Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Reports

2001-2002 Season (Archived)

Houghton Lake Michigan has over 200 miles of snowmobile trails.

Michigan snowmobiling season begins most winters by December and continues through March. This website is dedicated to Michigan snowmobiling and strives to give accurate snowmobile trail reports with pictures. Michigan snowmobiling relies on the efforts of volunteers to help maintain and improve the trail conditions. Check out the webcam page to see current conditions for Michigan Snowmobiling in Houghton Lake. We are avid snowmobiling fans ourselves, and volunteer every year for trail maintenance and grooming. Please support the clubs in the area where you ride by volunteering or donating. Michigan snowmobiling is a sport to be enjoyed by the entire family.

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Click here for our Michigan Snowmobile Trail reports posted by you...our guests!!Click here for a link to Houghton Lake Fishing, by Lymans on the Lake, for all your fishing reports and suppliesClick here for Michigan snowmobile trail reports from the 2000-2001 seasonClick here for Michigan snowmobile trail reports from the 2002-2003 seasonClick here for Michigan snowmobile trail reports from the 2003-2004 season

 

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SNOWMOBILE REPAIR & STUDDING

Please donate to this website if you find it useful. We added a paypal link so you can donate using your paypal account. We have some specials on studding, as well as pre-season prep. Stainless steel Woody's studs installed for $2.50 per stud, 24 hour turnaround. Many styles of backers available. Tunnel protectors extra if required. Pre season prep ($170.00) includes the following: 1. Check all fluids 2. chain-case oil changed 3. grease suspension and bearings 4. Charging system and all lighting check 5. Track tension adjustment 6. Engine compression test. 7. Wearbars check and slider replacement if necessary. 8. General inspection and bolt tightening. 9. Power wash and cleanup 10 Battery test. 11. Coolant system check 12 Belt inspection. Carbide replacement is 10.00 and carbides are approx 45.00/60.00/75.00/90.00 for 4/6/8/10" respectively for most sleds. Carb cleaning is included. 

Another snowmobile season is upon us and the Road Commission says they will do what the can to work with us on the areas that snowmobiles and vehicles have to share. Lets give them a chance and see what happens this year. If you see signs of teamwork from their organization helping the community, give them a friendly thank you.

 

2001-2002 Season (Archived)

Update 9/23/02 2:30 pm.  

 It is now 60 degrees with a high today of 62. The website will be getting its facelift soon, with new maps and trail pictures for ORV's and snowmobiles. The winter forecast doesn't look good, but the Farmers Almanac is predicting a harsh winter. The pictures and reports from winter 2001-2002 will be moved, but still be available for comparison and viewing. The links will be on this page. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 4/15/02 9:30 pm.  

 It is now 75 degrees with a record high today of 85. There have been many boats on the lake the last few days, people got a early jump on summer. I will be adding an O.R.V. trail report page, with maps and information on the single track, two track, and open trails. We will have fishing boats and pontoons in the water by this weekend, so if you are looking to get on the water we can set you up. We have cabin and chalet specials for the up-coming weeks and weekends, cabins are 100.00 for the weekend and chalets are 200.00 for the weekend. Weekly rates on cabins are 140.00 and chalets are 250.00. These rates are for a limited time only...so book today.

Update 4/10/02 1:30 pm.  

 It is now 54 degrees with a low last night of about 25. The ice is pretty much off the lake now, spring has sprung. Just last weekend we got 2-3 inches of snow...Go figure. We will be adding a fishing links page soon, so if you are into fishing check it out. We have cabin and chalet specials for the up-coming weeks and weekends, cabins are 100.00 for the weekend and chalets are 200.00 for the weekend. Weekly rates on cabins are 140.00 and chalets are 250.00. These rates are for a limited time only...so book today. Call us at 1-866-366-6464 (Toll Free).

Update 3/30/02 9:30 pm.  

 It is now 35 degrees with a low last night of about 35. There are numerous places of open water, I wouldn't be out on it ice fishing now, unless I was really close to shore. We have cabin and chalet specials for the up-coming weeks and weekends, cabins are 100.00 for the weekend and chalets are 200.00 for the weekend. Weekly rates on cabins are 140.00 and chalets are 250.00. These rates are for a limited time only...so book today.

Update 3/29/02 1:30 pm.  

 It is now 40 degrees with a low last night of about 35. Probably be the last post for a while, the lake is still partially covered with 4-6 inches of ice, some places more, some places less. There are still people ice-fishing, but don't take off ice fishing unless you check out the area closely There are numerous places of open water, the stretch near Denton Creek is a couple of miles long, and 150 yards out into the lake. We have cabin and chalet specials for the up-coming weeks and weekends, cabins are 100.00 for the weekend and chalets are 200.00 for the weekend. Weekly rates on cabins are 140.00 and chalets are 250.00. These rates are for a limited time only...so book today.

Update 3/25/02 10:00 am.  

 It is now 18 degrees with a low last night of about 0. No new snow over the last couple of days, just cold temps. BE CAREFUL on the lake as there are some thin spots and they are SNOW COVERED so you may not see them. The temps are supposed to remain below freezing over the next few days, so the ice isn't going anywhere just yet. There are still plenty of people ice-fishing, and ice is 6-12 inches thick in most places, but there are some really thin spots so don't take off ice fishing or riding unless you check out the area closely. 

Update 3/23/02 7:40 am.  

 It is now 20 degrees with a low last night of about 16. No new snow last night, just cold temps. We had flurries throughout the day yesterday, but no real accumulation. BE CAREFUL on the lake as there are some thin spots and they are SNOW COVERED so you may not see them. The ice is 6-12 inches thick in most places, but there are some really thin spots so don't take off ice fishing or riding unless you check out the area closely. I normally see sleds going by, but I haven't seen any in the past few days.

Update 3/22/02 9:40 am.  

 It is now 18 degrees with a low last night of about 2. We didn't get much more snow last night, maybe 1/2 inch. With all of the blowing it's hard to tell how much snow we have. The lake is covered with snow but BE CAREFUL as there are some thin spots and they are SNOW COVERED so you may not see them. The ice is 6-12 inches thick in most places, but there are some really thin spots so don't take off ice fishing or riding unless you check out the area closely.

Update 3/21/02 7:40 am.  

 It is now 12 degrees with a low last night of about 10. We have a winter storm advisory for today with 2-4 inches expected and right now it looks like a blizzard outside with all the snow and the winds. Who knows, with a lot of luck we might have something ridable by the weekend for those of you looking for one last ride. I am updating this page daily as it is still getting 6,000 or so hits a day. Somebody somewhere is looking for a last ride. They are predicting 1-2 for tonight also, and snow tomorrow. The lake still has 10-12" of ice where I checked it yesterday so it is decent enough to ride with a little snow on it. Ice fishing looking great for the weekend, and we have cabins available for 100.00 for the weekend, and chalets for 200.00 for the weekend. I will post again later today with an update on the snowfall. 

Update 3/20/02 10:00 am.  

 It is now 30 degrees with a low last night of about 20. We got a couple inches of snow last night and they are predicting another 3-5 over the next few days. I will check the ice thickness today in several places and report back what I find. Still plenty of ice fisherman out on the lake and I have heard reports that the fishing has been good. The warmer daytime temps make ice fishing a lot more bearable without a shanty. 

Update 3/18/02 9:00 am.  

 It is now 30 degrees with a low last night of about 20. Winter just isn't ready to let go yet, mother nature dropped a couple of inches of snow on us last night just to tease us. The forecast is calling for more snow and cooler temps later this week. Still plenty of ice for ice fishing, but BE CAREFUL. I suppose with the snow from last night on it, you could ride the lake if you are desperate for one last ride. I will probably only update this site one a month or so during the summer with info about our trail system or local tit-bits. It has been completely re-designed and will be changed during the summer months, so if you have any ideas on what you would like to see VOICE THEM HERE. Thanks for visiting this site, and we hope to see you next winter. We still have limited bookings for the summer, if you are interested CLICK HERE.

Update 3/14/02 7:00 pm.  

 It is now 25 degrees with a high today of about 44. Our snow is gone, still a little left in the woods but not enough for riding. Snow predicted for Friday and the weekend, but very little. The lake is still good for ice-fishing, but very little snow is left on it. I will update again if conditions improve, if not updated here then check on the VISITOR TRAIL REPORTS by clicking HERE. 

Update 3/13/02 11:00 pm.  

 It is now 20 degrees with a high today of about 43. Today's warn temp killed most of the standing snow, even in places where there was 2 foot or so from the plows a couple days ago. The forecast is calling for snow tomorrow and into Friday, but it would take a ton to bring back the trails now. It might make the lake ok for riding but that's probably it for the season. I will update again as conditions change and also on ice conditions for fishing. 

Update 3/12/02 1:00 pm.  

 It is now 38 degrees with a low last night of about 20. Doesn't look good for the snowmobilers, as no snow fell over the last 24 hours. The forecast is calling for flurries, and rain or snow through the weekend.  The lake is still frozen pretty well, I passed many cars and trucks out on the lake today. It was around 8-9" around shore and 12"+ 200 yards out. Use your own judgment when on the lake as conditions can change rapidly. I talked to some ice-fisherman today, they were about 3 miles out with their truck. They are hoping to catch some walleye before the season ends Friday. So if you are looking to ice fish, the lake is still in decent enough shape for that. I rode my sled along the south shore and it had decent snow coverage. Out towards the middle it gets spotty from the high winds last weekend. The trails have many bare spots, without more snow they will be in no shape for the weekend. 

Update 3/10/02 9:00 am.  

 It is now 12 degrees with a low last night of about 18. We are getting light snow right now, and last night we got 4-5 inches of snow. We had 50+ MPH wing gusts so there are drifts everywhere. Yesterday at about 3:00 pm the temp dropped like a rock and the rain changed to snow. The thermometer on the webcam froze from the rainwater, I will fix it this morning. The slushy mess on the lake was frozen by about 7:00 pm and with this new snow the lake may be suitable for riding again. I will check the trails shortly and post results. 

Update 3/9/02 9:00 am.  

 It is now 42 degrees with a low last night of about 39. We are getting rain right now, and last night we heard thunder. The rain has melted almost all of the snow, and although I haven't seen the trails, they are surely shot. The lake is a watery mess so even riding the lake is probably out for the weekend. It is supposed to turn to snow today, but with little accumulation. 

Update 3/8/02 10:04 am.  

 It is now 30 degrees with a low last night of about 18. We are getting a light drizzle right now, but so far not as bad as predicted. I will update as conditions change. I rode Houghton Lake and St Helen Trails last night. The Houghton Lake trails were still better than the St Helen trails. I won't bother posting the pictures as the conditions may change rapidly today. Check back later for updates. 

Update 3/7/02 12:20 pm.  

 It is now 24 degrees with a low last night of about 10. We got a light dusting last night, and I will take some pictures of the trails later today. Tomorrow will tell the real story as sleet/snow is predicted for tonight, and possibly rain for tomorrow. Right now the trails are still the best they have been all year, but that can change rapidly. 

Update 3/6/02 10:00 am.  

 It is now 20 degrees with a low last night of about 15. We received about 3-4 more inches of snow last night and the trails are looking good. This is the most base we have had all year. I rode around Long Lake to the Elbow lake bar and back with a guest staying at the resort (52 miles) and it was a great ride. We took trails and seasonal roads and they were excellent. at 11:45 pm I went back out and headed to St Helen with Big Joe. The trails were beautiful and flat till we got to the bridge about 12 miles into our ride. The Houghton Lake groomers probably stop there. We stuck it out for about 9-10 more miles then turned around and headed back. We rode around the Prudenville loop and it was great. After that I headed up to the west Houghton/Higgins lake trails. The west Houghton Lake trails were flat for the most part, but had a few water spots that had frozen. The west Higgins Lake trails had not been groomed as recent as the Prudenville trails, so they were rough but not as bad as the St. Helen trails. I rode 150 miles last night. I will check them out today and try to get some groomer schedules. If you want to ride here, now is the time. We have cabin/snowmobile rental specials running again this week. Two sleds and a cabin for 600.00 for two days, or One sled and a cabin for two days for 300.00. Chalets available at an additional charge. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 3/5/02 1:20 pm.  

 It is now 20 degrees with a low last night of about -5. No new snow to report, but the trails are freshly groomed and are a nice smooth ride. The lake is a little packed down around shore, but 100 yards out it is a smooth cushy ride with a few drifts scattered around. Watch for the pressure cracks as most of them are drifted over and hidden. I rode from the lake to Devonshire, across M-55 to the trail head at Owens road. Plenty of snow cover on the side streets for your sled, and along M-55 in town. I will post more pictures tonight or tomorrow. 

Update 3/3/02 8:40 pm.  

 It is now 1 degree with a high today of about 19. We got another 1-2 inches today since this morning. I have reports from riders on the entire Houghton Lake Trail system. The Prudenville trails are in great shape, they were grooming today for only the second time this year. Both Chamber of Commerce groomers were out today. The West Higgins Lake trails, trails to Leota, Elbow Lake and St Helen are all reported to be in excellent shape. If you planned on riding this area this year, the next week is definitely the time to do it. Some pictures are posted below.

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Update 3/3/02 8:40 am.  

 It is now 16 degrees with a low last night of about 15. The total accumulation over the past 24 hours was 10-12", with some areas getting closer to 16" The trails are great and the lake is like riding on a cushion. I talked to a groomer operator and they couldn't groom yesterday because the snow was too wet. The temperature dropped last night so the last 4-6 inches of snow is much lighter. they said they should be out grooming today. 

Update 3/2/02 11:00 am.  

 It is now 28 degrees with a low last night of about 18. It started to snow around 6:00 am and it is coming down pretty good. So far we got 3-4" already. At least we can make it from the lake to the trails now, and with this new snow the riding here will be much better. I have been watching people blast by on the lake, and there is a white-out behind them. Check out the visitor trail report link, to see a report from a couple of riders on Wed-Thurs. I will update again later today. Click on the webcam for pictures of recent snowfall. Pictures below taken last night. 

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Update 3/1/02 11:00 pm.  

 It is now 20 degrees with a low last night of about 15. No new snow today and a little thawing occurred. I took a look at the trails at 10:45 pm tonight, and they were still covered fairly well. It would be a marginal ride at best, with icy corners and a few water spots. Getting to the trail at Owens road is a rough ride, with Devonshire mostly down to asphalt, and Owens Road is dirt along the shoulder about 1/4 mile from M-55. We are supposed to get some snow tonight, a winter storm watch is in effect for tonight and tomorrow with 10-16" of snow possible. The trails would probably be decent enough to ride if there was a little loose snow on top to keep the sliders cool. I will post pictures I took tonight, tomorrow morning. If we get some snow, you will be able to see that there was at least a little base, around 1-2 inches. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/26/02 6:30 pm.  

 It is now 15 degrees with a high today of about 20. So far we received 3 to 3-1/2 inches of snow but a good bit of settling occurred due to the warm ground. The trails might be ridable by tomorrow, some people have already been out on them. It is supposed to be cold with more snowfall through the week. This weekend might be the last for the season....but who knows. We have a cabin/snowmobile rental special for the weekend, 2 sleds and a cabin from Friday at 5:00pm to Sunday at 5:00 pm for 600.00. Check in as early as 11:00 am on Friday. Also cabins alone for 125.00 for the weekend and chalets for 250.00 for the weekend. Call us at 989-366-6464. Will update again tomorrow, maybe with a ride under our belt.

Update 2/26/02 8:00 am.  

 It is now 20 degrees with a low last night of about 18. It started to snow around 7:00 am and it is coming down pretty good. I hear that down state near Lansing they got 6-7" already. It figures, we want it and they don't. I will post again as the snowfall continues. Hopefully we will get a pretty good dump from all this. 

Update 2/25/02 4:04 pm.  

 It is now 23 degrees with a high of about 32 today. The lake is still frozen pretty well, with minimal snow coverage. We are supposed to get a winter storm over the next 24-48 hours, so our winter may not be over yet. I will post again when conditions change. I will poke a few holes in the ice tonight and post the results. 

Update 2/22/02 3:04 pm.  

It is now 30 degrees with a high of about 32 today. It never fails lately, we get a little snow, then it warms up. The trails are very marginal, with plenty of water spots. The water on the lake has frozen and there  is decent snow coverage on it for riding. Check ice conditions  carefully before venturing out on the lake. I went as far north as the Pellston and Indian River area and they got up to 10" Cheybogan got hammered pretty well and I heard Waters got some decent snowfall also. The forecast for the weekend doesn't look good for snowmobiling in Houghton Lake area. BUT YOU CAN ICE FISH!!! READ THE E-MAIL WE RECEIVED BELOW with regards to St. Helen. Please e-mail them with your opinion on this subject.

From: Sales - St. Helen Power Sports [mailto:sales@sthelenpowersports.com]
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 2:23 PM
To: All Good St. Helen Power Sports Customers
Subject: St. Helen Snowmobile Restrictions

We recently heard that there may be a request made to the Richfield Township Board to restrict snowmobiles from the streets of St. Helen.  This action would obviously impact your ability to access restaurants, gas stations, service, & parts while on the trail in the St. Helen area.
 
If you disagree with this possible proposal, we strongly urge you to voice your opinion.  As it is very difficult for many of our customers to attend a township meeting on a Tuesday night, an email message would be useful.  You can send your comments to sales@sthelenpowersports.com.  We will present these letters to the township board if appropriate.  Your support is appreciated!!
 

Update 2/21/02 11:44 pm.  

 It is now 12 degrees with a high of about 24 today. We got 2-3 inches of snow last night and the cold temps are freezing the rain that came down on the lake. I will update tomorrow on lake/trail conditions as they are rapidly changing. THINK SNOW.

Update 2/20/02 1:44 pm.  

 It is now 36 degrees with a low of about 32 last night. The snow in my yard is about gone. The lake is a watery mess, but it should freeze back up tonight, and hopefully change to snow. The lake will probably be ok for the weekend if we get some new snow. The trails will need a lot of snow before they will be ridable. I will update again when conditions improve. Snow is in the forecast thru Tuesday next week, so THINK SNOW.

Update 2/19/02 1:04 pm.  

 It is now 34 degrees with a low of about 29 last night. I rode around the lake a couple of times yesterday putting some miles on a new motor. There were a few new LARGE pressure cracks on the south shoreline. They look like ramps, but would certainly be deadly at higher speeds, so be careful. Snow was getting scarce in some areas with the most snow cover around the shoreline. The ice fishing is still going strong as we have lost very little ice so far. I will check thickness tomorrow after this warm system leaves our area. 

Update 2/18/02 10:04 am.  

 It is now 24 degrees with a low of about 10 last night. I will probably go out and play on the lake today, as the weather forecast looks grim over the next few days. The lake has decent snow on it now, but if it rains it will be a sorry mess for sure. It is supposed to cool off later in the week, with rain changing to snow. There is still plenty of ice, and it continues to thicken as the temps are above freezing for only a few hours during the day, and have been well below during the night. If anyone has any reports from riding the U.P. recently, or is going this week, please e-mail me with conditions. I am looking to make a trip up there wed-thurs this week. 

Update 2/16/02 3:04 pm.  

 It is now 30 degrees with a low of about 20 last night and the temps seem to be dropping. I rode 65 miles this morning of seasonal roads. By 1:30 this afternoon the roads to the trails were all dirt. The only riding this weekend will be on the lake. I watched the racers over at the north-west corner of the lake, it was really busy with 12-15" of ice on the lake. Ice fisherman are everywhere today, maybe I will take up fishing as a hobby, as this has been a terrible year for snowmobiling.

Update 2/15/02 9:04 am.  

 The temp is 36 and right after our new snowfall we get a couple warm days to melt it all away. It appears with the warm temps predicted for the weekend, the only riding will be on the lake. Plenty of ice for ice-fishing, don't forget to get your bait & fishing supplies at Lymans on the lake. 

Update 2/14/02 9:04 am.  

 The temp is 20 and the low last night was 16. I rode the trails to Elbow Lake last night and they were ok in places, some dirt showing in others. The seasonal roads were ok, and I will check the West side trails today. I will post pictures when I get back.

Update 2/13/02 9:04 am.  

 The temp is 10 and the low last night was 8. We got about 4-5 inches of snow between yesterday and this morning. It has been really blowing up until this morning. I will check the trails and report back later today. I rode the lake last night and it was a great ride with plenty of snow coverage and drifts to make it a little more interesting. The snowgauge doesn't tell the story because of all of the high winds.

Update 2/12/02 3:44 pm.  

 The temp is 24 and the low last night was 20. I was just about to go take a few pictures of the trails and the snow really started coming down. We have a weather advisory today of 2-5 inches, and additional 1-2 for tonight. I will wait to take pictures as the trails are changing rapidly. I checked them out from Houghton Lake to Gaylord yesterday afternoon. there were some bare spots in the corners, but overall they weren't bad.

Update 2/11/02 10:05 am.  

 The temp is 6 and the low last night was -4. We got 3-4 inches of wet heavy snow and it settled a bit through the day yesterday. With the really cold temps yesterday it should make a little base for the trails. I will go and take some pictures today an post the by this evening. 

Update 2/10/02 9:05 am.  

 The temp is 26 and the low last night was 22. Light drizzle turned to snow this morning and is heavy right now. The snowgauge was bare until this morning. Keep an eye on it to see how we make out today. As of now there is almost 1" of new snow.

Update 2/09/02 11:35 pm.  

 The temp is 28 now, and the high today was 38. The trails are dirt and the seasonal roads are rough. I had some friends that rode at camp Grayling today and they hade a decent ride. The trails there were also showing a lot of dirt. There was a lot of traffic on the lake today, plenty of sleds, cars and trucks with trailers on the ice. I found as much as 15" of ice and as little as 9" close to shore. Forecast has 3-6 inches for tomorrow. 

Update 2/08/02 3:35 pm.  

 The temp is 36 now, at least it didn't hit 45. More thawing occurred today and the trails are rough with a lot of dirt showing. Maybe if you ride out in the woods you can get by, but I'm sticking to the lake for the weekend. I will look at seasonal roads in a few. 

Update 2/07/02 6:30 pm.  

 The temp is 28 and the high today was 42. More thawing occurred today and the roads are starting to thaw. Our street was completely covered 2 days ago, they plowed then the warm temps set in. It is still mostly covered but probably wont take another day like today. I will check seasonal roads tonight and tomorrow morning and see how they look for the weekend. The weather forecast looks grim for the weekend, maybe the only riding will be the lake if the forecast is correct. Early this week, it was not expected to be above 20 degrees all week. Then it changed to 35-45 degree temps through Saturday night. PRAY FOR SNOW AND COOLER TEMPS!!!

Update 2/06/02 5:05 pm.  

 The temp is 33 and the high today was 36. Some thawing occurred today and these temps are the last thing we need. The trails are still rough, with more dirt showing at stops and corners. Seasonal roads and trails in the woods still have decent coverage. Will have to wait and see what the next couple days bring. Snow is in the forecast for Saturday. 

Update 2/05/02 11:05 am.  

 The temp is 21 and the low last night was 5. Nothing new to report, went riding to Moorestown yesterday and it was a good ride. We didn't get any new snow last night. I will check the trails later today and report back this evening.

Update 2/04/02 12:05 pm.  

 The temp is 7 and I took a quick look at the trails. The pictures are posted below. Trails are still marginal as the light snow from last night gets blow away by the first few passes. Seasonal roads are in great shape and getting around town on a sled is still not a problem. Be sure to check out our cabin/chalet rentals as well as our sled rental links at the top of this page. And if you ride here post your trail report on our visitor trail report page. 

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Update 2/04/02 9:55 am.  

 The temp is 2 and low last night was 0. We got another 1-1/2 or so last night and a lot of blowing and drifting has some pretty good drifts on the lake and trails. I will take some pictures this afternoon and post them by 2:00 pm. Supposed to be cold and snow accumulations are expected every day this week.  

Update 2/03/02 9:35 pm.  

 The temp is 16 and the high today was 32. Rode the west Houghton/Higgins Lake trails and they weren't too bad. Seasonal roads or secondary roads still have the most snow coverage. It has snowed about an additional inch tonight, and hopefully more by morning. The lake is a good ride with plenty of snow cover. Prudenville trails are rough from all the weekend traffic. A lot of dirty snow showing and dirt on corners/heavy traffic areas. Didn't post any pictures as the trails were rapidly changing. Should be much better by Monday with snow showers predicted almost every day this week. 

Update 2/02/02 9:35 pm.  

 The temp is 19 and the high today was 27. We rode the trails to Elbow Lake and they were rough. The seasonal roads are in great shape as are most of the less traveled roads. Most side streets have decent snow coverage so getting around town and to the lake is not too hard on the sleds. The lake has good snow coverage and quite a few drifts on it. I will post the pictures taken today tomorrow. Hopefully we will get some more snow tonight.

Update 2/01/02 1:35 pm.  

 The temp is 24 and low last night was 17. We got another inch or so last night, then a little freezing drizzle sometime in the night. As of this morning we got another 1-2 inches, and it is setting on a little of the ice from the drizzle. When you walk you can see the snow on top crush through the ice layer, then a couple inches of snow below that. The trails aren't too bad, you can feel the ground in the corners. They probably won't hold up to well with traffic, but the layer of ice should pack down on the snow below it. I will post some pictures later today. 

Update 1/31/02 6:35 pm.  

 The temp is 20 and low last night was 17. We got couple of inches today, no where near what they got downstate. The lake is nicely snow covered, but we need more snow before the trails would be ready. We have a snow advisory in effect for tonight with 3-5" possible. Hopefully we get the 5. Looks like the further north you go you less you find, with the exception of some parts of the U.P. Looks like we will be riding the lake again tonight. 

Update 1/30/02 11:35 pm.  

 The temp is 19 and low last night was 17. We got a very light dusting last night, hopefully the snow that is predicted will start hitting us today. If we get any snow, check out our snowmobile rental packages on the links at the top of this page. 

Update 1/29/02 2:40 pm.  

 The temp is 20 now and that was pretty much the low for last night. The ice thickness at the end of our street (Jefferson St) was 8". At 100 yards out the thickness was 9". And at 250 yards out the thickness was almost 10". There are a lot of ice shanties on the lake, the warm temps didn't do much to the ice thickness. So if you have ice fishing in your future, the lake seems plenty solid for that. We cannot advise on travel on the lake, so do so at your own risk, and PLEASE BE CAREFUL!!! A large storm is supposed to be coming Wed-Thurs with snowfall predictions of 6-12".  Check out this link at John-Dee's webpage for his forecast. He does a great job. THINK SNOW!!! A few pictures of the lake taken this afternoon are posted below.

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Update 1/28/02 11:35 pm.  

 The temp is 20 and high today was 38. The snow cover is gone on this side of the lake, the north side may still have a little snow around the shoreline. We rode around the lake Sunday and the north side had the most snow cover. Nothing to report on the trails, still no snow coverage on them. 

Update 1/27/02 11:35 am.  

 The temp is 40 and the low last night was 30. Temps are expected to be near 50 today. Tip-Up-Town seemed to go well, in spite of the lack of snow. The lake held up well for riding, I haven't heard of many accidents. There was quite a show by Denton Creek, with sleds shooting across the open water. I will cut some more holes in the ice this evening, ad post the results. The trails are without snow cover, as are most of the trails in Michigan. 

Update 1/25/02 1:35 pm.  

 The temp is 38, and the trails are bad.  A lot of people are riding the lake, its all we got for Tip-Up-Town. The lake was really hard ice with little snow cover. It is thawing a bit on top now and it will get slushy. This is a terrible year for riding sleds. Even the UP is bad. It's supposed to stay warm tomorrow also, we will have to wait and see what the lake looks like. There are lots of ice-fisherman out today, probably getting ready for the contest tomorrow. 

Update 1/24/02 11:35 pm.  

 The temp is 18 degrees outside. I didn't get a chance to check out the trails yet. I will try and do it tonight. I worked at the Holiday along with other friends and employees to get the motel operational. We had lights and heat on in all the rooms by about 5:30 pm. They were working on the water when I left. Two of the wings had water, they were repairing a broken line in the burned portion to get water to the last wing. A lot of people worked really hard to get this place going, so if you have a reservation PLEASE be be a little compassionate. I overheard people saying "We stayed here because of the bar and the dining!!" I can understand people being upset, but accidents happen. The owner bought it because of the Bar and Dining!!!! The Bar and dining area's are GONE. He is using the Limberlost Bus to take people to the Limberlost for dining and drinks. People were pulling into the Holiday with sleds and riding the lake. 

Update 1/24/02 12:35 pm.  

 The temp is holding at 23, and the owner of the Long Branch saloon and I cut some holes in the ice and talked to some ice fisherman. We found 8-10" of ice, 8 around shore and 10 further out. Not a lot of snow on the lake, it is a bumpy ride.  Of course we can't say its safe, see the post on 1/16. Ice fisherman are all over the lake. just got back from Holiday on the Lake, I'm going back to help them get the motel running. They are doing their best and if you were staying there, be patient!!! New crews are everywhere there and Tip-Up-town is going as planned.

Update 1/24/02 11:00 am.  

 The temperature is 23 degrees and the low last night was 19. I talked to the owner of Holiday on the Lake last night and he says they will have the motel operational today. Many people have volunteered to help him get some kind of a bar operational, so if he does please stop by and SPEND SOME MONEY!!! This was devastating to his business during Tip-Up-Town, so stop by and show your support. I am heading over there now, and will take some pictures of the lake and report on the ice.  

Update 1/23/02 6:00 pm.  

 The temperature is 30 degrees and the high today was 43. The lake is still snow covered, but will be a little bumpy after today's warm temps. I will post ice reports later this evening. We have a sad story from one of the local businesses. The Holiday on the Lake burned today and it received extensive damage to the bar and the dining area. This coming just before the second week of Tip-Up-Town. A few pictures are posted below.

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Update 1/23/02 3:30 am.  

 The temperature is 30 degrees and the low last night was 29. Warm temp's are predicted again for today. I will post some pictures later this evening taken from the trailheads. I will also cut some holes in the ice a post the results.

Update 1/22/02 1:00 pm.  

 The temperature is 40 degrees and the low last night was 18. We rode the lake a little last night, the trails are getting a little too rough. This 40 degree temp is not going to do us any good. Some renters headed up to Frederick last night, the said they had an great ride and they saw a groomer out.. The trails were rough coming back to Houghton Lake, but they were ridable. I saw a lot of snirt. (dirty snow). Also another renter went to Elbow Lake. They said the trails were rough but the seasonal roads were great. We will post pictures after this warm weather to show how the trails held up. Also don't forget to post or read the visitor trail report page. We still have a Chalet available for tip-up-town coming up this weekend. Below is a picture of the inside. Click here for more information.

Update 1/21/02 3:30 am.  

 The temperature is 18 degrees and the high today was 34. Some trail pictures from last nights ride are posted below. The snow was getting very dirty on the West Higgins Trail. I saw a lot of snirt. (dirty snow). I will check the Prudenville trails and ice conditions tomorrow morning.

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Update 1/20/02 1:55 pm.  

 The temperature is 32 degrees and the low last night was 18. IT got to almost 34 today, and the snow coverage on a lot of the side streets around town has melted. Will check the trails later tonight. Some T.U.T. pictures are posted below.

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Update 1/19/02 11:55 am.  

 The temperature is 15 degrees and the low last night was -1. We rode the West Houghton/Higgins lake trails towards Grayling. We got to the West Higgins Lake trail head and found that they had been groomed. We rode north to 5 mile road and back, and caught up with the groomer. We talked to Gary, he said they groomed all the way from Grayling and were on their way back. He also indicted the snow thinned out as you headed west towards Moorestown. He was doing a great job, considering there was a lot of traffic and very little snowfall. We had a great smooth ride. We will take pictures today and see how they are holding up under all the traffic. Some pictures are posted below

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Update 1/18/02 9:00 pm.  

 The temperature is 1 degree now and IT  IS COLD. I cut five holes in the ice, 2 at our road end (Jefferson St) off M-55 4-block west of Spicers Boat City. The ice was 8-1/2 inches near shore and gets thicker as you go out from shore. At 1/2 mile out is was 9-1/2. With zero temperature, we might get another inch tonight. Will post later tonight with West Houghton/Higgins lake trail report.

Update 1/18/02 6:00 pm.  

 The temperature is 15 degrees now and the high today was about 20. The low last night was 14. I have a report from the West Houghton/Higgins  Lake trails from Thursday 4-8pm. This report is from some riders staying in one of our cabins. Riding was smooth with no bare spots. West Higgins Lake Trail was mostly excellent smooth riding. Unplowed county roads are excellent with plenty of snow and are smooth. The lake is good with lots of snow coverage. Less snow coverage in heavy tree covered areas. North of M-55 is a little rough with ruts from 4-wheelers. 

 I rode to Elbow lake for lunch today, the Prudenville trails are beginning to show some dirt. We got off the trail and rode seasonal roads. they were still nicely snow covered. We came back around 5PM. We are riding the West trail again tonight I will report late tonight with pictures.

 Update 1/17/02 6:15 pm.  

 The temperature is 17 degrees now and the high today was about 22. We got a light dusting today, and I am clearing off the snowgauge right now. Didn't get to ride today, too busy getting ready for tip-up-town. Several people from our resort left about 3:00pm today and they will give me a report when they get back. I will cut some more holes in the ice tonight and post the thickness near the tent and our road end. The webcam didn't update most of the day due to the fact that we were having connection problems. It seem to be working ok now.

Update 1/17/02 5:00 am.  

 The temperature is 19 degrees now and the low last night was about the same. We got about 2-1/2" of new snow overnight. The warm ups during the day are causing the snow to settle a little. We have received 8 to 8-1/2 inches over the past few days. I measured the snow on the ground and it has settled to about 6". We rode some trails tonight, starting off at the trailhead on Owens Rd. The trails were great, but keep in mind new snowfall and very little traffic. The good news is that I didn't hear the carbides scraping dirt, so we are beginning to get a base. No doubt that with all of the traffic from T.U.T. they will change rapidly. I will post the pictures tomorrow morning before 10:00. We will surely need more snow before grooming can start. Thanks to John Dee for his accurate snowfall prediction, just in time for tip-up-town!!! How does he do that. I should have asked him for snow in December. Next year I will know better. THINK SNOW!

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Update 1/16/02 7:35 pm.  

 The temperature is 23 degrees now and it has been snowing for the past few hours. I cleaned off the snowgauge at around noon. I will have to change it tomorrow, as when it warms a little, the snow melts when it hits it. It is off for today's snowfall by about 1/4". So far we have received a little over an inch, and they are predicting 2-4 tonight. I hope we get a foot! ,but we will take what we can get. Probably going out later this evening, and I will report back if I do. We rode the Prudenville trails a little last night, and they were nice and flat compared to last year. There are a few rough spots where trucks and orv's went through. The "bowl" is a little rough also. We then went on the West Houghton lake/Higgins lake trails and they were more snow covered, but not nearly as smooth. The lake has quite a few pressure cracks around the shore, but not nearly as big as years past. Very few cracks across the middle. THINK SNOW. Be sure to visit some of our friends at the Pressure Crack in Prudenville, The Limberlost, The Long Branch, and the Holiday on the Lake. All of those places are on the lake or just a skip off the lake. All have excellent food, most of them have Limited menus during Tip-Up-Town. The Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce has a complete business listing on their site of Chamber members. Be sure to tell everyone you saw them here. hope to see you during Tip-up-town.

Update 1/16/02 10:15 am.  

 The temperature is 27 degrees now and the low last night was 17. We got about 3/4" of new snow overnight. I will leave the snowgauge as it is, so the amount on the gauge is from 8:00 pm on 1/15. Over the past few days we have received about 5-6 inches of snow. it has been warming up during the day, so the snow is settling. This will probably make a better base for the trails if it warms a little during the day, and snows a little at night. We still have a couple rental snowmobiles left for TUT so call us if you are interested. We have snow in the forecast every day for the next 4-5 days. I cut holes in the ice at our road-end (Jefferson St). We are 2 streets east of the festival Tent and we had 7-8 inches. In front of the tent I measured between 7-8 inches. 

 THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SAVE ICE. WE CANNOT ADVISE ON LAKE TRAVEL, SO DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK. People are asking if the lake is safe for riding. I have ridden the lake every day for the past two weeks, but that does not mean it is safe. I cut the holes in the ice as a general guideline. Before you venture out on the lake, check ice conditions carefully for yourself. There is generally more ice, 500 yards or so from shore. We have heard that the township that placed the barrels around the Muskegon River will not be doing it this year (Lake Township). Apparently they have a new township supervisor, and he feels that they risk a lawsuit if there is an accident. We received an e-mail from someone that was personally involved in placing the barrels out over past years. I also called Jim at Houghton Lake Marina, as his marina is located on the river and he told me the same thing. Don't forget to stop and see him if you need gas, or accessories. He is staying open till at least 10:00 pm on Friday and Saturdays if the trails are rideable, and possibly as late as midnight. 

 The first two pictures posted are the TUT festival tent. Our resort is next to the garage at the far left of the second picture. The third picture is our chalets on Jefferson St. The fourth pic is the two holes I cut in the ice today at the end of Jefferson St. You can see the tent in the background.

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Update 1/15/02 8:40 am.  

 The temperature is 20 degrees now and the low last night was about 18. I cleaned the snowgauge on the webcam off last night at 8:00 pm. We got and a little over an inch of additional snowfall last night. I got on the trails last night around 8:30 and rode the West Houghton and West Higgins lake trail #8 north to the crossing at 5 mile road and back. I was not too bad. But then again there had only been a few sleds on it. There was 4" on the trails at that time so now there should be at least 5. I took some pictures last night and they are posted below. Someone barely missed going into the Muskegon river last night. I don't know if they were messing around or didn't know the open water  was there. The barrels have not been placed around the mouth of the river yet, so be careful. Familiarize yourself with the lake and check it out during the day BEFORE even attempting to ride it. Don't forget to check out the webcam page by clicking on the picture of the thermometer. Also please post any trail reports or comments about this page on the visitor trail reports page. I will cut some more holes in the ice today and post later today. We still have a large chalet available for tip-up-town second week (sleeps 8-10). Call 989-366-6464 if you are interested. 

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Update 1/14/02 7:00 pm.  

 The temperature is 26 degrees now and we got around 3-4 inches of snow today. It took a break for about 3 hours, but it started snowing again around 5:30 pm. The snow was heavy so packed down it will make a good start for the trails. We have 1-2 in the forecast for tonight, so I guess we will have to wait and see what the morning brings. We still have a large chalet available for tip-up-town second week (sleeps 8-10). Call 989-366-6464 if you are interested. I took a short ride on the lake, the new snowfall made the lake a nice ride. Hopefully we will get more for the trails.

Update 1/14/02 8:55 am.  

 The temperature is 23 degrees now and the low last night was 16. It started snowing around 7:30 am, and as of now we have received about 1". Forecast calling for 3-5" today. There is a weather advisory for the Houghton Lake area today, great news for snowmobiling. Keep checking back today for updates. There was a lot of activity on the lake yesterday, from snowmobile drag-racing to motorcycle ice racing. Ice-fisherman everywhere. We will probably see a lot more ice shanties due to the fact that Higgins lake has very little ice on it and is still very dangerous. Very few cars have been seen on the lake so keep that in mind.  I will drill some more holes in the ice today. It would be nice to get a couple more inches of ice before tip-up-town. 

Update 1/13/02 10:05 am.  

 The temperature is 24 degrees now and the low last night was 20. We got a 1/2-1" of snow last night, not enough to ride the trails, but it will make the lake a little more suitable for riding. I drove around the lake to the west into Muddy Bay, then north along the west shore of the lake past the Muskegon river to the park on the northwest corner of the lake. The lake had 7 inches everywhere I checked along shore, and 8-9-1/2 out 1/2 mile or so. There were a LOT of ice fisherman on the lake. Hitting pike walleye and perch. Not too many snowmobilers were out yesterday, but there was not much snow cover till around 5:00-6:00 pm.  I will post again later today with pictures. 

Update 1/12/02 11:55 am.  

 The temperature is 31 degrees now and the low last night was 20. Not much new to report, no new snowfall. I will drill some more holes in the ice today, check a few of the spots from yesterday, then probably head west toward Muddy Bay and the West shore. I will report back later on the ice conditions. 

Update 1/11/02 1:38 pm.  

 I cut about 50 holes in the ice in various places. The lake is frozen, no water on it. Even though it is above freezing right now it is very windy out there so the lake is not thawing a bit. I went from the Tip-up-town site to down past the public boat launch in Prudenville (behind Marv & Di's Pressure Crack Pub). The ice was 7 inches close to shore every place I checked with one exception. The channel in the south corner of the east bay had 5 inches around it due to the the small current there. This channel goes under a bridge into a subdivision. There was a shanty on the channel. I'm sure the ice is thinner around Denton Creek. (there is open water there extending 50 yards or so into the lake). There is always open water there. Also be careful around Bacus Creek, and the Northwest bay where the Muskegon river exits. I do not know if the barrels have been placed around the Muskegon River yet. As you go out from shore the ice increased to between 8 and 9-1/2 inches. I was about 2 miles from the shoreline and good solid ice everywhere I went. I was riding a Ski-Doo Mach-Z pulling a sled with the ice auger in it. This is only a guide so if driving to Houghton Lake you have some idea what the lake is like. BE CAREFUL and check ice conditions yourself before venturing out on the lake. There is little to no snow cover on the lake.

Update 1/11/02 10:00 am.  

 The temperature is 27 degrees now and the low last night was 26. The water on the lake from the melted snow on Wednesday should have frozen back up. I will check it later and post some pictures. We got a light dusting last night, I guess that was better than rain. I will put up the larger thermometer today and zoom the camera back out so you can have a better view. Also add a platform to measure snowfall (if we get any). And for Chris our neighbor, he will have a better view of his place for security. Tip-Up-Town festival is still on for the next two weekends (Jan 19th-20th, and 26th-27th). We still have a chalet available for the second week, it sleeps 10, has two bathrooms, and you can walk to the festival in under a minute. We will probably be renting our sleds for riding the lake only at this point. The trails still look grim and I will post a couple of pictures of them today also.  

Update 1/10/02 1:00 pm.  

 The temperature is 38 degrees now and the low last night was 32. The lake is still pretty solid, we will cut some more holes today. Still a few people out ice fishing, follow the links to HoughtonLakeFishing.com to see how people are doing and be sure to tell Lyman we sent ya. The trails are still basically closed due to no snow cover. I guess you can ride them if you want to trash your sled. Most of the state looks pretty much the same as around here, but if anyone get some "truly" good riding anywhere in MI, post it on our visitor trail reports page. That's it for know, keep checking back for updates.

Update 1/9/02 1:00 pm.  

 The temperature is 40 degrees now and the low last night was 30. Most of the snow is melting off the ice, but when I checked at 12:30 there was about 7" of ice all around us. We will keep a close eye on the ice over the next few days. If these temps continue the ice will surely be unsafe in many areas around the lake. If you plan on being on the lake, check ice conditions carefully.

Update 1/8/02 9:00 am.  

 The temperature is 22 degrees now and the temp went from about 15 at 10:00 pm last night to about 20 by midnight . Still no new snow to report, but I will check the ice thickness and see how much we have now. Our nights have been cold so the warmer temps predicted over the next few days should not hurt the lake much. I will report back on the ice later today.

Update 1/7/02 8:30 am.  

 The temperature is 6 degrees now and a low of 4 last night . We rode all around the lake yesterday and talked to a lot of ice-fisherman. Some were as far out as 1 1/2 miles from shore and all reported 7-8 inches of solid ice. It seems the lake is the only place around for miles where you can ride without tearing up your sled, we even rented a few today that wanted to ride the lake. Beat's paying to look at your sled sitting in the garage I guess. If you visit the Limberlost, The Pressure Crack, Holiday On The Lake, or the Long Branch,  don't forget to mention you read our trail report as well as anyone else in the Houghton Lake area. Tip-up-Town is always better with snow on the trails, but at least it looks like the lake will be good and solid. The festival is the weekend of the 18-20th and the 25-27th of January. We will post a schedule of events today. We are booked solid the first week and have a cabin and chalet available the second week. The cabin is 600.00 and the chalet is 1400.00 Wed-Tues 23rd-29th. The cabin sleeps 6 and the chalet sleeps 8-10. The cabin pictures are here and the chalet pictures are here. We are on the corner of Jefferson St. and Festival Ave, about 100 yards from the beer tent. Sorry for "plugging" ourselves but someone has to pay for all the bandwidth that this site is using. Again we would like to rent you a cabin and sled for the weekend, but for now the only place you can ride is around the lake. If you are ice-fishing, we have shanties available. Fisherman are catching a lot of Walleye and Pike, as well as panfish. Thanks for visiting and we hope to see you soon. THINK SNOW!!!!!!!

Update 1/6/02 1:00 pm.  

 The temperature is 27 degrees now and hovered around 26 last night . Just went for a ride around the lake, a lot of people unloading sleds and riding on the lake. Took a trip north to Grayling this morning, and the trails were mostly dirt. Trail reports from Grayling, Gaylord, Frederick all reporting poor conditions. The trails around Higgins Lake are showing a lot of dirt also. I will just add that although we rent Cabins and Snowmobiles we will report it as we see it. The pictures tell the real story. Nothing I hate worse than turning away people when they come to ride the trails, but that's just how it is right now. The only people riding are on the lake. It's snowing now so maybe we will get a few inches. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/5/02 8:30 pm.  

 The temperature is 28 degrees now, it seems to be 4-5 degrees cooler than reported by the weather-underground link at the top of this page. We rode around the entire lake twice today, checking ice conditions. We stuck close to the shoreline and measured at least 7" of ice everywhere we went. They were racing sleds out in front of the park in the north-east corner of the lake. We witnessed people crossing the middle on quads and sleds, but you better be sure of ice conditions before you ride the lake and BE CAREFUL. Ice conditions vary and can change rapidly. Several trucks with trailers were on the lake where they were racing. The only open water we found was around Denton Creek and where the Muskegon River exits the lake. Several soft spots around pressure cracks on the ice, but there has been a lot of snowmobile traffic around the shoreline. Ice fisherman and shanty's are appearing all over the lake. The Limberlost and the Holiday on the Lake both had sleds parked in front of them most of the day. Pictures of today's ride are posted below. Click thumbnail's to see larger picture.

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Update 1/5/02 10:00 am.  

 The temperature is 25 degrees now and and a low of 21 last night . We heard of open water in the area called Muddy bay (near Edgewater Marina). Ice-fisherman are reporting 7-8 inches of inches on the lake, but be careful and check conditions before you venture out for yourself. More information will be posted on the lake conditions later today.

Update 1/4/02 10:00 am.  

 The temperature is 21 degrees right now and it was down to 12 last night . Still no new snow. I will be checking ice thickness in several places today, maybe make a page with a lake map and ice thickness.  Several new reports from riders in the area are posted on the visitors trail report page. Please e-mail me with any suggestions or comments. If anyone viewing this page has information on the lake they would like to pass on to others please e-mail me and I will add it to this page.

Update 1/3/02 7:30 pm.  

 We are setting up the WEBCAM, it should be working tonight. We need a bigger thermometer and we will be making a snow-gauge. We will try to clean it off every day, then everyone can see for themselves what's going on up here. If anyone has any ideas on the snow-gauge e-mail me by clicking here. You will have to hit refresh to get the latest images. I will probably set the refresh rate to 15 minute intervals. The web-cam page will have 5-10 images on it so you should be able to see the changes over about a 2 1/2 hour period. The software seems a little buggy, so it may take a few days to get it working properly. Don't forget to view the reports from other riders 

Update 1/3/02 10:30 am.  

 The temperature is 19 degrees right now and it was down to 14 last night . Nothing new to report, still no new snow. Several reports from riders in the area are posted on the viewers trail report page. 

Update 1/2/02 10:30 am.  

 The temperature is 16 degrees right now and it was down to 7 last night . We didn't get any snow last night, but the blistering cold temps will help the lake freeze up better. I talked to some ice-fisherman and they showed me 6-8" of ice, but very few are taking their quads or snowmobiles out that far so be careful if you are out on the ice. A couple pictures from this morning are posted below. Don't forget to check the viewers trail reports, (link on top left) for reports from others riding in this area. 

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Update 1/1/02 11:45 am.    HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 The temperature is 20 degrees right now and it was down to 17 last night . More light snow last night, but that's all. We need some snow badly for the trails. Trails around Higgins Lake and to the Northwest look pretty good. They are running the groomers in Grayling. They are calling for snow showers around Wed-Thurs. We will cut some more holes in the ice today and talk to some fisherman and see how they are doing.

Update 12/31/01  11:05 am.

 The temperature is 20 degrees right now and it was down to 15 last night . Didn't get much more than a light dusting last night. We will drive around and post some updates of surrounding areas today.

Update 12/30/01  10:05 am.

 The temperature is 17 degrees right now and it was down to 15 last night . No new snow to report, doesn't look good for the Houghton Lake trails yet. We will cut some more holes in the ice today, but yesterday there was 3-5" on most of the lake. Still some thin spots so use you own judgement when on the lake and be careful. Lots of ice-fisherman out on the lake so if you are looking to do some fishing it looks good.  

Update 12/29/01  1:05 pm.

 The temperature is 17 degrees right now it was down to 14 last night . We we didn't get much snow last night, a light dusting. Many people are Ice fishing, but there are still many thin spots, so riding the lake is a little risky at this point, even close to shore. Trails still need more snow. I will post more pictures later this evening.

Update 12/28/01  2:05 pm.

 The temperature is 22 degrees right now, with light flurries . We got about another inch of snow last night. We are checking out the lake today, riding our sleds around the shoreline. I will post what we find later this afternoon. If you are looking to go Ice fishing, the lake should be frozen enough for that. As always use your own judgement when on the lake. Trails still need more snow. I will post more pictures later this evening.

Update 12/27/01  5:05 pm.

 The temperature is 20 degrees right now, with light flurries . I cut a hole in the ice, about 200 yards out. The ice is around 2 1/2 inches thick and I saw a shanty out on the lake, but it's not ready for riding  yet. A few pictures of the lake and one of the snowmobile trail in Prudenville (Owens Road) are posted below. (Taken today)

dec27lake01.JPG (60702 bytes)    dec27lake02.JPG (36037 bytes)    dec27trail01.JPG (145399 bytes)

Update 12/27/01  9:05 am.

 The temperature dipped to around 14 degrees last night, and it is 18 right now. We got a light dusting of snow last night, total of about 1" Houghton lake trails still aren't ready to ride yet. We will check the ice thickness today. 

Update 12/26/01  11:05 pm.

 The temperature stayed around 18 degrees all day today, and it has dropped to 14 right now. We rode trails today near Higgins Lake, and they are starting to get a base to them. I saw people walking on the lake, about 200 yards out, but I did not get a chance to see how thick it was. I will cut a hole in it tomorrow morning and we can see how thick it is.

Update 12/26/01  10:05 am.

 The temperature stayed around 18 degrees all day yesterday, and dropped to around 12 last night. We rode trails last night near Higgins Lake, same place as on Christmas Eve. The trails were down to dirt, but many of the seasonal roads had 8-12" of untouched snow. The lake is freezing fast and we will check the ice thickness sometime today. Below is a picture taken this morning of the lake.

dec26lake01.jpg (140757 bytes)

Update 12/25/01  9:40 am.    MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!

 The temperature dropped to around 20 degrees last night and Houghton Lake iced over...finally!! Still not enough snow to ride the trails. If you are coming from down state, itching to ride, and don't expect much, you can find some snow in northern Roscommon County. A few pictures from last nights ride are posted below.

dec25trail01.jpg (79327 bytes)    dec25trail02.jpg (165209 bytes)    dec25trail03.jpg (82793 bytes)

Update 12/25/01  4:00 am.

 Well here's the scoop. We heard there was 12" of snow in the Northern part of Roscommon County and the Southern part of Crawford County. We took a trip up there last night, then came back and got some sleds. We unloaded on Moores Town Rd, just across US-27 near Military. We took the trail north towards Grayling. In places there was 12" of snow, but it thinned out to around 3" as we got closer to Grayling. It appears to be a fairly narrow band of heavy snow passed just south of Grayling and North of The first Higgins Lake exit of US-27. Riding south out of Grayling is not a good ride in our opinion. And there is not enough snow at this point to ride trails from Houghton Lake either. Hopefully the next few days will bring more snow, and they can begin grooming.

Update 12/24/01  9:40 pm.

 The temperature hovered around 25 degrees all day, but all we got today was a light accumulation. We will update this again first thing in the morning. Merry Christmas.

Update 12/24/01  9:10 am.

 The temperature is still 20 degrees and we received about 2 inches of snow overnight. The lake has started to freeze again, so as long as the temps stay down we should be getting closer to riding the lake. A couple pictures posted for today. Looks like we got a white Christmas after all. We will update again tonight, probably after 10:00 pm. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

 dec24snow01.jpg (261094 bytes)    dec24snow02.jpg (275961 bytes)

Update 12/23/01  11:10 pm.

 The temperature is 20 degrees and we are getting some snow, heavy at times. Looks like it will stay well below freezing over the next week or so, and the lake should ice over. We will update tomorrow morning, hopefully we will get a few inches overnight.

Update 12/23/01  11:25 am.

 The temperatures were above freezing and we got some rain last night. The rain has changed to light flurries, and the temperature is dropping steadily. We will have to wait and see what the next 24 hours bring. We will post again when conditions change.

Update 12/22/01  11:25 am.

 Temperatures were below freezing all day yesterday and into the night. Still no snow, but the ground is frozen, and the ice is creeping out further from shore on the lake. We went back up to waters to test out a couple more sleds, and they haven't gotten any more snow either. Weather forecast is calling for rain changing to snow. Hopefully they will be wrong, because the last thing we need is rain now that the ground is freezing. Weather outlook looks crazy over the next few days, so we will post as conditions change.

Update 12/21/01  10:00 am.

 Temperatures were well below freezing last night and the lake has started to freeze. We loaded up some sleds last night and headed up to Waters. We rode from Waters into Frederick, there was about 6" of snow. The groomer had been on the trail along Old 27 but there was not really enough snow to ride. The snow came just a little south of Grayling, with Grayling getting only 2-3 inches. More snow is in the forecast for the weekend.

Update 12/20/01  3:55 pm.

 We got a light dusting last night of about 1" or so. The groung is beginning to freeze and flurries are continuing this afternoon. Some of the trails are beginning to get covered, but the trails need some good snowfall before they will be ready to ride. the lake is not frozen yet, as compared to this time last year. It is getting well below freezing at night and not much above during the day. hopefully it won't be long and the lake will freeze. This site will be updated the moment things change for the better.

Update 11/30/01  9:30 am.

 The trails around Houghton have been graded and they are greatly improved. Many of the low spots have been filled during the grading. They are much flatter now and the west trail around Houghton Lake has been widened. This has been done with money raised through donations and the work is done by volunteers. We have been helping by volunteering our time and more volunteers are needed. If you ride the trails here, the Houghton Lake Chamber of commerce and the Houghton Lake Trailblazers are accepting donations. We all know the trail permits have doubled to 20.00 each, and the Chamber of Commerce is working hard to get more of that money from the State to maintain the trails. Now all we need is some snow!!!

     

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