Twin Cities ↔ Houghton
Overview
What's the best way to get to Houghton? Gone are the ancient days of the 1990s (ahem) when you'd try to plot a new "this has to be faster" route via a 10-year-old gas station map. (Finding the southern entrance to County Road GG took several trips!) There are three basic ways: through Hayward, through Wausau, or through Duluth. If travel time is important to you, the #1 cause of slow trips is breaks - gas, lunch, or bathroom. Fill up the car before you go, pack a lunch (or snacks, or caffeine), and start driving. If you'd rather enjoy the scenery and use less gas, go up through Hayward. Highway 77 is very pretty in the fall (and winter).
Winter driving can be a chore. Usually the 57 miles between Bruce Crossing, MI and Houghton, MI are the most difficult ones, because you're in the heart of the lake effect snow belt. Coming home in winter storms, conditions will almost always significantly improve south or west of Bruce Crossing. If you're inexperienced with driving in heavy lake effect snow (Twin Cities snow does not count!), plan on driving the Bruce Crossing-Houghton stretch in daylight.
My preferred route is through Hayward, for speed and scenery reasons. It's faster, prettier, fewer miles, consumes less gas, and produces ~55lbs less CO2 emissions, helping our planet.
My student originally preferred going through Wausau, for easy driving (freeway) reasons. However, he has changed to going through Hayward, for fuel economy, speed, and scenery reasons.
Generally avoid going through Duluth (I-35/US-2) or through Taylor's Falls (US-8). Crossing over into Wisconsin on MN/WI-70 near Grantsburg, WI, or MN-36/WI-64 near Stillwater, MN or I-94 near Hudson, WI are all better alternatives.
Gas stations are located in most towns along the way. I tend to use Holiday Circle K (Hayward, WI, Ironwood, MI, or Eagle River, WI) or Kwik Trip (Cumberland, WI, Hayward, WI, Eagle River, WI, and Bessemer, MI have newer Kwik Trips).
Circle K has purchased Holiday and is updating stores. So far I've seen the Hayward WI, Ironwood MI, and Wakefield MI stores updated.
Fast food is located in several towns along the way (Hayward, Ironwood, Eagle River), but generally not in da U.P. I prefer to pack my own lunch, or stop at a grocery store in a town to pick up a premade sandwich and some fruit. On the way home, grab a pasty from Roy's Bakery in Houghton and eat it as finger food (you know, like the miners used to!).
Another good lunch stop is Rigoni's Bakery in Ironwood, MI. Fabulous pasties, conveniently available hot & in a "to-go" sleeve. https://www.rigonibakery.com/
If you're not afraid of vault toilets, the Wisconsin and Michigan Wayside Rests are faster to get in & out of than a gas station. They also make excellent places for pet exercise if you're traveling with your favorite Labrador Retriever.
Cell service is spotty from Clam Lake, WI to Ironwood, MI, or from Eagle River, WI to Watersmeet, MI (depending upon route and cell carrier). Be prepared for 15-45 minute stretches of the dreaded "No service."
In winter storms (remember, it can be calm and sunny in Minnesota while da U.P. has whiteout lake-effect snow), leave early and try to maximize daylight driving. If it's a major storm, strongly consider making the trip a day early or a day later.
How bad can the snow be? I've experienced the hood ornament on a car disappearing for seconds at a time - visibility was that low (zero). Atypical, but not fun at all.
You do not need 4-wheel drive, even in snow storms. In fact, 4-wheel drive, especially for a young driver, will encourage them to drive faster than is safe for conditions because they won't feel as much slippage while accelerating. 4WD vehicles have no inherent advantage on cornering and braking, where the danger really lies. Vehicles don't go into the ditch because they didn't accelerate adequately. They go into the ditch because they failed to successfully make a curve in the road.
Snow tires are not necessary, but are a GREAT upgrade to any vehicle for the winter months for trips to Da U. P. Unlike 4-wheel drive, snow tires greatly improve cornering & braking performance on snow and ice, significantly improving safety.
It can be fun to explore areas just off the road - waterfalls, hiking trails, lakes, parks - there's a lot of good scenery.
Times quoted are from Bloomington, MN.
The Routes
1) Via Stillwater & Hayward, WI
Pros:
Fast. You can make this trip in under 6 hours without excessive speeding. It averages 12 minutes faster than the other ways, even accounting for road conditions.
In 2020-2024 (23 trips on this route), my average time for this route from Bloomington, MN has been 5:52, with a range of 5:39-6:15. My average speed on this route is 56.8MPH. My average gas mileage (minivan) is 27.3MPG on this route.
It's dang pretty in the fall. The colors start peeking through on Highway 77 in August!
It's a shorter distance & consumes less gas. (Even Google agrees on that one.) I can confidently drive this route in a compact car (small gas tank) without stopping to fill up. My minivan can make it easily on a single tank. In March 2023, I got 42MPG in a non-hybrid small sedan on this route. In my minivan, I average 27.3MPG on this route.
The various towns & turns on the route help keep the driver awake. (The small towns & turns in the route are also a con.)
There's a chance of spotting elk along Highway 77 near Clam Lake, WI. You'll see the signs.
Did I mention it's fast? I know a driver who's made the trip from the east side of the Twin Cities in 4 hours, 30 minutes... with lots of excessive speeding.
Cons:
County Road GG. It's an essential part of this route (it cuts significant time off the trip), but it's narrow, curvy, bumpy, has poor sightlines, often covered with snow and ice (much worse than Highway 77), and has little traffic on it to aid you if you decide to run off the road. (Note: In the last couple of years, they've cut the trees way back from the side of the road & have repaved large segments of the road, making it much better.) For those who enjoy driving, it's also a bit of fun. :)
Multiple small towns with 35MPH speed limits - gets annoying at times. (They used to be 25MPH speed limits, but have been raised to 35MPH.)
Frequently, there is a speed trap on County Road GG on the south side of Mellen, WI, between the railroad tracks (south) and the stop sign (north) on GG. You have been warned.
The 30 miles between Mellen, WI and Hurley, WI are pretty boring. And the road is a bit rough for the first ~5 miles east of Mellen, WI.
The roads are generally in good condition, but during major winter storms you may want to consider a route with higher traffic for safety reasons. It can get pretty lonely between Hayward, WI and Ironwood, MI at night or during storms.
Navigation isn't difficult, but you use multiple highways on the route.
Route audibles:
If you're heading north, nearing Hayward, WI, and the road conditions are not great, you can count on County Road GG being worse. If you don't like the conditions on Highway 63 or 77, now's the time to call an audible to avoid CR GG.
Option #1: Don't use CR GG at all. Stay on Highway 77 from Clam Lake, WI to Mellen, WI. Adds 7 miles to the trip, but Highway 77 is always in better condition than GG.
Option #2: Stay on Highway 63 from Hayward, WI to Ashland, WI. In Ashland, take U.S. 2 to Ironwood, MI. Adds 15 miles to the trip, but deletes a lot of small towns. I used to take this route a lot in the 1990s, but have only taken it twice since (5:58 in good weather, and 6:02 with lesser road conditions). If the snow is coming off Lake Superior, option #1 is definitely better, as option #1 stays away from the lake longer.
This route has a few options, depending upon where you start in the Twin Cities and the road conditions around Hayward, WI.
Directions to Houghton via Hayward & County Road GG
Take MN Highway 36 east through Stillwater, MN. MN 36 becomes WI Highway 64. Take WI 64 east through New Richmond, WI.
Approximately 12.5 miles east of New Richmond, WI, turn left (north) on U.S. Highway 63.
Take US 63 north for 20 miles to Turtle Lake, WI.
Following the signs for US 63 north, turn right (east) onto US 8. Drive 1 mile. Following the signs, turn left (north) onto US 63 north.
Drive 36 miles, through Spooner, WI. Just north of Spooner, US 63 north merges with US 53 north. Take US 53/US 63 north.
Drive 4 miles. Turn right (east) onto US 63 north in Trego, WI.
Take US 63 through Hayward, WI. Decision point: Here you must decide to which option to take (east on Highway 77 & County Road GG or north through Ashland, WI). Because I like the scenery & speed of 77/GG, that's the directions I'm giving. You can see the Ashland option on the maps below.
Turn right (east) onto WI Highway 77. Drive 33 miles to Clam Lake, WI.
Turn left (north/west) (it'll almost be a 180 degree turn) onto County Road M/County Road GG. Drive approximately 0.2 miles. Turn right (north) onto County Road GG.
Drive 20 miles on County Road GG to Mellen, WI. The closer you get to the north end, the curvier the road gets. Sometimes you can drive this stretch without seeing another car. WATCH OUT FOR THE SPEEDTRAP WHEN ENTERING MELLEN, WI. The local police love to hide behind buildings between the lumber mill & downtown Mellen.
In Mellen, turn right (south) on Wisconsin Highway 13. Travel one block, over the railroad tracks. Turn left (east) onto Wisconsin Highway 77. In 1/2 mile, WI 77 takes a sharp left, so stay alert.
Drive 25 miles to Hurley, WI. Challenge #1: Try to count all the identical houses in Montreal, WI. Challenge #2: Try to count all the bars in Hurley.
At the intersection of WI 77 & US 51 in Hurley, drive straight east. Continue to count bars. Drive ~0.25 miles. Take the right fork of the road onto McLeod Avenue. Follow McLeod Avenue for 1.5 miles. (It'll take a hard left and become Lake Avenue during this stretch.)
Turn right (east) onto U.S. Highway 2. Drive 11 miles to Wakefield, MI.
Turn left (north) onto Michigan Highway 28.
Drive 40 miles to Bruce Crossing, MI.
Turn left (north) onto U.S. 45. Drive 14 miles to the M-26/US 45 intersection. Humor: both ways (left and right) at this intersection are marked as roads to Ontonogon, MI. They're both correct.
Turn right (east) onto Michigan Highway 26. Follow MI 26 approximately 45 miles to the MTU Campus.
Via Stillwater & Hayward
This is the fastest, most scenic, and most fuel-efficient route.
Via Hayward & Ashland
This is a good winter option if you're near Hayward and discover the roads aren't in good shape. This route is about 7 minutes longer, but avoids potentially bad conditions on County Road GG. I've taken this route twice from 2020-2023.
Via Siren & Hayward
This is Google's suggestion. It's more boring than the other two (I-35 is a yawner), but a good option if you live on the west or north side of the Twin Cities. I've taken this route twice from 2020-2023.
2) Via Wausau, WI
Pros:
Easy. Drive to Wausau & hang a left. (The navigation requires a little bit more than that around Rhinelander and Eagle River, but not much.)
3.5 hours of 4-lane freeway driving. Lots of time to use the cruise control. (Much better than the 1990s when Highway 29 was one lane each direction.)
Well-traveled (at least south of Tomahawk, WI) adds safety margin during major winter storms. Also maximizes the time away from Lake Superior, keeping you out of the winter lake effect snow the longest.
If you drive an electric car, there are chargers (including a Tesla Supercharger) in the Wausau area.
Bond Falls (near Paulding, MI) is only 3.5 miles out of the way. It's well worth the diversion.
You can make this trip in 6 hours, 10 minutes without excessive speeding.
In 2020-2024 (12 trips on this route), my average time for this route from Bloomington, MN has been 6:08, with a range of 5:47-6:33. My average speed on this route is 62.5MPH. My average gas mileage (minivan) is 25.5MPG.
Fun navigational oddity: Once in Michigan, keep driving till you hit a T-intersection, forcing you to turn one way or the other. Turn right. Now drive to the next T-intersection that forces you to turn. Turn right again. Keep driving and you're in Houghton!
Cons:
It's a longer distance (about 47 miles longer from Bloomington), consuming more time & gas. The time factor is mostly - but not completely - offset by the higher speed limits on the 4-lane sections. I cannot confidently drive this route in a compact car (small gas tank) without stopping to fill up. My minivan can make it easily on a single tank.
The higher speeds and hurt the gas mileage. In my minivan, I average 25.5MPG on this route, 2MPG less than through Hayward. Combined with the longer distance, I average 2.8 gallons more gas on this route in my minivan compared to going through Hayward, for a total of 54.8lbs of additional CO2 emissions. Think about it, folks.
BORING. And I mean really boring. Drivers can struggle to stay awake on the 3.5 hours of unremarkable freeway. I-94 across North Dakota is more scenic.
I-94 in western Wisconsin always seems to have an accident along it somewhere, slowing traffic down (stop-and-go, sometimes) and delaying the drive.
You'll use more gas because of the increased distance & driving speeds.
Since the 1990s, a bypass was built around Rhinelander, with a ridiculously low speed limit. And populated with seven - count them! - stop lights to make a 6 mile segment take 10-15 minutes. Several of the stop lights are unneeded as well. The civil engineers who designed it were definitely not MTU grads.
In the spring, the route from Highway 51 near Tomahawk, WI to Eagle River, WI can be painfully slow, as everyone is returning to their cabin for the summer, towing a boat. And they think driving 45 in a 55 zone is relaxing. For 41 miles. And their cabin is always on the left side of the road, meaning they come to a stop to wait for traffic before making a left. Since all the vehicles between you & the turning vehicle are also towing boats, you can count on accelerating like a 1987 Yugo towing a snow plow.
In the winter, same comments as above, but people are towing snowmobiles instead of boats.
Directions to Houghton via Wausau
Take I-94 east into Wisconsin.
Drive 52 miles to exit 52 (signs say US 12, WI 29, Chippewa Falls, and Wausau). Take exit 52.
At the bottom of the exit, turn right (north) onto Wisconsin Highway 29.
Drive 104 very, very boring miles to Wausau, WI. Don't fall asleep. Do stop at the Abbyland Summer Sausage factory to get some munchies.
Take exit 164B to U.S. 51 North / Merril, WI.
Drive 44 miles to U.S. Highway 8 / exit 234. At the bottom of the exit, turn right (east) towards Rhinelander.
Follow US 8 east 17 miles to Rhinelander. Turn right at the U.S. 8 / WI 47 intersection to remain on U.S. 8 east. Start counting the absolutely unneeded stoplights.
Drive 3 miles to Wisconsin Highway 17 north. Turn left (north) onto WI 17. Keep counting the unneeded stoplights, and marvel at the obnoxiously low speed limit.
Drive 22 miles to Eagle River, WI.
At the intersection of WI 17 and WI 70, turn right (east) to remain on WI 17 north.
Drive 2 miles to the intersection of WI 17 / WI 70 / U.S. 45. Turn left (north) onto U.S. 45.
Drive 59 miles to the M-26/US 45 intersection. Humor: both ways (left and right) at this intersection are marked as roads to Ontonogon, MI. They're both correct.
Turn right (east) onto Michigan Highway 26. Follow MI 26 approximately 45 miles to the MTU Campus.
3) Via Duluth
Pros:
Definitely the easiest navigation. I've suggested this route to people who were not comfortable navigating 2-lane roads in the northwoods of Wisconsin.
If you live on the north side of the Twin Cities, it may be a decent route. But driving through Siren & Hayward will still be faster.
... maybe you have a relative in Duluth you want to visit on the way??? If your purpose is just to get from the Twin Cities to Houghton, almost any other way is better.
Cons:
Absolutely slowest way. I haven't driven this way since 1994 because of the length of the drive.
The drive to Duluth is boring. So is the drive from Duluth to Ironwood.
US 2 across northern Wisconsin is largely 2-lane, and has enough traffic where you often get stuck behind a line of cars driving 50MPH. (Frustrating.)
Poor winter storm conditions. You'd think the higher traffic would make this a good winter route, right? WRONG! The lake-effect snow blowing off Superior can make for very poor conditions on US 2. During a winter storm in 1994, this route took me 10 hours, 30 minutes to travel. Note that we made Duluth in 2 hours 30 minutes. From Duluth to Houghton it took us 8 hours, averaging 27MPH. That was hairy. It was a struggle to keep the car on the road, and visibility was less that 1/4 mile, frequently less than 100 yards. A big thank you goes to the MI-DOT plow driver who we met in Bergland, MI. He advised us to try to drive in the oncoming lane (which he had just plowed), because we were the only people crazy enough to be driving in that storm and the entire road would be ours.
Fun places on the route
Bond Falls
3.5 miles east of US 45 in Paulding, MI. My favorite U.P. waterfall. The picture below I snapped during a trip in January, 2021.
Agate Falls Scenic Site
7 miles east of Bruce Crossing, MI on M-28. There are also some back roads that let you travel somewhat directly from Bond Falls.
O Kun de Kun Falls
8 miles north of Bruce Crossing, MI on US-45. There are signs on US 45 for the parking area, which is shared with the North Country Trail. In fact, the better path is to use the North Country Trail from the parking lot to the falls, rather than the 2-track access road. (Trust me, the NCT has less mud.) It's a 3-mile (round trip) walk over fairly level terrain. It took me 1 hour, 20 minutes to walk & enjoy the falls. The picture below is from April 2021, when the flow was vigorous due to snow melt and rain. In the summer, it's a much calmer waterfall.
Lake of the Clouds
28 miles north of Bergland, MI or 22 miles west of Ontonogon, MI. Beautiful. In 2022, a Michigan State Park day pass (required for your vehicle) was $10. Purchase at the Visitor Center (cash, check, or card) or right at Lake of the Clouds (cash or check only). The picture below is from August 2022.
Driving north from Bergland on M-64, then east to Ontonogon, then southeast on M-38 to M-26 only adds 4 miles to the trip. Since you eliminate two major turns and two towns, it may even be faster than going through Bruce Crossing, depending upon your speed. (Going through Ontonongon, however, has 16 fewer miles of highway signed for a 65MPH speed limit.)
Copper Falls State Park (Copper Falls and Brownstone Falls)
2 miles north of Mellen, WI on WI 169. In 2023, a Wisconsin State Park day pass (required for your vehicle) was $11. Purchase at the Visitor Center via cash or check. The pictures below are from April 2023, and are of Copper Falls (top) and Brownstone Falls (bottom), both from the west side of the Doughboy Trail.
WI 169 is truly a dreadful road to drive if you're trying to make good time. Lots of sharp turns and less-than-optimal pavement conditions. If you're not going to see Potato Falls (below), your best bet is to return to Mellen, WI and continue your journey (to Houghton or the Twin Cities) from Mellen.
Upper and Lower Potato Falls
16 miles north of Mellen, WI on WI 169 OR 6 miles south of US-2. No fee to enter.
The 16 miles of WI 169 from Mellen to Potato Falls are difficult - and slow - driving.
The 6 miles of WI 169 from Potato Falls to US-2 are easy driving.
Both sets of falls are only 100-200 yards from the parkling lot.
The Upper Falls is accessible from a trail at the south side of the parking lot (left side as you enter). There are 130 stairs to go down (then up) to see the Upper Falls.
The Lower Falls is accessible from a trail at the north side of the parking lot (right side as you enter). There are 206 stairs to go down (then up) to see the Lower Falls. Unlike the Upper Falls, the stairs to the Lower Falls have a couple of sections of flat trail in the middle, so you don't do all 206 stairs in a row.
Pictures are from April 2023.
Interstate Falls
1 mile west of the Wisconsin/Michigan border on U.S. Highway 2. No fee to enter. The falls are ~200 yards from the parking lot.
Another set of falls, called Peterson Falls, is upstream of Interstate Falls by a couple hundred yards. I was unable to visit them because there wasn't an easy trail through the snow to get to them.
Picture is from April 2023.
Gabbro Falls
1.5 miles north of U.S. Highway 2, between Bessemer, MI and Wakefield, MI on Blackjack Road. No fee to enter. The falls are ~20 yards from the parking spot.
You can approach this from the east side or the west. We won't talk about the time I got the minivan stuck in the mud on the east side parking lot. (Shout out to Lahti Towing in Ironwood for pulling me out of the mud for a very reasonable $65.)
Picture is from April 2023.
Agate Beach / Stanton Township Park
10 miles west of Toivola - turn off M-26 onto Misery Bay Road. Follow the signs to Agate Beach. If you miss the signs, you'll end up just a few miles down the shoreline at Misery Bay... which also has a fabulous beach, so no real harm done!
Quiet Lake Superior park. Great place to watch the sun set or let your favorite Labrador Retriever get some swimming time.
No pictures! (I'll have to scan my old film.)
Eddy Park, Wakefield, MI
West of M-28 on the north side of Sunday Lake. It's a nice, open park with playground equipment, restrooms, beach, and plenty of space for young kids (our your favorite Labrador Retriever) to burn some excess energy.
Penokee Mountain Trail Overlook
3 miles west of Mellen, WI on County Road GG
Stairs lead to an overlook - very pretty in the fall!
Seasonal vault toilet. Also a good place to let your favorite Labrador Retriever stretch her legs.
Hiawatha statue
In Ironwood, MI. Just Google it for directions - it's only about 7 blocks out of the way. I took this picture in August 2023.
A 52 ft statue. It's big.
Wisconsin Oddities
The most Wisconsin store that exists: 12 miles south of Hayward, in Springbrook, WI, is the Route 63 Bar. It has a full service bar, homemade pizza, antiques, art, memorabilia, open mic, kareokee, ice cream, dog park, AND FIREWORKS! It doesn't get much more Wisconsin than this place. Fall 2023 update: According to a sign, the fireworks have moved to a different location. Now we can't mix booze with explosives. :)
Houghton area recommendations
Houghton area restaurant recommendations
Best breakfast: Suomi in Houghton. Be prepared for lines out the door.
Best pasties (and this is a controversial subject!): Rigoni's in Ironwood. But we're talking about the Houghton area, so I'll go with Roy's Bakery. But let's face it, you can't really go wrong with any pasty, unless you put gravy on it. That would be disgusting, and very un-Yooperlike.
Best pizza: Milly's in Hancock (it's a Sicilian style). The Ambassador is also very, very good (it's a Neopolitan style).
Best southwestern food: Tie between La Cantina in Hancock and Carmelitas in Calumet. Carmelitas also has a fabulous thimbleberry margarita.
Best pickled eggs: The Doghouse (Douglas House Saloon), Houghton. I've stopped in the Doghouse just to get pickled eggs, with no drink! Sorry, B&B Bar, your pickled eggs are not as good.
Best dorm food: McNair Hall. Also has the best view of any dorm cafeteria, especially in the fall. (The new east dorm building under construction may ruin this view, however.)
Good seafood: Joey's Seafood in Houghton. Their service is typically very good. Once I called in a take-out order while 1 block away on Sheldon Avenue, and it was ready by the time I walked the single block.
Frozen pasties are available from several places for you to take home. In a cooler, they readily stay frozen for the 6-hour drive back to the Twin Cities. Here are the ones I've tried: Suomi in Houghton, Roy's Bakery in Houghton, Krupp's Mini Mart on M-26 near Twin Lakes State Park, Randall's Bakery in Wakefield, Rigoni's Bakery in Ironwood (my personal favorite), and Joe's Pasty Shop in Ironwood.
WORST SERVICE, and has been bad since the 1990s: The Library, hands down (or, more appropriately, thumbs down). PAINFULLY SLOW, unless the place is empty. On multiple occasions it's taken over an hour to get food. In 2023, we walked out at the 90 minute mark after we ordered, and have not returned since.
Winter Driving
Tips
Tips:
4-wheel drive is unnecessary. In fact, for inexperienced drivers, it may give them a false sense of security & cause them to drive faster than conditions allow. 4-wheel drive does nothing to help with cornering or stopping, and encourages aggressive driving in bad weather.
You can safely use a 2-wheel drive small sedan in the winter without winter tires. I travel to Houghton every winter (at least once, sometimes three times), and usually drive a small sedan with all-season tires. Be mindful of the actual traction that you have, and pick which hills you go up or down carefully.
Winter tires are a GREAT upgrade that help safety and performance. They start, stop, and corner better than all-season tires. Though I don't use them on my car, I have them installed on my Husky's car during the winter. I've used his car while visiting in the winter, and can get around the area MUCH easier with the winter tires.
Avoid going up the major hills in Houghton in the winter. (Exception: Macinnes Drive almost always has good driving conditions.) The best plan to get up the hills is either Macinnes Drive or going through downtown, south on M-26 (towards Walmart), and taking Sharon Avenue back towards campus to the appropriate street. It's long, but it always works.
Your driving speed can be affected by either available traction OR visibility. Sometimes both. Traction and visibility are both generally better south and/or west of Bruce Crossing.
During snow events, maximize your driving in daylight. Headlights make the visibility in heavy lake-effect snow quickly go to zero. It's also harder to tell the difference between a snow-covered road and the snow-covered woods at night. It's generally advisable to stay on the road. :)
Good winter driving conditions
This picture is taken on US-45 north of Bruce Crossing. Other than overcast skies (common in the winter), driving conditions are excellent.
So-so winter driving conditions
This picture is taken on M-26 entering Painesdale. I was able to drive up to the speed limit in these conditions.
Poor winter driving conditions
This picture is taken on M-26 near Toivola. I was driving well below the posted speed limit - probably about 40MPH. Though the roads look bad, the snow was actually not bad to drive on (much better than ice). My speed was limited by visibility (it doesn't look horrible in this picture, but this was a stretch where I was comfortable enough to take a picture).
