Snowmobilers hit the trails in eastern Wisconsin

LUXEMBURG, Wis. — David Simonar sums up the start of this winter with one word.

Slow.

He’s the president of Simonar Sports in Luxemburg.

“Even up north there’s no snow. The UP didn’t have snow,” he said. “A lot of your customers lose their momentum between Christmas and New Years if we don’t have snow. They kind of lose their drive and finances to spend money to get going on snowmobiling.”

But business has been helped by about a foot of snow that fell overdue last week as a winter storm and blizzard passed through the region. That has snowmobile trails finally opening across northeastern Wisconsin.

Including in Kewaunee County.

“I’ve had a lot of people coming in here getting the typical stuff. Oil, belts, carbide runners, because they’re going to go riding around here,” Simonar said. “Monday, in that cold weather, I had quite a few groups that stopped in to warm up. They’re out riding those trails because they’re that desperate to get out and ride.”

Customers like John Koenig said it’s been years — since the spring of 2018 — many parts of northeast Wisconsin have seen this much snow and this much potential to get out and ride snowmobiles locally.

He got out Saturday as a member of the Denmark Norsemen Snowmobile Club.

“We haven’t had snow like that here and it was really a lot of fun,” Koenig said. “I was out with my son checking trails. We had a blast.”

He said winter activities like snowmobiling have a wider community impact beyond just recreation.

“It’s good that people get out. They pay pretty good money for these machines and they don’t get to drive them or they’ve got to haul them up north to ride,” Koenig said. “It’s good for all the local businesses around here. Even up north, they need a lot of snow in the winter. They depend a lot on the snow in the winter to make it through the year.”

(Spectrum News 1/Nathan Phelps)

How much longer the forecast will look like deep winter remains to be seen. Temperatures are expected to move back into the 30s early next week.

“The snow season is about 20 percent (of business),” Simonar said. “The snow did help a lot. You need it. You need that encouragement.”