Members of Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association (MnUSA), the All Terrain Vehicle Association of Minnesota (ATVAM) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), along with representatives from Midwest Sports Publishing Association (MSPN) dedicated the North Shore State Trail as the C.J. Ramstad North Shore Trail. The ceremony took place at the trail’s Martin Road parking lot in Duluth, Minnesota.
Terry Mattson, President/CEO of Visit Duluth, and longtime friend of Ramstad, said, “This is a tribute to my friend and commemorates the legacy of one of snowmobiling’s most enthusiastic advocates. C.J. captured the soul of snowmobiling with his writing and photography. Winters may come and go, but the tracks C.J. left will always remain.”
Former MNUSA President Greg Sorenson initiated and lobbied for the name change, it was carried by Minnesota Rep. David Dill and State Senator Tom Bakke and got support from the DNR. State legislature agreed to approve the change only if the cost of replacing all the signage along the 146-mile trail near the shore of Lake Superior was funded by the private sector.
Ramstad, the former editor of Snow Week, Snowmobile, Snow Goer, Supertrax and Sledder magazines, owner of MSPN, publisher of Minnesota Snowmobiling and Minnesota Offroad, and a motorized recreation advocate for more than 40 years, died with his son J.J. in a car wreck in 2007. The North Shore Trail was one of his favorite places to ride. It’s one of the few snowmobile trails in the state that bear a person’s name. The re-naming of the trail took place in 2009, but now signage and map changes make it official.