This weekend’s thaw was bad news for winter recreation trails.
Snowmobile trails in Iron County closed Monday after being open since early December. Forest Administrator Joe Vairus says a significant amount of snow melted during the thaw.
“It was 45 degrees for a few days, so things really opened up. It looked like spring. The swamps are open and the trails are bare in a lot of places so we’ve got to get things frozen again and get snow coverage on top of that. So it will take several inches, a foot or two.”
Vilas County trails are still open, but Sno Eagles Club spokesperson Holly Tomlanovich says conditions are poor.
“As for grooming, nothing is going to occur. We’re going to have to get a little bit more snow. The temperatures have come down. That’s going to freeze the ground – we did not have that luxury before. The ground was not frozen.”
Tomlanovich says some stretches are better covered than others, depending on where you are in Vilas County, so riders are advised to check local conditions.
She says it will take at least a week of cold and snow before trails improve.
Vilas County’s Catfish Lake Loop and the Eagle Lake Trail are not open and will likely remain closed until after Christmas.
