How busy will President's Day wkend be this year in the UP, if there is snow???

Hoosier

Well-known member
We are looking at the possibility of taking a 4 day trip to the UP this year over President's Day weekend. Probably riding Friday - Tues. It looks to be the only weekend before March that works for everyone in my group. I'm starting to think with all the groups postponing their trips, combined with the usual P-day traffic, that it will be incredibly busy in the UP that weekend, assuming there is snow of course. We know the trails well enough to be able to avoid the crowds to some extent, but I'm starting to wonder if this year, it will be extra busy. We have had good luck with that weekend before...
 

garyl62

Active member
Stay home! Less people on the trails that way, I'm going with a group of 10. Seriously, I was wondering the same thing, but oh well, we go when we can and even a busy day in the UP is better than sitting at home on a 3 day weekend in the middle of winter.

Let me know if your up, it would be good to meet up with you hoosier after our conversations over the summer about looking for used sleds.
 

indybru

Member
Interesting you should mention that. I ride out of Wakefield, Mi western UP, the last two presidents weekends I couldn't ride the trails they either totally shot or close to shot with warm ups etc. We went skiing with my sisters family instead. . I have a rule of thumb after president's weekend the trails seem less crowded, maybe family's are thinking Florida.

I'm hoping for a major dead cat bounce here.
 

loriwlrc

New member
Well, since I've been in business all long weekends and between Christmas and New Year's always books up a min. of a year in advance. These are the weekends my regular customers try and avoid and they now try and book Sun. thru Thurs. to avoid the weekend warriors that live over the border. I agree now that we have been hit with snow since yesterday, and there was very little riding prior to now, the phone has been non stop but we and others have nothing available, it's feast or famine!
 

Hoosier

Well-known member
wish i had a 3 day weekend for presidents day, i suppose if any of us at our shop liked the president maybe then we would ;)

LOL! No, none of us have a 3 day weekend for President's Day...but one guy in our group owns a very small business that for a couple reasons he can get away from much easier that week than others, which is why we are thinking about that particular time frame (say leave 3 or 4 am Friday and drive back after riding all day Tuesday, so we can ride a good 4 days). I'm just trying to figure out if it would be better to push the group to try to postpone to a different weekend or pick a different location, etc. Last year, we ended up going out to Wyoming due to snow conditions, but this year, most of us can't get away long enough this year to go that far (16 hours vs. 8 or so from where the sleds are stored).

I'd strongly prefer to avoid riding on Saturdays altogether and using that as a travel day, but that doesn't work for most of the group at this time, and we all need to be flexible in this crazy sport.
 

Hoosier

Well-known member
Thanks. If it wasn't for the past couple seasons and the way this one has started, I think I'd just hold off until the end of February or go in March. But I don't want to take the risk for the only time I'll get out this year...
 

durphee

Well-known member
It will be busy but I am still going. It is what it is. During the really busy times that we have to head up we just try to ride very early in the AM and the trails seem not too busy. Go for it, expect for trails to be busy and enjoy yourself.
 

bigvin

New member
We will be up with a LARGE group
for the Vintage ride in Copper Harbor
that weekend!
It's going to be Very Busy up there!
 

bigvin

New member
durphee:
Just trailering up the Vintage sleds,...
Staying in Houghton,... then trailering them up to Copper Harbor.
Go for the vintage ride/weiner roast,...come back,... trailer them
back to Houghton,... then heading home.
Not enough room to bring "The Big Sleds" that trip.
Sure hope to head up "after" on my week days off
so the "Big Sleds" can ride.
Praying for snow here locally (North of Green Bay).
 
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