I’ve been skunked enough times this winter. I wasn’t letting Tuesday’s opportunity go to waste.
Trucking it up north has been my best strategy for logging miles and smiles in 2023. So, I trucked it to Washington Street parking lot in Tupper Lake for another run at it. We had a fresh dusting to an inch of snow Monday night and sun was breaking loose Tuesday morning.
Heading up
After the half-mile of bumps leaving the parking lot, the old rail-bed on C7 looked inviting!
As I pressed northward, there were chatter bumps much of the way up to Lake Clear. Not the best riding, but certainly “good enough” to keep me at it.
After Charlie’s Inn, C7 was a really nice ride through Rainbow Lake. Along the way, I played around at the airport.
After passing Rainbow Lake, C7 became studdery at times. I decided to run S83 all the way through. The first 4 miles were really enjoyable. The next 4 miles were plowed road riding that I could have done without. Thankfully, the fresh inch of snow permitted me to skate through.
Once S83 became a trail again, there were stretches of really nice riding and some bumpy stuff. This was one of the great spots.
Got to Intersection 21 and ran C8A/Wolf Pond Road over to Standish. Nearly all of that was excellent riding! Once C8A left Wolf Pond Road and narrowed, there were some ruts and bumps but nothing that bad. The half-mile of lumps on scenic trail were amply rewarded with great views at the top.
After hanging out at the top for a while, I doubled back via C8A. With the exception of grubby roadside riding through Mountain View, C7 was an awesome and fast ride through Owls Head. For temperatures approaching 40*F under blistering February sun, you couldn’t ask for better.
Descending into Malone
C7 really thinned out in the downslope to Malone, with bare spots opening up.
Eventually, I was weaving to avoid dirt spots. Was able to negotiate around downtown Malone, but it was skanky and seedy in places – to the point of wondering whether this would even be rideable by the weekend.
After crossing Route 37, the field trail did hold enough snow to make it to Mo’s Pub and Grill for lunch. But there was a hill crest in which I ran out of snow.
The way back
I doubled back around downtown Malone and ran C7 straight up the gut. Bare spots and thin areas had grown from the afternoon sun. With the exception of studders between C8/Meacham Lake exit ramp and Rainbow Lake, it was a really fun run back to Charlie’s Inn.
A couple of large water holes had opened up prior to reaching Charlie’s Inn, on the causeway.
C7 from Lake Clear to Tupper Lake was chattery and occasionally downright studdery. The final miles into Tupper Lake got thin and pebbly with bare areas opening up.
After the half-mile of bumps to Washington Street parking lot, I rolled my sled onto the trailer with 158 miles clicked for the ride.
Apart from the fact snow was melting, the warm and sunny day was quite enjoyable. This ride was definitely worth the effort of trucking my sled to start from Tupper Lake.
Definitely the feel of a mid-March ride instead mid-February. Makes me shudder to think of what this will look like by March 14th. Oh well, I’ll deal with next month’s problem next month. 
This will certainly be my last dance up north until we get another winter hand-out. Wednesday’s ride will be something closer to home, to spin around a bit before I’m riding the pine again.
For the ilsnow nation,
Darrin
This report is brought to you by Village Motorsports in Speculator. Their mission is to offer you the latest in snowmobile parts and products at the best prices, and with unparalleled service. They pledge to make your experience both beneficial and enjoyable. Once you give Village Motorsports a try, you’ll be back for more!
