100 Mile Snow Safari Forum

As we wait for snow with not much to talk about, I recommend reading the History - Background Information thread. I for one found the history of the 100 Mile Snow Safari very interesting.

I would love to read some posts from some of the old-timers on snowmobiling in the late 60's and early 70's.

My buddies dad told a story of taking off early in the morning and finishing the 100 miler at 11:00 that night! He said it was a big deal to do it and they got a patch for it. Now we put on 100 miles in a few short hours.

I also saw a slide-show of late 60's early 70's pictures that Musky put together at Johnnies and recommend all to stop and see it. It's cool!

I remember in the early 70,s I worked for the US Forest Service and the Ranger at the time gave me a caterpiller and told me to put the blade about 4 inches off the ground just south of Laona and said go to Windfall Lake. That was the start of some of the local trails that follow old railroad grade today. I had an old Johnson snowmoble and whenever you left a tavern you pulled a bed spring to someones house and that person would take to the next persons house that had a sled. Now you can see why it was so slow going. Trail have gone from bed springs to 100,000 dollar groomers.

Thanks Roger, that’s great stuff.

I was a young kid and we had a pair of 1971 Mercury 250’s. You would know the sled if you saw it, huge front end with dual round headlights. I think it had about a 30” wide ski stance and was “very” tipsy. Not the best sleds but we raced Mercury outboards so my dad must have been brand loyal.
My mom drove one and would have it on its side before we got out of the yard! We also had an Artic Cat Cutter with three young kids hanging on for dear life, well maybe not as the speeds were not even close to what they are today. We would go with a number of other families. Many times we would come up to Forest County. It seemed like more of a family sport back then. Again, just my impression from faint memories of those times.