A snowmobiler uses the trails in Oconto County on Feb. 11, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
OCONTO COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — It’s no longer a snowless winter, and those who use and benefit from the trails for winter sports like snowmobiling are rejoicing.
It’s a sound so many have waited months for: the steady hum of a snowmobile.
“We have the snow, we opened the trails, we have people riding, we’re actually loving it because this is our winter season,” says Deb Uhlenbrauck with the Chute Pond Snowmobile Club.
In January, Uhlenbrauck, who is also Oconto County’s director of the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs, said clubs across the state were worried this season would be like last year when the trails only opened for one week the entire winter season.
But recent snowstorms, and the potential for more this week, are hopefully changing that.
Chute Pond’s club opened their 120 miles of trails on Sunday.
“We actually closed last year on January 24th so when we opened them Sunday morning at 6 o’clock, we were all rearing to go!” she says. “Even though the trails are in early season riding, there are some rough spots because we haven’t gotten a foot or two feet of snow, but we have enough snow to at least people can get out there and enjoy the environment and ride their sleds.”
In small communities like Mountain, it’s not just snowmobilers that benefit from “white gold” as they call it. For local businesses, snow is money.
“Hopefully people come up and enjoy it. Lots of beautiful places up here, and hoping to see new people,’ says Bren Martin, who owns Martin’s Junction – ‘The Junction’ to the locals – a Shell gas station near town.
Typically snowmobiling tourism helps Bren’s shop thrive all year round.
“The wintertime it’s great, it’s an extra boost for everybody, not only us here but the surrounding businesses. I talk to a lot of the other business owners and everybody’s really excited, we’re hoping this weekend now that the trails are open we can see a lot of new faces and hopefully people come in and give us a boost.”
Pete at Skinny Dave’s, a local bar and restaurant, says the same.
“It’s huge, I mean you can see it every weekend, all the parking lots filled with snowmobiles and ATV-ing the same thing. But last year was a bad year so we are looking forward to at least getting a month this year,” he says.
“Businesses, it’s sad to say, are struggling. Whenever we don’t get snow in December, January and here it is February already and we don’t have the trails open until Sunday, they’re struggling, I mean it’s their lifestyle too. To keep the trails open all winter is what we need, so we look for snow no matter how little we get all winter long,” Uhlenbrauck adds.
Pete and Bren both say during down years it’s a challenge, but the community, and the Chute Pond Snowmobile Club and riders, continue to support them even if winter sport tourism is lacking.
For out-of-towners like snowmobilers or anyone passing through, Bren has a message:
“I would encourage everybody, if you are coming up, if you’re going by somewhere, pull in and say hi. You might meet somebody you can come back to at some point and you know, help everybody out.”
Locally, Shawano County trails are partially open, too.
Although snowmobiling trails in Brown County remain closed, the trails are open for other winter activities such as snowshoeing, skiing, and fat tire biking.
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