Michigan removing turn ahead signs

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fusion

Guest
Not going to read the entire thread to see the complete discussion, but, if the conversation is about speed limits during the day becoming a reality....
I'll be done sledding. Not that I speed all that much, but if I wanted speed limits, I can get a sports car and ride WI roads for my encounters with traffic cops.
This has no place in snowmobiling, other than at night when visibility is limited and easy to overdrive headlights.
They're going to regulate this sport to death.
 
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polarisrider1

New member
whitedust said:
It has changed & me with it! Recently told my wife, she does not ride anymore, we would not take the the family to the old UP stomping grounds any longer we would have to go to ER better place for newbies & families. I know you well enough that you would not take a rookie on Trail 3 between Mass City & Houghton on a busy weekend just not a good idea because pace way to fast & going to be swarmed by sleds & snodust. ER 1 way trails better suited for that until you have some seat time & skill. The 1 theme I keep stressing is make the correct trail choices for traffic & conditions & all is good. Get the model T in the middle of the race way & there will be problems so don't go there & exspect a different outcome. Do it once & you will learn quickly to ride faster or find trails where pace is slower.
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ER like in Emergency Room?
 
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polarisrider1

New member
Back to the topic. Some areas in Michigan have removed the curve ahead signs already. People will die period. And whats with the Cat in the lake in Allegan county?? abandoned? must of been stolen. Oil slick and 1/8" ice gave it away. Culling the herd. Everyday the Grand Rapids Press seems to take great pride in posting the daily death total to snowmobiling in the paper. Yesterday traverse City day before western UP and it goes on and on. So sad.
 
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Polarice

New member
I tried to contact the number that the dnr gave me today to find out the details on the email they sent. I kept getting voicemail and I'm not a fan of phone tag. I will try back later.

P1, where have the dnr removed signs already?
 
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polarisrider1

New member
Polarice said:
I tried to contact the number that the dnr gave me today to find out the details on the email they sent. I kept getting voicemail and I'm not a fan of phone tag. I will try back later.

P1, where have the dnr removed signs already?
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I do not think the DNR removed the signs. I think the local club in the Irons area removed or did not put them up this year. The curve signs are in the curves but not before, as in the past. Also the stop ahead signs are gone between Irons and K&K corners and heading south out of irons on irons rd. I have been riding this area since 1982 so I know when to slow down, but newbies to the area have no clue as to where the curves and stop signs are.
 
Admin

Admin

Administrator
Staff member
No signs should be missing. The idea of removing ONLY turn ahead signs is just that, an idea. If signs were missing, it is the local club that had dropped the ball and should be notified, or let the DNR know signs are missing.

-John
 
M

mjkaliszak

New member
Administrator said:
No signs should be missing. The idea of removing ONLY turn ahead signs is just that, an idea. If signs were missing, it is the local club that had dropped the ball and should be notified, or let the DNR know signs are missing.

-John
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Good reply... I kind of count on those signs.... especially the " STOP " ahead ones...
 
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Polarice

New member
I just got off of the phone with Steve from the DNR.

He explained to me that there are going to be some modifications and that they have not instructed any of the clubs to remove any signs...yet.

They have been conducting research with snowmobile trails as well as orv trails. Their goal is to eliminate some of the 'clutter' from the trails. They are NOT planning on removing all of the turn signs.

We were talking about 90 degree sharp turns and those signs may be modified but not removed. They understand that could jeapordize lives.

I understand from our conversation that there is not really much consistency from the different clubs. They want to make it consistant. They also want to remove some signs for 'little' curves. I myself have been on many trails and wonder where the curve is that the sign was referring to.

They plan to do a press release to the public about this before any changes occur.

My suggestion is that if you have questions/concerns to give Steve a call. He seems like a nice guy and he wasn't trying to rush me off of the phone.
 
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snohawk

New member
After reading this thread, some people really have their heads up their a$$.

If families do not participate in this fun sport then a lot of the clubs will disappear and there will no longer be volunteers to put the trails in and maintain them.
So next time you run up behind some family that is riding slower than you, you might just piss them off so that they quit. Maybe that family helps the local club with setting up the trails and then they stop helping.
It seems that people really need to watch out for each other and slow down and safely pass each other.

The riders that ride slower need to get off the band wagon that everyone should ride slow and pull over and let the next group by if they are riding at a faster pace.

As far as the sign issue, it sounds like it could make sense. I still think that a turn ahead sign should be used only on a corner that is very dangerous.
 
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snohawk

New member
snohawk said:
The riders that ride slower need to get off the band wagon that everyone should ride slow and pull over and let the next group by if they are riding at a faster pace.
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Polarice said:
Why?
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Just to be nice, Why hold another group up because your group is riding at a slower pace. If you pull over in a safe area and let the group behind you pass nobody is going to try to force passing your group and cause unsafe riding behavior :)
 
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Polarice

New member
snohawk said:
Just to be nice, Why hold another group up because your group is riding at a slower pace. If you pull over in a safe area and let the group behind you pass nobody is going to try to force passing your group and cause unsafe riding behavior :)
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Okay, I thought you were saying that the slower riders shouldn't do that. That was my fault.
 
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whitedust

Well-known member
snohawk said:
Just to be nice, Why hold another group up because your group is riding at a slower pace. If you pull over in a safe area and let the group behind you pass nobody is going to try to force passing your group and cause unsafe riding behavior :)
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Yes this would solve a lot of problems & seems logical to me to let others pass. While riding I have been blocked by sweepers after waiting to be allowed to pass in a safe fashion. Block me or ignor me I'm coming thru when I find a long straight so why not be nice move right & give me the wave? I don't get passed often in Twistys never on a grade. I saw sleds in shadows on a twisty figured I'm moving pretty good but these guys are flying so I'm getting out of the way before they are on me so moved way right slowed down & whoose they were gone. Done safe bye bye over in seconds.:)
 
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fredster

New member
In regards to passing, my worst experiences have been with what appears to be older adults in small groups moving along at a leisurely pace. I find that most families out riding have a good trail boss and sweeper who are both scanning for groups behind them.....next intersection or safe place to pull over, they do, and we pass. Have had a couple of the before-mentioned 'adult groups' where no one was looking back, no one was checking mirrors, and after NOT letting us by at 2 or 3 stops, we had to resort to serious acceleration to get around them - when we could safely pass.

When my wife goes with my son and I our pace drops way off. I'm trail boss, my sled has mirrors, I scan them constantly, and when the faster group comes up, I look for a safe spot for 3 sleds to stop and we slow down/stop. I have not had many problems with getting passed.......certainly some problems attempting to pass others.

While I'm not a big fan of having trail speed limits, it's certainly been my observation that the speeds (especially cornering speeds) keep increasing. I don't recall having any less fun when my sled was 50-60HP and topped out at 75MPH and had 3.5 inches of suspension travel, but it would really be hard for everyone to go back to 440's now. If the reduction in turn arrows doesn't have the desired results I can imagine speed limits being suggested.....that would be a big change.

Can anyone comment on riding in Minnesota with the 50MPH speed limit there? Is it enforced?
 
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