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Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:41 am
by kevinj
Well even with the warm up last weekend and some light snow now in the forecast, I am still planning on riding this next Monday. Hopefully the NST and Crystal Falls area out to Sagola is still in decent shape. A couple inches of snow due before next Monday. I know trails will get better the further northeast I go as the clipper for tonight/tomorrow looks heavier up towards Gwinn and further east.

Anyone with updated conditions for the NST (Laona to Michigan) and Crystal Falls to Sagola then heading northeast? Crystal Falls said that Trail 2 between Steger Junction and Trail 116 for GY is in poor shape and that it melted down pretty badly.

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 12:03 pm
by snoway
Better hope for a top coat on the NST.
I could only stand it as far as hy O then took another route back.
Clubs can only do so much.....It is ma nature's turn..
....again

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 12:41 pm
by kevinj
Is it just ice and gravel or what? Just looking to keep the sled cool and I run scratchers most of the time. Good thing is we are coming up Sunday morning to run some investigation. An inch tonight/tomorrow and more snow on Saturday might be just in time and just enough.

Would it be better to run LMT 7 north to Laona then SS4 through Cavour instead of the NST? Once I am north of O I don't have a lot of choices.

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 4:20 pm
by snoway
[QUOTE=kevinj;23709]Is it just ice and gravel or what? Just looking to keep the sled cool and I run scratchers most of the time. Good thing is we are coming up Sunday morning to run some investigation. An inch tonight/tomorrow and more snow on Saturday might be just in time and just enough.

Would it be better to run LMT 7 north to Laona then SS4 through Cavour instead of the NST? Once I am north of O I don't have a lot of choices.[/QUOTE]

Some bare gravel and the rest is gravel mixed into the snow/ground ice., cooling wasn't a problem.
LMT7 is good but you don't get on it til past the gravel of the Wabeno horseshoe and will cost you about 20 minutes travel time.
SS4 was marginal with a lot of clicking off rocks and road riding the last mile or 2. IMO not worth the time of the detour....I would just grit out the NST and maybe someone will chime in on conditions north of Hy. O. If yur set on doing it, take bides and tools to swap out....new/newer hyfax before leaving as well.

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 7:41 am
by Jim
We got about 3" of snow overnight, and that should help.

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 9:31 am
by Jim
Looks like about 4" total!

:winterrules:

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 6:30 pm
by snoway
Great news no matter what kind of day ride you have planned!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 10:29 am
by kevinj
We made it with no issues.
Day 1 - Wabeno to Munising...first 150 miles were beautiful. No issues on the NST or through Crystal Falls. Miles 150-180 from Gwinn to Chatham was 30 miles of 2 foot moguls. The group in front of us lost $200 worth of oil that bounced off the sled and exploded on the trail. Miles 181-200 were great coming into Munising.

Day 2 - Guided trip out to and around the bluffs of Grande Island crossing Munising Bay to get to/from. Part two was a ride down to Big Springs near Manistique. 133 mile day. The Grande Island ride was very technical going over, under and around down tress blocking the trail, but well worth it. Our guide was Trevor Case (Facebook: UP North Adventures). Can't say enough about this guy.

Day 3 - Miners Castle, Kingston Plains, and Grande Marais. 152 Miles

Day 4 - Return trip via Marquette (Saw sunrise over lake superior as we got into Marquette) to avoid the Chatham to Gwinn return trip. 225 miles.

Including a 50 mile ride on Super Bowl Sunday, the total trip was 760 for 4.5 days of riding.

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 10:46 am
by Jim
Thank you for the report!