Colder weather helps firm snowmobile trails

IRONWOOD — Near zero temperatures that arrived on Monday on the Gogebic Range are helping firm snowmobile trails, according to area groomers.

The wet spots under the snow are beginning to freeze, setting a solid base for grooming the trails.

The more than five feet of snowfall in November insulated water in low spots on the trails.

The low for the 24-hour period to 7 a.m. Monday in Ironwood was 2 degrees.

The snow that fell in Ironwood over the weekend, totaling 6.4 inches, helps the snowmobile trails and ski hills during the busiest time of the winter tourism season. It has also created some fantastic scenery.

Since the fresh snow is covering water holes on the trails, there were several warnings issued to snowmobilers.

The Gogebic Range Trail Authority reported Monday that Trail 2 between Marenisco and Korpela Road had a two-mile detour because of a bridge wash-out. The rest of Trail 2 was groomed Monday and was in good condition.

Trail 8, to Tula, was groomed and in good condition.

Trail 160 will be groomed today.

Otherwise, trail conditions were “poor to fair,” with some wet spots.

Trail 11 South is closed for the season because of logging and Trail 11N has not been groomed because of wet spots.

Trails in the Lake Gogebic area also had water concerns.

Trail 8W has several water areas.

Trail 13S had wet areas towards the south end and 1S and 100 also had some wet areas.

Trails 102 and 13N also had wet spots and Trail 1N and 8E were said to be in the best condition.

Watersmeet area trails also had wet spots, but the groomers were running daily. On Trail 3, south of Bond Falls Road, there is a wet area in the middle of the trail.

For cross country skiers, the fresh snow covering the trees along the Montreal River, was picturesque along the ABR Trails, near Ironwood’s Norrie Park. The snowfall there Saturday was from 6 to 8 inches and the trail groomers were out daily.