For snowmobile enthusiasts, there may be nothing quite like trailblazing across a winter wonderland after a big snowfall.
For snowmobile enthusiasts, there may be nothing quite like trailblazing across a winter wonderland after a big snowfall.
Unfortunately, this winter sport has yet to kick off in Geauga County.
The current “snow drought” is driving local snowmobile club members to haul their sleds to other places to enjoy the activity they love, despite all kinds of preseason planning.
“Winter 2023 has been frustrating for snowmobilers,” said Tim Doerr, president of the Thompson Ledge Runners Snowmobile Club. “Mother Nature has not been kind in providing the snow we need to ride. Our club of 55 active members/families has had volunteers working hundreds of hours preparing trails, building bridges, installing trail and field markers all to remain closed due to lack of snow this season.”
Doerr is a lifelong snowmobile enthusiast, Ohio State Snowmobile Association board member and safety director who teaches snowmobile safety in Northeast Ohio.
“My dad bought his first snowmobile in 1968, so I was born into the sport,” he said. “I have had many adventures riding, whether it be around home or traveling to find snow. There is nothing more gratifying than riding through the woods enjoying the scenery and wildlife, or watching families ride together making memories that will last a lifetime.”
Their club takes trips, chasing snow in upper and lower parts of Michigan, New York, Ontario, Quebec, and some travel to Montana and Wyoming to ride.
Doerr said the sport is addicting and he is happy his parents introduced it to him at a young age.
“My wife and I introduced the sport to our boys and our boys have continued in the sport introducing it to our grandchildren, who already have their own mini snowmobile,” Doerr said. “It has been enjoyable for me to see generations of families enjoy and make memories in this sport.”
Their club meets monthly from September through April to prepare for the upcoming season and they have a fall cookout at Thompson Ledge Park, a winter hot dog roast and other fundraisers.
They ride locally on trails privately owned by landowners.
“We are granted permission to respectfully ride on their land and maintain and ride throughout Thompson,” Doerr said. “We also share trails with our two neighboring clubs, Grand River Trail Riders and Montville Highlanders.”
The Thompson club and Highlanders have worked with Geauga Park District to receive permission to ride trails at Observatory Park in Montville Township.
Chip Hofstetter helped start the Montville club, which currently has 110 families as members, in 2003 and serves as president. Their club is privately funded through memberships and fundraising events to cover annual expenses like signage, bridges, trail grooming and insurance.
“We realized that many members of the community enjoyed snowmobiling since we would get plenty of snow, but everyone just kind of rode everywhere without an established trail system,” Hofstetter said. “Our thought was to establish a trail system within the community for all of us snowmobiling enthusiasts to enjoy with our families during the winter months.”
They worked with landowners to establish and maintain a network of winter trails for club members.
“We figured if we had an established trail system, it would keep everyone from riding wherever they want and giving snowmobilers a bad name,” he said. “There are a few bad apples out there like in any sport, but with the trails being established, groomed and maintained by the club, we have had minimal issues during the season. We periodically hire the (Geauga County Sheriff’s Office) to check snowmobiles on the trails to make sure they are a member of the Highlanders or another affiliated club.”
The club belongs to OSSA and weather-permitting, they have ride-ins — a specific date established at the start of the season where everyone from different clubs can meet and ride through areas of Michigan and New York, which generally have enough snow.
A lot of club members go on trips in different groups with different families, Hofstetter said.
“The 2023 winter season has not been good to us locally, so most of us have already taken trips out of state to find snow so we can ride,” he said. “These new snowmobiles cost around $18,000 each so we want to be able to enjoy them during the winter months.”
The club also enjoys giving back to the community by sponsoring baseball teams and golf outings, donating to churches, fire departments and schools, and giving landowners gift cards in appreciation, Hofstetter said.
For Mike Buyarski, a member of the Troy Snowmobile Association, the club represents a connection between people with a variety of lifestyles and a shared love of snowmobiling.
Buyarski said his club — which has 37 active members that meet the first Monday of every month at Mulligan’s Pub in Troy Township — is a great bunch of people who gather to work on trails, do fundraisers and get outside to enjoy their shared passion.
“If one is looking to make new friends and be part of a true team who has fun together, this is the best way to do it,” he said. “It will also get the entire family outside during the winter, enjoying a great winter sport. You get out and enjoy winter, get to go to places you can’t drive to. You see awesome scenery. You spend quality family time together and time with friends away from all the hustle and bustle.”
Buyarski agreed this winter season in Geauga has not been great.
As a result, a group traveled to Newberry, Mich., for a long weekend over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and some are heading to Maine over Presidents’ Day weekend to ride for the week.
“The biggest issue is the ground never froze solid, so the snow didn’t last when it came,” Buyarski said of Geauga County. “The few storms we had didn’t put enough down to cover the ground enough. If the ground would freeze, we can ride on a 10-inch base and it would hold. Since it never froze, the snow would flatten and expose the mud.”
The same happened in western New York, he said.
“The trails did open in the Chautauqua area for only one day and the mud was exposed in the turns in a few hours, so they closed the trails that evening,” he added.
Members are canceling trips around Maine due to the lack of snow.
“The Upper Peninsula in Michigan does have a good amount of snow and the trails are groomed and in good condition, so that is the only good option this winter so far,” Buyarski said.” But it is a nine-hour drive. Hopefully a good freeze will happen, followed by a good snowstorm, so we can ride local.”
