Great Escapes Winter 2024 | Page 30

59 WINTER 2024 VOL . 05 / ISSUE 02
SNOWGOER . COM 60
Day Two : Enjoying The Long Way
Tuesday ’ s outing was shorter in dura-
veer into the woods and make our way through the forest on wonderful single track trails that were a pleasure with all
The second landmark was a dilapidated house standing alongside a quiet
The Royal Oak Sportsmen ’ s Club boasts a long history . Photos of proud hunters and trophy game dating from the 1920s to today festoon the walls of the Royal Oak Sportsmen ’ s Club .
tion but no less enjoyable , especially with
of the fresh snow .
forest road , miles from
more riders in our group . Four inches of
There were two landmarks to visit on
nowhere . This nondescript
snow had fallen overnight , blanketing the
this journey , both remarkable .
edifice was the Royal Oak
trails with a cushion of fresh powder that
The first was the open-air pavilion
Sportsmen ’ s Club , a fancy
made conditions ideal .
and grounds of the Bent Wheels Motor-
name for a rather shabby
Our destination was the town of Saint
cycle Club , a party venue tucked in the
but historic hunting shack
Helen , just 10 miles from the OHSC club-
woods and designed for summer celebra-
built in 1921 .
house as the crow flies , but going “ the
tions . In addition to numerous picnic
The door was unlocked ,
long way ” resulted in a loop ride that
tables and cooking grills scattered about ,
allowing us to explore
became an engaging , 72-mile odyssey .
the pavilion was decorated with count-
the interior and its spar-
This circuitous route took us to the
less kitschy items – motorcycle-related
tan accommodations . An
north and west through portions of state
and otherwise . Cloaked in snow , the place
impressive stone fire-
and national forests , where the main trail
was eerily quiet , but it was easy to imag-
place and an elevated pic-
carried us over hill and dale . Along the
ine the raucous revelry that occurs there
ture window dominated
way , we took several opportunities to
in high summer .
the main room , but what
caught our eyes were the
historic photos festooning
the walls . These pictures
, dating from the
1920s to recent years ,
featured proud hunters
in period garb displaying
their successes , mostly
trophy-sized deer . Getting
a glimpse inside this wellworn
time capsule was
a delight .