I grew up, and also raised my 4 kids, in Madison which is in the south-central area of Wisconsin. I discovered the Northwoods of Hayward about 15 years ago and instantly fell in love with the fragrant, towering pines, the endless lakes, and the welcoming folks at each resort I visited. Without a lot of thought, I sold my home and moved to Hayward.
There are so many activities to do up here! Fishing on Lac Courte Oreilles Lake was my first venture, and I couldn’t get enough of it. I studied that large lake and fished constantly for walleye and crappies- and there is nothing sweeter than those pan-fried fresh fillets for dinner!
The Birkebeiner Ski Race caught my attention, and I found myself at the finish line cheering on racers every year. The thrill of seeing those first elite skiers crest the bridge is still heart-pounding to me. I bought myself classic XC skis and explored the beginner trails at the Hospital for a few years. Although I made a lot of progress, I knew they weren’t going to hold a spot open for me in the Birkie.
Who doesn’t want to try out the mountain bike trails when they live here? Foolishly, I imagined I was still that young kid who could rip around for hours on my bike- but the first time I jumped on my new entry-level Rockhopper, I quickly discovered this was going to take some work. I rode all the novice trails I could and even explored the country roads to build up the endurance that disappeared from my youth.
About the time I was just starting to tackle the intermediate mountain bike trails, I bought a snowmobile.
Wow- did I fall hard for this sport! Those early years, I rode a lot – often alone because I was ready to go early in the morning, but no one else was. I get it- the cardinal rule–don’t ride alone, but my sled was loaded with emergency supplies, and I just had to. I rode without a plan back then – just left with my full tank, extra gas and went wherever the trails took me. Rarely did I pull out a map to see where I was, I just looked at my gas gauge and chose another trail, figuring it would lead somewhere. Looking back, it sure taught me the trail system in Sawyer County, and our surrounding counties too.
I’ve seen some of the most beautiful winter scenery riding my sled; the irresistible pull of a winding trail, the snow-capped pines and contrasting birch trees. The expanse of a barren, frozen lake, riding through snow flurries at night- snowflakes sparkling in my headlights as I breezed past them. I hoped those vivid memories would stay etched in my mind forever. I felt so lucky that I got to experience this!
Sadly, the snowmobile trails melted away after that first magical winter. When I glanced at the disintegrating trails from my car windshield, I wondered just how I was going to survive until next winter.
The answer came in the form of my Arctic Cat Wildcat. I remember the first one I bought; I excitedly climbed inside the new machine at Adventure RV in Hayward and started it up – I had never even drove one before but figured it was somewhat similar to my car, so I wasn’t too concerned.
Back then, I lived on the Chippewa Flowage, which meant riding through LCO to get it home. Things were going well as I motored along Trail 30, then Trail 3 on the reservation, until I reached Trail 777, which I heard was challenging. Full of confidence, I drove into the rocky woods and up a steeper hill, wondering what was ‘so challenging’ about this trail.
I can laugh about it now, but soon I found myself in a large waterhole at the bottom of that hill. I was in murky water half-way up my doors, and it came pouring into my machine. Soaking wet, I could feel my wheels slipping in the muck at the bottom of the murky pond. I knew enough not to stop and finally crawled out onto the bank on the other side. As I gathered my thoughts on dry ground, I wondered ‘what the h*$#” was that? Hmmm, what if I get stuck….”is there even phone service back here?” a quick glance at my phone told me no.
The recent heavy rainfall fed Trail 777 well, and indeed, did make the rest of it into a challenge. I don’t know how I made it through as a new rider, but I did, and without getting stuck.
My shiny new machine was dripping with mud, sticks and debris as I pulled into my driveway. I discovered how much work it is to keep these things clean.
For that first year or so, I rode my Cat like I rode my sled – all the time, and often alone. I remember thinking how odd it was to be on a dual snowmobile/ATV trail with my machine- and how different the trail and the scenery looked.
Being another social sport – over time I met some great ATV friends, and discovered how fun group trail riding was.
Nowadays, I’ve gotten smarter (well….that’s debatable sometimes) and rarely ride either my sled or my SxS alone. I might go out alone just to take a little rip down the trails near me though. I am grateful for all the riding friends I’ve made through both sports- the camaraderie is amazing, and I look forward to every ride coming up.
Right at this moment- I am praying for snow here in the northwoods so I can jump on my Ski-Doo. Last year’s non-winter just killed me, and I can’t wait to greet my beloved snow-covered winter scenery again, and soon.
Merry Christmas everyone – hope to see you all on the trails this winter!