Up_north_MI

To each their own but I’m not a fan of severe wind, hail and rain. All it means to me is the clean up after. We have a back up natural gas generator thankfully but the power outages are also a pain for many. The power was out for 35 hours here from the last storm a few days ago and still lots of clean up is needed in places. A good buddy of mine has major hail damage to his truck also from the last storm. Hopefully today’s storms fizzle out, we’ve had enough I feel at least here in the thumb of the MI. It hasn’t been as bad up north but again we don’t need any severe storms up there either.

We’re under a winter storm warning for 6-10 with high winds here in northern lower MI, probably looking at another month of this type weather before we turn the corner to Spring, so glad we’re heading to FL next week, I’m “wintered” out!

We stayed at a off the grid cabin a couple times the past few months near you, off the 510 just past the Yellow Dog Falls near Big Pup Falls. The snow wasn’t great back in January when we were there but still had close to 30”. Our whole group was back this past weekend again and said the snow was the best it’s been all season but unfortunately I couldn’t go because of plans I already had so I missed out on the good stuff. You’re area is by far my favorite area to snowmobile in Michigan, love visiting up there!

Ended up having a decent ride Friday night to dinner to Grayling and a really nice ride all day yesterday. We picked up some much needed fresh lake effect Friday night and most of yesterday till early afternoon. Probably picked up close to 3” of fresh at our place at Higgins but we rode north and west and the there was closer to 5” of fresh snow out that way. Snow depths vary a lot because of the strength of the sun this time of year but I did step off my sled and sank up to my knee on a wooded shaded untouched two track, still lots of snow in the woods in north west lower. The groomed trails we did ride were really nice for mid March but looking at the forecast for the next week or so I would say it’s time to put the sleds away unless you were heading to the UP where it’s going to to be decent for a while yet north of M28 other then getting into and out of towns I’m sure. With how warm winter started out I wouldn’t be shocked to see it trying to hold on through April to make up for it but we’ll see, I’ve seen some pretty big snow storms in northern MI in April over the years so it’s a definite possibility.

Actually them logging roads with the 4’ of snow on them off the trail are the reason we’ll be heading back next winter, the trails are nice but the off trail/two track/fire and logging roads are where the fun is especially with deep untouched snow on them. It’s not as steep and deep as what we ride out west but there’s something to be said for only being 6 hours from home and nearly 10,000 feet lower in elevation and able to breathe.

We just returned from your area, Big Bay. I can definitely see why you chose that area to live, it’s easily the most beautiful part of MI if you’re looking for a true rugged outdoor paradise. It had been years since I’ve snowmobiled in that area and forgot how beautiful it truly is. We stopped Friday night to take a break and have some water about 9:00 about half way up trail 5, about 30 miles or so south of Big Bay, it was so dark and quiet it truly is a deep remote wilderness in the middle of the Huron’s.

Just got back from snowmobiling the past few days in the Huron Mts, stayed in Big Bay. It’s been years since the last time I’ve rode up in that area and forgot how beautiful it is. To me it has without a doubt the most scenic snowmobile trails in the state of MI. I’m not a big trail riding guy but this past weekend was a couple’s trip and there’s no way our wives could have rode off trail in that area with the current snow depths they have currently so we stuck to the trails. We’re already planning a guys off trail trip to that area for next season, can’t wait. I would say snow depths ranged from maybe 16” down low close to lake level to maybe 40” or more above 1500 feet in elevation. The entire UP still has a crap load of snow that will be around for a while I would bet. You definitely have to be a tough person to live up there throughout a entire winter, no way I could handle it, I’m a wimp and by March I’m ready to start seeing my lawn and grass again, up there it’s probably closer to May in many areas.

Spent the past few days snowmobiling out of Deer Park, would say snow depths range from 36-40 inches pretty much everywhere we’ve been. Without a huge long warmup people will be riding well into April up here especially north of M28.

Looks like we planned our Big Bay trip pretty close to peak depths, we’ll be up there a week from tonight. Heading to Deer Park in the morning, depths there won’t be close to what Bo’s area has but should still be 36” plus. As of now planning on spending the the couple weekends after Big Bay trip in Paradise if the snow holds out. I’m not a fan of chasing snow all season especially with diesel pushing $4.00 a gallon but it is what it is. When Mother Nature gives our area of northern lower MI lemons we just have to go north of the bridge to make it lemonade I guess.

I was thinking about all the businesses in northern lower yesterday and how tough it must be for many of them that rely on the snow to bring them business. The UP businesses have definitely been fortunate especially the places north of M28. Unfortunately I feel at least for the snowmobile businesses in the lower it’s going to be to little to late if we get a couple weeks of rideable snow to finish out the season. Usually by March it’s mostly the diehard snowmobilers left riding and many of them are probably willing to chase the snow to the UP I would bet. The lower may become the place to ride side x side’s for 10+ months a year and the upper may become the only area to go for reliable snow for snowmobiling unfortunately.

Hopefully it hits north of the bridge, that’s where I’ll be riding the rest of this winter, I’ve given up on the lower for this season.

Snow really lightened up over here in the southern thumb, did come down for a while though, had 3” just before dark a couple hours ago. Looking at the radar it looks like the snow is further north and west then then the models showed the past few days.

Heavy rain doesn’t do us here in MI thumb much good this time of year. We have way to much frost in the ground for much of it to find its way into the ground unfortunately. We live on a small 120 acre farm, it’s my in-laws, we built our house on the far corner years ago and my son and I help my father in law farm this and around a additional 150 acres that he rents. This 120 is tiled but the rented land isn’t unfortunately. This past Fall was pretty wet out this way but it’s been dry since late November.

I enjoy riding out west also, unfortunately this will be the 3rd winter in a row that our group won’t be going out there. We had a trip planned to the Crater Lake area in Oregon that March that Covid hit so we had to cancel and now with my son’s school schedule, he’s a sophomore in college, it’s more difficult for him to take a week off during school so we have just been chasing snow here in MI the past two winters. Hopefully once he graduates we’ll start getting back out west riding before I get to old and can’t do it safely anymore. We’ve riding in West Yellowstone probably a half dozen times, Island Park, Cook city and the last few trips were to Togwotee. When we used to trailer out there we would go to Albany south west of Laramie. Have a safe trip and hopefully you guys will get some fresh powder to play in.

This will really tell you how much of a nerd I am when it comes to winter weather and snowmobiling but I’ve kept a journal going back to the 1995-1996 winter, yes 27 years, that lists each snowmobile trip I did, where it was, how much snow was on the ground, who I rode with and how many miles we rode along with a little short description of the trip itself. I also give a summary at the end of each season like what sled we had at the time, total miles rode that season and if it was a good season or bad. I know very nerdy but it’s neat to look back at it and the memories it brings back up. I will say the last “great “ season according to my journal was 2007-2008. Since then 2012-2013, 2013-2014 and 2016-2017 were good seasons, the remaining I considered bad.