Watersmeet to paradise and back

[Winter Warlock]

Sunday Jan 7th to Friday Jan 12th. Me and my 12 year old Brett did a 1006 mile trip last week. In our family when you pass your snowmobile safety, its a "right of passage" to go on a 1,000 mile trip w/dad, in the U.P. There was sparse snow to start and a Jan thaw, but we made it!

Seems like there is very little trail reporting that you can rely on nowdays. We found some of the grooming reports on the MSA website to be "sugar coated" and some altogether "non-existent" . For the most part, most of the areas did a good job with what they had!

It was a good trip. Diverse trails,weather, trail conditions and snow. There are a few things that got me to raise an eyebrow however.

BRIDGE OUT

On trail 8E, between Michigamme and Champion there is a major bridge out. This was announced here and on the MSA's website around 4 weeks ago. This bridge was supposed to be fixed sometime middle Jan. Baraga grooms the west side and Moose Country grooms the east side of the bridge. After inquiring on this site and MSA there could be found no status updates or estimated time of completion. Called the grooming authorities, got answering machines,no mention of the bridge, called 4 businesses along that corridoor , noone had a clue! (wake up businesses!)

There are (3) east/west routes in that part of the U.P.. The trail that comes from the south, from Amasa, had not enough snow and wasn't groomed. Then theres the "bridge out" middle route, trail 8. Finally theres the north route that puts you all the way up in Big Bay.
Kinda important corridoor don't ya think?!

SOMEBODY SHOULD KNOW WHATS GOIN ON!

LOGGING

Hey no one loves wood and commerce more than da ole Winter Warlock.....so I got nothing agains't logging (just the way its done sometimes!)

There is more logging going on right now than I've seen in the last 10 years combined. Do you think that Watersmeet and Iron River coulda got together with the forest service and the logging compay that is logging on trail 107. Just a little pow wow to maybe be able to make the existing trail 107 route5250 or the old north/south trail on route 4500 just one designated to the snowmobile trail? Why do the loggers have to use both and us sledders ride dirt? If not, those roads are wide, can't we have 1/2 of a road for a snow route? Can't we just share a little?

Just a few thoughts to read trail reports of the specific trails see the following posts.

 

[1fujifilm]

Sunday Jan 7th to Friday Jan 12th. Me and my 12 year old Brett did a 1006 mile trip last week. In our family when you pass your snowmobile safety, its a "right of passage" to go on a 1,000 mile trip w/dad, in the U.P. There was sparse snow to start and a Jan thaw, but we made it!

Seems like there is very little trail reporting that you can rely on nowdays. We found some of the grooming reports on the MSA website to be "sugar coated" and some altogether "non-existent" . For the most part, most of the areas did a good job with what they had!

It was a good trip. Diverse trails,weather, trail conditions and snow. There are a few things that got me to raise an eyebrow however.

BRIDGE OUT

On trail 8E, between Michigamme and Champion there is a major bridge out. This was announced here and on the MSA's website around 4 weeks ago. This bridge was supposed to be fixed sometime middle Jan. Baraga grooms the west side and Moose Country grooms the east side of the bridge. After inquiring on this site and MSA there could be found no status updates or estimated time of completion. Called the grooming authorities, got answering machines,no mention of the bridge, called 4 businesses along that corridoor , noone had a clue! (wake up businesses!)

There are (3) east/west routes in that part of the U.P.. The trail that comes from the south, from Amasa, had not enough snow and wasn't groomed. Then theres the "bridge out" middle route, trail 8. Finally theres the north route that puts you all the way up in Big Bay.
Kinda important corridoor don't ya think?!

SOMEBODY SHOULD KNOW WHATS GOIN ON!

LOGGING

Hey no one loves wood and commerce more than da ole Winter Warlock.....so I got nothing agains't logging (just the way its done sometimes!)

There is more logging going on right now than I've seen in the last 10 years combined. Do you think that Watersmeet and Iron River coulda got together with the forest service and the logging compay that is logging on trail 107. Just a little pow wow to maybe be able to make the existing trail 107 route5250 or the old north/south trail on route 4500 just one designated to the snowmobile trail? Why do the loggers have to use both and us sledders ride dirt? If not, those roads are wide, can't we have 1/2 of a road for a snow route? Can't we just share a little?

Just a few thoughts to read trail reports of the specific trails see the following posts.

I thought the same thing about logging activity, it is at a fever pitch near the trails never seen by me. Riding the outstanding elevation changes near Mt. Arvon I saw droves of huge Pine trees taken down in clear cut fashion and thought how sad (looked pitiful and unnerving and made me reflect that I am part of this as a consumer of paper etc.). Of course I also rode through meadows of small pines too as reforestation was also in the works. I just don't see this hill country getting replanted as it is too steep and the ground is not likely ideal for regrowth so it will look barren and the view damaged forever.

I am no tree-hugger, but goll darnit maybe I should be as I was filled with emotion.

Bear

 

[flashover]

Warlock
Thanks for all of the great trail reports posted for the area you rode, great information put out in a logical order sledders understand. Dang I wish I was your kid, lucky chap, I hope someday he can reflect on how important a trip like that is to a father son relationship, nice job! As far as lumberjacking: Logging=demand>supply/trump=print more money. ( I think that formula is correct ) and Bear the trees will grow back, we just need to figure out how to live a lot longer to see it. The trees have survived longer than us on this planet and they will be here long after we are gone, trees have a better survival plan than humans.

 

[rjthunder]

Thanks for the update Warlock, very helpful. Love the right of passage. My son just got his safety certificate so I might have to steal that one from ya.

 

[sjb]

The trees will grow back. With any amount of dirt disturbance, such as logging, reseeding takes place. In areas I hunt which were clear cuts 5-10 years ago, they can be so thick they are tough to walk through. Being on a hill you may not see that, but trees will grow back.