Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
NOW THAT snowmobiling season has ended, Iron County, Wis., Trail 15, near the Gile Flowage dikes on County C, appears to be receiving side-by-side vehicle traffic. Eight inches of snow fell on the Gogebic Range Saturday, adding to the base on the trails, but they closed on Sunday. The flowage remained covered under ice and snow. Indianhead Mountain, near Wakefield, remained open to downhill skiing.
By IAN MINIELLY
Bessemer - Steve Hamilton, the president of the Gogebic Range Trail Association said the state covers insurance for snowmobiling on snowmobile trails from Dec. 1 to Mar. 31., which is why ORV's with tracks and dirt bikes with tracks are still not welcome on the trails. The insurance covers the landowner, snowmobile club's and the states liability in operating and actively grooming the trails for riders.
The plans are expensive provided Hamilton and they can be extended if large enough chunks of trails have solid snow on them and the local club has the stamina to continue grooming, which is highly demanding. Hamilton said the trails under the GRTA authority do not have good conditions for grooming and their trail grooming fund is severely depleted. The clubs receive $4.59 per mile groomed.
With the insurance factor and the recent melting, the GRTA did not apply for extended insurance due to the risky conditions for the groomers and poor trail quality locally. Hamilton did say the DNR approved the Keweenaw Snowmobile Club continued grooming until Apr. 8 and that they are grooming all their trails except 133, which is closed for logging twice a day with one groomer,
Hamilton said for people still looking to ride, they should head to Calumet and North for groomed trails. The Trailside Lodge offers a park and ride, but asks riders to stop in the office to let them know if people park in their area. Hamilton says riding south of the Trailside should be good snow cover wise, but the trails can be expected to be bumpy, especially as the weekend approaches.
