By Joyce Wiswell, Contributing Writer
As the seemingly never-ending winter finally recedes – along with the mammoth snowbanks that towered over everything – the Keweenaw ATV Club is hard at work tidying up.
While 360-plus inches of snow was good news for snowmobilers, it meant all the more work to keep the trails safe for off-road vehicles. It’s a responsibility the Keweenaw ATV Club, which is now in its 22nd year, takes seriously.
“People don’t realize the effort it takes to keep the trails safe, dealing with signing, brushing, removing obstacles like windfalls, filling in waterfalls, and dealing with other hazards,” said Club President Daryl St. John. “Everyone takes it for granted.”
The club is funded primarily by the state’s Department of Natural Resources, as well as about 40 commercial sponsors and 250 members who pony up the $25 annual fee.
“There’s no tax money; all of our money comes from trail stickers and there are certain things we can’t pay for,” St. John said. “With our meager club funds, we bought an old grader and keep it out on the trails to touch them up with a volunteer driver.”
Skyrocketing fuel prices are also a challenge. “A lot of our heavy equipment runs on diesel,” said St. John. “I like to say that ours run on donations.”
The ATV Club also sells trail maps that are updated once every two years (this year’s is brand new) and has donation boxes displayed throughout the area.
New this year is a culvert installed on the High Rock Bay Trail and the resurfacing of about four and half miles on Trail B from Phoenix to Central.
“We hired a contractor, pulled out all the big rocks, and graveled it,” St. John said. “It’s nice, but then people go at a higher rate of speed. We have made a lot of progress improving our trails, but that brings more street traffic. When the trails are too good, people power slide around the corners. That throws gravel everywhere, especially off the trail, which is one of my pet peeves.”
Most Keweenaw trails are dual-purpose for both ATVs and snowmobiles. The ATV Club has a joint project with the Keweenaw Snowmobile Club to build a trailhead in Calumet to provide much-needed parking for trucks and trailers.
Upcoming events include the annual ATV ride to benefit Omega House, which provides compassionate end-of-life care, on June 20. Last year as many as 70 machines participated in the benefit, which begins and ends at the Maple Leaf American Legion Post in Lake Linden. The club’s annual picnic will be held in August.
The ATV Club meets at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of the month at the VWF in Hubble. All are welcome, and you don’t have to be a member to attend – though St. John hopes all riders, both locals and visitors, will consider joining. Like many organizations, the club is in need of fresh blood. “We are all getting pretty old,” said St. John.
“If you are enjoying the trails,” he added, “help us with the effort to keep them well maintained and open.”
Visit KeweenawAtvClub.com for trail updates and news. •