Fourtown/Grygla Sportsman’s Club members hit the trails

Though Minnesota snowmobile trails don’t officially open until December 1st, Fourtown/Grygla Sportsman’s Club members took their sleds out last Saturday, November 24th, and hit the trails. With little to no snow, the riding wasn’t great, but the twelve volunteers set out to clear brush on over 60 miles of trails from Fourtown towards Waskish. 

Members included Jack Nelson, Danny Haack, Kyle Haack, Robert Sundberg, Donald Wikert, Danny Carlson, Loren Pittman, Toby Holthusen, Joey Holthusen, Jake Sundberg, Tony Moe and Blair Holthusen.

Club President, Jack Nelson, says the remaining 80 miles of trails will be cleaned this coming weekend; the stretches include 50 miles north towards Williams and then west towards Gatzke.

Snowmobile trails still need more snow, cold temperatures

Submitted by Andrew Korsberg, DNR Parks and Trails Division, State Trails Coordinator

Early cold temperatures and several inches of snow in parts of the state have many snowmobile enthusiasts excited to take their first ride of the season, but most trails will need more snow before grooming can begin. Most of the state’s snowmobile trails are not yet ready for riding, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

Minnesota’s snowmobile trails officially open Dec. 1 each year; and several conditions must be met before trails are open, groomed and ready for travel:

• The ground must be frozen. Where trails cross wetlands, 15 inches of ice is needed to support the weight of the trail groomers.

• Adequate snow cover, about 12 inches, must be on the ground to allow for trail packing and grooming.

• Trails must be cleared of fallen trees, signs put in place and gates opened. Snowmobile club volunteers and DNR staff are currently working on these tasks.

“While the cold air is helping the ground freeze, we still need more snow and thicker ice to access trail segments that cross wet areas for brush clearing and other maintenance,” said Grand Rapids area supervisor Guy Lunz. “Crews are out now removing brush from trails where they can, and the pace will pick up as continued cold freezes the low-lying areas.” Even after a chilly start to November, ice on most lakes is not safe for travel. The DNR recommends a minimum of 5-7 inches of new clear ice for snowmobiles.

When the trails open, the DNR urges riders to use caution. Early season trails may have trees or debris across them, unfrozen swamps and flowages, rocks or ruts, or standing crops and closed gates. Also, road ditches can have obstacles such as culverts, signposts and rocks.

While snowmobilers wait for the arrival of cold temperatures, now is a good time to make sure registrations are current, snowmobiles are in good operating order, review safety training, and check local trail maps for route changes or new trails.

Minnesota has over 22,000 miles of groomed snowmobile trails; more than 21,000 miles of them are maintained by local snowmobile club volunteers. Snowmobile trail maintenance costs are partially funded through the combined snowmobile registrations and trail sticker sales, and state gas tax attributed to snowmobile use. Donations and volunteer work by trail clubs make up the remainder of the costs and efforts to operate these trails.

Trail users are always encouraged to call in advance or research online to get local conditions for the area they plan to ride. State trail conditions are posted each Thursday on the DNR website at mndnr.gov/snow_depth/index.html.