“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
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. There is always the fear that what you put out into cyberspace could somehow come back to haunt you, harm your career, or lead to a creepy follower.
I had an interesting and busy February – one I want to talk about. I’ve returned to a winter sport I used to do in my youth: snowmobiling. 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, another indication that I have let exercise and self-care fall to the bottom of the priority list as well. I forced myself to put on my hat and coat and go outside. It was actually a nice winter day – sun, low wind and hovering around 32 degrees. I had to watch where I walked and carefully trudge 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 it) but because of a lack of sunshine. Two years ago, I fled to Florida by myself to get a dose of Vitamin D and fight off seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
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. 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 even been fortunate enough to do the luge several times at Muskegon Winter Sports Complex. You can read about that adventure here.
In grade school, my dad used to bring 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. He let me stay on the slopes while they took off on snowmobiles. In recent years, I have traded snow skis for a snowmobile because it’s a winter activity my boyfriend also enjoys. We visited Traverse City, Benzie County and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in February to snowmobile, and I enjoyed them all for different reasons.
Great groomed trails in Traverse City and Benzie County
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 trail access just outside the property. We rode the trail system that runs through the Boardman River Valley and visited quaint places such as Fife Lake Inn and Ranch Rudolf.
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 birthday, plus they gave me a free drink!
The weekend after Valentine’s Day, we headed to the Benzie-Manistee Snowbirds Clubhouse intending to ride the trails 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.
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!
Groomers are out, trails still holding up close to home
We kicked off March by checking out another trail system close to home last Sunday, 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!
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 and are willing to drive from throughout the Midwest to enjoy Michigan’s trail system. The state has nearly 6,500 miles of snowmobile trails!
Whether it’s skiing, skating, fat-tire bike riding or snowmobiling, winter is much more tolerable when you find a way to get out and enjoy it.
Braaap on!
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.
