Sault Ste. Marie Trail Report – 12/26
SAULT STE. MARIE UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association – 12/26
Good evening! Well, it’s been a day around here! First we had drag stuck in Raco and then Steve had a really tough day out on trail 49. The 35” of snow is definitely challenging us! Here is Steve’s report-
“I spent the day on Trail 49. It was tough going.
It took me a couple hours to go from 3 Mile to 6 Mile. I got stuck three times in indescribably deep snow. It is amazing what one can accomplish with a square nose garden shovel. I was able to dig out and keep moving.
At 6 Mile, I circled back to Chippewa Motors and dropped the drag there. I hopped back on the trail at Walmart and headed south.
I got stuck a couple more times without a drag hooked on. I went all the way to Devil’s Hill south of 12 Mile. (See the screen shot that shows this spot as the green line above the Beaver Pond that I circled. This is as far as we can make it until the pond freezes).
On the return trip, I came across a nice girl on a sled that got nervous with the conditions and tried to turn around and head back north. She was stuck bad but the trusty shovel and every bit of strength the two of us had got her moving again.
I followed her north and made it to the bridge behind the CCRC. The groomer busted through right at the bridge.
Decided there was no way I could get past the bridge so I turned around and got ready to head back south. Another snowmobile came by and stopped to check on me. He buried his sled too. It took a little bit but we were able to get him out. I followed him south and made sure he got back to a road.
Finally, got back to the barn where Pete met me and finished up the fueling and paperwork.
Leaving the barn I got my truck stuck at the end of the driveway.
It was one of those days but I am still smiling.
The trail needs some sled traffic but I hate to send sleds through there. This warmup might be what we need to tighten things up.
Rider’s definitely should not ride alone with the conditions we have.
Conditions are bad but I think we are on the right track to get drags through the trails in the near future.”
Steve also mentioned that when he opened the cab door on the Tucker in some areas, the bottom of the door was pushing snow😳
We cannot thank our volunteers enough for the dedication and hours that they put in! Please be patient as we work through these hazards. We have A LOT of swamp areas in our end of the UP that areas just west do not. Coupled with 35” of new snow, it’s going to take time to get everything in great shape.
Thanks all!
Oh almost forgot… already another 4” and still snowing tonight
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Good morning all! We hope you all had a nice weekend with family and friends!
Pete and Sandi were out last night grooming the city trails again. Here’s Pete’s report-
“Merry Christmas to all! The City trails are groomed again! In most areas, I couldn’t even tell we had groomed just 24 hours ago. Most areas were drifted in bad. The bypass around the water hole by the tunnel is groomed. I tried grooming the courtesy trail to Chippewa Motors, but there is a large water hole at the back of their property by the power lines. Be very careful around the new medical building on trail 449 as it runs along 129. The reroute is a little tricky with some hazards. I groomed the ditch closest to the road. The snow is very soft and deep there as well. Hopefully we can continue to drag snow into the ditch and build it up.
I used the limb masher a lot tonight, and cleared a bunch of branches hanging over the trail. I also made a couple more swipes out of the snow piles on the trail in town.
All in all, the trails are not bad at all. I couldn’t do much grooming, mostly panning and drift clearing. But you can feel the trail starting to firm up.
Saw tracks of one sled, and it was nice to see the rider respecting a fresh groom! The tracks were smooth and even, with no track spinning!
Hard to believe my next groomer trip will
Be next year! 🤣🤣🤣🤣”
Picture is of the water hole behind Chippewa Motors. I imagine there are similar holes in the swampy areas of 49, 480, and 472. We will follow up once we can get through those trails.
Thanks all! 3-6” today on top of the 35” we got with the storm. Going to take a bit to get it all smoothed out❄❄❄
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Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association Facebook Page
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Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association Trail Report on MSA
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Postings From Regional Pages On Facebook
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Lake effect snow showers will continue in the northwest to west-northwest wind snowbelts though tonight resulting in difficult travel, with visibility below 1/2 mile at times. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaLake effect snow showers will continue in the northwest to west-northwest wind snowbelts though tonight resulting in difficult travel, with visibility below 1/2 mile at times. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect.
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Coldest air so far this winter season is expected to overspread the upper Great Lakes Thursday night and Friday. Bitter cold will continue through the weekend…with wind chills below zero through Sunday morning. High temperatures Friday likely to remain below zero across the Upper Peninsula. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaColdest air so far this winter season is expected to overspread the upper Great Lakes Thursday night and Friday. Bitter cold will continue through the weekend…with wind chills below zero through Sunday morning. High temperatures Friday likely to remain below zero across the Upper Peninsula.
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Gaylord Michigan >> Heavy snow and bitter cold wind chills are expected to begin tonight and continue through Monday. New snowfall of 4-8” with locally higher amounts are possible by Monday night/Tuesday morning. Wind gusts of 30-45+ mph are expected Monday morning and afternoon. Wind chills will drop well below zero through Tuesday as well. Combination of heavy snow, winds, and cold will create widespread hazardous travel conditions across northern Michigan with whiteouts possible at times, especially across open areas. Be sure to use caution if traveling tonight through Tuesday. #miweather #gaylord #cadillac #benzie #traversecity #petoskey #soo #newberryHeavy snow and bitter cold wind chills are expected to begin tonight and continue through Monday. New snowfall of 4-8” with locally higher amounts are possible by Monday night/Tuesday morning. Wind gusts of 30-45+ mph are expected Monday morning and afternoon. Wind chills will drop well below zero through Tuesday as well. Combination of heavy snow, winds, and cold will create widespread hazardous travel conditions across northern Michigan with whiteouts possible at times, especially across open areas. Be sure to use caution if traveling tonight through Tuesday.
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Snow and blowing snow today will result in near blizzard like conditions for many areas. This will create hazardous and dangerous travel, especially this morning. Dangerously cold wind chills are also expected, especially tonight into Tuesday. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 1/19/26
Jay and I hit the city trails last night and they are in good shape. Some choppy spots due to heavier traffic earlier, but we smoothed them out as best we could and saw very little traffic on our run.
Snow was falling the whole run and should be a beautiful ride in the morning.
Enjoy! ❄️❄️❄️ #soo #soo0119 #snowphotos
SAULT STE. MARIE AREA UPDATE via Sault Ste. Marie Snowmobile Association >> 1/18/26
Kewadin Trail update ❄️❄️❄️ #soo #soo0118 #snowphotos
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Tonight and Monday morning, moderate to occasionally heavy lake effect will be accompanied by strong winds and create blowing snow concerns. Near blizzard conditions expected in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Marquette, and Alger counties, especially in areas exposed to the north or northwest. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsareaTonight and Monday morning, moderate to occasionally heavy lake effect will be accompanied by strong winds and create blowing snow concerns. Near blizzard conditions expected in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Marquette, and Alger counties, especially in areas exposed to the north or northwest.
WEATHER UPDATE via US National Weather Service Marquette Michigan >> Snow will continue today, with periods of moderate to heavy snowfall expected across portions of north-central and western Upper Michigan. Travel impacts abate tonight with lake effect snow becoming light into Sunday. By Sunday afternoon, a shot of widespread snow will be followed by strong winds and lake effect. The snow in this period will change to the kind that blows around really easily. Expect hazardous travel conditions Sunday night and Monday. #miweather #keweenaw #westernup #marquette #munising #seney #newberry #soo #straitsarea
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