“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” ― Albert Camus
Reflecting on my childhood, it’s funny to say that snowmobiling in Michigan has returned this Hoosier sled chick to her roots.
My dad loved winter sports, and I often joined him on six-hour drives from Muncie, Indiana, to Benzie County, Michigan, to snow ski and snowmobile. I learned to ski at Crystal Mountain, and I often spent hours alone on the slopes while they went off snowmobiling.
Maybe it’s because I was in elementary school and had to ride on the back of the snowmobile, but I never really cared for snowmobiling. Now, as an adult, I understand why so many people love the sport. It’s a totally different experience when you drive your own snowmobile.
Yes, snowmobiling can be dangerous. But it’s also an adrenaline rush. You’ll find smiles for miles when you hit the throttle and chase shadows as you pass trees on the trail. Beyond that, snowmobiling makes you appreciate something as simple as snow. Winter holds a quiet magic and mystery. After all, each snowflake is unique—delicate, tiny miracles of beauty.
Reflections from a winter baby
Most writers have good intentions of writing a regular blog; it’s the one space where we are free to say whatever we want. For me, at least, it seems life and work always gets in the way. After all, personal ramblings typically don’t pay the bills. But, like snowmobiling, writing can be therapeutic.
I had an interesting and busy February—one that seems worthy of writing about. February is a short month, and my birthday month, but it’s still often one of the hardest months of the year. Thankfully, we have turned the page to March and spring is on the horizon.
This past weekend, I took a walk around my neighborhood for the first time in months. That’s another tough thing about winter. It’s easy to hibernate and hole up at home.
We know it’s important to get morning sunlight, eat well, and stay active. But, too often, we get sucked into the couch and let exercise and self-care fall to the bottom of the priority list.
So, I forced myself to put on my hat and coat and go outside. It was actually a nice winter day—sunny, with minimal wind, and hovering around 32 degrees. I had to watch where I walked and carefully trudged through about an inch of slippery, yet sparkling snow.
It gave me time to reflect on the winter and got me thinking about my childhood. Every year, I seem to begrudge winter—not because of snow (other than I hate driving in it). More so, it’s because of a lack of sunshine. In 2017, I fled to Florida by myself to get a dose of Vitamin D and fight off seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
I’ve gotten better at mentally preparing for it. In all honesty, I dislike the dreariness of November and December more than the months that follow. Thankfully, the days grow longer and sunnier as we move into Aquarius season. Happy birthday fellow Water Bearers (the unicorns of the zodiac)!
Water-winter wonderland
My mom thinks I was crazy for moving to Michigan. The truth is I didn’t tell either of my parents I was moving to the Mitten when I relocated for a job in 2005, similar to when I ran off to Florida and got married at age 19. Making drastic/rash life decisions is a topic for a different post.
I moved here willingly, and it makes sense actually—even though I do wish someone would have forewarned me about the six months of lake effect cloud cover. Michigan has long been known as a “water-winter wonderland.” The slogan made its way onto license plates in 1965 and made a comeback in 2021. The state’s economy relies on winter tourism, driven in part by the popularity of snowmobiling.
My dad always loved winter and exposed me to so many things other people aren’t fortunate to experience. We would go sledding down a big hill at the reservoir in my hometown of Muncie, Indiana; ice skate in a backyard rink he made for me (yes, I used to dream of being an Olympic ice skater); or ride snowmobiles around the neighborhood.
Since moving to Muskegon, I’ve been fortunate enough to do the luge several times at Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park. You can read about that adventure here.
When I first moved to Michigan, I met a Muskegon native/former Lake Tahoe ski bum, so I continued to snow ski at Crystal Mountain and Caberfae Peaks. Gotta love those ski bums who chase their dreams out West.
In recent years, I have traded snow skis for a snowmobile because it’s a winter activity my longtime partner also enjoys. February flew by because we snowmobiled every weekend. We visited Traverse City, Benzie County, Manistee County, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to snowmobile. I enjoyed them all for different reasons.
Snowmobiling in Traverse City
In Traverse City, we returned to one of our favorite places, Timber Ridge Resort, to celebrate my birthday. The campground is a year-round destination with nice park home rentals (think tiny home) and snowmobile trail access just outside the property.
The Grand Traverse Area Snowmobile Club takes pride in these trails. It’s like entering another world just a few miles outside of Traverse City.
The trail system runs through the Boardman River Valley and scenic state land. You can also stop at quaint places such as Fife Lake Inn and Ranch Rudolf, a horse ranch that also offers horse-drawn sleigh and wagon rides in the winter.
The ranch sits upon 195 acres along the banks of the Boardman River and caters to horse people during the summer. The four-season family resort has lodging, camping, and horseback riding, plus horse camps, kayak and canoe rentals, and other outdoor recreation.
Snowmobile haven outside of the city
Grand Traverse Area Snowmobile Club has been around since 1982 and grooms and maintains 88 miles of snowmobile trails. The trails run from Traverse City to Kalkaska, Fife Lake, and the Northwest Fairgrounds.
And while the Traverse City region caters to more hoity-toity hobbies like wine tasting and silent winter sports, it’s good to know sledheads have their own escape just a few miles out of the city. Shhhh… we like it a secret.
To my surprise, I walked into the Fife Lake Inn’s women’s restroom and found a beautifully decorated bathroom with uplifting sayings:
Why fit in when you were born to stand out.
Don’t forget where you came from but never lose sight of where you are going.
She believed she could so she did.
It made my Aquarian heart happy—plus, they gave me a free drink!
Snowy scenery in Benzie County
The weekend after Valentine’s Day, we headed to the Benzie-Manistee Snowbirds Clubhouse intending to go snowmobiling for the day. But the conditions were so good, we booked a room at the mom-and-pop Honor Motel and stopped by Crystal Mountain Resort to watch the skiers.
In elementary school, my dad used to take me to Timber Ridge Ski Area and Crystal Mountain where I learned how to snow ski. He was an avid snowmobiler and made regular trips to Benzie County.
The Benzie-Manistee Snowbirds Club maintains about 162 miles of groomed trails in Benzie, Manistee, and Leelanau counties. These trails connect to other trail systems, including the Wellston Winter Trails, Huron-Manistee National Forest, Cadillac trails, and Irons trails.
This club was founded in 1968 by a group of locals who loved to snowmobile. The Benzie Snowbirds don’t need Florida. In the mid-1970s, Ray Bradley, who was named Groomer of the Year, used a “track truck,” which led the way for smoothing out the trails before tractors and snow drags were used for grooming.
“Show them your appreciation with thumbs up and a courtesy pass of right a way. Our guys give up many hours of their own riding time and their sleep to do a great job at trying to keep others happy on our trails.”
Some of this trail system runs along the Betsie Valley Trail, a multi-use trail built on the bed of the former Ann Arbor Railroad. The rail trail is open to snowmobilers during the season, so it’s an easy and fast ride from Beulah to Thompsonville to Mesick. During the rest of the year, this 22-mile trail is open to bicycle and pedestrian use.
We also had a great dinner (and breakfast) at Platte River Inn in Honor, where we stumbled on karaoke, and then a glow party at the watering hole next door.
On Sunday, we unloaded our sleds in Beulah and rode another freshly groomed trail to Maple City. After the 40-mile ride, we warmed up at the new Broomstack Kitchen & Taphouse, rode back to Beulah and filled up on pizza at Cold Creek Inn before driving home in snowy conditions.
The Broomstack also has a fun bathroom with chalkboard stalls! I left a shout-out to the Michigan Sled Chix, a group that brings together women who love the sport. Founder Tara Pomaski also sells Sled Chix merchandise, so you can represent while you’re out snowmobiling in Michigan.
Snowmobiling good close to home
We kicked off March by checking out another snowmobile trail system close to home, riding from the Free Soil area to Udell Hills through the Huron-Manistee National Forest. The Upper Peninsula is beautiful (more on that in a second post), but it’s also nice to drive 60 miles, spend $50, and still have fun!
We passed the groomer — twice — and enjoyed smooth trails and not much traffic. The fairly wide and wooded trails are holding up pretty well for early March. And we even saw the sun!
Snowmobiling makes winter fly by
A freelance writer who travels on a budget, I also love discovering the quaint small towns and eateries that survive thanks to snowmobilers who love the sport.
Surprisingly, dedicated sledheads love chasing snow and are willing to drive from throughout the Midwest to enjoy Michigan’s trail system. The state has 6,500 miles of snowmobile trails that are maintained by nonprofit snowmobile clubs and volunteer groomers.
Snowmobiling does make the winter fly by. It’s a pastime that transforms what could be brutal months of the year into FUN! The sledheads say “Let’s go. Let it snow.” The trails in the Lower Peninsula typically start the big meltdown in March, so you can usually ride for a few more weeks in the Upper Peninsula.
We’ve been fortunate to cross the ice bridge to Mackinac Island and love the Crazy 8 trails in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. A few years ago, we even rode snowmobiles to the Mighty Mac to see the blue ice, which I blog about here: Michigan Snowmobile Trip Takes Us to Mackinac Bridge.
Find a winter hobby
Read about all the winter fun you can find in Michigan in past articles for Michigan BLUE.
Nordic trails: Slow Glide
Snowshoeing: Timeless Tradition, Fresh Tracks
Winter rafting: Going with the Flow
Snowmobiling: Throttle Therapy
Muskegon Luge: Thrill-Seeking in Muskegon
Fat-tire biking: Snow Coaster
Whether it’s snow skiing, ice skating, fat-tire biking, winter rafting or snowmobiling, winter is much more tolerable when you find a way to get out and enjoy it. Ride right, ride sober, and braaap on!
Writer’s note: This blog was updated in February 2025. Marla R. Miller is an award-winning journalist and content marketing writer who lives in Norton Shores. Please “like” or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
