Photo: NNN

By Quinn Gorham from Northern News Nows • December 16, 2022 

The dense, wet snow that much of the region received during the big storm was a welcome sight for snowmobile riders across the Northland.

“This is going to be a nice base now. So when they get this groomed, hopefully we don’t have too much warm weather and this will stay a nice base,” said Brien Olson, a snowmobiler who was out on a trail in Rice Lake Friday.

While the fresh snow could be great to ride on next week, Friday’s snow wasn’t as easy to navigate.

“It’s kind of fun in a way because there’s you know, it’s more powder, but uh… if you get into the powder near the woods, it just sucks your sled right in,” he said.

Next week a forecasted cold snap could make for the perfect set-up out on the trail, especially if snowmobiles pack the snow down ahead of time.

“When people ride this weekend and pack it down, then follow it up with that cold weather, that’s a really good situation for sled trails,” said Rob Waksdahl, a groomer operator with the Drift Topper Snowmobile Club.

So far this year, Waksdahl hasn’t been able to get out and groom the trails, since wetlands won’t support the groomers.

He says if that cold weather can freeze over the wetlands that lie up the trail, groomers could be out as early as next week. This year, a new snowcat could make grooming the Martin Road Trailhead much easier to navigate.

“We were able to secure a grant and get some fundraising money to replace it with the 2002 Tucker,” Waksdahl said. Once the trails freeze over, he expects a great season.

“Once it gets packed down, then we can run our drags across and really smooth it out,” he said, “we’re a couple of weeks away and it’s gonna be really good riding.”

To see the original report and read related stories, follow this link to the Northern News Now website. https://www.northernnewsnow.com/2022/12/16/dense-snow-could-set-up-nice-base-snowmobile-trails/