Vilas County Wants To Widen Snomo Trails To minimum Of 16 Feet!

[fcat700]

I agree. I don't know why everyone is in such a hurry all the time. If a group won't let you pass - take a break for 10 minutes.

I agree 100%

 

[polarisrider1]

A lot of the widening is part of logging contracts on State, Fed & County lands so many more trees are being havested piggybacked to trail widening & of course replanted. The jack pines I saw marked for harvest along trail 10 were way overdue for logging & trails were super tight had to stop for every oncoming sled too narrow to pass safely. 16 feet not that wide as mspease stated. This is a good thing ultra wooded forest area trees will not be missed & jacks grow back quickly. I live in a logging town & trees grow like weeds around here does not take long Aspen first then pine & maple follow & that is the natural way. Most of Vilas county was clear cut in 1930s & you can see it if you know what to look for. Currently Fed & State want to do much cutting to give trees a chance to grow much larger & makes sense to me but I live here & can see the trees grow. Trails on private land may or may not be widened but think most landowners will go along with saftey plan. I would a rather see a tree die than 1 rider... trees grow back a human life is over.

take a tape measure and look at 16'. looks plenty wide for 2 sleds going each a different way, heck that gives about a 8' gap between them??? What am I missing here? Then again I have no clue how much traffic either?? no arguement just would like info. on why super highway trails are needed.

 

[whitedust]

take a tape measure and look at 16'. looks plenty wide for 2 sleds going each a different way, heck that gives about a 8' gap between them??? What am I missing here? Then again I have no clue how much traffic either?? no arguement just would like info. on why super highway trails are needed.

I would suggest you ride the Vilas county trails see for yourself. These trails are NOT wide & I have ridden all over UPMI & WI. Your "super highway trails" not even in the ball park for Vilas.lol If 16' too wide for you I have no reason to change your mind you like what you like aok with me.

 

[xsledder]

take a tape measure and look at 16'. looks plenty wide for 2 sleds going each a different way, heck that gives about a 8' gap between them??? What am I missing here? Then again I have no clue how much traffic either?? no arguement just would like info. on why super highway trails are needed.

What's the diff. Cars are typically around 6' and a lane in the road is typically around 12'. That's 6' gap between oncoming cars (or a 12' gap using your math). This appears to be proportional to me. Besides, the gap between sleds won't be 8', it will be closer to 4' if the sleds are traveling in the middle of their side.

 

[longtrack]

I was in a head on Collision once in tens of thousands of miles of riding. It was in Idaho on a 16 ft wide Trail. I was on the right side of the trail hugging the Bank and some guy drove into me. He was looking at his Buddies behind him. Seems strange this would happen on a Trail that wide.

I think 12' is wide enough and grooming should be done at Night on Trails with blind Hills etc.

 

[polarisrider1]

What's the diff. Cars are typically around 6' and a lane in the road is typically around 12'. That's 6' gap between oncoming cars (or a 12' gap using your math). This appears to be proportional to me. Besides, the gap between sleds won't be 8', it will be closer to 4' if the sleds are traveling in the middle of their side.

I tend to ride the outer edge, since many ride in my lane coming at me. Wider is better for Ricky's to maintain or increase speed in the corners, if that's the case widening will make things more dangerous. The blind corner issue is a tough one. what next bulldoze every tight corner? Widening would give you more area to get to the right, I see your point. pro's and cons, slower speeds on the narrows would save lives but again not a reality. Ricky will only see the twisties as a challenge. Guess that's why we have Engineers for this sort of stuff. All about reducing the odds of injury. 1 death is to many.

 

[xsledder]

Guess that's why we have Engineers for this sort of stuff.

That's what I do professionally on a daily basis, I'm one of those Engineers. Yes, wider trails will equals faster speeds, in a way. Yet, wider trails also give you more time to react to a bad situtation. Also, wider trails are more comfortable to the driver, but will also give them a false sense of security. It is a balance.

Me, personally, I think that 16' wide trails will be nice when approaching an oncoming groomer. I don't have to try and get my group off the trail to let the groomer pass because, God knows, I can't lift a groomer off the trail.

Professionally, and this comes from study with cars and drivers' habits, it will be safer because there is more more for oncoming snowmobiles to pass each other with less of a need to take invasive manuvers, such as braking, to pass each other safely. Must of the time, the track kicking out in corners is caused from braking. Also, studies have found that if a driver can maintain a more consist speed in an area, speeds between roadway corners or stop sign are less (there are always the anomolies). (Studies have shown that drivers want to make up for time loose slowing down for sharper corners and stop signs so they drive faster between them.)

But, of they haven't baselined snowmobile traffic with the current trails, how will they know they've improved anything? That's where the real engineering comes in, otherwise it is all conjecture.