June 13th - A Wet & Rainy Ride

After a bit of confusion on the evening of June 13, 2017 members and guests of the Rapids Riders ATV Club gathered at the Smith Creek Parking Area for a Summer evening ride to Hill City via the UPM/Blandin ATV and Rabey Line Trails in Itasca County. 

Most of the 'confusion' was caused by the weather and a very late cancellation of the ride. Even with threatening weather on the horizon a few of the club's most hard-core trail riders were unimpressed by Mother Natures antics. So despite pouring rain with lightning & thunder, standing water and minor washouts they persevered for the chance to get a few miles of trail covered. 

Rain gear and chainsaws became must-have equipment for the trip as drenching evening rains poured down on our riders. The Rabey Line proved to be a workout as it had some deep washout areas that required careful navigation. Standing water on the trail and a dark evening made riders appreciate quality lights on their wheelers! But everyone managed the 44-mile round trip without incident, just some wet socks and a few downed trees along the way. 

UPM/Blandin ATV Trail & Public Parking Area

UPM/Blandin Trail Maps

The Minnesota DNR has a nice trail map in a .pdf format (Adobe Reader) Download or View it here

Rabey Line Trail Maps

The Minnesota DNR has an excellent map in .pdf format (Adobe Reader) Download or View it here