39 FALL 2020 ISSUE 01 / VOL . 02 SNOWGOER . COM
40 hotel , Audrey Decker was there with our bags , and day 1 was in the books . At a big festive dinner that night , the group started to take shape .
Head East , Go North
The overnight in Silver City was uneventful , but little did we know that Ma ’ Nature had been busy decorating our upcoming path . As soon as we got a couple of miles away from the big lake they call Gichigami we ran into another stretch of snow-laden trees that resembled our late-day experience from Monday .
We weaved our way in efficient fashion south and then east , heading toward the city of Greenland for one gas stop . We were making such great time that we added in a looped trail north of Twin Lakes before stopping into the Parkivew Lodge for some warm grub . Fresh , smooth trails were waiting for us when we were done , and we had an easy-going ride to the Houghton-Hancock area , where we would spend this night . Our “ fast group ” was in early , with time for a nap and a little bar time before another big group dinner .
Slowly , within the larger group , some of the normal walls of riding with strangers started to come down . More brand teasing was evident over dinner and drinks , and the room was generally about 50 percent louder than the night before . All good things . That night , I shared my plans with the “ fast group ” about switching to the “ slower group ” the next day . “ Yeah , have fun with that ,” one member of our Ohio group said with a laugh . A member of an Iowa group mimicked a big yawn , while a couple from the group I ’ d be joining said , “ We ’ ll take good care of you – if you can keep up !”
Wednesday morning we were up before the sun for breakfast and out to the sleds by daybreak . Our first mission was to cross the two-story bridge that spanned the Portage River that separates Hancock from Houghton , and thus the rest of Michigan ’ s Upper Peninsula from the