The rugged hills and reliable snows of the Western Upper Peninsula make it a favorite destination for skiers. Tina Lassen, a longtime Michigan Travel Ideas freelance writer and avid skier, writes about a recent getaway to Ironwood-area ski resorts.

As if on cue, the snow begins falling in earnest when I cross the border into the Western Upper Peninsula’s “snow belt.” As I drive along US-2 near Wakefield, it floats down fluffy and thick, piling up to the windowsills of farmhouses and draping across broad hemlock boughs.

Excellent timing, since I’m meeting up with three Yooper friends (UP locals, that is). We’ve planned a day each at Big Powderhorn Mountain and Indianhead Mountain Resort neighboring destinations northeast of Ironwood.

Big Powderhorn

On day one we opt for Big Powderhorn with meticulously groomed runs winding through the pines. Powderhorn is great for beginners, families, or anyone with rusty ski legs. I particularly like starting out on runs such as Alpen and Little Horn, bathed in morning sun.

We spend much of the day carving up the corduroy on long, mellow cruisers, then cap off the afternoon with a stop at one of Powderhorn’s slopeside wine huts. New this year, you can call ahead to reserve one of the three wine huts for a private lunch spot. The ski area provides the grill and charcoal, and will transport food to your hut.

Indianhead

The next day, I’m primed to tackle the steeper terrain of Indianhead. We charge down the headwall on West Winnebago and careen through the bumps on Crazy Horse. I even steel my nerves to try a few of the smallest jumps in the Big Chief terrain park. I quickly decide it’s probably better for my middle-age knees to watch others get air.

Indianhead does a great job with this park, building jumps and rails for all ability levels. By the time we call it a day, a lively après scene is taking shape in the Sky Bar, where old chairlifts get a second life as booth seats.

Around the ski areas

Plenty of restaurants, lodgings and gear shops scatter between Indianhead and Powderhorn, creating a fun, mountain-town atmosphere. The Caribou Lodge (906/932-4714) at Big Powderhorn Mountain is one of my favorites, for its great from-scratch soups, huge salad bar and hearty specialties like bacon-wrapped pork loin. You can find great Italian food around here, too—Tacconelli’s in Ironwood is a sure bet.

After a social day of skiing, I love the solitude of the Black River Lodge. Although it’s just a short drive from the slopes, it feels like a wilderness outpost thanks to its 65-acre spread along the Black River. It’s also pretty sweet to kick back in the lodge’s wood-fired hot tub and 54-foot-long swimming pool.

Freelance writer Tina Lassen has spent more than 25 years exploring and writing about Michigan’s outdoor adventures. She is a frequent contributor to Midwest Living magazine and has written extensively about Michigan in guidebooks like National Geographic’s Guide to America’s Outdoors: Great Lakes.

Food can make just about any activity that much better as Dianna Stampfler, Michigan Travel Ideas contributing writer, learns during the “Gourmet Glide” at Garland Lodge & Resort in Lewiston.

Gourmet Glide at the Garland Lodge & Resort

It’s a beautiful day when I slide into my cross-country skis and set out in search of tantalizing delectables. Garland’s “Gourmet Glide” lives up its name, with five trailside and warming stations set up along a picturesque 10-kilometer trail.

The invigorating effects of the crisp morning air not to mention constant motion of skiing put a smile on my face soon after setting out on my adventure. Occasionally, I would encounter another participant. But mostly, it’s just me on the trail absorbing the sounds of nature.

Station #2: Hard Wax Cafe
Rounding a corner the warming hut comes into view—just in time. By now, I have worked up a sweat and am in need of nourishment. I grab a diet soda and b-line for the buffet, with its impressive spread of smoked salmon, whitefish dip, crackers and cheese.  

On the Trail Again
After a short rest, I hit the trail. A fellow glider and I carry on a light-hearted conversation. In what seems like a few minutes, we approach the next stop where we know we’re in for a treat!

Station #3: Trout Camp
More than a dozen gliders are standing over various holes in the ice, reels in hand. Having never been ice fishing, I am nearly giddy as I reel in a trout within minutes. No worries, it’s catch and release (the staff handles the release). A giant fire crackles pond-side and the skiing congregation enjoys steaming bowls of trout chowder and fried trout filets. Life is good!

Warming up pond side during the 10k Gourmet Glide

The Final Stretch
By now, skiing seems second nature and I am no longer thinking about moving one leg after another. The resort’s log covered bridge comes into view as I approach the next warming station, the fourth stop.

Surprisingly, I am a bit hungry—although it seems I have been eating nonstop for hours. The continued exercise of skiing burns calories as fast as I consume them—a good thing.

An End to a Great Day
It’s back to the lodge—the largest log lodge this side of the Mississippi—where it all started just hours before. I feel recharged and slightly proud that the nonathletic has made the entire 10k route without too much effort or falling!

Insider Tips

• The Gourmet Glide is a go-at-your-own pace that may last from a half-day to seven hours.
• Go ahead, fill up at the five food stations. Participants work off calories while cross-county skiing 10k (six mile-plus).

Trip Planner

• Garland Lodge & Resort’s Gourmet Glide is held on winter Saturdays, January through early March.
• Gourmet Glide tickets are $59 for hotel guests, $69 for nonguests; children 17 and under, $39. Gourmet Glide overnight packages start at $116.50 per person, making it a good value winter getaway.

Dianna Stampfler loves Michigan so much, she’s made a career out of it! Her marketing consultant company, Promote Michigan, is just one of the many ways this fourth-generation Michigan resident shows her appreciation for the Great Lakes State. Besides being a full-time cheerleader for Michigan, Dianna enjoys reading, gardening, traveling and visiting with friends.

Maybe the skiing can wait. Cradling a mug of coffee, I’m curled deep in an overstuffed chair in the living room of the Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast. The enticing aroma of innkeeper Linda Gamble’s homemade scones wafts from the kitchen and a fire dances before me. It will take some resolve to pull myself from the seductive comforts of this lighthouse-turned-inn.

Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast

But a fresh sifting of snow has settled over the hilly forests northwest of Marquette. The other—and more convincing—part of me is eager to snap into Nordic skis and explore. Marquette County maintains miles of ski trails, and some of the most extensive networks happen to be along the scenic road to Big Bay (CR 550).

Twelve miles south of Big Bay, 12 kilometers of challenging trails rollercoaster alongside Saux Head Lake. Part of the nonprofit Noquemanon Trail Network, the Saux Head Trails are well-marked and beautifully groomed. As I struggle up a steep pitch near Wilson Creek, I’m grateful for the user-friendly corduroy surface. As I pause to catch my breath, I marvel at the shadows of stark-white birches against swales of untouched snow.

Next, I continue south on CR 550 to sample the Forestville trails. This area on the outskirts of Marquette, serves as the finish line of the annual Noquemanon Ski Marathon, a popular 50-kilometer race. Some 40 kilometers of trails wind along the Forestville ponds and Dead River. The spot is popular with locals, since some trails allow dogs and another loop is lit for night skiing.

Saux Head/Noquemanon Trail

But by the time Forestville’s lights flicker on, I’m headed toward the flashing lighthouse beacon at Big Bay. I’m eager to explore in this beautifully preserved 1896 light keeper’s home—to bask in the sauna and maybe browse through the bookshelves of its library. And inn guests are welcome to scale the tower steps for a private Lake Superior view. It’s always a treat to tour a lighthouse, but how often can you do it in your slippers?

Travel Guide

Rates at Big Bay Point Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast start at $135/night, including full breakfast. Spa treatments available for an additional cost.

Rent ski gear ($20/day) from Down Wind Sports, 514 N. Third St., Marquette.

Pick up the free Marquette Region Cross Country Ski Trail Guide from the Marquette Country Convention and Visitors Bureau, 337 W. Washington St., or area ski shops.

Freelance writer Tina Lassen has spent more than 25 years exploring and writing about Michigan’s outdoor adventures. She is a frequent contributor to Michigan Travel Ideas and has written extensively about Michigan in guidebooks such as National Geographic’s Guide to America’s Outdoors: Great Lakes.

On a recent UP scouting trip Trevor Meers, Midwest Living’s executive editor, tests his stamina while ice climbing and marvels at Lake Superior while snowshoeing.

Ice Climbing

It’s exhilarating and very demanding of the upper body, legs and circulatory system (your fingers feel frostbit after the exertion of a climb). A climb of less than 20 feet left me gassed, but ready for another attempt after about a 15-minute break. The good news for those who want to try is that there’s a ton of good spots for it around this area, and you can do it cheaply. Down Wind Sports in Marquette offers all-day climbing seminars on falls at Munising for $25.

Iceclimbing on Hogback Mountain

Climbing requires you to strap crampons onto your feet (spikes that let your boots grip the ice), tie into a climbing harness (so a buddy keeps you from cracking your melon on the rocks below when you fall from the ice face), wear a helmet and wield a couple of ice axes you’ll use to pull yourself up the ice.

We climbed on a rock face that ices up from seeping water at the base of Hogback Mountain. The hike in alone was worth the trip, passing through deep snow in silent woods, except for the calling of crows. Deer paths crossed everywhere. The climb sits between the rock face and a small stream. They call it “The Grotto.” Outstanding to just hang out and watch (if you can take the cold).

The annual ice climbing festival in Munising is February 5–7, 2010.

Snowshoeing

In the world of outdoor sports, snowshoeing is one that’s very doable. If you can walk, you can strap on these big paddle feet and set out into the woods. The Marquette/Munising area is loaded with trails (many of which tie into the North Country Trail, which runs from New York to North Dakota).

Here are a few picks from my travels:

Presque Isle Park – One of the great city parks in the region; more like a state park on the edge of town. When you snowshoe out there in the morning after a fresh snow, you have the place to yourself—except for deer bounding in a photogenic manner across your path. From the cliffs, look down on Superior. The water—choked with ice blocks—swells up and down in an ever-shifting, living action.

Snowshoeing at Lake Superior

Hogback, Sugarloaf, Wetmore’s Pond, Wetmore’s Landing

– These are all trails along County Road 550. The Landing provides easy access to Lake Superior. After about 300 yards through the woods (a beautiful otherworld when snow is gently falling among the towering evergreens), you’re at Superior’s beach. On my visit, the waves had formed great mounds of ice all along the beach, standing about six feet high. I climbed up on them and let the waves’ spray splash over my coat, instantly freezing. Before going out, read up on your polar explorers. Then stand and watch these crashing waves full of ice and think about setting out into that in a rowboat 1,000 miles from any civilization. Marvel. Repeat.

Trevor Meers, executive editor of Midwest Living magazine, is an avid outdoorsman with a special passion for Lake Superior and the UP. His adventures on Superior have included snorkeling on shipwrecks, kayaking, fishing for lake trout, snowshoeing the shoreline, picnicking with woodland caribou and driving the Superior Circle Tour.

Thanks to Dan Donarski for sharing this guest blog piece on the high-octane excitement of snowmobiling in Michigan.

When the snow starts falling on cedars, and all the other trees across Michigan, snowmobile enthusiasts like Gordie Gilray of Sault Ste. Marie begin to get excited – really excited. “Michigan is at her best in the winter and the best way to see her is by snowmobile. This state is just so beautiful, and snowmobiling is too much fun to even think about staying indoors,” he says.

Snowmobiling in Keweenaw

Gilray isn’t alone. Thousands of other Michigan residents are joined each winter by visitors from across the country to experience the majesty of the winter landscape from their snowmachines. In small groups and on larger guide-lead snowmobile safaris, these riders cruise across thousands of miles of immaculately groomed crystalline highways that crisscross the countryside through stately forests of pines and hardwoods and along miles of shoreline.

It is a fact that once you hit northern Michigan there’s no reason to get off your sled even if your journey takes you to the western Upper Peninsula. This state’s trail system is the envy of the snowmobile world and is perennially ranked among the top two snowmobile destinations in North America by SnoGoer magazine.

It’s no wonder that snowmobiling is thought of so highly. The trails here bisect such natural wonders as the Pigeon River State Forest, where it’s not unusual to see elk slipping through the forest shadows. Snowmobile friendly towns such as Cadillac, Gaylord and Grayling welcome riders with open arms to explore the countryside and organize special weekend events to show off their area. Cadillac’s North American Snow Festival held in early February draws thousands of riders for four fun-filled days of riding and entertainment.

Tearing up the trails

In the state’s storied Upper Peninsula, riders whisk through vast tracts of both the Ottawa and Hiawatha National Forest, and along Lake Superior’s rugged shoreline. Brockway Mountain, located near the top of Keweenaw Peninsula, gives riders an impressive view of the forest below, as well as the big lake, after first taking them along her shoreline through Eagle River and Eagle Harbor. On the east end riders based out of Sault Ste. Marie, Newberry, or Paradise have the frozen wonder of Tahquamenon Falls and the beauty of Drummond Island to explore.

Don’t think that you need to own your own sled to enjoy discovering winter in the Wolverine State. There are numerous snowmobile rental outlets scattered throughout the north country. If it’s your first time they are happy to give you some instruction before you head out on the trails.

There’s simply no reason to feel cooped up this winter. With all Michigan has to offer snowmobilers on her thousands of miles of groomed trails, it’s time to celebrate the season.

Dan Donarski is an award-winning journalist/photographer and author. He specializes in the outdoors and adventure travel. When he’s not out and about he lays his head in Sault Ste. Marie.

Thanks to Dan Donarski for another guest blog piece full of safety tips for the avid ice fishers in the light of the abnormally high temperatures of the season.

Unseasonable warm weather has struck the State of Michigan, and it appears that above freezing temperatures will be the norm through the next week. While this has certainly turned on the fisheries from Saginaw Bay to Lake Gogebic, it has also resulted in a few close calls.

A buddy of mine was fishing Saginaw Bay on Saturday, January 17, when he came off the ice he was greeted by the County Sheriff and an air-boat rescue crew. Seems a crack had opened on the bay, stranding a bunch of anglers. Not a good thing. In a good wind these cracks can become virtual islands, and float out into the lake. Even without the wind this can happen, too.

Here are a few tips to keep you safe on the ice this winter.

• One thing you need to do is always get a thickness report from a local bait shop or resort. It doesn’t do these folks any good to have their customers and guests taking a dip, so they’ll be straightforward. Most will tell you that you’re on your own in the end, too. In other words, no matter how thick they say the ice is the final decision is up to you.
• Follow the roads out on the ice and don’t stray off them. Not only will this keep you from getting stuck in a snow drift, it also shows where others have gone out and where the ice will be, or should be relatively safe. If you should encounter a white out, it also prevents you from getting hopelessly lost.
• Speaking of whiteouts, carrying a GPS device is a very good idea and put it on the track mode. That way, whether it be fog, a whiteout, or nightfall, you’ll be able to retrace your route and make it back to shore safely.

A few pieces of precautionary gear will go a long way to keeping you safe.

Ice fishing hut

• You really ought to carry a 50 to 100 foot length of rope with you. If you would come upon someone who has fallen through you don’t want to get close to the edge. Throwing the rope to the angler or snowmobiler who has fallen in will keep you away from the dangerous ice and still be able to pull him or her out. A life jacket or ring buoy that you could toss is also a good idea.
• Having a blanket or a change of clothes along with you, something like a snowmobile suit or coveralls that the wet fellow can change into, will help that person combat hypothermia. In that same vein, a small propane heater with a couple of 1-pound tanks will help do the same thing.
• Something that you should carry with you at all times in your coat pocket, or tied around your neck would be a pair of small screw drivers, awls, or ice picks (filed down so you don’t stab yourself by accident). If you want you can even purchase specially-made devices that are used the same way. You use these if you fall in.  Crawling back out of the water after you’ve fallen in is no easy task. The ice itself is slippery, and with the water you just put on top of it the ice is even more so. These picks will give you enough grab to pull yourself out.
• Now, as you are getting out don’t even think about trying to stand up. You should roll your way out of the hole and then roll some more until you are well away from the open water. Rolling distributes your weight across the ice. By rolling you can get away from thin ice. If you tried to walk off you could break through again much easier as your weight is concentrated over your feet.

I’ve been lucky. Some would say I’m even a bit chicken as I won’t drive out unless there is a good, solid, hard, crystal- clear ice layer of 16 inches or better. All I can say is that neither my wheels nor my clothes have ever gotten wet due to falling through. However, I did come close once.

About five years ago, while on Munuscong Bay, I was trucking towards the rock pile. Something didn’t look right in front of me so I slowed down but actually slid right up to a three by five foot section of ice that was barely frozen. All around me the ice was a good 18 inches thick. Not here, not less than a foot away from my front wheels.

Not long before ice skating with my truck a spearing shanty was here. The occupant left the area with the shanty, and left the hole unmarked. Don’t you think it would be a good idea if we marked our spearing holes in some way to prevent an accident? I did, and do. A simple stick with a flag or other marker is all it takes. A buddy of mine uses discarded Christmas trees to mark his.

Don’t be scared of the ice, be respectful of it. Ice fishing is a sport where nearly all are on equal footing. However, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The brass tack point is to get home so you can go again.

Dan Donarski is an award-winning journalist/photographer and author. He specializes in the outdoors and adventure travel. When he’s not out and about he lays his head in Sault Ste. Marie.

Thanks to Dan Donarski for this guest blog piece on the magic of dog sledding and advice on where you can experience it this winter.  If you’ve never been dog sledding, make it your Pure Michigan resolution this winter to get out and try it!

Not more than 10 or 15 years ago, you would have been hard pressed to find more than one or two venues for dog-sledding in Michigan. Now there are a dozen or more spread out in both peninsulas. At some of these venues, you’ll be a passenger in the sled; at others you’ll be taught the basics and actually get to steer the sled.

Snow squeaks under the pressure of the sled. The wind streams past your ears. You can hear the dogs pant, all creating a soft musical rhythm. The quiet of the snowy woods envelope you. That is, at least, once the dogs settle into the run. When you first start out, they (and you!) will be barking and/or squealing in delight. If you’ve never done this before, your smile will be that of a young child on their first adventure sledding down a hill. It is, in a word, bliss.

And, while romance and dog sledding don’t exactly come to mind in the same sentence, they most certainly will at The Terrace Inn, one of Petoskey’s historic inns in Bay View. You see, on the weekends of Jan 22-24 and Feb 19-21, the Terrace Inn will be offering yet again their very popular dog sledding packages.

On Friday afternoon, you’ll be going to school learning the ins and outs of this old transportation style. Saturday finds you in the woods behind a well-trained team of sled dogs, coursing through the beauty of a winter wonderland. Late in the afternoon you’ll return for a toasty fireside reception before enjoying a sumptuous dinner in their classic dining room. This dinner, and breakfast both Saturday and Sunday, are included in the package.

Now, that may seem like enough romance, but the Terrace Inn provides even more.  The weekend package includes appetizers on Friday night.  They also offer an upgrade called “A Touch of Romance”, which will provide you with roses, chocolates, and a bottle of wine for your room.

Dan Donarski is an award-winning journalist/photographer and author. He specializes in the outdoors and adventure travel. When he’s not out and about he lays his head in Sault Ste. Marie.

Last week, we were wondering when the snow would get here.  This week, the wondering is over.  We got snow – and a lot of it!

The good news about all this snow is that Pure Michigan’s ski and snowsports resorts are ready to open their doors, fire up their chairlifts, and invite you to come play.  Check out our ski conditions map to find out the latest on the slopes in your area, and find deals on all snowsports packages throughout Michigan.

So bundle up, grab your gear, and head out.  It’s time to enjoy a Pure Michigan winter!

Now that’s it December, we’re starting to wonder – when is Mother Nature going to work her magic and turn Michigan into a winter wonderland?  We’re itching to get outside and play!  We want to go cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and snowmobiling.  We’re longing for those clear nights where you can see your breath as you step outside, and experience the magic of a nighttime snowfall in Pure Michigan.  And we just can’t wait for a snow day…

We want to know – what do you love about a Pure Michigan winter?