Early March midwest trip

[robgoggins]

Hi all, my 18 year old son and I are looking for a place to ride for a week during the first week of March, 2019. We're contemplating going out west, but we also have a couple normal trail-riding sleds so we're also thinking about using those and staying in the Midwest region. We're based in the Minneapolis area. Currently I'm thinking we'd stay at one hotel/resort and ride from there every day. When I read some of the posts on the forum I see some people stay at different places over several days, or a week. Not sure we want to pack and bring stuff with us in order to ride/stay at different places, but I'd keep an open mind if some of you think that's something we should strongly consider. Maybe we ride for ~3 days, then haul the sleds somewhere else and ride from a new place?

A few questions...

1) What recommendations do you have for general riding areas that would fit the bill? We've already stayed and ridden around the north shore (MN) area - based on Tofte.
2) What recommendations do you have for hotels/resorts? I'll be honest, this is a vacation so I'm looking for something a notch above a Motel 6-type of place.
3) Assuming we're looking at northern WI, northern MN or the U.P. of Michigan, do you think there will be decent snow at that time of year?

Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 10829]

I think your best bet for March snow and still grooming would be the UP as they typically have more snow and they groom through March if snow conditions allow. It also sounds like you have not been to the UP and you need to go. I would do both a backpack trip and ride from a location. I would start in the Lake Gogebic area and when ready to backpack, head up to Copper Harbor and spend the night at The Mariner North. The next day I would head over to Big Bay and spend the night at the historic hotel there and then the next day back to the Lake Gogebic area.

 

[bladeguy]

Definitely the U.P.! The above recommendation is not bad for a start. backpacking is much easier than you think. My first time I went I brought way too much stuff. All you need is a toothbrush underwear socks and t-shirts. Maybe a shaver. Oh and a nice thing to bring is like slippers or some kind of light shoes just for getting around other than your boots. I would try the above tour and then if you were doing fine when your to big Bay if you were liking it instead of heading back I would keep going east. Through the town of Gwyn. If you're going midweek just go in as you get two or three hours from when you want to quit Google around and find yourself a motel.what more has a ton of hotels although you can also hit the town of Christmas which has a hotel in a casino. The town of Grand Marais It's a wonderful area and if you could make it all the way out to paradise and to quamen on falls that would be amazing! Might be too much for one trip though. But you can cover a lot of ground in the u p. Has four places to stay there's not that much deluxe except for in the town of wetmore. However just look at TripAdvisor they'll give you ratings are places. If you choose not to tour all the way across the u p then pace yourself auto munising / wetmore and tour to Grand Marais pine stump and to quam Anon falls Brewery. Circle back around to see me and head back. You can spend the night out in Paradise to break up the trip or Newberry. Good luck and have fun!

 

[ezra]

when I go on trips especsly back pack I bring all my old junk underlayers and just toss them in the trash every change .

 

[robgoggins]

Great advice - thanks everyone. Looks like the backpacking thing is easier than I thought. I'm a bit of a planner - I can't think of the last time I just headed somewhere and booked a room on the way...the same day. Typically I book weeks ahead. So you're all telling me that in early March I should be able to find some hotel in the general direction we're heading?

A few other questions:

Let's say we stay at hotel "A" the first night - that's where we park the truck and trailer. Presumably we leave it at hotel A for several days while we are out backpacking to other hotels. Management at hotel A is ok with our truck/trailer sitting in their parking lot for several days...even though we're not paying to stay at their place?

Safe to assume the Polaris trail app works well in the U.P.? Also safe to assume that most hotels and gas stations up there will have hardcopy trail maps available?

 

[erkoehler]

Great advice - thanks everyone. Looks like the backpacking thing is easier than I thought. I'm a bit of a planner - I can't think of the last time I just headed somewhere and booked a room on the way...the same day. Typically I book weeks ahead. So you're all telling me that in early March I should be able to find some hotel in the general direction we're heading?

A few other questions:

Let's say we stay at hotel "A" the first night - that's where we park the truck and trailer. Presumably we leave it at hotel A for several days while we are out backpacking to other hotels. Management at hotel A is ok with our truck/trailer sitting in their parking lot for several days...even though we're not paying to stay at their place?

Safe to assume the Polaris trail app works well in the U.P.? Also safe to assume that most hotels and gas stations up there will have hardcopy trail maps available?

Typically we we stay at the same place the first night and the last night and that is where the truck stays. If you communicate with the hotel what your plan is then they typically will work with you.

 

[whitedust]

Don’t wait till March to get maps. Go online to the counties you want to ride and request maps sent to you via US mail. Study maps for routes and map advertisers are the places you want to eat, buy gas and spend nights. Best to support the snowmobile biz that supports us.

 

[Deleted member 10829]

Yep, the hotels/resorts have always been good about letting you park there, just ask them when you make the reservations. I don't normally go on a backback trip without having my reservations made ahead of time, you just never know. Feel free to PM me if I can help any further. I've done the loop I mentioned several times.

The Polaris app works great up there and maps are plentiful. As whitedust said, if you can get maps early, that is best.

 

[Midwest Player]

If you are going in March snow levels could be low if we get an early spring. I would look at western U.P. in the snow belt regions. The best snow belt region that comes to mind is the Painesdale to Twin Lakes region. They always get a lot of snow and the western U.P. will be closer to Minneapolis area than eastern U.P.

My pick would be the Park View Lodge in Twin Lakes. It is right on the trail and they have a huge parking lot. I don't think the place has very many rooms so make a reservation. I think they are now under new ownership, but don't know what the new ownership is like. My second choice would be Krupps across the highway from them. They have cabins, but they are very old.
http://www.parkviewlodgeandgrill.com/


I do believe a second gas station opened up in Twin Lakes this year. It is also right on the trail.

 

[robgoggins]

If you are going in March snow levels could be low if we get an early spring. I would look at western U.P. in the snow belt regions. The best snow belt region that comes to mind is the Painesdale to Twin Lakes region. They always get a lot of snow and the western U.P. will be closer to Minneapolis area than eastern U.P.

Makes sense, but as I map this run out it appears to only be ~70 miles from Painesdale north to Copper Harbor. That would presumably be the snow belt run, right? If we can cover 100-150 miles or so per day (sound right?), won't that short run get old fast? Even if we go up one side of the peninsula, and down the other, it seems we'd be seeing the same scenery after a day or two. Or can you depart from Ironwood/Bessemer area and head north to Copper Harbor?

 

[1fujifilm]

Yep, the hotels/resorts have always been good about letting you park there, just ask them when you make the reservations. I don't normally go on a backback trip without having my reservations made ahead of time, you just never know. Feel free to PM me if I can help any further. I've done the loop I mentioned several times.

The Polaris app works great up there and maps are plentiful. As whitedust said, if you can get maps early, that is best.

Agreed, in Houghton the College events plays havoc on room rates and availability.

Bear

 

[GTL]

If you live in the western subs. why not leave from home and go up to the NW angle and back?? We leave from the Brainerd area and do it in three days most every year. Mid-week rooms are easy to get anywhere up there (unless the bite is ON!!) Take five or six days and make a loop thru Walker up to I Falls or Baudette then go east thru the Crane Lake area then back down around Lake Vermillion and back home. It's tough to make reservations when ya never know what might happen. (NO trail passes required!!)

 

[ezra]

also concider the black hills . the grooming is best I have ever seen. no cost for trail stickers if you have a current registration from your state.
scenery is all over the board and nothing like northern Mn it MI.
rec springs is right on trail head has gas and food and bar decent cabins and only like a 10 min drive down to lead . trails head lodge is a lot higher and more snow but really nothing around it .the drive out is usually a real ez drive all the way out most if the time snow free highway all the way to deadwood then you only have a 20 min drive up the hill to rec springs
I highly recommend the black hills

 

[zimmer1310]

second on the Black Hills. Did a couples trip in February and was one of the best. Grooming is the best i have seen and we got lucky with a foot of snow on the Saturday ride. Trail markings are great and some nice warming houses to make a fire for snacks and warm up along the trails. There are places to eat and fill up and the views are second to none. We stayed at Spearfish Canyon Lodge which has great food, gas and a nice spot. Good luck.