Lake Gogebic is Michigan's largest inland lake located in the far western end of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  The north half of the lake is in Ontonagon County, Bergland Township, and the Eastern Time zone. The south half of the lake is in Gogebic County, Marenisco Township, and the Central Time zone.  In 13,380 acres of prime fishing water, there are walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, jumbo perch and some whitefish.

This region is also a prime hunting hot spot for deer, bear, small game and birds. Families will enjoy Lake Gogebic's summer water sports, camping, sightseeing and hiking the surrounding timberland. Winter is a "world of its own" with an annual snowfall of nearly 300 inches. Lake Gogebic is situated within a vast snowmobile trail system extending throughout the Upper Peninsula. Cross country ski trails are abundant and five major downhill ski facilities are less than a hour's drive. It is a great place to use snowshoes.

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Lake Gogebic Fishing Reports

Lake Gogebic Lodging

Lake Gogebic Dining

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Lake Gogebic Weather Report

Lake Gogebic, Marenisco, Bergland, Michigan Snowmobiling and Snowmobile Trail Conditions Reports March 2nd, 2017 Well, we have been receiving snow over the last few days, about a 3-inches each day, which should help cushion the trails. Right now we’ve been getting snow squalls off of Lake Superior off and on all day – sunny one minute, white out the next. Groomers will not be going out as we have to deal with some pretty serious wet areas on most of our trails. I know I’ve been hearing that everyone else is grooming all around us, but the thing to remember is that 99% of our trails run through wooded or swampy areas that will have wet areas, where as most of the trails in surrounding areas run on railroad grades and are easy grooming.. For the most part our trails cannot be groomed right now without serious damage to some very expensive groomers. The grooming entity to our west learned that lesson the hard way a few years ago when they had to have a groomer pulled out of a large wet area and it basically was torn apart by the time they got it out. Unfortunately, \the one railroad grade trail we do have (8 east) is so exposed that the high winds have blown most of the snow off, making grooming a non issue. Some riders who stopped in earlier today said they did make it across trail 8 west, although it did have some bad spots. This, however, was early in the day after a near zero night temp. Once we hit the weekend warm up look for this trail to become impassable again. The best option is still our northern most trails, 102, 1 north and 13 north, but keep speeds to a minimum as they will become pretty rough. You can still ride unplowed Forest Service roads – for more info on that you can stop at one of their offices in Watersmeet, Ironwood or Ontonagon. I do believe this will probably be the last weekend for snowmobiling as highs in the 50’s are predicted for Sunday & Monday. I will keep you posted if we have any big weather changes later in the month. Ride safe! . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to:“Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, March 02, 2017 at 12:05:50 (PST) February 28th, 2017 We have cold temps in the forecast until Saturday with some snow predicted throughout the week. However, this weekend is calling for temps in the 40’s for highs. At this time groomers will not be going out anymore due to very wet conditions in many areas. Trail 8 west should be completely avoided as much of it is under water. A large beaver pond has created a large wet area on trail 1 south, south of the Gogebic Lodge. Trail 8 east is somewhat bare to due high winds earlier in the week. Trail 1 north and 13 north are mostly ride able but in rough condition and you should watch out for wet areas that may be opening up. Trail 13 south is also ride able but also may have some wet areas opening up. Unplowed Forest Service roads can still be ridden, you can stop at one of their offices (Watersmeet, Ironwood & Ontonagon) for maps or information. Remember to stay off the highway between JW’s Restaurant and the gas station in Bergland as this is not a trail and you will be ticketed. Unfortunately the long term weather predictions look like this coming weekend may be your last chance to do any snowmobiling in our area this season. Warmer temps and no snow for the first couple of weeks of March will put an end to our trails. I will, however, keep you posted if we get a late season snowstorm in March – those are always fun. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to:“Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, February 28, 2017 at 08:53:25 (PST) February 22th, 2017 At this time our trails are not rideable due to 3 or 4 days of daytime temps reaching into the 50’s along with rain on one of those days and possibly today. There is a winter storm in the forecast for this Friday & Saturday with the possibility of 3 – 5 inches of snow, however this may not be the solution we’re all hoping for as we really need some seriously cold temps to freeze all the wet areas first. I could see from the highway yesterday that trail 8 west is under water at this time. Streams, creeks and swampy areas are open or dangerously close to being open. IF we get 5 inches of snow this weekend you might be able to ride railroad grade trails such as our trail 8 east as well as unplowed Forest Service roads. All we can do at this time is watch and wait. There would be no sense in the groomers trying to go out at this time as there are probably more bare conditions than snow conditions on the trails. That said, I will notify you asap if conditions change. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to:“Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at 10:21:59 (PST) February 19th, 2017 Unfortunately, the weather report is looking very bleak at this point with highs reaching into the 50’s Monday & Tuesday with a chance of rain. However, temps return to more normal levels by the end of this week with reports coming in of a possible snow storm! I have seen it turn around in the past after these kinds of warm ups, so there’s still hope. If you are still planning on riding the trails watch out for icy conditions, especially on corners. Also, watch out for those darn water holes we’ve been fighting with all winter that will have probably opened back up again. Conditions are too warm to even get a groomer out on the trails at night for the next few days so I’m pretty much just going on what snowmobilers are telling me. Obviously, there will be more snow on our trails that run back through the woods where the shade coverage will prevent too much melt off. Otherwise look for some bare conditions on corners and near road ways where salt gets pulled onto the trails. Please stay away from streams, creeks and swampy areas as they will not be safe. If you still plan on coming up contact a Forest Service office in the area for maps to all (UNPLOWED only) Forest Service roads that you can ride. There is an office in Watersmeet, between Ironwood & Bessemer and also in Ontonagon. I’ll keep you updated throughout the week as conditions may change and especially as we get closer to that Friday snow storm we’re all hoping for. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticketed. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side of the roadway, and, as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to:“Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, February 19, 2017 at 10:47:29 (PST) February 15th, 2017 Reports coming in are saying the trails are looking pretty good at this point. Trail 1 south is a little rough coming up from the Wisconsin border as far as Gogebic Lodge where everyone usually gets on the Lake to head north. The same goes for 13 south from trail 2 to Root Cellar. Trails 102, 1 north, 13 north and 8 east are looking very good. Trail 8 west is looking good from what I could see, but remember to stay off of any creeks or rivers along this route as we head into warmer temps again this upcoming weekend. With the exception of Friday, Sunday & Monday the predicted temps look cold enough to groom at night. Tonight & Thursday temps look good for daytime as well as nighttime grooming. Weekend temps are predicted as high as a possible 50 degrees! Unbelievable! Hopefully we’ll be able to get the trails good enough over the next couple of days to last thru this next warm up. That said; expect wet holes to reopen, again, over much of our trail system this weekend. It’s a ways off still, but the forecast is calling for snow every day from February 25th into the beginning of March – so don’t give up on this season yet. Sometimes the best time of the year to ride is in March. If you still plan on coming up contact a Forest Service office in the area for maps to all (UNPLOWED only) Forest Service roads that you can ride. There is an office in Watersmeet, between Ironwood & Bessemer and also in Ontonagon. And hey, why not bring a fishing pole along and try a day of ice fishing on this upcoming free fishing weekend? You'll be able to relax and work on your tan - in the middle of February! As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticketed. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side of the roadway, and, as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to:“Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 09:25:22 (PST) Bad news for this upcoming President's weekend; 40's for highs from Friday thru Tuesday the 21st. The only good news is we're expecting temps to be around normal from Tuesday thru Thursday with chances of some lake effect snow. Nighttime grooming should still be possible (hopefully) thru most of the week with possibly some daytime grooming for a couple of days midweek. Hopefully that will get the trails set up enough to get us thru the next warm spell. That said, expect wet holes to reopen, again, over much of our trail system. Please stay away from any rivers or streams entering Lake Gogebic and surrounding areas. I took a walk down the road from the Hoop to the Merriweather bridge and there's actually open water under the bridge right now! I can only imagine that it will open up even more over this upcoming weekend. This most likely goes for any rivers or creeks in the area along with swampy areas. If you still plan on coming up contact a Forest Service office in the area for maps to all UNPLOWED, only, Forest Service roads that you can ride. There is an office in Watersmeet, between Ironwood & Bessemer and also in Ontonagon. And hey, why not bring a fishing pole along and try a day of ice fishing on this upcoming free fishing weekend? You'll be able to relax and work on your tan - in the middle of February! How often can you say you did that in the U.P. in the middle of February? I'm not going to even comment of upcoming weather past this weekend at this time - I'm crossing my fingers that winter comes to stay at some point. Posted by Carolyn at the Hoop Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, February 13, 2017 at 18:19:32 (PST) February 11th, 2017 I’m really not sure what to say at this point. We still have a good amount of snow and the groomers are out at night, however, the daytime temps are still too warm to groom then. It looks like we’re expected to only have a day or two mid week with normal temps and some snow. Next weekend’s prediction is for temps as high as the 40’s. But as long as the night temps fall below freezing we’ll be able to groom. We’ve had some major traffic this week – I guess everyone that had to postpone their trip from our January warm spell is up now, plus some. From what I’m hearing most people seem to be running the lake so trails 1 south and 13 south seem to be holding up very well…all things considered. Trails 8 west, 8 east, 13 north & 1 north will probably be in rougher shape as they will see the most traffic. Trail 102 should be good. It is what it is – too warm temps, again, and grooming only possible during the night or early morning. For the best ride head out early! As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticketed. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side of the roadway, and, as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to:“Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 11:21:22 (PST) February 7th, 2017 8 – 9 inches of new snow today! Groomers are running all trails daily; however we have been experiencing some pretty heavy traffic for a non-weekend day. Must be the snow storm. We’re expecting some nice cold temps…until the weekend when the predictions are calling for highs in the 30’s. However, night temps should be cold enough for grooming through the weekend. Keep checking back and I’ll keep you updated through the week. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticketed. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side of the roadway, and, as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to:“Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, February 07, 2017 at 15:31:21 (PST) February 5th, 2017 Trails and weather are looking good! We did have a lot of traffic over this last weekend but groomers are all out repairing the damage. We’ve received about 5 inches of new snow since this morning and more is expected through the day and into Monday with a big storm still in the forecast for Tuesday! It’s all good!! I’m not sure, yet, how much snow has made it down to our southern most trails (13 south & 1 south). One of our drivers reported yesterday that the snow was pretty thin from about the south end of the lake southward. The snow belt at the north end of the lake northward has plenty of snow. Although there is a portion of trail 8 east near Ewen that is a bit bare due to salt getting dragged onto the trail from a nearby roadway. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticketed. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side of the roadway, and, as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, February 05, 2017 at 11:25:44 (PST) Trail 13 Root Cellar to trail 8 - very good - some thin spots by Root Cellar but more base further north Trail 8 to Ewen - started out very good but thinned nearing Ewen with rocks showing Trail 13 Rockland to Bergland - very good to excellent - both GAG and North Country groomers section Trail 1&8 top of Bergland - very good noted early afternoon lots of snowmobilers heading north on trail 13 Talked to several groups of snowmobilers - all reported trails very good (trails 2&1 to Presque and trail 1 Marenisco to Lodge Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, February 03, 2017 at 11:20:08 (PST) February 2nd, 2017 Trails are much improved with the return to colder temps and we’ve been receiving a few inches of new snow just about every day over the last week, with a call for additional snowfall over the weekend. For next week predictions are calling for a big storm to hit us on Tuesday! Yeah!! Groomers are out on all trails with good reports of wet areas frozen back up with only a few minor spots to watch for. Please remember that trail 100 (at the south end of the lake) is closed until logging is finished in this area. Riding the roadways through this area is prohibited. Hopefully with the colder temps they’ll be able to get back in now and remove the logs that have been cut. We’ll keep you posted as soon as there are any changes. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticketed. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side and as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, February 02, 2017 at 09:19:18 (PST) Snowfall over last night brought varied amounts. Around the north end of Lake Gogebic we saw approximately 3 inches where as just north of Bergland they got about 9 inches. Safe to say that Trail 102, 1 North & 13 North received a significant amount of snowfall. Temps are still good for grooming so the guys are at it. Riders in the area are reporting good conditions! Carolyn a the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, February 01, 2017 at 08:19:53 (PST) `January 31, 2017 Latest report from one of our drivers has trail 8 west and trail 1 south (all the way to the MI/WI border) in very good condition with wet areas under control! We’re looking at single digits to teens for lows all week – great news for the trail conditions. I’ll keep posting more as I get reports from our drivers and/or snowmobilers in the area. Carolyn at the Hoop Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 20:01:51 (PST) All three groomers headed out early this morning. With the snowfall we received over Sunday and colder temps our drivers are working hard to repair what mother nature did to our trails over the recent warm spell. There is an “Alberta Clipper” in the forecast, expected to hit us later today or into Tuesday with additional snowfall expected over the next few days. Temps are predicted to drop down into single digits for highs by mid week. All this should set us up for much improved riding by this weekend. Hope we see you all soon. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, January 30, 2017 at 12:26:40 (PST) January 30th, 2017 Approximately 5-7 inches of new snow since last night and temps more in line with this time of the season have seen an improvement over much of our trail system. We do have more snow in the forecast over each of the next few days along with some significantly colder nighttime temps. Groomers are getting out over as much of our trail system as possible; however it will take time to bring the trails back to early January conditions. Please keep in mind that a lot of wet areas did reopen over the warm up we experienced and speeds should be kept slower to give you time to avoid these spots. In most cases you can ride around the wet spots. Streams, rivers and swampy areas are not safe at this time, please avoid. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticketed. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side and as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, January 29, 2017 at 20:31:08 (PST) January 27th, 2017 Not the greatest news but still an improvement over this last week. All 3 groomers are in working condition and ready to roll whenever and wherever we can. Temps are still dropping closer to where they should be with highs in the 20’s and lows in the teens and single digits expected over the next 10 days. However, we still haven’t received more than a couple of inches of new snow. There is snow in the forecast each day over the next week – hopefully that will include a good snow storm. Since yesterday trail 1 north was groomed and is in good condition with no wet spots. Trail 8 west was groomed only as far as Hwy. 64, the remainder of this trail to the county line is bumpy and muddy in the wet areas. Trail 1 south has major water problems with 2 beaver ponds that have reopened. Trail 13 south is bumpy with wet areas. Trail 13 north is bumpy with a few wet areas. A groomer is riding Trail 8 east just to pull more snow back onto the trail. Trail 102 was groomed almost the entire length but had to turn around to avoid tearing up a large wet area even more. Apparently there is a “snow bridge” to the side of this wet area where you can ride safely around the water, it just isn’t stable enough for a groomer to ride on it. Streams, rivers and swampy areas are not safe at this time, please avoid. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticketed. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side and as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, January 27, 2017 at 08:58:36 (PST) January 25th, 2017 It’s finally getting colder; we’ve had a little bit of snow with more in the forecast over the next few days. The forecast is calling for about an inch tonight, 1 to 3” Thursday, a possible additional 3” on Friday with 2 to 4” on Saturday. Temps are expected to be dropping more as we head into the weekend, as well. The groomers are good to go and have started heading out where possible. One report back to us so far is on Trail 102 where we had a wet hold previously at the north end there now appears to be water running down the trail. Our driver says you can ride around it without getting wet but you need to watch for this problem. Trail 8 west is looking very wet – early season conditions. Please do not try to ride in the ditch along this stretch as you will end up in even more water. Best to try to avoid this trail for right now. Groomers will be heading out on all of our trails to access the damage from our warm up and to groom wherever they can. Just keep in mind that there will be wet areas reopened up on almost all trails so keep speeds down and watch for changing conditions. Streams, rivers and swampy areas are not safe at this time, please avoid. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticketed. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side and as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at 14:52:36 (PST) January 23rd, 2017 Please stay off the trails – for now. Keeping traffic off the trails right now actually could help preserve what we have until it starts cooling off and we get more snow and can get back to normal-ish. This mid January warm up has lasted longer than I’ve ever seen and it’s taken its toll on everything! The weather will continue to NOT be our friend, at least until Wednesday night when temps are supposed to start cooling down to more normal levels with snow in the forecast for what looks to be almost every day for a week or so from then. No big storms predicted, as of yet, just a few inches here and there each day, and we will have to deal with the wet issues all over again (thanks mother nature). This will be a day to day watch for any snowmobiling over this upcoming weekend so I’ll try to keep more reports coming as we get closer to Wednesday. Keep your fingers crossed. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticketed. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side and as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, January 23, 2017 at 07:41:00 (PST) January 19th, 2017 With temps rising into the mid 40’s today the trails are taking a hit. You will find bare corners, bare roadways and wet areas re-opening. This mid January warm up is expected to continue for another week with a chance of drizzle tomorrow. If you can reschedule your trip up here until late January or into February you should find better conditions. The forecast is calling for snow showers once it starts to cool back down next week. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticked. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side and as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. *HEADS UP: As previously reported there was to be a water rescue training just off the Bergland dock scheduled for this Saturday. This has been rescheduled for Saturday the 21st. Please keep this in mind and steer clear of this event for safety’s sake. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 12:36:46 (PST) January 16th, 2017 Bad news – our yearly January warm up is here – big time. Temps are expected to rise (and stay) into the 30’s for highs with a couple of days possibly hitting 40! Daytime grooming will not be possible during these conditions; it would do more harm than good. If you see a groomer out during the day it will probably only be doing some brushing. Even the nighttime temps don’t look to be all that cold, but we will continue night hour grooming as much as possible. These conditions are in the forecast until late in the month so if it’s possible to change your vacation plans to the end of January or into February it would be a good idea. We still have lots of snow and hopefully during the warmer temps it will stay mostly cloudy protecting what we do have on the trails. Also, watch for wet areas to possibly reopen and stay off of streams. Sorry I don’t have better news for you all – I’ll keep you posted throughout the week. Maybe those forecasters will get it wrong. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticked. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side and as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. *HEADS UP: As previously reported there was to be a water rescue training just off the Bergland dock scheduled for this Saturday. This has been rescheduled for Saturday the 21st. Please keep this in mind and steer clear of this event for safety’s sake. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, January 16, 2017 at 09:22:30 (PST) January 12th, 2017 Trails are all in great shape, all are being groomed every 24 – 36 hours. We’ve received plenty of snow over this last week – upwards of a foot or more over the northern area of our trail system. Some wet holes continue to be a problem, but it’s getting better. The only substantial wet hole is at the northern portion of trail 102 and our driver has assured us that you can ride around it without getting wet. Weather conditions look perfect through this upcoming weekend with temps right where we want them. Unfortunately, next week doesn’t look good – temps predicted in the 30’s! If possible to change your reservations you might want to consider rescheduling for later in the month or into February. Or maybe the forecasters have it all wrong and we won’t see any of those kinds of temps…maybe. Cross your fingers. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticked. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side and as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. *HEADS UP: As previously reported there was to be a water rescue training just off the Bergland dock scheduled for this Saturday. This has been rescheduled for Saturday the 21st. Please keep this in mind and steer clear of this event for safety’s sake. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, January 12, 2017 at 11:10:43 (PST) January 9th, 2017 Trail conditions are excellent – aside from some unavoidable wet holes in a few spots. Riders, as well as our groomer drivers, report awesome conditions. We’ve had the extreme cold temps plus the snowfall over this last week to add up to exactly what we needed. As usual, the most snow is over the northern most trails, less as you head south on trail 1 south and 13 south, but what a difference a few miles can make. When you get up on trails 13 north, 1 north and 102 you’ll see what I mean! Almost too much snow…if that’s possible. Continue to watch for a wet hole towards the north end of 102, but it is possible to ride around it without getting wet. Also, there remain a couple of wet areas on trail 1 south to be aware of, however a lot of riders bypass this just by riding the lake. The weather pattern for the rest of the week continues to look good with highs in the teens/twenties with additional snowfall through the week. As previously posted, please stay on the trails in Bergland. You are not allowed to ride the highway through town and may be ticked. You can only access the gas station by following the trail through the park and crossing directly across from the gas station from Antonio’s Restaurant. If riding the roads through Merriweather (down to the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern or to the lake) please remember to ride at the posted speed limit of 25 mph and stay to the side and as always be aware that this is a residential area and watch for traffic. *HEADS UP: This upcoming Saturday January 14th there will be an ice rescue demonstration just off the Bergland Dock around noon/1:00 e.t., so please use caution traveling through this spot. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, January 09, 2017 at 11:50:07 (PST) January 7th, 2017 All trails are being groomed every 24 to 36 hours. We’ve received additional snowfall over the past few days with up to an additional 4-inches of lake effect through tonight. Gusty winds and very cold temperatures should be taken into consideration when heading out to ride. Make sure to dress in layers, keep all skin covered as frost bite can happen quickly, keep your tank full and best to travel in groups or at least with a buddy so in case of sled problems you won’t be stranded out in the cold. Even with this continued cold we’re still battling some wet holes. There is one on the north end of 102 but our drivers assure me that you can get around it without getting wet. Some wet areas continue on trail 8 west as well as 1 south. 13 south may have a few spots, too. With that said, riders in the area are saying the trails are in very good condition for riding. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Saturday, January 07, 2017 at 07:40:53 (PST) ***PLEASE DO NOT RIDE THE HIGHWAY IN BERGLAND FROM JW’S RESTAURANT TO THE GAS STATION! YOU WILL BE TICKETED. THIS HAS BEEN POSTED FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AND WILL BE POSTED AGAIN THIS YEAR. YOU MUST TAKE THE TRAIL AND CROSS AT ANTONIO’S RESTAURANT TO ACCESS THE GAS STATION. THANK YOU*** Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, January 04, 2017 at 11:43:22 (PST) January 4th, 2017 Looks like winter has finally set in – we’re expecting lows over the next few days to drop below zero with some highs only hitting the low single digits. Lots more snow coming on top of the 10 to 12 inches we’ve received over the last day. Our groomer drivers have been working hard to deal with the wet spots that have plagued us. Bales of straw filled in the big wet hold on trail 8 west, it’s now ride able. The snow along with this upcoming frigid spell will really improve the trail conditions. Our drivers are reporting that 8 west has been groomed and is in good condition, just use caution around wet areas. Trail 1 south still has 2 wet spots that they’re working on; trail 102 is in very good condition but watch for a wet area towards the north end of the trail. Trail 1 north is in good condition along with 13 north and 8 east. Do watch out for some rocks in areas on trail 13 north. A local snowmobiler reported in on these trails this morning: Trail 13 - south of Root Cellar to trail 2 - Excellent - pleasantly surprised how much it improved from last Friday - groomed like a highway hardly any dirt showing Trail 100 - feeder trail from 13 to Lake Gogebic – excellent, however this trail is still not open all the way from 13 south to 1 south due to logging. All these trails appeared to have been groomed last night or early morning Trail 102 from south boundary - did not ride it but other snowmobilers told me very good to excellent . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, January 04, 2017 at 11:21:16 (PST) January 1st, 2017 Happy New Year all! The report that came in last night from our groomers is that all trails were either groomed yesterday or last night. Trail 8 west continues to give us problems with wet areas. Attempts are being made to address these issues. Unfortunately, these problems are not unique to our area alone. Northern Wisconsin and much of the U.P. have been fighting these wet conditions. I’ve either seen or heard about several groomers that have gone in to water and been damaged. Yikes! The very good news is the weather – we’ve received over a foot of snow over this last week and another big storm is in the forecast for the beginning/middle of this next week. By Thursday temperatures are expected to drop dramatically which will help us battle these wet areas. Please know that we have done everything possible to avoid these areas but we are very limited in land available on some trails. ** Also, please keep in mind that this is family vacation time so there will be a lot of young ones out on the trails as well. Please ride responsibly and watch out for others. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, January 01, 2017 at 09:55:14 (PST) December 29th, 2016 We’ve got the cold and now we’re getting the snow! We are under a “lake effect snow warning” from noon today thru Friday morning. We may get up to an inch an hour (already have a couple of inches over the last couple of hours). Do keep in mind that visibility will be an issue so reduce speeds accordingly. There will also be strong winds creating blowing and drifting conditions. This will certainly help the condition of the trails. The groomers have been out cleaning up brush that came down with the high winds we had over this last weekend, but now they’ll have something to work with after this new snow. Even with the cold temps there continues to be wet areas on certain spots over most of the trails so keep an eye out for that, just don’t stop if you find yourself going thru one of these areas. That’s all for now, I’ll keep you updated as conditions change ** Also, please keep in mind that this is family vacation time so there will be a lot of young ones out on the trails as well. Please ride responsibly and watch out for others. . *If you’d like additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! *Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, December 29, 2016 at 08:10:54 (PST) December 26th, 2016 The weather is not all what we’d hope it to be right now. Ice/rain last night, strong winds today – however the temp has dropped and it is beginning to snow. We’re expecting some heavy bursts of snow later today and off and on again snow all week. Temps are expected in the 20’s for highs and teens for lows. Next week shows some serious cold coming back again additional snowfall. Groomers are not out at the present, but this can change quickly with any changes to the weather/temps. The trails are in poor condition with sticks and some rocks showing and lots of wet areas. If you find yourself riding through a wet area it’s best to not stop, just keep going to get out of it quickly. The smoothest trail we have at this time would be the railroad grade (Trail 8 east) between Bergland and Ewen. However, you will encounter some wet spots on your connection to this trail from Bergland. Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. That’s all for now, keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Hope we see you soon - for those of you already up here have a safe ride! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, December 26, 2016 at 11:16:57 (PST) December 23th, 2016 The warmer temps we’ve had over the past few days have not helped our efforts to get the trails in good condition. It won’t be cooling back off to more normal temps until Tuesday, as of the latest weather report. Groomers have been over all trails recently but only during the night hours or early morning hours. There are a lot of sticks and some rocks sticking up through the snow so caution must be used. Until we get additional snowfall and colder temps there isn’t much that can be done. Trails remain for the most part in poor condition with fair spots. Be aware of wet spots on most trails at this time. The forecast is calling for 2 – 4” today with a winter storm predicted for Sunday afternoon into Monday. Keep your fingers crossed. Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. If you’re planning on being up here over Christmas day be aware that most restaurants in the area will be closed for that day as well as early closing on Christmas Eve. However, Konteka in White Pine will be open for Christmas with a limited menu. That’s all for now, keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Have a safe ride! From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, December 23, 2016 at 09:11:56 (PST) December 19th, 2016 Trails 1 North to White Pine, 13 South and 8 East were all groomed today; however, trails are in rough condition at this early date. Grooming efforts will continue as allowed. A lot of wet conditions also continue, even with the below zero temps we’ve had. Our extreme cold temps will be returning to more normal numbers after today, possibly a little too warm. If temps rise too close to 30 degrees we’ll be forced to do nighttime and early morning grooming only. However there is more snow in the forecast through this next week. Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. If you’re planning on being up here over Christmas day be aware that all restaurants in the area will be closed for that day as well as early closing on Christmas Eve. That’s all for now, keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Have a safe ride! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, December 19, 2016 at 17:51:29 (PST) December 17, 2016 Trail conditions remain in poor condition at this time due to wet conditions on some trails. . We’ve got lots of snow and we’ve had super cold temps most of this week which are expected thru Sunday. The groomers have driven over all of our trails now, packing them down so they should freeze better, and will then start panning the trails Sunday. Conditions are still very wet, especially in some of the swampy areas like Trail 1 South between the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern and FishTales and areas of Trail 102. At this point our drivers have done everything they can (brushing, signing and packing) to get the trails ready – we just have to wait for the trails to freeze up a little better. Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. If you’re planning on being up here over Christmas day be aware that all restaurants in the area will be closed for that day. That’s all for now, keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Have a safe ride! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 11:28:00 (PST) December 14, 2016 Conditions are getting more and more favorable to help us get the trails in good riding condition. Over the past few days groomers have been out panking trails to get them frozen down before adding the drags for serious trail grooming. So far they’ve covered trails 8 West, 1 South, 13 South, 8 East and Bergland. Trail 102 is scheduled for Thursday & 13 North is scheduled for Friday. Part of 1 North has been done with the remainder scheduled for Thursday, as well. Our head groomer driver reports that conditions are very wet and poor at this time. However, we are experiencing some blizzard-like conditions with extreme cold temps expected through Sunday along with snow each day through Sunday. All of that should help get the trails where they need to be. With these extreme cold temps caution should be considered a high priority. Dress with lots of layers, keep your fuel topped off, try to travel with a companion or at least let others know your route and when to expect you and take along hand & foot warmers. Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever. You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money is intended to benefit the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. If you’re planning on being up here over Christmas day be aware that all restaurants in the area will be closed for that day. For additional information about our area please contact The Lake Gogebic Area Chamber of Commerce at 888.GOGEBIC or www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can also email us at info@lakegogebicarea.com. Have a safe ride! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, December 14, 2016 at 14:29:34 (PST) Hello snowmobilers! I know you’re all as eager as we are to get the season going. As most of you have probably heard we’ve been under winter weather advisory as well as a lake effect advisory since Wednesday night and it will continue thru Saturday. So far we’ve received about 12-inches of snow, and most importantly, we’re also getting some much colder temps. Finally seeing ice on Lake Gogebic – however it is definitely not ready for riding yet. Predictions are calling for approximate snow totals of 15-inches or so by Saturday. So with these conditions the groomers may possibly be heading out to pack the trails down sometime between this weekend and mid week of next week where the high is only expected to be 1 degree! Perfect conditions! Now, for those of you who just can’t wait another day, unplowed county roads and Trail 8 east are probably the best riding this early. Trails 1 south & 13 south are wet (which should change with the much colder temps coming), trails 102 & 13 north are ride able but very rough. Trail 1 north is ride able but watch for some wet spots. Trail 100, at the south end of the lake, is temporarily closed while we reroute around some logging. With all that said I would say that snowmobiling should be looking pretty good by next weekend, however there are always some hurdles to overcome early on in the season – so just don’t expect perfection just yet. We’ve been busy getting bridges rebuilt after a summer of wild weather as well as hiring our for some major brushing. You’ll notice this as you ride from Presque Isle, WI up our way and in many other spots. This comes at a cost exceeding $13,000.00. Which is why Gogebic Area Grooming really needs your support at this time more than ever? You can be a part of our grooming efforts with a sponsorship of $25 for single, $30 for family and $75 for businesses. However we’d greatly appreciate a donation of any amount. These can be sent to “Gogebic Area Grooming” at “115 Hoop ‘N Holler Rd / Merriweather, MI 49947” or you can find sponsorship pads at most businesses around the lake with our map boxes, where you can also deposit donations. All map money benefits the grooming efforts in our area. If you mail your sponsorship or donation to the above address be sure to include contact info, as well. Oh, and one more item; we just took possession of our brand new Piston Bully groomer! We were one of only two grooming entities in the state to receive a new groomer this year – so thank you to the DNR for that. This makes 3 Piston Bullys that we now have. It has a 12 foot blade to make for a nice wide groom (keep that in mind when passing one of our groomers), and this nice little piece of equipment comes at a pretty hefty price of only $245,000.00! So now you know where some of the money from the stickers goes. We also thank all you snowmobilers for being a part of this effort. We’ll see you soon! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, December 09, 2016 at 11:52:31 (PST) March 27th, 2016 Although we held out hope that we might receive enough snow, and cold, for a late March ride it just didn’t happen. I guess it’s time to throw the towel in on this snowmobile season. But we’d like to send out a big thank you to all who came and enjoyed our beautiful area and we’d like to invite you back again to experience our phenomenal summers. If you’ve only seen our area in winter it’s hard to imagine just how beautiful and lush it becomes in the summer. Imagine our beautiful blue lake in the summer, sparkling under a warm sun – boating, fishing, kayaking, water skiing, tubing, canoeing, swimming – it’s all here on Lake Gogebic. An uncrowded, unspoiled bit of nature. And when you’re done on the lake there’re miles of trails to hike, dozens of waterfalls to experience and many more sites to explore. Off road riding has increased in popularity and with it an increased effort to put together a trail system comparable to the best. You won’t be disappointed! It’s an amazing way to get out into our million acre Ottawa National Forest and enjoy yourself. So, once again, thank you for visiting our beautiful area and we look forward to seeing you all back up here again soon. For additional information on our area please visit us at www.lakegogebicarea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 12:09:38 (PDT) March 3rd, 2016 Trails are in great shape with the groomers out on all trails each day this week. Today looks to be the last day with daytime temps low enough to daytime groom but nighttime temps should be cold enough through Saturday for grooming overnight. This will most likely be your last chance for some good riding this season so head on up for one more weekend. The forecast over the next 2 weeks shows daytime temps into the 40’s each day and only about 1 nighttime temp below freezing. You never know though – we could still get a blizzard between now and the end of March sometime, but I’d say it’s pretty certain that we’ll be done grooming after this weekend, if the forecast is correct. Keep checking back through the month and I’ll keep you posted if anything changes. The trails are officially open until March 31st so don’t completely count us out just yet. After all, we’ve had a snow storm that brought us about 2 feet of snow for Mother’s Day one year VERY IMPORTANT -We want to remind all to be sure to exit the lake at the Bergland Dock – DO NOT RIDE BEYOND THIS POINT. We think some of you may have mistaken the cell tower with its red flashing light in the distance as a spot to ride to – which will take you right to the dam. They may still be trucking logs out over a portion of Trail 102 and 13 South, so continue to watch out for logging trucks and always give them the right of way for your safety and for the privilege of riding on the logging company’s property. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, March 03, 2016 at 14:40:40 (PST) February 29th, 2016 About 6-inches of new snow over Sunday night and much colder temperatures mean we have been grooming since early Sunday morning. We should be back to 3 working groomers again by this afternoon. The forecast through this week, with nighttime temps down as low as below zero mean trail conditions should be greatly improved. It’s looking more and more like this may be the last week and upcoming weekend for snowmobiling this season with highs next week running into the 40’s and even 50 with rain showers. So head on up for one more ride of the season this week. I will keep an eye on our local weather forecast for you and keep you posted as to any changes. VERY IMPORTANT -We want to remind all to be sure to exit the lake at the Bergland Dock – DO NOT RIDE BEYOND THIS POINT. We think some of you may have mistaken the cell tower with its red flashing light in the distance as a spot to ride to – which will take you right to the dam. They may still be trucking logs out over a portion of Trail 102 and 13 South, so continue to watch out for logging trucks and always give them the right of way for your safety and for the privilege of riding on the logging company’s property. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, February 29, 2016 at 10:33:13 (PST) February 28th, 2016 Wow – we made it through a very warm weekend with a LOT of traffic. Local temps were recorded at 51 degrees! On the 27th of February!!! Trails are not in good condition due to these factors. And, we’re down a groomer again. I seriously think we’ve been jinxed this year. The good news is at least it is colder now and has been snowing since this morning with more snow in the forecast through tomorrow. We are grooming, but it is a battle at this point with a lot of damage done to the trails over this last weekend. The temps look good through this next week until – yes, you guessed it - the weekend. We should be able to get through at least one more weekend of snowmobiling but beyond that, unless the forecast changes, it doesn’t look good. We’ll be watching the weather closely for you and will let you know as we go how it looks. VERY IMPORTANT -We want to remind all to be sure to exit the lake at the Bergland Dock – DO NOT RIDE BEYOND THIS POINT. We think some of you may have mistaken the cell tower with its red flashing light in the distance as a spot to ride to – which will take you right to the dam. They may still be trucking logs out over a portion of Trail 102 and 13 South, so continue to watch out for logging trucks and always give them the right of way for your safety and for the privilege of riding on the logging company’s property. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 11:17:00 (PST) February 26th, 2016 GREAT NEWS – We now have 3 groomers operating once again!!! Although the temperature is a bit high for grooming we are heading out where we can (the areas that will see the least amount of sun) and the expected temps for tonight and tomorrow night look cold enough for overnight grooming. The high for Saturday is still going to be way too warm for daytime grooming (44 at last count). Sunday is calling for a cold down with snow expected to bring upwards of approx. 6-inches over Sunday and Monday. Most of next week looks good temperature wise and even into next weekend. However, this next 10 days may be your last chance to do some riding as the long term forecast is calling for a warm up into the second week of March. Guess we’ll have to wait and see – who knows? Maybe we’ll get one of those Alberta Clippers we love to get. Overall trail conditions will run about fair – warm weather coupled with the mechanical problems haven’t helped too much. VERY IMPORTANT -We want to remind all to be sure to exit the lake at the Bergland Dock – DO NOT RIDE BEYOND THIS POINT. We think some of you may have mistaken the cell tower with its red flashing light in the distance as a spot to ride to – which will take you right to the dam. They may still be trucking logs out over a portion of Trail 102 and 13 South, so continue to watch out for logging trucks and always give them the right of way for your safety and for the privilege of riding on the logging company’s property. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, February 26, 2016 at 11:55:32 (PST) New update - we've got 2 groomers going now and hope to have the 3rd going by tomorrow night! Yes!!! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 13:29:04 (PST) February 25, 2016 First off, Gogebic Area Grooming takes care of the trail system surrounding Lake Gogebic, not the chamber of commerce as some believe. We have had some mechanical problems on 2 groomers this week, unprecedented to have this happen to 2 of them at the same time, but there you are. Stuff happens. One of our groomers had to be sent back to the dealer to have repairs but should be back to us hopefully by Friday. We had to get an “ok” from the DNR on funding before the repair could be made due to the cost of the repair. We are working with a loaner groomer right now, 1 groomer covering 150 + miles. We made an agreement with 2 surrounding grooming entities to cover some of our trails – and we paid them to do this. We do not usually post reports of groomers down as people read this and then believe it to be a permenant problem. They will be repaired, probably within a day or two. Please keep that in mind. The trails are not up to our usually standards of excellence at this time – mostly due to weather conditions, high traffic in our area (as always) and groomer mechanical problems. We are not happy about this – this is not what we want and we are doing the best we can under these conditions. All this work, taking care of ordering, taking care of grant work, taking care of paying bills, taking care of paying groomer drivers, filing taxes, taking care of insurance, taking care of easements, taking care of organizing all things grooming that goes on year round, and best of all; taking care of calls to people who have nothing better to do but complain in an unconstructive way is all done by, for the most part, 4 people. George and Carolyn Maves at the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern and Ken and Gail Scott (not business owner). No help from most of the businesses, no help from most of those that claim to love the sport. We are the same 4 people who have done this for over 2 decades. So for better or worse, and of course we usually only hear about the worse, these are the people who do all the work, for not one penny. Something to think about before sending in nasty complaints next time! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 09:57:46 (PST) February 25, 2016 We just can’t seem to break this winter’s pattern of cooler temps during midweek followed by a warm up for the weekend. This upcoming weekend’s forecast is calling for temps to rise into the 30’s on Friday and mid 40’s on Saturday – this is beyond frustrating for all! If you can push your trip to the beginning of next week conditions should be improved as temps are expected to drop beginning Sunday thru to mid week with additional snowfall. The good news is we are getting snow right now, I even heard the words “lake effect” thrown out there, which could mean some measurable amounts. If the forecast comes true for this weekend we should be able to groom Friday night and hopefully Saturday night, if temps drop below freezing. However, grooming during the daytime will not be possible as this will do more harm than good to the trails. VERY IMPORTANT -We want to remind all to be sure to exit the lake at the Bergland Dock – DO NOT RIDE BEYOND THIS POINT. We think some of you may have mistaken the cell tower with its red flashing light in the distance as a spot to ride to – which will take you right to the dam. They may still be trucking logs out over a portion of Trail 102, so continue to watch out for logging trucks and always give them the right of way for your safety and for the privilege of riding on the logging company’s property. Also, continue to watch for logging traffic on a portion of Trail 13 south. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 07:55:40 (PST) February 21, 2016 The groomers are back out again with temperatures dropping down enough to allow for grooming, however the trails will still be in pretty rough shape until we can get some additional snow as we saw a lot of melting and refreezing over this last weekend. Temps look to run a little warm again mid week but this is predicted to drop again by Thursday with much colder night temps later in the week. Looks like conditions should be good for this last weekend in February. Hopefully we’ll hang on all the way through March for lots more snowmobiling! VERY IMPORTANT -We want to remind all to be sure to exit the lake at the Bergland Dock – DO NOT RIDE BEYOND THIS POINT. We think some of you may have mistaken the cell tower with its red flashing light in the distance as a spot to ride to – which will take you right to the dam. They may still be trucking logs out over a portion of Trail 102, so continue to watch out for logging trucks and always give them the right of way for your safety and for the privilege of riding on the logging company’s property. The logging on a portion of Trail 13 south has been reduced already to about a mile of that section, south of the Root Celler. Please keep in mind that the logging companies have granted us easement to run our trails on their property so we have to respect the signing and stay out of their way or risk losing the easement. Reduce speed through this area and watch for truck traffic. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolym at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, February 21, 2016 at 08:52:28 (PST) February 19, 2016 Unfortunately, the forecast is coming true and we are experiencing some much warmer than normal temps this weekend. We will not be able to groom during the daytime hours with temps over 30 degrees. That includes Friday night if the temps stay as high as predicted. Rain is in the forecast for Friday; however this is expected to be followed by snow showers on Saturday. Sunday should bring a change back to the 20’s (sure – after the weekend riding is over). At this time we have plenty of snow for riding however the conditions will not be the best this weekend with temps running so high and grooming not possible under these conditions. VERY IMPORTANT -We want to remind all to be sure to exit the lake at the Bergland Dock – DO NOT RIDE BEYOND THIS POINT. We think some of you may have mistaken the cell tower with its red flashing light in the distance as a spot to ride to – which will take you right to the dam. No problems to report on any trails at this time, however continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety... The logging on a portion of Trail 13 south has been reduced already to about a mile of that section, south of the Root Celler. Please keep in mind that the logging companies have granted us easement to run our trails on their property so we have to respect the signing and stay out of their way or risk losing the easement. Reduce speed through this area and watch for truck traffic. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, February 19, 2016 at 08:19:57 (PST) February 16, 2016 After a very busy holiday weekend with heavy traffic the trails are back in nice condition with all three groomers running. We have lots of snow, which is a good thing since the forecast is calling for some very unseasonably warm temperatures for this weekend – with a chance of rain! Yikes!! However, the local forecaster says the Western U.P. may be spared this warm front. If that’s the case the precipitation will be lots of snow…cross your fingers, again. What a crazy winter for sure! I’ll keep you updated as conditions change throughout the week. VERY IMPORTANT -We want to remind all to be sure to exit the lake at the Bergland Dock – DO NOT RIDE BEYONE THIS POINT. We think some of you may have mistaken the cell tower with its red flashing light in the distance as a spot to ride to – which will take you right to the dam. No problems to report on any trails at this time, however continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety... The logging on a portion of Trail 13 south has been reduced already to about a mile of that section, south of the Root Celler. Please keep in mind that the logging companies have granted us easement to run our trails on their property so we have to respect the signing and stay out of their way or risk losing the easement. Reduce speed through this area and watch for truck traffic. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 09:40:13 (PST) February 12, 2016 Predictions have come true and we’ve got what’s stacking up to be some of the best conditions of the winter on our trails. Some very cold temps, lots of snow (and more on the way) and groomers running around the clock, day and night. We’ve added another 6 – 8 inches of new snow over the last 24 hours with lots of blowing snow – visibility is not good, please use caution. WE ARE CURRENTLY UNDER A LAKE EFFECT SNOW ADVISORY FOR ONTONAGON COUNTY. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST UP TO 40 MPH TODAY... HIGHEST NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR. LEADING TO INCREASED BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO ONE HALF MILE OR LESS. WIND CHILL READINGS WILL CONTINUE TO BE AS LOW AS 25 BELOW ZERO THROUGH TONIGHT. WIND CHILL VALUES TO 25 BELOW ZERO CAN LEAD TO FROST BITE ON EXPOSED SKIN IN AS LITTLE AS 15 MINUTES. Be sure to practice safety measures when heading out. Always try to keep your tank topped off, especially heading out on one of our longer trails, dress in layers, cover any exposed skin to protect against frostbite and it’s always a good idea to head out with a buddy or a the very least let someone know your planned route. Do expect some pretty heavy traffic this holiday weekend as quite a few of you have a 3 day weekend. Please use extra caution out on the trails as a lot of the sledders will be families with younger riders. Always ride to the right, single file – especially on corners to avoid accidents as well as reducing speed. VERY IMPORTANT -We want to remind all to be sure to exit the lake at the Bergland Dock – DO NOT RIDE BEYONE THIS POINT. We think some of you may have mistaken the cell tower with its red flashing light in the distance as a spot to ride to – which will take you right to the dam. No problems to report on any trails at this time, however continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety... The logging on a portion of Trail 13 south has been reduced already to about a mile of that section, south of the Root Celler. Please keep in mind that the logging companies have granted us easement to run our trails on their property so we have to respect the signing and stay out of their way or risk losing the easement. Reduce speed through this area and watch for truck traffic. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. I know some of you will not want to hear this but the way you ride on the trails dramatically impacts the condition of the trails. “Goosing” your sleds on corners results in throwing all the snow off the corners, causing bare conditions and making the groomer have to spend extra time trying to plow snow back onto the corners. “Goosing your sled wherever you stop and start again creates moguls, sometimes into driveways. These are just a few things you can change to help keep the trails in good ride able condition. We appreciate the help you can give. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, February 12, 2016 at 14:00:32 (PST) February 12, 2016 Predictions have come true and we’ve got what’s stacking up to be some of the best conditions of the winter on our trails. Some very cold temps, lots of snow (and more on the way) and groomers running around the clock, day and night. Do expect some pretty heavy traffic this holiday weekend as quite a few of you have a 3 day weekend. Please use extra caution out on the trails as a lot of the sledders will be families with younger riders. Always ride to the right, single file – especially on corners to avoid accidents as well as reducing speed. We’re expecting some very cold nighttime temps so be sure to practice some safety measures when heading out. Always try to keep your tank topped off, especially heading out on one of our longer trails, dress in layers, cover any exposed skin to protect against frostbite and it’s always a good idea to head out with a buddy or a the very least let someone know your planned route. VERY IMPORTANT -We want to remind all to be sure to exit the lake at the Bergland Dock – DO NOT RIDE BEYONE THIS POINT. We think some of you may have mistaken the cell tower with its red flashing light in the distance as a spot to ride to – which will take you right to the dam. No problems to report on any trails at this time, however continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety... The logging on a portion of Trail 13 south has been reduced already to about a mile of that section, south of the Root Celler. Please keep in mind that the logging companies have granted us easement to run our trails on their property so we have to respect the signing and stay out of their way or risk losing the easement. Reduce speed through this area and watch for truck traffic. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. I know some of you will not want to hear this but the way you ride on the trails dramatically impacts the condition of the trails. “Goosing” your sleds on corners results in throwing all the snow off the corners, causing bare conditions and making the groomer have to spend extra time trying to plow snow back onto the corners. “Goosing your sled wherever you stop and start again creates moguls, sometimes into driveways. These are just a few things you can change to help keep the trails in good ride able condition. We appreciate the help you can give. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 20:59:29 (PST) February 9, 2016 Our area has received around 12+ inches of snow over the last day and a half with a possible 6+ inches additional snow expected through today. We are currently under a lake effect snow warning with blowing snow causing difficult driving conditions. So please reduce speeds and use caution as visibility may be diminished. All three groomers are currently out grooming on all 150+ miles of our trail system and with the next 4 days expected to only top out in the single digits the trails should really hold a groom well. No problems to report on any trails at this time, however continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety... The logging on a portion of Trail 13 south has been reduced already to about a mile of that section, south of the Root Celler. Please keep in mind that the logging companies have granted us easement to run our trails on their property so we have to respect the signing and stay out of their way or risk losing the easement. Reduce speed through this area and watch for truck traffic. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. I know some of you will not want to hear this but the way you ride on the trails dramatically impacts the condition of the trails. “Goosing” your sleds on corners results in throwing all the snow off the corners, causing bare conditions and making the groomer have to spend extra time trying to plow snow back onto the corners. “Goosing your sled wherever you stop and start again creates moguls, sometimes into driveways. These are just a few things you can change to help keep the trails in good ride able condition. We appreciate the help you can give. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, February 09, 2016 at 09:50:00 (PST) February 8, 2016 Another busy record weekend with temps reaching into the 30’s didn’t do our trails any favors – however, this next week is looking like a dream for great trail conditions! Snow showers in the forecast for the next 5 days with a possible significant snowfall on Tuesday over our higher elevation area at the north end of Lake Gogebic and areas north of Lake Gogebic. Temps will be dropping all the way down into the single digits for highs this week and below zero for nighttime temps. These are the conditions we’ve been waiting for – these will all add up to great trail conditions this week and most importantly this busy holiday weekend coming up. We have all three groomers going on all trails and there shouldn’t be a bad trail out there by Tuesday or Wednesday with the change in weather conditions. We received another 4 – 6 inches of new over last night on top of several inches from the night before and it’s still snowing as I’m writing this. I think we’re in a weather pattern where we’ll probably see constant snow over much of this week. Continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety... Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. The logging on a portion of Trail 13 south has been reduced already to about a mile of that section, south of the Root Celler. Reduce speed through this area and watch for truck traffic as well. I know some of you will not want to hear this but the way you ride on the trails dramatically impacts the condition of the trails. “Goosing” your sleds on corners results in throwing all the snow off the corners, causing bare conditions and making the groomer have to spend extra time trying to plow snow back onto the corners. “Goosing your sled wherever you stop and start again creates moguls, sometimes into driveways. These are just a few things you can change to help keep the trails in good ride able condition. We appreciate the help you can give. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, February 08, 2016 at 07:13:54 (PST) February 6, 2016, 2016 Once again we’re experiencing warmer than normal temps on a weekend – honestly, what’s going on here? That said weather predictions are looking excellent for the next 2 weeks beginning Monday. MUCH colder, and more like it, temps – highs in the teens and lows as low as below zero numbers! YES!!! This will create terrific grooming conditions. Plus, there are predictions for snow every day except 2 days over the next 14 days. How great will that be for Presidents weekend?! Right now we have our 3 groomers running mostly in late afternoon/evening/early morning runs with this Saturday & Sunday temps too high to allow for daytime grooming. But, come this next week when we get the arctic blast they’re predicting our groomer drivers should be able to be out day and night. Continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety... Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. The logging on a portion of Trail 13 south has been reduced already to about a mile of that section, south of the Root Celler. Reduce speed through this area and watch for truck traffic as well. I know some of you will not want to hear this but the way you ride on the trails dramatically impacts the condition of the trails. “Goosing” your sleds on corners results in throwing all the snow off the corners, causing bare conditions and making the groomer have to spend extra time trying to plow snow back onto the corners. “Goosing your sled wherever you stop and start again creates moguls, sometimes into driveways. These are just a few things you can change to help keep the trails in good ride able condition. We appreciate the help you can give. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). From all of us here at Lake Gogebic we hope you have a great ride and a safe trip! *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Saturday, February 06, 2016 at 11:30:30 (PST) February 3, 2016, 2016 About a foot of new snow since yesterday and it’s still coming down! Groomers are out now, be watchful as blowing snow may make visibility an issue. Continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety... Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. The logging on a portion of Trail 13 south has been reduced already to about a mile of that section, south of the Root Celler. Reduce speed through this area and watch for truck traffic as well. All trail conditions will improve with this newest snowfall and there is more almost every day over this next week. The important news is the temps expected to drop into the single digits tonight and teens through the next few days. This will really help freeze the trails up after grooming to keep them in really good shape longer. I know some of you would like to hear me say that this trail or that trail were just groomed or are in good condition or in bad condition – but I just won’t do that. It would be a useless thing to write as conditions can change too quickly. By the time you read this and headed over to a trail reported to of just been groomed 200 sleds or more could have ridden across it and tore it up. I will say this though, we groomed upwards of 300 hours just last week alone. And for those complaining that they don’t see groomers out at night, it just may mean that the groomers just weren’t where you were. We have over 150 miles of trails to groom and only 3 groomers to get it done. It’s a process and we are all doing the best we can. I know some of you will not want to hear this but the way you ride on the trails dramatically impacts the condition of the trails. “Goosing” your sleds on corners results in throwing all the snow off the corners, causing bare conditions and making the groomer have to spend extra time trying to plow snow back onto the corners. “Goosing your sled wherever you stop and start again creates moguls, sometimes into driveways. These are just a few things you can change to help keep the trails in good ride able condition. We appreciate the help you can give. All that said, we look forward to another busy Super bowl weekend here at Lake Gogebic and hope you have a great trip visiting our area. Please ride safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, February 03, 2016 at 10:09:02 (PST) February 1, 2016, 2016 We’ve just been given permission by the DNR to double groom trails 8 West, 8 East and 1 North each day – which actually amounts to 4 grooms as each time we run these trails it’s a “there and back” groom, which we’ll get to do twice a day when temps and time allow. Remember that we have approx. 150 miles of trails to groom and if we only have temps that allow us to groom at night and the groomers only travel at about 4 miles an hour….well, you do the math. Just remember that we’re doing the best we can with what Mother Nature has given us this year. Ridiculously warm temperatures over this last weekend didn’t do us any favors for trail conditions. Luckily we did get all that snow last week so almost all of our trails still have snow cover. Grooming cannot be done if temperatures are above 30 degrees, period. I’m not going to go into all the details of why and what damage it would do to the trails but trust me it wouldn’t be helpful to the trails. Ideally we would like to see temps in the teens for highs and into the minus temps for lows to really make the trails hold up a groom, but that’s just not happening this year (thanks a lot el Niño). We are in line for snow from Tuesday afternoon thru Thursday – no one ever seem to know exactly how much we’ll get due to the higher elevation in our area, but there is a possibility of upwards of 10-inches over the span of a few days. Temp highs should be in the low 20’s (not bad) and lows in the teens for the remainder of this week. Continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety... Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. And now we have some logging to report on south of the Root Celler on Trail 13 South. Until we do get some new snowfall there is a stretch of about 2 miles that will be pretty bare. As on Trail 102, please watch for logging trucks and always give them the right of way. Due to last weekend’s warm temps you will most likely find some bare areas on our southern most trails (1 South coming up from Presque Isle, WI to the lake, 13 South coming up from Trail 2 and 100. We’re sorry, but there is nothing that can be done about this until more snow falls in this area. I know some of you will not want to hear this but the way you ride on the trails dramatically impacts the condition of the trails. “Goosing” your sled on corners results in throwing all the snow off the corners, causing bare conditions and making the groomer have to spend extra time trying to plow snow back onto the corners. “Goosing your sled wherever you stop and start again creates moguls, sometimes into driveways. These are just a few things you can change to help keep the trails in good ride able condition. We appreciate the help you can give. Wish I had better news for you all, but please know that we are all working as hard as we can to get the trails in good condition – we just can’t make snow or cold temps, and that’s all this boils down to. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, February 01, 2016 at 19:50:51 (PST) January 28th, 2016 Total snow accumulations since Tuesday night are almost up to 2-feet now, however, predictions for this weekend are calling for highs to top 36 on “Saturday and 34 on Sunday. IF we get these temperatures the trails will be wet and will not hold a good groom and grooming will only be done over the nighttime hours. Forecasts are calling for additional snow thru Friday night with decent temps so maybe it will all hold together to get us thru this warm weekend. Next week looks much more promising with high temps dropping into the teens by mid week. I know some of you will not want to hear this but the way you ride on the trails dramatically impacts the condition of the trails. “Goosing” your sled on corners results in throwing all the snow off the corners, causing bare conditions and making the groomer have to spend extra time trying to plow snow back onto the corners. “Goosing your sled wherever you stop and start again creates moguls, sometimes into driveways. These are just a few things you can change to help keep the trails in good rideable condition. We appreciate the help you can give. Continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety. No problems to report on any of our other trails at this time. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, January 28, 2016 at 14:40:14 (PST) January 28th, 2016 Although we received about 6 – 8 inches of snow from Tuesday night thru Wednesday morning and so far Wednesday night we’ve received almost a foot of new snow (at least at the north end of Lake Gogebic) predictions for this weekend are calling for highs to top 36 on “Saturday and 34 on Sunday. IF we get these temperatures the trails will be wet and will not hold a good groom and grooming will only be done over the nighttime hours. The beginning of February looks to finally be bringing in some more winter like conditions. Continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety. No problems to report on any of our other trails at this time. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at 22:29:17 (PST) January 26th, 2016 Groomers were pulled in overnight to have new radios installed through the 911 fund to help out in case of any emergencies on the trails. Whether that be for our drivers or snowmobilers. So, yes, this means they haven’t been grooming since last evening but this is only a small break in our grooming schedule and it’s for a very smart cause. They should be back out by this afternoon. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, but please bare with us. Continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety. No problems to report on any of our other trails at this time. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at 11:13:20 (PST) January 25th, 2016 Snowfall report: 3-inches expected tonight, 3-inches tomorrow and 3-inches the next day with more snow Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Temperatures look pretty good until Saturday & Sunday (of course) with temps rising up to the low 30’s. Trails are looking very “sugary” right now with the recent temps in the high 20’s. Some bare conditions as you head to the south end of the lake and south of the lake so grooming may be suspended in these areas until more snowfall. Grooming is mostly being done during late afternoon/overnight hours right now so your best ride will be early in the day. Next week looks a lot more like a normal winter with temps dropping into the teens for highs and single digits for lows. This will go a long way to helping the trails hold a groom – so cross those fingers! Continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety. No problems to report on any of our other trails at this time. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, January 25, 2016 at 20:30:44 (PST) January 23rd, 2016 Well, the temperatures rose a little too much and we’ve been slammed with a lot of traffic, both of which are going to impact the quality of the trails right now. However, we are out grooming over all trails continuously but due to the high volume of sleds expect conditions to run from fair to good. Cooler temps and more snow are in the forecast through the week with a possibility of a return to unseasonably warm temps next weekend…we hope the predictions are wrong. Continue to watch for logging truck traffic over a portion of Trail 102, and always remember to respect the trucks and give them the right of way at all times – for your safety. No problems to report on any of our other trails at this time. Please remember to always ride to the right and single file to prevent accidents, especially on blind corners. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 16:39:21 (PST) January 19th, 2016 Wow – what a blustery white out we had last night! Another 5-inches or so of new snow, kind of hard to tell how much exactly as it was really blowing. Very cold, again, last night, which really helped firm up our trails. A snowmobiler just reported to us that Trail 8 west is “beautiful”, the wet area has frozen up and the trail is in great shape now. More snow is in the forecast periodically throughout the week. Temps will start rising from the subzero numbers we had over the weekend to the teens and then low 20’s thru the week. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). *I’ve been asked to post the following as a public service to all snowmobilers so you can make adjustments before heading out. MICHIGAN DNR REMINDS SNOWMOBILES OF SOUND DECIBEL LIMITS The MDNR are reminding snowmobilers that state law does have decibel limits for snowmobiles. The conservation officers will be enhancing statewide efforts to enforce the law. The muffler on a snowmobile must be in good working order and when in constant operation noise emission cannot exceed the 88 decibel limit. A factory installed muffler system will meet these standards. The penalty for violating the sound levels is a civil infraction with fines up to $250.00. Half of our trails are on private lands and are at the discretion of the landowner. “Riders who modify their machines to make them extra loud jeopardize the enjoyment of our nationally recognized trails for all riders.” said Ron Yesney, Recreation Specialist with the MDNR. Also, no colored lens covers may be used in Michigan on snowmobiles. For more information on snowmobiling in Michigan, including current laws and regulations, go to www.michigan.gov/snowmobiling. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 10:44:14 (PST) January 18th, 2016 Another 6 to 8-inches of snow over Sunday afternoon to Monday morning with some pretty brutal temperatures! But, good news for the trails – we need the severe cold and the snow to keep freezing those wet spots. Traffic was very heavy this last holiday weekend but the groomers are out on all trails with drags attached working hard to get the trails in shape. Temps will be warming into the low 20’s for most of the week but lows look to remain mostly in the teens, giving us some excellent riding weather! We have more snow in the forecast throughout the week with the most snow falling over the higher terrain areas from the north end of Lake Gogebic and into the hills north of the lake. More snow in the forecast for tonight into tomorrow morning with additional snowfall throughout the week periodically. Temps will start rising from the subzero numbers we had over the weekend to the teens and then low 20’s thru the week. We are still working to fill a wet area on 8 west near the county line and a wet spot on trail 1 south. We advise against riding along the highway to avoid the wet area on 8 west as many sleds have been doing. This poses a safety hazard to sleds and cars and you may be ticked by law enforcement. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, January 18, 2016 at 10:59:07 (PST) January 17th, 2016 We’ve got the very cold temps and have received an additional snowfall of approx. 4 – 6-inches over the last couple of days – all of which really helps with any lingering wet areas we’re dealing with on any of the trails. The groomers are out on all trails with drags attached. The heavy traffic we expected over this weekend didn’t disappoint, which made it difficult to keep the trails in top shape – but we’re trying. As we’ve stated before, your best ride will be early in the day as a lot of the grooming takes place overnight and heavy traffic can tear the trails up quickly. More snow in the forecast for tonight into tomorrow morning with additional snowfall throughout the week periodically. Temps will start rising from the subzero numbers we had over the weekend to the teens and then low 20’s thru the week. We are still working to fill a wet area on 8 west near the county line. This spot can be avoided by going around this area. However, we advise not riding along the highway as many sleds have been doing. This poses a safety hazard to sleds and cars and you may be ticked by law enforcement. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 09:09:13 (PST) January 15th, 2016 It’s all looking good for a busy weekend on our trails. The weather is cooperating with highs expected in the single digits over the next few days and more snow in the forecast for this weekend, as well. Saturday and Saturday night are expected to receive the most of amount of snow, especially over the snow belt area around the north end of the lake and north of the lake. We’ve received about 4 to 6-inches of new snow almost each day this week, giving us a nice base. Groomers are out on all our trails with drags attached! Trail conditions run from fair to good overall, however, continue to watch out for some wet conditions in spots on most of the trails. There was a wet area south of the Hoop ‘N Holler on trail 1 south that was giving us some problems but has since frozen over. Groomers are not driving over this area until it becomes more frozen but sleds are able to travel through this section. There is a very wet area on trail 8 west near the county line. This can be bypassed by running around the wet area but we recommend not running along the highway as many sleds have been doing. This poses a safety hazard to sleds and cars and you may be ticked by law enforcement. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, January 15, 2016 at 09:37:18 (PST) January 12th, 2016 Weather conditions are improving by the hour! We’ve received approximately 8-inches of snow over the last 36 hours and it is continuing to snow as I write this. Extremely cold temps over the last few days will be changing over to highs in the low 20’s for most of the remainder of the week with a return to subzero temps this upcoming Sunday. More snow is in the forecast for just about every day with the most amount forecast for Saturday (5-8-inches of additional snow). The groomers are continuing to try to fill in any wet problem areas. There is a large wet hole on the south end of 13 south, between the lake and Trail 2, but our drivers are doing their best to fill it up. The groomers have been on Trail 8 west, but watch for some wet areas near the county line along Hwy. 28. Trail 102 is in pretty good condition but watch out for logging trucks hauling lumbar – please give the trucks the right of way at all times. Trail 1 south is in fair condition with some wet areas between Fishtails and the Hoop ‘N Holler Tavern. Sleds should be able to get through this area but so far we haven’t been able to get the groomers through this section. Trail 13 north has been groomed and should see another groom over the next couple of days. The railroad grade east of Bergland, Trail 8 east, is in good condition and has been groomed. There is a rather large wet hole north of Bergland to watch out for – but again, our drivers are doing everything they can to fill these problem areas in and freeze them down. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at 13:21:37 (PST) January 7th, 2016 Finally, the forecast is calling for more normal winter weather! Snow is in the forecast, starting Wednesday, for each day for the next 2 weeks (at this time). No big storms predicted at this time, but we know from experience how quickly that can change. Bitter cold temps coming by Sunday with only single digits for highs – this is very good as we need these temps to freeze up any wet areas on the trails. However, if you are in the area take precautions against frostbite and always ride with a buddy. Cross your fingers that this all means winter has finally arrived in big snow country. With many of the trails in poor condition at this point you might like to look to the “un-plowed Forest Service roads” for some riding. You may have to trailer to them but you may also save yourself some wet rides to get to them otherwise. Check in at the Ironwood, Watersmeet or Ontonagon Forest Service building to get more info on where you can legally ride. We received about 3-inches of new snow last night, presently snowing, approx. 3-inches expected on Friday with another 3 on Saturday. I will keep you posted with any updates on the weather and on the trails. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> Merriweather, MI USA - Thursday, January 07, 2016 at 10:46:57 (PST) March 26, 2015 Ok, I did promise to let you snowmobilers know if we received anymore measurable snow this month…and we have. Probably about 8-inches with a bit more expected in our area tonight or maybe Friday a.m... However, it is supposed to warm up to about 40 on Saturday and creeks and streams are open, so if you come please avoid or use caution in these areas. Trails are still officially open until March 31st so this would be your absolute last chance to get any kind of riding in for this season. Some of our groomer drivers have been out on the trails doing some brushing so watch out for them if you do make it out there. Also, call ahead to your favorite destination as some businesses have closed for a little spring break. As always, ride responsibly and stay safe! That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great summer and we’ll see all you snowmobilers again next winter…if not before! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 15:42:00 (PDT) March 16, 2015 I think it’s safe to say that snowmobile season is over for this season. Temperatures have been in the 50’s for the past few days with major melting. It’s even raining as I write this. It is supposed to get colder over this coming weekend, but just for a couple of days with a chance of flurries. I won’t say that there isn’t a chance for a late March snowstorm but I do not think the groomers will be able to go out anymore due to the wetness at this point of the season. I will let you know if we do get any measureable amount of snow later in the month – for all you die hard snowmobilers who want to get in just one additional ride this season. We’d like to send a thank you out to all who came and enjoyed our beautiful winter; your business is so appreciated. We’d also like to extend an invitation to come and enjoy some of our other seasons. Lake Gogebic is an absolute gem in the summer. With the lake being the largest inland lake in the U.P. and running over two time zones there will be no crowding on this lake! Whether fishing, boating, kayaking or swimming, this is a gorgeous lake for all to enjoy. We’re also set in the midst of the million acre Ottawa National Forest with countless waterfalls to explore along with miles of hiking trails…a true wilderness. We are only about a half hour drive from the shores of Lake Superior, the largest of the great lakes, which offers some great beaches, agate hunting or even swimming. And our fall season rivals any you’ll find! A must stop during the fall is the Copper Peak ski jump north of Bessemer where you can ride the chair lift to the top and get a birds-eye view for miles of fall color and see what it looks like from the top of north America’s largest ski jump. Whether you’re hiking, driving or boating you’ll be sure to get a world class view of spectacular vistas brimming with fall color. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call us at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great summer and we’ll see all you snowmobilers again next summer…if not before! Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, March 16, 2015 at 10:30:26 (PDT) March 12, 2015 Nothing much has changed since the last report so I’m going to let it stay as is. Warmer than normal conditions for this time of year to continue for another week before they’re expected to drop back into the 30’s for highs. Grooming has for the most part been suspended; however our trails in the U.P. do remain open until the end of March. Trailering out to trails that head into the woods is recommended as you will find bare areas wherever trails cross roadways or in towns. Temperatures reaching into the mid 50’s today, trails are pretty much gone in and around towns and wherever salt used on roadways can affect trails. We still have some snowmobilers up who say the trails back in the woods are still fairly good. Small streams have opened up, so use caution anywhere near these areas. Temps are expected to run in the 40’s to 50’s for highs for the next week and then drop back into the 20’s for highs. Like I’ve said before, I doubt we’re done with winter for March just yet. If you come to ride now expect some wet conditions, some bare conditions, but also some fairly good trails back in the cover of the woods plus some warmer than normal temps. I will let you know if anything changes, either by weather or conditions. Hopefully we’ll still get a heavy March snowfall sometime over the last half of the month – it wouldn’t be the first time. If conditions are favorable we can groom until the last day of March, even longer into April, weather and DNR permitting. Pretty cool if you can say you snowmobiled in April! ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for these trails, so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride as well as a safe one. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, March 12, 2015 at 15:44:31 (PDT) March 10, 2015 Temperatures reaching into the mid 50’s today, trails are pretty much gone in and around towns and wherever salt used on roadways can affect trails. We still have some snowmobilers up who say the trails back in the woods are still fairly good. However, today while driving along Hwy. 28 (trail 8 west) I could see that small streams have opened up, so use caution anywhere near these areas. Temps are expected to run in the 40’s to 50’s for highs for the next week and then drop back into the 20’s for highs. Like I’ve said before, I doubt we’re done with winter for March just yet. If you come to ride now expect some wet conditions, some bare conditions, but also some fairly good trails back in the cover of the woods plus some warmer than normal temps. I will let you know if anything changes, either by weather or conditions. Hopefully we’ll still get a heavy March snowfall sometime over the last half of the month – it wouldn’t be the first time. If conditions are favorable we can groom until the last day of March, even longer into April, weather and DNR permitting. Pretty cool if you can say you snowmobiled in April! ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for these trails, so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride as well as a safe one. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 14:55:10 (PDT) March 8, 2015 As of right now (Sunday night), the trails are in good condition and groomers are out. They were able to continue grooming efforts through the weekend, mostly during the nighttime hours, so even with the heavy traffic we experienced the trails held up pretty well. The forecast for this upcoming week will ensure that if there is any grooming done it will be during the nighttime hours with some daytime temps reaching into the 40’s and possibly 50! We will continue to groom as long as we can and I’ll keep you updated on that. If you want to get in anymore riding you’d better come right now – with the almost non-existent weekday traffic this time of year and the freshly groomed trails you’ll find some nice riding…but it probably won’t last if we get the temps we’re supposed to get. Still, we may not be finished with winter as it looks like temps should be dropping some around the middle of the month – we’ll just have to play it day by day. If conditions are favorable we can groom until the last day of March, even longer into April, weather and DNR permitting. Pretty cool if you can say you snowmobiled in April! ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for these trails, so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride as well as a safe one. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, March 08, 2015 at 18:33:05 (PDT) March 4, 2015 With temps expected to rise into the 30’s and even 40’s next week you’d better head up this weekend if you want to get in any more snowmobiling. Hopefully it will only be a quick warm up and then head back into winter conditions (as it usually does in March) but with the high levels of water in the woods it just might signal an early end for this year’s snowmobiling. We just received about 6-inches of new snow yesterday with more expected today and Saturday with some very cold temps for today (-20 tonight) and tomorrow before we start to see the temps head into the low 30’s for highs. The groomers are out on all trails and they’re reporting excellent conditions. I just have to say it again…please slow down on the trails! We’ve had a number of incidents this winter throughout the U.P. of snowmobilers either riding side-by-side or going too fast for conditions (or both) where it has resulted in an accident – unfortunately some even fatal. It just isn’t worth it, so PLEASE SLOW DOWN and ride single file on the trails at all times! We want you all to have a great time up here but we also want you to have a safe trip, as well. Just a quick word of warning; DNR and police are ticketing anyone riding the highway, all highways, in our area along with riding on the railroad tracks or anywhere you know you’re not supposed to be. This includes riding through Bergland on the highway between JW’s and the gas station or riding from the gas station north along the highway to get to the trail connect. This is why I continually warn snowmobilers to stay on the marked trails. It’s dangerous for you and others to be riding along the highway…and will now be expensive, as well. ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for these trails, so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride as well as a safe ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, March 04, 2015 at 09:06:34 (PST) March 2, 2015 I just have to say it again…please slow down on the trails! We’ve had a number of incidents this winter throughout the U.P. of snowmobilers going too fast for conditions where it has resulted in an accident – unfortunately some even fatal. And today we had another snowmobiler, going to fast on the trail, run right into the one of our groomers. Thank goodness it wasn’t a family he ran into, and luckily he was alright. But it could have ended much differently. It just isn’t worth it, so PLEASE SLOW DOWN and ride single file on the trails at all times! We want you all to have a great time up here but we also want you to be able to come back many additional times and have a great time, as well. Keep in mind that we continue to groom our trails typically until the last day of March. Of course that depends a great deal on the weather as we’ve had years where we had to stop prior to that date but then again we’ve had years where, after receiving special permission from the DNR, we groomed as late as April 8th! There’s a lot to be said for snowmobiling that late in the season! Just a quick word of warning; DNR and police are ticketing anyone riding the highway, all highways, in our area along with riding on the railroad tracks or anywhere you know you’re not supposed to be. This includes riding through Bergland on the highway between JW’s and the gas station or riding from the gas station north along the highway to get to the trail connect. This is why I continually warn snowmobilers to stay on the marked trails. It’s dangerous for you and others to be riding along the highway…and will now be expensive, as well. ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for these trails, so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride as well as a safe ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, March 02, 2015 at 16:06:54 (PST) March 1, 2015 Wow…another extremely busy weekend in the Lake Gogebic area – lots and lots of snowmobilers! The groomers are out repairing the damage and getting the trails ready for another group of snowmobilers just getting up here to do some riding in this first week of March. Temps look to hold pretty consistently in the mid 20’s for highs with a mid week dip into the single digits. Night temps are perfect at teens to below zero, this will help the trails in great shape. There may be a warm up to the low 30’s by next weekend…but that’s so far away, who knows. There is talk of a pretty good snow system heading through our area around Tuesday this week, so that ought to freshen the trails up nicely. For now – it’s still winter up here!! Just a quick word of warning; DNR and police are ticketing anyone riding the highway, all highways, in our area along with riding on the railroad tracks or anywhere you know you’re not supposed to be. This includes riding through Bergland on the highway between JW’s and the gas station or riding from the gas station north along the highway to get to the trail connect. This is why I continually warn snowmobilers to stay on the marked trails. It’s dangerous for you and others to be riding along the highway…and will now be expensive, as well. ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for these trails, so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. Keep in mind that we continue to groom our trails typically until the last day of March. Of course that depends a great deal on the weather as we’ve had years where we had to stop prior to that date but then again we’ve had years where, after receiving special permission from the DNR, we groomed as late as April 8th! There’s a lot to be said for snowmobiling that late in the season! You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, March 01, 2015 at 12:22:29 (PST) February 23, 2015 Trails are in very good condition with a new cover of snow this morning of about 4-inches, more expected off and on today. Temps are expected to warm up to the 20’s for this upcoming last weekend in February which should make for some very comfortable riding. Just a quick word of warning; DNR and police are ticketing anyone riding the highway, all highways, in our area along with riding on the railroad tracks or anywhere you know you’re not supposed to be. This includes riding through Bergland on the highway between JW’s and the gas station or riding from the gas station north along the highway to get to the trail connect. This is why I continually warn snowmobilers to stay on the marked trails. It’s dangerous for you and others to be riding along the highway…and will now be expensive, as well. ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for these trails, so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. FOR A DETAILED MAP OF THE REROUTE GO TO WWW.LAKEGOGEBICAREA.COM - TRAIL REPORTS. Keep in mind that we continue to groom our trails typically until the last day of March. Of course that depends a great deal on the weather as we’ve had years where we had to stop prior to that date but then again we’ve had years where, after receiving special permission from the DNR, we groomed as late as April 8th! There’s a lot to be said for snowmobiling that late in the season! You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 07:42:55 (PST) February 22, 2015 Very cold weather, additional 5 to 6-inches of snow early in the weekend and we’ve got some pretty great conditions on our trails. We did have some very heavy traffic again this weekend but the groomers are out smoothing the trails out every day. Another cold week in store with more snow expected on Tuesday. This is the best time of the year to sled as the trails are all well packed and the traffic starts to drop off but the groomers are still out on all the trails, so make plans to get another trip in this year! ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for these trails, so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. Keep in mind that we continue to groom our trails typically until the last day of March. Of course that depends a great deal on the weather as we’ve had years where we had to stop prior to that date but then again we’ve had years where, after receiving special permission from the DNR, we groomed as late as April 8th! There’s a lot to be said for snowmobiling that late in the season! You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, February 22, 2015 at 10:56:24 (PST) February 20, 2015 Due to additional snowfall combined with subzero temperatures our trails are in excellent condition with groomers out every single day. The colder temps help hold a groom longer and stand up to traffic better. We’re already seeing very heavy traffic for this weekend which started on Thursday. Sunday looks to be the coldest day of this weekend with a high of only 6 below, with highs in the teens for Friday and Saturday. However, nighttime temps will be below zero and precautions should be made when riding in these conditions. Keep skin from being exposed as frostbite will occur, dress in layers and keep a full tank of fuel when at all possible. Traveling with a buddy is recommended in case of a break down when riding far from a town. We’re expecting more snow today and Saturday with some pretty cold temps seeing us all the way through to the end of the month. ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for trails in this area so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. For a detailed map of this area go to www.lakegogebicarea.com - trail reports. Keep in mind that we continue to groom our trails typically until the last day of March. Of course that depends a great deal on the weather as we’ve had years where we had to stop prior to that date but then again we’ve had years where, after receiving special permission from the DNR, we groomed as late as April 8th! There’s a lot to be said for snowmobiling that late in the season! You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, February 20, 2015 at 09:09:25 (PST) February 13, 2015 Cold, cold, cold…that’s what we’re expecting for this weekend. We’re presently in a winter storm advisory for today with high winds expected Friday night through Saturday – so bundle up by layering your clothing, always head out with a full tank of fuel and top it off whenever near a gas station as we do have some long stretches with no fuel available. Always travel with a buddy or at the least share your plans with a friend. Make sure to not let any skin be exposed while riding as frost bite is a concern. The good news is that all this cold and the snow we’re getting today, and expect Saturday as well, makes for excellent grooming conditions. Some sledders are telling us they’ve never ridden better trails! Do keep in mind that this is a holiday weekend so there will likely be families with young riders out on the trails. Please ride safely by staying to one side only while riding and keep speeds reasonable. Next week continues to look great with highs in the single digits to teens and lows around zero or below with more snow in the early week. Logging has moved past our portion of trail on 13 north and we are rerouted around logging on 13 south - please watch for signing. ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for trails in this area so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. You can see a map of this reroute at www.lakegogebicarea.com under "trail reports". Keep in mind that we continue to groom our trails typically until the last day of March. Of course that depends a great deal on the weather as we’ve had years where we had to stop prior to that date but then again we’ve had years where, after receiving special permission from the DNR we groomed as late as April 8th! There’s a lot to be said for snowmobiling that late in the season! You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, February 13, 2015 at 14:16:15 (PST) February 12, 2015 With 6 – 12 inches of new snow (depending where you are on our trail system) plus the very cold temperatures we’re getting the trails are in excellent condition. This is what we’ve been waiting for all winter…perfect grooming conditions. All three of our groomers are out every single day grooming each trail either every day or every other day, depending on traffic and need. This is going to be a very cold weekend coming up with a high Saturday expected to reach only zero! Remember to layer your clothing and keep all skin covered while sledding in these conditions to prevent frostbite. Make sure you have a full tank when heading out and travel with a buddy. The good news is that the trails will hold up much better in these kinds of temps and we even have more snow in the forecast for Friday and Saturday. Logging has moved past our portion of trail on 13 north and we are rerouted around logging on 13 south - please watch for signing. ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for trails in this area so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. For a map of this reroute you can see it at www.lakegogebicarea.com under trail reports. Keep in mind that we continue to groom our trails typically until the last day of March. Of course that depends a great deal on the weather as we’ve had years where we had to stop prior to that date but then again we’ve had years where, after receiving special permission from the DNR we groomed as late as April 8th! There’s a lot to be said for snowmobiling that late in the season! You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, February 12, 2015 at 12:21:24 (PST) February 9, 2015 Although the weather predictions were off for snowfall amounts this past weekend we are holding out hope that the snowfall predicted for Tuesday through this upcoming weekend comes…we need snow. What a crazy winter…too much snow too early, not enough snow in January! What can you do? We’re looking at 20’s for highs until Thursday, which has a predicted high of 1 degree! Pack your long johns, looks like we’re in for some pretty cold temps off and on past the middle of February. Our 3 groomers are out on trails every day, each day and doing the best they can with the amount of snow we’ve received. The cold temps are helping, but more snow would really help. Please do not confuse our grooming entity with Gogebic Range Authority to our west, we are Gogebic Area Grooming. They have had some problems with their groomers lately and we’ve been getting a lot of calls about this situation lately. You do need to continue to watch for logging on trails 13 north and 13 south. These spots are only a small portion of the trail but you need to respect the logging trucks in these areas for your safety. Stay to one side and give them plenty of room. ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for trails in this area so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. For a map of this area go to www.lakegogebicarea.com. Keep in mind that we continue to groom our trails typically until the last day of March. Of course that depends a great deal on the weather as we’ve had years where we had to stop prior to that date but then again we’ve had years where, after receiving special permission from the DNR we groomed as late as April 8th! There’s a lot to be said for snowmobiling that late in the season! You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, February 09, 2015 at 10:11:27 (PST) February 5, 2015 All trails are in very good condition with the temperatures we’ve had over the last few days. What we do need, however, is some snow and we’ve got that in the forecast everyday through this weekend. Temp highs look to be in the 20’s and single digits for lows – perfect riding and grooming conditions. Our groomers continue to groom each trail each day and I’d say we’re back to the conditions we’re used to offering snowmobilers in our area. The early season wet condition set us up for quite a battle in getting the trails in good shape but we’ve got it finally beat. You do need to continue to watch for logging on trails 13 north and 13 south. These spots are only a small portion of the trail but you need to respect the logging trucks in these areas for your safety. Stay to one side and give them plenty of room. ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing (and there is plenty of it) in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for trails in this area so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You will also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. YOU CAN NOT USE THIS AREA FOR ANY RIDING. Keep in mind that we continue to groom our trails typically until the last day of March. Of course that depends a great deal on the weather as we’ve had years where we had to stop prior to that date but then again we’ve had years where, after receiving special permission from the DNR we groomed as late as April 8th! There’s a lot to be said for snowmobiling that late in the season! You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, February 05, 2015 at 10:47:35 (PST) January 28, 2015 Good news! Colder temperatures for this weekend AND more snow…yeah!! Our groomer drivers have been working hard to keep the trails well groomed through this week with temps rising as high as 30. They will be doing over night or early morning grooming with temps this high as it doesn’t do the trails any favors trying to groom in warmer temps. It’s like trying to groom sugar…it just doesn’t hold up and it can actually harm the trails by pulling snow off the trails and creating bare spots. So try to understand all the factors that go into grooming our trails…weather, temps, traffic, etc. But, with colder temps on the way we should be looking good. All groomer drivers have been reporting good conditions on trails as they finish grooming, however, as I said those conditions can change quickly due to many factors. Looking forward to seeing you all up for Super Bowl weekend! ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for trails in this area so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You may also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. For a map of the reroute go to www.lakegogebicarea.com - trail reports. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, January 28, 2015 at 12:35:01 (PST) January 26, 2015 Temps have dropped into the 20’s for highs today with a couple inches of new snow. For most of this week we’re expecting high’s in the 20’s but much colder by the weekend (for a change). This is always good news as the trails hold a groom much longer with colder temps. When it’s in the 30’s (like this last weekend) it’s useless trying to groom during the daytime hours – it’s like trying to groom sugar. All 150 + miles of our trails have been groomed over the last 24 hours and they will continue to regroom. At this time all trails are in good condition, especially with the lighter mid week traffic. ***VERY IMPORTANT – EFFECTIVE JANUARY 26TH THROUGH MARCH*** -The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. Please watch for changes and new signing in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for trails in this area so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. You may also want to top off your gas if headed north through this area as the reroute will add on an extra 10 miles (there and back) to your trip with no gas stops between Lake Gogebic and Silver City. For a map of the reroute check out the trail reports at www.lakegogebicarea.com. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Monday, January 26, 2015 at 10:53:55 (PST) January 23, 2015 Once again, temps are hovering a little too high for really good conditions on the trails. And, once again, it’s supposed to warm up to the low 30’s for this upcoming weekend. However, snow showers are in the forecast for the next few days and we have a cool down to look forward to for Sunday and into next week. All three of our groomers are running, although they will not be grooming during daytime hours with temps in the 30’s. The trails are all in great shape after being groomed but with temps this high they will not stay in good shape for long, so your best bet for a nice ride over these next couple of days would be early in the day. Predictions are calling for more snow Saturday evening with falling temps over night. The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet, north of Merriweather and west for about 5 miles. We were just informed of work on the highline that will begin Monday January 26th so we are in the midst of rerouting with the help from the DNR. Please watch for changes and new signing in this area and heed all trail signage. There will be many pipeline workers plus a lot of heavy equipment in the area formally used for trails in this area so for their safety as well as yours please heed the new signing and don’t take any “short cuts”. This reroute will be in effect for most of the remainder of the snowmobile season, but we will post any changes as they occur. FOR A MAP OF THE ROROUTE PLEASE GO TO WWWL.LAKEGOGEBICAREA.COM; TRAIL REPORTS. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great rid Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, January 23, 2015 at 10:14:18 (PST) January 21st, 2015 Once again, temps are hovering a little too high for really good conditions on the trails. And, once again, it’s supposed to warm up to the low 30’s for this upcoming weekend. However, snow showers are in the forecast for the next few days and we have a cool down to look forward to for Sunday and into next week. The big news is a reroute over the area where trails 1, 102 and 8 west meet. We were just informed of work on the highline that will begin Monday January 26th so we are in the midst of rerouting with the help from the DNR. So, watch for changes and new signing in this area. This will run until at least the middle of March, so I guess we could pretty much say for the remainder of the season. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 12:38:58 (PST) January 15th, 2015 Although we’re looking at a brief warm up for today and Saturday the rest of the week looks good. We’re just now coming off of a pretty severe cold snap that gave our drivers a chance to go over all the trails and pack them as much as they could prior to the warm up. All trails are looking good once again. Unfortunately the brief warm up will be coming over a busy holiday weekend with lots of traffic. Our drivers will most likely not be grooming during the daytime if temps rise as predicted Saturday, but will be out overnight or during the early morning hours. Once we make it to Sunday temps look to be in the teens and twenties for highs with overnight lows in the teens and single digits…perfect riding weather! As this will be a holiday weekend we’d like to once again warn you to be on the watch for young, maybe inexperienced, riders on the trails. Be sure to ride single file and always on the right side only. Also, we’ve had a couple of incidents recently of snowmobilers riding onto clearly marked private property and doing damage to the property. These are the kind of incidents that can jeopardize our trail easement grants and cause trails to be closed. Please stay on marked trails or unplowed county roads (see below) only. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 09:12:02 (PST) January 9th, 2015 We received about a foot of new snow from Thursday evening to Friday am! Lots of new white stuff to play in for everyone!! And the other bit of good news is trail 102 has now been groomed completely through and we’re very happy to report no more wet spots due in large part to the hard work of our groomer drivers, mechanics and volunteers, but also due to the extreme cold we’ve been shivering through all week. In fact, word is that there are no more wet spots on any of our trails…just in time for a busy weekend. All trails are being groomed on a rotating basis. With more cold weather expected maybe we won’t have any more of the problems we battled in Deeember. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at teh Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, January 09, 2015 at 15:30:01 (PST) January 8th, 2015 We’re still expecting lots of snow, up to 11-inches, over the next 24 hours - but with lake effect snow you never know when it’ll stop. Our groomer drivers were able to install a culvert on trail 102 Wednesday, however technical difficulties prevented them from getting the groomer all the way through to trail 11, but they’ll be back at it asap. 102 has been a big problem for us this year with lots of water in areas where we have never had to deal with water in prior years. I’ll keep you posted when I know more on those conditions. We really couldn’t be asking for better weather conditions right now so the trails are getting back to where we (and you) would like to see them with all other trails being groomed at this time. We are currently in a very cold snap for the remainder of this week, through next weekend with more snow in the forecast almost every day. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, January 08, 2015 at 09:40:49 (PST) January 6th, 2015 All trails are improving with the exception of trail 102. You’re asked to avoid this trail until further notice as there is quite a bit of water back in this area. Our drivers will be installing a culvert on this trail hopefully on Wednesday but I’ll keep you posted on when you should ride this trail. If you’re looking to get to Silver City you can either take 8 west and head up trail 11 or go up 1 north through White Pine. Lake effect snow in the forecast for Wednesday…a possibility of up to 11-inches of snow. We are currently in a very cold snap for the remainder of this week, through next weekend with more snow in the forecast almost every day. That’s the good news. We’ve also started to see a slowdown in traffic which will help the trails as well. We apologize to anyone who was disappointed in the trails this last week. Again, I can only tell you that we had a very wet fall followed by 90-inches of snow in November (a record) which insulated the ground and wouldn’t let it freeze. Then once December hit it warmed up and we actually saw rain one day. The same people who’ve been involved with the work on the trails are still at the helm for over 20 years and we’ve never dealt with these conditions before.Those conditions coupled with a high volumne of traffic have not helped the trails at all. Please have patience and know that we are working hard to get our trails back to the award winning condition we’ve offered in the past. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, January 06, 2015 at 08:57:54 (PST) January 24, 2015 Ok, where do I start? Very wet conditions along with holiday crowds can wreck havoc on trials. Please remember that most of our trail system runs through the Ottawa National Forest. Not paved sidewalks or roads. We are experiencing problems that we have never seen before. Trail 102 is still closed due to lots of water (where we have never seen water before). We hope to get some more culverts in this week and try to get it open. Trail 8 west is being groomed today, however the groomer is taking the trail a bit off where it usually runs in an attempt to avoid…yes, you guessed it…more water. All other trails have seen improvement but the amount of sleds crossing our trails this last week wouldn’t allow the trails to remain in great shape for more than a few hours. All other trails are mostly good to fair with some rough spots to look for on 13 north. We received about 5-inches of new snow over last night and it’s been snowing all day. We’re entering into a very cold snap for this upcoming week through next weekend with more snow in the forecast almost every day. That’s the good news. We’ve also started to see a slowdown in traffic today which will help the trails as well. We apologize to anyone who was disappointed in the trails this last week. Again, I can only tell you that we had a very wet fall followed by 90-inches of snow in November (a record) which insulated the ground and wouldn’t let it freeze. Then once December hit it warmed up and we actually saw rain one day. The same people who’ve been involved with the work on the trails are still at the helm for over 20 years and we’ve never dealt with these conditions before. Please have patience and know that we are working hard to get our trails back to the award winning condition we’ve offered in the past. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, January 04, 2015 at 12:57:37 (PST) January 2, 2015 What a difference a few days of really cold temps can make. I spoke to one of our groomer drivers last night and he reported that trail 1 south is in great shape, 13 south is much improved with the wet spots frozen over now, 8 west is still a bit tricky but should be improved soon, 102 is still not a good option but trails 1 north, 13 north and 8 east are the in good condition. Weather conditions are very favorable for riding this weekend with lake effect snow on the way for Sunday and Monday’s high expected at -4. We’ve got lots of snowmobilers in the area over this holiday period with families so please be cautious and watch out for other snowmobilers, especially the young ones. Always remember to ride in a single file on the trails and stay to the right..you never know who or what (deer) might be coming around the next corner. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, January 02, 2015 at 09:08:35 (PST) December 30, 2014 Conditions have improved much with the severe cold that we’re experiencing. There are still some wet areas (how does that happen with minus 10 degree nights?) but these spots are slowly freezing up and the groomers have been able to get out over almost all of our trail system. Trail 102 is still not worth riding, at least not for the next couple of days. We’re expecting more of the same cold plus more snow over this next week which will help to improve the trails greatly. We still have some pretty significant wet spots south of the Root Celler on 13 south, but aside from these trails all other trails are reported to be in pretty good shape. Our groomer drivers are working hard to get the trails back in great shape, so give them a thumbs up when you encounter one of our groomers on the trails. And remember to always give the groomers the right of way as they cannot get off the trail as easily as a snowmobile can. They will move over if possible to let you ride by. Watch for signs to show a change on trail 1 South from Rd. 8800 to Marenisco. With the extreme cold temperatures we’re experiencing during this week be sure to watch for signs of frostbite and make sure to ride out prepared with a full tank of gas, layered clothing and try to always ride with at least one other person. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. Keep checking back for more updates as conditions change. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, December 30, 2014 at 20:19:20 (PST) December 28, 2014 More snow, again, last night and we’re finally seeing temperatures drop to a better grooming degree. However, most of our trails still have some major water concerns. Trail 8 west has several water areas and is pretty rough as the groomers have not been able to get through most of it over this last week. Trail 13 south has some very wet areas towards the south end and 1 south and 100 also have wet areas. 102 has become very difficult to ride as, again, the wet areas opening up over the last couple of weeks have created problems. 13 north is rideable but there will be some very wet spots you’ll have to cross in some areas of this trail. 1 north and 8 east are the best trails we have at this time. With the much colder temps finally here it should help a lot with these areas, but it will take time. These are not just problems facing our groomer drivers as there are loggers in our area that are facing entire roadways washed out in the woods. Hang in there, we’re doing everything we possibly can to get our trails to where they should be. Watch for signs to show a change on trail 1 South from Rd. 8800 to Marenisco. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, December 28, 2014 at 08:30:07 (PST) December 27, 2014 6 – 10 inches of new snow overnight and it’s still coming down heavy! Temperature highs beginning Sunday and running through this next week are predicted only in the single digits to teens and nighttime highs mostly in the single digits with more snow each day. This should greatly improve all trails impacted with this recent snow. Keep in mind that one of our trails (1 south) goes all the way to the Wisconsin line, just north of Presque Isle, so this trail may not have the same amount of snow as our more northern trails. Watch for signs to show a change on trail 1 South from Rd. 8800 to Marenisco. The same will most likely apply to trail 100 and 13 south. 13 south still has some major water concerns towards the south end of the lake. New culverts are on the way to put in place in these problem areas, so we are addressing the issue. Best trails, as usual, because they get the most amount of snow, are 1 north, 13 north, 102 and 8 east. 8 west still has some significant wet areas to watch out for if you’re riding that direction. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 07:16:57 (PST) December 24, 2014 Although we did have groomers on the trails yesterday it was mostly to fill in water holes. Our trails are still in poor to fair condition with wet areas still posing a problem. We do expect much colder temps this weekend which should greatly improve conditions. We have received an additional 6- 8 inches or more of wet snow over this last week which should pack nicely. Trails 8 east and 1 north are in the best condition. Trail 13 north is in fair condition with some bad spots to watch out for. Trail 8 west is in fair to poor condition with a couple of very wet spots. Do not get off the trail here as conditions are much worse off trail...even if it looks like nice snow there will be a lot of water underneath. Trail 13 south is in fair condition until you get to the south end of it where there are a couple of really big wet holes. Trail 1 south is rideable but not in great shape due to water. Watch for a change on trail 1 South from Rd. 8800 to Marenisco. We’ve been encountering more water problems in this area and have rerouted…just watch for signs. These water problems are beyond our control and are everywhere. It’s just a combination of a wet fall followed by a 90-inch insulating blanket of snow in November, followed by some recent warm ups. We are set up for when the cold does come (20 or below is best) as the trails have been packed and will freeze better now. This next week is looking really good with much colder temps and more snow! Keep checking back and I will update as conditions change. For any who are planning to spend Christmas day up here please be aware that not all of the restaurants will be open so it’s best to call ahead. Also, by law, all bars must close Christmas Eve by 9:00et/8:00ct. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes back to the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, December 24, 2014 at 09:32:42 (PST) December 22, 2014 Conditions are once again too warm for grooming, at least during the daytime hours. We did get an additional 2 – 3 inches of new snow over last night and more is expected this week along with much colder temperatures just in time for the weekend. Watch for a change on trail 1 South from Rd. 8800 to Marenisco soon. We’ve been encountering more water problems in this area and hope to reroute…just watch for signs. For any who are planning to spend Christmas day up here please be aware that not all of the restaurants will be open so it’s best to call ahead. Also, by law, all bars must close Christmas Eve by 9:00et/8:00ct. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes towards the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. info@lakegogebicarea.com <Carolyn at the Hoop> - Monday, December 22, 2014 at 09:43:16 (PST) December 18, 2014 We’ve got the snow back that we lost (about 8-inches), but conditions are still very wet. A lot of the streams re-opened earlier this week and the word is the woods are still very wet. Once again, it’s very important that you stay on the trails as the conditions off trail will be worse. We’ve got a few nights coming up with very cold temperatures that will help the trail situation. Groomers have run on all the trails, some with drags and hopefully all with drags by this weekend. If daytime temps get a little too high the grooming will be restricted to night hours only. Watch for a change on trail 1 South from Rd. 8800 to Marenisco soon. We’ve been encountering more water problems in this area and hope to reroute…just watch for signs. For any who are planning to spend Christmas day up here please be aware that not all of the restaurants will be open so it’s best to call ahead. Also, by law, all bars must close Christmas Eve by 9:00et/8:00ct. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes towards the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Thursday, December 18, 2014 at 10:17:31 (PST) December 16, 2014 Well, we’ve got a slight improvement after Mondays rain, it turned to snow overnight giving us about 3-inches. However, it is very wet snow…on top of rain…on top of already wet ground. We’re expecting mostly 20’s for highs this week, although the nighttime temps look to drop down into the single digits later in the week which should help a lot. Can’t say for sure how good conditions will be for this next weekend just yet but for now you should stay off the trails as you will encounter a lot of wet and mud in some spots. For any who are planning to spend Christmas day up here be aware that not all of the restaurants will be open so it’s best to call ahead. Also, by law, all bars must close Christmas Eve by 9:00et/8:00ct. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes towards the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at 10:53:21 (PST) December 14, 2014 Wet, wet, wet…pretty much sums up our trail conditions right now and the groomers are off the trails until conditions change. The forecast is calling for a return to normal conditions for this time of year once we get past Monday. On the bright side, this actually may be a good thing for setting the trails up for better conditions for the rest of the season. The trails are packed down so they’ll freeze once the temperature drops and then we’re expected to get more snow through next week. But for now the trail conditions are very poor. I will keep you updated as soon as conditions change so keep checking back. For any who are planning to spend Christmas day up here be aware that not all of the restaurants will be open so it’s best to call ahead. Also, by law, all bars must close Christmas Eve by 9:00et/8:00ct. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes towards the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 16:05:28 (PST) December 10, 2014 Our groomers have been out packing almost our entire trails system, but groomers with drags have only run on trails 8 east, 1 north and 8 west. However we’re experiencing some extremely wet conditions on 8 west right now. It would be best to avoid this trail until we receive colder temps. Don’t try to by-pass the trail by riding to the side of it as the water conditions are even worse off the trail. We’re hoping to have trail 102 open this week as well as 13 north. Although the gates are still closed on 13 north, if you’re very familiar with the trail, you can ride around the gates for now. As the groomers make their way up 13 north they will unlock all the gates. That’s the way we do it every year. While our groomer drivers are making progress on 13 south it still has not been groomed with a drag yet, however, you can still ride along the side of East Shore Road. With the record amount of approximately 90-inches of snow in November we’re really scrambling to get trails ready. Once the snow hit it brought a lot of branches down across trails and hindered our attempts to get out and check trails. Now it’s causing very wet conditions as the ground underneath hadn’t frozen before the snow came. More bad news…the forecast is calling for temps to get as high as 40 this weekend. Bummer. You can legally ride any county road that does not get plowed, but check with the Forest Service for a map to these roads. They have a waterproof one for $10.00. Call 906-932-1330 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/ottawa for more info. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes towards the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Wednesday, December 10, 2014 at 13:06:37 (PST) December 5, 2014 We have groomers, with drags, out on trail 1 north, 8 west and 8 east. Watch for “wet area” signs on trail 8 west. All other trails we’re running groomers on but just to pack the snow down, trying to set the freeze down into the ground. With the incredible amounts of snow we received in November it served to insulate the wet ground underneath. As a result we’re now dealing with some very wet conditions on, at least, portions of most of our trails. It is very important to stay on the trails, however, because you will be getting into even worse conditions off the trail. Lots of water everywhere. Our nights have been very cold so wherever the groomers have run it should be freezing on the trails. The forecast is calling for more snow next week, but we often get unexpected lake effect snow…so you never know. I will keep you posted as conditions change or if we have any big weather news to pass on, so keep checking back. The new snowmobile maps are out and available at most local businesses. Please remember that only money put into the wooden map money boxes with the photo of the groomers on it goes towards the trails – so please be aware of this and watch for this. That’s all for now from Carolyn at the Hoop! We can’t wait to see you all back up again enjoying our beautiful area. For additional information about the Lake Gogebic area please visit the chamber website at www.LakeGogebicArea.com or call them at 1-888-464-3242 (888-GOGEBIC). Have a great day and a great ride. Carolyn at the Hoop <info@lakegogebicarea.com> - Friday, December 05, 2014 at 11:12:22 (PST) Trails Closed