I think the trail is rideable!

[smudge ★]

We went to camp yesterday despite the cold. It worked out pretty well. The trail is finally feeling solid under my snowshoes. The drag sled is following the trail real well too.

It was a gorgeous day. This is my turn around loop.

Looks like I'm not the only one who likes my trail.

This is at the home stretch. I always think it should be easy since it's pretty much a straight shot back to camp; but it's always drifted in, so it's a tough walk.

I'm hoping I will actually get to ride the trail this year. We'll see.

And to think @Parr8hed thought I should have spent the cold winter day in front of a fireplace. Well, technically I spent some time in front of a fire.... Warmed up and dried my snowy pant legs in front of the wood stove at camp.

[KrAzY]

I went for a hike today. I didn't need snowshoes or trekking poles this time. I did see moss on the tree.

[Digital_photog ★]

Nice trail.  That should be good for fat bikes, snowshoes, xc skis, and dog sleds.   I have all those... I'm on my way. ?

[MickinMD ★]

We brave souls laugh at snow on the trail!

Especially when it only covers 100 feet of trail and there isn't any more for the next 10 miles!

[Parr8hed]

oh Hale no. 

That shit is just too cold.

[donkpow]

I see you've included your sponsor's logo in three of four of your photos. Shrewd. ?

[smudge ★]

1 hour ago, donkpow said:

I see you've included your sponsor's logo in three of four of your photos. Shrewd. ?

Ha!! Good I point! I got that from them a few years ago at the Builders Show. That's coming up in March. (My sunflower seed and corn containers are in there)

[Kzoo]

1 hour ago, donkpow said:

I see you've included your sponsor's logo in three of four of your photos. Shrewd. ?

She learned that during her years in NASCAR.

[dinneR ★]

6 hours ago, smudge said:

Ha!! Good I point! I got that from them a few years ago at the Builders Show. That's coming up in March. (My sunflower seed and corn containers are in there)

Feeding corn to deer is not a good idea. It can make them sick.

[smudge ★]

22 minutes ago, dennis said:

Feeding corn to deer is not a good idea. It can make them sick.

Ok. Thanks. 

[Parr8hed]

My idea of a trail.  

 

[smudge ★]

2 minutes ago, Parr8hed said:

My idea of a trail.  

 

I could go for a little of that right about now, not gonna lie. 

[donkpow]

My idea of a trail.

[smudge ★]

2 minutes ago, donkpow said:

My idea of a trail.

That's a nice trail when you have someone with you who doesn't ride often. Easy going, pretty scenery... A nice chance to get them out on a bike and enjoy some conversation.

[smudge ★]

10 hours ago, smudge said:

Ok. Thanks. 

I can't take it anymore. I have to add a hearty eye roll to my response. (I was trying to be polite, but...)

[ChrisL]

13 minutes ago, Parr8hed said:

My idea of a trail.  

 

That looks like Newport Coast, one of the trail systems near me.  Except a bit too green & lush.

[donkpow]

10 minutes ago, smudge said:

That's a nice trail when you have someone with you who doesn't ride often. Easy going, pretty scenery... A nice chance to get them out on a bike and enjoy some conversation.

That's actually what most of our trails look like. In fact, that's a picture of one of the local trails. We have the largest continuous paved bicycle trail system in the country.

[dinneR ★]

1 hour ago, smudge said:

I can't take it anymore. I have to add a hearty eye roll to my response. (I was trying to be polite, but...)

Deer are ruminants. They can't properly process grain so it can make them sick. It is like making someone with celiac eat gluten. If you feed them, you could offer food they can process.

Just trying to be helpful, not trying to be a jerk. Sorry if I offended you. 

[smudge ★]

1 hour ago, dennis said:

Deer are ruminants. They can't properly process grain so it can make them sick. It is like making someone with celiac eat gluten. If you feed them, you could offer food they can process.

Just trying to be helpful, not trying to be a jerk. Sorry if I offended you. 

We have Deer Management Units that the DNR uses to control the deer population. In the southern counties of the Upper Peninsula, the deer population is ridiculous. Why? Because the weather isn't as severe as in the Keweenaw Peninsula (northern part of the UP), and because of all the corn fields. Farmers in those southern DMU's are given permits by the handfuls to kill the excess deer year round. During deer hunting season if a person harvests a buck with a large rack of antlers from the north, the buck is probably an old swamp buck. If a person harvests a buck with a large rack of antlers from the southern part of the UP, that buck may be only three years old. But he has been well fed by all the corn in that area. 

Corn does not make deer sick. 

[dinneR ★]

5 minutes ago, smudge said:

We have Deer Management Units that the DNR uses to control the deer population. In the southern counties of the Upper Peninsula, the deer population is ridiculous. Why? Because the weather isn't as severe as in the Keweenaw Peninsula (northern part of the UP), and because of all the corn fields. Farmers in those southern DMU's are given permits by the handfuls to kill the excess deer year round. During deer hunting season if a person harvests a buck with a large rack of antlers from the north, the buck is probably an old swamp buck. If a person harvests a buck with a large rack of antlers from the southern part of the UP, that buck may be only three years old. But he has been well fed by all the corn in that area. 

Corn does not make deer sick. 

 

https://www.farmanddairy.com/columns/feeding-corn-to-deer-could-be-death-sentence/14324.html

Don’t feed the deer! Corn is what most wildlife lovers offer deer, and even if it’s labeled “deer corn,” feeding corn to deer is about the worst thing you can do. Unless you’re trying to kill the deer.

The problem is that deer digestion is a finely tuned physiological process. Just the right combination of microorganisms, enzymes, and pH enable deer to digest a normal winter diet of woody vegetation. When offered a sudden supply of corn, a deer’s digestive system doesn’t have time to adjust to a high carbohydrate diet. The result can be acute acidosis followed by death within 72 hours.

Feeding deer is never a good idea. I know this runs counter to what many people think, especially those who feed deer. But just because deer don’t die in your backyard doesn’t mean they aren’t dying elsewhere in the woods or on the highway. The worst thing you can do for deer is feed them. Some will starve, and some will fall prey to coyotes, but that’s how healthy populations stay healthy.

https://www.bonecollector.com/the-dos-and-donts-of-feeding-deer-this-winter/

Feeding deer during the winter is not a subject to lightly dismiss as a “common sense subject”, there is a right way and a wrong and in some situations fatal way to do it. To understand every piece that is required before feeding deer during the winter, we first need to take a walk in the shoes of a whitetail.

Quiz time, what food source consists more than 60% of a whitetail’s diet right now? How about woody browse like saplings, briars, and honeysuckle! That’s right, it is the correct feed for this time of year. But you can’t supplement those types of foods when times get hard, it’s more of a long term management process.

However, with the best deer feed for the winter being woody browse, our feed needs to be similar. At least in nutritional make up. Loading the feeder up with corn is not going to cut it.

[smudge ★]

smudge taps out...................