News - Snowmobile trails open Dec. 1, more snow is needed

[Rick]

As snowmobilers eagerly await the first significant snowfall, most of the state’s snowmobile trails are not yet ready for riding, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. More snow is needed before trails can be ridden.

Minnesota’s snowmobile trails officially open Dec. 1 each year; and several conditions must be met before trails are open and ready for travel:

• The ground must be frozen to allow for crossing wet areas.
• Adequate snow cover, about 12 inches, must be on the ground to allow for packing and grooming of the trails.
• Trails must be cleared of fallen trees, signs put in place and the gates opened. Snowmobile club volunteers and DNR staff are currently working on these tasks.

“The warm fall weather lingered longer than normal so ice formation is getting a late start this year. Crews are out removing brush from trails where they can, and that pace will pick up once cold weather helps freeze the low-lying areas,” said Grand Rapids area supervisor Bob Moore. “The lack of early snow can be beneficial to building good ice conditions.”

The DNR recommends a minimum of 5 inches of new clear ice for snowmobiles.

When the trails open, the DNR urges riders to use caution. Early season trails may have trees or other debris across the trails, unfrozen areas, rocks or ruts, or standing crops and closed gates. Also, road ditches can have obstacles such as culverts, signposts and rocks.

While snowmobilers wait for the arrival of more snow, now is a good time to verify their combined registration and trail sticker is current, ensure their snowmobiles are in good operating order, review safety training, and check local trail maps for any route changes or new trails.

Registrations and trail stickers for new snowmobiles must be purchased in person at any deputy registrar of motor vehicles or at the DNR License Bureau in St. Paul. Renewals of registrations and trail stickers may be done in person, or online on the license sales page.

Minnesota has more than 22,000 miles of groomed snowmobile trails; more than 21,000 miles of them are maintained by local snowmobile club volunteers. Snowmobile trail maintenance costs are partially funded through the combined snowmobile registrations and trail sticker sales, and state gas tax attributed to snowmobile use. Donations and volunteer work by trail clubs make up the remainder of the costs and efforts to operate these trails.

Trail users are always encouraged to call in advance or research online to get local conditions for the area they plan to ride. State trail conditions are posted each Thursday on the DNR website.

Links to snowmobile trail information, state trail maps, regulations, safety training, and more is available on snowmobiling page.

Local trail conditions are often posted online by local tourism associations, chambers of commerce and volunteer snowmobile clubs. To find the nearest club, visit the Minnesota United Snowmobiler’s Association website.

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