Thanks to the early arrival of Old Man Winter, accompanied by two significant snow falls in the last week, local snowmobile enthusiasts may not have to wait much longer for local trails to open.
According to County Forestry Land & Parks Administrator Kevin Kleinschmidt, at least another 4-6 inches of snow would be preferred for trails to open, but the upcoming deep freeze this week will certainly help the base forming process.
“We have a snow base right now of around six inches which is a good start,” he explained.
“But we will need another four to six inches to help pack down area swamps. Due to receiving quite a bit of precipitation this past spring and summer, we still have a lot of standing water in our local swamps. Additional snow as well as steady cold temperatures will help pack those areas down.
“I have seen a few local snowmobile clubs out and starting to groom their trails but I would not foresee trails opening for at least a few more weeks. We would like to see them open by Christmas, but its hard to say at this point. It really depends on mother nature.”
Although snowmobile trails are in a holding pattern for time being, Kleinschmidt indicated county crews are currently working on preparing cross-country ski trails which he expects to be open fairly soon.
If mother nature cooperates and the trails open by Christmas, it would be the earliest since 2010, when trails opened on December 23rd.