Trails in the snow....and in Life

On January 24th, 2008 11:34PM aside the frozen waters of Plum Lake in Sayner, WI there was a terrible snowmobile accident. I have crossed the lake myself more than once on my own snowmobile, although I faintly remember doing it at night... only once. Sayner is in the center of the northwoods snowmobile wonderland. It is centrally located between Boulder Junction and Eagle River looking east and west, and it is also centrally located between St. Germain and Land O Lakes looking north and south. On the 24th of January 2008 a relatively famous news anchor man for CBS2 News in Chicago sat on the back of a sled and rode across Plum Lake to his death on the far side of the lake. Anyone who has ever ridden sleds in the north woods knows what happens when you exit a wooded trail onto a frozen lake and into the wide open flat surface.... where you can see for what seems like miles. The cold, the dark, the speed, the wide open ice, and sometimes the alcohol of the day, are all numbing.

Having watched CBS2 news on many weekday mornings and enjoying the wit and humor of one Randy Salerno leaves me shocked, sadenned, and stunned.... having learned of what happened in my old neck of the woods on that Thursday night. It leaves me thinking of the weekends where friends and relatives came up to visit and we put 200 miles on the sleds in one day. It also reminds me of the late night stops at bars for warmth. I still remember several of us toasting to 205 miles one Saturday night (with whiskey shots that left our heads spinning). Thankfully it was a short ride to the hotel.

When I see what happened to Randy it reminds me of what could have happened to me on many occasions. It reminds me of how fortunate I was to be able to go snowmobiling whenever I felt like it, and to enjoy all the north woods trails had to offer. Those that went sledding with me know that there were accidents, there was damage to sleds, and at times people were hurt at least a little (when I think of Stu, I must say some were hurt more than others). For all of us that have done this and enjoyed this, we should feel lucky tonight.

What happened to Randy Salerno could have happened to me or others close to me. I feel sorry for the loved ones he left behind. Through all of this, I find myself remembering what a special experience sledding is. I remember the cold, snow white wilderness, the black ice of some lakes, the fog on my face mask, the challenge of a difficult trail, and sharing the wild experiences of the people I have ridden with.

I have a hard time realizing that it was almost 10 years ago that I rode those trails and knew them like the back of my hand. Now 10 years removed from the snowmobile scene, I find I must extend my bucket list....to get back on a sled and ride 200 miles in a single day once again. I'd love to go with any family and friends that were up for it. I would love to enjoy the beauty of the northwoods once again, in this way. The only thing I would change is that now I would start very early in the day and head from Eagle River to Land O Lakes for breakfast. After I was warm again and full of coffee, I'd leave Land O Lakes and ride by the red cabin to make sure she was all right. I'd continue on the trail west to Boulder Junction where I could warm up and have lunch. I'd then make my way to St. Germain and eventually north, up to Plum Lake where the trail meets the lake ice. There I'd stop to say a prayer and remember a man I never knew....but also to thank God that something so tragic had never happened to me.

I think I'd then head back to Eagle River and call it a day because as the night gets late, the trails become more dangerous.... and I wouldn't want to put myself at such risk. After all......I want to enjoy being a grandpa.......and there are 22 more items on my bucket list.

To the wife, family, and friends of Randy Salerno....may God Bless.