29 WINTER 2026 VOL. 07 / ISSUE 01 SNOWGOER. COM
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The Hurley and Mercer clubs both do an impressive job of welcoming visiting riders. before shifting north again. This deep in the woods, it’ s almost surprising to find pitstops with gas and food, but they’ re out there – this is Wisconsin, after all. We weren’ t seeing many sleds when riding, but the Bear Chasers Lodge must have had close to 100 snowmobiles parked outside, and the tiny Willy’ s Still just to the north was similarly jumping. With no need for fuel or food, we kept rolling.
Surprise Visit
Eventually Lewis led us to a glorious surprise seemingly hidden in a hilly and densely wooded area locals refer to as Hogsback, directly south of the 3,100-acre Gile Flowage. Near the intersection of trails 13 and 13C is a professional memorial, recognizing the site of two tragic military training crashes 61 years earlier.
According to accounts, a B-47 Strato-Jet based out of Topeka, Kansas, was flying a low-altitude training mission to Ironwood, Michigan, and crashed into the woods at about 11 p. m. on February 24, 1961, killing all four Air Force service members aboard. Then, on May 2 of the same year, another B-47 crashed nearby at 2:45 a. m. while conducting the same high-risk exercise, which was designed to simulate under-the-radar, nighttime bombing runs. Two of the four Air Force members on that plane were able to eject just before impact, but two others perished.
The memorial – which includes a pergola, informative placards, plastic flowers, flag stands and more – almost has a religious feel to it. Out there in the woods, far separated from any city or town, it offered a calm silence and allowed us to focus our mind on the brave soldiers who gave their lives. It was also a reminder that sacrifices aren’ t always just made overseas in active battle. The memorial is an absolute must-see for visiting riders.
We snaked our way back to the White Thunder Riders clubhouse, bid adieu to Lewis and White, and then made it back to our Hurley hotel at sunset. After a bit of time to clean up, we hustled back downtown for a night of … research?
Snowmobiling Paradise
Saturday morning came early after our night of low-level carousing, but we were greeted with a stunningly beautiful morning. About 4 inches of snow had fallen overnight, draping white fluff on top of the sleds and trailers that filled every inch of the Days Inn’ s massive lot. A cold front was moving in, which took away a few degrees but started clearing the skies. We were to meet our new, unofficial guide that morning in front of the hotel. The self-deprecating Bob Stuhr had joked over text that we’ d be able to pick him out in the parking lot because he’ d be“ the only 400-pound guy there in a bright yellow jacket.” Sure enough, we spotted Stuhr and his imposing figure right away. Hidden behind the imposing façade is an eminently friendly snowmobiler who is well versed on