55 WINTER 2024 VOL . 05 / ISSUE 02
SNOWGOER . COM 56
While cruising in the Au Sable River Valley , you ’ re never far from a trailside shelter . These examples are maintained by three different clubs – the Ogemaw Hills Snowmobile Club , the Hale
Area Trailblazers Snowmobile Club and the AuSable Valley
Trail Riders Association .
Day 1 : Hills And Lake Huron Views
The OHSC clubhouse is at the Frank Alley Memorial Park & Trailhead , situated on a piney piece of land provided by Klacking Township that includes a groomer garage and a spacious parking lot where the club hosts its huge vintage event every February . This outstanding facility is located in the Au Sable State Forest about 10 miles north and east of Interstate 75 and the town of West Branch ( Exit 212 ), where visitors have numerous options for food and lodging .
Bringing a new spur trail to the hotels along the freeway is one of the club ’ s objectives that will make getting onto the
network even easier in the future .
Lubahn and members John Hurry , Bruce Reetz , Jim Kelts and Dan White greeted us warmly when we arrived on a sunny Monday morning . After suiting up in the clubhouse , we mounted our sleds and set off into the Au Sable State Forest on Trail 6 , which soon took us into the Huron National Forest and east toward Lake Huron .
Our first stop was at the historic Tucker Cemetery , where faded headstones were scattered amongst a grove of trees alongside the trail . After paying our respects and pondering the rigors of frontier life , we continued on our way .
The up-and-down riding was exhila- rating and a series of trailside signs denoted our altitude , which over the distance of a dozen miles ranged from 500 to 1250 feet above sea level . After a while , the terrain flattened noticeably and we cruised through the sleepy town of South Branch and then back into the woods .
Our second stop was at a trail junction in the forest , where we visited the OHSC trail shelter and enjoyed the warmth of a crackling fire as our hosts told us the colorful history of their club . A half dozen miles later , we stopped at another trailside shelter , where 17 members of the Hale Area Trailblazers club