Reporter:Oconto County Tourism
Trail Conditions: Fair
Snow Cover: 0-5
Date of Report: March 5, 2020
Area Report:
ALL OCONTO COUNTY SNOWMOBILE TRAILS WILL CLOSE SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 at MIDNIGHT.
Snowmobile Trails
Red Arrow Snowmobile ATV Club (Townsend) – 3/5/20
Trails remain open as of now, but grooming operations have ceased. Where the sun hits the trails, much damage has occurred, in the woods there is still some good riding to be had though ungroomed. The low areas may be wet or slushy, and some major areas are just plain bare dirt. The Grade has taken a beating, though rideable. The forecast for the rest of the week is not good. Please ride safely, there is much ice!
Paul Bunyan Riders Snowmobile Club (Lakewood) – 3/5/20
The sun and warm temperatures have taken a toll on the area trails. Grooming has stopped for the season on the Paul Bunyan Trails. The swamps are opening up and the hills exposed to the sun are bare ground. I’m very proud of the quality trails trail boss Bob Prasser and his grooming team produced. We had numerous compliments on our trails. There will be a official closing to be announced by Oconto County.
Chute Pond Snowmobile Club (Mountain) – 3/5/2020
Chute Pond Snowmobile Club trails are open and in poor to good “late season” condition. Most trails east of Hwy 32 are in poor condition, with many icy spots, and the snowcover is very thin. Most trails west of Hwy 32 are in good condition, with a flat, hardpacked trail base with some icy spots. The season is nearing the end- the warm weather has caused increasing bare/burned out spots, and the melting has caused some slushy/icy areas. There are still some nice trails to ride, but the number of ugly spots is growing. This is your last chance to ride- trails will close for the season at 11:59 pm Sunday, March 8th. Thank you for riding our trails this season.
NEW DETOUR: There is a new detour route from INT#447 that runs north and west and intersects with the 18 Corridor trail at Riverview Rd (see map- detour is shown in red). Thank you to the Towns of Mountain and Riverview for allowing the use of the unplowed town roads to complete this detour. The detour route is groomed and marked.
Exceptions (see map): Trails that will remain closed indefinitely are from INT#451-INT#453 (from east of Hwy 32 behind the Junction to Jack Pine Rd), and from INT#447 north to the 18 Corridor trail near Cooked Lake (the northern pipeline trail). DO NOT ride the closed trails- they have not been cleared from the July wind storms because the swamps are still wet and have not allowed equipment to get in to work on those areas yet. The closed areas are tangles of fallen trees in a swampy area- you don’t want to go there.
Cautions for the entire season: Be aware that any off-trail riding- even to take one ski off to “grab a little loose snow”- could be dangerous. The July wind storms have devastated many areas of our forested trails, and there are many trees and limbs on the ground just off the edges of the groomed trails. Please stay safe- stay on the groomed trails. Riders are urged to reduce speed and ride with extra caution, as the forest and the trails look very different since the storm. There are numerous logging operations that will be ongoing throughout the season. Please use extra caution in these areas. No Chute Pond trails cross any lakes or rivers- use extreme caution on all frozen surfaces. You are encouraged to carry a portable hand saw if possible, since limbs and branches continue to fall onto and over the trails. Please- ride sober, stay to the right, and stay on the marked trails.
Bagley & Brazeau Joyriders – 3/5/2020
CLOSED.
Gillett Sno ATV Riders – 3/5/20
CLOSED.
Oconto Falls Sno-Jokers – 3/5/20
CLOSED.
Lena Sno-Drifters – 3/5/20
CLOSED.
Chase Sno-Chasers – 3/4/20
