Montana trails lure Ski-Dooers
Montana’s vast undeveloped regions were once shunned during winter. Now they’re a tourist attraction appealing particularly to snowmobilers lured by 8,000 miles of trails.
Bob Bushnell of the Ponderosa Snow Warriors snowmobile club in Lincoln understands why.
“We’re spoiled here in Lincoln,” he said. “We ride right from the house and don’t even load our sleds onto a trailer. People from out of state will often spend a whole week here. Our club house is open every weekend and they drop by to visit and sign in.”
About 50 percent of Montana’s snowmobile trails are groomed. The grooming is financed by snowmobile registration fees, a new $15 nonresident temporary use permit for each snowmobile brought into the state, and a percentage of the Distributor’s Gasoline License Tax.
With the new nonresident temporary use permit, nonresident riders do their part in keeping Montana’s trails groomed. The state’s 27 organized snowmobile clubs do the rest of the work.
“Our club spends almost 500 hours between January and March to keep 250 miles of trail groomed in the Lincoln area,” Bushnell said. “The groomer does the heavy work, but the club does the maintenance. If it is out for three days, it takes a day or two of maintenance. Groomers are a high maintenance piece of equipment.”
The Ponderosa Snow Warriors spend more than 1,000 volunteer hours maintaining the trails by clearing deadfall, re-decking bridges, spraying for noxious weeds and grooming after snow falls.
Groomed trails help attract nonresidents riders and Bushnell said that is good for his community and for his snowmobile club.
“We are one of the few things in town drawing people in from Washington, Idaho and Canada,” he said. “That’s fun for us and important for our local businesses in Lincoln.”
Overall, according to FWP, about 50,000 nonresident snowmobile riders spend more than $40 million in Montana, a considerable boost to the state’s economy. The 100,000 resident riders spend about $100 million a year on trips, gasoline, maintenance, and related equipment.
Avalanche course: An avalanche awareness course for snowmobilers will be taught by the Idaho Parks and Recreation Department experts Friday and Saturday near Grangeville. Info: (208) 769-1511, or e-mail mgangis@idpr.state.id.us.