Greetings and welcome!
Oconto County trails have opened in most places. Here is their update from the county page (link)
Oconto County Trail Reports
Snowmobile Trails:
Oconto County Snowmobile Trails PARTIALLY Open Friday, February 5, 2021 at 12pm (NOON) – View map, click here!Oconto County snowmobile clubs and volunteers have worked tirelessly to get the Red Arrow, Paul Bunyan, Iron Snowshoe, Chute Pond and Bag/Bra Club Snowmobile Trials cleaned up, groomed and ready for your snowmobiling enjoyment. There are a few sections of trail that are not open. The trails South of Suring remain closed as the majority of those trails are on Ag land that need to be prepared for a safe riding experience. The Nicolet State Trail, aka the grade, is open from Gillett to Forest County.
Logging is currently in process on both County and Federal Properties. Please when coming into a logging area, follow the signage and never go under or near logging equipment when they are in use. This is a very dangerous situation and if it continues, the trail may be shut down or forced to be rerouted. Let’s all be safe and patient when we are on the trails. Logging equipment has the right of way.
The nine snowmobile clubs in Oconto County work together with the Oconto County Forest Administrator, who gives the final approval before trails may open. Once the Southern trails are approved to open, the announcement will appear on the official Oconto County Trail Report web page https://www.ocontocounty.org/trail-reports/ .
For your own safety, and that of the club groomers and volunteers- please stay off the southern trails – do not ride on closed trails. For more information, please contact the Oconto County website or the Forest and Parks Department at 920-834-6995.
Reports by Clubs:
Red Arrow Snowmobile-ATV Club – Tails are in very good condition. Riders are cautioned to watch for logging both east and west of Highway 32. The trails affected are toward Highway 64 and T on the west side and Hemlock Dam Road on the east. Ride with caution in these areas.Paul Bunyan Riders Snowmobile Club – The Lakewood Area received about 7″ of some great panning/grooming snow last night. All three groomers have been out packing it down adding it to the 3.5″ to 5″ base we had already put down. Bob Prasser rates the trails generally to be Good to Very Good, with a few areas in early season riding condition on rocky hills. Please be advised that there is active logging being done in the area. Please slow down, and be respectful of the crews stacking the logs.
Chute Pond Trail Report: – Trails are open, groomed, and in fair early season condition. There will be ruts, dips, and some rocks exposed until we get more snow to fill in and smooth out the trails completely.
Ride with extra caution in all areas.
Be aware of a new groomed and marked trail running from the northern pipeline trail on Riverview road west to the 18 Corridor. Although the pipeline trail is open, it is a rough trail until we get more snow to fill things in. The new Riverview Rd trail is a second option to get to Crooked Lake. (see map)There is active logging underway off the Mountain Lakes trail, and we have detoured along Mountain Lakes Rd south of Hwy 64, intersecting with the 18 Corridor near INT 320. Stay on the groomed and marked detour. (see map)
Bagley & Brazeau – Trails are in early season riding condition. Grooming Thursday night and Friday morning.
Gillett Sno ATV Riders– Nicolet State Trail will open, but spur off trails will all remain closed. The NST is in very good condition and should hold up nicely to the traffic. It will be groomed nightly. Corridor 7 from the NST to Shawano County Line is coming out good, please take it slow in corners to help prevent them washing out prematurely as there isn’t much of a case beneath the new snow. Use caution between CTH-P and CTH-V as this is a new section of trail that we put in this year and is a little rough, early season conditions.
Oconto Falls Sno-Jokers – CLOSED. More information later today.
Lena Snowdrifters– Opening at noon on Friday, February 5, 2021.
Chase No Chasers – No report as of 2/5/2021. Closed.
Iron Snowshoe opened at noon today and a few riders have been past the GF’s house already.
I have not had a chance to measure snow or start cleaning it up yet. I woke up to a furnace problem and just got it up and running a few minutes ago. I will be back later.
RJB