Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Reports

2002-2003 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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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.

 

2002-2003 Season (Archived)

Update 4/20/03 10:00 am. 

 Now that winter is over, this page will bring reports of ORV trails during the spring/summer. Pretty much all of the snow has melted off the trails, and we will update with some pictures soon. We have gotten a decent amount of rain over the last couple of days, so the trails will likely be on the muddy side. Maps will also be posted soon. Also the connector between the Prudenville loop and the St. Helen motorsports area opened last fall. You can now ride from St. Helen thru Prudenville onto the Leoto loops. Happy Riding!

Update 3/16/03 7:00 am. 

 It is 45 now with a low last night of about 35. The high yesterday was around 55 and most of the snow has melted away. The lake is a slushy mess, but people are still driving cars on it...go figure. Looks like winter is over, except for the U.P. they are getting this warm weather also, but they had more snow to start with so maybe they will survive the heat blast. Thank's to everyone that donated to this site. The ORV reports will start soon, and we will continue to update on ice conditions. Right now there is about 30 inches in front of our resort, so it will be a while thawing.  Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. WARM WEATHER MAKES THE ICE DO SOME STRANGE THINGS. VERY UNPREDICTABLE. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 3/14/03 7:00 am. 

 It is 20 now with a low last night of about 12. The high yesterday was around 27 but no new snow last night. Trails are going downhill fast and access from the lake is becoming difficult. They plowed the shoulder of Owens Rd. today, god knows why as it would have been gone by Sat. anyways. Trails are showing bare spots on anything south of Moorestown Rd. North of that they get better. Trails to St. Helen are getting large bare spots the further you go from Houghton Lake. Today will most likely be the last day you can ride around here, barring some blizzard. The lake is still covered nicely, so if you are coming to ride and the trails don't hold up, the lake is still an option. There is still a lot of snow on most of the two tracks. A couple pictures of the resort from this morning are posted below. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

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Update 3/13/03 10:00 am. 

 It is 19 now with a low last night of about 8. The high yesterday was around 24 but no new snow last night. Trail haven't changed much since yesterday, they are still in good shape. This weekend looks to be the end for the trails, so ride the next two days if you can. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 3/12/03 11:00 am. 

 It is 19 now with a low last night of about 15. The high yesterday was around 20 and we got about 1/2 inch of new snow last night. We rode to Grayling last night and the trails were nice and smooth. Chance of snow thru Thursday. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 3/11/03 10:00 am. 

 It is 19 now with a low last night of about 0. The high yesterday was only around 20 but we didn't get any new snow overnight. The trails are in decent shape right now, you can get from Houghton Lake to just about anywhere north. The weekend forecast still looks kinda grim as they are predicting another warmup. If you want to get in another ride this year, do it soon. Chance of snow thru Thursday. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 3/10/03 9:00 am. 

 It is 6 now with a low last night of about -5. The snow totaled about 3-4 inches on Saturday, and we got a light dusting again last night. We rode to Starvation Lake and the trails were nicely snow covered. The trails to Grayling were smooth, bit got a little bumpy from Grayling north. I'm sure the groomers will be out working on them today. We talked with a groomer driver from Alpine Valley snowmobile club, and he said there groomer has been running non-stop since last Wed. One guy gets out and another gets in. The rental sleds were in St Helen, and they reported good riding conditions. If you are looking to get in any more riding this season in this area, this week might be a good one to try it. We are running some cabin/snowmobile package specials so check them out by clicking here. Chance of snow thru Thursday. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 3/8/03 3:30 pm. 

 It is 14 now with a low last night of about 8. The snow is coming down, just like they predicted. So far we have gotten about 2 inches, and it is snowing hard. Will update later today or tomorrow with the total and some new trail reports. We rented some sleds in St. Helen and they called this morning and said it was good riding over there. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 3/7/03 11:30 am. 

 It is 22 now with a low last night of about 8. We got a light dusting overnight, and it is snowing now. Yesterday they were calling for a high of 35-40, and now today not expected to get above 30. Thank God for that. Tomorrow 3-6 inches is in the forecast, and snow every day through next Thursday. I checked the trails today, just got back. From the lake to Devonshire, it has some bare areas, and from M-55 at Owens road to the trailhead, the shoulder has decent snow cover on it. The trailhead at Owens Rd. is snow covered, looks more like early season riding, but there is snow on it. I rode it to Waco Rd, then rode Waco Rd, all the way to Old 27. The seasonal part of Waco is covered, much better at it is not plowed. I crossed Old 27, and Headed towards Leota. The trail to Leota looked  snow covered, but I took the West Houghton Lake route for about 3-miles. It was covered quite well. I then went back to the Lake and rode to Houghton Lake Marina, and took Mead Rd across Old 27. The shoulder was covered well, but the overpass was a little bare. The Trail across the snowmobile bridge and north to the West Higgins Lake trailhead has some brown spots, but ridable. The trail from that trailhead north looked to have decent snow cover. Not sure how far this snow goes North as this last storm delivered much more snow the further south you go. Grayling is reporting poor trails, and adding the the further northwest you go the better it gets. They are also calling for 3-6 inches of snow on Saturday. Frederick is reporting that they are grooming only north of M-72. How well these trails hold up will depend on how much traffic they get, and how much snow we get this weekend. We are riding, as there probably won't be many more weekends. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 3/5/03 9:30 am. 

 It is 7 now with a low last night of about 5. We got about 1-1/2 inches of snow on Monday and a total of about 5-6 last night. This will help the trails considerably, and also the shoulders of the roads are covered once again. More snow is predicted from Thursday every day through the weekend. We will take photos and update this page again by Thurday night. The trails should be in good shape for the weekend. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 3/3/03 9:30 am. 

 It is -12 now with a low last night of about -23. No new snow overnight, just record low temperatures. Still calling for snow today and tonight. hopefully we can get a little throughout the week and shape up things a little for the weekend. We will update again as conditions change. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 3/2/03 4:30 pm. 

 It is -1 now with a high today of about 10. We got a light dusting overnight, and the temperature dropped from a high yesterday of 32, to below zero this morning. A wind chill advisory is in effect for today and tonight with wind chills reaching -30. Snow is predicted over the next few days, maybe we will get enough to bring back the trails somewhat. They are frozen solid with little snow cover, some areas are bare. Not much left on the shoulders of the roads either. This winter mother nature has not given us much to ride on, maybe she still has a storm in the future for us. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/28/03 9:30 pm. 

 It is 10 now with a high today of about 25. Still no new snow for the weekend, so most of the riding will have to be off the trails or on the lake. Mother nature just isn't co-operating with us. Cold temps are supposed to stay during the weekend, but now close to 30 on Sat. with snow showers Sat night. The lake still has good snow cover for riding. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/25/03 9:30 am. 

 It is -3 now with a low last night of about -7. We got another dusting of snow last night, every little bit will help the trails. We will take a look at them again later today and post it this evening or tomorrow. Still very cold as they predicted, and it doesn't look to be warming anytime soon. The lake still has good snow cover for riding. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/22/03 10:30 am. 

 It is 20 now with a low last night of about 18. Rode north to take a look, the trails are not looking good, even as you get close to Grayling. You can still find some snow in the woods, but make sure you know where you are, and stay off private property. Hopefully we will get some snow that is in the forecast. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/21/03 6:30 pm. 

 It is 28 now with a high today of about 38. More bad news for the trails, the sun has all but melted most of the base. Every trail crossing we looked at was brown. Snow is in the forecast for the weekend, so we will have to wait and see what happens. The lake is still snow covered, and it may be the only place worth riding on this weekend. Please ride safe and don't drink and drive. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/20/03 6:30 pm. 

 It is 35 now with a high today of about 41. More thawing occurred, and now it looks as though our warm spell is going to last through tomorrow. Not much point about talking about the trails yet, as they will sure change tomorrow. Some areas are showing brown, and it is getting slushy in some areas. Hopefully this is about the end of the warm, as it is supposed to cool by Friday evening. Please ride safe and don't drink and drive. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/19/03 10:30 pm. 

 It is 19 now with a high today of about 35. Some thawing occurred, we will update this page with more information about the trails after tomorrow, as it is supposed to be our last day above freezing before going into the weekend. Snow showers are predicted for the weekend, and much lower temps, back to around 0. So far it looks as though the trails are holding up pretty well. Please ride safe and don't drink and drive. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/17/03 12:30 pm. 

 It is 25 now with a low last night of about -12. Still no new snow, it has been about 4 days since we got any. The trails are in better shape after the weekend, the groomers have straightened out most of the trails. Freezing drizzle is predicted for tonight and a little for tomorrow. A warm up is also predicted for the next couple of days, we will have to wait and see what happens. Please ride safe and don't drink and drive. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/16/03 9:00 am. 

 It is -6 now with a low last night of about -14. No new snow last night, The trails took a pretty good beating over the weekend. Gromers were out again last night, so they should be in better shape this morning. Please ride safe and don't drink and drive. Show showers predicted every day over the next couple of days and through the weekend. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/15/03 10:30 am. 

 It is 2 now with a low last night of about -12. No new snow last night, so nothing new to report. We rode the trails to Grayling last night and they were all freshly groomed. Even the trail heading west from Grayling to the blue Bear was freshly groomed. Read the last few days posts for more information. Please ride safe and don't drink and drive. Show showers predicted every day over the next couple of days and through the weekend. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/14/03 8:30 am. 

 It is -2 now with a low last night of about -16. No new snow last night, so nothing new to report. A quick look at the trails around town show decent snow coverage, with the west trails looking better. I talked to a rider who came from Leota this morning, and he said he had a great ride. Read the last few days posts for more information. Please ride safe and don't drink and drive. Show showers predicted every day over the next couple of days and through the weekend. Hopefully we will get some fresh snow during the weekend to keep the trails up. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/12/03 10:00 am. 

 It is 6 now with a low last night of about -8. We got about and 2" of snow last night. The trails all around Houghton Lake are in good condition and have been groomed. The frigid temps are keeping every little bit of snow we have gotten. The trails to Grayling are nice and flat, but the corners are still a little icy. Show showers predicted over the next couple of days. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

 It is 8 now with a low last night of about 0. We got about and 1" of snow last night. The trails all around Houghton Lake are in good condition, but the west trail is rough. Some corners are still very icy so be careful and watch your speed in the turns. The Prudenville trails are flat as well, and get better with each new snowfall. Heading north the trails are better, with the exception of trail 76 south of M-72. It was very bumpy, still hadn't been groomed. Trail 7 out of Houghton Lake was groomed, along with 679 and 79 north to Starvation Lake. The Leota trails were turning brown yesterday from all the weekend traffic, so they should get better this week. We will post some pictures later this week. The temps are supposed to stay well below freezing. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/9/03 10:00 am. 

 It is 3 now with a low last night of about 0. We got about and 3" of snow over the last two days. The trails all around Houghton Lake are freshly groomed and have decent snow cover. Many corners are still very icy so be careful and watch your speed in the turns. The west trails got a little bumpy yesterday, but the groomers were out last night fixing them back up. We passed the Rosco-Higgins groomer on our way back from Grayling, the trails were excellent. The Prudenville trails are flat as well, but don't have as much snow cover as riding north. We are supposed to get 2-5 inches for tonight and 1-3 for tomorrow. Hopefully this will pan out. The temps are supposed to stay well below freezing. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/7/03 10:00 am. 

 It is 3 now with a low last night of about -12. We got about and 1-1/2 of snow over the last two days. The trails all around Houghton Lake are freshly groomed and have decent snow cover. Many corners are still very icy so be careful and watch your speed in the turns. We have some guests that have ridden to Leota, and the West Houghton Lake trail that comes to a stop at Mead road on the North shore of Houghton Lake. They reported excellent riding, with the exception of some of the west trail where it crosses low lying areas. There it was a little rough. We rode trails to Grayling last night and all were flat and recently groomed. Even the trail into Grayling along the freeway had excellent snow cover and had been groomed since our last trip. So far the best riding of the year. The temps are supposed to stay well below freezing. Snow flurries predicted for today and 1-2 inches for tomorrow. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. RIDE SAFELY!! and have a good weekend. BE CAREFUL IF RIDING ON THE LAKE. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/5/03 10:00 am. 

 It is 10 now with a low last night of about 0. We got a little snow, but hard to tell how much snow we have gotten, as the wind was gusting above 25mph. We rode the trails to Frederick and then did a small loop on the Prudenville trails. Most of the trails were freshly groomed, the trails between Houghton Lake and Grayling were the roughest. We will go and take some pictures of the trails and post them today. The temps are supposed to stay well below freezing. Please don't drink and ride, there have been at least 20 fatal accidents so far this season. Many of the trails are still icy in the corners. Drive as if there is another sled comming at you around every corner...as there may be! Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE AREA NEAR HEIGHTS IS COMPLETELY ICED OVER AS IS THE AREA NEAR HARVEY'S MARINA AND BRIAN J. NO TELLING HOW THICK THE ICE IS THERE SO BE CAREFUL AROUND THOSE AREAS. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 99% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM JAN 31st. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. NEW PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TODAY. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/4/03 10:00 am. 

 It is 21 now with a low last night of about 19. We got freezing drizzle then it changed to snow. Hard to tell how much snow we have gotten, the wind is gusting above 25mph. Some guests from the resort went to Bear Lake last night, and rode home in the drizzle. They said the trails were in pretty good shape. When this system passes through today we will go and take some pictures of the trails. The temps are supposed to stay well below freezing for a while with 1-2 inches expected for today and 1-2 for tonight. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE AREA NEAR HEIGHTS IS COMPLETELY ICED OVER AS IS THE AREA NEAR HARVEY'S MARINA AND BRIAN J. NO TELLING HOW THICK THE ICE IS THERE SO BE CAREFUL AROUND THOSE AREAS. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 99% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM JAN 31st. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. NEW PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TODAY. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/3/03 10:00 am. 

 It is 24 now with a low last night of about 19. So much for our snow advosory last night, we only got a skiff of snow. Now they are predicting freezing drizzle then changing to snow showers tonight. We probably won't check the trails until this mess passes through, as the will surely change today. We will update this page later today. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE AREA NEAR HEIGHTS IS COMPLETELY ICED OVER AS IS THE AREA NEAR HARVEY'S MARINA AND BRIAN J. NO TELLING HOW THICK THE ICE IS THERE SO BE CAREFUL AROUND THOSE AREAS. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 99% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM JAN 31st. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. NEW PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TODAY. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/2/03 11:00 am. 

 It is 28 now with a low last night of about 18. The trails north to Grayling have seen a lot of traffic over the weekend, but they are still in fairly decent shape. The trails around Grayling were rough yesterday, and we didn't see a single groomer out all day. Trails south of Grayling towards Houghton Lake were better as they had not seen as much traffic. We went just short of Starvation lake and then took trail 679 down to 76. Both groomers were parked at the gas station on M-72 just west of Dingmans. We did get a short stretch of freshly groomed trails along county line road on the way back around 9:00pm. They were probably waiting for the traffic to dwindle down before going out. There was plenty of snow to groom, and plenty of moguls to knock down. We have a winter storm advisory for tonight and tomorrow, with snow predictions anywhere from 5-12 inches is expected. We will update this page later today. Not bothering posting pictures from yesterday, as the groomers have surely been out to straighten things up. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE AREA NEAR HEIGHTS IS COMPLETELY ICED OVER AS IS THE AREA NEAR HARVEY'S MARINA AND BRIAN J. NO TELLING HOW THICK THE ICE IS THERE SO BE CAREFUL AROUND THOSE AREAS. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 99% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM JAN 31st. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. NEW PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TODAY. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 2/1/03 2:00 am. 

 It is 22 now with a high today of about 29. The heavy wet snow has been falling all day, and is continuing as we write this. We received almost 4 inches today. We just came back from the West Higgins Lake trails and they are the best they have been all year. Finally some heavier snow that doesn't blow off the trail on the first pass. We will post pictures tomorrow. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE AREA NEAR HEIGHTS IS COMPLETELY ICED OVER AS IS THE AREA NEAR HARVEY'S MARINA AND BRIAN J. NO TELLING HOW THICK THE ICE IS THERE SO BE CAREFUL AROUND THOSE AREAS. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 99% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM JAN 31st. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. NEW PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TODAY. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 1/31/03 10:00 am. 

 It is 19 now with a low last night of about 7. No new snow overnight, just more cold temperatures.  We rode the trails last night, they were still in fairly decent shape, but no such luck for the Prudenville trails. Snow is predicted for today, 1-3 inches. Hopefully we will get it as it is supposed to be near 30 today. This will be the heavier snow that we need for the trails. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE AREA NEAR HEIGHTS IS COMPLETELY ICED OVER AS IS THE AREA NEAR HARVEY'S MARINA AND BRIAN J. NO TELLING HOW THICK THE ICE IS THERE SO BE CAREFUL AROUND THOSE AREAS. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 99% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM JAN 31st. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. NEW PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TODAY. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 1/30/03 9:00 am. 

 It is 5 now with a low last night of about -8. No new snow overnight, just bitterly cold temperatures. New pictures of the west trails will be posted today. More snow is predicted for Friday, hopefully it will be some of the wetter, heavier snow. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE AREA NEAR HEIGHTS IS COMPLETELY ICED OVER AS IS THE AREA NEAR HARVEY'S MARINA AND BRIAN J. NO TELLING HOW THICK THE ICE IS THERE SO BE CAREFUL AROUND THOSE AREAS. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 90% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM JAN 23RD. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. NEW PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TODAY. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 1/28/03 10:00 am. 

 It is 15 now with a low last night of about 7. We received 1/2 inch of new snow overnight, the pictures from the Prudenville trails and West Higgins lake are posted below. We rode the Prudenville trails just far enough to see how they were looking. Not good at this point they need more snow. They are nice and flat, and it looked as though they had tried to pack what was there with the groomer recently. The west side trails are still the best bet, we rode them all the way to Starvation Lake last night. You can take pipeline roads and county roads north to around 7 mile rd, then the trails get better as there is more snow there. The Ausable valley groomers were out north of Grayling, as well as the Higgins Roscommon groomer. He was doing the best he could on the trails south of Grayling. The corners are still a little icy, almost everywhere we went so watch your speed in the corners. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE AREA NEAR HEIGHTS IS COMPLETELY ICED OVER AS IS THE AREA NEAR HARVEYS MARINA AND BRIAN J. NO TELLING HOW THICK THE ICE IS THERE SO BE CAREFUL AROUND THOSE AREAS. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 90% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM JAN 23RD. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. NEW PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TODAY. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

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Area near Harvey Marine and Brian J

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Area off from Long Point stretching towards West shore

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Various pictures of Prudenville trails, Far left is Owens Road trailhead, far right is five points.

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Two more pictures from Prudenville trails.

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Left picture taken north side of bridge across Muskegon River, Right picture pipeline road.

Update 1/27/03 10:00 am. 

 It is -15 now with a low last night of about the same. Now new snow overnight, the pictures from the Prudenville trails will be posted today. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE HOLES ARE ICING OVER AND BECOMING DIFFICULT TO SEE. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 90% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM JAN 23RD. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. NEW PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TODAY. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! .

Update 1/26/03 10:12 am. 

 It is 0 now with a low last night of about -2. We got about 4 inches of snow yesterday, and the trails are looking better. We went to Grayling last night, and the trails were getting a little rough with all of the weekend traffic. The trails north of Grayling were in some cases worse than the trails between Houghton Lake and Grayling, due to heavier traffic there. We will take some pictures of the Prudenville trails today also. Don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE HOLES ARE ICING OVER AND BECOMING DIFFICULT TO SEE. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 90% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM YESTERDAY. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW MORNING. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! HAPPY TUT 2003.

Update 1/24/03 9:12 am. 

 It is 12 now with a low last night of about 10. We got a skiff of snow overnight, but little accumulation. We are riding to Starvation Lake today, and will post pictures from those trails later this evening. The lake pictures from yesterday are posted below. We have a cabin available for the second weekend, so please call if you are interested. Also don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE HOLES ARE ICING OVER AND BECOMING DIFFICULT TO SEE. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 90% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM YESTERDAY. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW MORNING. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! HAPPY TUT 2003.

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Hole of Heightsview Drive (Iced Over)

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Water open near long point stretching to West shore Drive (icing over)

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More from Long Point

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Water hole near Harveys Marina and Brian J (icing over pulling out a sled)

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Map showing previous open water areas, now very thin ice.

Update 1/23/03 10:12 pm. 

 It is 11 now with a high today of about 14. We got flurries today, but little accumulation. We made the trip from Houghton Lake, near north shore Lounge and Mead road, to Dingmans between Kalkaska and Grayling. The trails out of Houghton Lake, were like early season riding. But they got better the further we went. Trails around Grayling were groomed last night, and were in excellent condition, the corners are a little icy. If you are coming to Tip-Up-Town, you can ride from Houghton Lake, to areas with more snow cover. We are riding again tomorrow, and will be letting the rental sleds out for the very first weekend. We have a cabin available for the second weekend, so please call if you are interested. Also don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. THE HOLES ARE ICING OVER AND BECOMING DIFFICULT TO SEE. THE LARGE OPENING IS PROBABLY 90% ICED OVER AS OF 5:00PM TODAY. THIS IS WITHOUT QUESTION VERY THIN ICE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. PICTURES WILL BE POSTED TOMORROW MORNING. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! HAPPY TUT 2003

Update 1/23/03 1:12 pm. 

 It is 14 now with a low last night of about -10. We got about 2 inches of snow last night. Flurries have been coming down most of the day today. Didn't get a chance to take any new pictures last night, we will do it today, and post them. We are riding north today, pictures of that will also be posted. We have a cabin available for the second weekend, so please call if you are interested. Also don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. THESE AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ICE OVER BUT THERE IS STILL DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE OUT THERE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! HAPPY TUT 2003

Update 1/22/03 2:30 pm. 

 It is 6 now with a low last night of about -7. We got a skiff of snow last night, but that's about it.  Flurries have been coming down most of the day today. We will take pictures of the open water again today, and post them. We have a cabin and a chalet available for the second weekend, so please call if you are interested. Also don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. THESE AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ICE OVER BUT THERE IS STILL DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE OUT THERE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! HAPPY TUT 2003

Update 1/21/03 12:30 pm. 

 It is 10 now with a low last night of about -6. We rode from Mead Road and Old 27 across 127, to th snowmobile bridge across the Muskegon River. then headed up to the west Higgins Lake trail head. the snow is not the best, but it got better the further North and West we went. Several pictures are posted below. If you keep in mind you can get to better conditions, it is worth if you are here. A few pictures of Tip-Up-town are posted also. We have a cabin and a chalet available for the second weekend, so please call if you are interested. Also don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. The open water near Long Point is creeping closer to shore, now it is less than 100 yards from long point. The wind seems to be pushing the warmer water in that direction. There was an airplane flying overhead, I believe they were taking pictures. It extends about 1 mile East from the tip of Long Point and almost to the West shore going the other direction. Hard to tell how wide it is, but it could be a mile or more. The other two open areas on the maps still exist also. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. THESE AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ICE OVER BUT THERE IS STILL DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE OUT THERE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! HAPPY TUT 2003!!.

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Picture of Resort 1/21/03

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Above 5 pictures are open water off from long point stretching to West shore.

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Two more pictures near Long Point are above.

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Water near Brian J channel, near Heights Marina

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Water hole off Houghton Lake Heights

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Pictures above are taken on ride from the lake at Houghton Lake Marine, down West Higgins lake trail.

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More pictures from the same ride.

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Above pictures are from Tip-Up-Town activities on the lake. Jan 20th 2003.

Update 1/21/03 8:25 am. 

 It is -4 now with a low last night of about -6. No new snow last night, still more is predicted for today-Thursday. The trails from the Muskegon River north to Grayling, look like there is enough snow to get North from here. The overpass across Old 27 is also snow covered. The snow gets better the further north you go.,  We have a cabin and a chalet available for the second weekend, so please call if you are interested. Also don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. It is still open and from the tip of Long Point it extends about 1 mile East and almost to the West shore going the other direction. Hard to tell how wide it is, but it could be a mile or more. The other two open areas on the maps still exist also. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. THESE AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ICE OVER BUT THERE IS STILL DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE OUT THERE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! HAPPY TUT 2003!!.

Update 1/20/03 9:25 am. 

 It is 0 now with a low last night of about -2. We got about 2 inches of snow last night, more is predicted for today-Thursday. Probably the most snow we have had all winter. We rode around the lake last night, the water areas don't seem to be closing up. Hard to believe with these cold temperatures. Looks like the second weekend of Tip-Up-Town, will be better riding conditions than the first. We have a cabin and a chalet available for the second weekend, so please call if you are interested. Also don't forget to read or post on the visitor trail report page by clicking on the link at the top left of this page, or HERE.  And visit John Dees snow central by clicking here. He has been very accurate in predicting our snowfall. We will take a look at the trails heading north to Grayling today. It is still open and from the tip of Long Point it extends about 1 mile East and almost to the West shore going the other direction. Hard to tell how wide it is, but it could be a mile. The other two open areas on the maps still exist also. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. THESE AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ICE OVER BUT THERE IS STILL DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE OUT THERE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! HAPPY TUT 2003!!.

Update 1/19/03 9:45 am. 

 It is 9 now with a low last night of about 8. We got some light snow yesterday between 1/2-1 inch. More is predicted for today, I guess a little is better than nothing. It is still open and from the tip of Long Point it extends about 1 mile East and almost to the West shore going the other direction. Hard to tell how wide it is, but it could be a mile. The other two open areas on the maps still exist also. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. THESE AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ICE OVER BUT THERE IS STILL DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE OUT THERE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! HAPPY TUT 2003!!.

Update 1/18/03 9:33 am. 

 It is 10 now with a low last night of about 8. We got some light snow overnight, and 1-2 inches is predicted for today, and 1-3 for tonight and tomorrow. Some guests rode up in Frederick yesterday, and they said the trail was getting a little rough, but on the two tracks there was two feet of snow in places. People have ridden from the North side of Higgins Lake thru Grayling and north. The snow was marginal, but passable. We heard a few rumors about some snowmobiles that  went into the water last night, but we don't know for sure. It is still open and from the tip of Long Point it extends about 1 mile East and almost to the West shore going the other direction. Hard to tell how wide it is, but it could be a mile. The other two open areas on the maps still exist also. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. THESE AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ICE OVER BUT THERE IS STILL DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE OUT THERE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! HAPPY TUT 2003!!.

Update 1/17/03 5:33 pm. 

 It is 8 now with a high today of about 18. We drove around the lake again at 5:00pm, and it seems that the water hole has not changed much ion the past 24 hours. It is still open and from the tip of Long Point it extends about 1 mile East and almost to the West shore going the other direction. Hard to tell how wide it is, but it could be a mile. The other two open areas on the maps still exist also. We passed a couple hundred sleds on the lake and everyone was hugging the shoreline. Looks like most people got the message from all the press. It even made National News.  PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. THESE AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ICE OVER BUT THERE IS STILL DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE OUT THERE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! Pictures taken today are posted below. Ride safe and DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE. Maybe we can get through the night without any accidents. HAPPY TUT 2003!!.

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Update 1/17/03 9:33 am. 

 It is 0 now with a low last night of about -2. We got a skiff of snow last night but that's about it. We will take some pictures of the trouble areas and post them today. Doesn't look like anywhere north got any fresh snow overnight either. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. THESE AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ICE OVER BUT THERE IS STILL DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE OUT THERE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 1/16/03 7:33 pm. 

 It is 14 now with a high today of about 19. Still no new snow to report. We have some reports from riders staying here that headed North to Grayling. The got off the freeway in Frederick and headed north towards Starvation Lake. They found freshly groomed trails and up to 2 feet of snow off the trails. The snow gets sparse South of Grayling. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. THESE AREAS ARE BEGINNING TO ICE OVER BUT THERE IS STILL DANGEROUSLY THIN ICE OUT THERE. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL NOW AS THESE AREAS MAY NOT BE SO OBVIOUS, EVEN DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE AREAS THAT WERE OPEN WATER. USE THE MAP ONLY AS A GUIDELINE.  For more on this story go click here. Thank You for all of the donations, and if you haven't donated and use this site frequently please donate. If you are able to post flyers at your work place or office building, send us an e-mail. A donation is a donation, I put plenty of my time on this site, perhaps you can give us a little of yours by helping us solicit business for the resort. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 1/16/03 11:00 am. 

 It is 14 now with a low last night of about 0. Still no new snow to report. Seems mother nature just isn't willing to give in. Heading up further north today to see how far you might have to drive to get into some snow. Will report later today. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. For more on this story go click here. Thank You for all of the donations, and if you haven't donated and use this site frequently please donate. If you are able to post flyers at your work place or office building, send us an e-mail. A donation is a donation, I put plenty of my time on this site, perhaps you can give us a little of yours by helping us solicit business for the resort. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 1/15/03 6:00 pm. 

 It is 10 now with a high today of about 17. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. We made a quick trip around the lake at 5:00pm. The large open area is still about 1.5 miles long, and several hundred yards across it at it's widest point. I you are anywhere near Long Point STAY CLOSE TO SHORE. The other two areas that we have taken pictures of are about the same. There may be more areas or some thin spots that are not visible so stay close to shore if you are going out on the lake, unless you are near Harvey's marine in the East Bay. For more on this story go click here. Thank You for all of the donations, we have received a few by mail also. And thank for visiting again Norm...you know who you are. We are patiently waiting for your next e-mail. More about him later, he's a real fan of Houghton Lake and this website. We are making a page dedicated to "Norm". Not looking like we are going to get any snow this weekend, so the trails won't be an option. Tip-Up-Town is going as scheduled, click on the link at the top of this page to see the event schedule. We will check how far North you need to go to ride, and take some pictures. Looks like just North of Grayling they got some better snow. Frederick got 5" today. BE CAREFUL and THINK SNOW!!! 

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Update 1/15/03 11:00 Am. 

 It is 10 now with a low last night of about 0. Still no new snow to report. The festival tent is up and people have been parking on the lake in front of the site for a few weeks. The ice close to shore, is frozen to the bottom. If you are coming, verify ice conditions before you park there. Not much in the forecast for any snow in time for the weekend, and the trails are un-ridable. Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. If you can get to Grayling, the trails north of there. We will start checking today how far you have to go to get into good enough snow to ride. get better the further North you go. PLEASE READ THE LAST FEW DAYS POSTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAKE HAS BEEN POSTED. We will drive around the lake again today, and take more pictures and post them this afternoon. Please keep in mind that if any of these areas close up over the next few days, it will certainly be thin ice. Please don't ride anywhere near where the open water is, even if it freezes. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/14/03 8:00 pm. 

 It is 10 now with a high today of about 18. THE FOLLOWING INFO IS TO BE USED AS A GUIDE. CHECK THE LAKE CAREFULLY DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS BEFORE YOU TRAVEL ON IT. ICE CONDITIONS CHANGE DAILY...AND THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SAFE ICE. We drove around the lake this evening, and took pictures of the large open water area, and a few smaller trouble spots. One is at the channel outlet near Brain J, On the North-East corner of the lake (Near Harvey Marine). It extends about 100-200 ft from the shoreline. Watch this one if you are driving around the shoreline, it the only open area close to shore that we have found. The other is a couple of fairly small holes (big enough to sink a sled or car) just off the Houghton Lake Heights, on the South-West side of the lake. They are about 200ft from shore. We added a map with the spots marked in red. Click here to see it or on the picture below. Some ariel shots are here, here and here. Shots of the three areas from the lake views are here. If you are using Internet Explorer 6.0, Go to the Tools, Internet Options menu then click the advanced tab. Uncheck the box in multimedia labeled Enable automatic image resize. This will allow you to view in full size, and use the slidebars to move the map around. 

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Update 1/14/03 1:00 pm. 

 It is 17 now with a low last night of about 8. We haven't checked the opening in the lake today, we will do it later this afternoon. PLEASE be careful if you are using the Lake for anything. I am posting a map with the areas that seem to be the most dangerous at this point. We will update it daily. 

 We didn't get any snow last night, so the trails are still in rough shape. Seems the snow is falling mostly west and north of us. We still have snow predicted for every day through the weekend, so we will have to wait and see. It would be nice to get enough snow to ride from here into Grayling and North where the snow gets better. I got a letter from a visitor that is accusing us of lying about our cost of running this site. We will post it, his e-mail address and our reply this afternoon. I will also show some site statistics that will make it easy to understand. It's people like him that are driving us towards memberships. Many people have offered to help, some asking for brochures to put in their workplaces, some with donations. We really appreciate all of this so if any of you visitors can do something like that for us, please e-mail us. Understand that this is the second bad winter for Houghton Lake, so donations from local business is fruitless. Without snow who has any dollars. Many places would rather we not post the pictures, some would prefer you drive here and see for yourself. We started this webpage as a result of living down state, and not knowing what's going on in Houghton Lake. If its not worth a few dollars for visitors to have this kind of information, and cover our costs, then so be it. If I  to decided to turn this webpage into a profitable business, I would have no problem telling our visitors so. This webpage is a business...and it is losing money. In contrast the Resort webpages are using 5% of the total bandwidth of this site. If we sound frustrated...we are. We ask for donations to cover our costs...and we get nasty e-mail. Thank You to those of you that have donated, and offered to help in other ways....you are the reason that we are doing it. Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. BE CAREFUL IF YOU ARE ON THE LAKE!!!. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/13/03 2:30 pm. 

 It is 10 now and still no more snow but the forecast is calling for snow every day, up thru Friday. We clocked the length of the open water area off from long point. It is about 1-1/5 miles long and about 100-200 yards across at its widest point. It is only about 100 yards from the tip of Long Point and goes east of long point for about 400 yards and west almost all of the way to the west shore of the lake. If you were to leave the Limberlost heading to the trail that takes you north to Grayling by Houghton Lake Marine...you will drive right into it. Take the shoreline and stay close enough to shore so that you don't lose track and end up lost out in the middle. The divers are still searching for the snowmobilers that went in last night. It sounds like two brothers have drowned. The Muskegon River is iced over all the way to Houghton Lake Marina, which is also very unusual for this lake. Be extremely careful there as the water is moving under the ice, so it is surely not as thick as the ice in other places. You wouldn't normally be able to ride through that area, so you probably shouldn't do it now. The area that is normally open is iced over, and there is a large open area in the middle of the lake so if you are riding the lake be extremely careful. Stick to the shoreline to be safe. You will see cars on the ice out in the middle of the lake, but there are some thin spots and open water also. If you are coming for Tip-Up-Town this week, tell everyone that you know. Some pictures from today are posted below. Think Snow!!!!

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Update 1/13/03 10:30 am. 

 It is 10 now with a low last night of about 8. It appears that two more persons went in the lake last night at around 11pm last night. The reports are that they have drowned in the same large water opening. Please be careful if you are riding on the lake, and check it out carefully in the daylight hours. This opening is especially dangerous as it is in an area that is very unusual for this lake, especially this time of year. We didn't get much snow last night when the storm came through, it was blowing so hard its hard to even guess. Doesn't sound like Grayling or Frederick got much either. Please contribute to this site by clicking on the banner above, this site will become a members only site if we do not get more contributions. This site costs us around $500 a month to operate, not counting our time in updating or gathering the information. Snow or no snow. We appreciate our visitors and hope that you come to Houghton Lake for your fishing or snowmobiling this winter.   Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/12/03 11:30 am. 

 It is 20 now with a low last night of about 15. There is a large open water area off Long Point on the North side of the lake. It appears to getting larger as it was not there two weeks ago, it was a pressure crack. This hole is probably 1/2 mile long and about 100 yards across at the widest point. Several sleds have gone in and there are people trying to recover them now.....at least 6 sleds that we heard of......4 were in one group. So far it sounds like everyone got out, and one person was taken to the hospital. Be careful if you are on the lake, especially at night, all of these sleds went in after dark. People that have been here for more than 20 years are saying they have never seen anything like this. This will be dangerous during Tip-Up-Town, so if you know anyone that's coming here please let them know. We will keep an eye on it, but even if it freezes before tip up town, it will surely be thin ice in that area. 

 We only got a light dusting of snow last night, so still no good news for the trails. Some pictures are posted below, some of the ice fisherman, and a few of the open water. We have a report from Frederick this afternoon, and they got snow all day yesterday. There is about a foot off of the trails. The trails are not the best because there was little base...but it is rideable. Please stay off the trails in Houghton Lake until we get more snow. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

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Update 1/11/03 9:30 am. 

 It is 11 now with a low last night of about 9. We got a 1/2 inch or so last night, not nearly as much as was predicted. We are not letting rentals go out this weekend, due to lack of snow. The trails have a little snow cover on them, but not really enough to ride. We have a report that Grayling has about 5 inches on the ground, but they are not grooming either. I haven't found any place in lower MI that IS grooming this weekend. Looks like Munising-Seney-Paradise got hammered pretty good, most of their trails are open, and they are grooming. You still cant ride very far west of Munising, which is more like early season riding for the U.P. We will take some pictures today and post them. There is a lot of ice on the lake, many people are driving their vehicles out to the shanties. There is a little more snow on the lake for riding, but the wind has blown a lot of it to areas around the shoreline. Bottom line is if you want to ride here, the Lake is your best bet. If you ride the lake, be careful and check ice conditions. The places in Meridith and Elbow Lake must really be suffering for a second year in a row. We need more snow before the trails will be rideable. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/10/02 6:30 pm. 

 It is 10 now with a high today of about 18. This is the second update for the day and we haven't received much more snow, it's hard to tell the way the wind was blowing. I got a report from Traverse city, they had about 3-1/2 inches this afternoon at about 3:00 pm. Lewiston has only a couple of inches and Onaway has only a couple of inches. Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/10/03 10:30 am. 

 It is 15 now with a low last night of about 13. We got an inch or so last night, and it is continuing to snow today, sometimes so hard you can't see. This is the best snowstorm we have seen yet, so lets keep our fingers crossed. We will update again around 4:00pm. We did receive some donations over the past 24hours, it is nice to see that someone thinks this site us useful enough to donate. See the paragraph below. A picture of the current weather is below. Please donate if you visit us often. Snow is supposed to continue over the next 6 days. Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Just a note for those that have donated to our site or are thinking of contributing. We are using a dial up connection for this site, and as a result our webcam's and other site features do not always work properly. We do not have DSL or Cable modems in our area, and it doesn't look like it will be anytime soon. We have priced a fractional T-1 dedicated service, and even a 128k will cost us around 400-500 a month, plus a $600.00 installation. This does not benefit us in any way, except to provide better webcams, (possibly live) and more regular updates. If anyone has information on dedicated service in this area that would be helpful to us, please e-mail us. We are trying to see if there is enough interest in doing this, as it will probably cost us 5-6k a year. We don't mind paying for some of that cost, but many of our site visitors are not patrons of this resort. Many of our visitors have cabins here, some live out of state etc. They have grown to rely on our updates to see if it is worth it to make a trip, or go someplace else. We appreciate all of our visitors, and are asking them to help if the use the site. We don't want visitors to think that if they don't contribute, the site will be shut down. We may have to restrict the site to memberships, but we will do that only at a last resort. That just makes things complicated. We would just like to re-coop some of our costs, especially as we bring you this information,  snow or no snow. Snow to Houghton Lake, is like money from the sky and we need it badly. Please contribute if you are using the site, and you will see large improvements. If you have doanted, and we have to restrict the site, please e-mail us and contributions of 15.00 or over will be given a lifetime membership. This will be our way of thanking you for "Donating" Thank You...and THINK SNOW!!!!

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Update 1/9/03 1:30 pm.  

 It is 29 now with a low last night of about 40...or should we say high. It is snowing now, although little accumulation is expected. Temps are supposed to go into the single digits over the next couple of days, and stay there for a while. Snow accumulation is expected starting tonight and into the weekend. We posted a banner on this site so visitors could donate to keep this site free. It seems very few people are interested in donating although we have upwards of 20,000 hits a day and at least 1000-2000 unique visitors a day. We will probably be making this a pay site in the very near future, for registered guests and previous guests of the resort. We will make that decision next week. We haven't received enough donations to pay for a single week of this sites bandwidth. We would like to continue this as we have, but bandwidth costs are rising along with the number of visitors. Please help keep this site free by donating. We have provided our site visitors with honest accurate reports for three years. Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/8/03 10:30 am.  

 It is 30 now with a low last night of about the same. No new snow, but it didn't get quite as warm as was predicted yesterday. Today's high predicted to be 40-45, and tomorrow 30-35. Tomorrow night the temps are supposed to drop and a winter storm is headed our way. Finally maybe some good news....we will have to wait and see. Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/7/03 10:30 am. 

 It is 24 now with a low last night of about 12. Still no new snow, and the weather forecast over the next couple of days looks pretty grim. Highs in the mid 30's and possible freezing drizzle. Still not a day when we could ride the trails, pretty much the same for all of lower Mi and most of the U.P. We are supposed to get some cold Arctic air moving in on Thursday, and sticking around for a while. Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/6/03 8:30 am.  

 It is 17 now with a low last night of about 15. We got about an inch of snow last night, and now it is blowing quite hard. At least there will be a little more on the lake for riding, if it doesn't blow off. Flurries predicted over the next couple of days. Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/5/03 9:30 am.  

 It is 19 now with a low last night of about 16. No new snow last night, 1-2 inches is predicted for tonight. Many people were out riding the lake yesterday, it's the only place around for hundreds of miles that you can ride. Hopefully the weather pattern will shift as they are calling for, and we will start to get some snow. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/4/03 10:30 am.  

 It is 20 now with a low last night of about 17. Another skiff of snow last night, but no accumulation. I saw people driving vehicles out on the lake, some as far out as about 1 mile. The ice is around 11 inches (yesterday) and with little snow coverage on the lake and temps in the teens it is making more ice daily. There is a little more snow on the lake now for riding sleds, so if you are itching to ride you can at least ride the lake. Starting Sunday night chance of snow (60%) and snow predicted for every day next week. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/3/03 10:30 am.  

 It is 19 now with a low last night of about 15. Another skiff of snow last night, but no accumulation. I read a post this morning on the Sledheads of Frederick trail page about Paradise MI needing 12,000.00 for insurance on their trail system. This looks to be a growing problem with our trail system as we are losing more and more trails. Anyone who rides there should check into this. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

 It is 19 now with a low last night of about 16. We got a skiff of snow last night but not enough to do any good. The short term forecast doesn't look like much snow is coming for the weekend, but next week things are looking better. For more on the weather go to John Dee's snow central by clicking here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/1/03 10:00 am.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

 First we want to thank the person that contributed to this site through Amazon link above. It helps defer the costs of running this site. If you find this site useful, please donate to help us keep this site ad free. Wish we could actually send the reporter out on the trails on a sled, instead of a car. It is 22 now with a low last night of about the same. We still haven't gotten any snow, and on a trip to Traverse City yesterday, all we saw the whole trip was green grass. there is basically nothing on the ground or on the trails. Doesn't sound too good for the U.P. either, unless you go along the lake Superior shoreline or into the Keweenaw. The lake ice held up good during the rain and warm temps, so if you want to ride, come on up and bring extra sliders. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/31/02 10:00 am.  

 It is 22 now with a low last night of about the same. The temps were at 42 degrees at 10:00pm last night, but dropped to about 20 by early morning. The drizzle melted almost all of the snow we had, and put a little bit of water on top of the ice. The water is frozen now and the lake is pretty much a sheet of very flat ice. Still good for ice fishing, but there is almost no snow on it. John Dee is predicting some snowfall for us tonight, to see his forecast click here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/30/02 10:30 am.  

 It is 29 now with a low last night of about the same. We got a little bit of freezing drizzle last night but no snow. The forecast looks kinda grim today as temp's are expected to get to the lower 40's. Rain is supposed to change to snow tonight. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/29/02 9:30 am.  

 It is 24 now with a low last night of about the same. Who didn't do the snow chant last night? Still no new snow, but it seems people are driving from all over to ride the lake. The north shore seems to have the most snow on it if you are going to ride, and ice fisherman are out by the hundreds.   THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/28/02 9:30 am.  

 I think it is time for us all to learn a snow chant. We didn't get any snow overnight and the low last night was only about 24. The report following is from "Mark" who rode the lake yesterday. Be sure to post your trail and or lake report if you come to this area or read others reports by clicking on the visitor trail report link button on the top of the page. We also added a button so if you find this site useful, and wish to donate you can do so. Please help us keep this site running "ad-free" THINK SNOW!!!

Mark's Report....Thanks Mark

Just got back from Houghton Lake about 2 hours ago. We rode about 20-30 miles on the Lake. There is enough Snow to ride in most places if you stay close to shore. There seemed to be the most Snow on the North East side of the Lake. Words of caution, be careful if you go out by the North Bay just out from the cove, there is a big pressure crack with a good amount of open water. There were actually about 12-24 sleds out, as we went around most of the Lake. There was a lot of Ice Fishing going on. Let's all hope for lots of Snow!!!

 

Update 12/27/02 1:30 pm.  

 Nothing new to report, a few pictures are posted below. The ice thickness was about 7 inches, everyplace you see in these pictures. We also added a button so if you find this site useful, and wish to donate you can do so. Please help us keep this site running "ad-free" THINK SNOW!!!

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Update 12/27/02 10:00 am.  

 Old man winter just doesn't want to give us any snow. It is now 21 degrees with a low last night of 17. Seems like every time any storm comes across Michigan, it goes north or south of us. There doesn't seem to be any riding anywhere in Northern lower MI, and even the U.P. has many of its trails closed for water holes and or lack of snow. The tip of the U.P. along Lake Superior has some snow, but with everyone flocking there, it will probably be marginal riding at best. Check out John Dee's weather forecasting by clicking here. We still have availability the second week of Tip-Up-Town, so call if you are interested. Ice fisherman are everywhere on the lake, so if you are looking to go ice fishing, there is plenty of ice. Please stay off the trails, till we get more snow.   THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/26/02 10:00 am.  

 We hope you had a Merry Christmas!!!! It is now 21 degrees with a low last night of 18. Still no new snow last night, guess we forgot to ask Santa for some. It has been cold, so the lake continues to make ice. We will cut some more holes in it today. Please stay off the trails, till we get more snow.   THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/25/02 10:00 am.  

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!It is now 26 degrees with a low last night of 20. We didn't get any new snow last night, even though parts of southern MI got hammered pretty well. Looks like we might get some flurries today, but that's about the extent of it. Plenty of ice for ice fishing, but not a lot of snow on the lake for riding.  THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/23/02 3:30 pm.  

 It is now 19 degrees with a low last night of 16. We got a light dusting overnight and a little more today but nothing significant. The lake is frozen pretty solid, we took a ride around the shoreline last night. Not enough snow to keep the sleds all that cool or the sliders lubricated, but it was a ride. Please check ice conditions carefully if you are on the lake for any reason.  THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/22/02 12:30 pm.  

 It is now 23 degrees with a low last night of 18. Not much new to report, still not enough snow to ride. Please stay off the trails until we get more snow. The lake has a little snow on it, but a lot of it is blowing around.  I popped in a couple of holes and the ice was about 8 inches at our road end.  Check ice carefully if you plan on fishing over the next couple of days. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/20/02 10:30 am.  

 It is now 28 degrees with a low last night of 26. The rain changed to snow last night and is continuing into today. Snow accumulation for today is expected to be 1-2 inches and possibly another 1 inch tonight. Snow showers predicted every day for the next several days so all we can do is THINK SNOW!!!! The water on the lake has been replaced with the light snow cover and we will check ice thickness later today. If you go out on the lake PLEASE BE CAREFUL as warm-up like this can cause several thin spots and make the ice thickness vary greatly. Check ice carefully if you plan on fishing over the next couple of days. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/19/02 10:30 am.  

 It is now 43 degrees with a low last night of 38. The rain came a melted what little snow we had. Temp's are expected to stay in the 40's for most of today with light rain. The lake has some water on top of the ice, and when it freezes back up we will pop in a couple more holes. Be careful as the water runoff from the roads tends to thin the ice around the shoreline. Check ice carefully if you plan on fishing over the next couple of days. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/16/02 11:30 am.  

 It is now 11 degrees with a low last night of 6. The ice thickness was about 7 inches, approx 100 yards from shore. At about 300 yards it was around 5-6 and 1 mile out there was around 5-6. There are still some thin spots so if you are planning on ice fishing, please check the ice thickness carefully. There is not much snow on the ice, mostly around the shoreline. Nothing new to report on the trails, still not enough snow to ride in this area. A few picture are posted below. THINK SNOW!!!

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Update 12/14/02 1:30 pm.  

 It is now 32 degrees with a low last night of 30. Nothing new to report, more shanties are appearing on the lake. A few sleds are continuing to ride the shoreline, but if you think about it, check the ice and conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/11/02 2:30 pm.  

 It is now 38 degrees with a low last night of 16. The warmer daytime temp continue, but is above freezing for only a few hours during the day. The ice continues to hold out, but the snow on top is slowly melting. Still a little snow on the ground, but not enough to speak of.There were also a few tracks from snowmobilers close to the shoreline. If you go out on the ice...check it carefully. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/09/02 2:30 pm.  

 It is now 24 degrees with a low last night of 2. Looks like we are getting a bit of a warm up starting tomorrow, but according to John Dee it should be relatively mild. He has a good prediction on what this winter might shake out like, and for now it sounds pretty good. You can check out his webpage and predictions by clicking here. The ice thickness at our road end is about 5-6 inches thick about 200 yards from shore. A few ice fisherman were out today and one of the pictures posted below is from local Brian Lucas and his catch of the day. There were also a few tracks from snowmobilers close to the shoreline. Before you venture out on the ice check the conditions carefully. A few sleds were on the lake around the shoreline today and yesterday, but check the ice carefully. THINK SNOW!!!

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Update 12/08/02 1:30 pm.  

 It is now 24 degrees with a low last night of 10.  Last years trail reports and pictures have been moved, click on the 2002 link to see them. 2001 pictures and reports are on the 2001 link. A few sleds were on the lake around the shoreline today and yesterday, but check the ice carefully before you think about it. Still no new snow, just very cold temperatures. We will check the ice thickness again tomorrow, and a few ice fisherman were out today with portable shanties. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/05/02 1:30 pm.  

 It is now 21 degrees with a low last night of 12.  Not much new to report yet, the very cold temps are keeping the 3-4 inches of snow from melting. About 50 yards out from our road-end, the ice was about 3 inches thick. We will check it again after the weekend. Snow is forecasted for the next several days with daytime high's in the low 30's and night-time lows in the teens. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/01/02 11:30 am.  

 It is now 20 degrees with a low last night of 15. High winds and almost zero wild chill temp's have caused the lake to ice over once again. A couple of inches fell overnight with flurries continuing today. As soon as the ice becomes safe enough to walk on, we will check the thickness. Snow is forecasted for the next several days with daytime high's in the 20's and night-time lows in the teens. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 11/29/02 8:30 am.  

 It is now 40 degrees with a low last night of 30. The lake has opened up a bit, due to warmer temps and high winds today. Tonight snow is forecasted and lows in the 20's. Same for tomorrow and Sunday. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 11/27/02 8:30 pm.  

 It is now 20 degrees with a low last night of 18. The lake has iced over completely, with a few open areas around moving  water. Still no snow on the ground yet, but at least it has been cold. More cold temp's in the forecast, now all we need is snow. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 11/18/02 8:30 am.  

 It is now 32 degrees with a low last night of 28. We got rain mixed with snow as the temperatures dropped, so a light dusting is on the ground now. The lake is frozen 50-100 yards out, around most of the lake. Looks to be in the 40's today and tomorrow, so that doesn't sound too promising. We have a couple cabins and chalets left for tip up town, so if you are interested click on the Cabins link. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 11/16/02 4:30 pm.  

 It is now 22 degrees with a low last night of 12. It has been COLD!!! The wind chill has us just about 0 degrees. It has been in the teens for the last few nights. The lake is beginning to freeze, even with the choppy water. If the wind dies out, it will surely ice over. The deer hunters aren't complaining about warm weather this season. Looks like it will be cold over the next few days.

Update 11/11/02 9:30 am.  

 It is now 36 degrees with a low last night of 32. Looks like our warm blast from the weekend is over, maybe now we can get back to winter. The weekend high's were almost 60. A lot of the trees here still have their leaves, with the oaks holding out the most. Looks like the weather is going to stay cool, so that should make the deer hunters happy. Today's forecast calling for light snow/rain mix. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 11/07/02 8:30 am.  

 It is now 16 degrees with a low last night of 12. Good news is it has been COLD at night, last night was the coolest night yet. Bad news is that it is supposed to be in the mid 50's by Friday, but only for a couple of days then back to the 30's and 40's. The trail head at Owens road has been opened up, and there is considerably more parking there. This should make it easier for the groomer to get on the trail when the lot is full. Please don't block the trailhead, keep in mind how much room they need to get the groomer through there. They also filled the low area near five points with gravel. This should be a great improvement, as the trail was rough through that area. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 11/01/02 9:30 am.  

 It is now 25 degrees with a low last night of 20. We woke up this morning to find the ground covered with a light snow. The temp's have been into the low 20's at night for about the last 7 days. Hopefully this is a good sign as it was not anywhere near this cold, at the same time last year. I remember deer hunters hunting with spring jackets during gun season. We will begin with pictures as soon as the weather looks favorable, and reports on the ice as the lake begins to freeze. THINK SNOW!!!!

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!!!!

 

Call American Oak Resort for more weather information 1-989-366-6464

or toll free 1-866-366-6464