WTF is up with these SxS and Jeeps on the groomed trails?!
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Believe it or not, the legal lines of what is just a snowmobile trail and what isn’t are quite gray in the UP as well.
Wanna get pissed. Join this FB group. There are lots of members who don't care about snowmobiling or that they ruin a nice groomed trail. If it's legal (or sometimes not) they will ride it no matter what.
www.facebook.com
Michigan ATV & ORV Trail Report
This group has been created to bring to the attention of the clubs and groups that receive grant money for the proper maintenance of the trail system to be conscientious of the current conditions so...
www.facebook.com
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This area. We got behind him before ki Sawyer and followed him to little lake headed east.
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Agreed...
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That section is on County Road EXX/Millyard Road.
There is also public land through there, so what is not on a certified county road would be on a forest road on public land. Truck would have been legal.
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Will you agree it's not safe?
Will you agree it's not safe? I ride the arrowhead in Minnesota, Ontario, and Quebec. It is becoming apparent Michigan doesn't need me to ride their trails. My kids make a couple trips a year with me. I damn sure wont put them in this type of situation. This sort of thing doesn't surprise me from a state that has shut down all indoor dining based on public safety but cant make a clear set of rules for trails that commingle incompatible motor sports.
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The problem in Michigan is that a lot of the snowmobile trails run on seasonal country roads, which he DNR and MSA have zero control over. Now the county could make certain roads off limits to wheeled vehicles, but they would still have to allow someone to access their land with a vehicle.
I ride off the north west side of Houghton Lake most of the time.
After reading that face space crap it looks like we could get into some fights on trail this year. I will stick his 30g SxS up his ass if he damages my sled or anyone in my group.
I have a SxS and everyone should have the allotted time to use the equipment. Dec 1 to March 31 they need to stay home or ride down state. They handed out a few tickets during deer season to people not following the rules as well so its time to get them back out n the trail.
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Both MN and WI have snowmobile trails that are designated as open to wheeled vehicles during snowmobile season.
Those are trails that are separate from the town/county roads that their trails share. Similar to MI in many aspects. WI has more overall miles but is also more confusing for the end user because which Trails are open will vary by Club/area. Just to be very clear - not all are open to wheeled vehicles in either of those States, just as not all are open to wheeled vehicles in MI.
Since you mention MN and imply it does not happen there:
Winter Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Riding
Winter takes trails to a whole new technical level for Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) riding! Find your next winter adventure here.
www.dnr.state.mn.us
As for what is safe?
Safe is operating the vehicle in a manner so that all unknown and unexpected hazards can be avoided. Hazards can be downed trees, groomers, large bumps, bridges, disabled sleds, hunters, hikers, wildlife and the list goes on. Put another way, safe is being in control of the machine regardless of what is encountered.
Read last season's snowmobile fatality report:
14 reported deaths.
14 involved speed either directly or indirectly. Several included operating while impaired.
1 involved a car that the sled hit because the sled failed to stop for a stop sign.
9 hit trees.
1 hit another sled.
2 hit too big of a "bump" in the trail and died from the result.
Each year those reports read similarly. The theme is speed and/or booze. Really it's not speed itself, it's lack of control at that speed.
Just to be clear I am not dodging your question:
Based on the information provided, both you and the pickup driver appeared to be operating in a safe manner and if true, then it was "safe".
Your level of enjoyment may have been negatively impacted by that pickup, as his/hers may have been as well.
We lost a trail this year specifically due to fellow sledders who were upset with sharing a road. It was the county road the land owner lived on, and it was the stop sign before his driveway they didn't feel the need to stop at - causing an unsafe situation with the landowner as he left his driveway. And it was the same landowner that became tired of our fellow sledders leaving beer cans (landowner quote) and other trash on his property that the trail had been privileged to use. The end result is we no longer have to share that road with him because his property is no longer open to snowmobiles.
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If your encounter was north and west of Houghton Lake on a designated Snowmobile Trail, then the wheeled vehicle was legal to be there.
Exception would be Trail 7 north of 4 Mile Road until it crosses M72, as it skirts along Camp Grayling.
The rest are legal for street licensed vehicles, and also open to ORVs and also part of the Designated ORV System (those snowmobile trails are also ORV Routes).
I know I will sound like a jerk, and I do not mean to, but from what you describe, the only problem with the encounter was that one person was improperly obstructing the other.
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Then next year I will not buy any permits. If I decide to go riding it I will wait til Feb then buy only 1. Tuff to groom trails if No money goes into the fund. Heck, trails will be all torn up anyways.
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Questions for valley : yes or no is all that is required
1: Have you ridden the arrowhead region of Minnesota?
2: Have you ridden northern Ontario, sunbury north?
3: Have you ridden Quebec?
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That former RR Grade on the south side of Dublin is on private property. Public wheeled vehicle access would be illegal any time of the year.
Trail 109 in the UP has a major section lost this year due to wheeled vehicles trespassing on private land in non-snow season.
The sad part for me is all official parties of law enforcement tell snowmobilers not to run on roads that contain automobiles. Which makes perfect sense.
Now we have SxS AND auto's reside on the trails that at ONE time were for snowmobile activites.
Those days are now gone from what I see and presume to be legal.
Time to stop buying permits and supporting a recreational sport that trends to follow where the money is being spent.
Snow is much less than years past and with this, 4 wheel drive what ever vehicles can manuver these trails.
Insure yourself to the hilt and be able to prove who is at fault.
Lawyers will be the winners of this new sport. AS normal now days!
Now we have SxS AND auto's reside on the trails that at ONE time were for snowmobile activites.
Those days are now gone from what I see and presume to be legal.
Time to stop buying permits and supporting a recreational sport that trends to follow where the money is being spent.
Snow is much less than years past and with this, 4 wheel drive what ever vehicles can manuver these trails.
Insure yourself to the hilt and be able to prove who is at fault.
Lawyers will be the winners of this new sport. AS normal now days!
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