The 2005 Midwest Xterra Gathering in Ishpiming, MI is quickly coming up. This year we are expecting great participation as we continue to grow in our second year.

Registration

Click To Register (must be a member of the MXO forums first)

MXG 2005 Facts

- The event will be August 11th - 14th
- It will be held near Ishpiming, MI
- We will be camping (spot to be determined)
- We will be wheeling, cooking, drinking, ect...
- More info to follow....

Check http://midwestxterraowners.com/nuke/forums/
index.php?showforum=45 for information. If you can't find the info you are looking for, then start a thread and someone will provide that info for you.

I will update this thread from time to time, but for the most up to date info, check the MXO site.

We are at 15 trucks so far

Information is updated for the 2005 MXG. Registration stands at over 15 trucks!

Registration

Click To Register (must be a member of the MXO forums first)

MXG 2005 Facts

- The event will be August 11th - 14th
- It will be held near Ishpiming, MI
- We will be camping (spot to be determined)
- Click for all information
- Download MXG 2005 info PDF

Let us know your arrival time!!!!

Plan to caravan up with other MXO members!!!

OK here is the long of it. The UP in this area is down 8" of rain, so it is pretty dry up there. Temps this last weekend at night were in the 50's, cold sleeping in the truck. Most trails are dry. No mud holes. Some have them but they are nothing to get muddy in.

trail rating;
pink or purple= very easy, spouses would like these trails. mostly transport or transition trails
green= easy, challenging for newbies.
blue= intermediate, hard for newbies, challenging for vets.
black= hard, hard for vets, very hard or impassible for newbies.

I found another hill climb, about 3-4 trucks at a time could take it, then come down and more trucks could go up. It is one way, dead end. several hundred feet up to a look-out over superior. near Big Eric's. difficulty green.

along the little huron there are some muddy trails. difficulty green.

Northwest Trail goes through this area and is a good newbie, not green trail, more purple or pink. It borders the Hurom Mt Club area.

I found a couple great rock crawl trails. not boulder size, difficulty green.

Lots of OLD mud trails, now dry. Lots of logging trails, wet, I did not go down these.

Found the best trail, not on map of course. Rock crawl for more than half of the trail. starts in the pine barrens through dryish swamp, to wet hills. Many pit falls. Lots of side trails. There are several water crossings. One has a heavy duty bridge that needs to have the ramps repaired before crossing, 2' drop off one end of bridge, looks like it washed out. then continues to Wildcat Cayon area / Solver lake basin area. Weather turned so I did not continue to see IF it connected to Wildcat Cayon trail. difficulty blue-black trail.

The hill climb at Silver lake basin. starts blue then turns to black. steep drives, gravely, to mud holes and wet turf.

silver lake basin area. lake bed driving with MANY MANY pit falls. Some are big and hidden in grass. sandy bottomed lake. Water run offs from surrounding hills. many rock out croppings with rock crawls. access to wildcat canyon. Many off trails for ATV. Log area we could turn into a course, by dragging logs and setting up an obsticale course, the area is that big. difficulty blue.

There IS a pines barrens on yellow dog plains. Although they have irrigation pipes and wells, not well marked, through out and there are signs saying to stay on trails. It is all replanted pine trees. Sandy base. Lots of trails. difficulty pink. If it rains this area is under water. Last weekend I got stuck in heavy rain on the barrens. It was a clincher until I got out. Roads become rivers very very quickly. And I mean rivers, not creeks. difficulty in heavy rain black. A convoy on Dodge Ram, lifted, 35", 4x4s was leaving this area ASAP as I was headed deeper in.

A lot, 95%, of the roads are dead ends. meaning you have to head back the way you came. A lot, 65-75%, of roads/trails marked on the delorme maps are actually private roads. Usually gated off.

there are more trails and areas but this was all I could cover in two days and past weekends.

there is a new poll as to where to stay. Check it out and vote.

Campground poll

Good work Max

we are back, no damage taken, @ the event, so bad stucks, lots of nice trails and area, good campground, pics posted soon.............

Here's some pics for anybody that cares