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| 12/31/2007 9:53:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Snowmobilers Sarah Vedder (driving) and Pery Chapman enjoy the abundance of snow that covers the Lakeland area by taking to the snowmobile trails on Wednesday, Dec. 26. |
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Christmas time snowfall gives hope to area business owners
Snowmobile trail conditions as good as ever
Nathan Bortz
Outdoors writer
Because of heavy snowfall and consistent high temperatures in the 20s, Northwoods winter tourism received a recent boost that had been missing for the last several years.
Heather Beach, tourism director for the Minocqua-Arbor Vitae-Woodruff Area Chamber of Commerce said winter vacationers from southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois have recently kept chamber employees busy answering phone calls.
"As of this morning, the phones have been ringing off the hook and downtown Minocqua is busy - so this is good," she said. "Everyone down south of us, everywhere from Wausau and Appleton - all the way to the Chicago area - they're aware that we have snow. Basically, they're curious as to how much we've received and if we're getting more."
Beach said the pattern of snowfall and colder temperatures was a much-needed change over the mild, snow-free weather experienced at this time in previous years.
"The week between Christmas and New Year's last year, all of the snow that we received prior to Christmas had melted," she said. "So it was a very quiet week for us last year at this time."
Beach said the snow could not have come at a better time for Northwoods business owners.
"A lot of folks take vacations with their families between Christmas and New Year's," she said. "They consider coming up here not only to snowmobile, but also to cross-country ski, snowshoe and ice fish if we've got nice weather like we do now."
Beach said the wintry weather is important for Lakeland area businesses because vacationers like the area and do not always want to travel farther to enjoy the snow.
"The fact that we've got the snow keeps the winter vacationers here rather than going farther north," she said. "If we didn't have the snow, they'd still be taking the vacations, but they'd be going up to the Upper Peninsula or to Ashland, but many of these folks are already familiar with this area because they vacation here in the summer. This way, we get them back as visitors in the winter as well."
Though snow has been falling and accumulating in the southern portion of the state, Beach said bad driving conditions have not stopped vacationers from reaching the Northwoods.
"Many of the people are concerned about what the driving conditions are like, but if conditions are bad, it doesn't stop them from coming up," she said. "They're just curious about how much time they need to take to get up here, but they're coming no matter what. That's exactly what we like to hear."
Beach said she is glad to give those who call an idea of what the Lakeland area looks like, accented with newly-fallen snow.
"Whenever we've been answering the phone, we've been telling people that it's like someone shook up a snow globe up here," she said. "That's exactly what we need up here this time of year."
Snowmobiling
As usual, many wintertime visitors to the Northwoods (when there is as much snow as there is now) are here for the snowmobiling.
As of Dec. 26, members of local snowmobile clubs have reported that trails from Rhinelander to Mercer are in great shape, with accumulations of new snow ranging from 6-20 inches.
Harry Lenius, president of the Cross Country Cruisers Snowmobile Club, said trail conditions are as good as he can remember.
"I just got back from grooming trails and it's so wonderful, I just can't believe it," he said. "It is so beautiful out there. Last year and the year before, we never had it this nice. It's the greatest snow for trails that I've ever seen."
Though the Northwoods' first snowfall almost completely melted away before Christmas, Lenuis said he was not concerned that trail conditions would be affected.
"Before Christmas, we didn't have enough snow to call it good snow anyway," he said. "We had enough snow to ride a snowmobile back and forth a little bit, but we couldn't groom."
Lenius said he thinks trail conditions will have improved from the fresh snow being layered over the condensed, partially melted snow.
"When snow melts on the trails, it actually doesn't hurt that much if there is not enough to ride on," he said. " A meltdown in the beginning of the year is beneficial because it fills in some of the holes. And when we get snow on top of it, we can finish the trails - and that's what we're doing right now."
Lenius said people from out of town who are thinking about coming up for a ride should not hesitate, because the trails are in pristine condition.
"Anybody who is down south and isn't coming up is missing out," he said. "It's just gorgeous - it's like a postcard out there right now."
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