Here's our ultimate winter checklist
1) Make plans to attend the annual Michigan’s Richest Snowmobile Fun Run on Feb. 23. 800-345-8621 or www.snowmobilegaylord.com.
2) Truly enjoy winter at Gaylord’s Annual Alpenfrost - Frosty 5K, carriage rides and other winter fun. www.gaylordalpenfrost.com.
3) Float the not-so-frozen Sturgeon River in a raft. 231-525-6878, www.sturgeonriverpaddle.com or 231-238-8181, www.bigbearadventures.com.
4) Check in with winter wildlife at Aspen Park. Thanks to the white background, photographing the elk and beaver pond is never better. Take Otsego Avenue south to Commerce Boulevard’s end. 989-732-4060.
5) Nab a 55-minute pass for some extreme tubing at Treetops Resort. 888-TREETOPS or visit www.treetops.com.
6) Shout “Woo-woo-woo!” all the way to Mackinaw City as you snowmobile the former North Central Michigan Railroad Corridor. 231-348-8280.
7) Snowshoe along the Sturgeon River in the super secluded, super quiet, no snowmobiles allowed Green Timbers section of the Pigeon River Country State Forest. See the map at: www.pigeonrivercountryforest.org/greentimbers.htm
8) Get to the trails…cross country style! Whether a beginner or expert, you’ll find miles of trails to suit your taste. Boasting over 180 inches of annual snowfall and heavily wooded rolling terrain, the Gaylord area offers some of the most enjoyable and challenging cross country skiing in Michigan. Visit www.gaylordmichigan.net for trail maps.
9) Are you an angler that can’t get enough? Cut a hole in the hard stuff and start a great Gaylord winter tradition — drop a line and do some ice fishing on one of the many lakes in Otsego County! Learn more at www.gaylordmichigan.net
10) Ride the old fashioned way—in a horse-drawn open sleigh—at the Cook Family Farm. Afterward, warm up inside with hot cocoa. Don’t forget to browse the shop for even more homemade goodness: syrup, jams, jellies, honey, eggs, natural meats and soy candles. Call to schedule your sleigh ride adventure, Cook Family Farm 989-731-1332
Snow junkies can scope out the fluffy stuff in Gaylord 24 hours a day on www.snowmancam.com, a live feed from a snowbelt backyard that shows the snow as it falls. The weatherman is a snowman. The measurement tools are a dial thermometer and a decorative snow ruler, and you can donate dollars to feed the wildlife that pass into the frame. Regular visitors include black bear, deer, porcupines, raccoons, wild turkey, squirrels, birds and more.
Wake Up Trailside
On the XC and Snowshoe Trail
Pine Cone Rentals offers rental houses big and small around the Gaylord region, many of which sit smack dab alongside area XC ski trails. One favorite setting? Around Michaywé’s Pines Course, where 17k await. Check out the options: 866-731-1887, www.pineconevacations.com
On the Downhill Slope
Otsego Resort boasts a mix of hotel rooms and condo units with kitchenettes, and they sit mountainside, giving you immediate out-the-door access to exceptional downhill runs. 989-732-5181 or visit www.otsegoresort.com
Fat Tire Bike the Trails
Ride your favorite biking trails – snow style! Rentals available through Treetops Resort at www.treetops.com or White Birch Outfitters at www.whitebirchoutfitters.com
On the Snowmobile Trail
Party of two? Or just a big party? Beaver Creek Resort can accommodate your crew in cozy cabins with direct access to hundreds of miles of groomed snowmobile trails. More convenient yet, guests can rent a sled on site. www.benjaminsbeavercreek.com
FACT OR FICTION? The Big One
A wee bit south of Gaylord, you’ll find ice-fishing fave Otsego Lake. In 1942, Dr. Arthur H. Compton and Dr. Robert Oppenheimer got together on its shores to chat about the atomic bomb they were developing. You know what happened with that big one, but do you know about the other big ones lurking here – as in, the giant sturgeon? These super-sized and scary-looking prehistoric fish can live up to 100 years, grow up to eight feet long and weigh 800 pounds, and they call Otsego Lake home. Their threatened status keeps them protected under catch-and-release rules, but you can catch and keep their junior-whopper neighbors under Otsego’s ice: pike and walleye.
Fact. In truth, a female sturgeon may live up to 155 years while a male only lives to about 50 years. They are sometimes called living fossils because their species has thrived for so long.
QUICK TRIP! Float the Sturgeon River
Whatever the season, you’re in for a good time on the Sturgeon River. Located just a hop, skip or a short ride north of Gaylord, the Lower Peninsula’s fastest flowing river offers a winter experience you won’t soon forget! Hop aboard for a DRY, guided winter rafting trip beneath the snow-covered evergreens. Check out Big Bear Adventures at www.bigbearadventures.com or Sturgeon River Paddlesports at www.sturgeonriverpaddle.com
