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Brimley MI to Fargo ND and BACK!?!

NickatNight

NickatNight

Newbie
Joined
Jan 20, 2021
Messages
23
Age
29
Location
Michigan
Country
USA
Snowmobile
2022 Yamaha sidewinder Xtx LE
Looking for some help here. In 2019 we rode from brimley to Hurley wi and back, awesome trip. Next year I want to do something more. Our hurley trip was 7 days of riding, about 150 miles a day.... we had 4 out of 6 guys over 60 one guy 75. The trip I have in mind would be 300 miles a day for 6 days straight from brimley michigan to Fargo North Dakota and back. 4 guys all under 30. I can get across the u.p no problem, my issue is what trails should I take in WI and MN? What towns would be approximately 300 miles apart. I know where to stay in michigan but the trails seem to be a lot more winding in Wisconsin and Minnesota so I have no clue how many trail miles the towns are apart from each other. Any help would be great, hopefully we can turn this dream into reality.
 

Use this for MN trails, I would try to stick to corridor trails for faster ones, downside is they may be whooped out.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snowmobiling/interactive_map/index.html

From Hurly I would try to head to Ashland/Duluth and stay north of Cable, unless you know the fire roads those trails will eat you up if trying to do 300 miles. Here is a good map from Polaris, you can see the trails around Hwy 2 are straighter:

https://ridecommand.polaris.com/en-us/map

Sounds fun...and brutal! I know my SW would never make this trip without a break down. What year and current miles on sleds will you be using? What upgrades are planned for nearly 2000 miles? Do you carry spare parts and stuff? I always wanted to do a around the UP trip I think it was closer to 1000 miles though.
 
Wow sounds fun.
Several of us TYers did a 2000 mile 6 day trip over a decade ago....the week of the Canadian hosting of the Winter Olympics .......ORR, MN => Canada/ both Ontario and Manitoba up to Sioux Lookout back through Angle Inlet, MN, Baudette, MN and back to ORR.

We needed the repair skills of then NOS PRO- Terry Brmister now THunderproducts and Brian Olsen - SRX twins but all made it OK. The plan was unbelievably accurate -we gave then TY regular SwissSledder crap because once we had 2 miles more on our odometers than his plan indicated.....I kid you not, he had it figured fantastically. My main Job was Laugh, Eat and ride 1500 miles on my Apex MONO with blown shock and “spring only”... and I loved it, made some great friends saw absolutely beautiful country.

Trail 2 will bring you across Wisconsin to MN, not sure of the optimal route across MN to the west.
 
Sounds like you have a trip of a lifetime planned. And all I can do is share experience based on living in that region of MN all my life and travelling to MI to ride only once a year.

Putting on a 260-300 day in MI is a very healthy day and will tire the average person out. I am not judging anyone's abilities, but it's about equivalent to putting on a 160 mile day in MN. The trails are not designed anywhere near the same way. Not only will they be tighter, more curves and groomed weekly, if you are lucky, you just can't possibly average 300/day once you cross over. Good luck to you if you care to, but it's just an opinion. And once you do find those big corridor trails like the Heartland and Paul Bunyan, if they are groomed, you have LEO's out watching for folks breaking the 50mph speed limit. Not only that, but the driveway crossings will make you go crazy if you do decide to hammer on a few times. It is what reminded me I need to replace my exhaust donuts, as many times as I came of the gas hard and had to brake for the next driveway on a beautiful rail bed like the Heartland.

If you have family or a destination in mind in Fargo, that's all cool to. Or maybe you just wanted to touch another state to say you did so. But honestly, once you hit the lakes region roughly 45 miles out of Fargo, just stop and turn around. There is nothing but ditch riding and open fields for that last 45 min by highway, or 75 miles by sled trail. That's not badmouthing it either, as it's still riding. But there is no way a person can put on miles in those conditions, when the groomer gets on them once a week at best. This isn't the railbeds of Michigan that are hit up daily for sure. And Fargo is no destination resort either. I think it has 1/15th the amount of strip clubs as Hurley! (smile)
 
biffdotorg said:
Sounds like you have a trip of a lifetime planned. And all I can do is share experience based on living in that region of MN all my life and travelling to MI to ride only once a year.

Putting on a 260-300 day in MI is a very healthy day and will tire the average person out. I am not judging anyone's abilities, but it's about equivalent to putting on a 160 mile day in MN. The trails are not designed anywhere near the same way. Not only will they be tighter, more curves and groomed weekly, if you are lucky, you just can't possibly average 300/day once you cross over. Good luck to you if you care to, but it's just an opinion. And once you do find those big corridor trails like the Heartland and Paul Bunyan, if they are groomed, you have LEO's out watching for folks breaking the 50mph speed limit. Not only that, but the driveway crossings will make you go crazy if you do decide to hammer on a few times. It is what reminded me I need to replace my exhaust donuts, as many times as I came of the gas hard and had to brake for the next driveway on a beautiful rail bed like the Heartland.

If you have family or a destination in mind in Fargo, that's all cool to. Or maybe you just wanted to touch another state to say you did so. But honestly, once you hit the lakes region roughly 45 miles out of Fargo, just stop and turn around. There is nothing but ditch riding and open fields for that last 45 min by highway, or 75 miles by sled trail. That's not badmouthing it either, as it's still riding. But there is no way a person can put on miles in those conditions, when the groomer gets on them once a week at best. This isn't the railbeds of Michigan that are hit up daily for sure. And Fargo is no destination resort either. I think it has 1/15th the amount of strip clubs as Hurley! (smile)
Click to expand...

He is correct. Might want to consider turning north at Duluth MN and going up the North shore trail toward Grand Marais MN even to Grand Portage as those trails are much more like Michigan, less road crossings more wilderness. My 2 cents
 
My heart is not set on fargo. When posting about our brimley to Hurley and back trip a guy told me him and 3 guys rode from brevort mi to Fargo and back. I didn't talk to him much about it and can't seem to find the post to ask him questions. After both of your suggestions im really considering riding to Duluth then up to grand marais Mn and back. Fargo was just to say we did it, no special reason other than riding across 3 states would be cool to say you did. I will still stick to 300 miles a day in michigan. Brimley to Baraga is a strong first day. Once I cross over to Wisconsin im thinking 200 miles a day as you guys suggest?? I'm honestly not afraid to push myself (at the same time riding at a safe pace) as my next goal after this ride is to do my own grand marais (mi) 500 miler. 500 miles in 24 hours. I know speed is not what it takes its more about strategic gas and food stops as well as hotel stops.
 
Last edited:
NickatNight said:
My heart is not set on fargo. When posting about our brimley to Hurley and back trip a guy told me him and 3 guys rode from brevort mi to Fargo and back. I didn't talk to him much about it and can't seem to find the post to ask him questions. After both of your suggestions im really considering riding to Duluth then up to grand marais Mn and back. Fargo was just to say we did it, no special reason other than riding across 3 states would be cool to say you did. I will still stick to 300 miles a day in michigan. Brimley to Baraga is a strong first day. Once I cross over to Wisconsin im thinking 200 miles a day as you guys suggest?? I'm honestly not afraid to push myself (at the same time riding at a safe pace) as my next goal after this ride is to do my own grand marais (mi) 500 miler. 500 miles in 24 hours. I know speed is not what it takes its more about strategic gas and food stops as well as hotel stops.
Click to expand...

IF you want to ride 5oo or 700 miles a day get hold of Nick Keller's website. He does 2 rides a year in Wis. & Michigan.
 
T
TrueBlue said:
IF you want to ride 5oo or 700 miles a day get hold of Nick Keller's website. He does 2 rides a year in Wis. & Michigan.
Click to expand...
Thank you! I dont know about going over 500 miles for me!
 
Hey if you go north at Duluth you can go through MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA and to CANADA. I know its not North Dakotah but hey some like it.....LOL
 
What if you make it to Duluth gas up jump on Lake Superior and let it sail not sink and you can be there in no time.
 
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