hey guys i am planning a trip this winter from escanaba to marquette then on to houghton then back to escanaba looking for hotels on trail which trails are best to take and the spacing between gas stations , dont know if i will need to take extra gas with. any help will be greatly appreciated

From my many years of riding sleds the only reason I ran out of gas is becuse I drove by a station and didn't fill up. There are stations all over to get gas and not have to worry about runin out.

PM'd yo.

Escanaba to Marquette

http://fishweb.com/recreation/snowmobile/trails/cup.html

Marquette to Houghton

http://fishweb.com/recreation/snowmobile/trails/wup.html

I have never been south to Escanaba so I can't comment there... but I will on Marquette to Houghton. If you take Trail 8 west you will find plenty of gas and food along the way. You could take 8 to 109 and then up 3. 109 can be a bit rough on the north end because groomers can't go through. There is a trail (forget the number) that isn't on the above maps that crosses over towards Mass City. That trail is nice and fast for the most part. I made it from Michigamme to Mass City in about 2 hours, getting lost once because I missed the trail when looking for food... and this was about 100 miles or more BUT between 7am and 9am.

You could also take 310 up to Big Bay, 5 to 14 and then 14 to the west. 310 is a very windy and hilly trail so don't expect to make good time. It is fun if groomed but watch out for people cutting turns on the inside. There is gas in Big Bay and food. You could take 14 west to L'anse and then 15 down. I think 15 north is a logging road and a lot of the time not good. I also heard you have to cut across some open water around Chassel but have never been this way so can't confirm. L'anse has gas, Baraga has gas and there is another place in Skanee that I believe has gas.

Your other option would be taking 8 all the way to 3 and then taking 3 straight north. Pretty much all along Trail 8 you will find gas and food every 20 miles minimum. Check out John Dee if you get a chance.. it is a great resource for the UP.