Northeastern Minnesota

[Lutz]

Originally Posted by arrowhead rider

Welcome. I am also from Two Harbors. I'm thinking the drummond line and stewart lake had plenty of snow in march. Sounds like fun. I wasn't so adventurous untill april. I am heading up to Grand Marais this sat. to join Mike S. Get yourt bike fixed so you can join us next time.

Thanks, and I'll try.

It was actually a warm day for early March...relatively...above 20 degrees anyway. Heading out of town most of the dirt roads including Drummond Grade were a mix of bare dirt with some ice sections, but Stewart Lake Road was totally ice covered. I didn't spend much time actually on the lake, and that was on the packed/frozen snowmobile/truck road. I stayed away from any deep snow on the lake. I rode a little further on the lake after crashing, but without studded tires the ice ruts were just too much to handle. I crashed once more as I was headed off the lake. Yeah, it was a lot of fun! Until I got back on the roads and discovered I no longer had 5th and 6th gear, and had to ride all the way home with an unknown degree of carnage inside my transmission.

[akula802]

Originally Posted by MikeS

(snip) I want to hit the Pigeon River overlook again, plus see if I can get in to Partridge Falls. S&T shows a road to the falls, and I've never checked it out.

I camped at Partridge Falls several years ago after hiking the Grand Portage. There's a beautiful campsite right at the falls, it is open and level and would easily accommodate several tents. While I was there, several groups of locals dropped by on ATV's, so there has to be trail access somewhere. Wouldn't be a bad spot for a small group gathering, though I walked some parts of the trail the ATV'ers were using and there were some little gullies that would be difficult to cross on a larger bike.

It's about a mile west of where the Grand Portage trail meets the old Fort Charolette, which along with the portage trail itself is owned by the National Park Service. Connecting old Fort Charolette to Partridge Falls is the North Country Trail, a hiking trail whose overseeing association is not permitted to maintain the trail on reservation land. I believe the majority of the land in the area belongs to the tribe, so it would probably be a good idea to check the status and inquire about any restrictions. But I'm sure there wouldn't be a problem if a few of us were to just show up one weekend.

I'm definitely game for a return to this place:





I'll be riding around up there sometime in the next couple of weeks. No plans, nothing concrete yet, but my friend wants to go to the OHV park in Gilbert next weekend, so after that I want to ride the to Ely, then down Highway 1 to our spring fishing camp between Finland and the Trestle bar. Probably Duluth for a few days after that, then a stop at my old man's cabin in NW Wisconsin before heading home to St Paul. If anyone wants to meet up, shoot me a PM or I'll keep posting here when I figure out my plans.


--Brian

[c-zulu]

Let me know when plans get a little more concrete, I'm riding down to the Ozarks the second week in May but might be free before then..

[arrowhead rider]

Originally Posted by c-zulu

Let me know when plans get a little more concrete, I'm riding down to the Ozarks the second week in May but might be free before then..

C-zulu you dont sit still often do you? What's going on in the ozark's?

[Lutz]

Originally Posted by c-zulu

Let me know when plans get a little more concrete, I'm riding down to the Ozarks the second week in May but might be free before then..

That made me chuckle....might be free. Man, I don't know anybody who enjoys as much freedom as you! Two wheels and the open road...

[c-zulu]

Originally Posted by arrowhead rider

C-zulu you dont sit still often do you? What's going on in the ozark's?

VITO (Victory in the Ozarks) riding the Kingpin down for some of that southern hospitality I hear so much about and I hear that the roads are pretty good too...

[c-zulu]

Originally Posted by Lutz

That made me chuckle....might be free. Man, I don't know anybody who enjoys as much freedom as you! Two wheels and the open road...

Finding my bliss...

[MikeS]

The plan, which currently includes two of as as far as I know, is to meet at Jave Moose in Grand Marais, then finalize plans to ride towards Pigeon River overlook. It will be a dirt road ride.

[c-zulu]

Here's to snow free roads you guys, good luck.

[tommymerle]

What time? I can't join you for the ride but I would like to meet you. (I'm in Lutsen)
tom

[arrowhead rider]

Originally Posted by tommymerle

What time? I can't join you for the ride but I would like to meet you. (I'm in Lutsen)
tom

10 am. hopefully see you there.

[FotoTEX]

Have a donut for me at Worlds Best Donuts. Will be there all of July and some of August. As for the Java Moose, I really like their peach smoothies in summer. If you have still too much snow, head to Texas where the weather is excellent now. Different story in a couple months.

[Klay]

Anybody know how much snow and ice there is around the Fairbanks/Brimson area right now?

[MikeS]

Arrowhead and LDHack met, as planned, and rode, as planned. Up the Gunflint Trail to the Greenwood Rd. Then turn off on the North Greenwood towards the Arrowhead Trail. Eventually the plowing stopped, and the melting was enough for an adventure.


The conditions got a little more "interesting", but the crew plowed on:


Wondering what's coming ahead:


A little pushing helped when it got deeper:


Stuck, but no need for a sidestand:


And, since this is the first adventure for LDHack with his new-to-him yellow motorcycle, the appropriate initiation. With less than 200 miles to bond together, this happens:


Arrowhead says, "that's not a real tip over." "OK, so does this count?"


Onward, on the stuff with traction:


Or the white stuff with no traction (look carefully, Arrowhead is way up there, leaving a wondering trail behind him:


A sign that spring will win out over winter:


And the rapids on Swamp River in full runoff:


Never made it to Partridge Falls, but had a great late lunch at the Hovland General Store. Pigeon River overlook, Partridge Falls, and the Outlaw Bridge will have to wait for a future docket.



And then, there's this last image that won't go away...

[c-zulu]

I was curious on what kind of conditions you might be riding in, it rained pretty hard further down the shore just after lunch time. Hopefully we can make this run again when there's less SNOW !!