Snowmobile Trail Conditions

My buddies were a little sore from the riding yesterday, so I decided to make it a little easier on them today. We headed out of Wisconsin and took trail 1 north to Michigan. Then we got on trail 2 and headed East. For those of you not familiar with trail 2, it is an old rail road grade and is typically very straight, long and flat (if it has been groomed). Luckily for my buddies it was fairly smooth and we were able to make some pretty good time. While riding trail 2, one of my buddies helmet shields lost a screw so that made for a very cold ride! We decided to stop in to Rogers bar to warm up and grab a pizza. They called the dealer for us in Watersmeet and found out they were open until 5pm. We headed over there and got the screw for the shield. Once everything was back to normal we decided to run down to Land O Lakes on trail 3.

We gassed up in Watersmeet and then cruised down to Gateway Lodge in Land O Lakes. After grabbing a quick dinner we headed back north on trail 3 and hooked up with trail 2 West. By this time, trail 2 had seen a lot of traffic and was pretty beat. We tried to ride the edges to stay out of the chop and it wasn’t too bad. The fun began when we got on trail 1 south. We passed the groomer and the trail was in excellent shape! A word of caution though……..there were a ton of icy corners earlier in the day, so be careful if this trail is not freshly groomed! Once we crossed back in to Wisconsin it was the same story. Pretty thin on snow and very bumpy. Hopefully they will get some more snow in this area so they can get the groomers out!

Distance: 122
Previous: 727
Season Total: 849

A few of my friends from high school met up this weekend and we hit the trails. Two of them have never ridden before and the other one rode last season.

Yesterday we got some fresh snow and the trails really needed it! The trails were in pretty good shape, especially once you crossed in to Michigan! We started off by heading up trail 1 to get some lunch at the Fisherman. Upon arriving at the Fisherman we met up with the Prairie Riders from Illinois and swapped a few stories of their week long trip. It sounded like it was an expensive one! Blown motors, busted suspensions, and demolished tracks. At least all of the riders are fine and only the sleds have to visit the shop! After leaving the Fisherman the snow really started to come down!

We ran in to town to get gas and then made a stop at the Polaris dealer in Bergland to pick up a few things. Then we hit trail 8 west and stopped in to Bingo’s to grab a pizza and a few drinks. We talked to a few riders in Bingos and they said trail 11 south was pretty rough.

We took trail 2 and then joined up with 11 south. They were right! We rode trail 11 for about two miles and then turned around! It looks like they aren’t able to get the groomer through there yet, so I doubt it will get groomed any time soon. Once we got back on trail 2, it was smooth sailing all the way back to trail 1 south. I was pretty surprised how good of condition trail 1 was in. Normally this stretch of trail can get pretty beat up due to the large volume of traffic and the narrow windy nature of this trail. Once we crossed into Wisconsin the trails weren’t very pretty. They have enough snow to ride, but it doesn’t look like there is enough to groom. If we got another foot of snow, that would really help!
Distance: 119
Previous: 608
Season Total: 727

We had one of the sleds in the shop earlier this week and decided to ride up to Bergland and pick it up. We took trail 1 north to the Fisherman and had an excellent walleye breakfast. While eating breakfast the snow really started to come down and the visibility on Lake Gogebic was very reduced.

We decided to stay on shore and continued on our way up trail 1 in to Bergland. When we hit trail 8 east we crossed paths with the groomer and then it was smooth sailing. After picking up our sled from Timberline Ski-Doo we rode in to town to gas up. When we arrived we noticed that one of our favorite restaurants had burned to the ground! North Shore family restaurants caught fire a few days before and was a total loss. The freaky thing was we ate breakfast there a day or two before it burned down, SAD! After getting gas we headed out of down on 8 west and hooked up with 102 north. It was a great ride and the traffic seemed to pick up along the way. Once we hit trail 11 again we had a great ride. 18 miles of wide groomed road! It didn’t get nasty until we made our way in to Silver City. Their snow was pretty bare and the trails were rough. After heading south on trail 1 again things started to improve around White Pine. Once we got on the groomed road south of White Pine, it was awesome! We pulled in to Bergland and the snow had started to let up so we headed south on the lake. It was a quick trip down the lake and we got off at Gogebic Lodge. Then we rode trail 1 south into Presque Isle and made a stop at Skyview Lodge for some dinner. (great food by the way)

Distance: 162
Previous: 446
Season Total: 608

We decided to go for a short ride up to Rogers bar and back. The people there are wonderful and I’d suggest stopping in if you are in the Watersmeet MI area (home of the world famous Nimrods!).

We took trail 1 north and hooked up with trail 2 (the rail bed). We ran trail 2 down to the turn for Rogers bar and got off there. I was a quick ride and the rail bed was in great shape! There were a few rocks here and there, but that is expected. After we left Rogers we headed back west on trail 2 and hooked up with trail 11 south. We rode this trail a few days ago and were the first sleds on it in quite a while. This time it was a bit different because parts of it had been groomed and a lot of the brush was cleared. Once we got into Wisconsin we hooked up with trail 6 east and headed home.

Distance: 103
Previous: 343
Season Total: 446

We decided to take it easy today so we rode in to town to support our local snowmobile club. They had a breakfast fund raiser at the Presque Isle Pub. The food was great and so were the club members!

Distance: 17
Previous: 326
Season Total: 343

We took a ride up to Gogebic Lodge tonight. When we left Winchester the trails were a little bare, but not too bad. As we headed north on trail 1 the snow depth seemed to pick up and smoothed out. A few areas were a little rough and wet, but that’s expected for early season riding. Just north of Marinesco we crossed paths with the groomer and after that it was smooth sailing! After a short stop at the lodge we headed back home. On the way home about 90% of the trail was double groomed. It was some great riding! Don’t sit home this weekend and miss out on the great riding!

Distance: 68
Previous: 258
Season Total: 326

We went for an easy ride today. Through Presque Isle, WI then up to Marinesco, MI on our way to Wakefield, MI.

Most places were closed for the holiday, but we were able to get gas at Bingos in Wakefield. On our way back we went down trail 11 to Winchester, WI and had a great time. We were told none of the trails were groomed yet, but they were still in awesome shape! We saw about 10 sleds all day long.

On trail 11 we were the first sleds down it and had to make our own way for most of it. There were a few down trees and a pretty big culvert that we had to go around. Other than that, it was an awesome day! If you are thinking about coming up for the holiday week, don’t miss out on this great riding!

Distance: 86
Previous: 172
Season Total: 258

We left the Porcupine Lodge in White Pine around 10am and hit trail 1 south to trail 12 East. Trail 1 was in decent shape with a few bare spots. This morning it really warmed up a lot and the trails started to show the effects of the heat. Trail 12 was in decent shape for early season riding, but did have the expected wet spots. We joined up with trail 101 south and ran that into trail 13. 101 was in excellent shape and was very smooth and had plenty of snow. Trail 13 was in decent shape, but had it’s occasional pot hole here and there. We made it into Rockland around 11am and grabbed some lunch at Henrys Never “Inn”. If you ever visit Henrys and you like mushroom burgers, you gotta try the half – a – heifer!

After lunch we took trail 3 south towards Bruce Crossing. This trail was in pretty bad shape and it could really use another foot of snow. There were the typical water holes, and there were also some down trees across the trail. If you decide to ride this trail, just make sure you use a lot of caution and take your time. One of our new riders fell off in a tricky section. Once we made our way to trail 8 and headed East to Bruce Crossing, it was smooth sailing. The railroad grade was flat and smooth. The only bad thing about trail 8 was the heat and sun took it’s tole. It was about 20-30% bare in any spot that had direct sunlight. Other than that it was a great ride! After getting gas in Bruce Crossing we made our way West on trail 8 to Bergland where we hooked up with trail 1 to White Pine and then called it a day.

Distance: 85
Previous: 87
Season Total: 172

We’ve had this trip planned for quite a while now. My Uncle and Cousin made the trip in from Cleveland, Ohio. We drove up on Friday morning, got everything unloaded and hit the trail by 1pm. Neither of them had ever been this far north, so we wanted to show them lake Superior for the first time.

We headed north on trail 1 to Silver City and after a quick stop at the foot hills, we headed West to Lake of the Clouds. It looked like we were the first sleds up the road in at least a few days. We saw several deer on the way up the road and at least two jumped out in front of us (make sure you keep an eye out for them). Once reaching the top we all hiked up the fresh snow to the overlook.

I would estimate the snow up top to be around 18 inches. It was super clear and you could see the copper peak ski jump. We took a few pictures and then headed back down the hill. Next we headed south on trail 11 towards trail 102. 11 was in great shape and there was lots of fresh powder to play around in. We made it to 102 and headed south to Bergland. 102 was in good shape for early season riding, but it could use a little more snow to fill in some of the pot holes. Then we hooked up with trail 8 East and made our way to Bergland. We ate a p Antonios and got Nordines. It was time to hit the trails again and we took trail 1 north to White Pine. Normally trail 1 is one of my favorites to ride because it is a wide, straight, hilly road that normally has a TON of snow on it. This year, it looks like they are logging an area that is just off the trail, so they have plowed the road down almost to the pavement. Hopefully they will be done logging soon and it will be back to normal!

Distance: 87
Previous: 0
Season Total: 87

As I’m sure you can tell by the lack of posts on the blog, I was pretty busy in the end of Feb. and most of March. The last trip of the season was a good one. I made the first ride with my brother and the last with my Dad. We rode from Presque Isle Wisconsin to Bergland Michigan to pick up one of the sleds that was being worked on. Along the way we stopped by The Fisherman to get the famous walleye breakfast. After a hearty breakfast we headed up the lake to town and stopped by the dealer to pick up my sled.

The trails were in pretty good shape, with a few bare spots here and there. The temp was around 45 all day.

After picking up the sled we got gas at the hoop n holler and then headed out of town to trail 102 and then took trail 11 to Silver City. These trails were in beautiful condition until we got within a few miles of Lake Superior. We rode up to Lake of the Clouds and were the only people up there on a Saturday afternoon.

Then we headed down the hill and planned on going to The Foothills but after a mile or so we realized that we weren’t going to get very far on that trail. The whole thing was mud with no snow in site. We gassed up and headed back the same way we came. The ride back was just as awesome as the ride up.

The closer we got back to Presque Isle, the worse the bare spots got. We stopped into Skyview Lodge and met our wives there for dinner. After dinner we headed back to the cabin and put the sleds away for the last time of the season.
This was one of the most fun seasons I can remember in a long time. I put on a lot of miles with friends and family from all over. I’m already looking forward to next season!

Until the snow flies next season……..I’ll be gone fishin!

Distance: 190
Previous: 2,892
Season Total: 3,082