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Poplar - Lutsen ski hill to golf course bridge above Hwy 61 (2.2 miles)
Poplar, Minnesota, US |
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Lutsen ski hill to golf course bridge above Hwy 61 (2.2 miles)
| Usual Difficulty | II-IV+(V) (for normal flows) |
|---|---|
| Length | 2.2 Miles |
| Avg. Gradient | 170 fpm |
| Max Gradient | 200 fpm |
Bielek's Surprise
Bielek's Surprise
Photo of Andy Lichtenheld by Ryan Zimny
River Description
Put-in is via carrying down from Lutsen Ski Area parking lot, or (alternatively) by driving (or
hiking) further up toward the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) bridge and carrying down to wherever it
looks survivable (an awesome stretch of serious cascades precedes the runnable reach).
Action starts with busy technical continuous class II+ water. A few larger individual drops are
interspersed. The biggest drop is Bialek's Surprise and the gorge immediately
below (1st descent was by accident, Surprise!). This is the (V) in the rating description at
anything other than low water. Beyond this is more fun boogeying until the golf course bridge.
Just beyond this bridge a very significant drop exists. While it may be runnable, it seldom is
run due to putting the paddler into a deep gorge with poor egress.
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Lutsen ski hill to golf course bridge above Hwy 61 (2.2 miles), Poplar Minnesota, US (mobile)