This week brought much needed snow to Northwoods trails.
Many winter enthusiasts are looking forward to going out and enjoying it this weekend.
Between fat tire biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling, there’s no shortage of winter recreation opportunities in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Many will be seeking them out this weekend after parts of the forest got more than a foot of snow over the last five days.
Veronica Hinke is a public information officer for the forest. She’s encouraging to enjoy the snow safely.
“It’s really important to think safety at this time when we have so much snowfall and winter conditions and winter conditions are what they are. We are from here. We are used to this,” said Hinke. “This is one of the best times of the year here in Wisconsin when there is such great snowfall, but it’s also a time to take extra caution and think about things that you might not think about in July.”
She says first and foremost if you plan on exploring the woods this weekend, do a little research about where it is you want to go.
“When you’re getting ready to go out, first of all, make sure the area you’re going to is accessible, safely accessible and it’s an area you’re either familiar with or you have appropriate maps to get there even if you don’t have GPS,” said Hinke.
Hinke says the best way to get the latest conditions is by calling the ranger station of the district you plan on recreating in.
You can find those number on the Chequamegon Nicole National Forest website. It’s Facebook page is also regularly updated.
She also encourages people to follow the basics of outdoor winter safety.
Dress in layers, make sure your boots are waterproof, let someone know where you’re going and when you’ll be back, and have an emergency kit in your car in case you get stuck.
“Stay on the trails when you get out there. There’s so many signs and directional points where you can get a sense of where you can stay on the trails. I mentioned a map earlier. It’s so important for safety and it’s also protective for wildlife,” said Hinke.
Hinke wants people to have a backup plan in mind in case where you want to go ends up being inaccessible.
The CNNF updates cross-country ski trail reports. You can view them here.
