This winter is a sigh of relief for many Northwoods businesses.
After back-to-back low snow years, snowmobile and silent sport trails are open, skis and snowshoes sales are up, and visitors are out enjoying all that winter has to offer.
“We're excited to have winter back,” said Craig Kusick. He’s the owner of Bent’s Camp, which is celebrating 130 years in 2026.
With the snowmobile trails open over Christmas and New Year’s in Vilas County, Kusick says it’s night and day compared to the last two winters, especially the 23/24 winter.
“We have great ice fishing on the Cisco Chain, and more importantly, on Mamie Lake, which we're on, but you know, there's no doubt that snowmobiling is the big show in the winter,” said Kusick. “We're kind of right on the snowmobile trail. Many of us refer to it as the gateway to the UP, as you can take the trail right on the lakes, right into Michigan.”
The Land O’Lakes resort and restaurant has been seeing steady snowmobile traffic since trails opened.
“Not just we go from a bad winter the last two winners, but to possibly one of our best that I can remember for a long time, because when we have that week, which is the Christmas week and New Year's week, when there's snow, and this year, good snow, it's been fantastic,” said Kusick.
Kusick has owned Bent’s Camp for 16 years and calls the past two years the worst winters he’s had.
“Two years ago, was really bad and then we were off to that same start last year,” said Kusick. “Fortunately, we were able to grind out about maybe four weeks of winter or snowmobile trails and snow during February, but it was a really tough two years, no doubt.”
Looking at the long-range forecasts, Kusick is looking forward to seeing folks enjoy all that winter has to offer, including events like the Radar Run Bent’s Camp hosts in February.
He’s hardly the only one excited to be back to a more classic Northwoods winter.
Despite last week’s warm up, snowmobile trails are open across much of the Northwoods. Silent sport groups are reporting great conditions. People are visiting bars and restaurants.
“To say people are thrilled is an understatement,” said Jacqui Sharpe, the Three Lakes Visitor’s Bureau Executive Director.
Even before last couple of winters, there’s not always snow for winter break.
Sharpe says the good snow over the holidays was important for local businesses.
“A lot of people are coming up anyway over the holidays. If we can get them out and about, instead of just sitting in the cabin because there's nothing else to do, that has a really huge economic impact for our local businesses,” said Sharpe.
While there’s a lot of excitement for this winter, there’s also some caution.
When the snow and cold hit around the deer season opener, business started picking up again for winter gear at Mel’s Trading Post in Rhinelander and then again with the snowfall over the holidays.
“People in the store were saying, ‘Okay, this is the way it should be,’ and ‘We're back to where the standards are for northern Wisconsin,’” said owner Mitch Mode.
But even as snowshoes and cross-country skis are heading out the door, Mode is still feeling the impact of the winter two years ago.
“You go into that winter with inventory levels that are built around historical averages, and when that doesn't come close to fruition, you've got stuff left over because you didn't sell stuff in the winter. It's tough to pay the bills in the spring,” said Mode.
Mode, who is a lifelong Northwoods resident, said he’s never seen anything close to the winter of 23/24 in terms of lack of snowfall.
Between the poor winter across the Midwest and the tariffs this last year on top of them, Mode says the impact is still being felt throughout the supply chain.
“Once burned, twice warned, and we were twice burned and pretty well warned,” said Mode. “Everybody, I'm saying this store but in my business, going to the trade shows, everybody has been very cautious and very conservative going into this winter.”
As sales start to increase on winter gear again, Mode has been putting in more orders, but suppliers were also dealing with these issues.
“We've seen traffic in snowshoes and cross country skis and accessories that we haven't seen for a couple years. It’s to the point where I've gone back now in the past two weeks and brought in some more skis and some more snowshoes,” said Mode. “Of the snowshoes I wanted to order today. Some are available, some I wanted to get we're not and will not be available till next fall.”
Caution can also be seen in some visitors. Sharpe says some people have been waiting to see what conditions are before booking reservations after losing out on deposits over the last two years.
“It is already a tenuous place to be when your whole community relies on visitors, and so if you take away one season of that, it gets even more difficult,” said Sharpe. “Again, we're thrilled that we are moving in the right direction this year.”
Despite the challenges, Sharpe says local businesses are resilient. According to her, no businesses in the Three Lakes area had to close because of the poor winters.
With a long weekend coming up and cooler temps and snow in the forecast, businesses and winter enthusiasts alike are exciting to enjoy winter like they used to.
“If there's something you enjoy doing outdoors in the winter, we likely can accommodate it here in the Northwoods,” said Sharpe. “It's been really fun to have enough snow and ice to be able to do that.”
