Trail 2 - Losing a section due to change of ownership

[scott_b]

This is a major issue if an agreement cannot be reached or they can't find a reroute.

Gogebic Range Trail Authority - ORV & Snowmobile Club is

attending September Club Meeting at Den-O's Sports Bar.​

oSptnderoshmfala8u2mg09f2chu149tg072t3141846h58f8mtg60i4ht7t · Wakefield, MI ·

!!! EMERGENCY MEETING TONIGHT !!!
!!! WAKEFIELD SNOWMOBILE TRAIL 2 CLOSURE !!!
The new ownership of Big Snow Resort , which operates Blackjack Mountain - Big Snow Resort and Indianhead Mountain - Big Snow Resort , alerted the GRTA they are revoking our trail permits permanently. We will hold our club meeting tonight and then move into solution finding discussion on reconnecting the trail system afterwards.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? Snowmobile trail 2 in Gogebic county will not connect east to west. Access to Bessemer, MI, Ironwood, MI, Hurley, WI, Mercer, WI will only be possible via 11S connector through Vilas County, WI. County roads are open for snowmobile use in the ROW, unless marked.
We will seek your positive support for snowmobile tourism in a call to action very soon, please check back for updates. We don't have much else to say right now other than we are so, so very sorry to our sponsors, members, neighbors and community leaders. We spent the last week hoping for a different outcome, but it was agreed it was time for us to go public and seek support. It's time to shine with positivity our fellow sled head supporters and show the world how much snowmobiling means to Gogebic County & beyond!
Steve Hamilton
President - GRTA
#saveGCsnowmobiling

 

[wiscrev]

Gee, the least they could have done is give you a year's notice. Can you go back to the old trail?

 

[favoritos]

Nightmare deal.

That will put the last nail in quite a few businesses.

Losing the old trail already hurt rider volume. The loss was significant. We used to play in sled traffic and worry about finding rooms. Anyone that has been a "before and after" rider knows how much volume has changed. Anyone that still owns or operates a visitor related business knows the same.

Loss of this section would essentially make it the end of the line. That's a big deal with groups like our gang. We like to ride WI and MI trails. There is considerable variation in trails between the two systems. It is nice to find a place to stay in the area and ride both states. I don't know that we would bother without the ability to easily ride back and forth.

It's a joke with our group. We like to eat and we like to eat well. We are always around other sledders in dining establishments. The joke is that is seems crazy how much sledders spend. Food, rooms, and gas are the easy things to see. Those dollars add up if you're open for business and people can get to your door.

 

[ICT Sledder]

Guy that recently bought the ski resort is a greenie. In his world a bunch of small sleds passing through his property and contributing to business is bad for the environment, but hey it's cool to carve massive swaths out of mountains, install a bunch of lifts, pave a huge amount of ground in non-porous surfaces, and build a bunch of tourist housing so people can drive their IC-powered vehicles for a weekend ski trip.

It is a strange world that environmentalists live in. Like a type of logical psychosis. Cognitive dissonance at a very minimum.

 

[wiscrev]

Nightmare deal.

That will put the last nail in quite a few businesses.

Losing the old trail already hurt rider volume. The loss was significant. We used to play in sled traffic and worry about finding rooms. Anyone that has been a "before and after" rider knows how much volume has changed. Anyone that still owns or operates a visitor related business knows the same.

Loss of this section would essentially make it the end of the line. That's a big deal with groups like our gang. We like to ride WI and MI trails. There is considerable variation in trails between the two systems. It is nice to find a place to stay in the area and ride both states. I don't know that we would bother without the ability to easily ride back and forth.

It's a joke with our group. We like to eat and we like to eat well. We are always around other sledders in dining establishments. The joke is that is seems crazy how much sledders spend. Food, rooms, and gas are the easy things to see. Those dollars add up if you're open for business and people can get to your doo

 

[wiscrev]

Losing the old trail already hurt rider volume. The loss was significant.
I noticed that too. Hated that new trail. It took an hour to go the same distance as 15 minutes on the the old trail.

 

[ICT Sledder]

Seems like the Ironwood to Gogebic area of the UP has lost a ton of trails in the past 10 or 15 years. I miss the one that connected Wakefield/Bessemer with Presque Isle, that then took you on the entirety of Perimeter Road at the south edge of the park. That's all gone now, with the exception of a portion of the Perimeter Road trail.

One thing is for sure though, if there is a guy to help navigate this mess and possibly find a good outcome it is the new head of the Gogebic club, Steve Hamilton. Dude gets s*** done.

 

[euphoric1]

This is very sad to hear but a stern reminder of how fragile and valuable the trail system is to our sport and how we shouldn't just assume we are entitled to these trails and the importance of clubs and relationships with landowners and maintained relationships done by good ridership by enthusiasts. I agree with ICT Sledder and hope they will find a good outcome from this, FINGERS CROSSED!!

 

[rph130]

So if I understand this correctly, a small portion of easement that runs through Big Snow property is going to affect E/W snowmobile traffic on trail 2 from Marenisco, to Wakefield, Bessemer, and Ironwood. If that's the case, there will be a huge impact on all of those small-town local businesses that appreciate our dollars. Good luck with your fight GRTA and if you would, put some information out where I/we as a snowmobile community can make any financial contributions that assist you in your cause. Also, lets start making some internet, bar, restaurant, negative noise about Big Snow new owner not being a good neighbor and team player. Nothing hurts more than negative publicity and financial losses because of poor judgement.

 

[ddhanna]

So if I understand this correctly, a small portion of easement that runs through Big Snow property is going to affect E/W snowmobile traffic on trail 2 from Marenisco, to Wakefield, Bessemer, and Ironwood. If that's the case, there will be a huge impact on all of those small-town local businesses that appreciate our dollars. Good luck with your fight GRTA and if you would, put some information out where I/we as a snowmobile community can make any financial contributions that assist you in your cause. Also, lets start making some internet, bar, restaurant, negative noise about Big Snow new owner not being a good neighbor and team player. Nothing hurts more than negative publicity and financial losses because of poor judgement.

This is not poor judgement, it is his right as a landowner. Snowmobilers need to always demonstrate the attitude that landowner rights are sacred. Failure to do so will cause other landowners to question their decisions to allow access.

 

[wisco-mb]

Every action has consequences though! If that's an action they want to proceed with, there will be negatively associated with it. Probably far more then positive.

This is terrible to hear though. I always use this trail when I home base out of Hurley.


Update from their FB page below. Quite a few comments on there. I don't have a FB account, so had to use my wife's.
There has been a great amount of commentary and discussion on the meeting that took place over the snowmobile trail through the resort.

The management of Snowriver Mountain Resort, formerly known as Big Snow, appreciates the feedback we’ve received from snowmobilers over the past few days, and we recognize the huge economic value these visitors bring to the area. We look forward to working with our local community to help strengthen the local economy and continue to be both a good neighbor and good steward of the land we operate on.

As a ski resort, it is our responsibility to provide a comfortable, enjoyable, and safe skiing and boarding experience for our guests, including many families with young children. While we embrace and encourage all forms of winter recreation, the proximity of a busy snowmobile trail to our guests and our ski area operations creates hazards that are not only not covered by our insurance but are also not safe. While we do employ snowmobiles as part of our operations, including snowmaking and ski patrol, these trips are strictly limited, done by trained staff, are covered by insurance and are operated based on best industry safety protocols.

Unfortunately, the snowmobile trail system, as it exists today, goes directly through the heart of our ski area’s base areas and this is not safe. The trail in question came to be when other landowners revoked access to their land back in the mid-2010s. After this, a trail was built across the resort without a written use agreement or adequate liability plan. Moving forward, we are actively exploring options to find a solution in which a snowmobile trail between the east and west of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan can still travel through the communities of our surrounding area while continuing to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our guests.

We were told by the local snowmobile club that it had been working on alternative routing to accomplish this, and we have offered financial assistance to help with this effort.

The Snowriver Mountain Resort and our staff look forward to continuing to be community partners and working with all involved to find a solution that works best for everyone involved.

 

[SHOOT2KILL]

Looks like Mr Skinner is full of shit
Statement from GRTA
A statement from GRTA Club President Steve Hamilton regarding the Big Snow Resort trail loss:

"The Gogebic Range Trail Authority is a proud supporter of private property owner’s rights first and foremost. For the past 7 years this motorized trail functioned in beautiful harmony through these two ski hills beloved by all who visited them. While it’s utterly heart breaking for us, we warmly respect Big Snow Resort’s new direction to end motorized tourism on their property. However, we wholly refute Mr. Skinner’s claim of egregious liability and insufficient or no documentation, that is entirely false. Mr. Skinner has asserted that “A trail was built across the resort without a written use agreement or adequate liability plan.” The GRTA has held a liability policy and trail permits (land use agreement) for Big Snow Resort since the inception of the trail. The State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources wouldn’t allow GRTA to operate on their lands if we didn’t have liability coverage in place. It’s the absolute cornerstone of our program – landowner protection! The snowbelt region of the Midwest would not have the proliferation of snowmobile trails in this modern-day litigious society if egregious liability for landowners existed. Landowner protections in Michigan are stout and the snowmobile trail program hasn’t had a claim in 30 years.
Currently GRTA requests Snowriver to afford us a timetable for our departure – April 2023 – to find a solution off their property. However, there is currently no known reroute and not for a lack of trying. The MDNR granted $30,000 in 2018 to find a route for Snowmobile Trail 2 and the new Iron Belle Trail through this area. After 4 years the work has turned up no viable options. The only option to connect the ultra-critical snowmobile trail infrastructure was through Big Snow Resort. The fallout to area businesses from an abrupt shutdown will be devastating and everyone must do everything to prevent that from happening. We sincerely wish the circumstances of the trail were different and we were able to simply pick it up and move it. However, local landowner politics and exceptionally dynamic terrain make any solution outside of Big Snow Resort a multi-million dollar project. We look forward to constructive talks with the new ownership to avert a devastating trail shutdown."

 

[whitedust]

This immediate shut down of Trail 2 is devastating to the Hurley and east snowmobile businesses. A trail that vital to snowmobilers and snowmobile businesses can not be turned off like a light switch. Hopefully Snow River Mountain Resort will reconsider and allow access thru the 2022/2023 season so an acceptable solution can be established.

 

[xsledder]

I forgot, why cannot it go back on the grade like it use to be in the '90's? Why was it reroute through the ski area to begin with?

 

[indy_500]

I forgot, why cannot it go back on the grade like it use to be in the '90's? Why was it reroute through the ski area to begin with?

Similar situation… politics…

 

[hermie]

I remember something about a land owner tired of the loud exhaust at night people on and off the gas alot with modified exhaust but I could be wrong.

 

[Hoosier]

This all sucks. MI has the easement fund, paid for by trail permits. Perhaps that can be put to use - probably too much red tape.

It's the landowner's right to do as he pleases with his property but to drop this mid-September is a slap in the face. Hopefully they will go along with the April 2023 request at least to save face with the businesses impacted.

 

[pclark]

I remember a similiar situation in Waukesha County where Roundys built a warehouse just south of I-94 in Oconomowoc. They informed us that the trail running along side of the road on their property would be shut down due to the same legalities and insurance issues. We tried everything to keep that trail open as it was a link to the Northern part of the county and provided a key trail in a loop. Roundys lawyers turned us down every time. It took us years to open that trail up again but we found a re-route and it's still open today. My guess is that the new owner finds himself in a sticky situation now with the community but I don't think that will matter to him as he has made his decision. If he truly was a community guy e would work with the club and not against them to establish a solution.

 

[rph130]

This is not poor judgement, it is his right as a landowner. Snowmobilers need to always demonstrate the attitude that landowner rights are sacred. Failure to do so will cause other landowners to question their decisions to allow access.

Call it what you will. I agree that the landowner rights are sacred but like Hoosier said, to pull this in mid-September is not what every other area business supported by snowmobile dollars would consider to be a good neighbor. My daughter lives in Bessemer and when I talked to her yesterday, she said that everyone she knows and talks to are extremely pissed at Snowriver, and worried about other snowmobile dependant businesses failing due to the trail loss. I still stand by my statement that when a new neighbor moves in and pisses off all of the long-standing neighbors and hurts them financially by a selfish action, its poor judgement.

 

[rph130]

I will amend my negative internet, bar, restaurant noise about them. Its already happening and we don't have to do it because they did it to themselves.