New Snowmobile Trail Signing
- Thread starter mrsrunningbear
- Start date
To me removing bridge ahead & narrow bridge is dangerous at any speed. Why would you not warn of a bridge ahead on any trail? You ride out of a turn or thru a line of pines & suddenly you are on a bridge with no warning. That is just plain stupid has nothing to do with speed that is lack of warning signage. I don't know any snowmobile bridge that I would ride with 2 way traffic. I always wait until I or my group can cross a bridge in single file. Crazy ****e IMO. Bridges are going to be problematic without signs but nothing you can do but accept what is to be now no matter the increased danger for all riders. NOT a good idea.IMO
chevytaHOE5674
New member
I don't understand some of you guys thinking. I drive plenty of roads in my truck that have steep hills, sharp turns, narrow bridges, etc and each one of those features isn't usually marked. If your lucky the bridges will have the weight limit posted, and there will be a stop sign at intersections. I put far more miles driving these types of roads in my truck and I haven't seen people dieing on every corner, or people running each other off the road at every narrow bridge. You just adapt to it and learn to keep focused on the road ahead instead of hoping that there is a sign telling you what to think.
mrsrunningbear
Active member
Great thinking chevytaHOE5674, you nailed it on the head as far as I'm concerned. I don't think this will be as bad as some are thinking
and frnash
Mushroom! Bahahahahahaha!!
I understand this thought, I really do.....and I don't necessarily disagree with it. But there can be big differences in comparing roads to trails (width, visibility, conditions, etc.). Not to mention, the mentality of SOME (not all) people when they get out of their car and onto a sled.
harski
Member
I agree. Let's factor in snow and/or snow dust from the sleds and see what happens. IF the DNR had any hair on their tail they'd go after.... Nevermind.
Harski
Trails & roads the same no way. Why have any trails then just ride roads.lol Take Route 45 from Watersmeet to BC. lol Never seen a truck or car on Trail 2 & loaded with thick pines & bridges have to slow way down to pass oncoming sleds never had to do that in my truck on Route 45 or Route 2.lol
The more I think about this issue, the more I think this response makes good sense. I rode in MN quite a few years ago, and they don't mark the trails where we rode like they do in the UP. I don't think it was less safe. Just my opinion of course.
chords
Active member
It wasn't the MI DNR that initiated this change is how I read it. They just agreed.
"A citizens’ advisory workgroup (comprised of trail-riding enthusiasts, trail maintenance organizations, members of the DNR’s Snowmobile Advisory Workgroup and the Michigan Snowmobile Association) made recommendations to the DNR, resulting in these upcoming changes. "
Unless the route/trail is known, I guess go with a line of sight speed and treat hills, turns.... as an un-known
"A citizens’ advisory workgroup (comprised of trail-riding enthusiasts, trail maintenance organizations, members of the DNR’s Snowmobile Advisory Workgroup and the Michigan Snowmobile Association) made recommendations to the DNR, resulting in these upcoming changes. "
Unless the route/trail is known, I guess go with a line of sight speed and treat hills, turns.... as an un-known
Roads and trails are apples and oranges.
I don't care who initiated the idea, I don't agree with it.
The priority should be to make the trails as safe as possible. I want to make it home on Monday to see my wife and kids and not get taken out by some Ricky Racer who didn't slow down because there wasn't a sign warning of a turn ahead.
There's no guarantee it may not happen anyways but, why up the odds?
That's my position on this.
Dave
I don't care who initiated the idea, I don't agree with it.
The priority should be to make the trails as safe as possible. I want to make it home on Monday to see my wife and kids and not get taken out by some Ricky Racer who didn't slow down because there wasn't a sign warning of a turn ahead.
There's no guarantee it may not happen anyways but, why up the odds?
That's my position on this.
Dave
chevytaHOE5674
New member
Comparing width is a matter of proportions, a truck is 7 feet wide on a 16 foot wide road, a sled is 4 foot wide on an 9 foot wide trail, plenty of roads have the same blind corners and overhanging tree limbs to block visibility as the trails, and I often drive in worse conditions than I sled in (dust so thick in the summer you can't see the hood, snowing so hard you can't see the windshield wipers, etc). Your survival instinct tells you to SLOW DOWN and ride/drive where you have control of the terrain.
I'm not talking highways I'm talking county roads. Plenty of roads including the one I live on that I have to slow down to pass an oncoming car because we both have to hit the gravel shoulder, and I know plenty of roads narrower than my own. Heck I know some that if your pulling a large trailer (for me its a load of hay) you have to stop and pull over until your passenger tires are starting to go in the ditch to get past another vehicle.
True dat. You and I and every other sensible person knows it, but try telling that to Ricky Racer, who is of course God's gift to snowmobiling and is the best rider ever.
Personally, I appreciate the signs as much or more for warning me that somebody may be coming through that curve (who I always assume is NOT sensible), than I do for warning me that the curve is there.
chevytaHOE5674
New member
Speaking of visibility my other half had to drive less than 5mph for quite a stretch on her way home from Hancock tonight. Said she was just going fast enough to keep the car from stalling and from having to ride the clutch, and this was on the Highway.
She said shes rarley seen it that bad on the snowmobile trails..... But maybe if the highway had more signs warning her of every turn, bridge, bump, and hill she could have just set the cruise at 60 and sailed home without even needing to see the pavement, just rely on a couple signs.....
She said shes rarley seen it that bad on the snowmobile trails..... But maybe if the highway had more signs warning her of every turn, bridge, bump, and hill she could have just set the cruise at 60 and sailed home without even needing to see the pavement, just rely on a couple signs.....
Last edited:
Chevy - You're arguments are weak. A highway is required to have signs for every turn, bridge, bump, etc. If your wife set the cruise at 60 all the way home, she would be the closest comparison to Ricky Racer. I highly dought your Tahoe would handle those conditions at 60mph while she sailed home. She would have been off the road and, possibly, taking someone in a Focus with her and into the trees.
She rode as conditions allowed and I will bet you she looked for every sign to warn her of what was coming up ahead. The same should apply to the trails.
Let's keep this in perspective. Roads, trails, Tahoe's and snowmobiles are the farthest from true comparisons you can make. Regardless of "conditions"!
Dave
She rode as conditions allowed and I will bet you she looked for every sign to warn her of what was coming up ahead. The same should apply to the trails.
Let's keep this in perspective. Roads, trails, Tahoe's and snowmobiles are the farthest from true comparisons you can make. Regardless of "conditions"!
Dave
chevytaHOE5674
New member
Your right she drove for conditions. Said she never looked at one sign, said she was just focused on the road and what was ahead of her (good idea since that's what is important not what some SIGN says). The highways have some signs for turns and bumps but not every one, but most secondary roads you usually get a Stop sign and not much more. Heck I drive roads every day that don't have signs for miles upon miles until you get to an intersection with a Stop sign.
I still fail to see how snowmobiles on trails are that much different then vehicles on roads. They are both modes of transportation on a surface they were designed for.
I still fail to see how snowmobiles on trails are that much different then vehicles on roads. They are both modes of transportation on a surface they were designed for.
Last edited:
chevytaHOE5674
New member
On the highway there are guys coming the other way and I have no idea of his mental, physical capabilities, knowledge of the are or experience are. Sure I'm inside a car but his vehicle can also weight anywhere from 10x to 250x what a snowmobile does.
Edit: at least on the trails everybody is driving snowmobiles that weight about the same. On the roads it can be a 600lbs motorcycle or 2500lbs car against a 164,000 log truck, and you have no idea what the other driving is thinking or going to do.
Edit: at least on the trails everybody is driving snowmobiles that weight about the same. On the roads it can be a 600lbs motorcycle or 2500lbs car against a 164,000 log truck, and you have no idea what the other driving is thinking or going to do.
Last edited:
Nope, they don't warn the other guy is there....but they alert you to the possibility that he COULD be, and before I go into a curve I assume that somebody will be coming (unless it's in an area where I can easily see for myself).
mjkaliszak
New member
Do not resitate? Izzat one of those medical orders (DNR = Do Not Resitate, let me croak instead)?
sineage? Or mebby cosineage? Oh sorry I'm off on a tangentage!
The square on the high potta moose is equal to da summa da squares on da udder two sides?
Ha , Ha , Ha
If we have a low sno winter will it be a NoSnoCosinage ?
Here is a pic of the trails with reduced signage...
Last edited: