Snowmobile Season with No Snow

Riders have waited through spring, summer and fall, and now at last, snowmobiling season is here.

The trails are ready…all we need now is the snow!

Snowmobile season in Michigan kicked off yesterday.

But the trails can’t actually open until there are at least 10 inches of snow on the ground.

The DNR works with about 60 snowmobile clubs around the state to make sure Michigan’s 6,500 miles of snowmobile trails are ready for riders.

DNR western U.P. recreation specialist Ron Yesney says that work goes on year-round to make sure the trails are kept clear.

A lot of that work is with property owners, to make sure the agency’s agreements with them for trails to run across their land are up to spec.

The DNR’s snowmobile program also isn’t feeling the budgetary pinch anywhere near as much as other DNR programs.

Yesney says that’s because of snowmobile riders’ willingness to pay for their sport.

The program’s funds come from sled registration fees and permit fees.

He also wants to remind riders that taking an ORV onto a trail is a bad idea unless the trail is on either state-owned land or a county road.