Year/Town/Place you started riding in the U.P.

R

Running Bear

New member
1987
Lake Gogebic
Bergland/Marenisco MI
Nine Pines Resort
McConnleys (I think that was the name)
Fishermans

Rode 1983 Skidoo Blizzard - went Polaris in 1989 (just had to say)

Three trips my first year and I was hooked for life. If I remember right the groomers only went out once a week and it was an all day ride to mass city and back......moguls were just part of riding back then. Never had to worry about traffic...and trespassing ya just didn't do it...you'd get shot.
 
B

bonnevier

Member
I got started in the early to mid 80's when I was 7 or 8.
Mostly near our 2nd home by Big Powederhorn Ski Area in Ironwood/Bessemer, MI
Would ride with the parents most of the day and fall asleep on the sled!
A few day trips in the Chicago area to the I&M Canal area was fun when we had snow.

Otherwise, got back on the kick after college hitting up Tomahawk, WI a few years before making the Lake Gogebic area our home base....and now it is just a guys trip!
 
P

Pizza Man

New member
December 1978 new Yamaha SRX Mohawk, Mi. White House Motel.
We went there every year thereafter until 1982 when we switched to-
December 1982 new Yamaha SRV Munising, Mi. Hillcrest Motel (Rick, my good freind RIP)
We have been going there between 6 and 8 times a year ever since. ( stay at the Super 8)
 
M

MOTOSKI

Member
1971 would put a hundreds of miles on going round a fourty acre field on a 1971 moto-ski
 
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legend02

legend02

Active member
1989 riding a 1988 skidoo mx , staying in Three Lakes for Derby Weekend, low snow conditions so we trailered to Watersmeet Mobil and rode west to Gogebic , up the lake to Bergland from the root cellars, Bruces Crossing and back to Watersmeet, was hooked after that.
 
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S

Skylar

Super Moderator
Staff member
Nov 31st/Dec 1st 1991, Ontatobagon. 18" of fresh snow, one 1986 Cougar, one 1988 Cougar, a 1991 EXT, and a brand new 1992 Polaris RXL. What a blast! :) 4 buds in a Ford Econoline 150 van, and a home made 4 place trailer.
 
L

lvr1000

New member
Don't remember the year but stayed at a motor inn (Holiday) in Houghton. I had a '79 SRX, wife had a '78 el tigre. Rode to Copper, broke a spring, very long ride back! Luckily I had a spare sled, '79 Exciter. OHHH, I got a shooting pain in my back just thinking about it. 100 miles was a long all day ordeal, now got that in by lunch.
 
S

simonsr1

New member
not the UP but, 1991, minoqua, wi. christmas/newyears week, riding 1981 eltige6000, I think I bounced off every tree that trip, spent newyears eve at the thirsty whale, dont remember too much from that night. spent the drive home to chicago puking in a garbage bag, ah good times:)

2nd trip - calumet michigan january 1992, parents retired - just moved up there
 
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C

coldbear

New member
Winter of 79-80

Year after the blizzard. 1980 9500 SD/ wife had a 4500 SS. Stayed at Fanny Hoe for the week. Rode down to Slims for lunch everyday and back. A bruttle trip in those days, as mother nature forgot to turn on her snowmaker.Saw my first Tucker Groomer{Gabriele} and thought I'd died and gone to heaven! They actually were grooming trails for us? How nice of them. Been hitting the UP ever since..except last year when I was hospitalized for a broken Siatic nerve. Just something else to p%ss me off!
 
N

nhra1000

Member
86 staying in Ewen at some place...only thing I remember is that a county cop owned it or his mother owned it? There was a little place to eat next door....riding a John Deere 300...Pretty much went as far as we could until someone broke down...Took beer with us and stopped every 5 miles for one...Would finally get to a bar...drink for a few hours..grab a six pack each and head back. Pretty much a full day...Id be surprised if we did 100 miles in a week. The next year we went to Bergland and kept going there for many years...Stayed at the Timbers. The whole group bought new sleds in 89 I believe Once we had the new sleds we got more seroius about putting some miles on. We would spend 7 days in the UP and the other 3 in St germain. Once we got to St germain id be surprised if we put 5 miles on in those 3 days. Always good times.
 
dfattack

dfattack

Well-known member
1982 Iron Mountain, MI (actually Spread Eagle, WI across the river) renting 1976 or 1977 ski-doo TNT's (340 & 440). I remember liking the 340 since I could go almost as fast but it was lighter and more fun.

first new sled was a 1983 Yamaha SS440 and rode for two years. Like them because you didn't have to mix the gas and oil and they were fast. Remember thinking when I hit 70 the first time how fast that was. Come a long way since then.

Then...went to school, found a wife, then kids, starting working, not enough money...some of you know the story. No riding till 2002. Ouch. Kids are older, business is almost on auto pilot. Doing good, so I bought a 2003 Yamaha viper and vmax and starting my first trips venturing up throughout the UP and think after this season have been almost everywhere from Grand Marais, to Big Bay, to Copper Harbor, to White Pine and everywhere in between. Love to ride. Love to ride a lot of miles (180+ per day) and when the season is over...can't wait to do it all over again next year. Would love to explore off trail, but don't know anyone who knows where they are going and where we could ride. Not sure I want to spend hours digging out from getting stuck though. Looks tiring...but would definitely like to try.
 
M

milkmaker

New member
In 74 five of us snowmoblied at Newaygo and after that a dozen or more came to Paradise, then Copper Harbor, Curtis for several years then on to Canada for 17 years then back to the UP to Big Bay, Mass City, and Wetmore. This has been a male trip only for a week at a time. The only machines we have are cats and yamahas'. The last 25 years we have rode at least a thousand miles in a week.
 
P

peter

Member
First time to the UP was in Munising 15-16 years ago belived we stayed at Cowls cabins, was riding a mid 80's Indy.
All my riding before that was on the chain o lakes and northern lake county IL. Seems like we had more snow back in those days down here.
 
S

switch07

Member
1969 Johnson Chalenger. Sault ste Marie to Brimley on the grade was an all day ride. Then back on the bay to the Soo. Groomers? No such thing back then. Sometimes we would take an all day ride all the way to Barbeau for fish at the Wigwam restaurant. No marked trails back then, rode rivers, fire lanes and unplowed roads. Alot of people don't know how good we have it now, and how easy it is to lose it by not obeying the rules and pissing off land owners. I don't want to go back like it was back then, but it could happen some day. Ride safe, ride smart.
 
R

racerx_96

New member
1988 (I think).
Boulder Jct, WI. to Marenisco, Lake Gogebic, Bergland, Lake of the Clouds, Silver City. Stayed at BINGO'S!!!
Started day at -20 with the 1981 El Tigre 6000. One trip back and forth across lake (Trout) with new studs and I was suddenly coasting at about 80 mph dead silent. Nice green stripe about 1/2 mile long. Nice set of gouges through the heat exchangers. Dig out the 1986 Cougar and off we go.
I've been going up since and staying in Houghton/Hancock, Marquette, Munising, Ishpeming, Watersmeet, and Land of Lakes (WI and riding North).
 
F

famousguy

New member
1975 was my first trip to the UP. Rode my Allouette Jr Brute on the trails at 7 years old. I think we stayed at Curly's
 
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