We set our alarm for 6:30am and were on the sleds by 7. After arriving at the only gas station in town, we realized they didn’t open until 9am! Unfortunately we had already locked our room and left the keys inside. It had to be around 0 degrees and it was extremely windy. Luckily we were able to wait in the foyer of another building next door to stay warm. At 8am the Tamarack restaurant opened, so we went there to get some breakfast. As luck would have it, the gas station owner came to this same restaurant each morning to get some coffee. He was a nice guy and opened the gas station 30 minutes early for us. This all worked in our favor, but we just didn’t know it yet. While we were waiting for the gas station to open, the groomer was headed towards us. By the time we got gas and headed out of town, the groomer had the entire trail in perfect condition! We cruised up Brockway Mountain without hitting a single bump!
After heading West on trail 3 from Brockway Mountain, we rode the first 40 miles of trails without seeing another sled!
Even after we saw some other sleds, the trails were in excellent shape. We stopped in Lake Linden for breakfast and then headed for home. The entire way home, I think we might have hit 2 bumps. Unfortunately when we left Rockland on trail 13 we came across an accident. The guy was pretty shook up (he hit a tree) but he seemed like he would be ok. After helping them get back to Henry’s Never Inn, we headed for Bergland. Trail 13 was in great shape the whole way to Bergland. After getting on lake Gogebic we rode to the Lake Gogebic Lodge and then rode into Marenisco to get gas. We then headed south on Trail 1 into Presque Isle and then trail 6 West to Winchester. This was by far my best ride to Copper Harbor ever. One of the best things was I got to do it with my Dad!
Overall Trail Rating: 10 out of 10
Distance: 188
Previous: 688
Season Total: 876
Today was the start of a much longer ride. We left around 10am for Copper Harbor and both agreed to take our time getting up there since we had a room for the night. After pulling out of the yard, one of the sleds had some fouled plugs, so we changed those and were on our way. Trail 6 East into Presque Isle was in great shape and so was trail 1 North to Marenisco. (I’ll bet there were maybe 5 or 6 sleds on these trails before us since they were last groomed) After getting gas at the Marenisco mini mart, we made our way up trail 1 to Fishtales pub n grub. If you are ever in the Lake Gogebic area, this is a must stop! They have Walleye and Eggs for breakfast. Yea, I know it might sound a little odd to some people, but once you have it, you’ll be “hooked”! After our great breakfast we rode Lake Gogebic into Bergland and hooked up with trail 13 North towards Rockland.
The first half of trail 13 from Bergland to Rockland was in excellent shape! Then we switched to another trail system on the second 1/2 and it got very bumpy. This section is pretty narrow and tends to get rutted up pretty quick and it definitely was today! Once we passed Rockland and got on trail 3 North, things got a lot better! From this point on, we rode nothing less than “9” to “10” rated trails! We stopped at Parkview in Twin Lakes for a drink and then gassed up at the BP. Then we cruised in to Houghton!
After making our way across the bridge we continued on trail 3 towards Copper Harbor. Along the way we decided to take another route up through Eagle River (Michigan) then over through Eagle Harbor. We stopped at the Eagle Harbor Inn for a drink and then finished our route into Copper Harbor. We arrived at the Mariner around 8pm and checked in. After unloading our stuff in the room, we hit the restaurant for some great food and fun.
Overall Trail Rating: 9 out of 10
Distance: 195
Previous: 493
Season Total: 688
Today was quite a long trip. We left the house at 8am and didn’t make it back until 10pm. Our destination was Copper Harbor, MI. When we hit the trails, we were very happy to see them perfectly groomed! The entire way to Copper Harbor, I think we might have hit 2 bumps. It was just unreal! We rode trail 1 North to trail 13 East to trail 3 East and made fuel stops in Bergland, Twin Lakes, Houghton and Copper Harbor.
After arriving in Copper Harbor, we grabbed a quick bite to eat at the Mariner and then started our journey back. The first 20 miles on the way back were still in great shape. Once we got closer to Houghton, things started to get a bit choppy. We gassed up there and headed for Twin Lakes. The closer we got to Park View, the rougher the trails got. It was simply a product of lots of traffic in that area. After we got past Park View, everything seemed to smooth out again and it was smooth sailing. It was pretty cold out today, right around -10 and probably -20 to -30 with the wind chill. On the way back, we both got so cold, we made a stop at the Gogebic Lodge to warm up for a bit. Once we hit the trail again, we crossed paths with the groomer and rode perfect trails all the way back to the house!
Overall Trail Rating: 9.5 out of 10
Distance: 363
Previous: 1,165
Season Total: 1,528