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Trail Report – : Eagle River, Wisconsin – February 7, 2020

Reporter:Holly t

Trail Conditions: Fair

Snow Cover: Still plenty

Date of Report: February 7, 2020

Area Report:

February 7, 2020 – 7:43am – 18 Cloudy

SNOWMOBILE TRAILS IN EAGLE RIVER
For the most part Fair due to some icy conditions

     

These photos show trail conditions yesterday afternoon after the sun was out all day. First 2 are trail Atl13/3S.  The far right one is the entrance/exit of trail 70W at the Sundstein Rd crossing at the Lincoln Town Hall.  Trails in pretty good shape

High of 19 today with 9 below tonight plus CLOUDY.  Yesterday the evil sun was out most of the day.  What it did was soften up the rock hard trails by mid day. Meaning loose SNOW on the trail to help with lubrication & making it a little less icy & a bit safer riding.  But please slow down as there still are icy stretches.

All in all trails are in pretty good shape especially in the woods under cover.  They are also icier in the woods because the sun did not get to them & soften them up.  So slow down. Otherwise everything is pretty much SNOW covered.  Some corners have blow outs with hard ice in them.  Other corners in the bright sun have burn out.  The steady sunshine on the snow does that. Roads have hard shiny ice with some bare. Crossings have frozen puddles in the morning & water by the afternoon.

More riding today with more to update tomorrow.

Groomer Tracking Systems reports a big night of grooming. Here are the few trails not groomed in the last 24 hours:

  • 10E to include Chanticleer Inn trail to Eagle Lake, GranpaGram aka 1, 9MI not groomed
  • City trail from Trig’s Shell heading east to Bloom Rd not groomed
  • 70W from near Honey Bear to the turnaround not groomed
  • Mankse Swamp aka 3N not groomed
  • Alt13 aka 3S section from Bloom Rd/Loon Lk Rd intersection to Three Lakes turnaround not groomed
  • Portion of Uncle Kent not groomed

Catfish & Eagle Lake trails are marked.  Reports of sizeable moguls. Please stay by the orange reflective barrels.

THINK COLD & KEEP DOIN’ THE SNOW DANCE!!!  P.S. No evil sun either!!

Be safe.  See you on the trails!

Holly Tomlanovich
THE SNOWMOBILE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD® – Eagle River
Phone Trail Updates 715.479.5185
Sno-Eagles Snowmobile Club

News and Reports:

Events
February 6 – Thursday Sno-Eagles guided trail ride – 9am – Meet at the Historic Railroad Depot on 10/13 in town.  Across from Friendship House
February 6 – Annual Groomer Show – Walker Equipment – St. Germain
February 7-9 – Pond Hockey – Due to ice conditions on Dollar Lake this year at the World Championship Derby Expo – Hwy 45N – Volunteers needed
February
February 10 – Snowmobile Rec Council Meeting – Eagle River Inn
February 11-13 – Sno-Eagles Weekday Away to Florence
Please contact Sno-Eagles President, Howard Wolf at 262.442.4876 to volunteer for any event.

Snowmobile Information:

Handy Snowmobile Links

Wisconsin Snowmobile Registration
Discount Trail Pass for Snowmobile Club Members – $10
Standard Wisconsin Trail Pass – $30
Out of State Trail Pass – $50
Vilas County Map It Trail App GPS style app of all trails in Vilas Cty.  Plus includes the brown 3 digit emergency numbering system. If an emergency happens call 911 & give them that number.  Find you quicker.
Groomer Tracking Systems (GTS) Gives you trails groomed in last 24, 48 & 96 hours

Trail Report – : Sugar Camp, Wisconsin – February 6, 2020

Reporter:Matt Winters

Trail Conditions: Good

Snow Cover: 20″-23″

Date of Report: February 6, 2020

Area Report:

Trails are in good condition. Use caution on corners as they may be icy. Trails going across lakes are open and marked with barrels. Use extra caution going across lakes due to the poor ice conditions this year. Be safe and have fun. 

Trail Report – : Bayfield County, Wisconsin – February 6, 2020

Reporter:BayfieldCounty

Trail Conditions: Excellent

Snow Cover: 12-18 inches

Date of Report: February 6, 2020

Area Report:

Warm temperature and lots of traffic have made for some icy trails in spots, but trails are still in excellent condition. Plenty of good riding to be had.

 

Namakagon: all trails have been groomed on Wednesday 2/5 and are in excellent condition!

They will be groomed again on Friday for the weekend.

 

Barnes Barnestormers: The warm weekend and heavy traffic was hard on the trails. We are grooming and knocking the bumps down. There is still a good base with the top being mostly ice crystals, instead of soft snow. It will still be good riding and our trails should all be groomed by Friday at noon.

 

Drummond SnoJacks: All trails remain in excellent condition but watch for ice on some road routes. All trails will be groomed before the weekend.

 

Washburn Valhallers: Trail #13 North and South out of Washburn have been groomed this week, have a great base, and remain in excellent condition for the upcoming weekend.  

 

South Shore (Port Wing, Herbster, Cornucopia): Herbster to Corny and trails 40 & 41 all groomed and in excellent condition. There is logging on a section of Trail 1 west of Klemik Rd. Dirty and icy but passable. There is also logging on Wally Polk off Almstead Rd.

Trail Report – : Ely, Minnesota – February 6, 2020

Ely, MN Chamber of Commerce

Reporter:Ely Chamber of Commerce/Explore MN Visitor Center

Trail Conditions: Excellent

Snow Cover: 18-36″

Date of Report: February 6, 2020

Area Report:

GENERAL INFORMATION: Warmer weather and high traffic took its toll on trails, but temperatures have again dipped and groomers have restored the trails to the great shape that outdoor enthusiasts have been enjoying for most of the winter so far.  Trails overall are reported to be in good condition.  Several area lakes are now staked, and riders are asked to please ride in staked areas to ensure best conditions.   As always, even when conditions are their best, it’s still wise to use caution when venturing onto the ice on foot or machine. 

Area Trails:  Tomahawk trail is reported to be in good condition.  Conditions on Grassy Loop, Burntside, Shagawa, Little Long, Mud Lake and White Iron Lake are also reported to be really good with just a little slush reported on the trail at Burntside.  All trails are recently groomed and looking good.  Birch Lake is staked for snowmobile trails to Hidden Bay.  Cedar Lake is not staked; snowmobilers should use Cloquet Line instead.    Everything else is staked. As always, please stay on staked trails. 

Arrowhead State Trail: Snowmobiling: Condition-Very Good Trail – Groomed  Base – 1-6”

The Arrowhead State trail is the backbone to an extensive Grant-in-Aid trail system that travels through remote areas.

TRAIL CONDITIONS: The entire trail is groomed and in very good condition.  With the recent dip in temperatures, the trail is hardening up and will be groomed another time before the weekend.

Bearhead Lake State Park: Snowmobiling: Condition – Very good  Trails – Groomed  Base 5-12”

TRAIL CONDITIONS: The Taconite Trail and Cub Lake Spur to the Trail Center are both in very good condition.   

Bearhead State Park trails provide rolling topography through birch and pine stands.  You may see a variety of wildlife ranging from deer, wolves, ruffed grouse, and pine martens.  You can snowshoe anywhere in Minnesota’s state parks and recreation areas, except on trails that are specifically groomed for another activity, such as snowmobiling or skiing.

Lake Vermilion – Soudan Underground Mine State Park: Snowmobiling: Condition – Very Good Trails – Groomed  Base – 1-6”

TRAIL CONDITIONS: These trails were groomed on February 6.  Trails are in very good condition.  For all trails use caution at all times.  Please travel at appropriate speeds and stay to the right No motorized vehicles other than snowmobiles are allowed on State Trails or Grant-in-Aid snowmobile trails.    

The park has 5 miles of snowmobile trails that connects from the Taconite State Trail to the Lake Vermilion ice trail.  The ride takes you through old growth pines and young aspen forests with large wetland complexes to view along the way.  You can snowshoe anywhere in Minnesota’s state parks and recreation areas, except on trails that are specifically groomed for another activity, such as snowmobiling or skiing.

Putnam/Fishing Lakes – Bear Island State Forest: Snowmobiling: Condition – Very Good Trails – Groomed  Base – 1-6”

The Putnam and Fishing Lakes Trails traverse forested, rolling topography through birch, ash, and pine stands.  Several small lakes dot the landscape along these scenic trails. 

TRAIL CONDITIONS: The entire trail was groomed February 5 and is in very good condition.. Please use caution when riding, travel at appropriate speeds, and stay to the right. No Motorized Vehicles other than snowmobiles are allowed on State Trails or Grant-in-Aid snowmobile trails.

Taconite State Trail: Snowmobiling: Condition – Excellent Trails – Groomed  Base 1-6”

Taconite State Trail stretches one hundred sixty-five miles from Grand Rapids to Ely through many scenic vistas of rolling hillsides, lakes, rivers and forest.

TRAIL CONDITIONS: The entire Taconite is groomed from Ely to Hwy 73.  The trail surface has hardened up after the latest warm temperatures were followed by colder weather.  The trail will be groomed again before the weekend to flatten the corners and bumps.  Please use caution when riding, travel at appropriate speeds, and stay to the right. No Motorized Vehicles other than snowmobiles are allowed on State Trails or Grant-in-Aid snowmobile trails.

Taconite Spur West – Last groomed 2/2/20

Taconite Spur North – Last groomed 2/3/20

Stony Spur East – Last groomed 2/3/20

 

News and Reports:

More information on these events can be found by visiting our website at http://www.ely.org/mn/events

Trail Report – : Hayward / Sawyer County, Wisconsin – February 6, 2020

Reporter:haywardlakes

Trail Conditions: Excellent

Snow Cover: 9-16 inches of snow

Date of Report: February 6, 2020

Area Report:

February 6, 2020

Hello Riders!!

As you know last weekend we had a pretty warm day of 40+ degrees. Fortunately it was just one day and didn’t ruin the season by any means for us but it did make some areas a little tricky. These areas would be lakes and roads. The lakes are quite slick and rough due to the big warm up during the riding weekend and then the temps dropped way down and froze everything up so there are rough ruts and the snow covering melted and refroze making the lakes slippery. The roads/routes also were affected as they are normally plowed down to some degree due to being roads so their base is much less than the trails so they don’t with stand melt downs as well so there are icy patches and bare spots. However with this said the wooded trails are really good! Last Saturday and Sunday groomers did hold off with the warm weather and soft conditions to not do any damage to the trails and then Monday when temps dropped back down they all went back out and have been running all week! They have cut down bumps and pulled (as much as possible) some fresh snow on to the trails. There may be some icy corners but the over all consensus is wooded trails are really good! Just make sure to hit some fresh snow here and there and ensure your sled is staying cool. The forecast on Sunday calls for snow and while most of our conditions are still good riding fresh snow will be extremely welcomed!

All lake trails continue to be open, again icy but open and you can easily get to your favorite locations and lodging, just ride with caution due to those ruts and slickness. Do always ride with caution in areas of fast flowing water under the ice such as channels and stay on the marked trails. Lake Hayward is the only lake that is closed to riding as the trail near the bridge and channel opened up. There are barriers at all of the entrances.

Trail 5S update; 5S is now open with a reroute around Beissell Grade. The crew was out this week with the Forestry to approve and mark the reroute. The crew has been out since the approval on Wed working on the trail. They continue to work on it as they are playing catch up with now just being able to do said work so they are out grooming and brushing, please keep an eye open for heavy equipment. There is a small area that is rough due to not being able to get with the groomer so it is a bit rough but passable. They are also working on signing but you will easily see the reroute tape and flag markers. They need your help and ask you to ride your sleds and help them pack down the trail. Please DO NOT go around the gates, follow the reroute! This was an area that was lost and it took a great deal of work from these amazing volunteers to get a reroute approved and planned to allow us all to continue traveling in that area with ease! Huge thank you to them!

Thanks again to all you great club workers! Have another fun, safe and successful weekend!!

Trail Report – : Oconto County, Wisconsin – February 6, 2020

Reporter:Oconto County Tourism

Trail Conditions: Good

Snow Cover: 6-8

Date of Report: February 6, 2020

Area Report:

Snowmobile Trails

Red Arrow Snowmobile ATV Club (Townsend) –  2/6/20

The trails are hard, flat and icy in spots. In my riding yesterday, some machines were having some overheating problems. Mostly where we were forced to ride along the side of a road, but some trails that were not groomed since the hard freeze need to be turned to loosen some snow back up again. We will be out grooming all of our trails tonight and throughout the upcoming weekend. They are still in in VERY GOOD to EXCELLENT RIDING CONDITION, except between intersections 510 & 512, which I would rate as good riding condition.

Paul Bunyan Riders Snowmobile Club (Lakewood) –  2/4/20

All the trails were groomed last night and are in excellent condition. This is going to be a great week for riding.

Chute Pond Snowmobile Club (Mountain) – 2/3/2020

Chute Pond Snowmobile Club trails are open, groomed on a regular basis, and in good to very good condition. Be aware of a black water hole/icy spot between Nelligan Lake Rd and Crooked Lake- you’ll need to go around the edge of that spot.


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 – 2/5/20

The trails held up through the warm weather on the weekend. So we are grooming Wednesday & Thursday and Friday, if needed. The trails are good to excellent condition. The trails in the marshes and low areas that are not groomed, we tried to groom in the marsh this week but we broke through again.  They are getting a little rough so take it slow through them and enjoy the good trails. Chute Pond opened and marked a trail to get to Crooked Lake or Chute Pond this week. When you get to the intersection 447 leaving BB Joyriders trails, keep going west and this trail will link you to the trail that goes north to Crooked Lake or South to Chute Pond.

Gillett Sno ATV Riders – 2/3/20

Only the Nicolet State Trail is open.  All spur off trails are closing at midnight tonight.

Oconto Falls Sno-Jokers – 1/30/20 CLOSED.

Lena Sno-Drifters – 1/31/20 Opening January 31, 2020.

Chase Sno-Chasers – 1/30/20 CLOSED.

Trail Report – : Forest County, Wisconsin – February 6, 2020

Reporter:forestco

Trail Conditions: Good

Snow Cover: 15″ – 20″

Date of Report: February 6, 2020

Area Report:

 

The trails are open and in very good  condition. They have recovered nicely from the heavy usage and warm weather last weekend.  Groomers have been out smoothing the trails preparing them for the upcoming weekend. There are reports of some icy spots so ride with care. Always use caution when riding on lakes and frozen water as ice conditions will vary.

We cannot stress enough to ride safely and responsibly and stay on marked trails!

 The clubs that maintain the Forest County Trail System are made up of volunteers who work very hard to provide the best trails possible.  Please respect them while on the trail.  When approaching a groomer or member doing trail maintenance, please slow down and move over so they can do their job.

Load on up and head in the direction of Forest County, Get out and ride! 

 

Trail Report – : Forest County, Wisconsin – February 6, 2020

Reporter:forestco

Trail Conditions: Good

Snow Cover: 15″ – 20″

Date of Report: February 6, 2020

Area Report:

The trails are open and in very good to excellent condition. They have recovered nicely from the heavy usage and warm weather last weekend.  Groomers have been out smoothing the trails preparing them for the upcoming weekend. There are reports of some icy spots so ride with care. Always use caution when riding on lakes and frozen water as ice conditions will vary.

We cannot stress enough to ride safely and responsibly and stay on marked trails!

 The clubs that maintain the Forest County Trail System are made up of volunteers who work very hard to provide the best trails possible.  Please respect them while on the trail.  When approaching a groomer or member doing trail maintenance, please slow down and move over so they can do their job.

Load on up and head in the direction of Forest County, Get out and ride! 

 

Trail Report – : Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan – February 3, 2020

Reporter:SaultSteMarie

Trail Conditions: Good

Snow Cover: 3″

Date of Report: February 3, 2020

Area Report:

Chippewa County: 

  • Sault: (2/2)  Good. 3″ base. Trails are open and we have groomed all the way to the western end of our system.

    • Sault Ste. Marie to Brimley, Trail #8 – Base 3 inches -Trail is in good condition but soft from warm temps.
    • Brimley to Raco, Trail #8 -good Base 3 inches -Trail is in good condition. When going across the bridge in Brimley make sure you go with your the flow of traffic!  Watch for trail change going south just before getting to Raco.
    • Raco to Naomikong Trail #8 [where Paradise meets us], Trail #8 – Base  3 inches – Trail is in good condition. 2018 Trail change just east of Salt Pointe Rd.  Moved trail out of twisty section back to the old straight route, about 2.5 miles. 
    • Sault Ste. Marie City Trail, Trails #497, #449, parts of #8 & #49 – Base 3 inches – Trail is in good condition. We now have a marked trail going to Chippewa Motors.  It starts once you come out of the woods east of M-129 off #449.  It comes into their parking lot from behind if you need parts or service. City curfew is from 1 am – 6 am. Remember most City streets are open to traffic 20 mph, stop at all intersections, and ride on the right-hand side of the street, not on sidewalks. Watch for closed streets that are posted, mainly around the hospital, university, and state trunk lines.
    • Sault Ste. Marie to Kinross, Trail #49 – Base 3 inches – Trail is in good condition except for wet areas. Make sure you follow reroute once you cross the bridge going south at 7 Mile road. When the trail is running along roads make sure you go with the flow of traffic on the right side of the road.
    • Kinross loop & south to Pickford, Parts of Trail #49, #472, and #494 –Base 3 inches – Trail in fair to good condition. Watch for wet areas on the trail.
    • Kinross to Raco & Rudyard, Parts of trail #472 & #480 –Base 3 inches – Trail in fair Condition.  Last groomed today by driver Dave.
      • Paradise: (1/30) 25 degrees this morning and cloudy. There is very light snow floating around in the air right now. Here is a complete rundown of our trail system in case you are on the edge about coming UP this weekend……Pine Stump trail #8 is rated in good shape. It is hard-packed and icy in spots but it is FLAT. It will get groomed today. The Point trails #452 and #453 are rated good also. They too are hard-packed and icy in spots but are FLAT. They will be run today also. The Falls trail #45 is also rated at good. It is also hard-packed and icy in spots but FLAT. There is one small trouble spot at the intersection at the Lower Falls but it is easily passable. Groomer Zach ran it last night and was gonna work on it. The south trail #8 is also good except for the swamp just south of town which I rate at just fair. I ran this trail yesterday so I would know best. The swamp is passable but very icy. There are a couple of “potholes” in there that have developed but you can get thru easy and not worry about getting muddy or wet, I would send Grandpa and Grandma thru there on their 2 up 4 stroke and not have a concern, just be careful. The whole trail is FLAT also. Soooo….as you can see. Our entire system is FLAT and hard. It is FLAT because we were working and grooming hard in the warmer weather because we have the ability to do so with the drags we run. If we could just get 6-8 inches of snow I could upgrade them to even better. There you have it……COME ON UP……you`ll get some good riding in. LET `ER SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Groomer Chris
      • Eckerman: (2/1) 10″ base. Good condition. The guys all got out last night and groomed the trails. They all are in really good shape. Trails are sugary so please everyone be careful. Remember to stay on your side of the trail and ride safely. If you see a branch or tree down stop and cut it up or throw it off the trail. Please do not ride over them it makes it even harder for us to clean up. Carry a saw and help out the volunteers that have been cleaning the trails. Please be careful while riding. Let it SNOW!!!
      • Drummond Island: (1/29)  4″ base. Trails are in good condition.  We need snow and cold weather! The snow base varies from place to place! The west end of the island was in decent shape! But the snow is really, really thin along the south shore/canoe bay for about a mile. The east end of the island is another story! There are still water holes there that we are breaking through! Do not go between the Maxton plains and Glenn Cove that’s the worst area! Lots of water holes and little snow, through that area! You can go to Marblehead if you come from the other direction though!  The area I have marked with green is the area to stay away from on the east end between the Maxton plains and Glen Cove!
    • ​ ​Mackinac County: 
      • St Ignace: (2/3) Quick report to say that both groomers are running, and all trails are in good shape. It will be a bit crunchy out there today, as yes we did get 2-3in of snow yesterday morning, but it also rained in the afternoon/evening. Not much, but it settled down and made things crunchy, and a tad on the slick side. Water holes on the Caffey and Cut River trails continue to freeze at night and open during the day, so use some caution in the middle of those trails. As stated last week, we are starting to wear out the snow South of Moran. Trails still smooth and in good shape but we could use some fresh to fix them up some. North of there everything is a-okay. For those interested in Pond Hockey – it is coming up in 2 weeks, and yes despite the lack of ice, it is on – and they are trying to put it on the bay! There was 8in out there yesterday, so wish me luck when I’m out there measuring rinks tomorrow!– Neil VP Straits Area Snowmobile Club 
      • Curtis: (1/28) 8″ cover. Trails are in fair to good condition. All trails are being groomed and are in fair to good condition Due to warm weather, wet areas are reappearing. Caution advised when riding.
      • ​Les Cheneaux/Cedarville/Hessel: (2/3) Groomed trail 47 from m-48 to DeTour Village yesterday. The groomer is on his way north to trail 49 now. Snow is wet but groomed up nicely. Stay right, be safe.
      • Luce County: (2/3)  We groomed all the trails last night.  The lead trail out of town up to 3 Mile was done twice.  Cut in and smoothed out.  It will be above freezing today so it will get roughed up, but we will tackle it again late this afternoon and tonight.  Overall though they could be a lot worse with the temperatures being as warm as they have been over the past couple of days.  It will dip back down into the twenties tonight and tomorrow so after we groom tonight things should stabilize.  The information we have received from other clubs is it is not that bad and the trails overall are in pretty good condition considering we have not had much additional snowfall.  Certainly, there are areas worse than others, but overall pretty good.  Traveling out of town is one of the most heavily traveled portions and gets beat up pretty good alongside the road up to the trailhead of 45 & 9.   If you want to avoid that portion the Silver Creek Staging area is an option.  If trail 45 N is your goal and short zip 3 miles south of the staging area you can be back at the Trail Head of 45 and miss the roughness coming out of town and the side of the road.  We wish we could smooth that out, however, State Highway mandates don’t allow us to do so.  We will continue to put our best foot forward to keep things smooth out to the best of our ability.  The details for the trails are detailed below.  We Take Pride in Your Ride!
        • Trail 9/2/473: (Good) (South of Newberry) There is a washout 3 miles south of M-28 at 4 corners.  Stop ahead signs were placed at the area of caution.  We are grooming nightly.  
        • Trail #45 (Good) There is one area of interest.  It is from Skyline Road for 3 miles that is plowed due to logging.  Please use caution when going through this area.  Coming out of town up the side of the road to the trailhead is rolling.  We are grooming nightly.
        • Trail 9 North: (Good) We are grooming nightly.  Coming out of town up the side of the road to the trailhead is rolling.  An alternative solution noted above in the update.
        • Trail #498 off of Trail 9 NE over to the Northstore for gas We are grooming nightly. 
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