Retirees dedicated to trail maintenance in Wisconsin's Northwoods

MINONG, Wis. - A group of ATV enthusiasts hit the trail Wednesday.  They are members of the Minong Snowmobile and ATV Club.

In Minong, a group of retirees live to ride.  "We go out and have a little fun, ride a few 4 wheelers, play in the mud, have a few beers so it's what you got to do to keep going," said Dan Carlson, Vice President of the Minong Snowmobile and ATV Club.  A club he helped start back in 1995.  "Minong wasn't serviced real well with snowmobiling so a bunch of us one time sitting in a bar decided to start a club and we started with virtually nothing and this is what we have," said Carlson.  They have a home and 60 members, mostly retired men and women from the Minong area.  70 year old Jerry Ramel of Minong says, "I’m the oldest one of the whole group."  A group dedicated to improving and maintaining snowmobile and ATV trails year round.  "It's kind of fun to get out in the woods and work on the trails.  It keeps me going; when you get to be a certain age, a lot of people just lay down and do nothing and I try to keep busy," said Ramel.  "It’s our job to come out here and check to see how all the signs are, if they are all up for the safety aspect of it and we actually grade this trail once a week or so to keep it smooth," said Carlson.

Wednesday we wound through the Northwoods on the Wild Rivers and Stony Brook Trails, crossing over several bridges the club built themselves including a 275 foot bridge they finished a few weeks ago.  State funding makes it all possible along with donations from local businesses.  They are also building a rest area on the Stony Brook Trail.  "He's putting up the walls and then we have to get the top put on.  They have picnic tables and we are going to put in a couple grills," said John Carroll of Minong.

In the winter, the club maintains 100 miles of snowmobile trails in the Washburn County Forest.  In the summer, they maintain an additional 75 miles of ATV trails.  "We have a huge debt and a lot of trails and a lot of work and we have a lot of fun, we are all buddies," said Carlson.  "It’s been great, a lot of friendship and camaraderie," said Carroll.

The club is also developing a new 50–mile Rock Hill Trail that will extend south to Spooner.  It’s expected to open next summer.  For trail information, go to their website at www.minongtrails.com