HUMMER Club Tackles Drummond Island

With the average participant traveling nearly 500 miles, and some driving as far as 900 miles, it’s fair to say that members of The HUMMER Club are passionate about wheeling and strengthening the HUMMER community. This past weekend, we got the opportunity to wheel with this group during their outing on Drummond Island, Michigan.

The HUMMER Club has organized several trips to Drummond Island over the years, but after 2006 it’s become an annual event. In between outings, members of the HUMMER club have worked hard to gain access to many of the trails on the island, working closely with area stakeholders including preservationists, local business owners, and other off-road enthusiasts.

During the meetings, The HUMMER Club worked very closely with the Drummond Island Snowmobile Association. “They were one of our biggest allies,” said Scott Pouls, the HUMMER Club’s organizer for the Drummond Island event and several others in the area. To show their appreciation, the HUMMER club held a raffle at the event’s closing banquet, and donated the proceeds to the Snowmobile Association.

Everyone’s hard work before the event paid off – The HUMMER Club was the first organization to get all of the approved ORV trail system available for use.

The club split into two groups after a quick driver’s meeting – intermediate and advanced. We stuck with the intermediate group the first day, which tackled trails such as “Tight and Twisties” that was off-limits to anything wider than the H3 and H3T and included squeezes so tight that both mirrors had to be folded in and spotters were required on both sides of the vehicle. Others included the Halfrich trail, Riekoff’s trail, and Conner’s Hole.

One of the more famous areas on the Island is called Marble Head, where you descend nearly 30 feet down jagged rock and gain access to one of the best views on the island. After admiring the view, the only way out is back up the hill! Not a problem for the H3s and H3Ts – especially since both were equipped with the adventure package with front and rear lockers.

Day two we decided to push the H3s and H3Ts a little harder and went out with the advanced group of primarily H1 owners to the upper part of Turtle Ridge ORV park. The already difficult areas such as The Citadel, Mini Rubicon, and Halfshaft Hill were made even more difficult with rainy conditions severely limiting traction.

With plenty of spotting and careful maneuvering, the H3s and H3Ts made it through the trails relatively unscathed, with the most serious damage being a bent license plate.

If it weren’t for The HUMMER Club’s dedication in-between off-road events, experiences like the one on Drummond Island wouldn’t be possible.

The Club’s next event will be held at the end of August at the A.M. General off-road course in South Bend, Indiana – the same course used for the official HUMMER off-road driving academy, dealer training, and even military training takes place. If you’re in the Midwest (or around 500 – 900 miles away!) you shouldn’t miss it.

Drummond Island photo gallery after the jump.