Adventures in Thompsonville – January 2026

I am still riding the wave of excitement from this weekend’s snowmobile trip! It came together quickly. Earlier this week we were talking snowmobiles with my niece who has a cabin in northern Michigan and she mentioned just how much snow they had. We decided to pull the trigger and see about getting a room in Thompsonville, an area we’ve been to several times. It’s our favorite “shakedown run” location for the first trip out of the year. We know the trails, the locations of gas stations, etc. A few clicks and our room was reserved at the Mountain Valley Lodge.

The drive up Friday afternoon was nice, we got somewhat of an early start and got there at 9:30pm. The full Wolf Moon illuminated our way and cast shadows through the trees as we made our way up I-75. The sky then clouded over but lit up the clouds beautifully. Hard to capture in a moving vehicle with a cell phone.

In the morning, we fueled up (MUST bring a Keurig or coffee pot!) and were on our way.

We had figured out two ways to ride to Rosie’s Country Cafe for breakfast: one via the surface roads and one way via the trails. We went for the trail route but missed a turn and sat for a bit at an intersection looking at maps. After finding our way, we then rode along the side of the snow covered gravel until we found the trail.

Several minutes into the woods, I look down and notice my TEMP light was on. I immediately tell Bill (we have helmet intercoms), we stop, I turn off the ignition and Bill pops the hood. I’m trying not to let my stomach sink into the snow covered ground. It was only last year that my last sled caught fire on the trail, ending our weekend.

Not wanting to remove the radiator cap for the obvious reasons, Bill moved my sled off the trail and then rides back to the motel to get a jug of antifreeze. He had noticed no leaks anywhere, but going to get coolant would be our first step.

Off he went, and I sat on my sled in disbelief. Here we are again with mechanical trouble, after coming all this way and spending a decent chunk of money on gas, diesel, trail permits, accommodations. A group of four sleds went by and the first rider gave me a questioning thumbs up as if to ask, “are you OK?” I returned the thumbs up.

About 20 minutes later, Bill arrives holding a gallon of antifreeze between his knees on his sled. Removes the radiator cap and…..full. OK, next step, Google. What would cause a 2003 Polaris 700 to overheat? The top two reasons, out of about five were 1) idling too long and 2) riding on hard packed snow or ice. Both of what we had just done, trying to find our way after missing a turn. Other causes included a failing water pump or faulty thermostat.

Welp. Things were looking a little better. We decided to ride a bit longer and see what happened. The trails were in very good condition, a good base with lots of light, fluffy snow. I said more prayers and off we went. Not wanting to carry the full jug of antifreeze for the day, Bill buried it in the snow with plans to return for it later. We made it to Rosie’s Country Cafe and I gave more HUGE thanks as I sipped my coffee. Our weekend was looking better.

Our next stop was Beulah, another familiar haunt right on the shores of Crystal Lake.

And then on to Bear Lake. Also a familiar spot, but a longer ride. My TEMP light never came back on and believe you me I was watching it like a hawk.

We had dinner at Grille 44 and ended up riding home in the dark. Something I LOVE to do, but don’t like to do. I love it for the spookiness – zipping through the woods, your headlight casting shadows off the trees and if the moon is out (it was cloudy) it just adds to the ambiance. I don’t like however, the risk you run of accidents – meeting up with a drunk rider going too fast or not staying on their side. And, the temperature obviously drops. Though we are prepared with flashlights and tools, any breakdown that might occur is definitely less fun in the cold and dark.

So I kept an eye on that TEMP light (LOL) and enjoyed the evening.. We came to a stop sign and saw that the groomer had just gone through. We were treated to a freshly groomed trail!

The next morning, we decided to go for one last rip, and to retrieve the gallon of antifreeze. We decided on the way to ride to Rosie’s again for breakfast, before loading up, rather than loading up and then driving there. We figured out how to access the trails from the motel to get to the restaurant. The funny thing is, both the motel and the restaurant are on Cadillac Highway (115), 5 miles apart. But snowmobiles are not allowed on the shoulder, so we have to find ways via the back roads/trails.

Rosie’s serves the most amazing breakfasts and was a delicious way to celebrate a fun riding weekend. Great trails, no crowds, a happy ending..

On our way back, we stopped for the antifreeze jug, safely nestled in Bill’s hiding spot.

All the way home instead of feeling the Sunday Blues with the weekend coming to an end and this project looming at work, all I felt was joy and gratitude. I really thought my sled troubles were going to end our weekend right there, just like last year. We had a great time and made it home safe. I hope to be able to share at least a few more tales of our snowy adventures this season.

Thank you for reading! Here are a few video clips of our trip.

p.s. No affiliate links – sharing just for info!