Page 24 - NovemberSnomad2020

The next morning, our destination was Silver City Michigan. While
there, we were going to stop at the Lake of the Clouds and stay the
night at the Sand motel. Ray took us to many different sites during this
trip, I remember the highest point in Michigan, some Ice fall for-
mations, scenic over looks, Lake Superior, Brockway Mountain Drive,
and you have to stop at the Gay bar to warm -up, and a picture at the
Gay Bar Sign. When we arrived in Siler City, we dropped our saddle bags
in our rooms and headed for a quick trip up to Lake of the Clouds. We
entered the park and headed up the trail when Ray’s Polaris came to a
sudden stop. He tried to start it, but the engine was seized. We re-
moved a spark plug, and it was a sad site, piston fragments coated the
plug. We towed the sled back to the motel using Maria’s Ski-doo. I do
not know if the very warm temperatures had anything to do with the
melt down, but the two-fan cooled Ski-doo’s were doing fine.

The next morning the weather made a complete change for the better,
it was snowing big flakes, and the temperatures were cooling down. (A
great day to ride). The owner of the Sands volunteered, (for a price) to
take Ray’s dead Polaris and Maria back to the Ojibwa Casino in Baraga.
That was the plan, Maria and the Polaris went one way while Ray lead
us back to Baraga riding Maria’s Ski-doo. The ride down trail 11 out of
the porkies down towards trail 8 was freshly groomed and extremely
fast; we were all traveling at a good pace and making good time to-
wards trail 8. (I think Ray was on a mission). We went east on trial 8
through Bergland, Bruce Crossing, I think this trail must have been a
railroad tracks at one time, because it was flat and straight, but it was
still fun to ride. We finely turned north on trail 15 towards Baraga, we
made it into town just before dark. I do not recall the milage of the trip,
but Rich, Jason and I had a wonderful time riding with Ray and Maria.
Since then, I have attended other Western U.P. rides with Ray, and I
have special memories from all of them. Ray has moved on to Arizona
now, but the ride continues with Lenny Dicks at the helm, I have ridden

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November 2020 The Snomad Page 24