cloud_master
Member
It was 40 out, did you expect anything different?
Keweenaw Trails 124 & 133 Closed for the SEASON??
- Thread starter sledhead1125
- Start date
It was 40 out, did you expect anything different?
ICT Sledder
Active member
Didn't see a general Keweenaw conditions thread, so I thought I'd put this here instead of starting a whole new one.
What is the status on the Trail 3 re-route they had last year in the Ahmeek/Mohawk area? The one that skipped you across the highway to Cliff Dr (on google maps at least) and then crossed a rocky lake dam back to 3?
Last year was the first time I've seen it, and it was awful. Worst riding and hardest on equipment I've ever seen in the Keweenaw, even if it was just a few miles long. Carbide/stud killer with rocks and snirt and moguls and all the good stuff. The crazy thing was that when you got to the end of it (heading north) just immediately north of Mohawk it was back to old trail 3 and smooth, hard, and fast. Like there's some sort of a grooming route issue in that area or something, PLUS a re-route that was giving them a heck of a time.
Also, something I've always wondered about... Trail 3 between Ahmeek/Mohawk to north of Calumet where 17 and 3 merge has been consistently rough over the years. If anyone has any reasoning on that, I'd honestly just be curious to hear what that story is. Always figured it was a section that was hard to hit with groomer routes/locations.
Thanks for the club members and groomer operators out there for all that you do in the Keweenaw. Not bagging on you guys here, as I know challenges are thrown your way. A bad trail condition in the Keweenaw is like a good condition in many other parts of the midwest, that's for sure.
What is the status on the Trail 3 re-route they had last year in the Ahmeek/Mohawk area? The one that skipped you across the highway to Cliff Dr (on google maps at least) and then crossed a rocky lake dam back to 3?
Last year was the first time I've seen it, and it was awful. Worst riding and hardest on equipment I've ever seen in the Keweenaw, even if it was just a few miles long. Carbide/stud killer with rocks and snirt and moguls and all the good stuff. The crazy thing was that when you got to the end of it (heading north) just immediately north of Mohawk it was back to old trail 3 and smooth, hard, and fast. Like there's some sort of a grooming route issue in that area or something, PLUS a re-route that was giving them a heck of a time.
Also, something I've always wondered about... Trail 3 between Ahmeek/Mohawk to north of Calumet where 17 and 3 merge has been consistently rough over the years. If anyone has any reasoning on that, I'd honestly just be curious to hear what that story is. Always figured it was a section that was hard to hit with groomer routes/locations.
Thanks for the club members and groomer operators out there for all that you do in the Keweenaw. Not bagging on you guys here, as I know challenges are thrown your way. A bad trail condition in the Keweenaw is like a good condition in many other parts of the midwest, that's for sure.
rich_jelinek
New member
when we were up there between xmas and new years the re route around Mohawk is the same as last year. I have to think it was done because trail 3 ( before the re route ) pretty much went right thru a very residential area, and the residents probably got tired of it ? I don't know this as fact, just a guess. I have to agree, the woods part of the re route is almost always pretty bad, rocky etc, although the road part ( Cliff Dr if you say so, cause IDK ) is usually perfectly fine when we are there.
And I think that 3 from Mohawk to the 3 / 17 junction gets groomed plenty, but just gets beat bad because it's the main ( and only ) drag and the heavy traffic takes it toll on it, after the merge the traffic splits and lessens the load......................
Just my thoughts anyway
And I think that 3 from Mohawk to the 3 / 17 junction gets groomed plenty, but just gets beat bad because it's the main ( and only ) drag and the heavy traffic takes it toll on it, after the merge the traffic splits and lessens the load......................
Just my thoughts anyway
packerlandrider
Active member
A couple reasons that I've picked up on over the years:
1) That stretch of trail at least had been, if not still is, rough/washboard ground underneath the snow. Hard to get snow to stay flat when the surface below it isn't flat.
2) As you point out, trails 17 and 3 merge, meaning double the traffic of anyone going from Hancock to Mohawk or beyond and vice versa.
Also, haven't been on trail 3 since the reroute around Mohawk, but I know driving the highway through there that it is still rerouted over towards Cliff Drive. Don't think I ever heard an official reason for it, but my guess would be some type of landowner /adjacent property owner issue/dispute going through Mohawk, considering that the trail went fairly close to many houses.
garyl62
Active member
As to trail 3 just south of Mohawk, there is new land owner that owns a small section the trail crosses and he shut the trail down on his property so that "re-route" is the new trail. Really sucks because he closed down a few hundred yards then the new route goes a few miles to get around his property, but that's his right so everyone take notice, our access can change in a heartbeat if we don't respect the land owner, even on a main trail like that. Hopefully as time goes by that trail will get better, but I don't know what it's like this year so far.
firefighter1
Member
I rode the reroute right before Christmas and it was snow covered and in pretty good shape. I will ride it next week also so I hope it is still good. Last season in March after a big thaw I was overheating my sled on that stretch.
ITC-
Everything that was mentioned is true- the reason for the re-route, the reason why that stretch between Calumet and Mohawk being in worse shape than the rest of the system, etc. The problems with that stretch between Calumet and Mohawk was compounded the past few years because of 122 being closed, so that stretch was the ONLY way anyone could get north of Calumet. We had sled counts of 600-900/day through there at times. With 122 open this season, it has taken some of the pressure off of 3.
The reroute just south of Mohawk happened exactly why Gary said. We were also informed about a month or two before the snow was to fly and most of the land that we had to look for the re-route across was private and many of it had houses very near by where we would have liked to go, so it was a real scary situation having the only way to get through that section possibly being shut down completely! It was not the best ground to go on and even the groomers said it was a nasty stretch.
We worked through this past off season to get a better re-reroute and finished getting easements, but too late to get the work done in time for this season. The new and improved re-route will happen next season. However, we did implement a new grooming strategy this season to occasionally bring a groomer through there without the drag. That gives it enough maneuverability to pull snow from the sides of the trail and onto the trail, then another groomer goes through with a drag and packs it down. So it is in better shape this season than last.
Thanks for your understanding on these issues and I hope you have a blast while up here the next time!
-John
Everything that was mentioned is true- the reason for the re-route, the reason why that stretch between Calumet and Mohawk being in worse shape than the rest of the system, etc. The problems with that stretch between Calumet and Mohawk was compounded the past few years because of 122 being closed, so that stretch was the ONLY way anyone could get north of Calumet. We had sled counts of 600-900/day through there at times. With 122 open this season, it has taken some of the pressure off of 3.
The reroute just south of Mohawk happened exactly why Gary said. We were also informed about a month or two before the snow was to fly and most of the land that we had to look for the re-route across was private and many of it had houses very near by where we would have liked to go, so it was a real scary situation having the only way to get through that section possibly being shut down completely! It was not the best ground to go on and even the groomers said it was a nasty stretch.
We worked through this past off season to get a better re-reroute and finished getting easements, but too late to get the work done in time for this season. The new and improved re-route will happen next season. However, we did implement a new grooming strategy this season to occasionally bring a groomer through there without the drag. That gives it enough maneuverability to pull snow from the sides of the trail and onto the trail, then another groomer goes through with a drag and packs it down. So it is in better shape this season than last.
Thanks for your understanding on these issues and I hope you have a blast while up here the next time!
-John
ICT Sledder
Active member
Thank you guys for the info. Nice to have more context to the situation.
It's great to hear from John that a work-around for the current Mohawk detour is coming along. Can't imagine what a pain in the rear it is to identify an alternative route, find all the applicable land owners through public records and surveys, and then negotiate with all of those individual owners into signing over an easement to their personal property. What a nightmare that sounds like!
Will be nice to have 122 open this season to take pressure off of 3, and give more options for loops. Trail 122 has been closed about half of the time, maybe more, in our roughly 10 trips to the Keweenaw over the past 15 years. Trail 122 and 124 makes for a nice short loop, and 124 is my favorite trail up there.
It's great to hear from John that a work-around for the current Mohawk detour is coming along. Can't imagine what a pain in the rear it is to identify an alternative route, find all the applicable land owners through public records and surveys, and then negotiate with all of those individual owners into signing over an easement to their personal property. What a nightmare that sounds like!
Will be nice to have 122 open this season to take pressure off of 3, and give more options for loops. Trail 122 has been closed about half of the time, maybe more, in our roughly 10 trips to the Keweenaw over the past 15 years. Trail 122 and 124 makes for a nice short loop, and 124 is my favorite trail up there.
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On Monday (1/22) I rode trails 124 and 133. 124 was pretty smooth and a lot of fun. I was making first tracks for some of the ride. This was the first time I've ridden 133. In the past I'd try to get on 133 after riding 124 but the trail was so rough I'd turn around. Monday it was recently groomed. Snow seemed thin in some spots but overall it was a fun trail. Stopped in Copper Harbor for fuel then headed back to Calumet via 3 with a detour through Eagle Harbor on 130.
In one of the very wide sections of 130 a fella was all the way over in my side of the trail in a sweeping turn and hauling a$$. It boggles the mind that these guys think this is a good idea. Stay on your side of the trail!
In one of the very wide sections of 130 a fella was all the way over in my side of the trail in a sweeping turn and hauling a$$. It boggles the mind that these guys think this is a good idea. Stay on your side of the trail!
rich_jelinek
New member
Anyone who is up or has just been up in the Keweenaw, how are the trails/ snow conditions right now ?? Say from Mass City up to Copper Harbor and points in between ?
We are getting in the truck in about 2 hours and I think we are heading up that way, since it seems the warm up has really put the hurt on the Munising / seney/ grand marais areas that we had planned to go.
Anyone ?
We are getting in the truck in about 2 hours and I think we are heading up that way, since it seems the warm up has really put the hurt on the Munising / seney/ grand marais areas that we had planned to go.
Anyone ?
ExcursionPSD
New member
Staying in Calumet for the second night. Covered the entire Keweenaw.
Leaving Gay, the 124/122 split is in a different location. We took the Dreamland trail and then took the ice bridge across Portage Lake to Dollar Bay. The groomer had come out of Copper Harbor and gone over the Brockway Overlook when we met it. Clark Mine trail was kind of rough, spur out to High Rock was moguled. Mandan Trail 134, then132 into Lac La Belle was kind of rough. Deer Lake trail 133, was rough. Most of 3 is choppy, some of the straightaways are pretty smooth. Freda Loop, 120 and 121 was good, a little rougher out to RedRidge and the Shoreline.
Leaving Gay, the 124/122 split is in a different location. We took the Dreamland trail and then took the ice bridge across Portage Lake to Dollar Bay. The groomer had come out of Copper Harbor and gone over the Brockway Overlook when we met it. Clark Mine trail was kind of rough, spur out to High Rock was moguled. Mandan Trail 134, then132 into Lac La Belle was kind of rough. Deer Lake trail 133, was rough. Most of 3 is choppy, some of the straightaways are pretty smooth. Freda Loop, 120 and 121 was good, a little rougher out to RedRidge and the Shoreline.
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rich_jelinek
New member
We rode everything north of calumet / lake linden today other than the eagle harbor loop . Other than 122 which was a complete moguled out mess , at 10 am anyway ,from trail 3 to the 124 split, ( which is in a different place / rerouted now ) everything else was suprisingly good. Even 133 from lac Labelle to gay was really nice and smooth , which was a big surprise, and the fresh snow we got sure helped. Trail 124 was an absolute dream, both times we rode it.
Hopefully things will only get better for Monday and Tuesday, probably head south of the bridge one of those two days.
Hopefully things will only get better for Monday and Tuesday, probably head south of the bridge one of those two days.