Page 28 - TheJanuarySnomad

On Saturday, while I was in the MISORVA meeting Mary and the boys went
to Manistique and back. 140 miles and said trail 41 was in good shape. Sun-
day Buddy and I rode from Christmas to the Buckhorn and met with Nicole.
Mary and Jacob drove the truck and trailer to meet us. Nichole had told me
earlier that we could keep our trailer there until Thursday when we came
back and pointed out where to put it. I left her a Snomads banner to put up
to welcome the Snomads crew for the Shakedown Ride.
During the week I kept in contact with Keith Churill with the Alger Snowmo-
bile and ATV Club, Jack Hubbard with the Grand Marais Snowmobile Club
and the Schoolcraft Snowmobile and ORV Club for trail updates. To say I
answered a hundred questions the week before the ride would be a huge
understatement. Everyone was anxious to ride.
I spoke with Ron Schroder and offered him a sled to ride with us and to pick
his knowledge of prior Shakedown rides for ideas. Ron (as always) was his
incredible self, letting me pick his brain for ideals. We made plans for Johna-
thon and I to pick him up in Waters on our way up. Unfortunately, he was
picked for a jury trial on Tuesday and could not attend the ride.

On Thursday at 6:15 am Buddy and I headed north to the Buckhorn. Jacob
and Mary had a church retreat and could not make the ride. Since we were-
n’t pulling a trailer, things went quick until Grayling when it started to snow.
It kept snowing all the way to the Buckhorn and made driving interesting.
We were in complete whiteouts several times.

It took a while to make it to the Buckhorn after stops at Gustafson’s Smoked
Fish for jerky and Mater’s in Seney for gas. Buddy and I pulled in just after 1
pm. We checked in and helped Nicole put up the Snomads banner by the
front door.

After putting our gear into our room John Koss came over on his new sled.
We told him we wanted to do a scouting ride for dinner tonight and he stat-
ed he would be up for a ride with us.

January 2020 The Snomad Page 28