Update 1/28/18 AM
Report 1/25/18
Although I knew I wasn’t going to pull big miles this week, I didn’t want to get skunked either. So, I did some recon Thursday afternoon.
Ended up being only 3.5 miles. It wasn’t because the trails were shot, but it was because the trails were as hard as a brick with nearly no loose granular for cooling, lube and steering.
The inch of snow we got Wednesday morning was nothing more than air-fluff which got blown off the trails by the wind and light snowmobile traffic.
Bear Trap Swamp was mainly rough ice:
And, believe it or not, I saw fresh groomer tracks originating at S85/Ski Hut trail pressing down to Bear Trap Swamp, crossing Route 28/30 then continuing on C8 toward the former Arctic Cat Dealership.
I didn’t press further than the junction of C8 and S84 because I wasn’t in the mood to smoke my slides or trip the overheat lamp. When I stopped, I did smell the sled getting a bit warm under the collar, so I turned tail and headed back to the compound.
Looking at the glass half-full, the base is well-intact and pretty flat where the groomer did go through:
Bottom line
You can glide your snowmobile over what we got here, with studs and ice-scratchers being definite assets on the trail. Snow pack is generally 6-12+ inches around Indian Lake, although the exposed areas hold less snow cover.
Lakes are a patchwork of glare ice and meager snow cover.
As you work your way through Moose River Plains past Cedar River Headquarters toward Inlet, the may be some actual snow on top of the hard base.
Weekend Outlook
If you have a second home or camp here and spinning off relatively few miles would be a bonus, then you could do OK as weekend traffic and milder temperatures loosen up the trails a bit.
You need to know how and where to pick your battles. If you expect prime mid-winter conditions, you won’t find them here. If you’re alright with finding a mixed-bag of treats, you might be somewhat pleasantly surprised how well the trails have held up against two brutal rains over the past couple of weeks.
My recon was limited, but it should give you somewhat of an idea of what to expect if you choose to make it here this weekend.
Trail C8 Cam
I’m very pleased to unveil my new trail cam on Trail C8 at Mountain Fitness Gym. A big thanks goes to Joanne Gray for hosting the webcam at her gym!
You can see a shot from Thursday afternoon:
Here’s the link to the webcam: www.ilsnow.com/html/trailC8cam.jpg
I have wanted to put the camera up since December. But up until this week, I’ve been snowmobile riding every day off since Christmas.
With a break in the action for me, it was the perfect time to get the camera up.
I hope you enjoy it! It’s another way for me to help you see the snow conditions here in Indian Lake. 🙂
So long for now…
That’s all I got at this point! Whether you come here or stay home this weekend is up to you. I can only give you some recon to help you make the right decision for YOU.
For the ilsnow nation,
Darrin
This report is brought to you by Prospect Point Cottages on Blue Mountain Lake. If you are looking for a quiet and scenic winter getaway, this place is for you with fireplaces, free hot brunch and snowshoes provided. The wintry view of Blue Mountain from across the lake is nothing short of amazing with a fresh mantle of snow!
