I don't know where you are talking about, but here in central WI trails remained closed out of respect for private landowners that may hunt. Also, we could use a little more snow.
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Good reading on "why aren't the trails open?"
- Thread starter groomerdriver
- Start date
I don't know where you are talking about, but here in central WI trails remained closed out of respect for private landowners that may hunt. Also, we could use a little more snow.
deeplaker67
New member
I think that article hit the nail on the head. Very good points.
I respectfully disagree. That is very feeble reasoning. You don't wait until just before the season to maintain equipment and not everything is going to break down at one time and shut down the whole grooming operation. Clearing your own home or business would be done within hours or a day at the most. It's illogical that trails open to atv's during the regular deer season are later closed to snowmobiles because of the late deer seasons. If there is enough snow on the trails, they should be open. No excuses. And yes, I've spent many hours over many years grooming trails and doing other trail maintenance.
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deeplaker67
New member
I agree with you for private land. However, in our area of Northwestern Wisconsin, we lost three weekends of snowmobiling because the trails on public land were closed to snowmobiles. Those same trails had ample snow and were open to ATV's.
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I agree with you for private land. However, in our area of Northwestern Wisconsin, we lost three weekends of snowmobiling because the trails on public land were closed to snowmobiles. Those same trails had ample snow and were open to ATV's.
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I don't know where you are talking about, but here in central WI trails remained closed out of respect for private landowners that may hunt. Also, we could use a little more snow.
I agree with you for private land. However, in our area of Northwestern Wisconsin, we lost three weekends of snowmobiling because the trails on public land were closed to snowmobiles. Those same trails had ample snow and were open to ATV's.
deeplaker67, have you contacted your county snowmobiler coordinator to see why trails remained closed? Does your county have a website with updated info. as to why trails remained closed? Have you contacted a club member to ask why? I find it odd that trails on public land would have stayed closed, but I have been doing this long enough to know that I won't judge someones decisions if I have no idea of the circumstances.
groomerdriver
New member
That is very feeble reasoning. You don't wait until just before the season to maintain equipment and not everything is going to break down at one time and shut down the whole grooming operation. Clearing your own home or business would be done within hours or a day at the most.
You can do all the PM you want and still have a problem occur at the worst time. How do you maintain a wheel hub that cracked? That's what happened early on to this club. Also, what if this particular club only has 1 (one) groomer? There's no "1-800-rent-a-groomer" to call! Whatever your situation was doesn't mean it applies to this club.
I just wish the state would charge $250/sled for a trail permit then every county could have hired hands do all the work. Somebody would still find a reason to complain about something!
I don't know where you are talking about, but here in central WI trails remained closed out of respect for private landowners that may hunt. Also, we could use a little more snow.
I'll be out pounding signs tonight after work because a section is hunted non-stop all fall. Other than opening deer season I spend just about every weekend doing some sort of trail work.
Last year our county didn't want to open on Friday night and were going to wait a day or two. I spent all fall working on the trails, I wanted to enjoy my work! So I call our local establishments and give them the coordinators phone number, 10 minutes later I got an email saying trails were opening after work!
You can do all the PM you want and still have a problem occur at the worst time. How do you maintain a wheel hub that cracked? That's what happened early on to this club. Also, what if this particular club only has 1 (one) groomer? There's no "1-800-rent-a-groomer" to call! Whatever your situation was doesn't mean it applies to this club.
I just wish the state would charge $250/sled for a trail permit then every county could have hired hands do all the work. Somebody would still find a reason to complain about something!
Very well said. The exact thing happened to me today in our Tucker. I was out packing trails with my boys in hopes of opening soon if we get a few more inches. I was about a half an hour from the groomer shed when a snapped an axle. Turns out the axle housing snapped first and then took the axle. I don't think this is something you can plan on, it just happens. Stuff like this happens to clubs all the time. We are fortunate enough to have 2 groomers, so if trails open before this one is fixed, we are still ok.
It took 6 of us 4 hours to get it out of the woods, loaded on a trailer, and hauled to the groomer shed. A local farmer took a couple hours out of his day and brought us a big skid steer, tractor and trailer for us to use. 3 of us missed Christmas partys with family and spent a Saturday not doing something we may have rather been doing. All so the trails will be ready for everyone else. It is days like this that I remember when I hear someone complaining about trails, or why trails may not be open.
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