Clearwater Trail Blazers Snowmobile Club Holds Open House

On Saturday, February 25th, 2017, the Clearwater Trail Blazers Snowmobile Club held an open house in their new Shop/Meeting room in Leonard, MN.   The new building is located across from Reichert’s Saddlery and Farm Supply.

Lunch was served to approximately 75 people.  The shop was built with the majority of the funding coming from Gambling funds with pull tabs being sold at Main Street in Bagley, Shorty’s in Gully and Silver Creek in Shevlin.

Those that were in attendance were very impressed with the new Shop/Meeting room.

The Clearwater Trail Blazers Snowmobile club started in 1986. Over the past 30 years meetings have been held at various locations throughout Clearwater County and Gully, MN. The new Shop/Meeting Room will be a great asset to the club and will now be a secure meeting place. 

Thank you to the following contractors and people who volunteered their time to make this project happen: General Contractor, O’Bryan Construction; Dirt Contractor, Dyrdahl Construction; Electrical, Hill River Electric; Plumbing,  Kelly’s Plumbing; Sub-Contractors, Friborg Contracting and  Ramsrud Painting & Drywall. Volunteers: Ken & Laurie Brien, Warren Lundmark, Tim & Darlene Derby, Bryan Dyrdahl, Sharon Dyrdahl-O’Bryan, Rodney Rhen

Our Door Prize Winners were: 

1st Prize: Single Membership –Darlene Johnson-Clearbrook

2nd Prize: Hooded Sweatshirt-Hunter Ehlers-Leonard

3rd Prize: Crew Neck Sweatshirt-John Grover-Bagley

4th Prize: Long Sleeve T-Shirt-Warren Erickson-Clearbrook

5th Prize: Hat-Norma Erickson-Clearbrook.

The Clearwater Trail Blazers is actively looking for new members and volunteers. Without them we would not have a Snowmobile Club and the Trails would be disappearing. Please consider being a part of this committed group of people who love snowmobiling!

You can visit and ‘LIKE” our facebook page, Clearwater Trail Blazers Snowmobile Club. We meet the 2nd Monday of every mont at 7:30 p.m. at the Club/Shop.

 

By Mike Hughes, Region 2 Director (Itasca County) Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association)

Submitted by Sharon Dyrdahl O’Bryan

Snowmobiling is a relatively new form of winter recreation. It’s only been around as a popular diversion from the angst of winter for about forty years. Prior to that, the silent sports such as downhill skiing, cross country skiing, ice skating and ice fishing were the staples of winter recreation and had been for a long time. Snowmobiling altered that. With the advent of snowmobiling, people had a way to ride a machine over the snow and were able to go fairly long distances with relative ease.

In the beginning, there were no designated places or trails where one could ride a snowmobile. Consequently there was a lot of riding that involved trespassing as riders looked for any place that had open space where a snowmobile could go. This, of course did not go well with landowners. It was clear that something needed to be done so that snowmobilers could ride their machines without breaking the law. The answer to that problem was the development of the snowmobile trail system.

Early on, snowmobilers gather together and formed clubs for the companionship and fun of riding together. They recognized the need to have designated trails upon which to ride and since there weren’t trails available for them, they built their own. Eventually, all those individual trail segments were connected and the trail system evolved into it’s present form. Today, we have approximately 18,000 miles of designated snowmobile trails in Minnesota.

The people who built those original trails back in the 1970’s were in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s (for the most part). As time went by and those folks aged, they dropped out of the clubs. They either retired from the sport or died. The amazing thing about them though is that for the most part, they have been taking care of the trails all this time. A great deal of thanks is owed to those volunteers by the snowmobilers who ride those trails. Granted, there has been some influx of younger people into the clubs and that has been a great help, but it’s not enough.

Far too many snowmobilers don’t belong to a club and are not helping to maintain the trails. The reasons are so many. Some say they don’t have enough time. But look at the founders and builders of the trails. They had jobs, kids, and kid’s sports teams too and they found the time to do the actual building of the trails and then take care of them. Some don’t want added responsibilities but if they don’t step up and help, who will? Younger riders have always had a trail system ready and available for them and perhaps they think that they don’t need to get involved. They can’t be more mistaken.

In a few years, the founders of the trail system will be gone. The few younger members of the clubs will be left to shoulder the burden of trail maintenance and that of course will lead to problems. Too few club members and too much work for them will lead to burnout. If that happens, the few people still there will quit and the clubs will become history. The trail system will not have the care it needs and will fall into disrepair and will quickly be lost. If this ever happens, the chances of reopening closed trails will be slim.

This is the crisis that we who love snowmobiling will be facing soon. If you think  the DNR will take over the maintenance of the trail system, forget it. They don’t have the money and they’re not volunteers.

If you are a snowmobiler and want to ensure that there will always be a designated trail system for you to ride upon, I suggest that you find a club in your area, join it and start helping now so that you’ll be ready to step in when the founders retire. That day is not far away.

Visit mnsnowmobiler.org for more information.