A few years ago sledding in the UP, we ran into a stuck car between the Soo and Kinross on one of the sledding trails a few hundred feet in. When asked if we could assist, he said he had a friend coming to help and his GPS told him to drive down this trail, which clearly was marked for snowmobiles. lol
A couple weeks back, I was sledding alone and came across a truck pulling a stuck jeep on a groomed power line trail where it doubles as a ATV/UTV route in the summer. I wasn't sure if they were allowed on the trail as some clubs allow ATV/UTV's on the same trails in the winter and I mentioned that I didn't think they were allowed there. They seemed to play dumb and they were near the entrance where the forest road meets it so I didn't think much of it.
This last Thursday, we had a DNR truck coming towards us on a tight, twisty trail for an accident. We had just passed an MXZ that left the trail to kiss a tree about a mile behind us. Officer said rider was ok but was on his way to investigate.
On that same day, there was a Police SUV sitting in the middle of a popular trail, facing us with blue lights on as we came around the corner with lots of other sledders stopped around it. We thought it was a trail/reg check but turned out a sledder saw a glove on the trail, stopped, and ended up finding a crashed sled and its rider with broken legs, arms, and a metal object that was stuck in him in the woods about 20 feet from the trail. He was there since 8pm the night before. This was around 10am the next day and who knows how many other sledders went by before that. He was conscious and they life-flighted him out of there.
When riding in the forest for a few hours and not seeing civilization or other sledders, it kinda takes you by surprise when there's vehicle around the corner.
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A couple weeks back, I was sledding alone and came across a truck pulling a stuck jeep on a groomed power line trail where it doubles as a ATV/UTV route in the summer. I wasn't sure if they were allowed on the trail as some clubs allow ATV/UTV's on the same trails in the winter and I mentioned that I didn't think they were allowed there. They seemed to play dumb and they were near the entrance where the forest road meets it so I didn't think much of it.
This last Thursday, we had a DNR truck coming towards us on a tight, twisty trail for an accident. We had just passed an MXZ that left the trail to kiss a tree about a mile behind us. Officer said rider was ok but was on his way to investigate.
On that same day, there was a Police SUV sitting in the middle of a popular trail, facing us with blue lights on as we came around the corner with lots of other sledders stopped around it. We thought it was a trail/reg check but turned out a sledder saw a glove on the trail, stopped, and ended up finding a crashed sled and its rider with broken legs, arms, and a metal object that was stuck in him in the woods about 20 feet from the trail. He was there since 8pm the night before. This was around 10am the next day and who knows how many other sledders went by before that. He was conscious and they life-flighted him out of there.
When riding in the forest for a few hours and not seeing civilization or other sledders, it kinda takes you by surprise when there's vehicle around the corner.
