MDNR closes Trail 2 between Ramsay, Wakefield

By P.J. GLISSON

news@yourdailyglobe.com

Wakefield — A failure to create a connecting route between Ramsay and Wakefield has resulted in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources closing that part of Trail 2 for the 2023-24 snowmobile season.

The decision was sent late Tuesday to Wakefield City Manager Robert Brown Jr. and Wakefield Township Supervisor Mandy Lake.

It followed a Tuesday email from Brown to Ron Yesney, U.P. trails coordinator for MDNR, in which Brown said Wakefield officials do not want to repeat last year’s temporary reroute along Old U.S. 2.

It also followed an Aug. 30 public forum at the Wakefield municipal building, during which dozens township residents joined forces to make it clear that they did not want snowmobiles traveling on their property.

“Based on the public meeting and feedback the club is getting from landowners along that route, I don’t think the township route is feasible,” said Yesney, in his email to Brown and Lake.

Yesney further said to Brown, “I see your letter indicates that Old U.S. 2 is an absolute no go. … I see no option other than to close Trail 2 (between Ramsay and Wakefield).”

Jerry Nezworski, president of the Gogebic Range Trail Authority, told The Globe on Tuesday that the decision will have a marked effect on local tourism, even though GRTA volunteers will continue to groom Trail 2 from Ironwood to Ramsay.

He said, historically, many snowmobilers have stayed in Ironwood and then traveled east to the Copper Country or west to Wisconsin.

However, with the loss of a connecting route from Ramsay to Wakefield, Nezworski predicts that many people will either stay on Wisconsin trails or go straight to the Copper Country.

The problem began in fall 2022 when Midwest Family Ski Resorts took over the local ski hills that formerly were named Indianhead Mountain and Blackjack Mountain, and now are known, respectively, as Jackson Creek Summit and Black River Basin.

New owner Charles Skinner notified local authorities that the snowmobile trail that ran through that property for years no longer would be allowed, thus requiring last year’s temporary rerouting.

“We lost the ski hill (north of U.S. 2),” said Nezworski, who added, “We can’t use the (now long closed and south of U.S. 2) rail bed because that’s private ownership.”

That left only two choices, he said: 1. Running the trail along Old U.S. 2, as was done in the past season, or 2. Rerouting the trail within a greater portion of Wakefield Township, which he said attendees of last week’s meeting said they are “totally against.”

“They’re in favor of snowmobiling,” said Nezworski of the township residents, but added in reference to them, “not in my backyard.”

Nezworski added that he understands that landowners are worried about safety hazards, especially in relation to their children.

But he hoped that the Aug. 30 forum would result with a compromise.

Last year, Nezworski scrambled to work with other local citizens to reroute Trail 2 to run for an extended distance on the side of Old U.S. 2, but Wakefield city officials concluded that the plan did not work.

“Property owners along the trail expressed concerns about narrow roads, the distance between the trail and homes, the number of driveways crossed, trespassing problems, proximity to children playing, and loss of their tranquility,” wrote Brown to City Council members regarding input shared at the forum.

“Snow removal from public roadways is mission-critical throughout the winter season,” he continued in the Aug. 31 communication. “The primary objective of our operators is to ensure our roads are clear, safe, and passable throughout the winter months. Unfortunately, throughout the previous winter season, the trail created operational challenges and negative impacts on vehicle traffic.”

“Department (of Public Works) staff are unified in their opinion that a return to the Old U.S. 2 Snowmobile Trail Route should be avoided,” Brown wrote. “Department staff note the trail is directly above municipal infrastructure, including a forced sewer main, water main, and a water lateral. Operating the trail above and near our infrastructure creates the potential to drive frost down and freeze lines.”

On a positive note, Nezworski said the forum was well attended and went “pretty well” overall. “People asked a lot of questions,” he said.

In a separate Aug. 28 meeting of the Wakefield City Council, members voted to approve a traffic control order, which will allow snowmobile drivers to use a list of designated city streets as they maneuver from one trail section to another. With the loss of Trail 2, those maneuverings now will be reduced.

Mayor Dale White also emphasized that the city is highly supportive of local businesses and their desire to benefit from ATV and snowmobile traffic.

“At the same time, we have to listen to all of our taxpayers when they have concerns or complaints,” said White. “Our taxpayers are very important, and our businesses are very important.”