Folks in Greenville say they expect the season to last into April.

For more than 40 years members of the Moosehead Riders, the local snowmobile club in Greenville, have been monitoring and grooming more than sixty miles of trail.

They tell us even with less snowfall this season, they’re out grooming at least three days a week.

“We still have good riding up into the mountains, plenty of snow in those mountains, sometimes you have to follow a path to get on the trail but there’s still good riding to be had,” Said the chair of the Riders, Chris Shields.

Town officials say while the snow may not look plentiful, there is still plenty on the trails, especially at higher elevations and areas blocked by trees.

Shields says he expects the trails to be ride-ready into mid-April, or beyond if there is another snowstorm.

Warmer than average temperatures over the past several weeks have created conditions normally not seen until April, leaving some wondering whether the state’s economically important snowmobiling season is over for the year.

“Absolutely not,” Matt Polstein, owner of Twin Pine Camps in Millinocket, said Tuesday. “We have a good, ridable product right now.”

Granted, the quality of that snow varies greatly around the state depending on where last weekend’s snow-rain line passed, but overall trails are open for business from The Forks to Aroostook County.

“Part of our system got more than 2 feet of snow last weekend,” Polstein said. “But just over that snowline in slightly lower elevations, we got 3 to 4 inches.”

That was the same story in the Greenville area, where Moosehead Snowmobile Riders club President Tom McCormack said up to a foot of snow fell over the weekend, and even with above-freezing temperatures, snow is sticking around.

“We’ve been grooming, but definitely going out after dark when it cools down some,” McCormack said.

In fact, it is temperature more than snowfall — or lack thereof — that is playing havoc with the trails.

“We need some consistent cold to freeze things up,” Polstein said. “We’ve been grooming but the snow is wet and heavy, and we are doing more filling in of holes than smoothing things out.”

In The Forks, Russell Walters, president of Northern Outdoors, said the season definitely is not over, but he has had to get a bit creative with his clientele.

“In the Kennebec River Valley area, the trails are just too soft and getting really beat up going in and out of town,” Walters said. “So we moved our rental sleds to a location near the ITS trails about eight miles out and are taking our guests there to begin their rides.”

Elevation played a huge role when it came to the recent snow haves and have-nots, Walters said.

“Four [hundred] to 500 [feet] can make all the difference,” he said. “Where we got 4 or 5 inches [here], up in Jackman they are dealing with a couple of feet.”

According to Tamara Cowen at Cozy Cove Cabins in Jackman, riders are flocking to the area to take advantage of all that new snow.

“There is so much new snow and so many people, the groomers could not get the trails groomed fast enough,” Cowen said. “What we got was a heavy, wet snow [and] we got around 18 inches — I should know because I moved it all with shovels and a plow.”

Cowen said it is the efforts of local volunteers that are keeping the riders happy on those trails.

“The [snowmobile] clubs are incredible,” she said. “They are doing a great job opening and rerouting trails and are just an incredible team.”

Back in Greenville, McCormack said the trails remain open, even over the lakes, which have areas of glare ice or slush.

“We have plenty of snow now,” McCormack said, “but who knows what’s coming?”

According to the National Weather Service, northern Maine will see daytime highs in the low 30s with temperatures dropping to the low teens at night through Saturday.

In the Forks and Greenville areas, those nighttime lows are forecast to drop to the midteens.

“That cold is what we need right now,” Walters said. “We can currently accommodate our guests by trailering them to the snow, but it’s not the utopia we like of riding our trails right out of our driveway.”

Polstein said about 80 percent to 90 percent of his system is snow-covered and he expects his team of groomers to be on the trails every night this week as temperatures fall.

“It’s going to be pretty tough, but we are getting out there,” Kathy Mazzuchelli, the voice of northern Maine snowmobiling, said Tuesday morning. “Luckily we had a great base from the snow in December [and] that’s what we’ve been working with for two months.”

Sledding will be spotty in northern Maine, with better conditions the farther north riders go, Mazzuchelli said.

Areas northwest of Millinocket saw substantial snow over the weekend along the ITS 85 corridor, with the area north of Shin Pond getting 11 inches, she said.

“But south of Oxbow, there is limited snow coverage,” she added.

Mazzuchelli said the trails north of a line starting at Ashland and going to Van Buren are still in pretty good shape, but proper grooming and snowmobilers who exercise patience will be key to keeping them that way.

“All the clubs have not been able to groom,” she said. “Riders don’t understand you can’t groom wet, heavy snow when it’s warm [because] it may look pretty, but the first snowmobile that goes across it tears it up and then the sun hits that and melts it faster.”

Given the expected cool-down, Mazzuchelli said, most grooming operations are expected to restart this week in northern Maine and things should really improve by the weekend.

“Riders do need to use extreme caution on lakes and rivers,” she said. “On one lake in the Fish River chain, the ice depth went from 36 to 24 inches in a week, so riders need to stay within the marked corridors.” She did not specify which lake.

Mazzuchelli, Polstein, Walters and McCormack agree there is still plenty of snowmobiling left in Maine, and riders should not go by what trails look like at road crossings or close to roads.

“Once you get out into the system, it’s still good sledding,” Mazzuchelli said. “We are not dead yet — the weather made us roll over for a while but we are not dead yet.”

Complete trail conditions and information can be found on the Maine Snowmobile Association Web site at www.mesnow.com.

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

Many snowmobilers have been living the past few weeks in their garages, polishing their rides, planning trips and visiting local dealerships, checking out all the new accessories they can add to their sleds. For those who have yet to purchase their new snowmobiles, the deals are plenty as all four manufacturers have excellent incentives. If you haven’t already got your sled all figured out, now’s the time.

So with the new season nearly upon us, there are few things to remember and live by. Safety issues are always at the top of everyone’s minds, but often get overlooked due to the sheer fun and excitement of hitting the trails.

The one thing we have to remember about snowmobile-related accidents is that they’re all preventable. With the proper preparation and the use of common sense, we could get through the winter without incidents. The main causes of accidents are night riding, unmarked ice crossings, alcohol and a combination of all three.

Before heading out, I always do my own safety check. By looking at the garage floor or the snow around the snowmobile you can quickly see if there are any fuel or oil leaks. Starting off your ride gently and not right to the handlebar will let you know if your throttle is sticking, and a quick stop ensures the brake’s in operating order.

The one thing that all riders should be aware of before heading out on a ride is the weather. It takes a few minutes on the internet or in front of the television. If the region’s in for a storm, don’t head out. White-outs are not something that only affects cars. And should you be on a lake in a storm, it can be an outright terrifying experience. So make sure you stay on top of the weather reports before riding.

Something else to watch for, especially if you’re in an unfamiliar area, is stay on marked trails. Hopping on unmarked trails can lead you in circles, which could leave you in the middle of nowhere running on fumes, or worse, out of fuel.

Lake or river crossings should always be done on marked trails. Club folks know the area and if they’re not venturing on the ice, neither should you.

So while we have some time before there’s enough snow to ride, let’s think of things you should bring with you. All new sleds come with a tool kit, but sometimes they go missing. Always make sure one’s in your storage compartment. One of the simplest, smallest things you’ll need is a pocket knife. It’s amazing how many times you’ll use it.

A tow rope should be with you in the event the sled is inoperable. Extra spark plugs are a good idea, and never, ever leave without an extra belt. (Been there, done that, never again!)

Let’s make this season the best one yet with the most miles ridden and the fewest incidents on the trails.

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