What was your Favorite Day of Riding

mrsrunningbear

mrsrunningbear

Active member
We spent the weekend with the skidoodragons and had so much fun telling each other sledding stories, so it got the mind going and I thought it would be fun to hear some stories!! I didn't get to ride for the last 3 years and I finely get to this year so I have the "itch" real bad!! :D

Mine was back in the day "1990" and I'll never forget it!! We rode from the Root Cellar to Tom's Service Center in Ontonagon back to the Root Cellar. The day was beautiful when we started and there was Winter Storm Warning for later in the day...so YeeHaw what perfect day for riding. :)

So 8 of us took off and remember this is back in the day and that was a heck of a ride. We had a great ride, picnic lunch on the trail with the snow starting to fall the big fluffy flakes it was so cool it was our first lunch on the trail and with the snow falling OMG I can remember that feeling right now LOVED IT!! We really had a great ride up except for one wife who decided she didn't like riding anymore (great time to decide this) well when we got to Ontonagon the storm was just starting to kick in and this woman says she wasn't going any further WTH now what, well hate to say this but most of us were ready to loose her from the group anyway....so her husband paid a couple guys (I don't think I would have got in the truck with them) to drive her and the sled back in their pickup. So 100 bucks and a bottle of Vodka they were off (remember this was back in the day) sorry I got a little off track but part of the memory...

So after visiting with Tom and checking on our buddies sled he was working on we looked out and HOLY **** what a Blizzard couldn’t even see across the street!! So Tom says I don't think you guys should leave town I'll try and find you a place to stay this is a bad storm. Ok hmm this doesn’t sound good I think when a local says this (well it kinda did blizzard riding) well knowing the guys they say we'll be ok lets go, Tom says again guys stay in town I suggest not leaving....not Mike and Al (trail bosses) they say we’ll be fine lets hit the trail!! It was the most unbelievable ride of my life, snow so deep you couldn't see the trail, coming over the hood so you had to stop and clear your headlight, coming down so hard and blowing the strobe affect was almost more than you could handle but we kept riding following the guys not having an idea where you were on the trail couldn't see a landmark at all, total trust in the trail boss to find the way. And this was the kinda storm you aways heard talk about and we were out in it WOW!! Well after a while the guys started stopping and talking to each other (not the women) a little and it was starting to worry me a bit I was wondering if they really knew where we were I hadn't seen a trail sign for an hour and a half. Well we stopped at this spot and the guys finely say to us they felt this was where the trail to Rockland was but weren’t sure. At this point you couldn't see your hand in front of your face and the snow was waist deep, well after a little walk around "bingo" Mike walked right into the Trail sign wiped it off and that’s right where we wanted to be, so in to Rockland for gas and to call the Root Cellar to check on Bob’s wife hoping she made but the phones were down, so we warm up and Henry and Sally say the same thing to us stay here don't leave (I think us girls were close to bailing but we didn't) So off to lake Gogebic we head, well from Rockland to Bergland it took 3 1/2 hours, again snow like I never seen before or again, by the time we got there we were done totally exhausted, never ridden like that in my life, so unbelievable we made it, the guys were frickin unreal to get us back!! Well it was ride the road from there M28 & East Lake Shore Dr here we go.

When we got to the Root Cellar 11:30pm Gene was waiting at the door he actually did the hand shake/hug kinda thing he was so glad to see us and that we made it, told us Cathy arrived ok too and to get dry stuff on (we didn’t have gortex back then) he had saved us prime rib dinner for all of us (heck of a guy) so come back up and eat. Well over dinner Gene told us that Tom had called him and told him we were out in the storm so they could kinda try to keep track of us and Henry and Sally were able to get a call out they called Gene after we left there. Couldn’t believe what we were hearing all these super people watching out for us that day, caring enough to call each other!!! It put something special in our hearts that day and to this day when we all get together we always bring up that day “Our Blizzard Ride”

So lets here some other favorite rides……THINK SNOW!!
 
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gary_in_neenah

gary_in_neenah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Too many good rides to list here, I'd have to say that any day on the trails is a good one.

Maybe it's just me, but it's easier for me to recall some of the bad rides I've had like the breakdowns, low snow, rain, etc.

Honestly, any day with good snow, good friends, and a safe ride without mishaps is a good day in my book!
 
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jr37

Well-known member
Two trips to the U.P come to mind right away, but there are many.

My first trip up there in Jan. of 1988. I was a senior in high school and skipped for a day to ride in the U.P. with my uncle and a friend of his. We left Wausau area early in a one ton Ford with 3 sleds on the flat rack and hauled the sleds to Mass City. Unloaded the sleds and rode to Mohawk before stopping at the White House to dry our clothes because it had been snowing so hard, we were soaked. After drying out we rode to Copper Harbor for lunch and then back to the truck in Mass City. Then drove home that night yet. It was a long, memorable day.

I rode my dads '81 Scorpion Sidewinder and loved the entire ride. I've been on good trails since then, but I believe that day they were excellent. To ride that many miles on a sled with about 4 inches of suspension travel and not have a complaint, the trails had to be good.


One other time in about 1991, maybe '92, we had been having a little to much fun in the South Range area. It was getting late and had been snowing pretty hard most of the day. We needed to get back to Lanse the shortest way possible. So some local gives our leader directions down a series of rodes until we get to these railroad tracks, the tracks would take us right to Baraga, then we were practically back to where we needed to be. That trip on those tracks will never be fogotten. It was late, snowing hard, not totally sure where we are, and these are not abandoned tracks. We went over tressels where the trees disappeared below us, while trying to keep the sled in the middle of the tracks, not easy when you have rails to contend with.
We all made it back safe and sound, but that trip could have gotten real ugly had a train actually been on those tracks, or someone hook a rail on one of those bridges. Not a real intelligent trip, but very memorable.
 
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squat

New member
Well for me I would have to say at the JD Family east ride on 2007. There were so many of us Bradzoo took a group and I went with the other group. We went south of Newberry. Trails that way are hit or miss and this day was good. There was in our group, Woody, Woody JR, Scoop, Tomass, Suzy, Guy Ellis< Bigvin and myself. Sunny day in the low 30’s and light wind. We stopped in Naubinway and picked up some vittles… Found a great field, made a fire and enjoyed watching everyone play in the snow. Had lunch and some of the best conversation one could ask for. Then back to Newberry and cleaned up and off to Hulbert. Shirley to be exact where we met up with the rest of the group along with some other JD’ers. I think we had at least 27 members and some stragglers show up to watch BigVin and Woody play their song. What fun that day was. Good peeps and great times… Here is a pic.
 

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cuzzinolaf

Well-known member
Mine wasn't in the UP. We went out to the Snowies in April of 2008 not knowing what to expect. It was the middle of April and we must have timed it right because there was endless over the hood pow in every direction with barely any other sleds in sight.

That is what I picture heaven like!
 
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Dsbasecamp

New member
The day Donna called me STUPID... We were married 2yrs later... Had stupid painted on my helmet.. That's all I can say ...Luv you honey
 
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ubee

New member
November 3rd ,2002. I was test riding a prototype Yamaha RX-1 at high speed on Denali and Richardson Highway ! weird, whole landscape shaking,trees bending to ground , thought track was going ,highway open up,mudslides, glacier cracked, other kind of mudslides too! lol! Major earthquake shakes Alaska
Tuesday, November 5, 2002 Posted: 8:07 PM EST (0107 GMT)



A powerful temblor caused a crack in the Parks Highway near Healy, Alaska.













FAIRBANKS, Alaska (CNN) -- A major earthquake struck 75 miles south of Fairbanks, cracking roads, crumbling support mechanisms for the trans-Alaska pipeline and triggering mudslides, but there were no immediate reports of injuries, officials said Sunday.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the quake's preliminary magnitude at 7.9.

"We have heard of items being knocked off shelves," geophysicist Dale Grant said.

The earthquake struck at 1:12 p.m. (5:12 p.m. ET) and was felt throughout the state, the Alaska Earthquake Information Center reported. It was centered 45 miles east-northeast of Cantwell in the state's remote interior.

Loretta Herman, a dispatcher for the Cantwell Fire Department, said there were no reports of injuries there.

The town is located near Mount McKinley, North America's highest peak. The area is not heavily populated, and there are rarely tourists this time of year.

Officials shut down the trans-Alaska oil pipeline to check for leaks, but there were no reports of any.

"There are no ruptures or damage to the pipeline, but we did suffer some damage to the pipeline support mechanism," said Mike Heatwole, a spokesman for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company -- operators of the pipeline system.

He said the pipeline, in the area where the earthquake struck, was designed to sustain a magnitude 8.5 quake.

According to Heatwole, there are eight locations with damage to the support mechanism that holds the pipeline. In some cases, the pipeline sits above the frozen Alaskan soil without support.

Heatwole said structural engineers were deployed Monday morning to begin analysis of the damage. As an interim move, wooden structures will be built to support the pipeline.

According to the company's Web site: "The 48-inch diameter steel pipeline runs 800 miles (from Prudhoe Bay to the port of Valdez, the northernmost ice-free port in the United States) and crosses three mountain ranges and over 800 rivers or streams."

The two major north-south highways in Alaska were shut down in places because of large cracks caused by the quake, he said.

On the Richardson Highway, which runs between Fairbanks and Valdez, there was a break that is two feet wide and five feet deep, he said. Other cracks were between two and six inches wide and as deep as eight feet.

A three-foot break shut down one lane of the Parks Highway, the main route between Fairbanks and Anchorage, Wilkinson said.

He said the cracks did not cause too many headaches: "We don't have major traffic in Alaska."

The quake was a shallow one, centered about 3 miles below the earth's surface, the Alaska Earthquake Information Center reported.


The quake caused cracks in roads up to five feet deep.



"The more shallow they are, the more severe the quake is felt," Grant said.

A state trooper dispatcher in Fairbanks told CNN the quake cracked highway surfaces and triggered an undetermined number of mudslides, but there were no reports of injuries.
 

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whitedust

Well-known member
Any day on Watersmeet trails is a good day even in late Feb 2010! lol :) Thsi year has to be better than last year. Been raining non stop all summer & hope pattern holds for winter.
 
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saber

New member
I can think of 3:

1. first time ever going snowmobiling. It was a guys weekend, my Uncle had 2 sleds and friend had his own, we rented another (Yamahe Vmax 500 2 up). Rode 350+ miles over 2 days and it snowed 13 inches that weekend. I always hated winter and wanted nothing to do with snowmobiling because of the cold. Now it is my favorite time of the year and I have been obsessed with the sport for the past 10 years.

2. 2 years ago, MLK weeekend. Took some vacation time and we ended up getting a snow storm with 18 inches of LES across northern Mi on top of the 12" they had the prev week. I have never experienced anything like it. 1 day we rode only 70 miles and were soo tired we did not have the energy to make dinner. Over the hood powder all weekend. 2 of us had crossover sleds and 2 did not so we took turns breaking trail. Had a few stucks but still was a great time.

3. Last year my son took his sled safety course so we hooked up with another father/son from the class and went to the cabin for the day. We let the boys ride thier own sleds the entire day. Went 75 miles, they were whipped out tired after that. Actually cut the ride short because we were worried about them making mistakes due to fatigue. But the excitement in my boys eyes could be seen at every stop sign or road crossing thru the visor on his helmet. When we were done, he jumped off the sled, gave me a high five and then a big hug. You just cannot buy that kind of response from a 12 year old!
 
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samc

New member
Ha Squat that was a great day all the way around. We ended up with Bradzoo's group and had a blast!
 
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mrsjac95

New member
squat said:
Well for me I would have to say at the JD Family east ride on 2007. There were so many of us Bradzoo took a group and I went with the other group. We went south of Newberry. Trails that way are hit or miss and this day was good. There was in our group, Woody, Woody JR, Scoop, Tomass, Suzy, Guy Ellis< Bigvin and myself. Sunny day in the low 30’s and light wind. We stopped in Naubinway and picked up some vittles… Found a great field, made a fire and enjoyed watching everyone play in the snow. Had lunch and some of the best conversation one could ask for. Then back to Newberry and cleaned up and off to Hulbert. Shirley to be exact where we met up with the rest of the group along with some other JD’ers. I think we had at least 27 members and some stragglers show up to watch BigVin and Woody play their song. What fun that day was. Good peeps and great times… Here is a pic.
Click to expand...


I was gonna say Feb of 2006 - the first time I met Brad Squat and Paul in Paradise Michigan. The start of a BEAUTIFUL relationship!!! We did it again in 2007 with the Girls Gone Wild Tour in Hulbert - that's where I met Mitchy the first time... He greeted us as we pulled in to the cabin at 2 AM! The Newberry invasion was in 2008 where I FINALLY got to meet BISKIT!! Randy got to sing with Woody and Squat. In 2009 we went to the Ride in. GREAT FAMILY!!!

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

REV IT UPx3!

Jul
 
indy_500

indy_500

Well-known member
Really any day sledding for me, but coming home from school one day after it snowed a foot was pretty awesome, pounding the drifts the whole way home!!! Still can't believe school wasn't cancelled. I have to ditchbang my way home since the trails do not come close enough to my house, and i got stuck in a ditch and i sat there for 2 hours :( lol
 
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squat

New member
mrsjac95 said:
I was gonna say Feb of 2006 - the first time I met Brad Squat and Paul in Paradise Michigan. The start of a BEAUTIFUL relationship!!! We did it again in 2007 with the Girls Gone Wild Tour in Hulbert - that's where I met Mitchy the first time... He greeted us as we pulled in to the cabin at 2 AM! The Newberry invasion was in 2008 where I FINALLY got to meet BISKIT!! Randy got to sing with Woody and Squat. In 2009 we went to the Ride in. GREAT FAMILY!!!

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

REV IT UPx3!

Jul
Click to expand...

lol...it was 08 lol
 
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mrsjac95

New member
squat said:
Yup! I was talking about 08 with the bash at Shirlys....
Click to expand...

THAT was SO MUCH FUN!!! Jim even had a good time that night! You, Randy and Woody - the LIVE JD BAND! So cool! AND Mr. Ellis got in on the music too!

AND the parties in the hall! That was also the weekend of the smooshed kitty...

I can't wait to do it all again!

REV IT UPx3!

Jul
 
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lenny

Guest
my best ride was about 6 years ago. We were based in Phelps Wi. I needed a part for my sled and wanted to ride up to the UP to Greenland and get what I needed from Pat's. Two other friends and myself headed out in a light snow. I got steadier and steadier as we headed north. We had 8" in 3 hrs. Got my sled in order at Pats and headed back and heavy snow coming over the hood on the trail, The trees were bent over like arch's hanging over the trails. Looked like a whole different world. We made it back and were all smiles. Had a few brew's and ate like hogs, gets no better!!!!
 
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