Hurley WI club fed up with off trial riding

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zert100

New member
This is what I saw on the Hurley Chamber web site this morning. The responsible riders in our community need to speak up against the people that are going off trail and causing big problems for the clubs. This problem seems to be getting worse with the popularity of Crossover/Mountain sleds and backpack wearing boondockers out there looking for every last flake they can crush. There is a time and place for that kind of riding and I'm all for it when its done in areas that allow it. The fact is off trail riding isn't allowed along side most trail systems in WI and MN. We need to be vocal when we see people going off trail when they should not be!
Welcome to Hurley Wisconsin!

With the recent abundant snowfall, we have had several visitors to the area. We would like to point out how important it is to stay on the marked trails. Read on:
If you do not understand why it is so important to stay on the trail I urge you to come to a club meeting and get involved. Spend hours or days or weeks convincing the land owner to use THEIR land so that snowmobilers can cross it. Once you convince them that snomobilers are a responsible group, we need you to spend all day for several days clearing brush in the fall from the trail. Then after several days of clearing brush we need you to sign the trails, marking corners, dangerous areas, placing stop signs and intersection signs and business signs pointing riders in the right direction. Once the signs are placed make sure you're available to groom once the snow storm comes, because everyone wants to ride and know when the trails are going to open. Finally the trails have opened and YOU have decided to go off trail. Now, we have to explain to the land owner why someone went off trail and destroyed part of the winter crop or destroyed young trees and ask and convince them to let us continue to cross their land.
If you cannot stay on the trail then STAY HOME so at least us responsible riders still have a trail to ride on.

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C

chiefcheese

Member
This applies to most any trail/club here in Wisconsin. Our club had 2 re-routes this year due to landowner issues which our club struggled to deal with. There are areas to ride. There are also inconsiderate people that only want to please themselves and not abide by the rules. Sad.
 
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groomerdriver

New member
chiefcheese said:
This applies to most any trail/club here in Wisconsin. Our club had 2 re-routes this year due to landowner issues which our club struggled to deal with. There are areas to ride. There are also inconsiderate people that only want to please themselves and not abide by the rules. Sad.
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We had a landowner shut down a trail last week. Reroute is on a road....not the side of the road.....bare pavement.
 
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snowdance

snowdance

Member
Interesting, this from the area who tried to promote off trail riding in Iron County and went so far as to have designated boondocking areas marked on their snowmobile map. Not sure if they still do this and certainly doesn't condone riding where you shouldn't. But, can't help but wonder if this has contributed to the problem.
 
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dooski_dan

Member
There are only a fraction of all snowmobilers who understand what a club does. And even less who contribute to one unfortunately. But they will complain when your trail gets re routed because of lost land rights. That's unfortunate to hear what is going on up there.
 
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1flatlander2

Member
snowdance said:
Interesting, this from the area who tried to promote off trail riding in Iron County and went so far as to have designated boondocking areas marked on their snowmobile map. Not sure if they still do this and certainly doesn't condone riding where you shouldn't. But, can't help but wonder if this has contributed to the problem.
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if i remember correctly you couldn't go through the trees and had to be on unplowed roads. i couldn't find anything that didn't dead end after a few hundred feet. i think it was a ploy to get snowmobilers in the area.
 
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1flatlander2

Member
i was on trail 8 in the bergland/wakefield area and couldn't believe all the tracks in the ditch/side of the trail. Hardly a flake of powder left. Off trail powder hounds i guess?
 
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indybru

Member
I'm with Snowdance on this one, I remember they were talking about the off trail riding in this area, and seemed to promote it. Now I don't do it but I have seen area's that looked fair game.
 
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Stuey2014

New member
I am a member of the HWhite Thunder Riders in Hurley and the problem is on private land. Iron County has 175,000 acres of county land that are open for off trail riding, as long as there is a road, skid trail or other trail there. It's just people that run anywhere and everywhere including land that's marked.
 
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whitedust

Well-known member
snowdance said:
Interesting, this from the area who tried to promote off trail riding in Iron County and went so far as to have designated boondocking areas marked on their snowmobile map. Not sure if they still do this and certainly doesn't condone riding where you shouldn't. But, can't help but wonder if this has contributed to the problem.
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Could very well added to the problem. After promoting off trail areas I checked it out & was very limited not what I thought. To some this could have meant have at it they are tolerant & just balloned to a huge problem.
 
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