$10 Fee increase for Michigan Trail Pass next year

[russholio]

I think the reason so many people are so upset about $45 for a pass is because once you pay it it's gone.

Much like the fuel we put in our tanks and burn up? Personally, I'd rather see cheaper fuel than cheaper trail permits. At least a trail permit is good for several months. Fuel is gone in a few hours.

Yes, once you pay permit fees it's gone out of your pocket -- but it's working for you maintaining trails, purchasing easements, and fighting to keep our sport going. Sure it sucks to pay more, but it's at a fixed amount for the next 5 years and even having to buy a couple of them (as I do, to the tune of $90) is still not much, if any, more than a night out on the town with the wife. And nights on the town have gone up, too -- anyone remember when movie tickets were 3 or 4 bucks? Regardless of the ticket price, once you've seen the movie what do you have to show for your money? Or for the dinner and drinks you've consumed? Nothing, really -- you're paying for the fun, memories, and entertainment, much like sledding.

As others have said, it's still the least expensive part of the sport, other than the 3-year Michigan registration.

 

[superski]

Heck, most of us will piss away $50 for the latest gadget, golves, balacava, speed part, or whatever and never blink - but when it comes to $45 to get on the trails and use the stuff we wanna complain. That said I don't want to see these increases continue to esculating at the rate that they have been. Like I said before, "this ain't a sport for poor people anyway"

 

[ezra]

The sad thing is you'd probably still be saying that if it was $100 for a sticker. Please think back to many many years ago when you were young and ask yourself when you were in your teens if you would've been able to pay $45 for a trail pass. Heck you'd probably not even be in this sport now.

not true I would have payed the 45 bucks always was willing to go in debt for my snowmobile addiction.
I don't even like to think about all the money I charged in my 20s in the pursuit of speed and fixing the problems that that pursuit caused.
now all that being said Your 45bucks dose not even cover 3hrs of diesel fuel for 1 groomer, let alone busted groomer parts, the cost of the groomer payments ,the cost of the drag, the chump change they pay a few of the guys who run them (I am not 1 of them my time is free)the bent lost faded signage that needs to be replaced/the unusable snow fence that needs to be replaced/the printers the retailers use to print your stickers.the techs that have to go out and fix those printers ,the ink for the printers.the small tokens of appreciation gift cards 6 packs whatever to the land owners that allow you to have a trail.
every one think because the spent 10g on a sled and 300 in gas and 200 for a room they payed there share.GET OVER IT AND PAY UP or go buy some snow shoes and ask a landowner if you can walk around his property .
some one mentioned CO and their 30 bucks true but CO has very few groomed trails to maintain and NO there is not enough snow to ride in most of CO now 21in rabbit ears 19 in Breckenridge trust me that is not enough to ride in unless you bring some a arms in place of the shovel with you.
I wish all government was like a trail pass you pay for what you use.but I can wish in 1 hand and sh*t in the other and see which one fill's up first

 

[olsmann]

Bottom line for me is this. I love to snowmobile, I love to snowmobile in the UP. I would love to live there some day. I like to support the UP anyway I can whether it be the local businesses or the trail system through permits. My wife and I volunteer our time helping with trail cleanup every fall in the Keweenaw, and we live 250 miles from it and ride a lot of the time off trail anyway. Why? Because its the best riding and most beautiful area to ride in the midwest. The cost of everything goes up every year and to be honest, Jesse. If an extra couple a hundo increase in snowmobiling every year is going to determine whether or not you are going to ride in an area then quite frankly this sport may just be to expensive for you.

If you choose to ride in CO that is great but it would cost me about 3 times as much to ride there. And until you volunteer to help out a club (or join a club) in MI. You really have absolutely no authority to speak on the costs incurred by the groomers and clubs. (but i suspect you will anyway) And if the fee keeps going up and it knocks a few folks out of the sport I'm perfectly ok with that. I'd pay a few bucks more every year to have less people on the trails. Im not a rich man, but YES this absolutely is a rich mans sport. It always has been. I'm not sure where the notion ever came from that it wasn't?

I dont even want to think about the things i have sacrificed in my life to be a snowmobiler!

 

[polarisrider1]

Jesse, you want steak at the burger price. Not happening. You may be in over your head with snowmobiling and sledding on say a plastic sled may be more your budget. But then again if you want to do the big stuff you will be back complaining about the lift fees. Whining here will get you know where. I buy Ontario, Michigan, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho permits each year. It is part of the sport. Heck a pair of good long Johns cost $45. we should be complaining about why a good pair of gloves cost $100, heck they come from Maylasia or some other jungle spot. lol. and life goes on.

 

[ezra]

they cost 100 bucks so the owner of the glove corp can spend the whole winter testing his gloves on his tax deductable sled getting there in his tax teductabel truck pulling his tax deductabel toy haller.
HMMM why dont I start selling 100 buck snomobile gloves

 

[Jesse9131]

Much like the fuel we put in our tanks and burn up? Personally, I'd rather see cheaper fuel than cheaper trail permits. At least a trail permit is good for several months. Fuel is gone in a few hours.

Yes, once you pay permit fees it's gone out of your pocket -- but it's working for you maintaining trails, purchasing easements, and fighting to keep our sport going. Sure it sucks to pay more, but it's at a fixed amount for the next 5 years and even having to buy a couple of them (as I do, to the tune of $90) is still not much, if any, more than a night out on the town with the wife. And nights on the town have gone up, too -- anyone remember when movie tickets were 3 or 4 bucks? Regardless of the ticket price, once you've seen the movie what do you have to show for your money? Or for the dinner and drinks you've consumed? Nothing, really -- you're paying for the fun, memories, and entertainment, much like sledding.

As others have said, it's still the least expensive part of the sport, other than the 3-year Michigan registration.

Looks like nothing much for the next week and now the forecasts are now saying above normal temps for next 30 days. Looks like maybe God has had enough of people charging other people an arm and a leg to go and see his beautiful nature.

 

[Jesse9131]

Bottom line for me is this. I love to snowmobile, I love to snowmobile in the UP. I would love to live there some day. I like to support the UP anyway I can whether it be the local businesses or the trail system through permits. My wife and I volunteer our time helping with trail cleanup every fall in the Keweenaw, and we live 250 miles from it and ride a lot of the time off trail anyway. Why? Because its the best riding and most beautiful area to ride in the midwest. The cost of everything goes up every year and to be honest, Jesse. If an extra couple a hundo increase in snowmobiling every year is going to determine whether or not you are going to ride in an area then quite frankly this sport may just be to expensive for you.

If you choose to ride in CO that is great but it would cost me about 3 times as much to ride there. And until you volunteer to help out a club (or join a club) in MI. You really have absolutely no authority to speak on the costs incurred by the groomers and clubs. (but i suspect you will anyway) And if the fee keeps going up and it knocks a few folks out of the sport I'm perfectly ok with that. I'd pay a few bucks more every year to have less people on the trails. Im not a rich man, but YES this absolutely is a rich mans sport. It always has been. I'm not sure where the notion ever came from that it wasn't?

I dont even want to think about the things i have sacrificed in my life to be a snowmobiler![/QUOTE

In the beginning snowmobiling used to be a sport most families could afford. It's a shame that it should be limited to a very few. But that's what happens when the cost goes up. Then once only the few minority snowmobile it will be easier to regulate or even ban the sport due to "environmental reasons". My friend lives in Germany and it's banned there for that very reason.

As far as costs I was talking to some friends up near Newberry and they were telling me one of the tractors purchased for grooming cost $200,000. I don't see why clubs couldn't just buy skids and hire some local farmers who own their own equipment to do some grooming. Usually during the winter they are looking for something to do and would probably do it for a fairly reasonable price. Just an idea.

 

[Jesse9131]

As far as costs I was talking to some friends up near Newberry and they were telling me one of the tractors purchased for grooming cost $200,000. I don't see why clubs couldn't just buy skids and hire some local farmers who own their own equipment to do some grooming. Usually during the winter they are looking for something to do and would probably do it for a fairly reasonable price. Just an idea.

 

[Jesse9131]

As far as costs I was talking to some friends up near Newberry and they were telling me one of the tractors purchased for grooming cost $200,000. I don't see why clubs couldn't just buy skids and hire some local farmers who own their own equipment to do some grooming. Usually during the winter they are looking for something to do and would probably do it for a fairly reasonable price. Just an idea.

I agree about the Wall st. crowd.

 

[Jesse9131]

I've been looking at other posts and they have page after page of upset riders so it's not just me.

What upsets me is the price jumps and stays up for 5 yrs. It doesn't fluctuate like other things like the cost of gas etc. What if the cost of diesel goes down to $2.00 a gallon then where does that extra money go? And you may say that will never happen. But the last time we saw gas prices this high relative to inflation was during Carter and after we got rid of that socialist fuel prices dropped and stayed low for over 2 decades. Who's to say that won't happen this time?

I know Granholm used $1,000,000 of our trail money to build a turtle catcher fence on the west side of the state.

I'm not upset if 100% of the money is going toward the trails but we've been screwed before and will likely be screwed again if we do nothing.

 

[Obriengotwake]

Does anyone cross country ski in the copper country, I am not sure what the cost is else where but I just paid $162 for two pass to ski at Swedetown and MTU this winter.(family rate)

But I have to agree that the state should create a new system. Weekend passes, family packs, would be a great idea but that means that the yearly pass would have to go up.

My first thought would be
$55/year ($50 for the second permit, $40 for third and beyond) This would be an over all increase which most who ride the trails often will not complain about.

$35/week pass. I think weekend(3 day) may be to short many who travel to the Keweenaw spend more than a weekend.

2 things that we need to be aware of is that we have to create a new color/style of sticker for weekend passes so you can easily pick them out to check the date. Also needed would be more patrol to monitor to make sure those people are not running expired stickers. This all cost money so do we win who knows. All they have to do is make the fine for running with no trail permit a $175 fine. (not sure what it is now). Just ideas, I wanna keep the groomers on the trails and I don't want to discourage people from the chance to see what Michigan has to offer.

 

[ezra]

I've been looking at other posts and they have page after page of upset riders so it's not just me.

What upsets me is the price jumps and stays up for 5 yrs. It doesn't fluctuate like other things like the cost of gas etc. What if the cost of diesel goes down to $2.00 a gallon then where does that extra money go? And you may say that will never happen. But the last time we saw gas prices this high relative to inflation was during Carter and after we got rid of that socialist fuel prices dropped and stayed low for over 2 decades. Who's to say that won't happen this time?

I know Granholm used $1,000,000 of our trail money to build a turtle catcher fence on the west side of the state.

I'm not upset if 100% of the money is going toward the trails but we've been screwed before and will likely be screwed again if we do nothing.

welcome to government spending and regulation. happens all over steel form peter to pay paul not to work or to work on a contract given to the governors brother in law's kids company the way it works.
the clubs in my area get the money from the state for trail maintenance the club handel's the money some yrs the states money covers fuel and equipment maintenance and others it is not enough and then the club tries to cover the short fall with money in the bank from dues fundraisers etc but that eats in to other needed trail equipment like club trail groomers

 

[nitro699]

raise trail fee to $500 let the chips fall , no longer a blue collor sport

Thousands of miles of trails, $45 a year: $15 dollors to launch a boat once, there is definately a value descrepance here.

 

[rakins800]

$45. Really????
That price would have to go up at least 4 times that before I would blink.
Hey, I cant afford to collect 60's muscle cars. So I dont. If you cant afford to go snowmobiling, then dont. Seems very simple to me.

 

[woodi]

10 bucks doesnt seem like much when you figure how much sleds have ben going up every year.

 

[EXCESSIVE FORCE]

As far as costs I was talking to some friends up near Newberry and they were telling me one of the tractors purchased for grooming cost $200,000. I don't see why clubs couldn't just buy skids and hire some local farmers who own their own equipment to do some grooming. Usually during the winter they are looking for something to do and would probably do it for a fairly reasonable price. Just an idea.

I agree about the Wall st. crowd.

Not sure what you mean....Could you please repeat it?..........LOL....

Who's going to purchase the track kits for the farmers' tractors?

Sounds great...Let's see.. Hey farmer thanks for letting us cross your land...Now groom it for us too !!...LOL...

 

[whitedust]

As far as costs I was talking to some friends up near Newberry and they were telling me one of the tractors purchased for grooming cost $200,000. I don't see why clubs couldn't just buy skids and hire some local farmers who own their own equipment to do some grooming. Usually during the winter they are looking for something to do and would probably do it for a fairly reasonable price. Just an idea.

You got to be kidding? Why would a farmer want to wreck his farm tractor grooming trails 24/7? He also has to tend to his animals not groom trails. Sounds like too much Xmas cheer in your glass. Check the egg nog this is not a discreet thought in any way.lol

 

[jr37]

Why do you guys keep feeding one guys agruement. Leave him alone and maybe this nonsense arguement will go away.

 

[whitedust]

Why not I didn't make him post his thoughts? Free to state his, my or your opinion. You don't like his or my opinion then don't read it. Free world you know just stay within Jd rules & Aok.