Throttle Therapy Michigan's legendary, impressive snowmobile trail network showcases stunning snowy scenery By Marla R. Miller
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n Upper Peninsula winter storm was brewing. As snowmobilers loaded up their trailers to safely journey home across the Mackinac Bridge, other long-distance riders settled in for an annual snowmobile trip on the Crazy 8 trail system from Grand Marais, through the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore parkland, and on to Munising. Blizzard, schmizzard. We were there to ride and brave the elements, as previous trips had dished out sub-zero weather and 2-inches-per-hour snowfall.
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Lake Superior upped the ante this time as we headed back from Wolf Inn and Pine Stump Junction, a vital gas stop where several trail systems connect in Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula. The wind howled. The dark sky unleashed February’s fury. Snow pelted my helmet. The visibility? Zero. Blowing and drifting snow quickly swallowed the wide and well-groomed Trail 8. It was all I could do to follow the taillight in front of me as we traveled the 40 miles back to safety. Once we arrived, Grand Marais lost power for the night. The weather can whip up a whiteout without warning along the shores of Lake Superior. And yet, on a calm winter day, the scenery in and around the Pictured Rocks shows off the best the season has to offer. Blue skies and sunshine. Crisp air and glistening snow. Icebergs jutting from the Great Lake’s shore. Knee-deep powder. Snowcapped pine trees as far as the eye can see, and sky-blue pink over the north woods as the sun sets. Snowmobile Paradise Once the snow flies, the Upper Peninsula transforms into a snowmobilers’ playground that attracts sledders from across the globe.
Michigan’s nearly 6,500 miles of designated snowmobile trails take sledders to unique destinations accessible only in winter. The collection of groomed U.P. trails stretches from Gogebic County (the westernmost county in the U.P.) and the Keweenaw Peninsula (the northernmost region) to Sault Ste. Marie (Canada’s neighbor) and Drummond Island (the easternmost end). The trail network crosses the Mackinac Bridge (by vehicles and trailers) and connects communities throughout northern lower Michigan to the state’s southern border. How good is that network? One year, I met a solo rider in Grand Marais Tavern who had left from Wisconsin and was making his way across the U.P. and back. Not a bad winter excursion! Michigan can’t claim the most miles of trails, but it has one of the most extensive interconnected trail systems in the nation. The Upper Peninsula ranks among the country's top 10 snowmobile destinations. “We have some pretty high standards that we hold our trail systems to,” says Ron Yesney, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Upper Peninsula trails coordinator. “There are lots of miles in other places, but those places are a lot more developed. There’s a lot more stopping and going and
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GAYLORD AREA CONVENTION & TOURISM BUREAU
WINTER 2022 | SEASON'S SPREE!
MICHIGAN BLUE
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12/1/21 10:09 AM
