Michigan Snowmobiler & ORV - May 2023

*Rate Restrictions: Valid only for Choice Privileges members (program enrollment is free). The reservation must be made on ChoiceHotels.com/Michigan-Hotels at participating hotels and must be made at least 7, 14, 21 or 30 days in advance, which will vary based on the hotel for which a reservation is being made. Subject to availability, the rate starts at 15% off Best Available Rate, is non-cancellable, non-changeable and non-refundable. Your credit card will be charged for the total reservation amount within 24-48 hours of booking. This rate has a seven (7) night maximum length of stay. Rooms at this discount are limited. Offer is not available to groups and cannot be combined with any other discount. Choice Hotels reserves the right to change or discontinue this offer at any time. Eligibility restricted to U.S. and Canadian residents. Members must book direct at ChoiceHotels.com/Michigan-Hotels or call 1-888-228-5050. All Choice Hotels properties are independently

At Michigan Snowmobiler and ORV we can’t believe we are at the beginning our second year of ORV season! Scott and I started our journey this year at Silver Lake State Park with our son Nick and a great group of about 20 friends. The weather was cold, unbelievably windy and mostly sunny but the weekend was still awesome. We highly recommend everyone to head on over to Mears, MI this summer for at least a trip or two. Here’s a few highlights from this issue:

1. Our cover shot was taken on the first day of our trip. This is our son’s friend Matt and his cousin Bryce taking a quick break just for this photo.

2. On page 28, we introduce Keweenaw ATV Club and the Superior Search and Rescue. These two groups work hand in hand to support the adventurous among us if we ever run into trouble on the trails of the Keweenaw. In the lower

half of the state we take for granted GPS and cell phones. Not so much in this area. Please keep this in mind while having fun on the Keweenaw trails. Slow down and note the brand new trail markers provided by Joe Schneller as a tribute to his late wife Linda.

Just a reminder, we encourage our readers to support their local trail club and to become involved in our sport.

3. My favorite article for this issue, is Mike Borlee admitting he doesn’t own a Snowmobile, but he volunteered his own time to ride along with groomer Martin of the Keweenaw Snowmobile Club to learn about what it takes to groom a trail. It is not easy folks. Mike does a great job describing the length and complexity of a Piston Bully once fully assembled and on the trail. They do not stop on a dime. As riders we need to be aware of safety around the groomers and give them space, time and a bit of respect. After all – we love the affect of their work!

Hmm – anyone out there inspired to volunteer to learn this craft.

4. We try to give you a wide variety of articles throughout our awesome state. If you have an area we haven’t written about yet – LET US KNOW….We are always looking for a new adventure and we will stop in and visit.

As always at Michigan Snowmobiler and ORV, we hope each of you is enjoying good health while dreaming of fun and engine oil in our pages! We look forward to seeing everyone at local events, chapter meetings and volunteering in support of Michigan Snowmobiling and ORVs. Please remember to keep all our veterans and first responders in your thoughts and prayers.

Please feel free to reach out to us. We love to hear from our readers. Be safe and enjoy the trails until our next issue.

VOLUME 56 - NUMBER 7

Founded September 1967

EXECUTIVE OFFICES, ADVERTISING, EDITORIAL AND CIRCULATION OFFICES: 30600 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 306 Farmington Hills, Michigan 48434 810.348.1325 scottd@faragoassoc.com www.michsnowmag.com

THE MICHIGAN SNOWMOBILER+ORV is an independent publication endorsing the goals of MISORVA, and other associations. Opinions expressed herein are the opinions of the editor or contributing writers, and do not necessarily reflect the official opinions of the MSA, or their board of directors. Reproduction of material in whole or part is prohibited, unless authorized in writing by the publisher - all rights reserved.

MICHIGAN SNOWMOBILER and ORV INC., The Michigan Snowmobiler is published 10 times per year, September through February and May through August.

PUBLISHER | Peter Farago

EDITOR | Ann Drzewiecki

ADVERTISING MANAGER | Scott Drzewiecki

CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR | Michelle Sheridan

SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR | Chelsie Dzbanski Fontenelle

WEB MANAGER | Kelly Kosek

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS | Jim Duke, Terri Norey, Mike Olmstead, Joyce Wiswell

SALES | Scott Drzewiecki, Peter Farago

DESIGNERS | Kelly Kosek, Kaitlyn Schoen, Deborah Schultz

As alway, you can reach out to us at Michigan Snowmobiler at scottd@faragoassoc.com

island jumping

29th DRUMMOND ISLAND Jeep Jamboree

Jamboree

BY MIKE OLMSTEAD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Like the swallows of Capistrano, so are the Jeeps of Drummond Island!! For the last 30 years or so a group of Jeepers get together every June for what has become a fixture on the Island’s summer calendar: The Annual Drummond Island Jeep Jamboree! Almost 300 Jeepers and over 130 Jeeps come to the Island every year for two days of trail riding, bonding, camaraderie, and just to take a break from the everyday rat race!

Drummond Island sits at the northern most end of Lake Huron at the mouth of the St. Mary’s River. You get there by driving east on Michigan’s Highway M134 from I-75 through the eastern end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Forty five minutes later you get to the picturesque little Village of DeTour, where you catch a 1-mile 10-minute ferry boat ride across the St Mary’s River to Drummond Island.

Once there, you will find that Drummond Island is not a small place by any means! It is 129 square miles of rocks and forest, has 150 miles of shoreline, and has 36 inland lakes on the island itself!!

The Island’s nickname is “Gem of the Huron”, and a gem it is! It is described as a ‘sportsman’s paradise, and just about anything you can do outdoors you can do on Drummond! From Jeep & ORV trail riding, to hunting, fishing, boating, hiking, camping, snowmobiling, kayaking, and cross country skiing. About the only thing missing is downhill skiing, but there are plenty of other things to do to make up for that!

Jeep Jamboree’s Mark Smith and Bobby Lague discovered this gem in 1992, and consequently launched the inaugural Drummond Island Jeep Jamboree the following June. At that time Drummond Island was virtually unknown in the Jeeping community, except for the local residents and a handful of ‘outsiders’. But not for long! That Jamboree eventually put Drummond Island on the map of ‘go-to’ destinations for Jeep & ORV recreation.

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MICHIGAN

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So what is a Jeep Jamboree? A Jeep Jamboree is a fully catered two-day trail ride for 4x4 Jeeps only. They are designed to cater to every level of driver so they’re fun for everyone – from novice to veteran and everyone in between. The Drummond Island Jeep Jamboree also provides breakfast, lunch and dinner each of the two days participants are on the trail. Jeepers are separated into small groups of 15-16 Jeeps each, and head out to a different section of the trails.

Keeping participants safe is a cadre of experienced trail guides, with at least two trail guides and their Jeeps riding with each trail group. Drummond Island Trail Guides have an average of 12 years’ experience as trail guides on the event and an average of 24 years’ experience four wheeling! Their first job is to make sure everyone stays safe, and they do this by operating and leading Jeeps in a safe, responsible, and helpful manner. However, their “second job” is making sure all the Jeepers have a marvelous and memorable experience, and they do a fantastic job at that, too!

The event kicks off with registration on Thursday. Scores of Jeep enthusiasts anxiously line up for a vehicle safety inspection by trail guides. From there they move on to trail selection where experienced trail guides will help them choose the trail that’s just

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The island is described as a ‘sportsman’s paradise, and just about anything you can do outdoors you can do on Drummond Island!

continued from page 8 right for the driver. Here Jeeps are sorted by size, capability, and driver comfort, and separated into groups for the trail ride.

The first day of trail rides begins the following morning when all the participants meet at the Drummond Island Town Hall for a quick breakfast provided by the Jamboree. Jeeps are lined up in pre-assigned groups from registration the previous day. Jeep Jamboree holds a mandatory driver’s meeting at about 8:00 AM where the local coordinator goes over a preview of the days trail riding, quick weather & trail report,

and the do’s and don’ts of the trails. For instance, regarding potty stops: “Facing forward in your Jeep, it’s guys to the left and gals to the right. Why? Because women are always right!”

About 8:30 the trail groups start rolling out one by one, each rolling out to a different trail head. Even though there are 130 Jeeps on the Island, they are broken into eight groups, only occasionally do they bump up against another one of the trail groups. The Drummond Island Jeep Jamboree staff does an excellent job of organizing and routing the various groups such

that they may only see two or three other groups throughout the day.

Friday starts with half of the trail groups riding trails on the east side (the ‘Marble Head’ side!) of the island, while the other half rides trails on the west side of the trail system. On Saturday the groups just “switch ends”, thus ensuring every participant sees all the features offered by the Drummond trail system.

Drummond’s trails are characterized by lots of rocks, water, and in some sections of trail some pretty icky gooey mud! As opposed to some trail

systems where challenging sections or ‘obstacles’ are connected with tame two-tracks, on Drummond the trails themselves are the challenge! Drummond trails wind through a wooded landscape of cedar, pine, oak, maple, poplar, birch to name a few. And it’s common to see a variety of wildlife while on the trail. Deer are common place, and bald eagles and bears occasionally grace us with a visit!

Since we are talking about the trail rides and trails this is a good point to say a few words about the Drummond Island ORV Route system. The Island has an extensive ORV trail system of over 100 miles or so, but only those portions of the trail labeled “ORV Route” - about 40 miles of trail - are open to full size off-road vehicles, which include Jeeps, 4WD trucks and sport utilities, and side-by-sides. The full trail system is open

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to all other types of ORVs such as ATVs and dirt bikes. The ORV Route sections were established in 2007 by a coalition made up of Michigan DNR, Drummond Island Offroad Club, Great Lakes Four Wheel Drive Association, United Four Wheel Association, and (of course!) Jeep Jamboree USA. This is the only closed loop trail system for full size ORVs in the State of Michigan.

Each group breaks for lunch around noon, and groups doing the Marble Head trails pack out a box lunch provided by the Jamboree and picked up before the morning drivers meeting. Groups doing the non-Marble Head trails are treated to a hot lunch at the Turtle Ridge Off Road Park.

The Jamboree includes trails at the Turtle Ridge Off Road park to add variety and challenge to the Jamboree. Some of the participants will do a whole day at Turtle Ridge, other groups will do a half day with the other half on ORV Route trails.

The highlight of the trail system is Marble Head on the east side of Island. This short trail off the main loop culminates at a short series of challenging downhill rock steps, and participants navigate the steps at their own discretion. Trail guides are always present, however, to ‘spot’ drivers down and up the steps. We park in a large area at the bottom and take about a 100 yard hike out to the Marble Head at the bottom.

And here is the prize on this trail: A breathtaking view of Lake Huron from rock bluffs soaring 90’ above the rocky beach below, looking down at the tree tops in the thin strip of forest between the bottom of the bluff and the rocky beach. Every Jeep in the event makes the trip to Marble Head, but to be fair, some

participants pass on the ride down and up the ‘steps’, park at the top and opt to start their hike out to the edge of the bluff from the top of the steps instead.

After a Jamboree-provided lunch, groups hit the trails again for an afternoon of Jeepin’. More trails and lifetime memories for everyone! By supper time of the Friday trail ride everyone is (besides being hungry!) getting to know their Jeep-mates and looking forward to a fine meal back at the Drummond Island Resort’s Brooder House.

And then we do it all again the next day, the only difference being the flip-flop of trails mentioned earlier! The group you rode with on Friday, however, is the same group you ride with on Saturday! The main reason we do that on Drummond is the connections and camaraderie that develops as a results of a close shared experience. We find that on Friday morning it’s “uh, hi, how ya doing?”, Friday afternoon it’s “That was pretty cool stuff!”, Saturday morning it’s “I’m ready to go again with these folks”, and Saturday night it’s a few new friends for life!!

Jeep Jamboree wraps the whole thing up after dinner on Saturday with a short program. Key people and organizations are recognized and thanked. Door prizes – from tow straps & gloves to winches & tires are given away to lucky participants. ‘Special’ awards are handed out to participants for things like the oldest Jeep, oldest driver, furthest traveled, newest Jeep, etc.! And when that’s all done everyone heads out to the nearby beach for a Drummond Island campfire!

The Drummond Island Jeep Jamboree is only 1 of 39 other Jeep Jamborees throughout the country, from Maine to California,

and from Texas to Wisconsin! They are all managed pretty much the same, i.e., Thursday on-site checkin, trail riding Friday & Saturday, and a great dinner Friday and Saturday evening when the trail riding is over. Some of the Jamborees also provide breakfast and lunch like the Drummond Island Jamboree. .

SO, if you’re thinking of going on the Drummond Island Jeep Jamboree, or any other Jeep Jamboree, you can register in December when online registration opens for the forthcoming year’s Jamborees, at www.jeepjamboreeUSA.com. Note: These events sell out fast (the 2023 Drummond Island Jamboree sold out in six minutes this past December!!), so check the website in November to see when registration opens for the event you may be interested in attending.

Finally, a quick word about Drummond Island itself. As noted earlier, Drummond holds a number of top-shelf outdoor opportunities. Lying at the very eastern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it’s not a place you get to by ‘accident’ or are just ‘passing through’! Everyone you run into on the Island are there ‘on purpose’! I can testify from firsthand experience that they are a friendly, helpful, and pleasant bunch of folk!

Whether you head up to Drummond for the next Jeep Jamboree, or to ride the trail system on your own, or just to take advantage of the myriad of other outdoor opportunities, it’s worth the trip! •

Everything from Mild to Wild

Bundy

BY MELISSA SULLIVAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER PHOTOGRAPHY BY PPP STUDIOS

Bundy Hill Off Road Park is a popular off-road destination in Michigan for off-roading enthusiasts of all ages. This park located in Jerome, Michigan offers a wide variety of terrain for off-road vehicles, including trails, hills, mud pits, a dirt drag strip and RC course. The park is open year-round but the most popular times to visit are in the spring and summer months, when the trails are dryer and the weather is warmer.

You will find this 350-acre offroad park just west of the corner

of US-12 and US-127. The park is open from 9am -5pm on weekdays and 9am to 8pm on weekends. Admission is $20 per day per diver and $10 per day per passenger. Children under 5 are free. Bundy Hill Offroad takes pride in being an alcohol free, and a family friendly place to wheel for all ages.

Bundy Hill is open to all types of off-road vehicles, including dirt bikes, ATVs, Jeeps, and sideby-sides. There is something for everyone at this park regardless of your age, what you drive or your skill

level. The park has a variety of trail levels to choose from ranging from beginner to difficult. The trails are rated by color according to difficulty. Beginner trails, like those in green, are the perfect trails to get used to your vehicle or for youngsters to start off roading. Even the most experienced off-roaders will find the more difficult trails, marked in red and black, challenging.

• Green: Trail surface consisting of loose rock, dirt, and sand with some slick surfaces. Erosion washes, gulches and rock steps

Hill Off Road Park is a popular destination for all ages and skill levels.

may not be the season to ride snowmobiles -- but it's ALWAYS the season to work on the snowmobile trails! Help support your local snowmobile clubs. Join today!!!

suspension, winch, 31˝ tires lockers, limited slips and ORV trail experience recommended. These trails may not be suitable for Stock Vehicles.

• Black:Trail consists of rock, tree, sand and considerable slick rock with many steps exceeding 24˝. off camber inclines are prevalent. Enhanced off- road equipment is required including locking devices (front & rear), tall tires, maximum vehicle ground clearance, and tow points. A winch is desirable. Excellent driving skills are required. Vehicle, mechanical. equipment. or body damage is likely. Roll over possibilities exist.

• Red: Let the carnage begin! Buggy territory. Street driven 4×4’s should not attempt this trail. Modified factory vehicles will not be able to complete this trail. Tow points are a must. Excellent driving skills are required. Roll over is very common. Winches, spare parts and tools are recommended.

The West Shore

no higher then 12˝ may be present. 4WDS is recommended with good ground clearance and driving skills. Aggressive tires and limited slipping would be a plus. Water and mud is possible.

• Blue: Trails surfaces are rutted, rocky and sandy with steps with slick surfaces & substantial land deep. Good vehicle approach and departure angles are helpful. 4WD, Enhanced

The park features a wide variety of obstacles that are perfect for those who would like to test their skills. Hill climbs, rock challenges, and mud hole like “Devils Tower” and “Devils Hole” are popular locations in the park for offroad daredevils. The park will be reopening the scramble area and there are plans to open an ATV/UTV track later this season. While these obstacles may not be for beginners or stock vehicles, they great locations to watch others

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attempt obstacles or rip around a track.

PLAN FOR A TRIP TO BUNDY HILL:

Bring a Helmet! Helmets are always suggested for all ages all types of offroad vehicles. You will be required to wear one If you are in a without a roll bar, roof, or seat belts. If you are bringing children under the age of 18 they will need a helmet in UTVs. The park is monitored by Rangers, if they see you attempting trails or dangerous stunts without a helmet they will let you know you need to put one on before continuing that activity.

All vehicles have to have a safety flag mounted on the front of the vehicle. Dirt bikes and ATV’s may mount flags at the back of vehicle. Once mounted, the minimum height is 8ft from the ground once it is mounted. They do offer flags and mounts at the park ranging in price from $20 to $38

Bundy hill does follow the State of Michigan DNR sound ordnance, The maximum noise level permitted will be 94 dBa. If your exhaust is not baffled, you are required to run a spark arrestor.

If you find yourself stuck or broken down the park does offer recovery by heavy equipment for a $50 fee. Coming to the park prepared with personal recovery equipment like a winch and tow straps (and a buddy to pull you out) can help avoid this charge.

In addition to off-roading Bundy Hill Offroad Park also offers camping, fishing and hunting. Turn a day trip into a weekend getaway and take

advantage of the campground with 100 sites which includes a pond for fishing.

The park hosts a variety of offroad events from racing event to charity events. The BraapZilla VX Hill climb Race is a racing event that they are well known for hosting. The park is hosting the 16th annual Barricade Go Topless Day is on Saturday May 20th, 2023. This charitable event draws jeep groups from around the state and hundreds of jeeps come together, and take their jeep tops off for a cause.

More upcoming events at the park:

• May

• 20th- Go Topless

• June

• 3rd- Trike Circus

• 18th- RC Car Day

If you have not visited this offroad park I encourage you to check it out for yourself! The thrill of off-roading is always a guarantee at Bundy Hill Offroad Park. •

The Breezeway Communities Are Ready for You!

The Breezeway Communities of East Jordan, Ellsworth and Atwood are looking forward to a very fun-filled and memorymaking spring and summer season. New events have been added to an already active schedule of activities.

The 14th Annual Garage Sales Across the Breezeway return on Memorial Day Weekend, Friday and Saturday, May 26 – 27. Twenty-six miles along C-48 The Breezeway, participants,

residents and organizations hold garage sales. While searching for ‘great treasures” and “deals” along the route, be sure to visit the communities of East Jordan, Ellsworth and Atwood. Several businesses, resale shops, restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries, art center, farmers markets and more await you, your family and friends.

East Jordan and Ellsworth will be offering a spectacular line-up of

summer concerts. The East Jordan Music in the Park Concert Series kicks-off on Friday, June 2 and runs thru Friday, July 28th at 7:00 PM in the bandshell located downtown in Memorial Park. The series features Bernadette Kathryn and the Lonely Days Band for its first concert. Bring your chair or blanket and be ready to enjoy a great concert by the waterfront. The Ellsworth Concert on the Square welcomes Lou Thumser to the gazebo on

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Since

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the Square on Wednesday, June 28th at 7:00 PM. Throughout July, the Jordan Valley Community Band will be playing on Thursday evenings at 7:30 PM in the East Jordan Memorial Park Bandshell. All events are free to the public and are made possible by generous donors.

The Ellsworth/Atwood Pig Roast will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 16 – 17. This year’s theme is “Family Style”. The long running event features a water-slide, music, kid’s games and activities, horse pulls, parade, dinner, historical tours and much more. East Jordan’s Freedom Festival is gearing up for a five-day family fun event starting on Wednesday, June 21st with the Little Miss & Mr. Firecracker Pageant and runs through Sunday, June 25th with the Freedom Lover’s Breakfast at the Jordan Valley Trailblazers Clubhouse. The festival features two parades (Youth and Grand). The Family Fun Tyme” Carnival will run from Thursday evening thru Saturday evening. This year’s theme is “Live Free in 23”. New events on the schedule for Saturday include kid’s activities in the morning and Saturday throughout the day entertainment near the stage in Memorial Park and Saturday evening beginning at 6:00 PM an “Enhanced” music concert featuring: Midnight Cattle Callers, OZ and The Michael Allman Band, Like Father like Son featuring Allman Brothers music with special guest Kenny Olson on guitar.

The Grand Parade will roll down the street at 3:00 PM featuring floats, music and more. The magnificent fireworks display will be shot from a barge over the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix at dusk. This fireworks display is one of the area’s largest and most impressive shows. You don’t want to miss them!

This is just a few of the many upcoming events scheduled for our area. Please visit our website at www.ejchamber.org or call us at 231-536-7351. Celebrate spring and summer with us in 2023! •

H. Faculak President / CEO East Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce

Silver Oh Yea It’s Opening Day!

BY ANN DRZEWIECKI EDITOR

April 1, 2023 started for us at 6:30 am at Silver Lake Sand Dunes Michigan – OPENING Day! Or more accurately the two cabins just off to the “right” of the dunes, the ones that are right by the boat launch. We had the perfect spot. We smooshed, 4 picksup, 3 trailers and a BUNCH of riding “toys” on the two lots that we rented for the weekend. The cabins we and our friends rented were truly right on the water. The view was excellent. The cottages/cabins, I never know which term is correct, were perfect for our needs. Each were three bedrooms with one bathroom. Very large windows on the water side. Honestly, the only improvement I would have liked would have been bigger windows on the road side so I could have watched on the rigs going by heading to the dunes. I would have liked to see what everyone else brought “Up North” to play with.

The cabins were within ¼ mile (I didn’t truly measure) of the entrance to the first parking lot – the one right by Test Hill. It would be hard to get closer. Scott and I along with our son Nick and his friend Colby, plus our dog were in one cottage with plenty of room. Our friends Eugene and Susan, their sons Josh, Matt and nephew Bryce were next door, also with plenty of room. This was truly a great setup for a group. The cottages had maybe 15 steps from door to door. Plenty of outdoor space and gear for barbeques. Basically, bring the food, charcoal and fun. The only possible downside, is the boat

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Lake...

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launch in the summer. You will have strangers driving next to the one cabin all day. But if you are there for the dunes, this location is tough to beat.

This trip marked our third annual family trip to Silver Lake Opening Day. I expect many more. We were a little disappointed that the Chicken Shack and a couple other local haunts weren’t open yet, but both Duneland and Silverback Offroad Rental are always open on opening weekend – so the necessesities for fuel based fun are covered.

If you’re like me and the smell of motor oil, rec or diesel fuel and the idea of rpm’s gets your adrenaline going – this is the place for you. Like I mentioned, this year was a bit cold, but it didn’t stop many other enthusiasts. The first lot was pretty full by about 9:15. It was so awesome to see so many ways to put wheels and motors together to head on out and enjoy – basically an adult sandbox. What I loved most though – was there was everything from super high end expensive stuff – to entry level, easily affordable bikes AND everyone was talking to everyone. So cool… Not a lot of scrolling through social media going on, not that there’s anything wrong with social media. Just sometimes, we all need to find a bit of balance in our lives. AND, I saw a LOT of

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It was so awesome to see so many ways to put wheels and motors together to head on out and enjoy –basically an adult sandbox.

continued from page 24 families hanging together. All ages hanging out in all kinds of vehicles with lots of TALKING going on.

The other thing I noticed was kids watching and learning the maintenance and upkeep it takes to get a machine ready for the dunes. A lot of the machines do not just roll off the trailer and go. Many need a bit of care and a wrench or two before they go. Lots of knowledge hanging out and being passed down to the next generation in this parking lot. The other thing is safety of the dunes. This particular weekend was windy – which means the sand shifts. There was one really weird spot on the dunes that dropped off and word spread through the

parking lot on that issue as well… And, have you noticed we haven’t even got on the dunes yet…

Isn’t this town sounding great so far! You gotta make this a bucket list item if you haven’t already been there. Most of the town businesses are still locally owned. My favorite part of this place by far. Let alone the natural beauty of being Michigan.

Okay, so there are a few rules before entering the Dunes. For safety it’s important, but not that big of deal. Like flags – trust me – you’ll want em. ORV stickers – stop in at the State Park booth at the 2nd parking lot (note: also where you can air up your tires at days end). Plus,

there are sound limits – check the website for now – I’m not that well versed in describing this part. I will be doing a follow up article later this summer and will go into detail for the dirt bike riders at that time. My son and his friends have to help me with this and since all of us have full time jobs that influence our fun-time – well, we ran out of time… And, that’s where I’m going to leave this story until next month. That full time job is calling my name. This place is so awesome I want to devote a full article to describing what it is to be on the dunes from the perspective of the drivers I was with that day. Stay tuned til next month… •

BY JOYCE WISWELL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Keweenaw County residents were so intrigued by the idea of forming a search and rescue organization that a few hundred showed up for the initial meeting last year. That’s pretty huge in a place as remote and sparsely populated as the Keweenaw Peninsula, says Sheriff Curt Pennala.

“We had an overwhelming response and out of the couple of hundred people who showed up, we were able to draw 35 to 40 members,” he says. “Search and rescue can be kind of a thrill and a lot of people want to help out and give back.”

It’s a service that’s been needed, he says, especially since the Keweenaw has exploded in popularity in the past few years.

“Since 2020 we have had some exponential growth in tourism, which has increased our number of trail rescue calls.

That’s when we started talking about it,” says Pennala. “The writing is on the wall for us.” Or, as Deputy Sheriff Matt Eberly puts it, “Covid discovered us.”

“We are getting more and more people here,” says Eberly, who spent 23 years as a conservation officer with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources before joining the sheriff department. “There are some sections of trail that my wife and I used to hike and we’d see only a couple of people. Now we are seeing 100 people — and I mean 100.”

ALL HANDS ON DECK

Among the members of Keweenaw County Search & Rescue are a number of volunteer firefighters and medical first responders. “We are a fully equipped volunteer team that also encompasses trail rescue. We will respond to

calls through the county trail system for ATVs and snowmobiles, and extract injured patients for the EMS,” says Pennala. “All members have radios and the whole group is pageable and all set to go.”

The organization secured a garage in Allouez to house its rescue equipment, some of which was purchased new by Keweenaw County.

The new group supplements Superior Search and Rescue, a non-profit organization that services the counties of Houghton, Ontonagon and Keweenaw at the request of law enforcement agencies.

“They are really good at what they do but most are [Michigan] Tech students. We are not trying to replace anyone, but we can mobilize people much faster to get the initial search going. The way I refer to it is, we are building the Marine Corps while they are the Army,” says Eberly, an ex-Marine who likes the rib the head of Superior Search and Rescue – who happens to be ex-Army.

A rugged, remote area like the Keweenaw Peninsula presents unique challenges. Since cell phone and GPS service is sometimes spotty at best, it’s not that hard to get lost on while exploring the area. “We are working to get our legislators involved to get more funding for rural cell service,” Pennala says. “It’s definitely something we contend with, and why we always recommend the buddy system so that if someone gets hurt, someone can run and get help.”

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with 250 inches snowfall.