In this video we found ourselves on a particularly interesting snowmobile trail. The area where we were riding has a lot of snowmobile trails and some of these present additional hazard for motorcycles and other ‘warm weather’ vehicles because of the wet, marshy, muddy conditions. When planning your route you often do not know what condition a trail is in until you are on it. Some are marked, some are not.
In the winter these trails are frozen and covered with snow so passage through these areas is easily accomplished, however, summer passage through wetlands can be difficult or impossible with trails extending over swamps and lakes. The hazard is increased when people place logs in the trail as a means to get their vehicle through the wetland or to help dislodge themselves after they get stuck. These slimy logs are very skilled at hiding in the mud and grass and then redirecting your tires in directions you would never choose if you had a choice. This game of tire tiddlywinks often involves a face-plant into whatever miry substance the log has burrowed itself into.
The additional benefit of wetlands in the Minnesota summer is how they turn into highly productive mosquito incubators. Stop for any length of time in the Minnesota woods and mosquitoes descend on you with enough joy to make any news years celebration appear tame. Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide humans and other animals emit. They also use their receptors and vision to pick up on other cues like body heat, perspiration and skin odor to find a potential meal. ‘Lucky’ for us all of those enticing elements exist on us as we wander through their home on our iron steeds. We felt so welcomed by the little vampires we could hardly stand it. We came to love our misquito head nets.
Your may notice one portion of the video where Jack got a mouthful of mosquitoes while talking on the phone. If you look closely you will see the little suckers in some sections of the video. One time Scott had a mouth full of mosquitoes and thought swallowing them was the best method of dispatching them. It worked pretty well except for one large, belly filled, monster which got caught in his throat, pitched a tent, and stayed for a while. When the little camper was eventually coughed up it was still alive and grinning at Scott. Style points awarded to the little throat-diver for survival.
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