community weblog - [ SNOW ]

Tens of millions of people will enjoy sports vicariously by watching the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. If you prefer more active involvement in sports, mark Feb. 4 on your calendar and become one of about 750 cross-country skiers who participate in the White Pine Stampede at Mancelona.

Snow conditions in northern Michigan aren't all that hot at the moment. But the forecast calls for acceptably cool weather and regular snowfalls for the next 10 days, and race organizers hope it keeps up through the 30th start of one of America's biggest and best cross-country events.   more...

ANCHORVILLE -- So much for winter. Mike Gleason of Anchorville is already thinking spring.

Looking outside his family room window Friday at the moving waters of Anchor Bay 30 feet away -- no snow in sight, 40-degree temperatures -- Gleason said he's ready to get back on the water with his 50-foot houseboat. Normally, snowmobiling would be on the 50-year-old cell phone salesman's mind this time of year. But without much snow this month, he hasn't even taken his sled out of its trailer.   more...

Photo Credit: Don Sanford

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It was the kind of thing that sends a shiver up your backbone.

Doug Deming, who owns Fish Point Lodge on Saginaw Bay, asked over the phone, "Remember where we were fishing a couple of days ago? Well, there's three miles of open water there now. All of the ice disappeared from that place overnight."

We had been ice fishing on the bay southwest of Unionville, and when I had tested it with a spud, the iron blade went through in a couple of punches even though the ice was four inches thick.   more...

article from http://www.iceboat.org

January 7-8, 2006
Lake Winnebago, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Day 2
What a difference 16 hours can make...  Saturday evening people were pushing their boats back to the pits; Sunday morning the problem was keeping them in one place.  Overnight the wind shifted 180 degrees and increased, with solid mid-teens and gusts up to near 20.  Whoo, Hoo!

This is exactly the kind of conditions where my stiff mast really comes into it's own.  I reset my rig to the settings I'd been using Friday and went out for a quick test-sail before the first gold-fleet race; everything was working together perfectly and the boat felt great.  Dan put on his brand-new insert runners and played around a bit with mast-step position and fore-stay length; he also pronounced his boat "good to go".  Unfortunately Wes Wilcox was battling a way-too-stiff mast and had quite a bit of trouble in the gusty conditions.   more...    

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WBAY

Two Oshkosh men were lucky after their ice sailing boat capsized in open water on Lake Winnebago. The accident happened around 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon on the south end of the lake.

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Department says a passing airplane called in to report two men clinging to a capsized boat in open water.   more...

Bummer.

A week of above-freezing temperatures and rain has left the cross-country ski trails of the northern Lower Peninsula in fairly rough condition. A few inches of snow are forecast for the weekend, but most trails will probably be marginal when it comes to setting tracks for classical skiing.

So why not turn lemons into lemonade by learning how to skate ski, a technique that doesn't require set tracks and works nearly as well on granular snow as on fresh powder?   more...

The 17th Annual Mackinaw Mush Sled Dog Race

February 4th & 5th, 2006

This years "MUSH" should prove to be as exciting for the fans as it will be for the Mushers & their teams!

We invite you to join us for a grand weekend of unique entertainment and fun for the entire family!

As the sport of dog sledding becomes increasingly popular as a spectator and participant sport, it creates public awareness of the bond between human and canine companionship.    more...

ELLEN CREAGER
http://www.freep.com

McMILLAN, Mich. -- Oof. Ouch. Arf. Arf!

I felt the sled fall and clung precariously to the handlebar. The dogs, five smart Alaskan huskies, felt the drag and stopped. Turned. Tilted their heads at the sight of a lady, one boot missing, snow on her face, the sled on its side.

They paused for one second. Two seconds.

Ran.

Oof. Whoa!

When you take a dogsled vacation, you'll work hard, play hard -- and experience moments that make it vividly worthwhile.

BY ERIC SHARP
FREE PRESS OUTDOORS WRITER

FREDERIC -- Michigan leads the nation in the number of snowmobiles and miles of snowmobile trails.

But on a day like this, not even the best groomers can do much with snow that has been turned to slush by three days of temperatures in the mid- to high 30s and constant drizzle.

Jim Kostin of Mancelona, a spokesman for the Michigan Snowmobile Association, said a few trails remained ridable through the thaw, but that's not necessarily a good thing.

"What happens is that everybody who wants to ride moves over to those trails, and after a few days they get so rough nobody wants to ride them," Kostin said. "We really need some snow."   more...

article from http://www.freep.com/

Best time to go: When it's 32 or below. If it gets much above freezing, the snow is sticky and frustrating. Avoid days when the snow has thawed and refrozen overnight. That makes the trails icy, and it's hard to control your skis. Three to four inches is enough snow for skiing.

Where to go: Stay in the woods as much as possible. It's prettier there, and you will be protected from the wind. Groomed trails with tracks make skiing easier.

Classic or skating: Start with the classic style, in which the skis remain parallel, as opposed to the skating style. "Classic is the most versatile for most people," said Dick Fultz, owner of the Cross-Country Ski Shop in Grayling. "You can ski anywhere, on groomed trails or not groomed trails."    more...

Michigan offers more than 6,100 miles of designated snowmobile trails, half of them on private land and the rest within six state and three national forests and other public lands.

Some are groomed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, through the $2.5 million collected annually in snowmobile registration and permit fees. The rest are maintained by clubs, local and civic organizations and individual volunteers, often with DNR grants.

State park and recreation areas with designated snowmobile areas include: Bald Mountain, Coldwater Lake, Craig Lake, Dodge #4, Fort Custer, Hart-Montague Trail, Highland, Holly, Ionia, Island Lake, Kal Haven, Lake Hudson, Mears, Metamora-Hadley, Porcupine Mountains, Mitchell, Muskallonge, Ortonville, Sleepy Hollow, South Higgins Lake, Tahquamenon Falls, Tawas Point, Van Buren, Waterloo, Wetzel, White Pine Trail, Wilderness, Wilson and Yankee Springs. Snowmobiling is also allowed on designated trails at Richfield County Park.

BY OWEN DAVIS
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Cross-country skiing is more than a way to get exercise outdoors in the winter.

It's good for the soul.

I was reminded of that last winter while skiing along Lake Huron in Presque Isle County. The water was cobalt blue, with mounds of ice rising from the sand and rocks. A few hundred yards out, another line of ice ran parallel to the shore.

No humans or houses were in sight. No sound except for the wind and the waves splashing against the shore. Just snow and ice, rocks and trees and water. The best way to get there was on skis.

Cross-country skiing can take you to places of quiet beauty anywhere with a few inches of snow on the ground. It's not for the snowboarding set -- no acrobatics, no sharp turns carved on a long run down a mountain.  more...

Watch artists chisel away the cold as they create magnificent works of ice sculptures at competitions and festivals across Michigan.

The Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular 2006 takes place in January 12-16. Witness the ice artists as they use saws, chisels, and picks to transform gigantic blocks of ice into beautiful art work. In the evenings, colored lights turn the clear creations into prisms of sparkling hues.

Held annually in Frankenmuth, Zehnder's Snowfest is a winter tradition steeped in the key joys of the season - chilly outdoor activities and delicious food to warm your tummy. Enjoy a fun-filled event for the whole family January 25-30. The event will feature such time-tested favorites as snow sculpting and ice carving competitions, a children's area, fireworks, entertainment, warming tent and much more. Zehnder's Restaurant, host of Snowfest, is a favorite stop for Frankenmuth visitors.   more...

Winter's too long to hide out at home, especially when there are so many fun things to do nearby in Minnesota. Browse through this website and get some ideas for your own winter getaway.   more...