Greetings and welcome!
We have had a particularly crappy stretch of weather since our last visit. Yesterday morning we woke up to enough snow to make the roads slushy and the ground white. The snow was from a cut off low pressure system that slid out of the jet stream and sat over northern lower Michigan (The lower U.P. if you will..). As it sat there and spun around for 4-5 days it brought us rain showers, temperatures in the 40s, and a really relentless wind. This is a common occurrence in May, but usually it comes between about the 10th and 20th.
The winds were brutal. For the past few days we have had steady winds over 25 and gusts that went close to 50mph. If your garbage cans blew away check with eastern Pennsylvania to get them back.
The general greening of the land has been put on hold while winter was hanging on. I think that I only heard the spring peeper frogs once in the past week and there was almost nothing for emerging plants and bugs. I have a hunch that when temperatures get back to normal or even above normal late week that is all going to go off like a firecracker.
The opening of fishing comes this weekend. I would expect much below normal water temperatures. For the past week we have been about 20 degrees below normal temperatures (about 60F). Having 3 or 4 days of that wind with 40 degree temps will suck the warmth right out of the lake. There is no ice on the lakes at all, so launching won’t be a problem. Some years the lakes have still been iced over. That went away two weeks ago when we got into the 80s.
I did manage to get back into Lake X and my secret camping spot last week, but just barely. There were still some frost-out mud spots that would not have been passable only days before. The really deep woods secret spot was not an option yet.
Last night I was checking the Marinette County Forest web site for an ATV trail opening date. A lot of people are chomping at the bit to get out riding. There was nothing. Later on I got the news that I was looking for. The trails will open on May 12th.
I ran into this little gem while I was looking though..
U.S. Forest Service – Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest motorized trail re-openings will be delayed until May 25, 2023 due to weather-related safety concerns.
Due to safety and resource concerns caused by lingering snowpack and high water in areas, the re-opening of trails in the CNNF will be delayed until 5/25/23. Precautions are being taken to ensure trails are re-opened safely.
USDA FS : Flambeau ATV/UTV Trail, Park Falls District.
I am not sure if that applies around here too, we are a long ways from Park Falls. I will try to track that down. Most likely the railroad grade along 32 will still open when the rest of the Oconto Co trails open, but i don’t know for sure, nor do I have a date for them opening.
The recent weather has been driving me crazy. Like everyone else I am dying to get outside and work on my fishing boat, the new to me RV motorhome, the house, and a million other things. None of those things is going to happen at 40 degrees on a rainy day in a howling wind. Cabin fever is wicked strong around these parts.
Time to wrap it up. I am off to go and let my doctor practice on me a little and I don’t want to be late.
Have a good week and thank you for visiting!
RJB