35 FALL 2020 ISSUE 01 / VOL . 02 SNOWGOER . COM
36
On the final day of January in 2010 , 32 snowmobilers were assembled in a hotel lobby in Eagle River , Wisconsin , waiting for instructions from their leader , a 78-year-old man who would be guiding them on a five-day , 600-plus mile snowmobiling adventure .
The group featured a mix of ages , experiences and vocations – snowmobilers from their early 20s to the mid 80s representing 11 states , some aggressive riders , some passive touring types – and all were excited about the upcoming journey . They had signed up for the sixth annual Snow Goer Great Escape Tour hosted by Decker Sno Venture Tours – a grand , pointto-point trip from Eagle River to Copper Harbor , Michigan , at the tip of the famous Keweenaw Peninsula , and back . Fresh overnight snow made the road a bit slick for most , who had driven in tow vehicles
pulling sleds from throughout the area . With a few puffs into a whistle , tour guide Dick Decker pulled the group together , as he had done so many times over the years , for the night ’ s “ drivers meeting .” Basic rules of the trail were reviewed , a day-by-day itinerary was shared , and then Decker asked each person in the tour to briefly introduce themself .
As the self-introductions were going on , Decker and his wife , Audrey , seemed especially tuned in , getting a read on each person and watching the early group dynamics .
For some on the tour , this was a firsttime experience . For the Deckers ? It was the start of year 30 . In fact , the Deckers ’ first tour in 1980 took customers from the Wisconsin Northwoods to Copper Harbor and back – the same basic area we were about to ride . The sleds have gotten a LOT better over the years , and so have the trails . The constant , though , is the camaraderie gained when a group of people spend five days on a snowmobiling adventure together .
That night , a few jokes were shared , a few bottles and cans were emptied , but generally everybody went to bed early , knowing we ’ d be riding first thing the next morning .
The Great Escape Begins
By 8 a . m ., the parking lot outside of the Eagle River Best Western Derby Inn was abuzz with activity . Snowmobiles were idling in all corners of the lot . Luggage and assorted items were being packed into a 48-foot enclosed trailer that would be pulled by Audrey Decker behind the big Chevy dually . We all said goodbye to our tow vehicles for the next six days .
Because our group was so large , we were split into two teams – depending on perspective , they were either the “ fast ” team and the “ slower ” team , or the