...riding snowmachines to the Swanson River

THE ROUTE:  Island Lake to the Swanson River.
TERRAIN:  Snow covered lakes, streams, swamps, right of ways, and wooded areas.
DISTANCE:  ~45 miles RT

Jim surveys the scene on a lake without a name on our way to the Swanson River.

There weren't any tracks in front of us once we hit the Swanson River.

It was a beautiful day for a ride on the snowmachines.  Being in no particular hurry, Jim and I left at noon and made our way through the snow toward the Swanson River.  We stopped and talked with some friends at Wik Lake and eventually rode toward Halbouty Hill.  After taking in the scenery from atop the hill we skedaddled through the woods to a lake without a name and over some swamps to Gooseneck Lake.  We weren't far from the Swanson River at that point and we took off through the woods to find it.  Eventually the woods became impenetrable and we got both machines stuck for the only time during the entire trip. 

After digging out we followed some old tracks and hit the Swanson River just a few minutes later.  The tracks disappeared and we had untrammeled snow down the river to the powerline.  It was fun careening from side to side of the river in a nature made half-pipe.  We got off the river where the powerline crosses and followed it a short distance before getting back on some swamps which we screamed across one to the next all the way to Timberlost Lake and back to the pipeline.

Then it was a quick ride back home in plenty of time to get ready for a party at the Zimmerman house.  All in all it was a great day...riding snowmachines to the Swanson River.