Ed's First Snowmobile Trip

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The forecast sure wasn't good for snowmobiling. We were at home in Illinois deciding whether to make a snowmobile trip to either Land O' Lakes, WI or go further north. The weather men were forecasting temps in the 40's in the Northwoods for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. With more snow on the ground as usual in the Keweenaw Peninsula of the UP we decided to try Twin Lakes as our destination. Those of you who have read this blog in the past know that I've been staying at Krupp's Resort in Twin Lakes for many years, so I called Sandy Krupp to try to rent one of their cabins. No luck, it's Presidents' day week and they were all booked up, but Sandy put me on the wait list for cancellations. We were on a wait list at the Wyandotte Cabins in Twin Lakes also and they had one open up for Tuesday through Thursday. Then Sandy called with a cancellation for Friday and Saturday, so we booked that. We'd have to move on Friday morning, but no big deal, it was only 1/4 mile away.


On the drive there, the thermometer in the Suburban wasn't very encouraging, showing mid 40's even as the sun was setting in Twin Lakes. But, it did get below freezing over night, which helped a lot in keeping the trails rideable.

This is my future brother-in-law Ed's first snowmobile trip to the Northwoods. Although his snowmobile experience is limited to one ride years ago, he owned and rode motorcycles in the past and is a gearhead, so he should do OK. I've always enjoyed introducing new people to the sport of snowmobiling. It keeps it interesting for me, having ridden many of these great areas a lot over the years. I like showing new people the different interesting sites, scenery and the many thrills you get by riding. He would be riding Jan's sled, the Skidoo 600 Etec on the trip.

I was a little concerned that this could be a bit too much riding for a newcomer, what with 4 days of riding planned. We did a little orientation ride Tuesday evening when we arrived to get Ed acquainted with how to operate the sleds and particularly how they handle. After that we dropped the trailer and decided to drive to the Mosquito Inn for supper. We didn't get a mile down the road and the transmission in the Burban started slipping. Geeez, I just had the engine replaced at 148,000 miles in December, now the transmission is going. At least it made the 450 mile trip here without incident. It wouldn't shift beyond second gear. We turned around and drove to Krupp's Mini-Mart to check the fluid. It wasn't low on fluid so I asked Jim, the owner of the Mini-Mart, if they could recommend a shop to get the truck fixed the next day. He told us about Jerry's Transmissions near Hancock about 25 miles north. Since it was about 6:30 now, we would head there in the morning. So we went to the Parkview for supper and surprise, surprise, Shelie was tending bar. It was great to see her again. It was a year and a half since I've seen her. She was pregnant with what would be her first child, Matthew. She's a great gal as are all the girls of the Parkview and guess what? She's having another baby! Congrats and good luck, Shelie. She always makes me feel at home up here.

The next morning, Ed and I made the 25 mile dive limping along Highway 26 in 2nd gear about 40 mph. After a test drive, they told me they would need to rebuild the trans for about $1,500. But, at least they said they would have it done in a day. Oh well, it's always something.

After catching a ride back to the cabin, we saddled up and rode over to Krupp's Mini-Mart to gas up. By now it was feeling really warm. The plan was to ride Trail 109 southeast from Twin Lakes down to Alston and decide where to go from there based on snow conditions. Trail 109 is groomed most of the 25 or so miles down to Alston by the Superior Snowmobile Club. They do a great job of grooming and today was no surprise. The trail was very smooth. This trail is pretty curvy and I thought it would provide good experience for Ed to learn how the machines handle. We made it down to the Alston Village Bar and stopped for a break. Mark, the owners' youngest son, was outside breaking ice and said that it was 62 degrees in Baraga, about 20 miles to the east, so it had to be in the 50's here. It was clear, sunny and warm and the trails were a bit mushy, but plenty of snow and smooth. When we left the "Church in the Valley," I put my jacket in the tunnel bag and rode with just a flannel shirt and bibs. It was wonderful to ride good trails in the warmth of a beautiful day.


Ed was doing great so we rode to the Rousseau Bar out in the middle of the woods south and west of Alston. The Rousseau Bar is a must stop for me. I love how rustic it is, having been there in the middle of nowhere since the 1930's. After that pit stop we rode to Greenland on Trail 12, stopped at Pat's Yamaha for a cup of coffee and then chose to ride Trail 13, a 36 mile trail looping north and east to just south of Twin Lakes. I can't tell you how great all of these trails were. Very few bumps. By the time we got back to the cabin, we had ridden 92 miles. That's a pretty big ride for Ed's first day of riding. He did just fine, though and reported that he enjoyed his first day on the trails.

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Photos

Who Is That Masked Man??
It's Ed gassing up his trusty steed for his first snowmobile adventure.

A Well Deserved Break
At the "Church in the Valley"-The Alston Village Bar

It's Never Too Far
When there's enough snow

Comments

[Sprague]

$1500 sounds cheap
Based on my experiences, $1500 over budget seems low to average for snowmobiling!

[Snowhawg]

$1,500 sounds cheap
Yeah, Sprague. You know this sport real well!