'We need more snow'

Snowmobile, cross country skiing seasons hurt by recent balmy weather

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Dec. 3, 1998

By Devlyn Brooks

Snowmobilers and cross country skiers in the Bemidji region would be better off putting on a pair of hiking boots, say area trail officials.

With the recent balmy weather the region has experienced, the enthusiasm over the mid-November snowstorms has been considerably dampened.

Both skiing and snowmobiling trails have little snow on them, and what snow is left is rapidly depleting into mud.

However, no one is willing to throw in the towel on a winter season that began early and has many months still remaining.

"What you see around Bemidji is what you've got (in the region). We've virtually lost it all," said Jim Reil, the Department of Natural Resources information officer for this region. "We need more snow."

The DNR -- which oversees many miles of snowmobile trails across the state -- was going to open the trail system Tuesday, but being the trails are useless without snow, that opening has been delayed.

Much the same is happening with other area trails, such as the region's ski trails and the trails at Itasca State Park.

Bob Montebello of the Bemidji Area Cross Country Ski Club says the trails are not conducive to skiing, and the warm temperatures are not helping.

He added that there is some snow left on the trails inside wooded areas, but that's about it.

"It's impossible for us to get out and do anything. It's basically been about freezing in the morning, and then things are thawing during the day," he said. "It's a very frustrating time for us."

Since the big snowstorms in November, the ski club has had volunteers out clearing debris that had fallen and blocked the trails. While that work is continuing on the trails at Three Island Park and Buena Vista, most of the other trails have been cleared.

Now they are waiting for the snow.

At Itasca State Park, information specialist Connie Smith Cox said the trails currently are good for hiking, but not for any winter activities.

"Some ski trails are completely exposed down to grass and dirt," she said. "(And) the snow that is left is in bad condition."

So, the park too, is in limbo until snow falls, and the situation might be considerably worse considering there are large ruts on the park's trails.

When the snowstorms damaged the park's trails in November, heavy equipment was used to remove the debris. That equipment left ruts, and therefore any snow that falls has to cover those ruts even before a base for a trail can be built.

"We would need a fairly measurable snow amount before we could start packing things down," she said.

How much is enough?

It is apparent that all of the area's trails need snow before they will be ready for winter activities, but just how much snow is needed varies.

According to the DNR's Reil, at least 12 inches is needed to build a lasting base on the snowmobile trails.

At Itasca, Smith Cox said she would guess at least that much snow is needed to cover the ruts and have enough remaining to groom. However, she said she wasn't one to know actually how much is enough.

And it'll obviously take more snow to prepare the snowmobile trails than the ski trails, but Montebello said the ski trails probably need two large snowfalls as well -- one to build a base and another to groom.

Outlook

The forecast for snow is sketchy, but there are reports that the area will receive some significant snowfall possibly by Sunday.

"I've never believed much in the Farmers Almanac," Smith Cox said, "but I had a lady tell me (it) says there will be a five-day snowfall on Dec. 5 Maybe this time next week ... they'll be out there grooming."

Reil, opting for a more stoic answer, said, "We're not in the weather predicting business."

All is not lost

Even though the trail conditions aren't encouraging now, no one says the entire winter season has been ruined.

In fact, all three trail officials said the mid-November snowfall was early, and it raised the hopes of winter enthusiasts who suffered through a bad 1997-98 winter season.

The fact that trails are not ready for use in early December is not unusual, it's just unusual there was such a great start to the season and then a sudden end.

"It's still early in the season," Montebello said. "A lot of times we don't start (skiing) until mid-December."

Reil said the disappointment has come because last winter was a bust for winter enthusiasts.

With the good winter of 1996-97, snowmobiling saw a revival in popularity, only to have last winter squelch it, he said.

"There is a revival out there," he said. "All we need is more snow."

However, the ski club's Montebello probably summed up the situation best: "It's a down time for skiing. (But) I suspect winter will be coming along here shortly."