79 WINTER 2023 VOL . 04 / ISSUE 02 SNOWGOER . COM
80 tourist city . Check-in was quick and easy , and the wood-lined lobby offered souvenirs as well as various amenities . With a wealth of options such as a restaurant and bar onsite ( including live music ), room service and a large , well-lit parking lot , this seems like a great headquarters for any sized group .
After meeting Nancy McReady – the self-appointed “ lifetime secretary ” of the Ely Igloo Snowmobile Club – and her husband , Doug , for a brief introduction in the lobby , we made plans to meet at the same location the next morning .
Beginning from hotel parking lot , we followed local access routes down a slight embankment to Shagawa Lake – where we joined members of our riding group for the day . Perhaps they were also some of the snowmobilers that I had seen and heard zipping across the lake from my room the previous night ?
We rode across Shagawa Lake and despite unseasonably warm temperatures for January – producing areas of possibly slushy concerns – followed the stakes to a route up the Dead River to the Grassy Lake Loop . One-by-one we followed along a moderate but brisk pace as Nancy led the way through areas filled with tall pines and tight turns .
Despite their age and “ not being spring chickens ,” avid riders Nancy and Doug “ put on more miles than anyone ” each