Message To Fellow Snowmobilers: Here’s Why You Stay On The Trail

I just saw a post from a snowmobile club where they show photos of them moving a trail and river crossing for the upcoming season. Why did they have to move it? It's because they lost land rights on that property. Did you know that most of the snowmobile trials that are in the area rely on generous property owners that grant access to the snowmobile trails. They have no obligation to do so. It is out of the kindness of their hearts that they allow us snowmobilers to get around.

Without these nice property owners that allow us to pass through, we wouldn't have very many places to ride. That's why there is such an effort to tell riders to stay on the trail. Imagine you had a piece of property and allowed a trail to go through. Then you find out that some jerks are riding all over your land and off the trail. I wouldn't blame them for shutting it down. What a disgrace.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen a "stay on the trail" sign next to a property owners field, followed by snowmobile tracks all over it. It makes me disgusted. You can also get fined for this. Violating most snowmobile regulations are a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail in Minnesota. 

The Cook Timberwolves Snowmobile Club does a fantastic job of grooming their trails every year. I ride these trails often, and I'm thankful for the hard work they put in. They recently had to relocate their river crossing. In their post they remind riders to stay on the trail.

Help spread the message to stay on the trail. There are going to be a lot of new riders this year, so make sure they know why this is important. If you see someone screwing around, speak up or notify the authorities.