Hayward Lakes Area-Sawyer County Trail Conditions

[haywardlakes]

A friendly reminder, while we are almost to New Years we are very early in the season. This snow wasn’t an accumulation over a week or even days to ready, it was over night. There takes some patience in trail and grooming work, patience with Mother Nature not just giving us snow but setting it up right with the correct temps and precipitation. Also patience with private land owners knowing their property is safe to allow us on and open gates. Patience with all of these volunteers and that is what these hard working people are, VOLUNTEERS. This is a vacation destination but it is their home and reality. They have businesses to run, many of which cater to the riders day and night, other jobs to tend to, family lives to tend to. They too have experienced shortages of help so have been working around the clock for almost two years. Some jobs such as big brushing jobs have to be hired out and paid for and we have to wait for contractors, there are only so many hours in a day. So please have patience. Our volunteers are working to groom, brush, clear, pack trails as fast as they can. Many rocks get unearthed from riding on trails, moguls form with heavy traffic, many branches blow down in the wind and fall from heavy snow, it’s the northwoods, we have an abundance of trees and branches, trails change hourly. We are not into full season where every trail will have perfection. Please do not focus on that. These volunteers deserve the utmost gratitude and respect for their loyalty, hard work and passion to keep this sport alive and well. We appreciate you all so much that show such gratitude, your kindness and positivity is what keeps them doing it year and year! Ride safe! And if you can volunteer even a little please do so, even if it means stopping and throwing a branch off the trail or visit our website to report a trail issue, please don’t complain about but rather report. There isn’t trail issues on purpose nor are they ignored, and remember those repairs take manpower, money and sometimes certain steps of approval if need be i.e. DNR approval, DOT approval, etc. The volunteers can’t be everywhere and all times so your eyes are very much appreciated! We want your riding experience to be the best! We are grateful to be apart of so many memories!

Updated from December 28th:
LCO and Grindstone staking is complete.
Callahan Lake is staked. Round Lake is complete.
Groomer will be in the Seeley Hills and 63 north tonight and complete by Thursday.
Bayfield County is packing trails and plan to open before the weekend, goal is Thursday.
Tuscobia from Winter to Couderay & trail 9S to the Chippewa Flowage groomed.
Whitefish is now staked. A good solid 10” of ice.

A reminder for the upcoming weekend: The annual "Tuscobia Winter Ultra" non motorized marathon is this coming weekend. Starting at 6am Friday, December 31 and ending at 6pm January 2nd, hikers, skiers and fat tire bicyclists will be on the Tuscobia 24/7 from Rice Lake to Park Falls. They will be departing at different times. If anyone is using the Tuscobia with their snowmobile please be courteous and slow down when meeting or passing anyone.

 

[goofygus]

Thank you for the latest info and thanks to all the volunteers! We had a nice ride today are very grateful for your efforts.

I’d like to comment on the last paragraph of the update (about the “Tuscobia Winter Ultra.”) To be blunt, I’d like to see this kind of use stop or be restricted to much later in the season. When the event began, it was a one day event. Now it’s up to 3 days and it happens during prime riding/Christmas vacation time. While participants pay an entry fee, I‘m unable to see where any of that money goes toward trail usage or maintenance. I could be wrong, but it appears the money is all allocated for prizes and administrative costs.

Snowmobilers are required to pay registration fees every three years, purchase annual trail passes, buy fuel for sleds (I believe it’s 30 cents per gallon goes to AWSC) and we are also encouraged to join a snowmobile club. Numerous regulations are placed on when and where we can ride. That‘s the reality we accept for using the trails.

However, participants in this event get around all of these fees and restrictions. A handful of bike tires will rut up a perfectly groomed trail faster than a line of (courteous) sledders. None of the marathon participants are capable of traveling at speeds that are typical of the “normal” vehicle traffic. This is an accident waiting to happen (and who do you think will be blamed?).

I apologize for the rant (and it’s NOT directed at HaywardLakes) but I felt I should share these things with those who use this trail.

 

[WorkHardPlayHrd]

AN EXTRA WARNING TO ALL SNOWMOBILERS 1 MILE EAST OF OJIBWA ON THE SPUR AND TUSCOBIA TRAIL. After reading above post I wanted more info just for knowledge and info. While reading through their checkpoints section it informs spectators that if they want to support racers to walk out the Ojibwa spur ONTO (that is the actual word used) the Tuscobia Trail. It does not in any way shape or form in any part warn of high speed snowmobile traffic. It does not tell them to stay of the trail, or to the sides of the trail. Or about snowmobilers in general. If I recall correctly this area has a speed limit, but I can't recall for sure. Also even though it should be obvious that snowmobilers are in the area some people don't pay attention unless they are bluntly told.

This next part is directly to Hayward Lakes. Please always post when this event is happening please. I never want to be anywhere near the Tuscobia when it is happening. I'm saying this not in reproach, but to admit that I love the Tuscobia. I love its beautiful straight sections were I can put the throttle to the handle bar and let my turbo sled fly. I can see every ugly consequence that this event brings to snowmobiling in general, and the fact that it is backed by the IDITAROD means if someone is injured there will be lawyers involved. Also this choice of weekend is horrible. If you have anyway of speaking with and influencing the date of this event please try. Midweek, or late season would result in far less chances of a tragic incident happening.

I say this because I know there are sledders out there who will ignore any signs you will put up. I know that they will break the speed limit. There are sections of the Tuscobia where you can come over small hills, catch air, and could find yourself face to face with the individual readjusting their snowshoes. I hope you have the DNR out in full force this weekend. Yes I just said that.

I post this as a lover of snowmobiling, and as a mother with 5 children. My son and his friends are going up there this weekend and I hope after relaying this info to all parents and trip going 20 year olds that they stay away from there. 6 20 year old guys all like to push each other. It's typical guy behavior. Just don't want the first trip without parental authority to end badly.

If I have offended anyone with my post I'm sorry. Katie.

 

[pclark]

AN EXTRA WARNING TO ALL SNOWMOBILERS 1 MILE EAST OF OJIBWA ON THE SPUR AND TUSCOBIA TRAIL. After reading above post I wanted more info just for knowledge and info. While reading through their checkpoints section it informs spectators that if they want to support racers to walk out the Ojibwa spur ONTO (that is the actual word used) the Tuscobia Trail. It does not in any way shape or form in any part warn of high speed snowmobile traffic. It does not tell them to stay of the trail, or to the sides of the trail. Or about snowmobilers in general. If I recall correctly this area has a speed limit, but I can't recall for sure. Also even though it should be obvious that snowmobilers are in the area some people don't pay attention unless they are bluntly told.

This next part is directly to Hayward Lakes. Please always post when this event is happening please. I never want to be anywhere near the Tuscobia when it is happening. I'm saying this not in reproach, but to admit that I love the Tuscobia. I love its beautiful straight sections were I can put the throttle to the handle bar and let my turbo sled fly. I can see every ugly consequence that this event brings to snowmobiling in general, and the fact that it is backed by the IDITAROD means if someone is injured there will be lawyers involved. Also this choice of weekend is horrible. If you have anyway of speaking with and influencing the date of this event please try. Midweek, or late season would result in far less chances of a tragic incident happening.

I say this because I know there are sledders out there who will ignore any signs you will put up. I know that they will break the speed limit. There are sections of the Tuscobia where you can come over small hills, catch air, and could find yourself face to face with the individual readjusting their snowshoes. I hope you have the DNR out in full force this weekend. Yes I just said that.

I post this as a lover of snowmobiling, and as a mother with 5 children. My son and his friends are going up there this weekend and I hope after relaying this info to all parents and trip going 20 year olds that they stay away from there. 6 20 year old guys all like to push each other. It's typical guy behavior. Just don't want the first trip without parental authority to end badly.

If I have offended anyone with my post I'm sorry. Katie.

Your post makes perfect sense. I know it is hard for some to think in common sense terms like this but if you can eliminate the possibility of something bad happening its the right thing to do.

 

[goofygus]

Safety is the real issue with this, as Katie mentioned.
I’ve watched this race progress for about 10 years. As stated above, it began as a one day event. Now: it’s three days and they’re encouraging spectators to gather ON the trail. Read some of the rules connected with the event…where are they sleeping? (Yep. Probably on the side of the trail). If you look on the event’s Facebook page, one racer posed the question “I was wondering if there's a limit for sleds”. That’s right…a limit on sleds.

So what now? Where do we direct our concerns?

 

[whitedust]

Yikes pedestrians and fat bikes bad mix on a groomed snowmobile trail and over such a long distance. Hopefully all goes well but playing with fire imo seems like terrible planning and risky to all involved.

 

[pclark]

I just got done reading about this event on their website. The DNR seems to be involved in this so you might want to start there.
This is an 80 mile event, not sure if they are out at night or not? Ive never heard of this event but in todays age you would think someone would recognize that this not a good mix with snowmobiles.

 

[whitedust]

Are groomers getting thru the race area?

 

[goofygus]

Here is one example of what I encountered on the trail: side-by-side hikers wearing headphones, no clue I was coming up behind them. Had this been at the break of a hill or on a blind corner…

 

[hemi_newman]

Here is one example of what I encountered on the trail: side-by-side hikers wearing headphones, no clue I was coming up behind them. Had this been at the break of a hill or on a blind corner…
View attachment 66676

I don’t see a trail pass on their gear? We have to spend $30 on a trail pass every year plus registration every two years. But yet these people do not put a cent towards trail fees and maintenance. Go use the Birkie trail. This is an accident waiting to happen and sleds will get the bad name because of these Granola crunchers.

 

[goofygus]

The event is a competition: a qualifying race with a top prize of an entry into the Iditarod—$1100 value. Picture the final miles of this marathon. Think they’re going to “share the trail” with snowmobiles when that‘s on the line? No way.

Snowmobilers are effectively intruding onto another sport’s “race track”.
(Read that again.)

I’ve watched this event grow from a one day endurance type challenge (a couple dozen people trying to make it 80 miles). I think it’s nearly 200 today. If history is any indication, it’s going to get bigger and WE will be the unsafe nuisance on a major corridor trail.