I have rode thousands of miles in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula in the past 15 years but never below that area. Just picked up a new 2015 RZR and figured the wife and I would take a long weekend and ride the MI –TRALE trails that a few of you did earlier. Got up there Sept 26 around 11pm and checked into the casino in Watersmeet. The next morning we thought we would start off with a nice full breakfast before hitting the trails to our final destination the 1st night at Ontonagon. Well after waiting 40 minutes for our breakfast to arrive and only 3 other tables of people (3-4 at each table). I got a little upset and walked out of the casino dining room and asked if there was a café in town. The clerk said yes so we headed into Watersmeet since that was on the route for the day anyway. Well son of a gun if the cafe didn’t close for good a week earlier. Went across the road and got a stale muffin at the gas station. Wasn’t there to eat anyway, we wanted to ride. Fall colors were fantastic, hit it just right. Came to our 1st interesting area within an hour. The trail went right through a pond. My wife was hemming and hawing but I drove right in. Water was over the floor boards but the base was solid so I wasn’t too worried. The temperatures were above normal, around 75 so it wasn’t like I was going to be cold and miserable if I got wet anyway. That comes later in the story. For another 3 hours we just enjoyed the ride and fall colors. We crossed Norwich road and about 3.5 miles after that was a mud hole from hell. Now at this point I should state that my winch was not hooked up yet because since my RZR was a new model and and didn’t have a mount ready for it yet. But I threwa come-a-long in just in case. Well I hit the hole and instantly was buried. Got out to get the come-a-long and proceeded to slip into a nice gooey hole. This mud is nothing like the mud in West Virginia, more like the red clay in Bama and Georgia. Come-a-long was useless. So we started to hike out after calling for help. Met our rescuers 5 minutes after we got to the road. My pride was completely shot. But these guys said they pull people out of that spot all year long and said they enjoy the job. They were ere having a ball while my tail was between my legs. Got through there and headed onto Ontonagon for the night. It was about 7pm when I stopped at a pond and my wife asked “what are we stopping here for”. I told her that the motel we were staying at was less than a 1 star motel but even they wouldn’t allow me in. So if jumped straight into the rather cool, nope it was COLD, pond and washed off as best I could. The next 15 miles was on a paved road and I was shivering the whole way thinking a nice hot shower will help then some warm supper. I got the warm supper but the shower was luke warm at best. I inquired as to the less than hot shower and they said they try and keep costs down by lowering the water temperature. 105 miles that day not including the 3.5 miles hike. Yeah I’ve learned my lesson, well maybe. The next day was another winner, mild temperatures and blue sky. 120 miles back to the casino on different trails than the day before. Arrived 3:15pm and were on the road home by 3:30pm.
Subject: Upper Peninsula ride. 
Mon Oct 06, 2014 6:39 am
