Walworth, Waukesha, Racine & Kenosha Counties SE WI 2017-18

[snobuilder]

Some of Walworth trails were groomed yesterday but remain closed. Some look good some not so good after the groomer went through. Winter Storm Watch with 6-9" starting tomorrow night should put us in the game. Will report back as the snow flies if it flies that is. Trails staying closed was a good call all counties down in SE corner are closed and we only have 4-6" of fluff county wide in Walworth. Hopefully by Friday things will change with this next storm.

RS

go out in your yard and grab a handfull of what many of you are calling "FLUFF"....I did yesterday and today and was able to make a real nice snowball. Snow that falls as so called FLUFF doesn't stay that way for long. The ground is constantly evaporating moisture into it.

 

[virgil]

crispy cold right now.if they can lay down a ribbon before the new snow then its worth it

 

[snobuilder]

From the Travel WI.com snow page;

The trails in the Burlington and Tichigan areas are open but the rest of the trails will remain CLOSED. Note: There must be 4” of packed snow if the ground is frozen, or 6” if the ground is not frozen, to open the trails.


.....Guess I was right.....saw fresh groomed on my way in around 4:30 this AM

 

[tsg]

First, i think the clubs and volunteers in SE Wisconsin should be commended for all the work they do, and all the effort they put in, with so much uncertainty, weather wise, year after year. Thank you.

And, I do understand that the clubs need to look out for the landowners, as far as damage to properly, if the ground is frozen, type of snow, etc......HOWEVER, I think it is time for all counties and clubs (with landowner input as well) within those counties to agree to and adopt some type of standard protocol to use as a basis for determining the "trail opening" criteria: amount of snow, minimum temps, ground conditions and terrain, groomer types and weights, etc..... Then, divide the counties into certain zones, up to perhaps 2-4 if necessary, and treat each zone separately. Washington county has established a certain opening criteria, and more and more counties up north in fringe areas, such as Langlade and Oconto, now have divided the county into zones to limit restrictions.

Simple, when the criteria is met, the trails in certain zones open.

However, I do understand all of the other variables involved in the opening and inspection processes, etc...., but there will never be one perfect "condition" in all areas, due to mother nature. Also understand the club funding mechanisms, where grooming compensation accounts for reimbursement and supplementation.

Disclaimer; belonged to 2 different clubs in Waukesha County for several years. Now belong to 2 clubs up north, and do volunteer time, not as much as i should though. I keep my sleds up north almost all the time now, due to so much weather and county, and club uncertainty.

However, some compromise and general guidelines down here need to be established. AND, the clubs, and the people involved with them, need to realize that our geographic location and terrain will not allow conditions to be like up north or the UP, so focus more on trail opening, less on trail conditions, and let the casual rider enjoy getting out more. And for the rider, expectations down here should be less as well, based on weather and terrain conditions.

No perfect answers, but setting certain criteria could go a long way to getting everyone on the same page, and getting trails opened sooner and perhaps more frequently. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Lisbon]

That map sez it all. the last 3 days have accumulated 5-9" on frozen ground. No reason not to be open. Let the riders decide. Why do we need a small group of ppl to decide if we ride in these conditions? Me and everyone else can make up our own mind this deep into a very cold winter.
To say it is a good decision to keep them closed, please explain why otherwise maybe you DO need someone to make up your mind for you.
Being "OPEN" doesn't mean you HAVE to ride, does it? Ain't nobody forcing you to do anything you don't want to do....is there?
No wonder I can't stand the non thinkers....and so many control freaks out there.
I go back to before "hotlines" and 'puter instant trail info when ppl used there own heads to figure things out.....like the simple act of riding a sled or not.....happy trails, but if yur gonna wait for a "perfect ribbon" down here you won't ever open....I've seen chisel plowed fields blown off with 12+ inches of snow on the ground.

I guess the simplest way to look at this is this: if you own the land (such as your own yard), you can ride anytime you want on your own land... if you want to take a rip in July around your yard with your sled, go nuts and have fun.

But if we want the privilege of riding on OTHER people's land (and let's not forget, it IS a privilege), then we must abide by the rules that the landowners and trail bosses have set up. To say it should be up to each individual snowmobiler to make that decision on their own - well, they have a word for that when the trails are closed - it is called trespassing.

And because we are so lucky to have decent trail systems in SE WI, I am good with it. And, no, I am not a landowner with the trail going through my land - I just appreciate the fact that landowners allow us to use their land for the sport we love!

 

[bladeguy]

I guess the simplest way to look at this is this: if you own the land (such as your own yard), you can ride anytime you want on your own land... if you want to take a rip in July around your yard with your sled, go nuts and have fun.

But if we want the privilege of riding on OTHER people's land (and let's not forget, it IS a privilege), then we must abide by the rules that the landowners and trail bosses have set up. To say it should be up to each individual snowmobiler to make that decision on their own - well, they have a word for that when the trails are closed - it is called trespassing.

And because we are so lucky to have decent trail systems in SE WI, I am good with it. And, no, I am not a landowner with the trail going through my land - I just appreciate the fact that landowners allow us to use their land for the sport we love!

Dilly Dilly! Letting a base settle also makes it last. Thank a landowner - buy them a beer! Thank the club members that negotiate with the landowners to allow the trails to go through their land - buy them a beer! Do whatever it takes to make the landowners happy! Buy everyone a beer who marks trails, grooms trails - does anything. And most of all - if they say to stay off the trails - just stay off. Don't complain. Without all these people you can put your sled on a tread mill ride it there. It sucks when the trails are not open. It sucks more if they disappear forever.

 

[ryanslyne]

I will just give my two cents worth take it how you want coming from me being the trail boss for the East troy club snowmobile trails in Walworth county. And I more than anyone along with numerous other club members and alliance members wants to see the trails open seeing we put in countless hours every year taking trails in and out, calling landowners, actively trying to get new members, grooming when we can, attending meetings and running our fundraiser. We did divide the county into two zones last year for the first time. As many times the northern or southern part of the counties can drastically vary. So it now has a northern and southern zone. There was no way to split it up even further with how our trails run through the county. So that was the easiest method for our county. The general rule of thumb for us is 4-6" of snow with frozen ground as I have been told. With this last snow this week we had 6" in East troy enough to open the northern half of the county but Whitewater only had 3-4" with fields blown bare since it is wide open. In the southern portion of the county they only had 3" of snow on the ground as well with field blown bare. I have pictures to prove it but for whatever reason I cannot get them to upload. Go to our Facebook pages to see the proof if you need it. The groomers rolled out this week and the northern half was groomable for the most part. Some of the chisel plowed fields didn't groom well but others groomed nicely. The Southern portion attempted only to turn the groomer around after 1 hour of being out. They were out again today with some success but it is hard on the equipment. With landowners continuously complaining about people riding off trail down here and damage to winter wheat crops risking us losing more land and ultimately more trails. People that don't even live in the area complain about trails not being open when they don't even know the conditions in the area. For certain it is impossible to keep everyone happy. The key is we try to keep everyone happy but usually fail regardless. It is frustrating and at times overwhelming trying to manage the trails down here with the constant criticism from everyone. Be glad their are trails to ride even if we don't get the opportunity to open them as frequent as you think they should be. And with this day and age unfortunately we cannot let people decide for themselves if they can ride or not otherwise for certain we wouldn't have the trails around for much longer with our landowner sensitivity. The storm is looking like it will still hit with up to 10" of snow in the area. I would bet by tomorrow morning or mid day the trails will be open. Enjoy them while you can. I will give a report when I get out or as the snow flies.

RS

 

[snobuilder]

.....yea you need to groom to capture state funds, we get that, but guess what, we as sledders don't need 5-9" a snow "groomed".....think about that for a minute....it will take you back to the roots of snowmobiling....this isn't about the "trail boss", it isn't about 4" a snow or 24" a snow, it isn't about how anyone "feels"... it IS about >frozen ground<. Sleds, try as they might, can't damage the depth of frozen ground as we have this year. A lot of us would run a mile of chisel plowed crud just to get to that drifted fence line and pound the livin drift out of it...get it?
If a trail boss doesn"t explain to a landowner that it might not be "pretty" all the time on the trail that crosses his land when getting permission, then they haven't done their job. Walking on eggshells gets you no where.
That is why we have money to fix any wrong that may occur during the riding season. But in my 20 years involved with my club....the claims of damage rarely happen,....so stop setting up the straw man for the self righteous drama......these problems simply don't exist come spring/summer.
Either you have permission or you don't and if you got permission with a line a bullschit to the landowner then you did it wrong.

If the trails stink, avg joe snowmobiler.....in "Whitewater" or anywhere else,.... will head back home and park it....yes, as hard as this is for some of you to believe.... avg. joe sledder is as brilliant as you think you are.

 

[WorkHardPlayHrd]

Try telling a pissed off farmer that's alfalfa stand gets ruined how you feel. All it takes is the loss of one landowner to take out an entire trail. If you don't believe me go up to Michigan trail 11 north is closed because hotshots can't figure out how to stay on the trail. This is not about you or me it's about the continuation of the sport. Quite insulting others and complaining. If you don't like it haul your sled somewhere you are allowed to ride, or you can sell it.

By the way ryanslyne thank you for the honest assessment. WHPH

 

[snobuilder]

Try telling a pissed off farmer that's alfalfa stand gets ruined how you feel. All it takes is the loss of one landowner to take out an entire trail. If you don't believe me go up to Michigan trail 11 north is closed because hotshots can't figure out how to stay on the trail. This is not about you or me it's about the continuation of the sport. Quite insulting others and complaining. If you don't like it haul your sled somewhere you are allowed to ride, or you can sell it.

By the way ryanslyne thank you for the honest assessment. WHPH

Reread my post and get a clue and stop yur BS.
No one is condoning riding/trespassing off trail so quit that BS as well.
If a farmer gave you permission to run through an alfalfa field he sure as hel should of know any consequences ahead of time no matter where in the state we are....and he would also know there are funds to cover any damage. The frozen ground as we have now is as good as it will ever get to prevent crop damage....whether an inch or a foot a snow on top. No one can say the snow will land and remain perfectly in place on this fictitious "alfalfa field", can they? If you got permission to run through the farmers barn, but then he locks the barn doors, would you say yes the trails are all set?...get real... farmers are smarter than the avg website (anti) sledder.

BTW the trails are now open in the area I referred to and the rest of the surrounding counties will soon follow and no more damage to anyone's land or crops will have occured today vs. tomarow./....maybe we need to wait till we get 3" a ice base as carbide stud protection over that one alfalfa field before we open up the county???

Happy trails to you real sledders.

 

[snobuilder]

From Travel WI .com snow report;

Great News!!! Trails are officially open in Walworth County. Ride safe as the groomers have not been out yet to create smooth trails. Some will be going out today to make that happen. Our trail system has now been divided into two zones. Zone 1 (Northern) and Zone 2 (Southern). See one of our maps to view the new zones. Please call our snow phone for trail status at (262) 742-2664. Visit our newly designed website at www.walworthcountysnow.com. Please visit our sponsors on and off the trail.

 

[ryanslyne]

Yeah they are open, broke the trail this morning to work first 25 miles of the weekend all smiles. Enjoy it while you can!

RS

 

[tsg]

All good posts, both pro and con, and we all have rights to our opinions, but bottom line is still if a definitive criteria was agreed upon and set, as it relates to trail openings, then all would benefit, and decisions would not need to rest with so many different people. And yes I do understand things can vary, from mile to mile, yard to yard, etc.... but getting a majority to agree on a set criteria would eliminate so much bs.....

It has been years since I have done any landowner negotiations and communications, but I doubt things have changed that much, and would bet most, if not all, would be happy with a written summary of what is needed to open trails.

I do think the many clubs and individuals down here still have an old school or old industry mentality (I'm 54), but believe me in this day and age, transparency and simplicity will benefit all.

Glad the trails are open, but more can be done to eliminate the BS with getting us here.

 

[ryanslyne]

TSG agreed. I'm 30 and will try to get the trails open almost every time it snows regardless. I'm done with the topic, in the end it will not get any of us anywhere bickering back and forth about it. If people want things to change you will have to come to the county alliance meetings and voice your opinion to make a change. If people don't do that then nothing will change more than likely. I pushed for the division of the county into two zones last year and that's how I did it.

In other news, Kenosha county open now too.

RS

 

[ryanslyne]

And Waukesha update below

2/9/18 TRAIL UPDATE: As of 8 am this morning, Eagle, Mukwonago and the Kettle Moraine Forest trails located in the southern portion of the county will open. As of 12 pm, the northern section of trails will be open. Finally, as of 5 pm, the Muskego trails will open. Ride safe and please stay on the trails!!

RS

 

[snobuilder]

Yeah they are open, broke the trail this morning to work first 25 miles of the weekend all smiles. Enjoy it while you can!

RS

Riding to work....
That is awesome!

 

[ryanslyne]

If I could figure out whey the heck this picture upload thing will not work I would post pictures. Anyone else having issues with that?

RS

 

[gkolar]

Anyone riding out of Twin Lakes/Powers Lake area tomorrow morning? Definitely will be out, happy to meet up. Shoot me a PM.

 

[ryanslyne]

70 miles last night Walworth and Waukesha County, better in the beginning of the day than the end that’s for sure! I would recommend a mouth guard for some of the chisel plowed fields. We got pounded traffic wise last night. A lot of bare spots now and snirt/ icy corners. You get a few fields here and there and woods sections that are okay. We got a fresh dusting this morning and sounds like 1-3” tomorrow. That’s all I know. I will not be joining the zoo today as I already need new carbides after Friday.. Maybe Sunday ride for me if we get another 1-3”.

RS

 

[blkhwkbob]

It's ridiculous that we get a good snowfall and it's weird powdery stuff that just wipes off the trail. I appreciate the effort all clubs do, but I give up trying to ride down south.