Cold, ice cold! That’s what we woke up to this morning. Around 8am the temp was -24 (yes, NEGATIVE 24) and it warmed up to all of -10 for the high. Needless to say, none of us were very motivated to get on the sleds today. We ended up leaving the house around 2pm and made our way to the Pea Patch Saloon in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin on trail 6 West.
Trail 6 West to Manitowish Waters
They had the game on, so we hung out in there for a while. After the game was over we headed East on trail 6 to trail 14 to the Bear Bar in Winchester Wisconsin. We warmed up there and then headed for home. We were only gone for 4 hours and barely put on any miles, but it was good to get out of the house. The trails were in really good shape other than the icy corners. The snow earlier in the week really helped fill in the thin areas and with the cold temps, many people were staying in doors so there wasn’t a whole lot of traffic on the trails this weekend.
I apologize for all of the videos! Somehow the camera got tilted so it looks like I’m riding sideways!
Overall Trail Rating: 9 out of 10
Distance: 29
Previous: 542
Season Total: 571
Today we did the exact same trip as the last trip, except in reverse order. My buddy and his girlfriend are visiting and today was her first day on a snowmobile. We decided to take the easy way out and the more challenging way back to give her some time to adjust to the sled.
Playing around on the lake
(part 1) Trail 6 East from Winchester Wisconsin to Presque Isle Wisconsin
(part 2) Trail 6 East from Winchester Wisconsin to Presque Isle Wisconsin
On our way through Presque Isle, we stopped off at the Outpost Cafe and grabbed some brunch. After brunch we took trail 1 North to trail 2 East.
Trail 1 North Presque Isle, WI to Marinesco, MI
(part 2) Trail 1 North Presque Isle, WI to Marinesco, MI
Trail 2 East Marinesco, MI to Watersmeet, MI
It was pretty cold out today, the high was 4 degrees (without the wind chill). Trail 1 was in excellent shape and trail 2 was in PERFECT shape (not a bump to be found!). About 1/2 way down trail 2, we were all a little cold so we decided to make a stop at Rogers bar to warm up. After a soda and some popcorn we were back on our way to Bents Camp.
Trail 13 South From trail 2 to Rogers Bar
Normally on this trip, 1 tank of gas is plenty, but we decided to stop at the Cisco bar and get a few extra gallons to be on the safe side, especially since it was so cold today. FYI…gas at the Cisco bar is $4.50 per gallon for 93 octane. If you can avoid paying those ridiculous prices and get gas elsewhere, that will help out your wallet! So we made our way across the Cisco chain and rolled into Bents Camp. Tonight was fish fry Friday. The broiled Walleye was excellent (as usual). I’ve eaten here several times and I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad meal here. After dinner and warming up by the fire, we headed South out of Bents Camp to trail 6 West. This trail was once again thin on snow from what appears to be snow plowing for automobile traffic. This trail is pretty hard on your carbides and slides as well. The trail really didn’t improve until we got closer to the Boulder Junction trail system. The further West we went, the deeper the snow got and the smoother the trails were. We did cross paths with the Presque Isle, WI Sno Bunnie groomer. After that, the trail was perfect all the way back home.
I apologize for all of the videos! Somehow the camera got tilted so it looks like I’m riding sideways!
Overall Trail Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Distance: 88
Previous: 454
Season Total: 542
Today we decided to make a run to Bent’s Camp for lunch. We started off on trail 6 East towards Presque Isle, WI. It was in pretty good shape, but the corners were still on the icy side.
After we got East of Presque Isle, trail 6 East was great! Plenty of snow and flat as can be. It stayed that way until we hit the Land O Lakes trail system. It seems like they scrape trail 6 East almost down to the pavement for automobile traffic. Needless to say, that isn’t very good on your sled. We arrived at Bent’s Camp and had a great lunch. After lunch we headed across the Cisco chain past the Cisco bar on trail 13 North. That trail was also in excellent shape. We arrived at Rogers bar and got our seats for the Packer game. Around 1/2 time we decided to head for home and we took trail 13 North to trail 2 West. Trail 2 was in great shape (as usual). The Watersmeet Michigan club does an outstanding job with their trail system. If you ever have the pleasure of riding their trails, you are one lucky person! Any how, we took trail 2 West to trail 1 South. Trail 1 was also in very good shape. We got gas in Presque Isle and then headed West on trail 6 to Winchester. Riding this weekend was almost a little erie. There was VERY little traffic on the trails and great riding. I bet we saw maybe 20 sleds all day.
Overall Trail Rating: 8 out of 10
Distance: 85
Previous: 369
Season Total: 454
We got a late start today and ended up leaving about 11am.
(part 1) Trail 6 East from Winchester Wisconsin to Presque Isle Wisconsin
(part 2) Trail 6 East from Winchester Wisconsin to Presque Isle Wisconsin
After eating breakfast at the Outpost cafe in Presque Isle, WI we headed north on trail 1 towards Marinesco, MI. It started snowing while we were eating and that really helped the trails. Almost every trail has a very good, solid base, but they were all very slick. With this fresh snow on top, it gives them a bit of traction. We made it to Marinesco and gassed up at the mini mart. If you are in town, be sure to stop in and tell them hello! After that we took trail 2 west towards Wakefield.
Trail 2 West
Trail 2 West (part 2)
Trail 2 West (part 3)
Trail to Bingos
We stopped in to Bingos bar and motel and grabbed a pop and a pizza. After our break we headed back on 2 east to 11 south. 11 was in much better shape than a week or two ago. They were actually able to get the groomer through there and it knocked down the bumps.
Today was our second day with the new helmet cam system. The guys at helmetcamcentral.com hooked us up with a VIO POV which is an awesome system! So far it’s worked great, except for when it snowed the camera picked up snow and it melted on the lense. After the camera cooled down and I got the ice off of it, it worked great!
Overall Trail Rating: 7 out of 10
Distance: 90
Previous: 279
Season Total: 369
Today was a pretty quick trip. We ended up trailering the sleds to Bergland to get some maintenance done at the dealer. I rented a REV XP and my two buddies rode my other sleds. We rode to town from the dealer, got gas and ate lunch. After that we headed west on trail 8 to trail trail 102 north. The trails were super slick and almost impossible to maneuver. My buddy took a corner a bit too fast and went sight seeing (into the trees). That put a quick end to our day. He was ok, but the sled has seen better days.
Overall Trail Rating: 5 out of 10
Distance: 22
Previous: 257
Season Total: 279
Today was just a quick ride for lunch and then back to the house. The temp today was 40+ and it took a toll on the trails. Any spots with direct sunlight were burned down to the dirt which created a ton of “snirt” (snow/dirt) everywhere. We rode 6 East to trail 1 North to Marinesco and ate lunch at Bam Bam’s. Then we turned around and took the same route back. As the day went on the trails got sloppier and more bare. Hopefully it won’t get as warm tomorrow and we’ll get some snow later in the week!
Overall Trail Rating: 5 out of 10
Distance: 44
Previous: 213
Season Total: 257
This was our first ride of 2008. We took trail 6 East through Presque Isle and then headed north on trail 1 towards Marinesco. Trail 6 was in pretty good shape (7 out of 10). Plenty of snow, it was just beat up from the weekend warriors. After we hit trail 2 we headed East and stopped at Rogers bar. Trail 2 was in awesome shape (10 out of 10). It had tons of snow and was flat as a table top! We ate a couple pizzas at Rogers and then went back West on trail 2 and took trail 13 north. 13 was in fair to good shape (6 out of 10). The snow was a bit thinner the further north we went, and 13 was also beat up from the weekend traffic. After a quick stop at the root cellar with some friends, we headed back south down 13 and hooked up with trail 100. 100 was in pretty good shape (7 out of 10). The snow depth started to pick up the further west we went. The groomer was in the area, but the trail was already beat up pretty good from the traffic. We met back up with trail 1 and took that through Marinesco and back down towards Presque Isle. Unfortunately we had some camera problems today and weren’t able to get any new video today.
Overall Trail Rating: 7 out of 10
Distance: 114
Previous: 99
Season Total: 213