Post your comments and reports about snowmobiling in Newberry and the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

Farmers Almanac is calling for a snowy Great Lakes Winter...

The almanac's 2009 edition, which goes on sale Tuesday, says at least two-thirds of the country can expect colder-than-average temperatures this winter, with only the Far West and Southeast in line for near-normal readings.

''This is going to be catastrophic for millions of people,'' said almanac editor Peter Geiger.

The almanac predicts above-normal snowfall for the Great Lakes and Midwest, especially during January and February, and above-normal precipitation for the Southwest in December and for the Southeast in January and February. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions will likely have an unusually wet or snowy February, the almanac said.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Farmers-Almanac.html

TAKE A CHANCE TO WIN 2008 SKI-DOO MINI-Z-120
The Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Assoc is raffling off a new 2008 Mini-Z as part of a fund raiser during our Annual Fun Run and Rally Jan. 2009 at the Don Dee Lanes in Sault. Ste. Marie Mich. Tickets are $5.00 for 8 chances to win. Not be present to win, but there is lots of fun at out Rally and Fun Run. Email Rod at rdsanford@hotmail.com for tickets or send your check to Sault Ste Marie Snowmobile Assoc. P.O. Box 877, Sault Ste Marie, Mich. 49783..Go to www.sootrails.org and click on forum for more info on the Rally and Fun Run. lic.R93478

General Meeting and Elections Tuesday Oct 14th at 6pm Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Assno. will be having our Monthly General Membership meeting along with the elections for the 08/09 season at the Applebee's on the I75 Buisness spur in Sault Ste Marie, MI.

http://locator.applebees.com/

We will be voting on both the officers and board members that evening. If you'd like to become part of the club, please fill out the application available on line (log onto www.sootrails.org and click forum and come to the meeting. Club members get a discount on dinner

Notice of Proposed Amendment to Bylaws of the
Tahquamenon Area Snowmobile Association
Amendment to the TASA Bylaws
will be voted on January 6, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at the
TASA groomer barn. The amendment is to add
3 director positions. The director positions are in addition to the 5 existing board members.

(The addition of 3 directors is recently mandated by Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth Bureau of Commercial Services. This is being required of various organizations.)

After this change is written into the bylaws, then there will be notice of when the election for three directors will take place. Directors (also known as trustees or managers) are people seated on the executive board and their duties depend on the authority of the board, which is established in the bylaws.

The Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Assoc will be having a Bake and Pie Sale Wed. Dec. 10th at The Central Savings Bank on Bingham Ave in Down Town starting at 9 a.m. till there are gone!!! usually before noon. This is a fund raiser for the Snowmobile Club and you can help us in two ways..1). Bake a pie, any kind of pie, or bake goods and bring them to the Bank on wed Dec 10th in the A.M. or 2). Come on over and buy a pie or bake good. It's for the club, so that we may continue to support the snowmobile community and business by making the trails safe and smooth in town and the 65 miles of trails we groom all winter long
Thanks
www.sootrails.org

Newberry - Eastern U.P. Trail Report - 12/05

Groomer Dan and Groomer Stan will be heading North on # 9 each driving a groomer. We are taking two groomers on this trail because we feel that there could be trees and limbs that need to be taken care of and it is much easier and safer if there are two operators to attend to this. Due to muzzle loading season, we will have to drive the groomers up to 3 mile and groom from there north.

Grand Marais, Seney and Paradise started grooming operations earlier this week. The only one I've heard from since then is Seney. This is what their trail report was 2 days ago;

SENEY, DECEMBER 3, 2008:
The guys are grooming again today packing down the snow to get the base established. There is up to 20" of snow up north they are packing. The swamps close to town are not frozen yet but the water level is low this year so we are hoping for a quick freeze. It looks like they will be logging all season down 43 south towards Germfask and Curtis. It is snowing now and predicted to continue until Friday. Should be seeing some riders up this week-end getting in their first ride of the season. Remember to observe the gates of private property that are closed until after black powder season is over.

A REMINDER; the first couple of grooms are not going to make great trails.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THERE IS AN 11:00 P.M. CURFEW IN THE VILLAGE OF NEWBERRY. (A map of the new reroute of the snowmobile trail around the Village of Newberry can be found at www.tasatrails.com.

Visit Newberry Trails >>>>

I've been updating the trail report for about 8 years and have made many online friends during that time. I want you to know that I will not be running for TASA secretary this spring and TASA is looking for someone to nominate for that position. For the reason behind my decision, just go to www.yooperyarns.com and read the post from December 9, 2008. Thanks

NEWBERRY - EASTERN U.P. TRAIL REPORT - 12/12

12 inches to 30 inches on the ground, 3 inch to 6 inch base

Trail Report: TASA
SNOW ON THE GROUND: 12-30 INCHES
BASE: 3-6 INCHES
TRAIL CONDITIONS: GOOD

JUST A QUICK NOTE THIS A.M TO LET YOU KNOW THAT GROOMER DAN HEADED OUT ON #9 NORTH ABOUT 5:00 A.M. HE STILL HAD TO DRIVE THE GROOMER DOWN THE ROAD TO THREE MILE. HE IS GOING TO TRY TO GET THROUGH TO HOLLAND LAKE. THERE IS A CONCERN ABOUT THE SWAMPY AREA UP THAT WAY AND ALL THE SNOW. THIS AREA WAS NOT GROOMED BEFORE.

PREZ BOB IS GOING TO GROOM AROUND TOWN THIS A.M. WHEN HE RETURNS, GROOMER JEFF WILL BE HEADING OUT ON THE SOUTH TRAIL TOWARDS REXTON AND CUT RIVER.

JUST A COUPLE MORE DAYS TILL WE CAN OPEN THE GATES!!

GRAND MARAIS (as reported by Kay);
Base: 3 to 6"
On the Ground: About 2 Feet or more
Last Groomed: 12/10/08
The weekend is upon us and the snow just keeps on comin'... there's another LES advisory posted calling for another 6 to 9" by tomorrow morning. Yippee Kiyea! The groomers are out every night despite light traffic but packing a base that will last through the season. The trails are remarkable for this early in the season.

WARNING: Areas being shared with logging trucks are #8 West from the Pictured Rocks Visitor Center almost to the Hurricane Truck Trail, Trail #8 East from Airport/Ellen St toward #443, and #8 East on CR-416 and at the Reed and Green Bridge. We cannot groom those sections so watch for trucks and ride off the plowed portion. I may have missed a couple spots, watch for signs!

SENEY TRAIL REPORT (as reported by Diane Reed)
DATE: 12/6/2008
BASE: 2"
PAST 24 Hrs: 2"
CONDITION: Great for early season
The guys are grooming again today continuing to pack down the snow establishing the base. There is up to 26" of snow up north they are packing. 4 miles east of the Bear Trap on trail # 8 we had a beaver dam issue and there is a water hole that is open on the trail, use caution in this area. The swamps close to town are not frozen yet but the water level is low this year so we are hoping for a quick freeze. It looks like they will be logging all season down 43 south towards Germfask and Curtis. It is snowing now and predicted to continue until Friday. Should be seeing some riders up this week-end getting in their first ride of the season. Remember to observe the gates of private property that are closed until after black powder season is over

PARADISE TRAIL REPORT (as reported via their website);
Date: December 5, 2008

Snowfall: 11 inches

Point Trail #452: Good shape

Pine Stump # 8 : Good shape Groomer Gene just got back from grooming today (4:30 p.m.) he said there is lots of snow up on the trail . Just remember logging going on by Crisp Point and Little Lake Habor Ride with caution !!!!!

South Swamp Trail # 8: Closed

Falls Trail #45: Good with little water Still working on .

CURTIS TRAIL INFO FROM NOVEMBER 21(as reported from Chamberlain's)
We have about 10 -12 inches of fresh snow! Due to our trails covering private land, our trails open December 15th. We look forward to a great snow season! Curtis Trail System: Trail 45 to Newberry - Trail 2 to Gould City, Engadine & Naubinway – Trail 43 to Germfask - Our trails are the same as last year. However on some trail maps from last year ... from Trail 2 in Gould City going north to McMillan your map shows the trail number as 455 ... it is now 457 ... there is no difference in the trail, the DNR sent trail #457 signs and that is now the trail number. Sorry for any inconvenience... we just want everyone aware.

A REMINDER; the first couple of grooms are not going to make great trails.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THERE IS AN 11:00 P.M. CURFEW IN THE VILLAGE OF NEWBERRY. (A map of the new reroute of the snowmobile trail around the Village of Newberry can be found at www.tasatrails.com.

Visit Newberry Trails >>>>

St. Ignace area

What a difference 24 hours makes!
Groomer #5 has seen some major trail time over the last few days. She began runs on Saturday morning, and has really not stopped much since, trying to cover the majority of the trail system. Things were leveled out on Saturday, and packed down well during the warm up on Sunday. We did not get hit as hard as other areas with the rain on Sunday, mostly a light drizzle all day - consequently we lost about 1/3 to 1/2 of our base. This however has resulted in a great, hard frozen base to the trail today.

Temps dropped 30+ degrees in about 5 hours last night with a flash freeze of all the roads, and parking lots. All the schools are closed within 50 miles, and with the wind, the bridge is closed to high profiles today too.

Conditions today of course are icy - that is to be expected. Southern trails have 6-8" of hard base, with 12-20" off trail. Northern trails have 10-18" of base, with 16-30" off trail. Cold temps and forecasted snow for almost every day this week should have trails about perfect for this weekend.

The following pictures were taken late Saturday evening just outside of St. Ignace. They still hold true for their appearance. There is tons of snow out there, and this little warm up finally has created a good base that should last us all season.

rc, sorry I haven't been very good about checking the boards this year. I see your post is 7 days old. As far as I know, Newberry stations and food places are open for business on the eve and most stations open on Christmas Day.

Cathy, you will be missed. I usually sled the lower but have looked at your reports and yoopersyarn for guidance. We've chatted on line over the years about conditions and other things. I found you to be full of life and knowledge, you and Dan will be missed. If you guys are in N. Carolina you won't have the snow, so anytime you feel the need for snow, you're my guest in Caddillac!

December 29 - St. Ignace area

Trails look fine. A group of six that rode in from Newberry said that there was water on the trail between Newberry and Trout Lake, but the trails were fairly smooth all the way in. The trail in St. Ignace looks to still have plenty of snow on it, with some icy spots.

Overall, it looks like we lost about half of the snow we originally had, which means that now we have 6-12" of base.

Information provided by the Straits Area Snowmobile Club.

St. Ignace area as of January 1, 2009

Trails are in great shape. A nice firm base, with several inches of softer stuff on top for great riding. Groomers are scheduled to run through the weekend. All of our trails are smooth and flat with no major problems to report. We received 2-4" of new snow today, with the majority along the US-2 area.

Information provided by the Straits Area Snowmobile Club.

NEWBERRY - EASTERN U.P. TRAIL REPORT - 01/04

It must’ve warmed up during the night because it is 20° this morning. It sounded like “sneet” hitting the windows around 4 a.m. but it doesn’t look icy out there.

Lake effect snow showers will take shape tonight into and through Monday. Highs on Monday will only be in the teens and very brisk winds.

Another storm will take aim on the region for late Tuesday continuing through much of Wednesday and even into early Thursday morning. Since this is a slow mover (compared to the faster one moving through today), snow accumulations could be in the 8"-12" range in spots...perhaps even higher locally. (I’LL BELIEVE THAT WHEN IT HAPPENS! Actually, I don’t think we really WANT a foot of snow!)

Even for Thursday afternoon through Saturday, occasional snow remains in the forecast with highs in the middle/upper teens north.

ZEN THOUGHT FOR THE DAY; The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us

Base: 25 inches to 40 inches on the ground, 4 inch to 10 inch base

Trail Report: TASA
1/4/09
SNOW ON THE GROUND: 25 inches to 40 inches
BASE: 4-10 INCHES (varies from place to place)
TRAIL CONDITIONS: good to very good ALMOST excellent!

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE VILLAGE OF NEWBERRY HAS AN 11:00 P.M. CURFEW

#9 North was groomed yesterday/last night and reported to be in good to very good condition. LOTS of snow to the north.

Groomer Dan did # 45 (the Falls trail) yesterday and reported it to be in good shape. Groomer Stan headed right back out on it last night so when he is done it should be in VERY good shape. There was a LOT of sleds on the trail during the daylight hours yesterday. TASA still has a “dead groomer…the machine, not the operator!” on trail # 9 someplace around Skyline (where the logging is going on). HOPEFULLY we will be able to get it out of there today. GROOMER DAN WILL BE HEADING OUT WITH A GROOMER ABOUT 8:30 THIS MORNING. PREZ BOB IS GOING IN ON THE TRAIL WITH HIS TRUCK. WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE DEAD MACHINE STARTED AND OFF THE TRAIL. In the meantime PLEASE use EXTREME caution!

#9 south to Rexton and Cut River was groomed two nights ago and is in good shape. Once we can get the other machine off the Falls trail, we will be back out on this trail.

GRAND MARAIS (as reported by Kay);
Base: 2 to 12" or more
On the Ground: 20 to 39 Inches
Last Groomed: 1/2/09
Current Trail Conditions: Good to Very Good; Some Icy corners!
1/3 - I ran #8 from the barn out to the western junction of #8 and #89 then back to #888, then #88 all the way over to #443 and south to the junction with Seney and back to the barn.. Chuck went east on #8 almost to rainbow lodge and reported no problems. I passed Teddy on the way in as he was headed out to the lakeshore #89, the rest of #8 west, and the last section of #88 from Adams Trail to #43. Overall, I'd say the trails are in Good to Very Good shape. After tonight's grooms, they should be excellent.

WARNING: Other Areas being shared with logging trucks are Trail #8 East from Airport/Ellen St toward #443, the north end of #443, #8 East on Old Seney Road, and CR-416. We cannot groom those sections so watch for trucks and ride off the plowed portion. I may have missed a couple spots, watch for signs!

Seney Trail Report: AS REPORTED BY DIANE REED
DATE: 1/2/2008
BASE: 2-8"
PAST 24 Hrs: 8-10"
CONDITION: very good to excellent
8-10" of snow since yesterday and still coming down hard. I can't even see all the way down the street. We are grooming every day and the trails are in great shape. Haven't seen these conditions for the holidays in a long time

PARADISE TRAIL REPORT (as reported via their website);
Date: January 3, 2009
Point Trail# 452: Groomer Woody is out this morning and said it almost at great shape
Falls Trail #45: Groomer Ben said it is in good shape
Pine Stump# 8: Groomer Gene said it is flat. nice riding. They will be having the dog races the 10 of january so their will be a detour around them for the weekend so ride with caution.
South Swamp#8: Groomer Mike went through the swamp and said it has water holes and will work on this agian saturday they are trying hard to get it froze.
Raco /Hulbert #8: is in good shape

Curtis Michigan Trail Report:
DATE: December 29, 2008
BASE:
PAST 24 Hrs: cold, snow and windy
CONDITION: fair and getting better
Cold again with snow and high winds. Our guys went out today and fixed and filled the holes from the rainy weather. They are now out tonight and grooming our trails ... the trails are getting back into shape! ...better everyday! Curtis Trail System: Trail 45 to Newberry - Trail 2 to Gould City, Engadine & Naubinway – Trail 43 to Germfask - Our trails are the same as last year.

Visit Newberry Trails >>>>

St. Ignace and surrounding area as of January 14, 2009

Trails really can't get much better then they are. Everything is wide, smooth, and flat. It is very very cold this week; the snow dust is rather bad.

We have a very hard ice base, covered with about 6" of workable snow. We have received a couple of inches of new snow over the week which has kept things looking nice.

Both groomers are running with no major problems to report. There is logging North of Brevort on the Carp River Truck Trail, (#470) towards Trout Lake. They are plowing the trail in this area, and it is perfectly ridable, but has lower snow, and is more icy. The groomer is trying to pull some snow in along there, but the banks are frozen very hard.

Time to start making your Valentines weekend plans. February 14th the Straits Area Snowmobile Club is hosting our annual Fun Run - dubbed the Bent Ski Classic. This is not a normal poker run. You will have to figure out where to go and what to do next to complete this fun-filled and family journey across our 101 miles of trail. Stop and meet club members and a groomer at the mid-day trail stop. There will be a fire to warm up, free hot dogs, hot chocolate and coffee. You can even see how loud your sled is with a decibel meter on-site. Beginning between 8 and 11 am at the Driftwood Bar in St. Ignace, and ending with an included spaghetti dinner at the VFW, it surely will be a great time for all! More information will be posted in the coming weeks, so be on the lookout!

Information provided by the Straits Area Snowmobile Club

RALLY AND FUN RUN

SAULT STE. MARIE SNOWMOBILE ASSCO. RALLY AND FUN RUN
INFO FOR 2009 RALLY COMING SOON JAN 30-31, 2009
So what is the Sault Ste. Marie Rally and Fun Run NOW AT DONDEE LANES!!!!!
. When you come into the DONDEE LANES to register for $25.00, you will get. FUN...FUN...FUN..Call 906-632-3301 or 906-632-3366 or just register at the DONDEE LANES, Friday JAN30, 2009, between noon and 7pm or Sat. JAN31, 2009 8am to 10am
CLICK HERE TO GO TO SAULT STE. MARIE SNOWMOBILE ASSOC. RALLY BROCHURE
http://www.sootrails.org/id4.html LOOK ON THE BOTTOM LEFT OF LINKED PAGE

St. Ignace area, as of January 29, 2009

Trails continue to be in excellent condition. We have a great base, and have added several inches of fresh powder on top of that today. Off trail still has tons of deep snow to discover - don't be afraid to get off trail and discover some deep snow riding. Our entire trail system was groomed Wednesday, with another full system scheduled either late Thursday, or Friday. The weekend temps are forecasted to be in the mid 20s, perfect for riding. Things are about perfect here - time to head UP and run some wide, flat and FUN trails!

Groomer #6 is still in Big Rapids for repair - they have now got the factory reps involved as they can not explain the broken bolt problem. Still no ETA on when we will get it back.

New Stop Signs: We have had a few problems at private drives this season. Although they are being groomed properly, and are signed according to the DNR handbook, people are just blowing right through them. We have had a little problem with that in the past, but this season is unacceptable. Consequently, we are upgrading some crossing with Yield, to full Stop signs. This has already been done on one drive near Trout Lake, and a few more will be done in the coming weeks. Just be aware of this when riding in our area. Yield does not mean just crack the throttle, you are supposed to be slow enough to actually yield to something in the area!

Logging Info: There is logging North of Brevort on the Carp River Truck Trail, (#470) towards Trout Lake. They are plowing the trail in this area, and it is perfectly rideable, but has lower snow, and is more icy.

Grooming info: Remember, we are running only one groomer to cover our entire 101 miles of trail, so expect to see daytime grooming around here. When the groomer goes out, a full run take around 20 hours. Generally we are covering the entire system every 2 days during the week, and trying to cover the whole thing each day on the weekend. Kudos to the volunteers who are doing extra coordination to swap seats out on the trail so the machine can keep running, they have been working together quite well to make this situation as good as it can be.

Information provided by the Straits Area Snowmobile Club.

The Sault Ste Marie Snowmobile Assoc will be sponsoring a snowmobile RADAR RUN on Feb 14th, 2009 on trail #49( south of the Soo ) and 6 mile rd. from 10am till 3-4pm..The run will be just under a 1/4 MILE with plenty of shut down room..Hot dogs and cocca will be available...Come and run what you got...it's fun Go to www.sootrails.org and click on events

Base: 6 to 12" or more
On the Ground: 39 to 59 Inches
Last Groomed: Last Night
Current Trail Conditions: Perfect! Awesome! WOW!
Once Again, the trails remain in great shape. We are getting more traffic out there and several inches of fresh snow almost every day. By the time the groomers head out, you've got our work cut out for us. Norm and Chris had the opportunity to run a John Deere groomer this week on our trails. Aside from fuel capacity and weight, they were impressed. Of course, Norm really put her to the test breaking a fresh trail, got her good and stuck, and called in a Tucker to the rescue! One tug and he was free to continue on.

Cabin Fever in Grand Marais will be on Valentines Day this year with plans for a snowmobile poker run, cardboard sled races, a chili cook-off and more fun events throughout the day with a Valentine's Sock Hop in the evening. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun! Check it out at www.grandmaraismichigan.com.

Then the UP200 Sled Dog Championship returns on February 21st. We've had a lot of snowmobilers come just to check out the dog sled races. Grand Marais is the mid-point of the race where you have a chance to visit with the mushers, see these awe inspiring dogs and their dedication to the race, enjoy some nice hot soup and goodies, and learn what this is all about at the Community Center in Grand Marais. The snowmobile trail runs right along side the dog track as they approach the gate where you can get a birds eye view as they finish. Remember, the dogs do not use snowmobile trails but they do cross at several points. The crossings are well marked and manned. Just be alert and be ready to watch these amazing people run 10 or 12 dogs attached to a wooden sled for over 200 miles of wilderness, with only the supplies that they can carry.

Reminder - Trail #443 is CLOSED to snowmobile traffic between Trail #88 and Trail #8 for the season - Easily noticeable signs are posted with detour information. I saw a lot of tracks still going right on by the signs. Please, do not go onto #443 and watch for logging trucks where the trails cross roads. I saw the tail lights of one as I came up to the Old Seney Road on Trail #88 around midnight and again on M-77 even later. They are hauling around the clock! Detour using Trail #88 to Trail #888 to go north or Trail #8 to #888 to go south. Other Areas being shared with logging trucks are Trail #8 East from Airport/Ellen St toward #443, and #8 East on Old Seney Road for a short distance. We cannot groom those sections so watch for trucks and ride off the plowed portion wherever possible. I may have missed a couple spots, watch for signs!

As Always, Don't Drink and Ride, and Never Ride Alone,

Kay

Sault Ste. Marie Trail Report
Sault Snowmobile Association
Base: 6 inches
Snowfall Past 24 hours: 0 inches
Last Grooming: last night & today
Current Trail Conditions: Good to Excellent

Trails were in great shape going into the weekend but the warm temps Sat/Sun made them hard to keep smooth during the day. It was back down to the teens last night so they are back in great shape today.

Sault Ste. Marie to Brimley, Trail #8 -

Base 4-8 inches -Trail is in Outstanding Condition. When crossing the bridge in Brimley make sure you go with flow of traffic and when in town itself. Watch for skiers at the trail crossings.

Brimley to Raco, Trail #8 -

Base 4-10 inches -Trail is in Excellent Condition. Drifting taking place in the open areas with the fresh snow

Raco to Naomikong [where Paradise meets us], Trail #8 -

Base 6-14 inches - Trail is in Outstanding Condition with many, many, many, inches of fresh deep snow off the trail in the woods and on the forest service roads. The wind is still making drifts in any open areas.

Sault Ste. Marie City Trail, Trails #497, #449, parts of #8 & #49 -

Base 1-5 inches - Trail is in Good to Excellent Condition. Trail in good shape at the new Super Wal-Mart construction site. It will be that way all winter as they continue to build the store. Watch for truck traffic and fresh piles of moved dirt!

City curfew is from 1am - 6 am. Remember most City streets are open to traffic 20mph, stop at all intersections, and right hand side of street not on side walks. Watch for closed streets that are posted, mainly around the hospital, university, and state trunk lines.

Sault Ste. Marie to Kinross, Trail #49 -

Base 2-8 inches - Trail is in Excellent Condition. When the trail is running along roads make sure you go with the flow of traffic on the right side of the road.

The Downtown Trail is OPEN and in use. The trail is the only place on Portage Ave. where sleds are legal to ride.

Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association

St. Ignace area as of February 9, 2009

Warm and soft described last Friday and Saturday. A heavy light mist was in the air all day Sat, but no major rain. Yes we did loose some snow, maybe 8" or so, but it did not hurt riding much at all. The only problem it has presented is a couple small spots on the town trail are really dirty, or down to pavement. You have about 2 blocks of that to contend with; other than that everything is good to go. While things were warm, we did get the groomers out to get things flattened out - things should have refrozen nice and smooth. And yes, Dave did get the groomer stuck north of Moran, but Jimmy D was able to help him get it out OK.

Weather this morning is at 24d and forecasted to stay below freezing all day. In spite of the doom and gloom forecast, things should be just fine around here for the coming weekend. We are supposed to get warm on Tuesday and stay that way until Wednesday night, when a light rain is supposed to turn back to snow. Downstate is forecasted to be above freezing almost all week, but things should be cooler here. I will give regular updates on conditions to help you would with this weekends riding decisions.

Logging Info: There is logging North of Brevort on the Carp River Truck Trail, (#470) towards Trout Lake. They are plowing the trail in this area, and it is perfectly ridable, but has lower snow, and is more icy. With any warm weather this may be a trouble spot. I will report on it as much as I can.

two great events at the same weekend in the Soo Sat Feb 21
Mike bertram memorial fun run
http://www.sootrails.freeforums.org/bertram-memorila-run-feb-21-2009-t36.html
and the Soo Radar Run sat feb 21
http://www.sootrails.freeforums.org/radar-runs-for-2009-t12.html

www.sootrails.org click forum then events

As of February 23, 2009, St. Ignace Area

Trails are in really good shape. In fact excellent. It snowed hard with blizzard conditions all day Saturday. Added between 4 and 6 inches. Off trail is getting there, but still really hard under a thin layer of soft stuff. The trails have a smooth hard frozen base, with workable snow on top – near perfect! The groomers have it all flattened out and good to go.

The town trail up last night. Things are rather thin along US-2, but the rest of the town trails are good to go, with maybe a short section of pavement, if the sun gets to the blacktop real bad. The rest of the trails are in good shape. You may find just a little ice in the tightest corners, and we are still pulling in some snow along the previous section that was plowed for logging, but the weekend snow has that just about fixed.

Information provided by the Straits Area Snowmobile Club.

Newberry - Eastern U.P. Trail Report - 02/28

WINTER IS STILL HERE AND JACK FROST IS HERE TOO. It is more like DEEEEEEP FREEZE.

Currently we are at -12°
.the last day of February. I think March is going to come in like a lion. It isn’t supposed to be very warm today, but I think we might see some sun. We did get another 5-10” Thursday night/Friday a.m.

Not much changes for tomorrow. Mostly sunny skies with highs back in the teens and twenties are the forecast. Some light lake effect snow showers hang around but they will be light. Less than 1 inch of new snow is possible.

Some clouds move back in Monday and along with them will be a few snow showers. Accumulations stay light again with less than an inch likely. Highs warm to a range of 18-25 degrees.

The mercury keeps warming through the week with highs topping out Thursday. You will see readings in the 30's. YES!!!!

With all of that said, I'm sure there are still plenty of lodging opportunities in Newberry. I CAN say FOR SURE that we, Clementz's Northcountry Campground and Cabins have openings for this weekend. I'm guessing that other supporters of this site do too; check out Halfway Lake Resort, the Gateway Motel, The Evening Star and the Comfort Inn.

CURRENT TRAIL CONDITIONS:
TASA
2/28/09 7:30 a.m.
SNOW ON THE GROUND: 30 inches to 50 inches
BASE: 6-10 INCHES (varies from place to place).
TRAIL CONDITIONS: GOOD TO VERY GOOD

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE VILLAGE OF NEWBERRY HAS AN 11:00 P.M. CURFEW.

HEADS UP!!! TASA GROOMERS WILL BE SEEN ON THE TRAILS DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PLEASE LET YOUR GUESTS AND FELLOW RIDERS KNOW! WE ARE GROOMING 3 TRAILS WITH ONLY TWO MACHINES. WATCH FOR DEER ALONG THE TRAILS; ESPECIALLY SOUTH TRAILS.

TODAY IS THE GROOMER WORKSHOP IN THE SOO SO I CAN’T GET A DETAILED TRAIL REPORT FROM PREZ BOB, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THE FOLLOWING


#9 North has been groomed and is good to very good.

#45 to the Falls was groomed last night and is in good shape.

#9 South to Rexton, Cut River and Trout Lake is being groomed. Also Groomer Dan left at 3:00 a.m. (WITH THE # 9 GROOMER) to groom the trails around town and then as far south as Rexton. Groomer Jeff will be grooming the rest of # 9.

And just a reminder about the logging going on between Rexton and Trout Lake
when it warms up enough and that 2 mile stretch starts to get a little “iffy”, DO NOT HOP ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS TO GET AROUND IT! You will just have to deal with the sloppiness of that stretch when it happens
.and it won’t happen for a while.



GRAND MARAIS (as reported by Kay);
Base: 2 to 12" or more
On the Ground: 20 to 54.5 Inches
Last Groomed: Every night, weather permitting
Current Trail Conditions: Good to Excellent
2/27 - This latest storm brought lots of drifting and anywhere from 6 to 8.5 inches of fresh snow. Blizzard conditions are expected into this afternoon with frequent whiteouts so if you are heading out, keep enough distance between you and the guy ahead of you. Dress in layers and be prepared for extreme cold

Seney Trail Report: AS REPORTED BY DIANE REED
2/27/09
5-8" in town over night and up to 10" up north. The bare spots in the swamp are covered again but they do have ice underneath the powder. Once out of the swamp the trails are awesome. It'll be a good weekend to ride.

PARADISE TRAIL REPORT (as reported via their website);
Falls trail # 45 :Groomer Dave said the falls turned out real good.
Point trail# 452: Groomer Woody reported the point is in good shape
Pine Stump # 8 : Groomer Mike said the trail is in good shape with plenty of snow.
South Swamp #8 : Groomer Bob said in good shape with no water holes in sight.
Raco/Hulber #8: Still in good shape.


Curtis Michigan Trail Report:
DATE: February 27, 2009
BASE: 8 inches
PAST 24 Hrs: 7 - 8" of new snow and high winds
CONDITION: Excellent near the trail. Also keep in mind near Naubinway you are likely to see deer. Trail 43 to Germfask – Excellent
We received about 7 - 8 inches of new snow last night and now some extreme winds! The trails are great and are being groomed daily!! Come enjoy the ride!! Curtis Trail System: Trail 45 to Newberry - Excellent Trail 2 to Gould City, Engadine & Naubinway – Excellent. Just east of town between Lilac Lane and Sandtown Rd. there is a stretch of about 1 1/2 miles where they are logging. The area is signed and about 1/2 mile of it is very rough with equipment near the trail. Also keep in mind near Naubinway you are likely to see deer. Trail 43 to Germfask - Excellent.