WEEKEND SPECIAL 2/26/10 THRU 2/28/10

 2 SNOWMOBILES FOR (2) 8 HOUR DAYS AND TWO NIGHTS IN A CABIN 695.00 (2 avail)

4 SNOWMOBILES (2) 8 HR DAYS AND A CHALET FOR TWO NIGHTS 1400.00 2/26/10 THRU 02/28/10

WEEKDAY SPECIALS

LAST MINUTE SPECIAL  2 SNOWMOBILES FOR 8 HOURS AND CABIN THURSDAY NIGHT

FOR ONLY 325.00 2/25

2 SNOWMOBILES (2) 8 HOUR DAYS AND A CABIN FOR TWO NIGHTS 650.00 3/1/10 OR 3/2/10

2 SNOWMOBILES (8 HOURS) 325.00 3/1/10 THRU 3/4/10

2 2-UP SNOWMOBILES (8 HOURS) 395.00 3/1/10 THRU 3/4/10

2 SNOWMOBILES (2) 8 HOUR DAYS AND A CHALET FOR TWO NIGHTS 800.00 3/1/10 THRU 3/4/10

2 2-UP SNOWMOBILES (2) 8 HOUR DAYS AND A CHALET FOR TWO NIGHTS 900.00 3/1/10 THRU 3/04/10

LIMITED AVAILABILITY AND DATES FOR SPECIAL RATES CALL NOW!!!! 1-888-863-1262

Come up and join us for Michigan's Largest winter Festival

TIP-UP-TOWN 2010

Tip-Up-Town has been re-vamped this year to bring more fun for the entire family. Please support TUT 2010 and bring the entire family. Click the writing above to be directed to the official TUT 2010 website at the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce.

TUT 2010 SPONSORS

PLEASE PATRONIZE OUR SPONSORS

(I am waiting on the Beverage Tent Sponsors)

AC HEAT & AIR CONDITIONING,ALL ABOUT WELDING,AMERICAN OAK RESORT,ANKLE & FOOT,ASSOC.,ARNIE'S,BASIC COMMUNICATIONS,BIG BOY,BOB & NANCY SELLECK,BUCCILLI'S PIZZA,BURNSIDE/CAMPING WORLD,BURNSIDE/CAMPING WORLD,CASHAWAY SUPPLY,CASHAWAY SUPPLY CO.,CHEMICAL BANK H.L & PRUD.,CHOSEN ELECTRIC,COMFORT SUITES,COMFORT SUITES LAKESIDE GRILL,CONTINENTAL RENTAL INC,DIEBOLD INSURANCE,DON NESTER CHEVROLET,DR. PACELLA,F.O.EAGLES AERIE 3201,FERRELL GAS,FRED'S DINING,GARY RABB,GLEN'S (SPARTAN STORE),GOOD YEAR LANES,H.L. FAMILY DENTISTRY,H.L. INSTITUTE OF COSMETOLOGY,HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORE,HGTN.LK. MOOSE - MEN,HGTN.LK. MOOSE-WOMEN,HOUGHTON HIGGINS LK.BPO #149,HOUGHTON LAKE AUTOMOTIVE,HOUGHTON LAKE TOURISM BUREAU,HOUGHTON LK. LAKE ASSOC.,INDEPENDENT BANK,KABINTREE KONCEPTS,KEN STRAUB BUILDERS,KRONNER PHARMACY,LAKESIDE GRILL,LAKESIDE VISION,LITTLE BOOTS RETURANT,LJ'S KILKARE,LYMAN'S ON THE LAKE,LYNN MARKIEWICZ-WILLIAMS,MERRITT DISCOUNT, LLC,MICHAEL MOSHER CONSTRUCTION,MIDMICHIGAN HEALTH SERVICES,NORTHERN LK. PROPERTIES,NORTHLAND CREDIT UNION,NORTHWESTERN BANK,PHIL'S TOW,PORATH CONTRACTING,POSIE PATCH,RE/MAX OF HIGGINS LK.,RESORTER,RON SWANTEK & BARB WHITTINGTON,ROSCOMMON TWP.,SHENANIGAN'S PUB,SOHN SUPPLY,TANGER OUTLET MALL,THE SHIRT FACTORY,THE TAX COMPANY,VAN DRIES,WALGREENS,WALMART,FARM BUREAU SZACH AGENCY

MARCH 21ST-26TH ORV STAY & PLAY WEEKDAY SPECIAL (SUNDAY-THURS)

2 TRX-250 FOUR WHEELERS (1 DAYS) AND A CABIN FOR 1 NIGHTS 325.00

2 TRX-250 FOUR WHEELERS (1 DAYS) AND A CHALET FOR 1 NIGHTS 375.00

2 TRX-250 FOUR WHEELERS (2 DAY) AND A CABIN FOR 2 NIGHTS 450.00

2 TRX-250 FOUR WHEELERS (2 DAY) AND A CHALET FOR 2 NIGHTS 550.00

WEEKEND SPECIAL(MARCH 28TH 1 LEFT)

2 TRX-250 FOUR WHEELERS (2 DAYS) AND A CABIN FOR 2 NIGHTS 500.00

2 TRX-250 FOUR WHEELERS (2 DAYS) AND A CHALET FOR 2 NIGHTS 600.00

Update 3/22/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:30am  The ice is almost gone, wont be long and people will be out fishing. ORV season is here now, and with the new laws in effect, you can ride shoulders of county roads, so you can get in and out of town. Be sure to stop at Elbow lake if you are looking for a place to go out in the woods. We have some great packages on ORV vacations, a couple of ORV's and a cabin for the weekend for 600.00, 500.00 during the week.

Update 3/15/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:30am  The lake is looking very dark, not sure how much ice is still out there. We never got a big winter snow, I guess it wasnt meant to be. We will start updating the ORV pages soon, and let everyone know when all the snow is off the ORV trails. Riding a dirt bike on a one-laner and coming into a burm full of ice is no fun. Thank's to all that stayed with us this year, and all our volunteers on the trails. This volunteer work goes on all year, so if you are in the area, call or email if you have some free time to help. We did fairly well this year, especially with the limited snow we had to work with. We have some great packages on ORV vacations, a couple of ORV's and a cabin for the weekend for 600.00, 500.00 during the week.

Update 3/5/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:30am  No snow, and the low last night was 7. We rode 125 miles yesterday, we got back last night around 8pm. We rode most everything we groomed and a mix of on/off trail. We kept in the snow the entire ride, except a portion of the Leota trail, it's a mess.  There is plenty of snow in the woods on two tracks and some trails. 655 from the parking lot is gone. We went to Moddersville yesterday and fueled up when we got there. We took a break at the gas station/pizza store and then picked a route to come back. I pulled Tracie's sled across the street, then the cat I was riding, Capt. Fraser had a phone call. While we were waiting her sled shut off. As we were watching Terry, he threw his arms up. I tried restarting Tracies sled, it idled, but died when you hit the throttle. I put it on full choke and could get it to rev up a bit, but it would barely hit enough RPM's to engage the clutch. I shut it down and walked back to Terry. He said his sled wouldnt even start. I told him, I think we got bad gas, two of the three sleds wouldnt run. I got gas first in the cat, I got 4.5 gallons. His Apex took 6.9, and the FIII 800 took 6.5. He carries a siphin hose, so I went in and got a 2 Liter coke bottle. We siphoned 2 liters out, and it was 85% water, no joke. We took pictures. We took it inside, and showed the woman working. She said she had to call the owner. Terry and I went back out and siphoned out another bottle, and it was 90% water. We had to keep the hose on the bottom. The woman working came out with another empty bottle, we cut a hole in the side to release air and she filled it with gas. Same thing, about 80% water. We siphoned 14, two litre bottles out of Terrys sled, before we started getting mostly fuel. Now were were even lower on fuel than when we pulled up. We put an entire bottle of dry gas in his tank, enough to treat 20 gallons. We shook the sled to mix it up. We siphoned anothe bottle, and still got a few ounces of water. We started it and after a couple minutes it ran fine. A local stopped and went and got 4 gas cans. Then he took Tracie down the road to Butterfield and she bought $42.00 in gas. I walked across the street and got the FIII. It barely made it with full choke and revving and stalling back across the street. We siphoned 13, 2 liter bottles out of it, also 90% water. We put dry gas it what was remaining and then filled both sleds when they got back with fresh gas. Then I went and got the cat. We siphoined out a bottle, and it was mostly clear. I got gas first, and apparently got very little water. It wouldnt idle good, but it ran. They had us dump the old fuel back into the ground tank. We removed the cover, and then noticed the seal on the cap was broken. Salt wand nasty corosion was on the inside of the cap. It looked like ground water had leaked into the tank. Got up this morning and the FIII ran for a minute then quit, now the carbs are frozen. It is 11 degrees. The water settled in the tank, hit the carbs and froze. I'm not touching the cat till we get the water out. Terry is taking his fuel injected Yamaha to hackers, I will have steve pull the carbs and drain the tanks on the Cat and doo when he gets back fro taking some guests out in the woods. We rode to Elbow Lake again also. Athey Rd. is about gone, you have to ride the sides to get down there. We are riding again today (rentals), still plenty of snow on seasonal roads and two tracks.  The lake still is covered, so if you are looking for one last ride, trailer in the woods, or come up tonight, you can still ride trails. We can pick your way from the lake, but you gotta know where you are going. Pictures below. THINK SNOW!!!

Video 1        Video 2

Update 3/4/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:30am  We groomed yesterday finishing up at 10.30 am. We pulled in the sides, so thats all we have left. We covered some trails, and others were too far gone. In most areas that were melted, we groomed a work around. Capt. Fraser , Steve H and I spent from Tuesday night thru Wed morning. I only came in because I was low on fuel. We were trying to get it to last one more weekend, but its not looking good. The temp was 7 Tuesday night, and 8 last night. Its keeping the covered trails from melting much. We rode to Elbow Lake yesterday, I groomed the old connector. Athey Rd. was about gone, you had to ride the sides to get down there. We will ride again today, still plenty of snow on seasonal roads and two tracks.  The lake still is covered, so if you are looking for one last ride, trailer in the woods, or come up tonight, you can still ride trails. We managed to pick our way from the lake, but you gotta know where you are going. It still seems like we would get at least one good blast before winter lets go, but nothing in the forecast. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 3/1/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:30am  Another dusting last night, thats it. Winter has not been kind this year, dumping all the snow in the south. We rode yesterday, and things we still ok, with some areas getting thin. Getting to the trails from the lake is about done. Some pictures from yesterdqay are below. We will groom again when it cools at night. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/27/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00am  We got a dusting last night. We took some guests that came in from Pennsylvania, and Captain Fraser led our group to elbow Lake. The trails were in great shape, especially considering the lack of snow we have had this winter. We only went about 60 miles, and on the way there I had Paisley behind me. I let her go ahead, so I could watch how she did. Amazing how fast kids grow up. She's 12 and is a really good rider. I think getting kids into this sport before they can drive a car is a good experience and it teaches them some coordination and responsibility. We will go someplace again today and take some pictures. Next weekend isn't looking so great, so this is a good weekend to get out and ride.  There is mixed snow/freezing drizzle in the forecast. Access from the lake is getting difficult, but with the winter we had, we will buy some hyfax.

Update 2/26/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00am  No new snow last night, but bitter cold. Not going above freezing today. Snow is supposed to come today and tonight, looks better the further north you go. We havent rode since we groomed, but people are writing in the chat room, that they were 95% snow covered and very flat. Today south of town is better, tomorrow north may be better. Terry just took some pictures, getting off the lake and going north is rough. We will post pictures from trails south later today. These pictures are all north of the Lake. Captain Fraser is below. Getting ready to get into his John Deere version of the Airbus A-330.

Update 2/25/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00am  The storm on sunday only brought us a few inches. We rode to Meredith and elbow Lake yesterday, and the trails were much better than on sunday evening. I went out Tuesday night, and it was still too soft to groom. I went back out Wed morning and did a section od 655 to Duck Lake road, and it groomed nicely, but quickly warmed to much to continue. We decided to run last night at 7.30pm. Steve H and Larry A went first, Steve did 654 to 6, then 6 to the 6/7 split towards Leota. Larry did 655 from the parking lot down to Grass Lake and picked up 6 to were Steve started at the end of 654 When they got back Captain Frazier (retired US Air Airbus 330 Captain) left at 1am and did 6 from where Steve left off all the way up to M-55 and back. I left at the same time and groomed Duck Lake to 6 then 6 to Grass Lake, then 655 down to Meredith. It worked well, everyone was out about the same amount of time, and the entire system got groomed in one night. Captain Frazer is a guest at the resort, and helps every time he comes. Quite a switch from 600MPH to 5-10MPH, but he does a great job I did a LOT of backing up, and covered almost all the bare spots. Most sweeping corners had almost a foot on the outside, and I flattened them out and easily laid 6" plus on the icy inside of the corners. Today would be a great ride, a few pictures are below. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/22/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:30pm  We are getting snow now, hopefully it will keep comong. The trails took a beating over the weekend, mostly from the sun and the warmer temps. We went to Leota last night, and had to dodge some brown spots and water spots. Some sections were good, some were not. We didnt take any pictures, beacause of the snow that was coming for today. Seemed like March riding. Accesss to the trails was bad, but after todays snow it will be better. We will post some pictures later today. We probably won't be able to groom till everything freezes back up. 

Update 2/20/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:30pm  No new snow last night.  Guests rode to Harrison and Leota yesterday. Trails were decent, even with the warm weather. Some of the heavier ridden trails are getting icy, but they are holding up relatively well. Duck Lake was groomed last night. Pictures taken today are posted below.

Update 2/18/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:00pm No new snow last night, today's high was 32. Guests rode to Leota and said trails were good, with a few icy corners. Pictures taken today are posted below.

Update 2/16/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

5:00pm We rode 6/7 north to trail 76 and from 76 we went north to Dingman's. The trail was freshly groomed and flat all the way to M-72.  The Blue Bear was dirty and ungroomed so we rode back to Starvation Lake.  While we were at The Hideaway in Starvation Lake we talked to some other riders who rode through St. Helen to Luzerne and on to Lewiston. They said the trails in St. Helen were bumpy and ungroomed and the snow got thinner towards Lewiston. THINK SNOW!!!

 8.00am We got a couple inches last night, and it's still snowing now. This will freshen things up. We are grooming today, so we can cover up all the corners once again, and traveling down road shoulders will be easier. Everything got groomed last night but 654. Will post some pictures after today's grooming. Ron from West Va, (a guest) haelped fix the Deere, so thats ready to go. Only took us about 30 minutes with air tools to change the belt. Mike J drove to Lake City and picked it up yesterday. The general rule is it always snows more if the groomer is broken, but we fixed it anyways. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/14/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9.00pm Hal groomed Meredith, Steve V did half of the west trail, and Mike J finished  up 6 to the 6/7 split to Leota. Leota also groomed  where we left off. Corners are getting icy again with all the holiday traffic. We will groom again Monday and post some new pictures. The 8100 blew an alternator belt on the way back into town on M-55, it was smoking bad and losing power so he shut it down. I had Ron (a guest at the resort and a great mechanic) run down to meet Hal. Luckily it was only the belt. We will get one tomorrow. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/13/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9.00pm The entire sytem was groomed again, we groomed to Meredith and back. A lot of traffic today, pictures are posted below. Corners were icy, but we covered them. Hard to say how long it will last when people have to hit full throttle coming out of every corner. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/11/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9.00pm The entire sytem was groomed last night, and we finished this morning at 10am. Larry A groomed to Meredith. Steve H groomed 655 North of Waco and all of 654. Terry and I groomed Duck lake to Waco, then trail 6 to 6/7  all the way up to Mead Rd on the North side of Houghton Lake. Steve got back at 4am today, Terry and I left when Steve got back, and we finished at 10am. The snow gets considrably deeper on the south trails, the further you go the better it gets. Some pictures are posted below.   Dingman's last night, and had a great ride. Pictures below. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/10/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9.00am It snowed till about 3am, but the total was only about 3" or so. The snow will make it easier to get around town, and access to the North is better across county Rd 300. We rode to Dingman's last night, and had a great ride. We will post pictures later today. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/09/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9.30am The snow has started, everyone do some snow dances to keep this storm coming. Will update throughout the day as conditions change. The low last night was 11, and its around 18 now. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/08/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 12.00Pm We had a few rentals out over the weekend, delivered a couple to St Helen, and Chad and his group had a two-up and two singles. Terry is up for his annual trip, we went to Cadillac and checked out the snowfest and took some new Yamaha demos for a ride. I think when people see other winter festivals they can appreciate all that Tip-up-town has to offer. The Cadillac festival was nothing compared to Tip-up-town. Traffic was light, but everyone had a good time. There are some dirty corners, but for the most part the trails are in reletively decent shape. We rode to St Helen, they groomed Wed night. Then we came back and went to Elbow Lake, Meredith and Leota. We rode about 275 miles this weekend in all,  without replacing a single stick of hyfax. Last night we took a few people up to Grayling. The snow getting close is sparce, but we made it there and back. The worst part was getting over 127, that was rough. There are some large pressure cracks forming on the lake, so be careful. There is snow heading our way for Wed, hopefully we can get out and groom before then. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/06/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 4.00Pm We took some guests riding to Elbow Lake and Meredith yesterday, the trails are fair, with the exception of the tight turns, some are icy, a some are snirty. No new snow last night, some in the forecast for this week. There is a lot of base in most areas, just need some more snow. If yoiu want to ride, you can, there is enough loose snow to keep you lubed up. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/04/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 2.00Pm No new snow last night. With the superbowl this weekend, probably a good weekend to sit it out. Plenty of snow to ride on the lake, pretty much the same story every in the lower, a very icy base under minimal new snow.  We took pictures, but I am not going to post them. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/03/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 4.30Pm We got some more snow last night and this morning. More wet heavy snow, so it keeps building. There are people riding along M-55 again, and the lake has pretty good cover. I cut some holes in the ice for ice fishing, and the ice was almost 2 feet thick. We are riding today, and will post the pictures when we get back. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/02/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 4.30Pm It snowed last night and today. There is enough snow to ride anywhere on the lake once again. I left the resort, took the lake to Devonshire. Across M-55 to Owens, enough to ride shoulder of Owens to the trailhead. Went towards St Helen 4-5 miles, then went south, then west. Plenty of loose stuff on top for lube. This snow is much better, its a bit warmer and it has some moisture content to it, so its sticking to the trail and the lake. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/01/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 10.30am Just a trace of snow yesterday and today. Not much good to write about, we need snow. The temps are in single digits at night and low 20's during the day. Over 22" of ice on the lake out front, took the boys out ice fishing today. The trails still have an ice base, but need more snow on top. There is snow in the forecast, but nothing significant. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 1/28/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 10.30am First our local stuff.... WE got another inch or so last night, with all the blowing hard to tell where it went. Right now its snoiwing so hard its a whiteout. It was -1 here last night. Tip-Up-Town 2010 is this weekend, and we have PLENTY of ice. The carnival is set up for the kids, and we had a goiod turnout last weeekend. Still snow in the forecast, but not much on the trails or the lake to ride on. I will report again tonight after we ride the lake again. Unless mother nature pulls a hat trick , we wont have much to ride on this weekend. We took the shore last night to county RD 300, and went over 127. VERY ROUGH GIONG... There are widespread reports about large snowfalls in Lake Effect areas of Northern Michigan. Watching the radar, it looks awesome, but truth be told its not awesome. Its poor riding conditions. Mondays report from Grand Marais said they were throwing the red flag. GRAND MARAIS... in the UP. We are here, been riding, trailoring and calling friends in Gaylord, Kalkaska (right down the road from the parking lot on M-72), Frederik, Mio, Grayling. Read Pete's report at Sledheads. My buddy in bear lake says Frederik can't be more than 11 miles as the crow flys, and Bear Lake got 5" and Frederik 1". These people including us have driven in this 5+ inches of new snow, and it blows right of the trail. We have some guests that went to Petosky/Indian River. We will report what they rode in today, before you come up and are dissapointed. Gaylord was calling for 5-7 last night. Look at the snowman cam. It didn't haappen. It has been snowing for three days in these areas, including Houghton Lake, and noplace has much to show for it. Typically the Blue Bear is a natural place for this stuff to accumulate, and it has. but it is no good for riding. Guys rode it it and felt gravel, and ice mixes. All lower michigan trails are very icy under this powder. Remember wherever you ride, and be safe. We don't need a bunch of accidents this weekends. Don't let anyone fool you, a 5-10" report will be gone before you can get here this weekend. We are all chomping at the bit, and myself like everyone else will go to the snow. We need warmer temps. Wether I have a place in Northern MI or not, it is what it is. Even the woods where anyone rode is hard packed and the rain made it icy. I will call a spade a spade. BE CAREFUL!!! 

Update 1/27/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9.30am Use the chatroom to talk about Tip-up-town, or your snowmobiling plans in and around Houghton Lake. I took a drive yesterday, to Meredith, Elbow Lake and around the woods. This snow has not done much, a very icy base under it. A few sleds and it will be gone. I also drove over the the West side of the lake last night, it was snowing significantly harder only about 2 miles West, and a 1/2 mile North. We got about another inch, and its really fluffy stuff, with little moisture content. Still more in the forecast. I took pictures but I am not going to post them, because they are deceiving. Everything is white, but only because nobody has been on it yet. We need a big dunping of snow. You can click on the radar links to get a bigger picture. It's going to be ZERO at night the next couple of nights. One thing we do have is a lot of ice. Be sure to Patronize the Tip-up-town supporters, I will post them here today. The Chambe of Commerce sent me a list, that was Current as of Monday. The resort has sponsored Rooftop Reindeer for both weekends of Tip-Up-Town this year. Dave will be bringing a few reindeer in for the kids, so be sure to stop by and check them out. Last year we paid him 600.00 for one weekend, this year he gave us a deal and agreed to do both weekends for 900.00. He is coming from Clare, so you do the math on driving back and forth 8 times for the two weekends. I'm sure not a huge profit in that. So if you see him, make sure you tell him everyone appreciates the discount. Regardless of where you stay this weekend or next, if you come up, ask them what their contribution to the Festival was. Stay, eat and drink at places that support the festival. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/26/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9.30am We added a chat room, so you can talk in real time with others on this web page. The box is above. We also added a couple radar links, because we are always looking at them. We got a dusting of snow last night, around an inch. Snowing now and they are calling for 1-3 today. Will update again as conditions improve. We have 12-18" of ice out front of the resort, and there were cars parked out in front of the TUT site last weekend. The ice is thicker now than it was las week, and single digit temps at night this week, will make more ice. The resort has sponsored Rooftop Reindeer for both weekends of Tip-Up-Town this year. Dave will be bringing a few reindeer in for the kids, so be sure to stop by and check them out. Last year we paid him 600.00 for one weekend, this year he gave us a deal and agreed to do both weekends for 900.00. He is coming from Clare, so you do the math on driving back and forth 8 times for the two weekends. I'm sure not a huge profit in that. So if you see him, make sure you tell him everyone appreciates the discount. Regardless of where you stay this weekend or next, if you come up, ask them what their contribution to the Festival was. Stay, eat and drink at places that support the festival. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/25/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 8.30pm We added a chat room, so you can talk in real time with others on this web page. The box is above. We also added a couple radar links, because we are always looking at them. The rain is gone, and the temp is 32, supposed to be the high for today. The power went out last night, working on fixing the webcam. Tonight thru Friday, not above freezing. John Dee is calling for snow starting tomorrow, it shouldnt take much to get us back in business, we still have a base. The second weekend of Tip-Up-Town looks like much better weather. The resort has sponsored Rooftop Reindeer for both weekends of Tip-Up-Town this year. Dave will be bringing a few reindeer in for the kids, so be sure to stop by and check them out. Last year we paid him 600.00 for one weekend, this year he gave us a deal and agreed to do both weekends for 900.00. He is coming from Clare, so you do the math on driving back and forth 8 times for the two weekends. I'm sure not a huge profit in that. So if you see him, make sure you tell him everyone appreciates the discount. Regardless of where you stay this weekend or next, if you come up, ask them what their contribution to the Festival was. Stay, eat and drink at places that support the festival. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/22/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 8.30am Once again, no new snow, and the forecast for the weekend doesn't look good. You can't get to the trails from the lake, and if you could there isn't any loose snow on top. They are calling for rain Sunday,  changing to snow. Will update again as conditions improve. Happy TUT 2010, the festival will go on either way, you can still ride the lake. The resort has sponsored Rooftop Reindeer for both weekends of Tip-Up-Town this year. Dave will be bring a few reindeer in for the kids, so be sure to stop by and check them out. Last year we paid him 600.00 for one weekend, this year he gave us a deal and agreed to do both weekends for 900.00. He is coming from Clare, so you do the math on driving back and forth 8 times for the two weekends. I'm sure not a huge profit in that. So if you see him, make sure you tell him everyone appreciates the discount. Regardless of where you stay this weekend or next, if you come up, ask them what their contribution to the Festival was. Stay places that support the festival. There are several that do besides us. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/20/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 8.30am We got a trace of snow yesterday, and the low last night was 5 degrees. The high today is supposed to be 25. Not much melting thru the rest of the week, temps hovering below or at freezing during the day, and teens at night. We need more snow. I will take some pictures today, as well as check ice thickness out front. The resort has sponsored Rooftop Reindeer for both weekends of Tip-Up-Town this year. Dave will be bring a few reindeer in for the kids, so be sure to stop by and check them out. Last year we paid him 600.00 for one weekend, this year he gave us a deal and agreed to do both weekends for 900.00. He is coming from Clare, so you do the math on driving back and forth 8 times for the two weekends. I'm sure not a huge profit in that. So if you see him, make sure you tell him everyone appreciates the discount. Regardless of where you stay this weekend or next, if you come up, ask them what their contribution to the Festival was. Stay places that support the festival. There are several that do besides us. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/18/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 10.30pm Nothing new to report, no new snow and the melting continues. The last time we rode was Friday night. Difficult to get to the trails from the lake now, we need more snow. There is plenty of ice on the lake, so Tip-Up-Town will be fine. The resort has sponsored Rooftop Reindeer for both weekends of Tip-Up-Town this year. Dave will be bring a few reindeer in for the kids, so be sure to stop by and check them out. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/15/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 10.30pm We rode to Lakes of the North last night, it was a pretty decent ride considering the lack of new snow. We past the Rosco-Higgins groomer on the way back. The weekend doesn't look good as far as new snow, but the cold temps at night are minimizing snow loss. We will post pictures early next week, after the weekend. Riding at night is the best, when the trails firm up. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/14/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 4.30pm It was 37 today, and a lot of damage has been done. Not supposed to cool off much tonight. The high tomorrow is supposed to be 32 and the low 22. if it cools enough we may be able to ride, but right now, definitely not. It's way too soft. We will post again as conditions change. The webcam gives a good idea how bad it thawed todaw. all of Michigan is well above freezing today, nobody escaped this. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/13/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9.30pm Not much to say, we rode to Leota last night and the trails were nice. The weather is the big question, we need some snow. Everyone needs to start doing their snow dances. I am not going to bother putting up pictures, until this pattern goes thru. We can't groom, it's too warm. Maybe Friday night, temps are supposed to be in the teens. Spicers Boat City has ended their 10% discount for groomer drivers. More will be posted about this later after the next board meeting. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/11/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 8.30am We got about an inch of snow last night, and it's snowing now. We had a lot of good comments about the trails over the weekend, especially considering the lack of snow. It is supposed to warm up a bit this week, so let's hope its not too severe. I will post some pictures today after a quick blast. You can ride today, tomorrow then please stay off the trails if it hits much above 30. The temps will be back down later in the week, if the warm up occurs. Riding above 30 ruins the trails we all use. I will suspend rentals if it gets warm. I am not going to contribute to warm riding trail damage. Spicers Boat City has ended their 10% discount for groomer drivers. More will be posted about this later after the next board meeting. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/9/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 8.30am No new snow last night, and the low was -5. Everything got groomed again and we are doing all we can to keep the trails covered. We need some snow, the corners are getting icy, then we pull them back in. Some guests rode this today, and everyone had a good time. We have had better trails, but the main thing is that we are still able to ride. There is some snow in the forecast, then some warmer temps coming later next week.  Spicers Boat City has ended their 10% discount for groomer drivers. More will be posted about this later after the next board meeting.  Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/8/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 8.30am Wedidn't get any snow from the system that blew across lower Michigan, some of west and south trails got a bit. It is 10 degrees right and it's snowing, so maybe we will get some today. We have guests going out this morning, steve is going to take them to the trail and snap some pictures for us. I will post them when he gets back. This weekend is a good time to ride, low traffic after the holidays. We have some great specials this weekend, a cabin and two sleds for 495.00 for the weekend.  Spicers Boat City has some great specials on sleds and clothing this weekend, be sure to check them out here. They are giving us groomer drivers 10% off on parts, accessories and apparel. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/7/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 6.30pm We just a skiff of snow again last night. The storm is just south of us, maybe the south trails are getting snow. We will check them tonight or tomorrow morning. Not much new to report, the temps remain cold and the trails could use some more snow to freshen them up. Still plenty of snow to ride on, and traffic this week has been very light. We have some great specials this weekend, a cabin and two sleds for 495.00 for the weekend.  Spicers Boat City has some great specials on sleds and clothing this weekend, be sure to check them out here. They are giving us groomer drivers 10% off on parts, accessories and apparel. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/6/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 8.30am We just a skiff of snow last night, and thew lows were 14. The west trail, trail 6 to Leota and trail 654 were groom yesterday. so the whole system has a fresh groom . It is a bit snirty in places, not in others. They are nice and flat and will be a good ride. We have about a 4" base, but the corners get blown out under heavy traffic. We need more snow to freshen things up, there is snow in the forecast so we will see what happens. This weekend temps still well below freezing so the trails should hold up well. Spicers Boat City has some great specials on sleds and clothing this weekend, be sure to check them out here. They are giving us groomer drivers 10% off on parts, accessories and apparel. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/5/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 2.30am We just got back from grooming, we double groomed Meredith. Mike J left at 5.30 I left at 9pm. We got a bit of snow, more than I thought the last few days. With the snow and the drifting, we pulled in the sides and laid a nice base, even in the bare corners. 655 would be a beautiful ride tomorrow. I took some pictures, I will put them up tomorrow. Its snowing now, but if you are looking for a ride, the trails are in excellent shape, and with minimal weekday traffic it will be nice. Tired of riding on camp Grayling like trails, try out the Houghton Lake system.... Spicers Boat City has some great specials on sleds and clothing this weekend, be sure to check them out here. They are giving us groomer drivers 10% off on parts, accessories and apparel. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/4/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 8:00am We got about a dusting last night, and the low temp was a 3 degrees. It is 19 degrees right now. Larry A groomed Meredith and its getting a little snirty dow near the parking lot a Meredith Grade. We are going to start trying to groom that at least once a day. The trails are holding up well, corners are getting a bit icy. We cover the corners, but the get blown out every day. Snow in the forecast for every day, will take some trail pictures today. We went on the West trail and it was very nice, a little bumpy thru the swamp because we cant take the groomers across it yet. Spicers Boat City has some great specials on sleds and clothing this weekend, be sure to check them out here. They are giving us groomer drivers 10% off on parts, accessories and apparel. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/2/10 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:30am We got about an inch of snow last night, and the temp was a few degrees below zero. It is 1 degree right now with the wind chill at -15. Steve V groomed Meredith and Mike J did the west trail. the trails are holding up well, some corners are a bit icy. These cold temps are keeping all the access roads covered, and getting around town on a sled easy. Some pictures from yesterday evening are below. Pictures are from trail 655 to Meredith, 6 to Leota, and 654 the local loop. If you compare our trails to neighboring areas, you we see thet even in the evenings with a morning groom, our trails are still flat. Some guests went into Grayling and St Helen yesterday, and reported good trails on the way up, and bumpy ones on the way home. Spicers Boat City has some great specials on sleds and clothing this weekend, be sure to check them out here. They are giving us groomer drivers 10% off on parts, accessories and apparel. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/1/10 :   HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:30am We got a dusting last night, temps in the teens. Mike J and Steve V are out grooming above now. We will post pictures today as we are riding today. We have guests going all different today, so we will post their reports and pictures later today. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/31/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:30am We got a bit of snow today, around an inch or snow of wet heavy stuff. It is 31 now, not expected to get any higher before dipping to single digits for the next several days. The trails are holding up ok, some corners are icy and getting a bit dirty. Larry A was grooming North Waco today, but we cant do much when the temp is above 28. 655 to meredith is a bit bumpy near Meredith. We will be out tomorrow grooming during the day, so keep your eyes open for the big groomers. A few pictures are posted below.  Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/30/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 7:30am No new snow last night, just single digit temps. Mike J groomed 654 to 6 then the West Trail, he was out for 10 hours. I groomed 655 to Meredith. Steve H is hoing to do North Waco this morning. The trails are looking good, there is beginning to be enough snow to stall the tractor if we did deep enough to get out the bumps. More snow in the forecast, a few pictures are posted below. The base is around 4" in most areas, some corners and heavily wooded areas less. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/29/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 7:30am We got 2-3 more inches yesterday and last night and it was extremely windy so there was a lot of drifting. Mike J groomed North Waco and trail 6 all the way to Jeffs Road. Chris B and I groomed Meredith. The trails are in good shape, we will post pictures today. We got all the rutts out from the trucks driving on them when they were soft. There were a few small water spots but those should have frozen up last night. It was around 11 degrees. We have a couple specials left for after New Years weekend, and some great weekday rentals. Some guests rode to Leota and 655 to Meredith. Everyone has reported great riding, and most importantly everyone has been leaving with tales to tell and smiles on their faces. The warm spell did minimal damage and the trails have recovered quickly. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/28/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:30am We got a little more snow last night, but still a little soft to groom. We are going to try today. There is 2-4" in the forecast today, and 1-3" for tonight. Right now it is a whiteout. Some guests rode the west trail and said they had a great ride. We havent been to Meredith yet, but with all the new snow, it will be fine. Be careful, Steve made a run on the lake to take someon to the trailhead, and couldnt see for than 20 yards. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Just because we did  it doesn't mean the lake is safe. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/27/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:30pm We got snow on and off today. We had a lot of rentals go out, and everyone had a good time. We rode across the lake and went towards Grayling tonight, and ran a mix of on and off trail. We went 100 miles, and only saw two sleds. We were riding 800's and had no trouble with temps or keeping slides cool. More snow in the forecast tonight, tomorrow and Tuesday. Mike J tried to take out some of the rutts in our base, but said we gotta let things freeze up a bit better, hopefully tomorrow morning. Trails were snirty as we got close to Grayling, but better down here. We did not ride to Meredith, we are waiting until we can groom trail 6. Be careful if you venture on the lake. Just because we did  it doesn't mean the lake is safe. Check ice conditions carefully. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/26/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:30pm It has been snowing most of the day, we just went on a ride and the trails are in decent shape. Probably wont be an update tomorrow, we are going riding and grooming. We have a few guests here that we are going to show our route. There are rutts in some of the trails. Some really thoughtful people decided the best trail to ride in when the temps are above 34 degrees, is a groomed snowmobile trail. So if you see hunters, trappers, etc on a GROOMED snowmobile trail with their vehicles, be sure to stop and thank them. I always say everyone gets their turn in the woods, but I have yet to see hunters and trappers keeping these trails clear of brush and making them passable without scratching their 30k pickups. A little common sense says if you are rutting up a groomed trail that everyone uses, its probably best to turn around. Like it would hurt to wait one more day until it firmed back up. Some people need a lesson on common sense. I will start a wall of shame, and post pictures of people driving on the snowmobiles trails as well as their license plates, so you can identify them and thank them when you see them out and about. Enough ranting about idiots.....

 We will be out tomorrow fixing up the trails that got damaged, but in the mean time there are plenty of places to ride with the fresh snow coming down tonight. We went about 80 miles tonight, checkinmg out different sections. All I took was the Blackberry, and it didnt take good pictures at night. I will say we saw 3 other sleds, and we had a great ride, so did they. I am building a website for the grooming club, with a Paypal link so you can donate to the club. It will tell a little about the club, the drivers, and what we do and how you can help us. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. THINK SNOW!!!!

  12:01pm Mother nature is giving us some snow, and Steve is out riding. He said there are a few trailers in the parking lot on Owens. Conditions are improving as the day goes on. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. THINK SNOW!!!!

  11:00am Mother nature threw us another curve. We got a little rain, sleet and snow. The power went out twice, and we finally have all the computers running and the webcam. We have a couple sleds going out now, but it is not the best conditions. Steve is going to take some pictures and we will post them when he gets back. The seasonal roads are good, the base didn't melt on the trails, but they need more snow. Not as bad as last year. The warm spell is gone and they are calling for more snow today tomorrow and Monday. We will groom again as soon as conditions improve. We are going to make a trip north later tonight, and will post pictures of that also. Owens Road did not melt down, neither did most of the side streets. so you c an get to the woods. The lake has a dusting on it. There are a lot of hazzards so check it out DURING  THE DAY before you open it up. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/24/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  7:00am We groomed the entire trail system yesterday and this morning. Larry A. groomed trail 6 from Waco to the 6/7 split going to Leota. Mike J did the west trail. Steve H did 655 from Waco to Meredith. I am leaving now to do 654 to Grass Lake and 655 north of Waco. I will post some pictures when I get back. We tried to flatten everything in the wake of the storm coming. Hopefully we get lots of snow.... We still have some cabins or chalets open over the holidays, and some great specials thru the 28th, and some for New Years weekend. We have been riding the shorline of the lake from Jefferson to Devonshire where we get off the trails. There are a lot of hazzards so check it out DURING  THE DAY before you open it up. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. IF WE GROOM TONIGHT I WILL POST SOME PICTURES OF THE TRAILS. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/23/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:00am We got a dusting last night, the story will be what happens tomorrow thru Saturday. It was bitter cold last night, temps around 5 degrees. They are predicting anything from freezing rain to snow, then followed with more snow. We will be posting frequently so people can make their plans for the Holidays. It looks like driving thru the next 48-72 hours could be treacherous so please be careful wherever you are going for the holidays. We had several rentals out yesterday, and we asked guest to take pictures of their trips. I took a few pictures yesterday, they are posted below. We still have some cabins or chalets open over the holidays, and some great specials before Christmas. We have been riding the shorline of the lake from Jefferson to Devonshire where we get off the trails. There are a lot of hazzards so check it out DURING  THE DAY before you open it up. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. IF WE GROOM TONIGHT I WILL POST SOME PICTURES OF THE TRAILS. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/22/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  2:55pm We got 2-3" last night, and we took 655 to Meredith with a group of 8. The fresh snow has freshened things up a bit, we need to get out a groom to flatten them out a bit more. I will take some daylight pictures today. We still have some cabins or chalets open over the holidays, and some great specials before Christmas. We have been riding the shorline of the lake from Jefferson to Devonshire where we get off the trails. There are a lot of hazzards so check it out DURING  THE DAY before you open it up. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. IF WE GROOM TONIGHT I WILL POST SOME PICTURES OF THE TRAILS. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/21/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  2:55pm We are gertting snow on and off today, with more in the forecast. The trails are holding up well, mainly due to the light traffic. A storm is in the forecast for the 25 or so timeframe, so we are hoping we get it. Going for a ride later tonight so I will post something tomorrow. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. IF WE GROOM TONIGHT I WILL POST SOME PICTURES OF THE TRAILS. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/19/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  2:55pm No new snow to report, but here are some pictures from last night. We took the kids to \Meredith. Steve H, Jason and I groomed last night. I did 655 to Meredith, Steve and Jason did 6 to the Leota/West higgins split, and Mike J did 654 this morning and North Waco. The snow is getting snirty in the tight turns, we flattened most of it out, but we need more snow. Its been snowing on and off today. We are going out riding again today, so we will have more pictures. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. IF WE GROOM TONIGHT I WILL POST SOME PICTURES OF THE TRAILS. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/17/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  2:55pm Just a dusting overnight, but bitter cold temps are keeping everything from melting. We rode the shore of the lake today, from the resort east to Devonshire where we get off to go to the trailhead, and there are a lot of UNUSUAL obstacles. The night the lake froze, the wind picked up and blew piles of this slushy ice along the south shore. There are large ice piles around the shoreline so be careful.  We measured 4-6 inches but where the piles are the ice is very weak. A few pictures of the lake are below and my pictures from grooming Wed. night. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. IF WE GROOM TONIGHT I WILL POST SOME PICTURES OF THE TRAILS. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/15/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  5:55pm We got a couple inches of fluffy stuff today, and it is snowing on ad off. I waited till 1.30am last night and the temp was still 27 so we didn't run last night. It was around 18 all day, so we are definitely going out tonight. The trails are in good shape, a little dirty in corners, but hopefully we will cover all that tonight. The groomer cam will be on. Add houghton_lake_groomer to your yahoo. I will take lots of pictures and post them later.   PLEASE STAY OFF THE LAKE, IF YOU HAVENT CHECKED WHERE YOU ARE GOING OUT. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. IF WE GROOM TONIGHT I WILL POST SOME PICTURES OF THE TRAILS. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/14/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  5:55pm We got about an inch of wet heavy stuff today, and its still snowing. Steve put a hole in the ice, and there was about 3-4" 50 yards out. There are a couple shanties out there and some people ice fishing. We didn't ride today because of the 29 degree temp. We can only hope people stay off till it firms up tonight.  PLEASE STAY OFF THE LAKE, IF YOU HAVENT CHECKED WHERE YOU ARE GOING OUT. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. IF WE GROOM TONIGHT I WILL POST SOME PICTURES OF THE TRAILS. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/13/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:55am We got a couple inches of wet heavy snow last night. And there is a light snow/wintery mix coming down right now. The Canadians went north and said it was beautiful, till they got near Grayling and Gaylord. They went to Frederick and said it got pretty rough. They also went to the east from here and said it was much better. They learned to stay out of the traffic on the weekends. I will post the pictures of the lake later today.

Update 12/12/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:55am We got a trace of snow last night, and about an inch or two yesterday. The trails are nice and flat, Steve was grooming the west trail yesterday. there are some water hazzards, so probably best if you go north to stay on Jeffs RD, till you hit M-55. then pick up the trail again. I wouldnt ride across the swamp yet either, so take Yeager RD (County RD 300) around it. I will poke some holes in the ice today, and see what we got as well as take some trail pictures. We have specials on cabins this weekend thru the 24th, 50.00 per night, chalets 100.00 per night. Cabins and chalets are limited to 4 persons. Up to two additional persons in a cabin for 10.00 more per night, and 25.00 more per night in chalets. Cabin snowmobile packages are 600.00 for two sleds and a cabin for two nights, Friday-Sunday. Chalets packages starting at 700.00 with two sleds. Two-Up sleds are 100.00 more for the weekend.  Not many people out, it would be a great time to ride. 

Update 12/11/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  3:55am I forgot the wireless card, so I could not use the groomer cam. Steve groomed 654 to 6, and then to the Leota split. I groomed Meredith, left at 1, got back around 8.30. I talked with Mike and we still needed North Waco and 654 from Waco to Grass Lake RD. So I went back out at 11.30 and finished at 3.45am. Took a few pictures, but only putting on a couple now, I'm tired.  We have specials on cabins this weekend, 50.00 per night, chalets 100.00 per night. Cabins and chalets are limited to 4 persons. Up to two additional persons in a cabin for 10.00 more per night, and 25.00 more per night in chalets. Cabin snowmobile packages are 600.00 for two sleds and a cabin for two nights, Friday-Sunday. Chalets packages starting at 700.00 with two sleds. Two-Up sleds are 100.00 more for the weekend. Not many people out, it would be a great time to ride. Some guys showed up from Canada at 1.30am, they are staying thru Sunday. Three guys, four sleds. Canadians can't count I guess. 

Update 12/10/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:35am I am going to take the groomer cam, on yahoo it is houghton_lake_groomer, add it if you want to see us work. I should have it running in about 25 minutes.

  8:35am We got another 1" or so last night, and the temps went down to about 16. Its snowing now with 3" in the forecast. This is lake effect snow so its very light flakes. I went out to groom last night, but it was still to wet and it balled up in the drag. We didn't ride yesterday, because the temps went to 32 degrees, and riding on the wet snow would have done more harm then good. I was itching for a ride, but not enough to tear up the trails. I am going to fire up the Deere after I finish this, and will post pictures after I groom. The second webcam picture is courtesy of Steve who sends me this picture from the North shore. We have specials on cabins this weekend, 50.00 per night, chalets 100.00 per night. Cabins and chalets are limited to 4 persons. Up to two additional persons in a cabin for 10.00 more per night, and 25.00 more per night in chalets. Cabin snowmobile packages are 600.00 for two sleds and a cabin for two nights, Friday-Sunday. Chalets packages starting at 700.00 with two sleds. Two-Up sleds are 100.00 more for the weekend. PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE LAKE, IT MAY LOOK GOOD, BUT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE ICE BEFORE THIS SNOW CAME DOWN. THIS SNOW SANK THE ICE AND WATER CAME THRU. LAST NIGHT IT FROZE BACK UP AND THE NEW SNOW TURNED IT ALL WHITE. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. WE WILL POKE SOME HOLES IN IT WHEN WE DEEM ITS SAFE TO WALK OUT THERE 100YARDS.

CURRENT RADAR

Update 12/09/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  8:35am I was a bit thin on my snowfall total, I forgot they plowed the road yesterday. There is easily 8" of new snow. We have specials on cabins this weekend, 50.00 per night, chalets 100.00 per night. Cabins and chalets are limited to 4 persons. Up to two additional persons in a cabin for 10.00 more per night, and 25.00 more per night in chalets. Cabin snowmobile packages are 600.00 for two sleds and a cabin for two nights, Friday-Sunday. Chalets packages starting at 700.00 with two sleds. Two-Up sleds are 100.00 more for the weekend.

  7:35am   Well its snowing still, looks like around 6 inches on the ground so far. The webcam has a picture from this morning. This is a wet heavy snow, not the fluffy stuff, should be good for making a base. They are calling for more, today, tonight and tomorrow. PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE LAKE, IT MAY LOOK GOOD, BUT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE ICE BEFORE THIS SNOW CAME DOWN. THIS SNOW WILL ACT AS AN INSULATOR A BIT AND SLOW THE THICKENING OF THE ICE. CHECK ICE CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU STEP OUT THERE. WE WILL POKE SOME HOLES IN IT WHEN WE DEEM ITS SAFE TO WALK OUT THERE.Will report again as the day goes on with some pictures. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/08/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:35pm   No snow yet, but its on the way. The pictures below are from today as the storm approaches on regional radar. I am going to put a light out next to the gauge with the temp gauge tonight. Trying to get out of here to go pan out what we have with the groomer. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/08/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:00am   Now snow last night, but the lake did ice over. The storm advisory is still active, local weather is reporting 4-8 tonight and 1-4 tomorrow. Steve was out panning tyhe trails last night, and I will probably go out today and take some pictures. More as the conditions change. A picture of the lake is below. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/07/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:00am   We got about 3" last night and its still snowing now. There is a weather storm advisory from now thru Thursday morning. Lets hope John Dee's earlier prediction was right. The old webcam is opened up to everyone, the username and password are posted on yesterdays update. Will update again as conditions improve.  THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/06/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  3:47pm   We are installing the new PTZ-213 camera and dome assembly. This camera has 27x optical zoom and 12 x digital. You can control it from the website. You can see the lake as well as the snow gauge we made for the ground VERY clearly. This is running at well above 30 FPS so motion is smooth. This camera will be visible for guests and people that don't visit the resort but make a donation of 25.00 or more. This camera will be limited to the first 100 people that make a donation, and anyone that is a guest. Because this is a full motion camera with control, it has limitations on the number of simultaneous users. For this reason only I have to limit the number of non-guests so my guests will have access to it and be able to control the cam (you may have to wait a turn). You can pan +/- 180, tilt and zoom, all remotely. If there are significantly more users that want access, I will add a second camera. These things are pricey, the installation, camera, dome etc. is just under $3000.00 and the dedicated internet connection is $60.00 per month. This camera is the only device on this new internet connection, so for the naysayers, this isn't an attempt to make money, it is an attempt to break even and provide a birds eye view of what's going on up here. I am logging IP's, so if I find a username online at two different locations within the same time period, the users access will be removed. I can share several cameras on the dedicated connection, however purchasing a second will be another $3000.00. I have been waiting for these things to come down in price, but its just not happening so if you want to save a drive, make a donation. Our current camera provides full motion video, but not anywhere close to the resolution that this professional camera provides. This is the camera that is located on top of University of Michigan Flint campus. Thanks to everyone that supported this website in the past. If we are successful with generating enough for this one, I will see about securing another one within trail system. Its snowing now...check out the cam...THINK SNOW!!!!!!

Existing camera temporary    username: guest

                                            password: guest

You must have windows XP and download this link http://www.americanoakresort.com/xpctrl.exe for it to work. This is a DLink camera and this is their file. It is an active-x control so you must have active-x enabled in your browser. Last time I tested it, it would not work with Firefox or Mozilla.  THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/06/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  10:01am   We got another dusting last night, 1-2" is in the forecast for tonight, and 2-3" for tomorrow. The webcam picture is from this morning. The lake skimmed over a ways out last night, but the thin layer is gone now. Its ready to freeze, but just not cold enough yet. I am going to post a username and password for the live feed this weekend, and open it to all visitors, but only for a week or so.  You must have windows XP and download this link http://www.americanoakresort.com/xpctrl.exe for it to work. This is a DLink camera and this is their file. It is an active-x control so you must have active-x enabled in your browser. Last time I tested it, it would not work with Firefox or Mozilla.  THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/05/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  12:01pm   We got a dusting of 1" last night again. John Dee's forecast still has us area that may get a large storm Dec 8-9th. The webcam picture is from this morning. Still no ice on the lake. I am going to post a username and password for the live feed this weekend, and open it to all visitors, but only for a week or so.  You must have windows XP and download this link http://www.americanoakresort.com/xpctrl.exe for it to work. This is a DLink camera and this is their file. It is an active-x control so you must have active-x enabled in your browser. Last time I tested it, it would not work with Firefox or Mozilla.  THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/04/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:01am   We got a dusting of 1-2" last night, it looks like winter is here. More snow in the forecast and John Dee has revised his forecast and included us in an area that may get a large storm Dec 8-9th. Better than it looked a few days ago. The webcam picture is from this morning. I am going to post a username and password for the live feed this weekend, and open it to all visitors, but only for a week or so.  You must have windows XP and download this link http://www.americanoakresort.com/xpctrl.exe for it to work. This is a DLink camera and this is their file. It is an active-x control so you must have active-x enabled in your browser. Last time I tested it, it would not work with Firefox or Mozilla. If you see anyone dancing in the street on the camera, it is my neighbor Bill, I asked him to do a snow dance for us. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/03/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:01am   Nothing good to write here, still no snow on the ground, and nothing significant in the forecast. Some snow is predicted for tomorrow, all we can hope for is one of those 1-2" storms, that produces more than anyone has predicted. The lake is still open, as opposed to last year when it iced over on November 22nd. Scroll down to last season if you want to compare. We were riding on the lake around the 9th. hopefully this year we can get some snow before the Christmas break and keep it thru New Years. THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 12/01/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:01am   Today is oficially the first day of snowmobile season, but all we have is a dusting on the ground. The large webcam capture is from this morning. Houghton Lake has done a lot of improvements to the trail system in the off season, repairs on 655 to Meredith (near the beaver dam, just North of grass lake road), as well as trail widening and stump removal on large portions of our trail system. We are trying to get all trails 16-20ft wide. That will make them hold up better, if we aren't funneled into narrower areas. The webcam is still running, but due to the extremely high traffic it is password protected. This is a live webcam with a live video feed, not captured stills. If its snowing you can see the flakes fall. Will take pictures and update again as conditions improve. No ice on the lake yet.  

Update 3/16/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:01am   It got to 51 yesterday and the snow is melting fast. They were still driving trucks on the lake yesterday, so theres plenty of ice left for ice fishing. I talked to some guys that rode the Blue Bear Saturday, at they figured it was there last ride there also.  

Update 3/12/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:01am   No new snow last night, its 5 degrees right now so nothing has changed since yesterday. Todays high is 31 so things should remain pretty much the same, but from tomorrow on its looking to warm up. This may be the last ride you can get, so if you were waiting do it this weekend is the time.  THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 3/12/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  9:01pm   The trails are still not bad, hard to believe. The cold temps have frozen up most of the slushy spots. I rode from Houghton Lake to Dingmans, then Starvation Lake. The lake has spotty snow, but enough to keep things lubed up. I got on at the resort, and off at CO Rd 300. The worst part was the stretch of road north of Mead Road. After that plenty of snow on the trail and in the woods for off trail riding. They groomed trail 76 South of M72 and it was a flat suprerhighway. So if you have a place here and want to squeeze in a last ride, it still possible. Considering its March it was a great ride. The lake is extremely flat and I saw a couple trucks on it from people ice fishing.  THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 3/9/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

  12:01pm   The trails are looking good, hard to believe. There are some sluchy spots under the snow, but considering its March it would be a great ride. the lake is extremely flat and this stuff was wet enough to stick and wont be blowing off. Some pictures are posted below. THINK SNOW!!! 

 11:41am   We got a 3-4" inches of the strangest snow/sleet/ice pellets that I have ever seen. Enough to ride the lake once again and maybe squeeze in a ride in the woods. Off to the North they are saying 6-7" and some places reporting over a foot. I just went out and checked the lake and trails, and this stuff is the best we could have asked for for riding. Its hard packed base with fluff on top. I am going to take a trip on a sled and see what I can find and take a few pictures. A great time to get out and ride. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 3/9/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 10:41am   We got a 3-4" inches of the strangest snow/sleet/ice pellets that I have ever seen. Enough to ride the lake once again and maybe squeeze in a ride in the woods. Off to the nothe they are saying 6-7" and some places reporting over a foot. I just went out and checked the lake and trails, and this stuff is the best we could have asked for for riding. Its hard packed base with fluff on top. I am going to take a trip on a sled and see what I can find and take a few pictures. A great time to get out and ride. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 3/1/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:41am   Not much new to report, no new snow last night, just blistering cold temps. A couple friends rode down from Bear Lake to Houghton Lake yesterday, and they said the corners were getting icy, and the lake is so hard packed, the couple on the 2-up rev was having come cooling problems. The big four strokes are having the same issues, not enough powder on the lake if you dont have studs to spit it up. We are going for a ride today, so we will post some more pictures later. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 2/28/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:41am   We rode to Starvation Lake yesterday from the Resort. Trail 6/7 going north was the absolute best I have ever seen it. North of M-72 the trails got a bit bumpier due to the traffic. If you were thinking of riding this weekend, but changed your mind because of the rain, you are missing out. The trails south need more snow, but after the extremely cold temps last night we may be able to take the groomer out on them and pull in the sides a bit. Its 2 degrees now and the low at the house was -6. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 2/27/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:41am   The north trails seemed to hold up well. We spoke to some riders from the Grayling area that were goint to Gaylord and got turned around and headed South. They said the trails down to Houghton Lake were good. Trails to the south are not looking so hot. The Leota trails are pretty chewed up and dirty. I drove down to the trail crossing at Canoe Camp RD and US-127. There were two sleds riding there, but I wouldn't go until it firms up more. Maybe by later this evening. There were also sleds coming down Owens, again not completely melted down, but far from good. The best bet is to go North. THINK SNOW!!! 

These are at Mead Rd, Just over US-127. Looking south, then north across the Muskegon river bridge.

Duck Lake Road, At Emery. Plenty of snow but watery underneath. Then 655 at Enery.

 9:45am   We got rain/snow/sleet last night, but since then the temps snapped and everything is freezing back up. Our trail system was double groomed this week, and going into yesterday everything was flat. We are going to go out and take a look and post some pictures. We will update this again in a couple hours. It is snowing a bit here, and a more on the north side of the lake. A couple people went out this morning and headed north so when they check in we will have another report.  The rain went as far north as the bridge, so similar conditions exist everywhere. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 2/26/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9:33am   Nothing much happened yesterday or last night, the trails are good now, but no since taking any pictures as mother nature is on her way bringing something. They are still calling for anywhere from 3-5 or 4-8 depending on what you read. Also some sleet and freezing rain in the mix. Tomorrow morning will be when we know what the weekend has in store for us. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 2/25/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9:33am   The Houghton Lake area got a 1" today, instead of the rain they were callin for we got snow. They are calling for light snow or freezing rain tonight and tomorrow. John Dee has us in the middle of a 4-8" by Friday morning, so hopefully he is right. The next 24 hours will tell the story for the weekend. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 2/22/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9:33am   We have some great deals on Mid week cabin and snowmobile rentals!! Cabins as low as 50/nt, chalets 85/nt. The Houghton Lake area got a 6-8" last night. Going north just a few miles even more. We rode to Meredith today, plenty of snow all the way there. They are grooming right now and will continue thru the week. This week will have some great riding, so if you can sneak out during the week, you will have the trails to yourself. We will post some pictures after the grooming, but even before the groom, there is little chop out there. My daughter rode 45 miles today, her first time on her own sled. These trails are 75% better than the trails to the north, less traffic = better trails. If you live here or stay here, some of the best riding is out of here heading north before you hit the high traffic areas. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 2/21/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9:33am   The houghton Lake area got a small dusting last night. We rode the lake and headed North as lake effect snow was on the radar just north of Houghton Lake. We rode to starvation lake and the trails were in great shape. There was a LOT of sled traffic North of M72. A couple pictures are posted below. Eric groomed the 655 to Meredith yesterday and Steve groomed the west trail. We need more snow, and its coming right now. By the time anyone reads this the snow should be good everywhere. We passed the Rosco Higgins groomer aroun 8.30 last night heading West on 6/7. Right now its best to take the lake and go to the North. They are predicting 3-6 today, and 1-3 tonight. We will be grooming again today and tomorrow if this snow comes.

                                              6/7 A couple miles north of the Higgings Lake Trailhead.                 The park at the Manistee River, the picnic table shows fresh snow.

Update 2/20/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:33am   The houghton Lake area got a small dusting last night. We got a total of 3-4" of snow throught the week. I would consider the trails rideable. We are renting snowmobiles this week. I took some pics this morning, they are posted below.

Update 2/19/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 1:56pm   The houghton Lake area did not recieve the amount of snow that was forecasted. We recieved about 1 1/2-2" of snow. The base on the trails is icy but they appear to be rideable. There appears to be 1-3" of snow on the trails. There is no dirt that I saw really but once again it is icy. I took some pics of 655, grass lake rd and waco rd.  The deeper snow is on the side trails if you know your way around the well used trails are a little thin. I also posted the 5 day forecast by weather underground and the 4 day illustration by John Dee.

Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday
18° F | 9° F	22° F | 7° F	20° F | 9° F	25° F | 7° F	27° F | 7° F
Snow Showers 80% chance of precipitation	Snow Showers 40% chance of precipitation	Chance of Snow 40% chance of precipitation	Chance of Snow 50% chance of precipitation

Update 2/18/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 12:01pm   The houghton Lake area is recieving snow right now. We have gotten about 1" of snow fall this morning. We are supposed to recieve a total of 4-8" by thursday night. As soon as we get some more snow I will hit the trails and get some pics for the next update. Right now its looking good for the weekend.

	Rest of Today Occasional snow and patchy drizzle early in the afternoon...then occasional snow. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 3 inches. Highs in the lower 30s. West winds 5 to 15 mph. » ZIP Code Detail
	Tonight Snow showers likely. Areas of blowing snow. Breezy. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches. Lows around 14. Northwest winds 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 70 percent.
	Thursday Snow showers likely. Areas of blowing snow. Breezy... colder. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches. Highs in the lower 20s. Northwest winds 20 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 70 percent.

Update 2/17/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9:47am   The houghton Lake area is holding some cool temps. It looks like we have a shot at getting a good winter blast this week. The weather channel and weather underground are calling for 4 inches of snow through wed. and Thu. John Dee is saying a possibility for 4inches. I am posting the weather report from weather underground and a pic of John Dees frost freeze line.  

36° F | 25° F	31° F | 16° F	23° F | 9° F	20° F | 7° F	20° F | 9° F
Mostly Cloudy	Snow 80% chance of precipitation	Snow 80% chance of precipitation	Chance of Snow 30% chance of precipitation	Chance of Snow 40% chance of precipitation

Update 2/14/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 10:00am   The houghton Lake area recieved about 1-1/2 inches of snow this morning, and its still snowing. It has turned everything white again, and now you can ride the lake. The trails need more snow, it looks like early December. The pictures would look drastically different from yesterday, but there is not a lot of base.

Update 2/13/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 1:00pm   The houghton Lake area recieved a substantial thaw this week. The warm weather and rain did not help the trails out. There is a layer of ice on the trails but there is no snow. I am posting the 5 day forecast below, I also took some pictures of trail conditions today. It looks there might be some snow coming this way on the ten day forecast, it should be coming Wed. and Thu. 

Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday
30° F | 18° F	29° F | 11° F	29° F | 13° F	29° F | 16° F	31° F | 16° F
Snow Showers 20% chance of precipitation	Chance of Snow 40% chance of precipitation	Partly Cloudy	Partly Cloudy	Partly Cloudy

Update 1/28/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 4:07pm   We recieved about 2 inches of snow last night the groomers have been running this week and trail conditions are good. 

Update 1/18/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 3:18pm   We recieved a fresh 6 inches of snow yesterday and we are getting a good amount right now. Things are settling down so we can get out and groom now. We have a lot of snow but it was relatively busy this weekend with TUT. 

Update 1/08/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 10:00am   We totaled about 4 inches of snow yesterday we are going to groom later i willl try to snag some pics. Trails should be pretty nice now. I will update later. 

Update 1/07/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 9:41am   We recieved 2-3 inches of snow last night we may get another inch yet tonight. Below is the for cast for the rest of the week. Trail conditions haven't changed much corners are a little icy but trails are still ridable. 

29° F | 18° F	23° F | 13° F	22° F | 18° F	23° F | 9° F	20° F | 7° F
Snow 100% chance of precipitation	Snow Showers 50% chance of precipitation	Snow 60% chance of precipitation	Chance of Snow 50% chance of precipitation	Partly Cloudy

Update 1/06/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:55pm    Eric did 654 and 6 to the 6/7 split. We will be running again tonight keeping things flat. Snow is in the forecast every day for the rest of the week. We have a lot of ice so get up and enjoy some do some fishing to be ready to with the contest at TUT 2009. Don't forget about the TUT poker run both Saturdays of the festival from 12:00 till 4:00pm. Its free to join and Spicers Boat City has sponsored all of the prizes. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 1/05/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 8:55pm    Big Joe went out and did 654 and 6 to the Leota 6/7 split and 655 North of Waco last night. Chris went out and cleaned 655 north of Waco and Eric is running 654 to 6 then to the 6'7 split tonight because Big Joe said it needed more work. Still plenty of base 6-8+ but the snow keeps getting pushed out in the corners. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 1/04/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 8:55am    We checked the trails yesterday, and most everything but 655 to Meredith was flat, so I ran to Meredith and Chris came back. 655 is getting a lot of traffic, maybe because of the washout on 6 just north of Grass Lake. You can still cross is but be careful, its getting wider. Corners are a bit icy, but we keep covering them up. We got some freezing rain this morning, when we go out on the trail we will report again. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 1/03/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:55am    Eric ran last night and did 655 to Meredith. One of the blades had a weld break so he couldn't dig so much but he finished anyways. We will be back out today, Doug from All About Welding came out first thing this morning and got it fixed. There were about 15 or so other welds that were cracked so he got them all for us. Its a bit icy in some corners but we are trying to keep them covered. If you were planning on riding this weekend, things are looking good. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 1/02/09 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00am    Chris was out all day yesterday, he groomed 654, and 6 to the split at the 6/7 split. then my cousin Mark joined him and they went up 6/7 on the West Trail to break up the hard snow and ice with 2 tractors. Chris also groomed duck Lake and 655 to Waco. We will try and hit 655 to Meredit again today. We got a 1" dusting last nigfht, better than nothing.  If you were planning on riding this weekend, things are looking good. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/31/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 4:00am    We got the ok to groom. We double groomed 655 to county line and picked up 35 or so trees, we passed some sleds and they said there were numerous trees down on 6 and it was impassible because the trees were laying across the trail and a swamp area was on both sides. So we turned around and went back up 655 to 6, then 6 to Waco. I couldnt believe how nice they were grooming out, but it took both tractors to bust the hard ice out of the corners. Trail 6 has a water hazard, a small amount of water was washing over the road. The lake has 3-4 inches of fresh snow so you can ride it once again. If you were planning on riding this weekend, things are looking good. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/30/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00am    We are waiting on the ok to groom from the DNR. There are a few people out riding, but we had to wait until the snow  and water froze back up to take the tractors out. There is a bit of snow we can pull in from the sides and its supposed to snow today. If we go the groomer cam will be on.THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/29/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00am    The rain did a lot of damage, hard to imagine all that snow that was out in the woods has melted so much. There is still a fair amount of snow on the ground, but its under a hard ice layer. It has been below freezing now and we will see if we can take the groomers out and bust up this hard snow. They are calling for a storm by Wed.  THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/26/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:00am    We are going to groom to Meredith and the webcam will be on, got 2" of snow overnight. The weather looks to turn for the worse, so this will be short and we will update with pictures again after the storm rolls thru. We rode to Bear Lake last night, and there was more snow than I have ever seen this time of year, what happens over the next 48 hours will determine when we will be able to ride again. If you can ride today, get out and do it. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/21/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:00am    We are going to groom to Meredith and the webcam will be on, got a dusting of snow overnight, but it snowed on and off all day yeaterday. The wind was blowing so we have a lot of snow on the sides of the trails that we can pull in to add to the base. The lake has good snow on it for riding and the ice in front of the resort is now 12"+. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/21/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:00pm    We got another 3" of new snow overnight. Big Joe did Trail 6 to the 6/7 split and 654, Steve went 655 to Meredith and back. The trails are in great shape a 6"+ base. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/20/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:00pm    We got about 8" of new snow, Steve and Mike double groomed the west trail, so everything got double groomed after the rain last week. The trails are in great shape, with the most base I have seen in 8 years.  THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/19/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:00am    We are in the middle of the snowstorm now, we have a couple inches already and its a whiteout. They are calling for a storm total by tomorrow morning of 8-11 inches. The trails are in awesome shape. Take advantage of our snowmobile rental packages or if you need a place to stay, stay and support the groomers... 

Update 12/19/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:36am    Steve and I double groomed 654 to 6, then 6 to the 6/7 split heading to Leota or the West Trail. I groomed 655 to Meredith and back after that. Double grooming is doing the trick to bust up the hard snow, then the trails are perfect.  Some corners still need more work to pull the snow from the high side down into them. I poked a hole in the ice yeaterday, there was 10" of ice in front of the resort 50 yards out. We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/18/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:36pm    I groomed 655 to Meredith, it took 8.5 hours to get down there and 4 to get back. I cleared 14 trees on the way down. The trails are grooming nicely, this fresh snow has done wonders. Its taking a while because of the hard packed snow and the rain sunday, but there is a 6+ base in most areas. Some corners still need more work to pull the snow from the high side down into them. I poked a hole in the ice yeaterday, there was 10" of ice in front of the resort 50 yards out. We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/17/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:36pm    Use caution when riding there are some blowdowns in the area there are about a dozen trees down on some hills on 655 near Meredith. We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/17/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:30am    We got about 3" of snow last night, enough to make the lake rideable once again. We are waiting on the DNR to tell us if we can groom. Temps were around 7 last night, its 11 now. More snow is in the forecast for Thursday, and well as flurries throughout the day today. The Houghton Lake groomer does NOT run any further East than duck Lake road, which is about 2 miles West of M-18. We are getting a lot of complaints on this section of trail, and it's not that I am saying the snowpackers are doing a bad job, but that section of trail has orvs on it in the summer so the corners get blown out pretty bad and the dirt base is full on mogules. Add us to your yahoo Houghton_Lake_Groomer. You can send us messages if you see signs down, bad trails or a hazard that needs attention.We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/15/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:30pm    I took the groomer out for a trial. I could cut thru the hard snow, but there is a lot of water underneath. The tires were breaking thru making a mess and doing more harm than good. There is still a fair bit of snow on the trails 6+ base except for sharp corners. It is just very hard snow. I will try it again after it freezes up a bit more. The Houghton Lake groomer does NOT run any further East than duck Lake road, which is about 2 miles West of M-18. The snowpackers from St Helen meet us there. Add us to your yahoo Houghton_Lake_Groomer. You can send us messages if you see signs down, bad trails or a hazard that needs attention.We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

10:30am    Nothing good to report today, mother nature again threw us a curve. We got a lot of rain last night, so much so that the lake doesn't have any snow on it, and it had over a foot. I drove out to the trailhead, and its and icy mess. There is still some snow on it so I am going to try and take the groomer and see if we can break it up. Its bitter cold, and the wind is gusting to almost 40MPH. I'm sure when the next day or two is over, the lake will have a lot more ice on it. I scanned a lot of trail report pages this morning and everyone is quiet or not really saying waht happened. Well the truth is this was a bad blow and after I try the groomer, we will know just how bad. Snow is in the forecast, but beware wherever you ride in lowere Mi there is going to be a lot of ice. The heavy rain hit Cadillac and Kalkaska well before ur due to the storm tracking NE at about a 45 degree angle from Chicago. The Houghton Lake groomer does NOT run any further East than duck Lake road, which is about 2 miles West of M-18. The snowpackers from St Helen meet us there. Add us to your yahoo Houghton_Lake_Groomer. You can send us messages if you see signs down, bad trails or a hazard that needs attention.We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/14/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:30am    Chris and I double groomed the west trail from the parking lot on Owens all the way to the Bridge over 27 on the north shore. We had to go around the swamp because its not frozen enough to carry the weight of the groomer, but sleds have been running across it. Chris also groomed 654. We wanted to get everything packed tight before todays warm up, but by 9.30 last night it was too warm to continue. We didnt get to 655 to Meredith. The temp is 34 right now, but the good news is little or no precipitation is coming down. We just need to get thru today and we will be back at it. The temps are supposed to go to the 20's tonight. The Houghton Lake groomer does NOT run any further East than duck Lake road, which is about 2 miles West of M-18. The snowpackers from St Helen meet us there. Add us to your yahoo Houghton_Lake_Groomer. You can send us messages if you see signs down, bad trails or a hazard that needs attention.We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/13/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:30pm    I wanted to thank Big Joe of Joes Small Engine (989) 422-6508 for laying down a nice highway for us on our way back from Leota last night. I see the pan a lot, but dont often get to ride on something freshly groomed like that. Big Joe does small engine repair, snowmobiles, dirt bikes and quads, so give him a call if you need something fixed. We have both tractors from Houghton Lake out now, and the groomer cam will be on. Add us to your yahoo Houghton_Lake_Groomer. You can send us messages if you see signs down, bad trails or a hazard that needs attention.We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

6:30am    We only got an inch or snow in the past 24 hours. We groomed everything Thursday but the west trail, and we rode to Meredith and Leota and the trails were great. Trail 6 was tore up a bit and we are going to fix it today. The sad news is someone drove down there last nigh and took their own life in their car. We saw the State Police down there and the tow truck removing the car. We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/11/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:30am    We only got an inch or snow in the past 24 hours. The 8100 won't start, so we didn't run it last night. We have lots of snow on the trails we need to finish getting it straightened out. Mike J is going to do the West Trail today, and hopefully we can get the 8100 going and finish up the local loops. and trail 6 towards Leota. Reports from riders say going out of Houghton Lake in every direction trails are great. We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/10/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:30pm    I groomed 655 last night from Owens Rd parking lot to Meredith and back. All this snow made it an 8 hour trip. A good 20 minutes was spent crawling my way out when I slid off the trail. The trail was perfect after I went thru with a 6-8 inch base in most areas. There was a lot of snow to pull in off the sides where it drifted, enough to get stuck several times. I took a few pictures, and I will post them later. Got up this morning as was fixing lights etc, crawled the tractor over the new pile of snow the road comission made in my parking lot...and boom, the read tire tube blew out. It had some bark stuck in it from and earlier skiff with a tree, and I think it got to the tube. 300.00 later we have a fresh tube. I dont pay attention to the DNR reinbursement rate, but last year I think it was 4.61 per mile. So 8 hours in the tractor=50 miles<$250.00, and thats not counting the fuel. donate to your local club, we need the money. I'm thinking of going again tonight, but I would rather ride....We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/09/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:10pm    We got about 10-12 inches total, and its still snowing. This will be short, I just fired up the groomer. The trails have a lot of snow on them, now we need to pack it down. I rode to Meredith, and it was a great ride busting a new trail. The lake has very deep snow on it, and right now you need a sled with some power to get moving at a decent rate. The groomer cam will be on in a few minutes, add houghton_Lake_Groomer to your yahoo, or guests have another method to connect. We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

9:00am    We got about 5-6 inches last night, and its supposed to snow until 1am on Wed. morning. another 4-5 is in the forecast. It's 25 right now. Big Joe went out last night and was going to do 654 and Steve was finishing up the West trail. The trails are in excellent shape, with the most snow we have seen this early in years. We have some some special cabin/snowmobile packages during the week. Call 888-863-1262 for more information. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/08/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:15am    We got a couple inches last night, and the temps dipped into the teens. It's 17 right now. Chris Was out Saturday working 655, Duck Lake. Steve was out on the West Higgins Trail last night. I groomed to Meredith on 655 and then 6 across to the Leota/West Higgins split last night as well. There is a storm in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow so hopefully that will dump some more snow on us. The trails are in great shape for this early in the season, and they get better after each groom. Use caution if you go out on the lake..... THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/06/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:23am    We got a dusting last night, but the temps dipped into the teens. We rode the shoreline on the lake last night from the resort on Jefferson St down to Devonshire then got off and went across M-55 to Owens. We rode down to Elbow lake, and it was a great flat ride. There were a few sleds out, but not many. It's a great time to get some early season riding in. THINK SNOW!!!!  P.S. WE ARE GETTING SOME SNOW RIGHT NOW!

Update 12/05/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:37am    There has not been a significant snow fall since the last update. Trail conditions are pretty good. I cant wait to see what the rest of the season brings, with the start that we already have. Temperatures have fallen and winter has really kicked in. The lake has about five inches of ice and could be used with caution. Dont try to venture across it but you could ride sleds and there are eager icefisherman fishing near shore. I bored a hole this mourning below are some pics and weather forecast. THINK SNOW!!!!  P.S. WE ARE GETTING SOME SNOW RIGHT NOW!

FRIDAY                                SATURDAY                        SUNDAY                        MONDAY                            TUESDAY

20° F | 14° F -7° C | -10° C	25° F | 13° F -4° C | -11° C	20° F | -3° F -7° C | -19° C	22° F | 16° F -6° C | -9° C	29° F | 13° F -2° C | -11° C
Snow Showers 30% chance of precipitation	Snow 90% chance of precipitation	Chance of Snow 50% chance of precipitation	Chance of Snow 30% chance of precipitation	Chance of Snow 30% chance of precipitation

Update 12/04/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:30am   I just got back from grooming. I groomed 655 from the parking lot on Owens to Meredith and back. I also groomed across Grass lake where it meets 655, all the way to where it splits to go to Leota or West Higgins (Trail 6) and back. Then I groomed Duck Lake Rd down to 6, and then 6 all the way around to 654, then back up to the 655 & 654 split, I turned around and went  654 to 6 to Duck Lake. I groomed every trail in our system twice but the West Trail, Steve was working on that.(17 hours and a half tank of fuel).  I pulled up some dirt, but covered most of it on the way back. We are widening all of our trails. The ground is NOT frozen yet, doesn't seem to have even started. A few pictures are below, wish I wasn't so tired, I would be riding....   The lake looks great but it is very dangerous, check it carefully before you go out on it. THINK SNOW!!!! 

Update 12/03/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00am   We got a bit of snow yesterday, but the good news is the DNR gave us the ok to groom this morning. I fired up the 8100 and Steve is going to take the New Holland. The guys in Leota will be on the 7810 heading towards us. The webcam in the groomer should be operating, on yahoo look for Houghton_Lake_Groomer and add us as your friend, you can watch us work. We need to cut the trails wide so there is a good chance we will be pulling in a bit of dirt, but it has to be done to establish the trail. We are supposed to get more snow today so that should cover up anything we uncover. I will post pictures later today . The lake looks great but it is very dangerous, check it carefully before you go out on it. THINK SNOW!!!! 

Update 12/02/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:15am   We got another 2-3 inches since yesterday morning. This was wet snow so its settling quite a bit. The groomer is ready, and Steve has been working on the other one. We are waiting on the ok to go from the DNR. Its snowing now and the temp is 24. The temps are supposed to drop even further so that should help the lake. There is more snow in the forecast, and possibly another storm Wed. The lake looks great but it is very dangerous, check it carefully before you go out on it. THINK SNOW!!!! 

Update 12/01/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:54am   We got 5-6 inches last night. Some areas in our trail section got a bit more. big Joe and steve were out yesterday doing some final grading, and we have the 8100 here and are fixing lights and flipping all the blades on the drag over because they are severely worn. Some pictures will be posted today. The lake looks great but it is very dangerous, check it carefully before you go out on it. THINK SNOW!!!! 

Update 11/28/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:54am   We got 3-4 inches over the last couple days, and it seems like its here to stay. We will get some pictures of the lake and trails and post them today. I will also try and get some ice thicknesses ans see how the lake is doing. There is snow in the forecast every ney for the next 7 days. THINK SNOW!!!! 

Update 11/24/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:54am   We have 3-4 inches in the forecast for today, and 2-3 tonight. They have been working on brushing and signing and it sounds like they are almost done. Mike J, Steve and Big Joe have been grading and removing stumps. We have the ok to go out and start grooming Dec 1. There are limited hours you can ride before rifle season is over. Everyone gets their time in the woods so THINK SNOW!!!! 

Update 11/22/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:41am  Winter is back, and the lake is iced over already. We have had snow on the ground for a few days now, and it seems to be staying. If this is any indication of how the winter is going to be, we are off to a great start. THINK SNOW!!!! 

Update 04/10/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:17pm  Houghton lake is mostly open water now. There are updated trail pics on the orv page.  http://americanoakresort.com/trailorv.htm . 

Update 04/07/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:32am  Houghton lake ice conditions are now unsafe. You can also look at trail reports on our orv trail page at the following link  http://americanoakresort.com/trailorv.htm . 

Update 04/06/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:41am  We had a great weekend in Houghton Lake. The weather was great with temps near 60 degrees. The trails I took pics of on the fourth probably have a considerable amount of snow melted off of them. I will go out and take some pics of the trails in the next couple of days.  You can also look at trail reports on our orv trail page at the following link  http://americanoakresort.com/trailorv.htm . 

Update 04/04/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:47pm  I posted some pictures on the orv trail page, you can look at them at the following link.  http://americanoakresort.com/trailorv.htm . 

Update 04/04/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:21am  The snow in Houghton Lake is about completly gone. All there is left is remnants of a great snowmobile season. I am gearing towards ORV season so most of my updates will be on our ORV page http://americanoakresort.com/trailorv.htm . Here is our upcoming weather forecast.

Update 04/02/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:44am  Today's temps in Houghton Lake are going to be near 50 degrees. The 31st we got a lot of rain which made the lake sloppy but it froze back up yesterday. It should be good this weekend for ice fishing.  There is over 15 inches of ice right now. It is going to warm up this weekend, this weekend is a primetime to fish.

Update 04/01/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:18am  As funny as Michigan is I think our snowmobile season is over. I was really hoping for a March blast of snow. The U.P. got hammered with snow last night while we got rain, and a lot of it. I guess its time to prep the atv's for summer. I am going to start posting orv trail pics and updates on our orv trail section. If you like this page check out our orv page this month.

Update 03/27/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:58pm  Houghton Lake has lots of ice on the lake. Trail conditions are not stellar. If we had a big storm it would be possible to ride. The ice on the trails is still holding. We just need snow on top of it. If we dont get snow we will probably have good conditions for atv's and bikes in the near future. Here are a few pics of trail conditions as of this mourning.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 03/20/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:13am  Houghton Lake has not recieved the March blast of snow we usually get. It is still pretty cold up here. A couple of days we hit temps around forty, but fo the most part it has been cold. We have plenty of ice, but we have a small amount of snow left.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 03/14/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:47pm  Houghton Lake snow conditions have pretty much diminished. There is still a little slush and ice on the local trails which could freeze and be ridable if we got some snow. I have not ridden but my buddy john said the trails were still rideable in his neck of the woods. John lives in the Grayling area and tends to ride around the starvation lake area. We still have plenty of ice in the lake and there has been a lot of fisherman but that is about all thats happening in the area.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 03/07/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:17am  Houghton Lake snow conditions have not changed since the 4th. I went out and groomed some of the south trails yesterday. I pulled in as much snow as I could from the sides, and on the corners into the trails. Trails are still a little icy in spots but I am going to rate them as fair, they are definately rideable. Steve also groomed yesterday. Steve hit the west trail. He said trail six wasn't in great shape in between Reserve road and Old 27. But west of 27 he rated them as fair to excellent.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 03/04/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:31am  I went out and took some pics. The trails are a little icy on the inside corners, but it is nothing we can't fix with the groomer. We should have another good weekend of riding. John Dee from www.johndee.com is calling for 4 inches this week. Temps are going to stay cold through the weekend. Maybe we will have a good March after all. As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 03/03/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:33pm  Houghton Lake recieved some rain this mourning but the majority of it missed us. Temps have made a drastic drop and the precipitation has turned to snow. As of now there is not a lot of snow in the forecast for this week. There is a 30% chance of snow showers Wed.-Thur. I am going to head out right now to take pics of the trail conditions. I will post them as soon as I get back.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/27/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:42am  Houghton Lake still has decent snow. Tomorrow we are supposed to get another two inches. We are looking at a warm up this weekend were it is going to be in the high thirties on Sunday and Monday. If you are thinking about riding, this weekend is a good time to do it as snow conditions might worsen through the week. I will update later with pictures of current trail conditions.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/25/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:31am  Houghton Lake is recieving a little bit of sleet right now. The current temp is 28 degrees. We are calling for snow tonight and into tomorrow. Trails should be great this weekend.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/24/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:42pm  Houghton Lake trail condotions are in excellent shape. Art and myself groomed the entire south trail system by ourselves last night to make sure they stay in excellent condition. It is our dedication to you our customers and our love for snowmobiling that allows us to push ourselves to put ten to fifteen ours in the tractor when no one else wants to volunteer. I hope that everyone that comes to the Houghton Lake area  has a pleasurable experience, other wise our efforts would be pointless. I got a little bit of crap from a guy that thinks I only post good conditions. I just want to say I call it like I see it, and if his trail conditions suck in Wexford county that is his problem. I met a couple of guys last night that also reported very good riding conditions. Scott and Jeff are pictured below with smiles ear to ear, you don't see that from unhappy riders. Well anyways here are some pictures of some of the south trails we groomed last night.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/21/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:11am  Houghton Lake has not received any snowfall since 02-19-08. Before the last snow came down the trails were icy. However I went coyote hunting last night and I walked across some of the trails and they were pretty nice. Snowmobile traffic was pretty heavy yesterday and the new snow we had got packed down. I haven't rode on them, but they looked like you could really let it rip on them. Temps are going to remain in the teens throughout the week. As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/19/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:34am  Houghton Lake received about four inches of snow yesterday. I took a peek at the trails yesterday and they weren't bad. they were a little icy in the corners. The fresh snow will take care of that. We will be grooming this week so the trails should be good this weekend for you weekend warriors. temps are going to stay in the teens through the week. We are also supposed to get a additional 1-2 inches of snow today. As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/18/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:34am  Houghton Lake received some freezing rain last night. Art groomed Saturday night into Sunday mourning so he really helped the trails. I haven't had a chance to ride them. I am going to go out today and check them out and take some pictures. Last nights low was around 10 degrees. It is going to be in the twenties for a high today and the highs for the rest of the week are going to be in the teens. It is snowing right now and we are supposeed to get one to three inches of snow today. I will update if conditions change later in the day. As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/15/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:31am  Houghton Lake received about five to six inches of snow last night. Last nights low was around nineteen degrees. Temps look like they are going to be in the teens and twenties for awhile except for Sunday which is suppossed to be around thirty one degrees. This weekend should have some great trail conditions in store for us. As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/14/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:57pm  Houghton Lake should get some winter love for Valentines Day. We are supposed to get one to three inches of snow today and two to four inches tonight. Snow conditions are already good. Fresh snow will make them perfect. Last nights low was around-2 degrees. Temps will stay in the teens untill Sunday when there is a high of 31 expected. This new snow that we are supposed to get will make for the best riding conditions I have seen all year. As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/13/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:59am  Houghton Lakes trail conditions are good. We have a lot of snow right now. I rented some sleds Monday mourning and my customers said the trails were great. Last nights low was around -19 degrees. This weeks temps are going to be in the twenties and teens. We are calling for snow Thursday with accumulations around 2-3 inches. I will try to go out and get some trail pics today.

Update 02/09/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:57am  Houghton Lakes trail conditions are very good. I groomed last night and Art is running to Leota right now. Some one stole one of our sleds last night so I am going to keep this report short and sweet so I can go look for it. So without further adue here are some pics.

Update 02/08/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:23am  Houghton Lakes trail conditions have not changed, temps have fallen but we did not receive anymore snow. We are calling for alittle snow this weekend but its not a lot. We are supposed to get about one inch tonight. One inch sucks but its better than a kick in the face or rain. As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/07/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:17am  Houghton Lake got pounded with snow last night. We probably recieved about eight inches. Temps are going to be in the twenties untill Sunday when temps are going to make a drastic change and stay there. We are calling for more snow on Saturday. The trails are great, Art, Steve and I all groomed last night. Art deserves a lot of credit for what he does. He drove to Houghton Lake last night, put some long hours in the tractor, slept about two hours, and then drove back down state to go to work. Well anyway here are some pics of everybody's hard work on the trails.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!! 

Update 02/06/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:17am  Houghton Lake is receiving heavy snow right now. We are supposed to accumulate four inches today. It looks like we are going to get every bit of it. Tonight we could see accumulations up to three inches. We are also calling for snow into Saturday and Sunday. I will try to go out this afternoon and get some pictures of the trails. If I can get out I will have the pictures posted by 6:30pm.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!!

Update 02/05/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:56am  Houghton Lake received some freezing rain last night. We did not lose much snow. I think this weather might work out very good for this weekend. The freezing rain made the snow very packed. This will make a very good base. We are now calling for 2-3 inches of snow tonight and more snow tommorow. Steve tried to groom last night but it started raining and the drag was having trouble with the wet snow. Hopefully we can get out there and groom when the snow freezes a little bit.  As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!!

Update 02/04/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:34am  Houghton Lake is supposed to have a high of 35 today. Hopefully it stays cooler. We are also supposed to recieve some freezing rain tonight, which would be great if we had some snow in the forecast. Trail conditions to the north are pretty good. Here are some pictures of a north ride yesterday afternoon. As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!!

Update 02/03/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:34am  Houghton Lake weather is pretty quite right now. We have not recieved any snow since 02/01/08 when we got four inches. Todays high is going to be around 31 degrees. Currently it is 26 degrees. Tonight there is a possibility of some small snow showers, turning into a freezing rain coming into Monday. Weather Undergronud is not predicting much to happen this week, but John Dee says there is a possibility for some lake effect snow next week. Snow conditions are rideable in our area but more snow never hurts. So as alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!!    

Update 02/01/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:51am  Houghton Lake received about 2-3 inches of snow last night, depending where you are on our system. The storm is somewhat changing track, heading more north than originally predicted. The forecast now is for 4-5" more today. With any luck we get all that and more. Will update again as conditions change. The trails should be in decent shape with all this snow. 

Update 01/31/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:51am  Houghton Lake trail conditions are the same as they were yesterday. We are going to be in a wimter weather advisory from midnight to seven pm on Friday. We are expecting one to three inches tonight and one to three inches Friday. It is also supposed to snow Saturday. If we get what they are predicting we will be able to groom and the trails will be great.  P.S. WATCH OUT FOR BLOW DOWNS, AND THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/30/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:09pm  Well I went out for a ride and the trails were rideable but not that great. I dont want to sugar coat anything. There was a decent amount of whoops in the trails. The base is ice, and there is about 3 inches of powder on top of that (main trails). There is good snow to be found for the hard core sledder that is not afraid to get of the beaten path. I went on some unmarked trails and found three feet of snow in areas. Well anyways here is some pictures of the south trails. P.S. WATCH OUT FOR BLOW DOWNS!!!

Update 01/30/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:55am  Houghton Lake received about three inches of snow last night. Yesterdays temps were in the forties. Today it is minus one degree with a windchill of minus twenty six degrees below zero. We are supposed to see a little more snow today but I dont know if it is going to accumulate. It looks like our best chance of heavy snow is going to be Friday. I am going to go for a ride this afternoon to check the trails. I will take some pictures and post them.  As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Today Jan 30 Few Snow Showers / Wind 7°/1° 40%			7°F
Thu Jan 31 PM Snow Showers 21°/15° 30%			21°F
Fri Feb 1 Snow 25°/19° 90%			25°F
Sat Feb 2 Few Snow Showers 30°/21° 30%			30°F
Sun Feb 3 Mostly Cloudy 27°/23° 10%			27°F
Mon Feb 4 Light Wintry Mix 35°/25° 60%			35°F
Tue Feb 5 Snow Shower 28°/15° 40%			28°F
Wed Feb 6 Scattered Snow Showers 22°/19° 30%			22°F
Thu Feb 7 Cloudy 29°/17° 20%			29°F
Fri Feb 8 Cloudy 27°/15° 20%			27°F

Update 01/29/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:47am  Houghton Lake received rain last night. The rain melted a fair amount of snow. It is supposed to rain again today with temps around forty. Tomorrow temps are going to take a drastic change and the high will be around ten degrees. We are calling for snow tomorrow. I will update as conditions change.  As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/28/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:13am  Houghton Lake has about eight to ten inches of snow. I went for a ride this mourning and the trails were really good and I hear they are fantastic north of us in the Grayling and Kalkaska area. Last nights low was around ten degrees. Its pretty cold right now but it is supposed to warm up a little bit over the weekend. It should be in the twenties Sat. and Sun.. If your thinking about riding this would be a great weekend to do it. Below are some pictures I took this mourning.  As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/24/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:13am  Houghton Lake has about ten inches of snow. Trail conditions will be good for this weekend. Last nights overnigfht low was around eight degrees. It doesn't look ,like we have any major storm systems coming in this week. Its just going to be cold with temps in the teens and twenties.  The lake has about twelve inches of ice on it. I will try to update with pictures today.  As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/23/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:59am  Houghton Lake has about eight inches of snow. Trail conditions will be good for this weekend. Last nights overnigfht low was around ten degrees. It doesn't look ,like we have any major storm systems coming in this week. Its just going to be cold with temps in the teens and twenties. The lake has about twelve inches of ice on it.  As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/19/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:52am  Houghton Lake trail conditions have not changed since the last report. Art groomed to Meredith and Steve and Mike did the west trail and the local loops last night so the trails are about as good as there going to get untill we get some snow. As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/18/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:52am  Houghton Lake received about one of snow today. We have about eight inches on the ground. The trails have all been groomed going into the weekend, but Meredith and its getting done tonight. The west trail has some water spots on it. Some guests rode to Meredith and Elbow Lake today, and they said the trails were awesome. As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/15/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:52am  Houghton Lake received about two to three inches of snow yesterday. We have about eight inches on the ground. There might be some flurries this mourning that could accumulate around one inch. It is supposed to snow Fri., Sat., and Sunday. I will try to sneak away today and get some pictures of the south trails. There should be enough snow to ride any trail system you want. As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/14/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:50am  Houghton Lake is supposed to get some snow today and tomorrow. Today we are supposed to get one to three inches of snow. Tonight we are supposed to get one to two inches of snow. Tuesday we are supposed to get one to two inches. We have a decent amount of snow now. The trails to the north are good. I dont know if I would ride the trails to the south just yet. If we could get four to six inches in the next day or two we will be in business. So as alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/13/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:29am  Houghton Lake is receiving snow right now. It is coming down pretty hard, we should see some accumulation. Right now we have about 3 inches on the ground. We are suppossed to receive 1 to 2 inches today, 1 inch tonight and 1 to 3 inches monday. Last nights low was around 27 degrees. I will update as conditions change. As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

	Today Periods of snow showers. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches. Highs in the lower 30s. Southeast winds around 10 mph.
	Tonight Snow showers likely. Total nighttime snow accumulation around 1 inch. Lows in the mid 20s. East winds up to 10 mph shifting to the north after midnight. Chance of snow 70 percent.
	Monday Periods of snow showers. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches. Highs in the lower 30s. North winds around 10 mph.

Update 01/12/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:17am  Houghton Lake did not receive any snow last night. Conditions have not changed since 1/11/08. As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/11/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:17am  Houghton Lake received about two inches of snow last night. Snow is in the forecast for the next seven days. I will update as conditions change. As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

9:30am Houghton Lake is receiving a small amount of snow right now. The snow we have is that wet stuff that packs really good. This is going to make a excellent base. If the wet stuff freezes on top of the ice that was on the trails, and we get a little more snow the trails will be really good. Below are some pictures I took this mourning of the same trails pictured yesterday. This is how quick conditions can change.

Update 01/10/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:39am  Houghton Lake lost most of its snow. However there is still a bit of ice on the trails. The ice will be a good base if we can get a big dumping of snow. That big snow is in the forecast, we are in a winter weather advisory. We are supposed to receive four to six inches tonight, and two to four inches Friday. If we get this trail conditions should be good enough to ride. Houghton Lake is solid ice, there is no snow or slush on it. Its a good oppritunity for a hockey game. The lake has nine inches of ice on it and is pictured below. Also pictured are trails 654 and 655. Keep in mind these pictures are by the trail head were you can get to them with and automobile. These are the most riden, chewed up trails that I find. So maybe there is a little bit more of a base further down the trail system.  As alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/06/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:47am  Well the warm weather has made it here. There is a large amount of snow melting off. If the rain comes we are going to lose a drastic amount of snow. Yesterdays low was around twenty one degrees. The high was around thirty six degrees. These next few days of temperatures in the forties and rain are not going to be good. So as alway's THINK SNOW!!!

Update 01/04/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:23am  Conditions haven't changed much in twenty four hours. It is still cold. Last nights low was around three degrees. The current temperature is twenty degrees. We have a warm up on the way. Saturday's high is going to be in the lower thirties. Sunday's high is going to be in the lower forties along with some fog. From the looks of things this is a good time to get a ride in, because we are going to lose a fair amount of snow from theses warm temperatures and rain. The lake has a good amount of ice on it. I have heard reports of a good amount of walleye being caught between American Oak Resort and the Limberlost, in ten to thirteen feet of water. As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!!

Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday
29° F | 22° F -2° C | -6° C	34° F | 33° F 1° C | 1° C	43° F | 34° F 6° C | 1° C	44° F | 37° F 7° C | 3° C	46° F | 32° F 8° C | 0° C
Mostly Cloudy	Overcast	Fog	Rain 60% chance of precipitation	Rain 60% chance of precipitation

Update 01/03/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:16am  Houghton Lake is receiving a small amount of snow right now. The overnight low was around six degrees. The trails have plenty of snow to ride on, but some of the tight corners have a little ice on them. If you are looking to ride, this is the weekend to do it. The weather looks like its going to make a drastic turn around coming into Monday. We are supposed to have high temperatures and rain through the week. The lake is really nice right now, we have over ten inches of ice and it is hard pack snow by shore and fluff further out. Here are some pictures I took this mourning. As alway's THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down!!!

Update 01/02/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:25am  Houghton Lake received about four inches of snow last night. The over night low was around nine degrees. I rode to Meridith last night and the trails were decent. The only thing I could complain about would be a couple of icy corners. The snow we just got should fix that up. Hopefully we can get out there and groom them now. 

Update 01/01/08 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:55am  We didn't get any snow last night,  snow Tuesday. So THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down. The trails are getting icy in corners over 45 degrees. The 8100 tractor broke down last night, something hydraulic went underneath and it dumped oil everywhere. It is on the east side of Owens Rd, almost back to town. Mike is going to have John Deere pick it up there and take it to Lake City for repair. 

Update 12/31/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:05am  The Houghton Lake area is calling for one to three inches of snow tonight. The over night low was around nineteen degrees. Riding has been good. Snow is getting a little thin on the corners on the narrow trails, but its nothing to worry about. The three inches tonight will do us some good and we are also calling for snow Tuesday. So THINK SNOW and keep your sleds rubber side down. Some pictures from lastnights grooming efforts. All three groomers are out today. Big Koe groomed some local trails, Art finished the locals and a section of 6 that got missed, then Steve and Mike J are out now. Steve is doing Meredith, and Mike J is on the West trail.

Update 12/30/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:14am  The trails were getting a bit bumpy, we rode to Meredith and Elbow Lake. Brian groomed to Meredioth, Mike J did the West trail and Leota, and I groomed the Prudenville loops. I came in at 6.30 am this morning. I could also see the St Helen guys were out as they groomed to Waco Rd and the 655/Duck Lake Road intersection. Things were looking great so this mornings riders got a highway to start on. We will post the pictures later today. More snow is in the forecast for tnight. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/29/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:14am  We got about 5" of snow yesterday and into last night. The groomer was running, we passed Steve on his way to Meredith. We went for a ride last night, and the trails were great. This snow on top of the hardpacked base is just what we needed. The lake is a nice ride also with plenty of snow to keep things lubricated.  They are calling for cold temps and more snow throughout the week. This is a great time to ride if you can get away.

Update 12/28/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:14am  We have not recieved our snow yet, but it is on its way. Below is a picture of the radar as of 9:10 this mourning. The storm is heading north east and it looks like its going to go right over us. We really could use some fresh powder. The trails south Houghton Lake need it the worst. The trails to the north are okay, but they quickly diminish as they get more traffic. So cross your fingers and think snow!!!

Update 12/27/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:57am  Houghton Lake is recieving a long anticipated snowfall today. So far we have received a dusting (about 1/2 inch). We are calling for snow Friday, from the forecast I have been watching it looks like we could receive one to four inches. The over night low was around seventeen degrees. The lake has ten inches of ice on it and ice fishermen are taking advantage of it. Yesterday I noticed there was a couple of cars on the lake (I wouldn't advise driving on the lake just yet). I will update later with pictures. 

Update 12/26/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:07am  I guess I must have been bad this year because I didn't get any snow for Christmas. The temperature is still cold we just are not getting any precipitation. The over night low was around twenty two degrees. The weather channel calls for a 70% chance of snow on Thursday and Friday. The trail and ice conditions haven't changed since 12/24/07. Hopefully the snow witch of trail 655 (pictured below) will bring us some snow.

Update 12/24/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:53pm  Houghton Lake did not receive a large snowfall yesterday. We got about one inch. The over night low was around seventeen degrees. We are calling some snow showers through the week. The temperature is going to stay in the twenties for a while so whatever precipitation we get should be snow. We need a good amount of snow before we can ride. The trails are icy and there is only a inch of snow on top of them. The lake is almost all ice. I fell when I was boring holes to check ice thickness, and I had cold cutter studs screwed in my boots. Anyways after I finally got a hole bored we had about ten inches of ice.

These pictures were taken 12/23/07

These are current pictures of the same trails taken 12/24/07

SNOWMOBILE REPAIR & STUDDING

 We have some specials on studding, as well as pre-season prep. Stainless steel Woody's studs installed for $2.50 per stud, 24 hour turnaround. Many styles of backers available. Tunnel protectors extra if required. Pre season prep ($170.00) includes the following: 1. Check all fluids 2. chain-case oil changed 3. grease suspension and bearings 4. Charging system and all lighting check 5. Track tension adjustment 6. Engine compression test. 7. Wearbars check and slider replacement if necessary. 8. General inspection and bolt tightening. 9. Power wash and cleanup 10 Battery test. 11. Coolant system check 12 Belt inspection. Carbide replacement is 10.00 and carbides are approx 45.00/60.00/75.00/90.00 for 4/6/8/10" respectively for most sleds. Carb cleaning is included. For other repairs please call or stop in for an estimate.

 (888) 863-1262

Update 12/23/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:19am  Houghton Lake has received rain for the past two days. The rain has caused a melt down. We need some low  temps and snow. We are calling for snow tonight and tomorrow but we need a lot of it. The weather forecast said we would have a high of thirty eight degrees today, then it will be in the twenties through the week except for Christmas day. We still have a little bit of a base on the trails. If it does get cold and if we do get snow we have a standing chance of riding after Christmas. I will update later as the weather is going to change tremendously.

10:17am  Houghton Lake is receiving a small amount of snow now. Get your sled prepared while we have this snowmobiling intermission.

4:03pm  Houghton Lake is still receiving a small amount of snow now. The temperature has made a huge change. It is now twenty two degrees with a wind chill of six degrees. We are also calling for some snow everyday but Christmas now. Keep your fingers crossed, do your snow dances, and THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/21/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:07am  Houghton Lake has not received any snow to speak of since 12/16/07. We still have plenty of snow to ride on. We had a little bit of freezing rain yesterday and I think it is going to help. It should make the snow a little more hard packed, and we are calling for snow Saturday night and through Sunday. The over night low was around sixteen degrees. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/20/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:34am  We did not get any snow last night. Last nights low was around twenty six degrees. We are calling for snow Saturday night and into Sunday, lets hope we get a lot of it. It should be a good weekend to ride. The nice thing is everyone has snow to ride. You can get to Houghton Lake and ride any where you want to. There is no need to trailer anywhere. The lake has a good amount of ice, and ice fishermen are taking advantage of it.  

Update 12/19/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:02pm  The Houghton Lake area did not receive any snow accumulations last night. The over night low was around twenty one degrees. I haven't had a chance to ride the trails but Art and I did groom last night. The trails are looking great, the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce has had numerous compliments on how great the trail systems are in the Houghton Lake are. Rick Hacker of Hackers Yamaha and Honda said it was the best riding conditions he has seen in many years. 

Update 12/18/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:17am  Houghton Lakes weather conditions have stayed the same since we recieved our last snow fall. Last nights overnight low was around twelve degrees. There is no major snow accumulation in the near forecast. However this is still a good winter. I can barely remember a December when I could ride where ever I wanted. Its nice not having to trailer some where, every time you want to ride. I will bore a hole in the ice today and give you the exact ice depth, and pictures. I will also post some trail pictures later this afternoon.

Update 12/17/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:38am  Houghton Lake received a very small dusting last night. The overnight low was around seventeen degrees. We have accumulated at least twelve to fourteen inches of snow this year. The trails are great and the lake has a good amount of ice. 

Update 12/16/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:38am  Houghton Lake finally received some snow. We got about five inches last night. The trails had a good base and now the have five inches of powder on top of them. I can't wait to get on them. The over night low was around zero degrees. The lake is also good. Yesterday there was eight inches of ice, and it was hard pack snow on top. This is shaping up to be a great winter.

Update 12/15/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:17am  We did not get any snow last night in Houghton Lake. The overnight low was around six degrees. The trails are still good and the lake has a good amount of ice on it. Like always there is more snow to be found as you head north. The report from the Grayling area is that the trails are fantastic. 

Update 12/14/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:54am  There was no snow accumulation last night in the Houghton Lake area last night. The over night low was around seven degrees. We are currently receiving a light snow. I will update the page with trail conditions and pictures later this afternoon.

11:14am I hit the trails for an hour here around town, and they were great. They were freshly groomed and the snowmobile stuck to them like it was glued. A winter like this has been long over due, there has been enough snow to ride on for the past twelve days!!! The Ice conditions are also great. There is eight inches by shore, and I have seen people fishing about a mile from shore. I will go out farther on the lake than I have been, bore a hole and post the ice thickness. 

Update 12/13/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:49am  Here are some trail pics from this morning. The trails were still good but we could use some more snow. Phil from Grayling reports that the trails are fantastic. He rode to Starvation Lake, and he rode by the Cranberry. Houghton Lake still has six inches of good ice with two inches of okay ice in top of it for a total of eight inches.

Update 12/13/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:49am  There was no snow accumulations in the Houghton Lake area last night. The over night low was around ten degrees. We are calling for snow on Friday. I am leaving the resort shortly to get some pictures of the trail conditions. I will have them posted by 11am. I will also try to get a snow report from grayling.

Update 12/12/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

5:43pm  I did not get a chance to take trail pictures today but I will put some on tomorrow. The trails were great on 12/11/07 and I'm sure they haven't changed much. I did manage to get an ice report for Houghton Lake and I also took a couple of pictures. The ice has a solid six inches and it has another two inches of soft ice in top of that. The lake is no longer slushy and we should have a solid eight inches by the weekend.

Update 12/12/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:17am  Houghton Lake did not get a lot of snow yesterday. However I got to hit the trails for a little while last night, and they were great. We have a good base of snow and the powder just keeps on piling up. I rode to Meridith and Elbow Lake, and it felt like the sled was running on rails. Last nights low was around twenty eight degrees. Houghton Lake has a good amount of ice on it. I will post a picture with ice thickness later in the day.  Elbow Lake reports five inches of ice.

Update 12/11/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

4:15pm   It is still snowing in the Houghton Lake area. We have accumulated about one inch of snow. The snow fall is starting to pick up, but from the weather forecast I don't expect to much more. I talked to my buddy Phil who lives in the Grayling area, and he said he is getting the same weather system. However he rode in the Lewiston, and Cheboygan areas and he said the trails were great. Phil also mentioned that there were very few riders in that area this weekend. Hopefully I can sneak out tonight, check the trails and get some pictures up for you snow junkies. 

Update 12/11/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:27am   Houghton Lake did not receive any snow last night. We have about the same amount as 12/09/07. Last nights low was around 19 degrees. The good news is we are getting snow right now. I checked the weather report and it said that it might turn into sleet later in the day. I will update the page later in the day. Here is a picture of the current conditions at American Oak Resort.

Update 12/09/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:40am   Houghton Lake received a small dusting last night (nothing really to speak of). The over night low was around 12 degrees. The good thing is what we have appears to be here to stay. This weekend I also noticed an abundance of ice fisherman hitting the lake. Most of them did not go more than a half mile from shore, and they were mostly on foot. I will be updating the page later today with pictures of the trail conditions, and a report from the Grayling area. 

Update 12/08/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:37am   We did not get any snow last night. The overnight low was around 19 degrees. The trails are still nice, but we could use some more snow. Some of the Houghton Lake trails have been groomed. The lake has a good four inch base of ice. The problem is there was quite a bit of snow on in which insulated it. As a result there is two inches of honey comb ice on top of the good four inches, and then there is snow on top of that. These are a couple of factors which is making Houghton Lake slushy on top. Also there are some small pressure cracks poping up near shore. A couple you might notice are located right in front of the south shore boat launch, and in front of the Limberlost. Also watch for other obstacles, as I found a steel boat auger that never got removed this summer sticking two feet out of the ice (the auger was  between the Limberlost and the resort, and I did remove it.)  If you ride the lake you really have to be carefull for a number of reasons. Keep in mind ice thickness, pressure cracks, and other obstacles.) PLEASE REMEMBER IF YOU GO ON THE LAKE, CHECK IT CAREFULLY AS ICE CONDITIONS VARY.  Grayling area report: The Grayling area received one inch of snow last night and it has had a light snow through the morning. The groomers are going, the trails are great, but they are loaded with riders this weekend. So as always keep an eye out for other riders.  THINK SNOW!!!!   

Update 12/07/07  

9:56am   We had a small accumulation of snow last night(1-2"), but every little bit helps. Houghton lake is gaining ice in a rapid fashion. I will update the page later today with ice conditions, and pictures. Last nights low was around 12 degrees. This winter looks to be the best we have had in Houghton Lake in the past five years. There is plenty of snow for the snowmobiles, and there is enough ice to take a stab at ice fishing. PLEASE REMEMBER IF YOU GO ON THE LAKE, CHECK IT CAREFULLY AS ICE CONDITIONS VARY.  THINK SNOW!!!!  

Update 12/06/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:20AM   We only got anther dusting last night, but we got to sneak in a ride. And what a ride it was. I can't remember when we had this much snow this early. We left the resort, rode the lake (close to the shore) and got off at CO Rd. 300. We didn't dally on the lake if you know what I mean. There were NO tracks anywhere we went on the west Shore, but with the cold temps and the 4-5 we had last weekend out in front of our place, I figured the lake would be ok for us. we rode trail, seasonal roads and pipelines to Dingmans in Kalkaska. Brian had a problem with his chaincase so we got on Sunset (or so I thought) and headed north. Turns out we were headed West. So an hour or so later we are back on Sunset going north. So we get there, and no Gas, they close early during the week. Lucky for us my buddy Phil had a warm garage to tighten the chain, a little oil to slop in the chaincase on the Polaris, and 3 gas cans. We had to drive into Grayling with the cans to get gas. Keep this in mind if you are West of Grayling during the week. The plan was to go to Starvation lake, but the chaincase threw a wrench into that. There was at least 10-12 inches of snow, from the minute we crossed the bridge over the Muskegon River. Closer to 16" near Dingman's and Beaar Lake.. The low was around 12 degrees.

Update 12/05/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:20AM   We only got a dusting last night, but we sent out our first snowmobile rentals for the season. The low was around 9 degrees. PLEASE STAY OFF THE LAKE UNLESS YOU CHECK IT CAREFULLY. STAY CLOSE TO SHORE IF YOU GO OUT THERE AND DON'T GO ALONE. We will poke a few holes in the ice today and report on the thickness. There is plenty of ice for ice fishing, just be careful where you go and check conditions carefully. You can get from Houghton Lake and go north, the thinner spots on our trail system are south of town. We are stil doing pre-season work, studding, slider replacement and general snowmobile repair. If you break down, we generally have someone that can come and get you and get you back to town. If you are a guest here you can use the garage to make your own repairs or adjustments, and if you need help doing so, Brian is available. If you want to donate to the club, contact the Houghton Lake Trailblazers, or the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce. We are also grooming Leota and Harrison this year, we now have three groomers in Houghton Lake. The two John Deere's and a New Holland that we got from the DNR when they ended grooming for Leota and Harrison. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/03/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:20AM   We only got a dusting last night, so much for the 3-5. Its 23 right now, and we may be grooming tonight or tomorrow. PLEASE STAY OFF THE LAKE UNLESS YOU CHECK IT CAREFULLY. STAY CLOSE TO SHORE IF YOU GO OUT THERE AND DON'T GO ALONE. I will post pictures when we do. Thank's to the 15 or so people that doinated to keep the webcams running. We have to replace them this year, beacuse they dont work so well with vista. The minimum donation for the webcam will be 20.00. Some people have paid more, and we REALLY apreciate it. We provide this service even if this resort is empty, and it does cost money to send Brian out every day to take the pictures, and get them posted. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. The passwords from last year ended November 27th. We are busy getting sleds ready, rebuilding this page and getting ready to groom. Brian will also be grooming this year, so this resort will have two active groomer drivers. We need more drivers. If you want to donate to the club, contact the Houghton Lake Trailblazers, or the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce. We are also grooming Leota and Harrison this year, we now have three groomers in Houghton Lake. The two John Deere's and a New Holland that we got from the DNR when they ended grooming for Leota and Harrison. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 12/02/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:20AM   The lake has frozen over, and we got 6-7 inches of snow last night. Freezing rain starterd sometime early am, and there is 1/8" of crusty ice on top of the snow. They are calling for freezing rain and or slight drizzle, I will update again later this afternoon. I will post a couple of pictures. Stay off the lake unless you check ice conditions carefully. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. The passwords from last year ended November 27th. We will be taking donations for the webcam and the maintenance of this trail report page as we did last year.

Update 11/30/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:20AM   Please contact Jim Debo at 989-366-4838 or the Houghton Lake Area chamber of Commerce at 989-366-5644 if you are interested in helping out on the trails this winter. The lake has frozen over, and we have 2-3 inches of snow. Stay off the lake unless you check ice conditions carefully. They are calling for a winter storm starting Saturday night, so we will have to wait and see.   The members can view the LIVE webcam here. The passwords from last year ended November 27th. We will be taking donations for the webcam and the maintenance of this trail report page as we did last year.

Update 10/13/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:20AM   Please contact Jim Debo at 989-366-4838 or the Houghton Lake Area chamber of Commerce at 989-366-5644 if you are interested in helping out on the trails this fall. This year Houghton Lake will be grooming all the way to Leota, so we are responsible for 30 more miles of trails.  The members can view the LIVE webcam here. The passwords from last year will work till November. We will be taking donations for the webcam and the maintenance of this trail report page as we did last year.

Update 10/1/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:20AM   Getting ready for another season of snowmobiling. The Trailblazers in Houghton Lake are working every Saturday on trail cleanup and signing. If you can come up and help, please do, we need it, even if its not on Saturday. This year Houghton Lake will be grooming all the way to Leota, so we are responsible for 30 more miles of trails. E-mail us or call the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce if you are interested in helping.  The members can view the LIVE webcam here. The passwords from last year will work till November. We will be taking donations for the webcam and the maintenance of this trail report page as we did last year.

Update 3/21/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:20AM   We are probably pretty much done for the season, although Sunday Nights 4-5 inch blast made it possible to play on the lake for the day. A friend has a 4 place drive-on, drive off trailer for sale for 600.00 if anyone is interested. Call Mike at 517-749-1888 if you are interested. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. and the trail pics from the last few days HERE. THINK SNOW!!

Update 3/12/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:20AM   The meltdown continues, still a lot of snow around, but the trails are a slushy mess. The lake is also getting so slushy, it's pretty much un-rideable.  With the forecast in the 50's for tomorrow, and the 40's the next few days after that, it's not looking good. We may be done for the season. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. and the trail pics from the last few days HERE. THINK SNOW!!

Update 3/10/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:20AM   It started raining here last night around 9pm, and rained until around 2am. Much of the snow is now settled, but surprisingly, the trails still have snow on them. The trailhead at Owens Rd. had 3-4 trailers in it at 10am his morning and people are out riding. It's difficult to get to the trailhead from the lake, as most side streets are down to asphalt. The lake still sports some decent riding, and there are quite a few sleds out this morning. I took some pictures this morning, but if your not already here, they won't be of much use. With the forecast in the 40,s for the next few days, it's not looking good. I don't know how far north the rain went, but it did not rain in Bear Lake. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. and the trail pics from the last few days HERE. THINK SNOW!!

Update 3/8/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:20AM   Now new snow last night, and the low was around -4. The forecast for the weekend and into next week looks grim, so ride today and tomorrow if you can. This may be the last weekend to ride in this area, so get up up and enjoy it if you can. They have been grooming as much as they can, so things are in excellent shape now, the best all season. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. and the trail pics from the last few days HERE. THINK SNOW!!

Update 3/7/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:20AM   We got another 3-4 inches of snow last night, and the low was around 11. Monday night didn't bring much snow, but the low was -15. Temps look to hold till the weekend, and then it does not look good. This may be the last weekend to ride in this area, so get up up and enjoy it if you can. They have been grooming as much as they can, so things are in excellent shape now, the best all season. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. and the trail pics from the last few days HERE. THINK SNOW!!

Update 3/5/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:20AM   Just a dusting overnight, but the cooler temps are keeping us from losing any snow. Supposed to be near 0 tonight, and not that much warmer tomorrow. They are calling for it to warm later in the week (Friday) but cold temps till then. there is a winter advisory for today for blowing and drifting snow. Get up and ride now, because you can't count on mother nature to hold it till the weekend. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. and the trail pics from the last few days HERE. THINK SNOW!!

Update 3/3/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:20AM   We got another 2" of snow today, nothing big but every little bit helps. People were all over our trail system, and we have great conditions throughout. I heard some areas to the north of us along the big lake got rain from the system, but we lucked out. They will be out grooming again tonight so we should hjave excellent conditions all thru the weekend into next wee. If you haven't got you fill of riding, now is the time. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. and the trail pics from the last few days HERE. THINK SNOW!!

Update 3/2/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:20AM   We got another 6-8 since yesterday, and now the the storm advisory has been extended until 7PM today. It's still snowing hard right now. Chris is coming from Meredith this morning, taking new pictures along the way. We got a bit of freezing rain, but all it did was put a slight crust on top of the snow. A far cry from the downpour that they received in lower I last night. Probably the best riding all season is right now, so wherever to go, get out and ride. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. and the trail pics from the last few days HERE. THINK SNOW!!

Update 3/1/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:20PM   A fresh 2-3 has fallen since this morning in Meredith and Houghton Lake. The storm is tracking north and dumping all along the way. Now they are calling for 3-4 today, and 3-4 tonight. We have some cabin snowmobile packages, 2 sleds and a cabin for 2 days for 700.00. There are only 3 packages left for the weekend. THINK SNOW!!

Update 3/1/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:20AM   Another winter storm is on the way, so if you are planning on riding this weekend, this looks to be a good one. The frost/freeze line is supposed to remain south of us, so this precip. should be all snow. It's snowing VERY hard right now, and they are calling for 3-4 tonight. There is a storm warning in affect till tomorrow morning. Snow showers predicted throughout the weekend. Pictures from yesterdays ride will be posted today. If this weather holds we will take pictures tomorrow morning, and have them on early afternoon for everyone coming up for the weekend. The members can view the LIVE webcam here. THINK SNOW!!

THANK'S TO ALL OF THE CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS SITE

Lawrence George, Terry Fraser, Scott Rodgers, Lawrence Bennett, Mark Williams, Rebecca Moses, Douglas Gyomory, Keven Hurley, James Van Vonderen, Robert Ring, Tammy & Mike Holbrook, Marc Wolney, Tim Noonan, Steve Lawrence, Randy Abbott, JASON STEMPLE, Evan Hansen, Catherine Willuweit, Steve Krim, Sled Solutions. Thomas Griffin, jeffrey allen, Charlann Haener,Jeff King, Terry Sizemore, Scott Muller, Dennis Matson, Tracy Bostwick, Alan Reich, Ryan Jacobs, Robert Brehmer Jr, Sherry Nanivich (Snowmobile Fanatics Goods), Maysum Haddad, Robert Vogel, Charles Stoia, David Witucki, Edward Marsh, Greg Burks.

Update 2/28/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:20AM   The temps are hovering at or slightly above freezing for a good part of the day. The snow is really settling. They groomed last night and I will post some pictures if they don't deteriorate. They have the most base that they have had all year, but again if you can sneak up and muster a ride now, no telling what the next few days will bring. They are calling for another storm for the weekend and cooler temps next week. THINK SNOW!!

Update 2/26/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:20AM   The storm dumped 8-10 inches of snow depending on where you go in our system. Will have some pictures from trails from Meredith north, now that you can ride from there again. Highs in the mid 30's this week, so if you can come up and ride during the week this week, do it, cause no telling how long this stuff will last. The picture from the webcam has the wrong date on it, it was from this morning at 9am. THINK SNOW!!

Update 2/25/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:20AM   The storm is here, hard to see the chalets on the live webcam, and its only about 50 yards from the camera. We got about 2" so far, but with all the blowing, its hard to tell. This is supposed to continue into tomorrow morning with snowfall amount totals anywhere from 3-11 inches.  I will update as conditions improve (worsen for driving).  THINK SNOW!!

Update 2/24/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:20AM   Not much new, about 1" of snow, still not enough to ride south of town. A lot of stuff in the woods melted as well. There si a storm coming for Sunday into Monday, so hopefully we will get enough to do something with. The lake is crusty, a lot of bare ice spots. The warm temps took a toll on it, but you can still ride without burning up sliderss. THINK SNOW!!

Update 2/22/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:20AM   About 1/2" of really wet snow last night, and its snowing now. Its supposed to be cold at night for the next several nights, but the last couple did some damage. Temps in the hi 30's and sunny. The wind is supposed to reach 45MPG gusts, and if you look at the live webcam, the trees are really moving. This looks like lake effect snow from the Northwest, with any luck we will get some accumulation. A few pictures will be posted tomorrow or later today with the trails south of town. If we don't get some more snow soon, the lower will be done for the season. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/20/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:20AM   No new snow last night. The temp's last night climbed to the 35 degree mark and since midnight have fallen to the 26 it is right now. There is about 18" of ice on the lake in front of the resort.  This warm up will not be good for the trails, and it will be difficult to get from the lake to any of the trails. This weekend the groomer cam will be out on the trails. This is a camera that will feed live video to the trail report page. The times and locations the camera will be in use will be on the web page in the members section. In the case that the trails are not accessible by snowmobile the camera will be mounted in a vehicle, and Chris (one of the groomer drivers from last year) will drive around key access roads, and anyone watching will be able to see the conditions for themselves. Friday this weekend will be the first use of the cam, but I have been testing it for weeks. The helmet cam will make it possible to drive the trails on a sled and feed back live video. The system is VERY small and will fit in the back storage compartment of most sleds. Unless sponsors step forward and make considerable donations to the snowmobile trail grooming club in Houghton Lake, this video feed will only be available to members of this website. The minimum donation based on the number of people that are currently donating will be 25.00. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/18/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:44AM   About 2" of new snow last night. some of the pictures from our ride are below. We found some good snow, and stayed out of the snirt ALL day. We left from the west side of the lake. In the morning there was a pressure crack on the Lake at county road 300. It was about 18" high and made for a nice ramp. On our return it was almost 4 foot high, and was VERY dangerous. The ice is beginning to buckle now, so keep in mind how fast these pressure cracks can form. A couple pictures are posted below, the rest are in the members section here. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/17/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:44AM   About 1/2" of new snow last night. We are riding from Houghton Lake today heading west and north. The trails south of town, and VERY snirty, and some corners are down to almost dirt. We will post pictures from the ride tomorrow. Its snowing now, so hopefully we will get something from this. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/16/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:44AM   This is getting old, now new snow last night, or the night before. The low last night was -3. There is a 50% chance of snow Saturday and Sunday. Temps this weekend are supposed to be in the 20's. The trails south of town are pretty beat up, and its very difficult to get there from the lake. Will try and get pictures but this will require a trip in a the truck. The pictures will be posted in the members section. I will also post pictures of the off trail routes we have been riding there. Owens Rd. has most of the snow used up on the shoulders. The lake is a good option  for heading north.  THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/15/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:44AM   We got a light dusting last night, and the low was -3. There is some lake effect showers coming from the northwest, maybe some of this stuff will make it this far south thru today and tomorrow.  THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/14/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:44AM   All that snow in Detroit and Chicago, and not a sticth of snow up here last night. Temps in the single digits continue. Pictures will be posted later today or tomorrow in the members section. THINK SNOW!!!!

Lawrence George, Terry Fraser, Scott Rodgers, Lawrence Bennett, Mark Williams, Rebecca Moses, Douglas Gyomory, Keven Hurley, James Van Vonderen, Robert Ring, Tammy & Mike Holbrook, Marc Wolney, Tim Noonan, Steve Lawrence, Randy Abbott, JASON STEMPLE, Evan Hansen, Catherine Willuweit, Steve Krim, Sled Solutions. Thomas Griffin, jeffrey allen, Charlann Haener,Jeff King, Terry Sizemore, Scott Muller, Dennis Matson, Tracy Bostwick, Alan Reich, Ryan Jacobs.

Update 2/11/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00AM   Trace snow again last night, and a low of 8. Went for a ride from Houghton Lake to Bear Lake and Lakes of the North. Mixed trail/seasonal roads to get to Fletcher Rd. From there the snow was decent enough to ride almost anywhere. LOTS of sleds out, probably the most we have seen all season. The trails are snirty south of town, but still ridable.  We will take a few pictures Sunday night to see how they held up. 

Update 2/8/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00AM   Trace snow last night, and a low of 5. Not much new to write about, we need more snow on the trails south of town. We will try and get some more pictures of the trails on Friday going into the weekend. Not much sense in taking them now. You can still come up and ride, but I would stay off trail or go north and west from Houghton Lake. The Spicer's Boat City winter tour is this Friday. Call Spicers at 989-366-8400 for details. The proceeds go to the Michigan Special Olympics. 

Update 2/9/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00AM   Trace snow again last night, and a low of 4. It was 15 at midnight, and the temp has been falling steadily since. Nothing has changed much since the pictures were taken on 2/06. The Spicer's Boat City winter tour is Today. The proceeds go to the Michigan Special Olympics. 

Update 2/8/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00AM   Trace snow last night, and a low of 5. Not much new to write about, we need more snow on the trails south of town. We will try and get some more pictures of the trails on Friday going into the weekend. Not much sense in taking them now. You can still come up and ride, but I would stay off trail or go north and west from Houghton Lake. The Spicer's Boat City winter tour is this Friday. Call Spicers at 989-366-8400 for details. The proceeds go to the Michigan Special Olympics. 

Update 2/7/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00AM   Trace snow last night, and a low of -7. Still no new snow, just bitter cold temps. The pictures from yesterdays trail check are posted in the members section. The Spicer's Boat City winter tour is this Friday. Call Spicers at 989-366-8400 for details. The proceeds go to the Michigan Special Olympics. 

Update 2/6/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00AM   Trace snow last night, and a low of -7. Still no new snow, just bitter cold temps. The lake is an ice machine and there is plenty of ice for ice fishing, or a stroll on a sled, so THINK SNOW!!!! The Spicer's Boat City winter tour is this Friday. Call Spicers at 989-366-8400 for details. The proceeds go to the Michigan Special Olympics. 

Update 2/5/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00AM   Trace snow last night, and a low of -8. Houghton Lake is the cold spot in the state this morning, and almost every school in the state from I-69 north is closed. But NOT Houghton Lake. We apparently have some BRILLIANT people in our school administration and they know more than the rest of the schools administrators when it comes to frostbite and small children. Still just a dusting of snow overnight. We will post pictures of the trails from the area over the next couple days, and a bunch before the weekend. Would like to thank all the HCS riders for joining the ride on Saturday. Since the profits from the ride are going to the Houghton Lake Snowmobile Association (the groomers) anyone that rode and wants a password, PM me from HCS and I will send you a password.

Update 2/4/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00AM   Trace snow last night, about 1" of new snow since the HCS ride on Saturday. The low was -7. The ice is 12+ in front of the resort, but still a couple of trouble areas, so don't just take off, if you haven't looked around. The trails are taking a beating, but the extreme cold temps are saving them for the most part. We need a good dumping of some wet snow. The HCS ride took around 70 sleds from Houghton Lake to Lake City, and returned the same route. Given the amunt of traffic from our group alone, things held up quite well. some areas were snirty, and some were white. I will post pictures from the ride and trails in the members section. Think Snow!!!!

Update 2/2/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00AM   Trace snow last night, and a low of 19. The temps have been falling since midnight. Its 15 now. Some areas in out trail system got an inch or so yesterday. Calling for 1-2 today, 1 tonight, and 2 tomorrow. The St. Helen Snowpackers annual fun run is tomorrow, call the snowpackers clubhouse at 989-389-4871 or visit their new website here. Still snow in the forecast but nothing much has changed since yesterday..bla, bla, bla. The ice is 8+ in front of the resort, but still a lot of trouble areas, so don't just take off, if you haven't looked around. Will have more pictures of the trails posted later today in the members section. The HCS ride is tomorrow in Houghton Lake. The ride is $20.00 and the donation gets you an official Assault on Houghton Lake HCS T-shirt, and the profits are going to the grooming club. Contact Paul @ Sled solutions for details and sign up information.  THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 2/1/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

      10:00AM   Forgot about the water hazard on 655 north of grass lake road. The trail is washed out a bit, but you can cross is SLOWLY. Pictures are in the members section.

 9:00AM   Trace snow last night, and a low of 13. Still snow in the forecast but nothing much has changed since yesterday. The ice is 8+ in front of the resort, but still a lot of trouble areas, so don't just take off, if you haven't looked around. There is 8-12" of snow on the ground in our system, but not much base on the trails. They are calling for 1" today, and 2-3 tomorrow. Pictures from the 29th and 30th are posted in the members section. they will be updated again today and tomorrow. There are 25 or so hi-res pictures there, as well as some taken from surrounding areas. Click the picture below to see them (restricted to members only due to bandwidth). Thanks to everyone that donated, the money will be used to purchase more hardware for more cams. Any additional cams will be restricted to those that donated. The HCS Ride is next Saturday in Houghton Lake. The ride is $20.00 and the donation gets you an official Assault on Houghton Lake HCS T-shirt, and the profits are going to the grooming club. Contact Paul @ Sled solutions for details and sign up information.  THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/31/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 10:00AM   Trace snow last night, and a low of 10. Still snow in the forecast but nothing much has changed since yesterday. The ice is getting better, but still a lot of trouble areas, so don't just take off, if you haven't looked around. There is 8-12" of snow on the ground in our system, but not much base on the trails. Sunday 6-8" fell between Kalkaska and Mancelona, and the last couple days lake effect has fallen on the east side of the state, from Alpena south and west.  If you are coming up to fish, be sure to call Lymans on the Lake for fishing reports and ice conditions, as well as all your ice fishing needs. You can visit his website here. Thanks to everyone that donated, the money will be used to purchase more hardware for more cams. Any additional cams will be restricted to those that donated. The HCS Ride is next Saturday in Houghton Lake. The ride is $20.00 and the donation gets you an official Assault on Houghton Lake HCS T-shirt, and the profits are going to the grooming club. Contact Paul @ Sled solutions for details and sign up information.  THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/30/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:30AM   About a 1/2" of snow last night. The low was about 2. We will have some pictures from various parts of the trail system posted today and tomorrow. Without much new snow, there just isn't much to write about. The trails need some wet heavy system snow. Stay off the lake near the flowing water areas and canals, the ice there is never remotely predictable. If you are coming up to fish, be sure to call Lymans on the Lake for fishing reports and ice conditions, as well as all your ice fishing needs. You can visit his website here. Thanks to everyone that donated, the money will be used to purchase more hardware for more cams. Any additional cams will be restricted to those that donated. The HCS Ride is next Saturday in Houghton Lake. The ride is $20.00 and the donation gets you an official Assault on Houghton Lake HCS T-shirt, and the profits are going to the grooming club. Contact Paul @ Sled solutions for details and sign up information.  THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/29/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:30AM   Just a skiff of snow last night. The low was about 8. They groomed last night, trying to make a base with the loose snow that is on he trails. Thanks to everyone that donated, the money will be used to purchase more hardware for more cams. Any additional cams will be restricted to those that donated. There are still many bare spots, some corners down to dirt. The stuff I walked on last night set up pretty good, and hopefully it will be the beginning of building some sort of base. This winter is looking like we will never establish much of a base, even in areas of the UP. Lake Effect snow is better than no snow, but we need a wet snow to help build the base. More pictures will be posted tomorrow. The HCS Ride is next Saturday in Houghton Lake. The ride is $20.00 and the donation gets you an official Assault on Houghton Lake HCS T-shirt, and the profits are going to the grooming club. Conatact Paul @ Sled solutions for details and sign up information.  THINK SNOW!!!!!

Update 1/28/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:30AM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! About 1/2 inches of snow last night. The low was about 13. The forecast is calling for cold temps all next week, and there is snow in the forecast every day. The ride to Mancelona yesterday was pretty decent, but the trails are snirty every place we went. We took 6/7 north, the bluebear north of M-72, and then a lot of off trail riding to get back. With all the traffic, and very little base, things get dirty looking fast. There has not been any grooming since last sunday/monday here. And it is suspended in many places in the lower until we get more snow. 

Update 1/27/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 11:30AM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! About 1 inches of snow last night. We got some freezing drizzle last night, if anything a little moisture didn't hurt the trails. We will get some trail pictures today from here to Bear Lake Something a little wetter will pack down on the trails better. We took some pictures of the ice todaay I will post them later today. We still have a large chalet (12 max) and a smaller cabin for this weekend of TUT. We are 100 yards from the beverage tent, and 300 yards from the site and the Limberlost. The list of supporters has grown since yesterday, thanks to all that donated. The other  webcam on the lake is operating....thanks To Steve Krim.

Update 1/26/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 1:30PM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! About 1 inches of snow last night. It was -7 with the windchill, and it is 9 right now and snowing quite hard. If you are trying to view the live webcam, you have to install and run an active-x control from d-link. It pretty much a white out right now. There is a winter storm advisory today, with 2 inches in the the forecast, and some freezing drizzle??? Something a little wetter will pack down on the trails better. We took some pictures of the ice yesterday, I will post them later today. We still have a large chalet (12 max) and a smaller cabin for this weekend of TUT. We are 100 yards from the beverage tent, and 300 yards from the site and the Limberlost. The list of supporters has grown since yesterday, thanks to all that donated. The other  webcam on the lake is operating....thanks To Steve Krim.

Update 1/25/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 1:30PM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! Not much from the winter advisory lat night, about 1-1/2 inches last night. It was -5 with the windchill. The trails are changing every day for the better, but we still don't have much base anywhere in lower Michigan. the ice continues to thicken, we will post some pictures of that today. We still have a large chalet (12 max) for the second weekend of TUT. We are 100 yards from the beverage tent, and 300 yards from the site and the Limberlost. The list of supporters has grown since yesterday, thanks to all that donated. if you don't have a password yes and you donated before 1PM today e-mail me because I sent them out to everyone. We should have a lake webcam operating within the next day or two.

Lawrence George, Terry Fraser, Scott Rodgers, Lawrence Bennett, Mark Williams, Rebecca Moses, Douglas Gyomory, Keven Hurley, James Van Vonderen, Robert Ring, Tammy & Mike Holbrook, Marc Wolney, Tim Noonan, Steve Lawrence, Randy Abbott, JASON STEMPLE, Evan Hansen, Catherine Willuweit, Steve Krim, Sled Solutions. Thomas Griffin, jeffrey allen, Charlann Haener.

Update 1/24/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

 1:30PM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! There is a winter storm advisory for tonight, calling for 3-6 inches of snow. Anyone that donated should have a password in their e-mail. If you don't, e-mail us. In addition anyone that volunteered on the trails can also get a password. THINK SNOW!!!!

11:30AM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! About an inch of snow last night, but single digit temp's will help build more ice. Will try and have Steve get some ice thicknesses today and a couple photos. We still have a large chalet (12 max) for the second weekend of TUT. We are 100 yards from the beverage tent, and 300 yards from the site and the Limberlost. Anyone that donated to the website this season using Amazon, please e-mail us as I don't have an address to send you password to. If you used paypal, the password will be sent there.

I was not going to password protect the cameras and hi-resolution pictures, because last year when we asked for donations we received enough to at least pay for the keeping the hardware running. This year we have not. the final straw came from a donation from:

Kenneth Billings II
2681 S. Meridian
Ovid, MI 48866
United States

Mr. billings used paypal, and after finding out how much paypal will take on the transaction, he donated $0.15 (yes fifteen cents). Paypal took the $0.15 for the fees, and the result was a donation to to trailpage of $0.0. Congrat's Kevin, you tipped the scales. Now all future images will be for members and guests only. If that's how much people appreciate the pictures and cams, I guess it wont be a loss for the general public to not have access. And Kevin's e-mail, as he didn't respond to me is trkr75@aol.com,  maybe he will respond to anyone else that feels he earned the jack*** of the month award.

I added a page that has everyone's name that donated and will keep it updated. As I am no longer in H.L. everyday, I am having to pay someone to take the pictures and check the lake. In addition we give them a sled and gas.

So thank you from me today to: 

Lawrence George, Terry Fraser, Scott Rodgers, Lawrence Bennett, Mark Williams, Rebecca Moses, Douglas Gyomory, for making a donation this year to help offset the costs of the website. I have another webcam setup operating, and I will see if Louie at Meredith Inn still wants to have it running there. It will require another phone line on his part, and he can't be having the best winter either. 

THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 1/23/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:30AM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! Nothing new to report, just a skiff of snow last night but good and cold temperatures. We still have a large chalet (12 max) for the second weekend of TUT. We are 100 yards from the beverage tent, and 300 yards from the site and the Limberlost. Still snow in the forecast so hopefully things will be better by the weekend, and we will have some more ice. Anyone that donated to the website this season using Amazon, please e-mail us as I don't have an address to send you password to. A few pictures from the 22nd are below.

 THINK SNOW!!!!! BE CAREFUL ON THE LAKE.

Update 1/22/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:10AM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! I don't know where it came from, in the morning they had 1/2" of snow predicted. When I left at 9.30PM Sunday we had 6+ of new snow and it was still snowing. Chris called this morning, and said they totaled about 8" in Meredith by this morning. The railing on the house in front of the webcam, was cleared by our daughter at 3.30 pm. there was about 4" of snow on it before she cleared it. Probably 3-4 more on it now. I rode to Elbow Lake last night, and with the fresh snow it was a great ride. Mike J and big Joe went out grooming last night, trying to get a base going. More snow is in the forecast all week, and single digit temps are in the forecast at night. by the second weekend of TUT, the lake will have much more ice on it. I rode to Dingmans on Sat, and there was very little traffic, and we took the shoreline of the lake, and got off a county road 300 to go north. That route was fine Sat, so by next week, it should be much better. We will have some more ice reports this week, with pictures. THINK SNOW!!!!! BE CAREFUL ON THE LAKE.

Update 1/20/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:10AM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! Some more pictures from yesterday are posted below. People are riding the shoreline, but be careful wherever you ride, and we have heard of some trucks breaking thru. Don't take you vehicles out there, there is not enough ice to hold them. There is 5-6" of ice in front of the Tip-Up-Town Site. BE CAREFUL.

Update 1/19/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:10PM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! Some pictures from this afternoon are posted below. There was about 4" of ice in front of the Tip-Up-Town Site. BE CAREFUL.

8:10AM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! We have a few openings left for each weekend, and we are within 100 yards of the Beverage Tent and 300 yards from the Festival Site at the DNR boat launch. Call us at 989-366-6464. We got 2-3 inches of snow from yesterday thru 9 am this morning. All in all there is 6-9 inches on the ground on our trail system depending on where you go. the ice thickness on the lake varies greatly. From 3+ to ???. CHECK THE ICE CAREFULLY, AND STICK CLOSE TO THE SHORELINE IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE THICKNESS. There are a lot of sled tracks on the lake, and some idiots drove across the middle yesterday. I wouldn't recommend that. I just looked at the webcam, and its snowing hard now with big flakes. You can see the live webcam HERE or the 15 minute updated camera HERE. Forecasts range from 2-5" to 8-12" by tomorrow morning, depending where in our our area you are. I had reports from guests that rode to Starvation Lake yesterday, and they said some areas were good, and some were snirty. They want to give Phil Rosco from Bear Lake a big THUMBS UP for the spark plugs for the 600 SkiDoo SDI, (dont put br*es) in those SDI sleds, they run like crap  (Dave). Also Rick from Extreme Lawn care and some friends drove to Elbow Lake last night, they borrowed a rental for his girlfriend, and they said it was a good ride (A little icy).  Call him at 989-429-7955 for plowing or studding. 

And for the non guests and people who have not donated in the past:

If you don't stay here or donate to these cams, don't B***H about the cams or the site not being updated, and don't call the resort asking for weather reports. I am not there any longer, so updating this site is taking time out of MY day. I don't take time out of yours. If you want more frequent reports from me, make a donation so the resort can pay a guy to drive around and take the pictures. I did this even if we didn't have snow, and I am sure saved hundreds of people from making a wasted trip. This is the only site I can find that has a LIVE video feed, and you can watch it snow. These things cost money, and if we don't start receiving donations from non-guests and local businesses, I will pull the plug on it. I will use it for myself, and guests only. I am not here to provide everyone in Houghton Lake with free video feeds. I drove up there last night to fix the webcam, and drove back, ONLY because of TIP-UP-TOWN and the two people that donated this year (Terry Fraser, and Lawrence George)....HUGE Thanks Terry and Lawrence. I put together another box for Meredith, so hopefully I can find a way to get it connected and running. If anyone who reads this knows how to install a webcam, and ftp upload software, e-mail me let me know if you can help. Louie from Meredith Inn would appreciate it. If you found this site and DON'T have a place in Houghton Lake, feel free to use the website, (Houghton Lake needs your business). Spicer's has some great deals on sleds I hear, so check them out if you come up CLICK HERE. And neither they or Rick from Extreme are paying for any advertising, I can just see a community that is really struggling with this bad winter. 

And Steve, the guy who does the rental snowmobiles has another baby on the way, and he is doing sled repair at the resort as well, to make extra money. So throw him a bone if you need help, he can come a pick you up if you have a breakdown, and can sell you parts a greatly discounted prices. 

Enough of my ranting, they are going to take some more pictures around town, and ice thickness in front of the TUT site, and the beverage tent so everyone can see what we got. It will be updated later today.

oops...forgot about Paul from sled solutions...He is organizing a ride

in Houghton Lake and proceeds go to the grooming club.

THINK SNOW!!!!!!

Update 1/18/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:10AM   We have a few openings left for each weekend, and we are within 100 yards of the Beverage Tent and 300 yards from the Festival Site at the DNR boat launch. Call us at 989-366-6464. There was just a skiff of snow last night, and its snowing now. There is a small system moving thru now, but not much accumulation is expected. There is snow coming in tonight and tomorrow, with 1-3 in the forecast. Just north 3-6, with a lake effect event occurring, maybe that will bring us some more snow. Will update the ice conditions on the lake later today.

Update 1/17/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:10PM   We have a few openings left for each weekend, and we are within 100 yards of the Beverage Tent and 300 yards from the Festival Site at the DNR boat launch. A couple pictures from The trail crossings from Meredith, and a picture from the lake.

Update 1/16/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:10PM   Here is a link from the Free Press article on the 15th of January regarding Tip-up-Town. We have a few openings left for each weekend, and we are within 100 yards of the Beverage Tent and 300 yards from the Festival Site at the DNR boat launch. 

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070115/BLOG01/70115035/0/NEWS05

12:10PM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! Not much new snow last night, there is about 5-6 inches or so on the ground. The ice thickness varies greatly around the lake, with no more than probably 6 inches, and some places with as little as 2-3. There are ice fisherman out about 250 yards in front of the resort, so if you want to fish, there is enough ice for that. The low last night was around 13, and the windchill this morning was 9. Tonight single digit temps around 5 and windchills from -6 to 6. The temps are to remain in single digits at night for lows, and low 20's every day thru sunday for the highs. It should be decent weather for TIP-UP-TOWN, not too cold, but good enough to add ice on the lake. The 15 minute updated webcam is still down, the pc it was running on is dead. The live camera here is running fine. We are in the process of connecting up a new one, but with the lack of snow (and business) its not been a high priority. If you would like to make a donation for the cams, click on the paypal or amazon links above. I will probably add some pictures tonight. 

Update 1/12/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:20PM   HAPPY TUT 2007!!!! It looks to get cold with snow in the forecast for most of next week. Most of the snow we had melted today, but John Dee is calling for a snowstorm to hit this week. The lake should freeze over in the next day or so with temps predicted to go into single digits. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 1/1/07 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:20PM   HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Winter just doesn't want to arrive this year. I looked at webcams in a 3 state area and still no snow anywhere. We had 12" or so the 12th of December, and by the 9th of Dec they were riding sleds on the lake near shore with 4-6 inches of ice. Now almost a month later the ice is gone and not a stitch of snow.  Thius site will be updated again when there is something decent to write, so for now watch the webcams to see if there is any change up here. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/07/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

3:20PM   We continue to get more snow, about 3" last night and maybe 1-2 so far today. Most of the lake is ice covered, but not enough for riding. Jim Debo from the Houghton Lake trailbalzers called me today, and they are in dire help to brush a mile or so of the west trail. The Club got a grant to fill that section of trail where it goes thru the swamp, but Porath cannot get their trucks in there until this brush is cut back. They are trying to complete this for THIS winter. Call jim at 989-366-4838 if you can help. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 12/01/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:20PM   Well, the big storm didn't produce what they expected, but they are still calling for a bit more snow by 7 am tomorrow. We got about 5-6 inches, Meredith around 8". Working in lower michigan, so this page has not been a priority. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 10/23/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:20PM   Thank's to all the guys that helped brush this past weekend. We had a pretty decent group. Thanks Nick for bringing me the hose for the groomer so we could get some grading done. I am adding a page that will list everyone that came up here and helped this season, so please e-mail me your contact information HERE. Still plenty of work to do, so if you can help ANY day we can line you up with something that needs to be done. The trail reports this year will include a verbal report that will play automatically when the page is loaded. I am hopefully going to get the webcam in Merdith working soon. I am also working in the camera that will be on trail 6 this year. We are again taking donations to keep this site running and the webcams in Meredith and Trail 6 will only be on the members pages. Both of those webcams require a dedicated phone line to operate them, and that alone will be about 80.00 per month. I have approached businesses to sponsor those cams, but so far no takers.

Update 10/16/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:20PM   Thanks to the guys that drove up last weekend to help. Paul, Nick, Dave and Butch for coming up to help brush the trails. Jim Debo from the Trailblazers had a group working on 655 going south, and Pauls group worked from the county line rd. and 655 and worked their way north.We still have a lot of work to do an we need more volunteers. Portions of the trail that are dual marked, need grading done ash the corners are burmed up quite badly from the ORV's. If we dont get the flat before it freezws we will need a LOT of snow to cover them, and we will probably be mixing in sand when we groom in the winter. We need a 20ft long hydraulic hose for the old drag that we use for grading. If anyone has any connections for hydraulics, e-mail me and I can give you the specifics. 

Update 10/06/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:20PM   There is a group coming from Chesaning this weekend to help brush the trails. If you can come up and help over the weekend, and dont have a place here, e-mail us and we will hook you up (a group of 4 or more) with a place to stay for free (you gotta make beds and clean up when you leave...). You can also contact Jime Debo at 989-366-4838. Jim is out most every weekend working. Normally I am out grading, brusing etc, but after my accident, im out of comission for 6 weeks or so. Another note although I dont like political issues but be sure to vote yes on Proposal 06-1. Below are some links that I found for it. I will protect our Fishing,Snowmobiling,Hunting,Parks and Watereways funds from being raided by our Governor.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/06-1_170...201%20ballot%22


A few other links showing the support of this bill.


http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../610060340/1068

http://www.mlive.com/business/sanews/index....xml&coll=9

Contact the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce and Houghton Lake Trail Blazers for information on brushing and signing. Still going on every Saturday. 

Update 9/11/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:20PM   Trail brushing and signing is underway on the Houghton Lake Snowmobile Trail system. The Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce along with the Houghton Lake snowmobile Association and the Houghton Lake Trail Blazers are looking for volunteers to help with the trail system in preparation for winter. Please come up and help out if you ride here. The following is the post from the Houghton Lake Chamber of commerce activities board. Mike Jacobs has been grading sections of the trail, and Jim Debo has already been out brushing. Let see if we can get these guys some more help out there.

                                               ATTENTION SNOWMOBILERS!!!
Looking for Volunteers for brushing the trails. The Houghton Lake Snowmobile Association and
The Houghton Lake Trail Blazers will be meeting every Saturday 9/9 thru 11/11.
Meet at the Playhouse at 10:00am - For more information please call 989-366-5644

Update 5/23/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:20PM  We are organizing a trail cleanup for June 3rd-4th. Anyone wanting to help please send an e-mail here or visit the forum on Hardcoresledder.com by clicking HERE. Also it is an election year for Michael Van Wormer (Road comission Chairman). There is a meeting May 25 and there has been some problems out there. Click HERE to read the article. Larry Paxton seems to be the guy wanting to get some things done differently. We need to see who's running and where they stand on helping tourisn thrive in this county. THINK SUMMER!!!

Update 4/3/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

6:20PM  The ice went off the lake Sunday, and now we are looking at whitecaps with all of the wind. I'm suprized we didnt get any more riding in in March with the big dump of snow we got at the end of Feburary. Some guys were out riding orv's this past weekend....their report is below. Thanks for all that contributed to the website, I will be making improvements throughout the summer and get the webcam working in Meredith, and hopefully along 6/7 north by the Muskegon River Bridge.  Click on the members trail report page here and scroll down to 3/4 and 3/5. THINK SUMMER!!!

ORV Report from 4/2/06

Art

Yes we did get a ride in.  Losing the hour to daylight savings meant we got
a late start on Sunday, but we put on 50 miles.  Mainly on Leota, with a few
of the miles on Denton Creek.

We started from Canoe Camp and Cambridge roads.  We rode down to the
Jonesville Bridge, then up the middle of the loop and back down the west
side.  After a little break we went a few miles into Denton Creek and back.

We were a bit skeptical when we woke up to a mainly frozen East Bay, but the
ice/snow was not a factor on the trails.  The moisture kept the dust down so
the trails were excellent.  A few downed trees to deal with, but other than
that it was a great first ride of the season.  When we got back to the lake
there was no more ice, at least on the East Bay.  We timed it perfectly,
when we finished unloading, the rain started.

Thanks, talk to you later.

Mark

Update 3/12/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:20AM  The low last night was around 45, so we lost a lot of snow. I don't think we will have any more riding this season the way things look right now. I did just see a guy tearing up and down the lake out front of here, not sure what he was riding on. Thank's to all that donated to this site. We will try and organize some fundraisers for the grooming club, so next season we will have enough money to groom whenever we feel it's necessary. There will be more webcams up for next season, so check back to see our progress. I also posted the pictures from our last ride here last weekend. Hard to believe those pictures are only a week old. It was the best riding around here all season, and Chris and I worked our buts off weekend to get that snow flat. Click on the members trail report page here and scroll down to 3/4 and 3/5. I read the trail report from Gaylord, and they are saying there is 6-12 inches of snow in and around Gaylord. Don't count on a ride up there either, they seem to be a bit optimistic, I am a realist, but I don't think winter is over yet. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 3/9/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:20AM  We got rain last night and a low of about 34. The highs on Saturday are forecasted to be in the 50's so even lake riding may be out of the question. Temps next week don't look much better for snowmobiling. I can say keeping the groomer here was convenient and letting it warm up before I got in it was nice. But the 10 hours of working on it in the cold was not much of a trade off. It's easy to get in the tractor, and let someone else worry about the lights, blades, and general maintenance. We need a groomer barn, and we will try and get some organized fundraising events so we can get these tractors inside. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 3/7/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:20AM  The colds temps last night prevented much of the snow from melting. Most of the trails are still ridable, and the two-tracks in the woods are still nicely covered. Today and tomorrow may be the last days you can ride in this area, so if you are dying for another ride, and know your way around the woods, its still an option. Getting to the trails from the lake is pretty much out of the question.  THINK SNOW!!!

Update 3/6/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:20AM  Nothing much good happening up here, the temps are already above freezing, and things are melting. We got a ride in yesterday to Meredith and Elbow Lake and they were in good shape, very few brown spots, and quite flat. In the 1 hour that we were in Meredith, the snow started to lose it brightness on the hills and high sun areas. This weeks predicted temps will most likely end our riding, without a snap back of cold temps and more snow. We may try to flatten things one more time at night, in case mother nature throws us a cold spell. I think its a bit early for spring...so for now I'm THINKING SNOW!!!

Update 3/5/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:20AM  Been too busy to update this page, We groomed Thursday night, Friday Night and Saturday night. Saturday at about 1pm I was finishing up the west trail, and the snow was balling up in the drag. We had to wait till 7PM for the temps to drop enough to groom. It was VERY busy on the trails. Just came back in, the trails are flat as pavement, and ready for another day. I will post pictures later today. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 3/2/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:20PM  Chris measured the snowfall before he came to Houghton Lake....AND PLOWED MY DRIVEWAY...thank's Chris. He measured 12-14 inches in Meredith. He's ready to fire up a groomer...just point him to a mogul...And now I will plug my place, because I rarely do it...2 sleds and a 2 Bedroom CABIN 600.00 for the weekend. Sleds alone 350.00 each for the weekend, from Friday at noon, till Sunday at 5:00pm. Thanks to all that donated and became members, there are about 70 now, and every little bit helps. The members page will be password protected when the webcam's go up. There will be one on Trail 6, one at Meredith, and possibly one at Elbow lake, if Bob understands what we are doing. I am supplying all the hardware for each location, and the internet connection on trail 6 cam. Louie will supply a phone line for the one in Meredith. THINK SNOW!!!!

10:20AM  Just got off the phone with Chris, one of the other groomer drivers. On top of being a driver, he lives in Meredith, so he can give us a first hand snow report. He was plowing when I called him minutes ago, and he said 8-10 inches there now, and still snowing hard. Elbow will have the same or a bit more the way the storm is tracking. We got 6+ here now. A couple of pic's snapped off the deck are HERE. THINK SNOW!!!!!

9:20AM  Just got off the phone with a friend from Clare. They got almost a foot of snow in the Clare, Harrison area. They closed schools in that area. We have gotten at least another inch since 8 this morning, and its still snowing. Should be good news for our trails as most of them are south of town. Meredith and Elbow Lake will be happy. THINK SNOW!!!!!

7:50AM  We got 3-4 inches of snow last night, and they are calling for a bit more by noon today. Highs supposed to me in the 20's today and tomorrow. The way the storm looked more of the snow, may have fallen south, toward the Meredith, Elbow Lake area. With this new snow we should be able to cover up a few of the bare spots on Trail 6. We will have this all groomed and packed by the weekend, so get in some riding this weekend, before it's all gone. Also a quick note reading the Sledheads page that I will pass on here. STAY OFF the railroad tracks, except at marked crossings. The Ausable Valley Snowmobile Association got a letter from the railroad warning sleds to stay off the tracks, or they will lose the right to have the trail there. Sleds pack the snow down and that can lead to a derailment. The carbides also cut into the rails. For those that don't think this is a real problem, call you nearest machine shop and ask them what kind of inserts they use for CUTTING STEEL and IRON...they will tell you CARBIDE....THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/28/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:50PM  The rest of the pictures from the 24th, 25th and today are up under the members page HERE. Look back at the last few days to see how we made it thru the weekend. Also check out the visitors trail report section HERE, and post you comments if you rode here over the weekemd. I showed Chris all the comments, on here and hardcoresledder so he know how much everyone appreciates his efforts as well. I going grooming....THINK SNOW!!!

8:20AM  We groomed the entire trail system, Meredith and Leota both got two grooms from Saturday Night-Sunday Night/Monday morning. Chris spent 12 hours Sunday night, did 655 to Meredith, the 655 east loop, and the 654 West loop. I groomed Leota from 655 trailhead at Owens Rd, to Waco Rd (trail 6) then trail 6 to the 6/7 split, then trail 7 to the bridge about 7 miles west of Leota. When we groom to Meredith we take 655 from Owens Rd trailhead, to Waco Rd (trail 6) west and south to Grass Lake Rd, then get on 655 to Meredith. Our East loop is 655 from Waco to Grass Lake, and our West loop is 654 from the 655/654 split to Grass Lake Rd.  Everything is still looking great, the water hole on 655 North of Grass lake, and the thin spot on 6 just west of Reserve are still there. We were able to cover up some of the bare spot. That clearcut area is killing that trail. Didn't update much over the weekend, we had everything smooth and Flat going into Friday-Saturday Morning, and kept it that way throughout the weekend. If you rode here post your comments on the visitor trail report section HERE. We will hit the section of trail 6 between the 654/6 crossing and Old 27 maybe twice next Saturday if we are grooming. That section of trail gets beat up fast due to all the sharp turns. Be sure to thank Chris for his efforts. He is also willing to fire up a tractor at 2am on Friday and Saturday nights to get the trails flat for the next day on the weekends. I will post pictures later today.

Update 2/25/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:20AM  I groomed to Leota last night, and chris went to Meredith. Everything is looking great, still the water hole on 655 North of Grass lake, and the thin spot on 6 just west of reserve. I took pictures, but I don't have time to post them right now. The hardcoresledder ride is leaving at 9:30 THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/24/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:00PM Mike J and I double groomed the west trail today, and it has a few bad spots, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. 

Update 2/24/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:20AM  We got both tractors ready, and I took a new driver out to try his luck. I groomed 655 to Grass Lake, then 654 back to the 655-654 split. Then Chris took over and we came back the reverse route, giving that a full groom. We left at 2am and got back at 9:30am this morning. He did a great job, and has a CDL so he's no stranger to heavy equipment. He's also enthusiastic about driving and helping out. When we got back our trail Administrator, Mike J told him, we can use you tonight. So now we have yet another driver (that makes 4) ready to beat up the Moguls for the weekend. A few pictures are on the members page HERE. Some snow is forecasted for the weekend, so lets keep our fingers crossed. THINK SNOW!!!! 

Update 2/23/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:00AM  Not much new to report, looks like some snow coming in for the weekend. There has not been any grooming since Monday, so I will have to go a take a look at the trails sometime today. Last weekend things got ugly fast, mainly due to one tractor. Then Meredith got groomed Sunday morning, instead of trail 6 to Leota. Nothing was groomed last Saturday night. Both tractors should be running by the weekend. There is a HardcoreSledder ride this weekend, if you are interested in joining, go to Hardcoresledder.com and contact Paul. View this thread for more information. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/21/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

11:00AM  Cold again last night, about 14 for the low. I double groomed 655 to Grass Lake Rd. Them Came back up and did 6 to Grass lake and 655 to Meredith. The will need another pass to be flat. 654 and 6 to Leota will need another pass. I double groomed 6 from Canoe camp to Leota, and a single pass from Waco RD. With one of the tractors down, things got bumpy fast, so we are running the other hard to get things back in shape. The rim came in today, so hopefully we can get that tractor running today. We are going to try the west trail when both tractors are running, in case we get stuck in the swamp. Some pictures from the last grooming efforts are on the members page HERE. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/20/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

9:00AM  We got a dusting of snow overnight, and the low was about 6. I groomed to Leota, it took double grooming (4 passes) to get it flat. We are going to try and groom the west trail after all this cold, we may be able to get thru the swampy areas. There is still plenty of snow on the trails after the busy weekend. The pictures from last night and yesterday will be posted later today. If anyone has a source for John Deere rims, call the resort or e-mail me. The rim and hub on the tractor cracked, probably from all the added stress from the duals that used to be on it. The left front wheel just about fell right off Saturday, while I was on the way down to Leota. The right is cracked also, so we would like to replace both. From John Deere they are over 650.00 each. We would be happy with a couple of used ones. The size of the tire is 16.9 R28, and the John Deere part number is RE156605 for the rim, and R156497 for the hub. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 2/19/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

7:00PM  Not much new to report, both groomers broke down this weekend, I had groomed Meredith, and the local loops, and on my second trip out the groomer lost a small wheel on the drag, and 30 seconds later the left front rim cracked and broke. The wheel was laying underneath the tractor on trail 655, just south of Waco. It took 6 hours to get it back to the trailhead on Owens Rd. The other drag hitch broke, and had to take roads back to town to get it fixed. One is working now, so I'm heading out to see what I can do. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 2/18/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

10:00AM  We got a little more snow last night, and when I left at 2am to groom it was -2. High today is supposed to be 8. I groomed Meredith and the local loops. Probably going back out after breakfast. Things are looking great out there.  I took some pictures, but don't have time to post them right now. THINK SNOW!!! 

Update 2/17/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:00PM  We didn't get the big storm, we got 6+ inches of wet, heavy snow, that would have probably been a foot if it had not been for the war air in the upper atmosphere. This stuff will not settle much, and hopefully we can pack it down good. Mike and I are both going out today, so watch out if you are out riding. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/15/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:00PM  We got about 1" of snow, and the low was about 18. I went out and checked most of the trails today and they are all in decent shape, with the exception of the west trail between Jeff's Rd. and M-55. Also from CO RD 300 south towards Reedsburd, there are some bad spots. It is not frozen enough to take the groomer down them. Trail 6 has a 50 yard bare spot between Beaver Rd and Reserve. There is also a bad spot just west of Old 27, through the sand bowl before you jump out on canoe camp. I rode to Leota, Meredith, and Elbow lake. The pictures and videos are below. A snow storm is predicted for Tonight, tomorrow, an tomorrow night. These trails are ok now, and will be great with some new snow.  The big pictures and videos are on the members page HERE. Too warm to groom today, maybe tonight we can do a little cleanup. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/14/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:00PM  We got about 1/2" of snow, and the low was about 12. I will go and take a look at the trails, and see if anything needs grooming. We are supposed to get a storm Thursday night, and they a calling for significant accumulations. I will post pictures later today on the members page HERE. We probably will groom before the storm, to get everything flat. And I would like to personally thank Russ Warnick, He was one of the first to stop and help my friends involved in the accident last Saturday. He called today after reading the post on the 12th. My friends brother did not know the location to describe to the 911 operator, but Russ took the phone and helped guide the Emergency team in. His future son in law is a Oakland County Sheriff's Deputy, and they were both a big help. I gave his number to my friend, they were still at the Hospital today. She is still in critical condition, but stable. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/8/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

8:00AM  The pictures from yesterday are on the members page HERE. It is not protected yet, so you don't need a password. You can see it was dark when I started at 11:30PM. We don't have to wait this late, but I prefer to go when it will be able to set for a few hours with no traffic, it holds up longer. The picture of the truck was a guy driving around behind me on a freshly groomed trail. Probably one of the same guys that was out there when it got warm, and destroyed the trail. Thank him if you see him. Of all the trails in the woods, the picked the groomed ones to drive down, probably because we picked up all the trees, and cleared all the drifts so they were passable. The lake has decent snow, but some areas are bare. The holes on 655 just north of grass lake are still there. They aren't that deep if you happen to go in. I don't know if it will freeze up or not. People have been going out on the swamp to go around, now that its colder I probably would also. Spicers Winter Tour ride is this Friday, benefits go to the Special Olympics. I'm not sure if you can still get in, I heard there are over 100 so far. We are going to brush and groom sections of that ride that are not on the trails today. Parts of it are very rough, so I think I am following Mike around today. I have gotten a few e-mails, people telling me that they buy a 25.00 sticker, they have done enough. Or, I picked up a few branches. I don't care if people donate to this site or not, but at least get involved and do SOMETHING for the trails. There are guys that have been doing this for years, and I see very few younger people getting involved to take their places. When you are riding around fallen trees, on ungroomed trails because they are overgrown and the tractor wont fit....don't say you didn't know volunteers were doing the job. Not State Employees paid hourly by your 25.00 trail permit sticker. In this area the Houghton Lake Trailblazers have done the majority of it. And the last time we got a storm, I called them and we rounded up only four guys...myself and my neighbor included. Many guys have to work during the day, and couldn't help. Enough babbling....It looks to stay cold for the next week to ten days...I have to fix the tractor rear wiper...and then go grooming. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 2/6/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

1:00PM  We got about another 1" or so of snow. I am going to go out and take pictures, and groom if we are allowed to go out. I may wait till after midnight to groom, there shouldn't be anyone out after that on a Monday. That way it will have all night to set up for tomorrow. Our trip to the U.P. was on a lot of terrible trails, probably due to the warm weather they were having, making it impossible to groom. I have never seen some of those areas so bad. There was almost a foot of fresh snow just across the bridge in St Ingnace. So if you are looking to make a long trip from anywhere south of the bridge and venture across, this week make be the time to do it. They got another 5" of snow since we got back in Bear Lake, and they have an advisory for 3-7 more today. This page will be password protected as soon as I get everyone who donated a password. The Hi-Res images on these pages in addition to the webcam, has caused a 3000-4000% increase in bandwidth, but the pictures are as clear as any you will find showing snowmobile trails. THINK SNOW!!!

Update 2/5/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

2:00PM  Back from the U.P. and we have 6+ inches of new snow (and its still snowing). I don't know what's going on with grooming, but I will find out. Looks like winter is back this week, not a single day above the mid 20's....and snow.  Steve was out on the trails, and rode to Grayling before the snow. He was out today and said there was a considerable amount of traffic, and a water hole south of Riley on 654. Anyone that e-mailed about a password, if you didn't get a reply today...e-mail me again because I spent 4 hours in the ride home answering everyone from my Blackberry. I got some interesting e-mails, and I will post the most negative and positive ones....along with my replies. Bottom line is if you find this information useful...donate...if not move along. I hate to sound brash....but as a snowmobiler myself I know what bad information costs me when planning a trip. THINK SNOW!!!!

Another

I just visited your site and read your recent comments. I am
sorry to say that I have been visiting your site for the
past two years, I do find it very informative, but took it
for granted and did not make any donations to help with the
costs.

I guess you can say that I'm new at this sport and learning
everyday. With your comments I now have learned who cares
for the trails and understand that it's up to the local
community/snowmobile organizations to keep things moving
forward.

If this is the case then I will be making your location this
upcoming weekend and will make my donation to help keep
things moving along.

Thank you for your continuous updates, pictures and your
time.

In the next five or so years we will be retired and
will call Houghton Lake/Prudenville our home and will then
be able to do more for this wonderful sport.

Again thanks and keep up the good work!!!  
Sgt. S. Rapson
Plymouth Township Police Department
42350 Ann Arbor Rd
Plymouth MI 48170

Hello Sgt Rapson,

 I have secured a location for a live webcam on the trail...hopefully it
will be online before next winter. If you want to make a donation to the
grooming fund, send it to the Houghton Lake Snowmobile Association at the
Houghton Lake Cahmber of Commerce. If you want to help with the webcam
costs...then you can send it here.

 Maybe we will rope you into some brushing/signing over the next 5
years...then we hancuff you to a groomer...I would like to ride Friday
mornings....

 P.S. Maybe you can show us how to get community service hours for people on
Parole to help with our trails.....lol

Thank You
Art
American Oak Resort

Another satisfied visitor

Update 2/1/06 :   Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report and Conditions

12:00PM  The pictures taken this morning are below. The webcam will be restricted to guests of the resort and people who donated to the website. I may restrict more of the site, and update only weekly for non-members. When this months costs come in I will decide. Bandwidth cost, camera costs, and the costs running this site are 465.00 short of the donations I have received to date this year. That is thru Jan 1. I have received 45.00 thru Amazon, and 250.00 thru Paypal and 80.00 from people who stopped by. Not even enough to pay for the Diesel fuel and gas for my vehicle working on these trails and driving back and forth from the woods. I have put 290.00 in diesel fuel out of my pocket in the tractor, and that's 0 dollars for my time. I spent 20.00 in gas taking these pictures. Based on the 3,337,150 hits from January, an awful lot of people that visit this site, don't patronize my place. Over 117,000 unique visitors last month alone. This will be my last update as I'm on my way to the UP for some riding. Anyone who donated please send me your paypal account name or amazon account name, and I will forward you a unique password for access to the site. The passwords will be monitored, and any duplicate logins will result in termination of the account. Surfing thru my IP logs, I have found dozens of sites linking to my pictures and webcams, this it why I have decided to restrict webcams to start with. I have met a lot of great people thru this site, and I will continue grooming as much as we are allowed. Today after checking the trails, we could pull in all that snow we left on the sides, and possibly do some good. But I have been unable to get the ok from the DNR to go and most likely they will say we don't have enough snow. I am not springing for any more diesel fuel out of my pocket. I was just at the Chamber, and they haven't received 1 dime from the state to cover grooming operations this year. So unless Mike J decides to go, there will probably not be any grooming before the weekend. The 1-3 we were supposed to get last night did not happen. The pictures are a bit deceiving, for the most part the icy base survived. Only in sunny high traffic areas did it melt to dirt. The 1/2 inch of snow is making everything look white in the pictures, but there hasn't been a single sled on the trails since that 1/2 inch fell. So the first couple sleds will drastically change the pictures without some grooming efforts. I will restrict the cams on Sunday when I return. Anyone that has donated, please send me the info before Sunday. If you have a comment, positive or negative...e-mail me here. I like to hear from some visitors. Have a great weekend, I'm off to Marquette, Houghton, Copper Harbor!!!!  TUT 2006 pictures are HERE. THINK SNOW!!!!

7:00AM We got a dusting of new snow overnight, and the lows were about 18. I am going to go out and take some pictures of the trails today. Tip-Up-Town 2006 pictures are HERE. THINK SNOW!!!!

Update 9/8/05 : Houghton Lake Michigan Snowmobiling Trail Report

 7:00 AM  It's time to think about riding again, and getting our snowmobile trails in shape for the winter. We will need help again with brushing and signing so call the chamber of commerce and throw your hat in the name bucket to volunteer. Mike Jacobs was out many times during the summer on the west trail, looking things over and submitting reports to the DNR, so we can get grant money to fix up that trail. Also support our local clubs by joining. That money goes to good use, and those club members do the bulk of the work on the trails around Roscommon county and Ogemaw county. Visit the Houghton Lake Trail Blazers site or call the St helen snowpackers by visiting out CLUBS page. The trailblazers newsletter is published online.

    LAST SEVERAL YEARS REPORTS ARE HERE

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