S ometimes the best-laid plans are the plans that never get made . Instead of working up an elaborate itinerary and trying to follow it , you just go and do something without sweating the details . To quote the late-great Minnesota Twins centerfielder Kirby Puckett , you “ let the chips fall where they may .”

The winter of this adventure had been a bad , primarily snowless one for Minnesota snowmobilers , but five of my friends and I wanted one more ride before we put away the sleds for the season . We heard there was a patch of snow way up in the North Star State ’ s Arrowhead Region , but we knew our window of opportunity was small because warm air was thinning the isolated snow pack every day .

G

MARAIS

Exploring Minnesota ’ s Arrowhead

Story and photos by Andy Swanson , originally publi lished in the March 2013 issue of Snow Goer