Carried over from HCS

 

From Kane Lake 20 miles north of Two Harbors, nothing's groomed but the forest roads are mint and ditches are pretty decent.  Rode 46 arm pumping miles today. The Yukon swamps were a workout.

Going to try the trails around Silver Bay this weekend.  Sounds like a shot of snow Thursday, just enough to keep the sleds cool.  Saturday's high might not be above freezing.  Gonna be a chilly one!

@Fireball 440 How was the Yukon holding up?

56 minutes ago, teamgreen02 said:

Going to try the trails around Silver Bay this weekend.  Sounds like a shot of snow Thursday, just enough to keep the sleds cool.  Saturday's high might not be above freezing.  Gonna be a chilly one!

@Fireball 440 How was the Yukon holding up?

I last rode on it before it was groomed.  There is plenty of snow everywhere for cooling.  

The pic above is the Yukon.

Going to be -30 windchills this weekend, I'm staying in.

Edited February 3, 20214 yr by Fireball 440

Couple inches of lake effect on the north shore yesterday.

Here we are, trails look mint on the north shore but there's this...

Best trails of the entire season today.  Woke up to low single digits and winds gusting over 40 mph.  Ended up getting on 202 miles with @X2700. 

Rode from Tofte and took the state trail south.  It was groomed last night and we got to make the first tracks.  Splash of gas in Finland and then down the state trail towards Two Harbors.  Snow it a little thinner down that way but still good.  Went down to the Rustic Inn for some coffee, chili, and wild rice soup to warm up.

After lunch we boogied up the state trail in record time.  Got to the turnoff for the Tomahawk and Trestle but we thought we would try something new.  Headed further up the state trail and had dinner at Cascade Lodge.  The place was empty but we were early for dinner.

After dinner we hit a few of the Lutsen trails.  The upper ones had plenty of snow but a lot less closer to the lake.

Making a run up the gunflint tomorrow to Hungry Jack.  State trail will be groomed again tonight.  Gunflint will be groomed tonight as well.  Expressway was done yesterday.

 

https://www.relive.cc/view/vRO7ndmQ4yv

Last night's groom of the Yukon.  Cool link.

The real hero's.

Edited February 6, 20214 yr by Fireball 440

9 minutes ago, Fireball 440 said:

https://www.relive.cc/view/vRO7ndmQ4yv

Last night's groom of the Yukon.  Cool link.

The real hero's.

That is a cool link. We are sitting at the cabin thinking about going for a ride.

Well one thing led to another and ...  Time for an overhaul.

Another 135 on today. Ran from Tofte to Hungry Jack.  We stopped at Skyport around 10 am.  They said the kitchen wasn't open but that was fine, I was there for coffee.  They had just ran out of fuel. Went through 1000 gallons in 2.5 days.  $4.50 a gallon.

Took the G up to Hungry Jack from there.  Good lunch and then back down the X.  Cook County trailed are "groomed" but still rough. They started grooming so late it will be another couple weeks before they get things straightened out.

@Zambroski Post up d-rail's Brisk Pace ride dates.

3 hours ago, Fireball 440 said:

@Zambroski Post up d-rail's Brisk Pace ride dates.

Just sent him a text.

4 hours ago, Fireball 440 said:

@Zambroski Post up d-rail's Brisk Pace ride dates.

He’s got nothing scheduled yet plus, he crashed his shit.

56 minutes ago, Zambroski said:

He’s got nothing scheduled yet plus, he crashed his shit.

Oh no!

Hope he's alright.

Thought he had Timebomb as a backup?

1 hour ago, Fireball 440 said:

Oh no!

Hope he's alright.

Thought he had Timebomb as a backup?

 

First post on here...  I'm still on HCS, just breezing in to see how things are going over here.  I was hoping to have had a couple dates for a Brisk Pace ride, but with the crummy trails and late start to the season (Boy did we get a great season in last year, or what?!?!), I have been reluctant to confirm a specific date. We did ride in the Portage a couple weeks ago, and those trails are/were about as good as they come. So, we will prolly have one of those late season rides up there.  I'm anticipating on getting my new sled (the old "Timebomb" is long since passed, but do have my crusty steed Fusion as a last ditch ride) this week. I'm adding my accessories from the "old" 2019 to this new one, giver a few days of break-in, and I'll get some first hand time out on the trails again.  Maybe the first weekend in March, I'll see if the dates work for some of the guys, and we'll get  a couple solid riding groups together. 

Welcome aboard @D-rail 

10 hours ago, D-rail said:

First post on here...  I'm still on HCS, just breezing in to see how things are going over here.  I was hoping to have had a couple dates for a Brisk Pace ride, but with the crummy trails and late start to the season (Boy did we get a great season in last year, or what?!?!), I have been reluctant to confirm a specific date. We did ride in the Portage a couple weeks ago, and those trails are/were about as good as they come. So, we will prolly have one of those late season rides up there.  I'm anticipating on getting my new sled (the old "Timebomb" is long since passed, but do have my crusty steed Fusion as a last ditch ride) this week. I'm adding my accessories from the "old" 2019 to this new one, giver a few days of break-in, and I'll get some first hand time out on the trails again.  Maybe the first weekend in March, I'll see if the dates work for some of the guys, and we'll get  a couple solid riding groups together. 

Welcome to the crazy house! 

 

I'm 2strokejoke on hcs now.

Just went for a short 15 mile rip. It's cold -14 degrees but the Yukon looks great! 

Trying out some new Gordini gortex gloves  from Northwest Outfitters and they're comfy and I can feel the hand warmers cooking the inside but my fingers are freezing, no wind protection on these gloves. $60 gloves on sale for $35, no good for cold weather snowmobiling.

VSC sled raffle was today.  Wasn't me but was a 218'er.

67 miles riding from home in Two Harbors. Trails are good some thin spots between Pequaywan Trail and VSC Headquarters on the NSST. Good amount of traffic. One poor soul on a SB600 threw a rod right in front of me. He just bought the sled, first ride.

Stopped for a pic at the very first official "brisk pace" meeting spot".  I think I put that sticker there in 2013?

@Zambroski

@D-rail

Edited February 21, 20214 yr by Fireball 440

8 minutes ago, Fireball 440 said:

67 miles riding from home in Two Harbors. Trails are good some thin spots between Pequaywan Trail and VSC Headquarters on the NSST. Good amount of traffic. One poor soul on a SB600 threw a rod right in front of me. He just bought the sled, first ride.

Stopped for a pic at the very first official "brisk pace" meeting spot".  I think I put that sticker there in 2013?

@Zambroski

@D-rail

Yep.  Talked to a buddy yesterday that said trails are thin in places but riding is good right out of Duluth.  I hate you both.

21 minutes ago, Zambroski said:

Yep.  Talked to a buddy yesterday that said trails are thin in places but riding is good right out of Duluth.  I hate you both.

I am going to my mom's for dinner and I'm thinking about another ride this evening, don't work till noon tomorrow have the trails to myself and the groomers.

There were 2 sleds parked at Blackwoods and I just rode the trail through town from the hotels (Culvers) to Blackwoods to Holiday East and today or tomorrow might be the end of Blackwoods trail access unless you really like pavement.  I really wish there was a better way to get from behind the Recycle Center/Leroy's Repair past the CN RR bridge.  Years ago there was a trail that crossed the tracks further back but was on RR property so it closed.  I hate seeing people riding down the damn sidewalk.  And people don't realize that you can cross Hwy 61/7th ave by the RR bridge by driving under the highway through the culvert, this trail takes you behind Super One and north to CSAH 26 crossing, connect to East Corridor Trail at Lake County Fairgrounds.

Went for a night ride after work today.  Unloaded at the VSC Headquarters and rode the Yukon north to the Hoyt Lakes cutoff, turned around, came down the Yukon Spur and NSST back to VSC.

The Yukon South of Forest Hwy 11 is bumpy with a few thin spots, Yukon North is flat and fast as usual.

State Trail is in better shape but still has bumps and thin spots, Yukon Spur Trail was in the best shape of the 3.

2 hours riding covered 65 miles in 4.7 gallons of gas - 13.8 MPG.  Non-ethanol 91 is $3.39 at VSC.

Today hit 38 degrees and it was above freezing during my whole ride, it just now dropped below 32.  The sun beating down really killed some of the corners today, expect more of the same tomorrow.

We need another foot of snow on the trails.

Trail Update:

The Yukon has been groomed this week however with warm temps and no snow, it is in poor condition. And will not be groomed a second time this week due to temps and lack of snow.

The Dixie Spur (trail leaving from club house) will be groomed if temperatures drop, but will likely be in poor condition as well.

Corridor Trails ( town access trails to state trail) all grooming is suspended until more snow falls. The Corridor has several bare spots and is in poor condition as well.

This isn’t the report we were hoping for, we had heavy sled traffic last weekend and very warm temps this week.

for snow