Kudos to Columbia County for their latest trail update. Here we are once again facing the dilemma on how to best handle trail closings when facing a short 2-3 day possibility of temporary daytime temperatures above freezing while otherwise almost ideal conditions are present: cold night-time temperatures, lots of snow old and new, and a good hard base due to our nice cold weather the last two months. While other counties are closing and "dropping like flies," Columbia County's recording simply says that the trails are open as long as temperatures are below 30 degrees...and that it is strongly encouraged that snowmobilers refrain from riding when the temperatures are above 30. Seems like a good way to handle this short 2-3 day period of daytime temperatures above freezing in the face of forecasts calling for colder temperatures returning on Friday. Hope this works out. Our group of six had a great day of very snowy riding today for a total of 202 miles. The new snow is really piling in nicely on the trails that we rode on in Dane, Green, LaFayette, and Iowa Counties. A real shame to have to flat-out close the trails when just maybe Columbia County's approach might work out. OK, don't rip me too bad on this, I am well aware of landowner's concerns, club issues, renegades, possibilities of rain, etc. etc.
Trail opening and closings
- Thread starter zozo2
- Start date
snowdance
Member
The idea is great, but the problem is many people are unable to use common sense. Its the few that ruin it for the majority. There are people that regardless of conditions will ride the trails if its 40 degrees and half the trails are mud. These are the same people that probably ride the trails even when marked as closed, so I guess it wouldn't matter much... 
The idea is great, but the problem is many people are unable to use common sense. Its the few that ruin it for the majority. There are people that regardless of conditions will ride the trails if its 40 degrees and half the trails are mud. These are the same people that probably ride the trails even when marked as closed, so I guess it wouldn't matter much...
Doesn't work like that people ride regardless of temp or rain if trails are open they ride simple as that. I drove to Post Office 1 winter in Phelps pouring rain trails run right in front of PO there was 10 riders planning their route with map out. Stay tuned Thursday we have had a GREAT run WI wide but CO hooker low coming up & going to rain in half of WI & maybe UP too. This weekend should be lots of trail condition questions with rain & little time to groom out wet snow. Time of change jsut have to roll with it but be informed 1st.
lookin4snow
New member
Dane/Columbia County Closures
Having been a participant in the decision for both Dane and Columbia Counties, I can tell you that we thought long and hard about which approach was best. We all agreed that it was a crapshoot depending on what the weather actually does. As Snowdance pointed out, many sledders exercise poor judgement and common sense. The two counties took different approaches in the end. Let's check-in on Friday and see which approach worked the best.
At any rate, the groomers are on standby to go out on Thursday evening after the rain (assuming it comes as predicted) and the temperatures cool down so we can work the snow. Yellow Thunder will have both our machines out and will groom until all trails have been groomed and then we will open the trails for what should be another good weekend of riding in Southern WI.
Having been a participant in the decision for both Dane and Columbia Counties, I can tell you that we thought long and hard about which approach was best. We all agreed that it was a crapshoot depending on what the weather actually does. As Snowdance pointed out, many sledders exercise poor judgement and common sense. The two counties took different approaches in the end. Let's check-in on Friday and see which approach worked the best.
At any rate, the groomers are on standby to go out on Thursday evening after the rain (assuming it comes as predicted) and the temperatures cool down so we can work the snow. Yellow Thunder will have both our machines out and will groom until all trails have been groomed and then we will open the trails for what should be another good weekend of riding in Southern WI.