Greetings and welcome!
The end is here. Oconto Co and Iron Snowshoe are closing trails at 11:59pm tonight.
I went out today for a quick 5 mile last chance spin thisafternoon. Other than a few sunny spots there is still a really nice ice base. Free snow is a rarity though. The freeze-thaw-freeze-thaw has turned the snow into ice base.
I’m air cooled so overheating isn’t a problem but the slides were not happy with my little adventure.
The weather ahead has nothing for a snowmobiler for the foreseeable future. The outlook is for a lot of 40s and 50s and no obvious relief.
A typical March still has one or two barn burner storms left, but they always come way too late. By the end of the month the sun can eat a foot of snow by noon and most of the frost is coming out of the ground.
Next up is mud season. The ground gets soft and muddy as the frost melts and that usually lasts until late April. Once it dries up the ATV trails open. That varies by the year but usually they open by the first weekend in May.
With no tourism things get a little slow around here in March and April. When I ran the Rustic I referred to it as naked season- I could stand butt naked in the middle of Hwy C for 15 minutes and I’d be the only one that ever knew about it. Has it been proven? I’m not tellin’.
Anyway it was my intention to retire from the Big Snow page after this season. I am just not ready for that so if my health holds out there will be a season 28. Maybe next year I won’t be so buried in work and distractions that I start working on sleds and riding in late February.
At the moment I am remodeling a house that I hope to sell in April or May. The shop has 3 snowblowers, a chain saw, and a generator on the hot list. The car needs a list of fixes that I have been working on, and pretty soon I will have summer toys to work on. Retirement is great but it isn’t all sunsets and fishing.
Well I’m done for this winter. I stopped having the donation button a few years ago when my finances got a little better but today I will let you buy me a beer if you are so inclined. Smash that button and say thanks.
Thank you all for visiting this year and good Lord willing I’ll be back in eight or nine months. Have a great summer and than you for visiting!