Minneapolis - help me!

[Area54]

Park Tool are running their annual Tech Summit in Minneapolis next week, a last minute decision for me is to go (I've been the last 3 years) and I wasn't planning on going...buuuuut Campag EPS is a pretty big drawcard for me in our shop.

So, I usually do an add on adventure while in whatever town the Summit is running. I'll probably only have a day or two - my immediate thought was snowbiking. Is there any? I'll be staying at Crown Plaza (host hotel of the Summit), not bringing a bike, so would need to hire or 'borrow a demo'.

I've not looked at locations yet, but will check out google maps over the weekend.

Any help appreciated!

[Slim]

Bad luck. This has been the warmest, lowest snow year ever, and so trail conditions are lousy(means, mud, which means no riding), never seen so little snow so consistently.

Conditions in Minneapolis Metro:

http://www.morcmtb.org/forums/trailconditions.php

Check out the morc forums for more mtb info on Twin Cities (Minneapolis and surrounding metro area)

If you have two days and are willing and able to rent a car you could come up north and get a snow ride in if you could get hold of a bike. From about Silver Bay on up it looks like there is some snow on the ground.

snow conditions:
http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/interactive/html/map.html?mode=pan&extents=us&zoom=&loc=47.16+N%2C+90.96+W&ql=station&var=snow_depth_shallow&dy=2012&dm=2&dd=9&dh=19&snap=1&o9=1&o12=1&o13=1&lbl=m&o7=1&min_x=-127&min_y=20.716666666668&max_x=-62.000000000003&max_y=57.283333333333&coord_x=++-90.96&coord_y=+++47.16&zbox_n=47.16655555555569&zbox_s=47.16655555555569&zbox_e=-90.96562500000167&zbox_w=-90.96562500000167&metric=0&bgvar=dem&shdvar=shading&palette=1&width=800&height=450&nw=800&nh=450&h_o=0&font=0&js=1&uc=0

Rivers are poorly frozen this year, they might be a bit sketchy. There are always snowmobile trails.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snowmobiling/maps.html

Coggs.com for  mtb in north eastern Minnesota

PM me for more info.

[Area54]

Thanks Slim, turns out I can't get flights in time, so no trip now Next year if it's in MN again, I'll head over with a plan, thanks for the links as it will help with that plan.

Not all bad though. Due to the disappointment of not going the funds I was going to allocate to the trip, can now be diverted to some new snow bikes. My wife thought that would be a great idea to cheer me up. To reinforce the 'Snowbike recovery package' I will continue to mope around the house for a few days Muk for her (ducks disease) and Moon for me. Sob story

Nobody likes a brown winter either...