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Michigan likes to call itself the Snowmobile Capital of the World, and perhaps it is. Easy access from a number of heavily populated states by fine four-lane highways, hundreds of miles of groomed trails, and an almost certain guarantee of snow are enough to send thousands of snowmobilers flocking to one part of the state or another.
Most of them like to base in good-sized cities that cater heavily to snowmobilers, like Alpena, Cadillac, Traverse City and Petoskey. There's not only good snowmobiling here, but lots of bright lights, shopping centers, and nighttime watering spots. Some, though, might like a change of pace occasionally, and go seeking a place where towns are small and friendly, and there are untold miles of untrammeled country with unusual animals to be seen on a day's travel. A growing number of such folk who seek a ride on the wild side head for Montmorency County in northeast Michigan. They usually find what they're looking for there.
Montmorency County lies due east of Gaylord, and most people reach it by cutting off I-75 onto little M-32. There are several small towns in the country, Hillman and Atlanta among them. Small, but big enough to fulfill a snowmobiler's needs, since all offer lodging, a restaurant or two, and a couple of gas stations. And these towns, and several smaller ones, are based in some of the wildest country in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.
One of the major attractions of this area is the largest elk herd east of the Mississippi. There are heavy bulls that might reach more than 1,000 pounds, plenty of cows, and in winter, young that are nearly as big as their mothers. They're majestic animals that roam Montmorency County in herds ranging from five or six up to 50 or more. Snowmobilers can seek these animals in their natural habitat by traveling groomed trails, striking off into virgin snow along fire trails and dirt roads, or taking tours and following a guide to locations where animals are likely to be present.
The Thunder Bay Golf Resort in Hillman offers a snowmobile tour for elk and often combines it with a dinner package in a rustic one-room cabin far back in the woods. Individual resort owners like Scott Franks at Long Lake Resort just out of Hillman offer guided trips to the heart of Elk Country too, and the towns of Atlanta, Hillman and Lewiston provide Elk Country Ride-in's at selected times during the winter. Or, again, you can simple ask for general directions to prime locations and strike out on your own.
It goes without saying that these are wild animals and no snowmobiler should approach closely. Their energy levels are down in winter, and naturally, they'll run if machines come too close, which can eventually weaken them to a dangerous level. It's best to stop at 100 yards or so, and watch them from that vantage point, using binoculars or cameras with telephoto lenses. Even at that distance, they are spectacular animals, and snowmobilers often take home a dropped antler from one of the big bulls, which can look very picturesque on a den or family room wall.
Watchful riders may also encounter small herds of deer, wild turkeys, and occasional coyote and partridge, even a rare bobcat if luck is good. Add pristine scenery and a fair likelihood that, especially on weekdays, you can roam for many miles without seeing other snowmobilers and stop in places where the only sounds are winds singing through tall pines and spruce, a wild country elk "hunt" alone is worth the visit.
But there's more to do in this isolated country, and ice fishing ranks high. The most famous lake in Montmorency County is Fletcher's Floodwaters, known for many years as a top lake for northern pike, and almost equally good for panfish from perch and bluegill to crappie. It's 9,000 acres of mostly shallow water are filled with stumps, half-drowned trees, and backwaters that will give any ice fisherman room to fish alone or with friends.
Several campgrounds remain open in winter around the Floodwaters, and some snowmobilers camp right at the lake. Then at day's end, they return to a snug trailer or motor home, clean their catch and enjoy crisp fillets that were swimming just hours ago.
Other places to winter fish? There are almost too many for even the most dedicated snowmobiler to visit. Montmorency has 60 lakes, most of them with easy access like Long Lake, Rush Lake, Grass Lake, and Lake May. All have fair to excellent fish populations and some, like Long Lake, offer trout as well as walleye, pike, bass and panfish. A few are accessible only to hikers or those with very rugged four-wheel drives. Or snowmobiles. These remote spots can provide fishing action better than most lakes ever see.
Ice fishing, incidentally, is a simple business, and even snowmobilers who haven't tried the sport before should have little trouble. Equipment is readily available at bait shops and hardware stores in the towns and even resorts often offer bait and supplies. For northern pike, you'll need large minnows, a float, splitshot, a fair-sized hook, and a short rod. Or use tipups with basically the same gear.
For panfish, try small ice spoons baited with waxworms or similar offerings, fish them just above bottom and jig the bait up and down occasionally since panfish like movement. For walleye, try live minnows or jigging lures like Rapalas and Swedish Pimples, the latter usually with a minnow or two added.
And don't forget to ask resort owners and bait shop operators for a map of the lake's bottom, if you're fishing country where other anglers will be sparse. Concentrate on dropoffs, drowned stream beds, stump fields and other likely cover. If others are around, as is usual at such popular places as the Floodwaters, simply join groups already fishing. It's hard to go wrong on a winter lake in Montmorency County or anywhere else, so long as you remember to carefully read fishing regulations for that lake first. Copies of the Michigan Fishing Guide are available free wherever a fishing license is purchased.
Visitors who like at least occasional excitement can enjoy a surprising number of events in this very rural area, among them the National World Series Snowmobile Races, which draw riders from as far away as Japan. The Floodwater Fest offers major snowmobile races, plus ice fishing contests, and even horseshoes on ice. And there are other events, from dog sled races to smaller snowmobile events on most weekends throughout the winter.
If the quiet life and long hours of peaceful forest solitude began to lose their flavor, there are plenty of other places to visit using Montmorency County as a base. The area has 90 plus miles of groomed trails that interconnect with major trails all over Michigan. From Hillman or elsewhere, you can ride to the bridge, to Gaylord, Black Mountain or Sheboygan, essentially anywhere. But local trails can make for good riding by themselves. Many try Brush Creek Trail, a loop of 32 miles, or Elk Trail which goes up the Millersburg Trail, another loop of 30 some miles. For beginners or those who want to get a short morning or afternoon run.
As for accommodations, the three major little towns have a number of motels and lodges, and those who like their living first class can put up at the Thunder Bay Golf Resort, which offers numerous, ultra-modern condos. A number of resorts around the area remain open in winter, too, and cater heavily to snowmobilers. Most of these have rustic cabins with cooking facilities, which can be money savers for limited budgets.
It's a good combination: plenty of wild creatures including elk to see and photograph, excellent ice fishing, weekend events and many miles of lovely country to explore either alone or via guided tours. It's hard to go wrong in Montmorency County. Visitors will need maps and specific information on the area to plan a trip. You can receive both by contacting the Elk Country Visitors Bureau, 1 Village Corner, Hillman, MI 49746. Or contact Michigan's Sunrise Side, Inc., 1361 Fletcher St., National City, MI 48748, or the Department of Commerce, Travel Bureau, PO Box 30226, Lansing, MI 48909 • 800/543-2937.