Mackinac Must Haves

Year-round life on Mackinac Island differs from mainland life in many ways, the main difference being the Island's ban on motorized vehicles. I know many people are fascinated about what year-round life is like here so I thought, over the next little while, I would show you a few of the things that I can't imagine living without. OK, that's a bit strong. Perhaps it would be better to say the things I don't want to live without; the things that just make Mackinac Island life a little easier.

With that said, this is my list. I didn't conduct a scientific poll, and there are lots island residents who have lived quite happily not owning a single item on my list, but for me, they're a "must have." It's kind of like disposable diapers and sippy cups. Millions of mothers raised countless children without them, I'm just thankful I didn't have to...

Mackinac Must Haves: Creepers

The snow, the ice, sadly it's all pretty much gone. In fact, I walked to and from work every day last week. It's a bummer because, at this time of year, we all feel like we should still be riding our snowmobiles. Walking is challenging because even though there isn't enough snow to ride the roads are still pretty icy. In fact there are some people who continue to ride just for safety. It is a lot easier to buy a new set of wear rods (metal bars to prevent wear to the bottom of the ski) for a snowmobile than it is to deal with a broken ankle. Which actually happened last week - one of my student's moms slipped and did break her ankle!

Since I've been walking, I'm glad I have these:

They slip on over your boots or shoes to give you some traction on the ice.

They're not perfect and you still have to be careful, but I don't know what I'd do without them. In fact, my YakTrax are definitely in the top ten on my "Mackinac Must Haves" list. I prefer the kind that have a velcro strap to help them stay on. I upgraded to these because when I wore my old pair, without the strap, one of them kept falling off.

They're calling for snow tonight. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be back on that snowmobile in the morning...