Not Yet

From the Shawano Leader

"Snowmobile trails not open yet
By Nathan Falk, Leader Reporter

There may be a foot of snow on the ground, but snowmobilers will have to wait to hit the trails.

“There isn’t sufficient frost in the ground or ice on the water bodies yet,” said Pat Trinko of the Thornton Trailriders. “Until we have frozen ground and ice on the water, the trails won’t open. Crews may be out conditioning, so if people see groomers out, it doesn’t mean the trails are open.”

Another problem is the insulating quality of the snow, which could complicate ice formation.

“It will be interesting to see when we get enough ice. The lake is treacherous, we don’t want to see anyone get hurt,” Trinko said.

Navarino Nature Center is planning on packing cross country ski trails on Thursday, and possibly grooming them as well.

“The county might be able to start grooming their ski trails on Friday, depending on how much plowing they have to do,” said Navarino Nature Center naturalist Tim Ewing.

Ewing said the Navarino sledding hill is also ready to go at the north end of the Nature Center, and they also will have snowshoes for rent.

“This is good for anyone who wants to get the ski season under way this weekend,” he said.

Lisa Schultz, manager of the Backdraft Bar and Grill in Shawano, welcomed the big snowfall as a sign the snowmobile season could arrive soon. The trail comes by the bar, inside Comfort Inn at the south edge of Shawano.

“It will boost business in the long run and get the snowmobile trails open sooner and that will help the area businesses,” Schultz said.

To find out the trail conditions in Shawano County, call the pre-recorded hotline anytime at 715-524-4349."