Snowmobiling is one of the most popular winter activities in Minnesota, with thousands of enthusiasts across the state.

 

Once the snow falls, they can be seen riding along trails located on the sides of city, county and state roads.

 

But those trails aren’t created or maintained by local government employees.

 

“The average person thinks the county does all the work as part of their road maintenance,” says Jason Hendrickx, president of the Big Lake Sno-Cruisers. “But of the 22,000 miles of snowmobile trails in the state, 21,000 are maintained by snowmobile club volunteers.”

 

The other 1,000 miles - a number that is shrinking each year, is maintained by DNR personnel.

 

The Sno-Cruisers, along with the Elk Lake Easy Riders out of Zimmerman and the River City Snow Riders from Elk River, make up the Sherburne County Trail Association. They are responsible for maintaining snowmobile trails in the county.

 

The Sno-Cruisers maintain 140 of the 240 miles of trail from Big Lake to Becker, to Clear Lake and the northwest area to the Benton County line.  It’s a job they do willingly to be able to enjoy snowmobiling.

 

“This club was incorporated in 1971,” says Hendrickx. “Back then they used to groom the trails with a snowmobile and a bedspring.”

 

That’s changed now. The association has big, expensive grooming equipment and a headquarters shed on Co. Rd. 4 just east of Co. Rd. 5. 

 

The Sno-Cruisers have 38 members, some, like younger kids under 18, are part of a family membership. The group meets once a month at the “shed” to discuss maintenance issues and talk about upcoming events.

 

Members come from all over, even the Twin Cities area. A large percentage are from the western part of the county.

 

In the fall, club volunteers spend a lot of time marking the trails and getting them ready for the snow. 

 

“We take care of signage, clearing the trail of downed trees and trimming brush so there’s no riding in the road,” says Hendrickx.

 

The marked trails are open from Dec. 1 through March 31, regardless of when snow is on the ground.

 

“If Thanksgiving comes and there’s two feet of snow, you’re out of luck,” says Hendrickx. “You can’t use the marked trails until Dec. 1”.

 

The trails are groomed by volunteers, usually at night when no one is out snowmobiling. It also gives the trail a chance to set and harden overnight.

 

The clubs collect annual dues of $30. Of that amount, $20 goes to the Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association (MnUSA), the governing body in the state.

 

“They have a fulltime lobbyist to help get laws passed to secure funding,” says Hendrickx.

 

That funding is important to help clubs keep maintaining and grooming trails. Clubs get paid by the state per mile to maintain and groom the trails. It doesn’t cover all the costs, but it helps. The clubs also get donations from local businesses and organizations like the Lions.

 

A big part of state funding comes from tab fees when snowmobiles are registered.

 

“It’s like tabs on your vehicle help pay for roads,” says Hendrickx. “So it’s important to register your snowmobile. It helps pay for the trails.”

 

The club also holds training classes for new riders. Everyone meets at the shed where club members, along with a member of the sheriff’s department and the DNR, teach riders how to ride safely.

 

“We have two small snowmobiles here. They go out and drive around and learn hand-signaling,” says Hendrickx. “Instructors will be along the course observing to make sure they understand the rules.’

 

Riders get a safety certificate saying they passed the training course. 

 

Although membership has held steady over the past few years even without much snow, clubs have had difficulty attracting millennials.

 

“I know it’s not easy for them. They’re in their twenties, just out of school, got a new job, paying off student loans and maybe getting married,” says Hendrickx. “They have a lot of things going on and they don’t have a lot of disposable income to use on a snowmobile.”

 

So clubs are always seeking new members. It makes the group stronger and spreads out some of the work.

 

“You appreciate it that much more when you see all the work that goes into it,” says Hendrickx. “The more people we have, the nicer the trails are going to be. There wouldn’t be a trail if it wasn’t for the volunteers.”

 

But it’s not all work. Club members not only enjoy riding the trails, they meet for special events.

 

“In the summer we might meet at the Hideout or McPete’s or Jack & Jim’s to give back to businesses who are supporting us. We try to do at least one big club ride each year. This year was in Park Rapids.”

 

They have a hot dish cook-off scheduled for Lupulin Brewery in Big Lake in January. And members often communicate on Facebook about rides they are planning.

 

“We try to balance it so it’s not always work,” says Hendrickx.

 

Anyone can become a member, says Hendrickx. Just attend a  meeting and fill out an application. The club meets 7:30 the first Thursday of each month at the Sherburne County Snowmobile Association shed, located at 17128 261st Ave. NW on Co. Rd. 4 in Orrock Twp.

 

For more information, check out the Big Lake Sno-Cruisers Facebook page.