Cruising the Trail Above Ranch Rudolf

By MIKE NORTON

Wow! What a difference three days can make!

Traverse City is covered in beautiful, deep, white snow, and everybody in our winter sports business is ecstatic. Steve Kershner, director of snow sports at Shanty Creek Resorts, says they’ve been setting records out there for skiers since Christmas because the weather’s been so good - and that’s a big shot in the arm for the local economy. Kershner says the resort has already sold almost twice as many season passes as last year.

Personally, I’ve been thinking more about snowmobiles lately; last week I took advantage of a couple of cold clear days to take my camera up to the Boardman Valley Trail near Ranch Rudolf, and it was great to see how much fun people were having on those bluffs above the river. A lot of sledders don’t realize how great our trail system is, which means we probably don’t do a very good job of promoting ourselves as a snowmobiling destination. But those who’ve tried us are inevitably impressed.

Take Ed Klim, president of the International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association. He’s experienced some of the world’s most exotic snowmobiling spots. So where is his favorite trail? Not in Colorado or Montana, or even in Alaska. It’s right here along the Boardman Valley Trail: an 80-mile network of scenic routes that wanders through thick green cedars and pines beside a snow-cradled river, skirts the edges of icebound lakes among wooded hills, and glides through stands of oak where deer run silently beside the pathway.

It’s not the fastest, most thrill-packed ride in the world, Klim admits. But it’s gentle and beautiful - and best of all, it’s just a few minutes from Traverse City, whose restaurants, galleries, casinos and resorts provide a welcome dose of luxury at the end of a day’s ride.

That’s snowmobiling “Traverse City style” - a blend of backwoods adventure, aesthetic appreciation and (let’s admit it) more than a bit of off-the-trail pampering. People come here because they don’t entirely want to rough it - they love the town, the casinos, the shopping and the lakeshore — even when the lake is frozen. Besides, you can get some really good deals on rooms here in the winter.

A few of those rooms are actually on the trail itself, at Ranch Rudolf, a real-life dude ranch deep in the heart of the Boardman Valley that becomes a winter mecca for trail-riders. Some spend a night or two at the lodge, but most just drop by to spend an hour or two by the fireplace swapping tales about their day on the trail before heading into town to check out the nightlife.

“The best part of being in Traverse City is that when a family comes up for a winter trip, they don’t all have to be riding if they want to do something else,” says Ranch Rudolf owner Sid Hamill. “If they’d rather shop, go to the casino, or spend the day in a spa, they can do that. There’s really a little bit of something for everyone.”

Most of the lodging in Traverse City is spread out along the city’s two bayfront beach areas, where 60 hotels, motels and resorts provide almost 4,000 rooms ranging from the budget-conscious to the luxurious. That’s also where the majority of the town’s restaurants and night spots are - and it’s conveniently close to three of the five staging areas that feed into the trail system at Hoosier Valley, Rasho Road, and Supply Road.

Hoosier Valley, at the western end of the system, is a steep section of trail with more wide-open spaces that provide opportunities for faster riding. Supply Road is on the opposite end, in a remote section of high woods. Rasho Road, at the center of the trail network, is closest to the heart of Traverse City’s hotel/resort district; it can be easily reached by way of the popular High Lake Spur, a five-mile roller-coaster trail over a series of glacial hills.

Farther to the southeast is the village of Fife Lake, where the Boardman system links up with an even larger series of trails to the south and east by way of a snowmobile bridge over the Manistee River.  The scenery is beautiful, with many turnoffs along the river and lookouts over the broad Manistee Valley.

Since the region’s scenery is so diverse, the trails encompass many different landscapes: snug tunnels of tall snowy evergreens, open stands of hardwood where the sun shines down through blue shadows, high ridges where eagles soar, wide meadows that look out over distant glacial lakes. Sledders accustomed to the wide-open raceway style conditions in other snowmobiling areas say they’re amazed at how often they seem to have the Traverse City trails to themselves.

Not everyone who comes to ride the Boardman Valley trail system brings their own machine - particularly if they’re new to the sport. Fortunately, there are several local outfitters located near the trailheads to serve would-be trail riders with one- two- and three-passenger machines. One is Blue Sky Rentals (231) 633-2583 or www.bluesky-tvc.com. Another is Snowblitz Snowmobile Rentals (231) 932-1800 or www.snowblitz.com.

The amenities along the Boardman Valley trail system are just as diverse as the terrain. In addition to the lodge at Ranch Rudolf, with its fireplace lounge and dining room, another favorite stop for sledders is Peegeo’s, a pizzeria/bar at the end of the High Lake Spur. It’s a rare snowmobiler who doesn’t take a break at Peegeo’s for some refreshment and conversation. The menu is simple but tasty, from pizzas and subs to Mexican specialties, steaks and burgers