7th Annual Snowmobile Fun Run
Saturday, February 7th

This will be our seventh annual Fun Run to help raise money for our Washburn ValHellers Snowmobile Club.  The run will begin at 10 am and will include stops at several area bars and restaurants.  The day will wrap up at the Pub and Grub at 6pm.  Prizes will be awarded to the top three Poker hands from cards collected during the Fun Run.  There will also be a fifty fifty raffle.  Riders can register at any of our participating businesses and start from any of our sponsoring locations.  Tell you friends and join us!  Click here to view and print the registration form.

Club Meetings

Meetings are on the second Wednesday of the month September through April.  Locations vary.  Meetings start at 6:00 pm.  Everyone is welcome!

Next Meeting:  January 14th at the Valhalla View Pub & Grub.  We will discuss the upcoming Poker Run, Trail Pass information, trail work needed and any other issues that we  may have.

From our first meeting:
 
We held our first meeting of the year September 10th, 2014. We will follow up with better "minutes" later but here is a quick summary:
1. Election of officers: Pres-Nate Swiston; VP-Cory Smith; Secretary/Treasurer-Mary Ross; ...Director of trail operations; Dave (Butch) Warren.
2. Discussion of date for annual Fun (poker) Run; sounds like we are leaning to Saturday, February 7th which is the week after the Super Bowl.
3. Discussion of 2 large trail #13 re-routes in process. Will be completed prior to December.
4. New sign posts going up on trail through the City of Washburn.
5. We need ideas for Washburn Homecoming 2015; float and fundraising.
6. New Trail Passes in 2015...read more click here...
Another addition is a potential Trail Work Weekend of October 11th and 12th which the weekend after AppleFest...not much time after that!!!  I think that's about it other than another good meal at the Valhalla View Pub & Grub.

Nate

Bayfield County Snowmobile Alliance Annual 

In case you were wondering…..

The Bayfield County Snowmobile Alliance is the official “organization” of all the local snowmobile clubs in Bayfield County.  They are a non-profit organization that is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of club members throughout the County.  They hold monthly meetings and are responsible for purchasing and maintaining the grooming equipment for the County trail system.  They operate on a budget that comes from snowmobile registration dollars in the state plus other funding from area businesses and Club fundraisers. 

The Alliance is responsible for making final decisions on trails in the County, whether it is for building new trails, relocating trails or repairing existing trails.  They work closely with the local Clubs to keep the trail systems open and well maintained.   The ValHellers, like other local Clubs, maintains a section of local trails around their respective communities.  Although we don’t groom, we maintain relationships with landowners, we brush and clear the trails and put up signs.  We also work closely with the Alliance on larger issues such as culverts, gravel, etc.

Next Meeting:  November 10, 2014.  6:00pm at the Iron River Community Center.
To see the Minutes of the last meeting click here.

Riding Conditions

Bayfield County Snowmobile trails will officially open Monday, Dec. 1, 2014, but grooming will not start until at least the 15th.  Snow conditions are highly variable.  As always, riders should use caution when out on the trails. 

Please stay on the designated trails and routes. Changes to the trail system are marked with signage on the trails so when in doubt, follow the signs.

Check back for updates or call or text Butch for up to date information at 715 209 2191.

Click Below for Bayfield County Trail Information:
Bayfield County Trail Report

Pick up your 2015 Bayfield County Snowmobile Trail map at Leino's Gas and Goods, downtown Washburn or click here.

New Trail Route Announced

Due to a sudden, private-property land closure, we have been required to quickly re-route a portion of our existing trail between Cook Road and (North) Church Corner Road.

Heading North from Washburn (toward Valhalla), the trail will exit the property of Dave Cook at Old County C, cross County C and proceed on the roadway behind the old C-Side.  The trail will then run along Church Corner Road on the property of Frank Faulkner heading down to the intersection of County C and North Church Corner Road.  The trail/route will follow North Church Corner Road until it meets back with the existing trail at the end of this road.   

This is not a desired route for our trail but we were forced to find a quick resolution for re-routing this trail for this season.  It is our hope to have the trail redirected for the 2015 season.  To see a map of the new route click here.

WI Snowmobile Trail Pass

The WI Trail Pass will not be available until July 1, 2015.  Each sled operating in WI will be required to display a Wisconsin trail pass to be purchased annually.   For more information click here.

Club News

Just a couple of updates....on Saturday, I sent out 35 business membership (invoices) to Washburn and area businesses...I included Pine Creek, Iron River, Herbster and Corny thinking ahead about the Poker Run.  I will start with individual memberships this week. 
 
We got some good news that we do not have to complete the large re-route on the Dave Blong property this year.  That will be next Spring/Summer.  We still have to re-route around the old Gary Maki property onto the Mike Nelson and BJ Marx property.  Hopefully that won't be too involved.
 
We got up new sign posts and stop signs through the City of Washburn trail.  Replaced the metal posts with new 4x4's.  
 
Nate

Thanks To everyone for the Fun Run Success!

Thank you to all who participated in our 6th Annual Fun Run on Saturday, January 25.  We had about 60 riders who braved the brutal cold and most made it to all 9 stops.  Also thank you to all the establishments who supported the run:  Pub-N-Grub, Patsy's Bar, Battle Axe Saloon, Ino Bar, Tri-Lakes Timbers, Woody's Food & Spirits, Pine Creek Pit Stop, Village Inn and Pine Cone Oly's.  The winners of the poker hand were:
1st Place - Bobbie Jo Jonas
2nd Place - Dan Truchon
3rd Place -  Jeff Mashlan

We would also like to give a big "Thank You" to the following businesses who donated door prizes for the evening:
Bayfield Inn
Egg Toss
Hugo's of Washburn
Leino's Gas & Goods
Holiday Gas Station
Maggies
Steak Pit
Washburn IGA
North Cost Coffee
CoCo's
Olson Building
Washburn Hardware
Ross Marine
Washburn Snowmobile Club

New!  Tales from the Trails

We've added a new page to our website called Tales from the Trails.  This is where you will find stories about trips on the trails submitted by members and visitors.  We're sure everyone will have stories to share.  Click here to go to the Trail Tales page.

Special Thanks To Our Business Supporters

We would like to thank the following businesses for their continued support:

Valhalla Pub and Grub
Ino Bar
Sell's Pine Creek Pit Stop
Tri Lakes Timbers Resort
Washburn NAPA
Pine Cone Oly's
Ross Marine
Washburn IGA
Washburn Hardware

And we would like to welcome and thank Little Nikkis of Cornucopia.

Thank you all for your support!

Welcome New Members

We would like to welcome our new members:
Mark Ledin, John Mead and Mark Misun.  Thanks for your support.

Hats Off to Our Landowners!

Equally as important as our sponsors, we would be nothing if not for our local landowners that allow us access to their property in order to offer some of the best trails in Bayfield County!
Thanks to all who support our club!

Need a Cabin to Rent?

Check out the Valhalla Cabins in the Bayfield County Snowbelt region and ride the Valhalla Hills and some of the finest trails in Northern Wisconsin.  These cabins have 2 private bedrooms with all the comforts of home! 24/7 gas and great food and drinks right next door.  Please call 715 292-7546 for information and reservations.  Groomed trail access starts right from your door!   We have great snow conditions this year with hundreds of miles of groomed trails and forest roads just waiting for you!   Call today as with the great conditions out there they will book fast. 
When calling for reservations, please request the "Bayfield" or "Chequamegon" cabins.

Thank you for your business and please ride safe!

Snowmobiling Safety Tips from the Wisconsin DNR

Zero alcohol keeps you safe on the trail.  Drinking alcohol before snowmobiling or during your ride slows your reactions, impairs your judgment, and is a leading contributor to snowmobiling deaths. Last winter, alcohol was involved in 70 percent of the 23 snowmobiling fatalities.  Join DNR in the international zero alcohol campaign that urges every snowmobiler to take personal responsibility for reducing alcohol-related crashes. Wisconsin conservation wardens will be handing out zero alcohol stickers to snowmobilers and asking you to display it.

Wisconsin's recreation safety specialists recommend you take these other precautions to stay safe on the trails this winter:  Slow down. Speed is a contributing factor in nearly all fatal snowmobiling accidents. Drivers should proceed at a pace that will allow ample reaction time for any situation. Drive at moderate speeds, and drive defensively, especially after sunset.  Carry a first-aid kit and dress appropriately, Your first-aid kit should include a flashlight, knife, compass, map, and waterproof matches. Always wear a helmet with goggles or a face shield to prevent injuries from twigs and flying debris. Wear layers of water-repellent clothing and make sure you have no loose ends that might catch in the machine or tangle in equipment.  Avoid traveling across bodies of water when uncertain of ice thickness or water currents. Rapidly changing weather and moving water in streams and lake inlets also affect the thickness and strength of ice on lakes and ponds. Snow cover can act as a blanket and prevents thick strong ice from forming.  Stay on marked trails or, where allowed, on the right shoulder of the road. Be alert for fences, tree stumps and stretched wire that may be concealed by snow.  Never travel alone. Most snowmobile accidents result in personal injury. The most dangerous situations occur when a person is injured and alone. If you must travel alone, tell someone your destination, planned route, and when you will return.