By Rick Charmoli
LAKE CITY – December 1 is a date Bill Voelker and the rest of the Missaukee Trail Blazers have circled on the calendar.
That date marks the official start of the snowmobile season, and as president of the snowmobile club, Voelker said the next couple of weeks will be busy.
“Each year, you have to replace a lot of signs that people steal in the off-season. You have to cut back the brush and cut the trees that look like they are going to lean when the snow hits,” he said. “There is a little window to do this after deer season. There is a lot of work to do in that three- or four-week window.”
The group, which has 125 members, grooms and maintains 55 miles of snowmobile trails in Missaukee County. The trails connect with routes to Traverse City-area trails to the west and to Houghton Lake trails to the east. While the season officially starts on Dec. 1, that is obviously dependant on snow.
In addition to getting the trails ready before the snow flies, Voelker said the group also is excited about new equipment they have received. The group is now the proud owner of a new John Deere 7630 grooming tractor, which includes a more fuel-efficient IVT (Infinitely Variable Transmission) transmission.
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Voelker said this should help things run much more smoothly once snow falls and the season begins.
“The biggest issues we had were the older machines that we inherited from the DNR. They were 10 and 15 years old,” he said. “With the new tractor and an extended warranty, that should keep us going without out-of-pocket expense for a while.”
On March 31, 2007, the DNR discontinued grooming of all snowmobile trails, including the 55 miles of trails between Manton, Lake City and Moorestown.
If a club had not formed to take over grooming of the trails spanning Missaukee and Wexford counties, the trails would have been closed.
Voelker said with the group’s third season about to begin, the kinks have been worked out.
“With the new equipment, we are excited – and with two seasons under our belt, we know what to expect,” he said.
For more information about the group, log onto www. missaukeetrailblazers.com.
rcharmoli@cadillacnews.com | 775-NEWS (6397)
Fee changes for snowmobile permits
• In addition to registration of a snowmobile in Michigan or from another state or province, a person who desires to operate a snowmobile in this state needs to purchase a snowmobile trail permit sticker.
• The snowmobile trail permit sticker is valid for a year, which begins Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30 of the following year.
• Senate Bill 1490 increased trail permits from $25 to $35 for 2009-2010, then to $45 for 2011 through 2015.
• The price would be set by the inflation index beginning in 2016.
• Michigan has more than 6,500 miles of trails on public and private lands used for snowmobiling from Dec. 1 to March 31. Trail grooming is done almost entirely by clubs and business associations, most of whom are volunteers.
SOURCE: Michigan DNR and Michigan Snowmobile Association
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