coach, owner of FinnSisu Ski Shop, Finnish Ski Team
"Rainbow Resort has an excellently designed, well-groomed xc ski trail network for xc skiers of all
levels. The trail network includes a wide variety of trails with technical hills for intermediate
and advanced skiers as well as moderate and gentle flats for beginning level skiers. The trailhead
is very accessible to parking and resort grounds as the trailhead is only yards away from the resort
facility including a wax facility, lodge for food/drink, and lake cabin/accommodation area."
Jill Troutner
US Biathlon Team, and 2002-2005 season Skinnyski.com Race Team
"Some people hit the sales the day after Christmas but rest of us seek out some snow. We found
ours at Rainbow Resort in Northwestern Minnesota. I'll give you the bottom line up front for
those of you wanting to skip the details. The groom is good and don't bother with your rock skis.
Break out the race skis and cover some territory. The trail is packed hard and smooth for skating.
I am a heavier skier, as is my dad, and we never pushed through the base. Rainbow received a nice
dump of snow last Friday and their trail grooming team made the most of it by rolling and packing
continuously over the weekend and through the week. The result is a rockin'ly good hard-packed
trail of clean white snow." (Dec. 26, 2004 trail report on www.skinnyski.com)
Bonnie Weiskopf Albrecht
Coach, U.S. National Individual Collegiate Champion, 1991 University Game Team
"I was especially impressed by the way your newer trail additions complemented the first-rate
system that was already established. The grooming was very professional with the wide skating
lane on the left and the smooth, unbroken classic trail on the right. I appreciate the care you
have taken to make sure the entire trail was bump free; it makes all the difference in keeping a
good constant skiing rhythm (especially if skiing at dawn or dusk). If this were not enough, you
have been blessed with fabulous terrain. There are very few ski areas, especially in the Midwest,
that can boast about their long sustained climbs, exhilarating descents and rhythmic trail flow
the way Rainbow Resort can. In addition, you have less challenging terrain that is fun for sight
seeing or just taking it easy. The combination of incredible scenery, well engineered trails, fresh
air, and privacy inspired me to feel very spiritual. Rainbow Resort's trail system is one of the
best kept secrets in the Midwest."
Johanna Winters
CXC Team athlete
"The xc ski trail network at Rainbow Resort is truly impressive. This trail system offers
ample hills for the more seasoned Nordic athlete (I especially enjoyed the climb leading
out of the trailhead to get my heart rate going!), as well as plenty of scenic surroundings
and gentle terrain for any level of skier to appreciate. And because the Resort facilities
are located next to the trailhead, skiers can begin their workout right out their back door,
and return promptly to cozy lodging and a hot meal. Rainbow Resort is certainly a tranquil
alternative to the oftentimes crowded ski loops in the metropolitan area."
Cross-Country Skiing At Rainbow Resort
We have 23K of private skiing trails
for our resort guests. (See our trail
map.)
Some of our trails are relatively flat, making them perfect
for the beginner, and others offer an abundance of hills to
challenge the more advanced skier. If it's cross-country skiing
you're interested in, Rainbow Resort is a
favorite destination.
Check Out the RAINBOW RESORT Ski Trail Report
The current 23K of trails are roughly twelve to sixteen feet wide and
are groomed for both classic and skate skiing. There are a
variety of trails for the beginner and the more experienced
skier. The groomed trails are entirely separated from the
public snowmobiling trails.
In the non-winter seasons, these
trails make excellent hiking trails. The trails are for the
exclusive use of our guests and are located in heavily
forested area with a variety of trees and wildlife. With
more than five hundred acres and numerous lakes and ponds,
it will seem as though you are in a remote wilderness. It's
not uncommon to see deer and other wildlife along the
trails. We are located in northeastern Becker County, just
20 miles from Itasca State Park, which has about 30 miles of
trails. Ski our trails one day and Itasca State Park the
next day, for more than 40 miles of great skiing, all within a
four-hour drive from the Twin Cities. We have rental ski
packages including skis, poles and boots. We recommend you
reserve your skis at the time of making reservations to make
sure we have your sizes.
Rainbow Resort would like to thank
Jim Schumann who built and designed most of the original trail system.
We would also like to thank John Albrecht and
Bonnie Weiskopf Albrecht for helping us design the
trail system at Rainbow Resort. We are really
proud to have John and Bonnie assist us in this project.
John was an Olymipic speedskating team member and a
three-time U.S. National speedskating Champion in his age
group. Bonnie was a five-time U.S. National Individual
Collegiate Champion in cross-country skiing. In college,
Bonnie also made three-time All-American cross-country
running and All-American 10,000-meter in track and field. In
1991, Bonnie was a member of the World University Games Team
for cross-country skiing and traveled to Japan to
participate in the World University Games. Bonnie is also a
marathon skier, and in 1992 she won the Great American Ski
Chase and was runner up in 1993. Bonnie also tried out for
the U.S. Olympic Team in 1992 and 1994.
John and Bonnie Albrecht: "We both believe that the new
trails at RAINBOW RESORT will be exceptional for both
beginner and advanced cross-country skiers."
Visit our Winter Sports
Page to learn about other winter activities at Rainbow Resort.
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