Barb Bouwkamp was UP early, with the snow removal crew in Laurium, so she snapped a few shots of the process of widening the streets with the Sno-go. She also added this commentary to accompany the photos:

The guys came this morning to do our street. It was getting pretty narrow. It was darn cold out; I had those half mitts with half fingers and my fingers still froze. When I was a child, I was scared to DEATH of the snow-go. I’d run fast as I could the other way, now I love them!! When our son was little Tom would wake everyone up to come watch the Sno-go go by It was like a mini parade.

First you hear the rumble of the machines down the block, waking you up at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m.; the snow plows scraping the street, then comes the fierce machine that eats the snow and gets rid of it. The truck brigade to haul away the snow is all very noisy, with flashing lights... if you have never experienced this, it really is amazing cheap entertainment in Laurium, hey, you do what you gotta do to get by in the winter in the U.P.

Laurium’s equipment is so old, the sno-go is like 40 plus years old... but the great mechanics and sno-go drivers keep the equipment in top shape for its age and the heavy wear they get. They are wonderful guys who get up before dawn, bundle up and fire up their machines to keep our streets plowed and clean. So no matter how much snow we get, kids can get to school and people can get to work and the bonus is that they leave behind places for kids to play, make snow forts and carve out or whatever. Narrow streets become wider and snow banks are exposed for how high they really are!

Love the snow-gos too! But the flowers are amazing!!! Are they actually painted or some other medium? Very cool!

I kinda remember, when we were kids, my mom used food coloring when she did something like that.

The first snow go of this type was acquired in 1951 or 52 when
my father was President of Laurium. Prior to that was a huge
tractor with a v plow and large fans on the sides always
braking down when shearing the pins as a result of striking an
object in the snowbank. Prior to hauling away the snow blown
into driveways and yards and came out compacted and hard!
Arrived home from high school one lunch hour and a death
threat note in the mail box, even back then, that folks were
upset of spending dollars and a major change!

Great pictures of an important winter operation that goes unheralded for the most part. I guess if something makes enough noise to wake you up at that time of morning you might as well get dressed and go take pictures of it. It's a lot more fun than complaining about it:)

Bama, that's an amazing story! Your Dad made a good decision to improve the snow removal process ~ and obviously made the residents happier (death threats - yikes!) We've tried to explain snow-gos to people in the warmer climes and it's like they can't understand why something like that would be needed!!!

Bama, your memory is an eye brow raiser!

Wait a minute..... When was 40+ "so old"??? :P

I remember the grader coming past the house in Lake Linden and since my bedroom was right next to the street, it made for a great alarm clock to get up and go to classes at Tech. Didn't get to experience the Sno-Go next to our house until Nat and I lived in Red Jacket and on occasion it would come rumbling by. They are indeed fascinating machines, and for many north country communities a required piece of snow removal equipment.

Keep on truckin'.

This will make you all smile..........

Quote on UK news this morning (I live in Cornwall) North of England suffers 4" snowfall......schools and airports closed.

We don't know how lucky we are !!!!!

home sweet home.... the Keweenaw. Great pics!

That's hilarious Graham!!