Red Arrow Trail Reports
Tuesday April 20, 2021
Good afternoon from downtown Townsend.
Just got word that all Oconto County ATV/UTV trails will open on Friday April 23, 2021.
We know that Forest County and Marinette County Trails will be open also. Not sure on Langlade County, be sure to check their county tourism website for updates.
While your enjoying the trails in the Townsend area, please be sure to visit our Business Booster Members. A complete listing of those businesses is located on this website. While your there, be sure to thank them for supporting the club.
Reminder that the Red Arrow annual meeting is this Saturday April 24, 9AM at the Townsend Town Hall (across from the Post Office). This meeting includes the election of officers to lead the club for the next year. Please plan on attending and even considering taking on a leadership position.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Friday February 26, 2021
Good morning from always beautiful downtown Townsend. The temperature is 19° degrees this morning.
ALL SNOWMOBILE TRAILS IN OCONTO COUNTY, which includes Red Arrow trails will close today, Friday February 26, 2021 at 8AM.
The weather forecast is for highs in the 30s to the low 40s for the next three days. This will put and end to the already thin base we had on the trails. The grade and many other trails were already getting thin or bare and these temps will not be helpful. Sorry, wish we had better news.
It was a very short season this year, but I hope that you had a chance to get out and ride and enjoy yourselves.
We all owe our ever faithful groomer drivers and huge thank you for the time they put in building a base and grooming the snow we did get this year. They are out usually late at night doing their job for your riding pleasure. So, if you see a groomer driver-thank them.
As always while you are in the area be sure to visit our club Business Booster Members. They support us in many ways and need our support year round.
Until next time!
Take care and be safe
Mrs. FireCat
Thursday February 25, 2021
Greetings from downtown Townsend. It is 16° early this morning and no snow is predicted for today.
The Red Arrow groomers were out last night working on the trails. The report is that the trails are in fair to good condition.
East of Highway 32 is good to fair with the Nicolet State Trail open in some spots with a few puddles that hopefully will freeze up overnight. The Wildwood and Lower Loop trails are in good condition, the rest is fair. The Hawk trail which was the sight of logging this winter has been plowed bare by the loggers. It was suggested that you take the shortcut off of Krumpos road to avoid this plowed trail.
West of Highway 32 the trails are in good condition. Riding today will be a treat for those of you that head that way. So get out there early and ride!
With the weather predicted to be warm this weekend we expect the snow base to continue to deteriorate. The decision to groom will be on a day by day basis. It’s getting late in our short riding season, so again get out there and ride while you can. Wish we had better news, but mother nature is in charge so let’s enjoy what we have for now.
As always, please visit our Business Booster members while you are in the area. A complete listing of these businesses can be found on this website in the Business Booster Section.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. Fire Cat
Wednesday February 24, 2021
Hello from snowy downtown Townsend. It is 32° and it is snowing. We had about 2.5 to 3 inches of wet snow last night. It seems to melting and settling pretty quickly.
Temperatures are predicted to be quite warm again today and tomorrow. The nights are supposed to be cooler. Grooming will be done only if conditions allow for the groomers to produce the trails conditions we want. The weather seems to be in charge right now.
Reports are that that many areas on the Nicolet State Trail are getting worn out. Lots of gravel coming through the snow in some areas. Intersections are getting thin as well, with the usual springtime water holes forming. So the usual late season riding. (Seems like we just got started!!)
While your here in Townsend be sure to visit our wonderful Business Booster Members.
Keep doing your snow dances and also work on just a little colder weather to prolong the snowmobile season.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Tuesday February 23, 2021
Good morning from sunny downtown Townsend. It is 36° already this morning. It was warm yesterday and through the night. Not exactly ideal conditions for snowmobile trails.
The groomers were not out last night and will not go out until the temperatures are appropriate for grooming. This will be a day by day decision so be patient and watch the trail report for updates That being said the trails are and will be soft until the weather changes.
The Oconto county snowmobile trails south of Gillett are closed as of today. You are advised to watch the Oconto County Tourism website for updates on these trails. North of Gillett the trails remain open at this time, but again the trails are soft. Best to wait for them to firm up and hope we get some colder weather and more snow.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Monday February 22, 2021
Greetings from beautiful downtown Townsend. It’s 24° this morning and we had about 1.5 inches of snow last night.
Groomers were out last night and reported that the trails groomed out to good condition. I’m sure that new snowfall only made them better. We certainly could use more snow as it’s getting a little thin a few areas but the trails continue to be smooth. So, keep doing those snow dances.
Saturday was the drawing for the Winter Raffle Tickets. The winner’s names have been posted on the home page of this website and on our Facebook Page. Congratulations to all the winners and a Big Thank You to everyone who supported the club by buying tickets. Also a big Thank You to the Sponsors who provided the prizes for the ticket.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs FireCat
Sunday February 21, 2021
Good morning from balmy downtown Townsend It’s all the way up to 7° this morning. There is a warm up coming but hopefully it will bring more snow with it. Keep dancing!!
Our wonderful groomer drivers were out again late last night making those trails nice for you. Report is that the trails groomed out good to excellent. I personally saw lots of traffic on the trails and in and about Townsend and Lakewood yesterday. It’s good to see folks out enjoying the trails that we as a club work so hard on for you. Have you thanked a groomer driver today?? Glad to see everyone having fun.
The Winter Raffle ticket winners were drawn yesterday afternoon. Please watch our Facebook page and the website for the list of winners. We hope to have this posted by tomorrow. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to all who supported the clubs efforts by purchasing tickets. THANK YOU!!
Thank you for supporting the club’s Business Booster members while you are in the area. They certainly appreciate having you stop in and enjoying what they have to offer.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. Fire Cat
Saturday February 20, 2021
Greetings from beautiful downtown Townsend. It’s -1° this morning but the weatherman says to expect a high in the 20’s. Great day for riding.
The groomers were out again last night and report that the trails are in good condition for the amount of snow they had to work with. Corners and road crossings are getting pretty thin. Back in the woods is where you will find the nicest trails. Let’s hope we get the snow predicted for tomorrow night.
The Winter Raffle Ticket drawing is today at 3PM at the Red Arrow clubhouse, 16712 Hummingbird Hill Lane. You can purchase tickets there after 2PM until the time of the drawing. If you still need to turn in tickets, please bring them to the clubhouse this afternoon. Do not attempt to turn them in anywhere else, they will not be taken to the drawing if you do. Thank you to everyone who supported the club by purchasing the tickets and Good Luck in the drawing.
While your out and about be sure to visit our Business Booster Members. While there, thank them for supporting the club in our efforts to provide you with a great riding experience both summer and winter.
As always ride with caution in logging areas and be respectful of private property by staying on the trail.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Friday February 19, 2021
Happy Friday from beautiful downtown Townsend. It’s 14° this morning and a gentle, light snow is falling.
The trails were freshly groomed last night and will be groomed every night this weekend. The groomer drivers report that the trails groomed out to be in excellent condition. The Nicolet State Trail is pretty thin, due to heavy traffic. The trails in the logging area east of Highway 32 have suffered damage from the logging trucks. Other trails on the east side are in excellent condition. Use caution in all logging areas and be prepared to stop around logging equipment. The west side trails are in excellent condition. The weatherman said some measurable snow is predicted for Sunday night. The trails need it, so continue with the snow dancing. They also are predicting warmer weather to come our way next week, so get out there and ride.
Winter Raffle Ticket drawing will be tomorrow at 3PM at the Red Arrow Clubhouse. If you plan to attend, please practice safe social distancing and wear a face mask. Thank you.
While you are out and about, either riding or driving, please be sure to support our Business Booster Members. They look forward to seeing you.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Thursday February 18, 2021
Hello from beautiful downtown Townsend. It is 5 degrees (yes above zero) this morning. The weatherman says some light snow is coming in tonight and again on Sunday. Let’s hope it amounts to something substantial for the trails. Keep those snow dancing shoes on!!
Trails are holding up well with all the recent cold weather. Traffic has been steady on the trails but as always a little lighter during the week. Corners and road crossings are getting thin, but back in the woods the trails are good to excellent. The groomers will be out all weekend to keep those trails in the best riding condition with the snow they have to work with. If you see a groomer out be sure to show your thanks for all the hard work they put in-for you.
Winter Raffle ticket drawing on Saturday February 20, 2021, 3pm, at the Red Arrow Clubhouse. Tickets will be sale at 2PM for those who want to buy those last minute chances at all those great prizes.
Be sure to visit and support our Business Booster Members. They do alot for the club and need to be shown appreciation in the form of your business.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Wednesday February 17, 2021
Greetings from chilly but sunny downtown Townsend. The temp is -15° this morning, but the weatherman promises a little warm up starting today. I guess at -15 none of the snow melted last night. So, bundle up and get out there and ride.
The trails are holding up very well. The riding should be very good today. The groomers will be out on a regular basis keeping them in prime riding condition. As stated before watch for the areas that have logging operations.
While out there putting on miles-be sure to stop at our Business Booster Members and support them.
Until next time…
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Tuesday February 16, 2021
Good morning from sunny downtown Townsend. It’s a little warmer today, only -2°, but you’ll still need to bundle up if you go out today.
Our groomers were out yesterday and reported back that the trails are in excellent shape for the amount of snow we have. The Hawk Trail east of town is being torn up by the logging trucks, so use caution in that area. All the other trails are in excellent riding condition. Again be sure to use caution around logging equipment.
Five more days to get those Winter Raffle Tickets. There are alot of really nice prizes this year. Everything on the ticket was donated by the businesses, so be sure to support those supporters and all of our Business Booster members.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Monday February 15, 2021
Happy Monday from chilly downtown Townsend. It’s -15° this morning. Weatherman says it will start to warm up after today.
The groomers will be out today to smooth out the bumps and create that groomed trail that riders are looking for. Remember there is a huge need for more snow in our area. The groomers have only so much snow to work with. Trails are considered good to excellent. Some areas are getting pretty thin and really need a big, wet snowfall. Logging issues continue on the trails. Use caution in those areas. Be sure to slow down around logging equipment and be respectful the the job they need to do. Other less traveled areas are looking awesome. So get out there and ride.
We have reports that riders are not stopping at stops signs on many of the trails. Many of these stop signs are at driveways on the Nicolet State Trail. We need to stop at all stop signs including driveways. This is a major safety issue for all riders and could also result in a fine.
The Winter Raffle Ticket winners will be drawn on Saturday February 20, 2021, at 3PM at the Red Arrow Clubhouse, 16712 Hummingbird Hill Lane, Townsend, WI 54175. There will be club members there at 2PM to sell tickets to those that wish to purchase that last minute ticket. Everyone that comes that day should be prepared to wear a mask and practice safe social distancing. Tickets are still available at Karla’s Kountry Kitchen and the Old Town Hall Bar and Restaurant.
Reminder-Support our Business Booster Members.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. Fire Cat
Sunday February 14, 2021
Happy Valentine’s day from beautiful downtown Townsend. My thermometer shows a chilly -12°. Stay safe if you go riding today.
Groomers were out last night grooming the Red Arrow Trails. They reported seeing lots of sleds and evidence of alot of sled traffic during the day. Good to see because that is why the club works hard year round. The trails groomed out well, with conditions reported to be good to excellent. With the ongoing need of more snow there are a few thin spots. East side groomer reported some logging damage on the “Hawk Trail”. Watch for truck ruts on this trail.
OK, it’s Valentine’s Day. Great way to go support our Business Booster Members. Remember-they support out efforts, now it’s your turn to support them.
Get your Winter Raffle tickets. Less than a week until the drawing. Tickets are available at Old Town Hall Bar and Restaurant and Karla’s Kountry Kitchen.
Until tomorrow
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Saturday February 13, 2021
Good morning from chilly downtown Townsend. It’s -6° this morning. Layer up those warm clothes if your riding today and plan your stops accordingly to warm up those fingers and toes.
All Red Arrow trails were groomed last night. Trail boss reports that they groomed out nice. Conditions are excellent for the amount of snow they had to work with. Keep doing those snow dances! It seems like the snow is going south, way too south this year. Hopefully Wisconsin will get that big snowfall soon because we could certainly use it.
Red Arrow groomers will be out this weekend, but watch for them in the late afternoon hours. They are heading out earlier for safety reasons with the bitter cold temps predicted. So, it you are out riding and see a groomer, first come to a complete stop so he doesn’t have to worry about hitting you. Then wave and thank them for spending countless hours on the trails grooming for your riding pleasure.
While your in the area be sure to visit our Business Booster Members. As we stated before. they support the club so this is your chance to support them. While your there, thank them for all they do to support the winter and summer trails.
Also, get those Winter Raffle Tickets. Available at Old Town Hall Bar and Restaurant and Karla’s Kountry Kitchen. Lots of really great prizes provided by our Booster Members. Drawing will be held next Saturday the 20th. More info to follow on details for the drawing.
Ride Safe and Rode Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Friday February 12, 2021
Greetings from beautiful downtown Townsend. It 1° this morning and the sun is shining. Beautiful day for a ride.
Groomers were out last night and report the trails in good condition. They do report that we really need more snow. So……..get those dancing shoes on. I hear there is another “snow storm” coming on Saturday. Let’s hope it brings more than the 1/2 inch we got last night.
Groomers will be out on a regular basis keeping the trails in shape. Again watch for the logging operations and use extreme caution in those areas. Due to the need for snow there are some thin areas, especially on the Nicolet State Trail which gets heavy usage. Again- do that snow dance.
While your out riding be sure to support our Business Booster members. The support us, we need to support them now! Also be sure to get those Winter Raffle tickets. Drawing will me next Saturday February 20, 2021.
Until tomorrow
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Thursday February 11, 2021
Good morning from chilly downtown Townsend, It is -15° this morning. Bundle up for that trail ride today.
Groomers will be out on a regular basis keeping those trails smooth for you riders. So come up to Townsend and spend the weekend enjoying the Red Arrow trails and the trails of all the surrounding clubs. From what I hear, most area clubs are out grooming on a regular basis.
Again watch for logging operations on Red Arrow Trails. There will be continued logging not only on our trails but many other club trails in Oconto County and other counties as well.. Most of this is still clean-up from the July 2019 wind storm.. So, be careful around logging equipment and respectful of the job they are doing.
Be sure to check out and buy the Red Arrow Winter Raffle tickets. They are available at Karla’s Kountry Kitchen and Old Town Hall Bar and Restaurant. Lots of great prizes again this year. The Fish A Ree was cancelled due to Covid-19 so the Raffle Ticket is our only fundraiser for now.
Update on Gary. Surgery was a success. He did well during the operation and is awake and alert. Long road of recovery yet, but one day at a time!
Until tomorrow,
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Wednesday February 10, 2021
Greetings from beautiful downtown Townsend. The temperature is a chilly -8° this morning. At least we know the snow won’t melt for awhile yet!
Trails have been groomed and have a good base in most areas. As stated yesterday watch for logging operations and also some bare spots in just a few areas. Some more snow would be good, so get out there and do that snow dance. Trails should be considered good to excellent.
While your out there riding please keep your club President, Gary Wagner in your thoughts and prayers. As I (Mrs. FireCat) type this report, Gary is having life saving surgery in Madison in the form of a liver and kidney transplant. As some of you may know he has been very ill since August. So go out there and ride and put on a few miles for Gary.
I personally would like to thank our Trail Boss Mike Malueg for the great job he is doing. He and his crew of groomer drivers are doing an awesome job If you see them please give them your thanks and support.
As always Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Mrs. FireCat
Tuesday February 9, 2021
Hello from beautiful downtown Townsend. The temperature is -9° this morning, so again be sure to dress warm when you head out to ride those trails.
Red Arrow groomers were out yesterday and they found well ridden trails that groomed out to be good to excellent. They did report just a few bare spots, but this is to expected with the early season snow conditions. Otherwise there is a really good hard base. So as we’ve said before-get those snow dancing shoes on and get to work! We can always use more snow on the trails.
Be aware!! There are logging operations on our trails both east and west of Highway 32. Please slow down and use caution in these areas and be sure to give the logging equipment the right of way. These can be very dangerous situations so please be patient when around the logging operations.
While your out riding be sure to stop and support our Business Booster Members. They support Red Arrow and now is your chance to support them. You can find a complete listing of our Booster members on the club website. Great time and place to share all those riding stories that you have accumulated so far this year.
If you are looking for our Winter Raffle Tickets-stop in at The Old Town Hall Bar and Restaurant or Karla’s Kountry Kitchen. They have tickets for sale there. For $5 a piece or 3 tickets for $10 you will have a chance at over 30 great prizes. There is something for everyone on the tickets, from a $300 Shell gas/gift card to gift certificates to at many local businesses. There are also several really nice Cash prizes.
Ride safe and Ride Sober
FireCat
Monday February 8, 2021
It’s minus 9 degrees in beautiful downtown Townsend this morning and all is well. Trails are firm and hard and were well ridden this weekend, with many miles left in them. Groomers will be going out to ensure the best trails in the area regardless of what some people think. We take pride in our trails and we always will.
The groomers report that the trails east of Highway 32 are in excellent condition. The trails west of Highway 32 are in excellent condition for early season riding. The trail on Eickhoff Road near Sauls Springs Road is down to gravel for about a mile. Once you get past this area the trail is groomed on the other side. Lots of good riding to be found beyond this section. There is some logging going on in that area, so ride with caution.
A big thanks for all who supported our Business Boosters this past weekend and please continue to do so in the days and weeks to come. These businesses appreciate your support. Enjoy your conversations while there and meeting new people. Hope you enjoyed the bed races at My Bar this weekend.. Remember the Shews jump in Pickerl is coming up this weekend. I assume many of you will be heading that way. As always when riding please respect the landowners that allow clubs to use their land for the trails.
Until later Ride Safe and Ride Sober.
FireCat
Sunday February 7, 2021
Hello again from beautiful, but really cold downtown Townsend! It’s -17 degrees as I type this–BRRRRRRR bundle up if your going riding today.
Red Arrow will not be sending groomers out with these wickedly dangerous temperatures. Trails will be monitored and issues will be addressed when weather conditions are not so very cold. We hope you understand that the safety of the groomer drivers needs to be considered.
The groomers report that the trails east of Highway 32 are in excellent condition. The trails west of Highway 32 are in excellent condition for early season riding. The trail on Eickhoff Road near Sauls Springs Road is down to gravel for about a mile. Once you get past this area the trail is groomed on the other side. Lots of good riding to be found beyond this section. There is some logging going on in that area, so ride with caution.
Just a reminder that while you are out riding be sure to support our Business Booster Sponsors. They do alot to help support Red Arrow’s efforts throughout the year so now is the time to support them. Be sure to share your trail riding stories with them and I am sure they might have a few to share with you also.
Enjoy the Super Bowl game today and stay safe and healthy.
Ride Safe and Ride Sober
FireCat
Thursday February 4, 2021
Hello from beautiful downtown Townsend!!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oconto County snowmobile trails PARTIALLY open Friday, February 5, 2021 at 12pm.
Oconto County snowmobile clubs and volunteers have worked tirelessly to get the Red Arrow, Paul Bunyan, Iron Snowshoe, Chute Pond and Bag/Bra Club Snowmobile Trials cleaned up, groomed and ready for your snowmobiling enjoyment. There are a few sections of trail that are not open. The trails South of Suring remain closed as the majority of those trails are on Ag land that need to be prepared for a safe riding experience. The Nicolet State Trail, aka the grade, is open from Gillett to Forest County.
Logging is currently in process on both County and Federal Properties. Please when coming into a logging area, follow the signage and never go under or near logging equipment when they are in use. This is a very dangerous situation and if it continues, the trail may be shut down or forced to be rerouted. Let’s all be safe and patient when we are on the trails. Logging equipment has the right of way.
The nine snowmobile clubs in Oconto County work together with the Oconto County Forest Administrator, who gives the final approval before trails may open. Once the Southern trails are approved to open, the announcement will appear on the official Oconto County Trail Report web page https://www.ocontocounty.org/trail-reports/ . For your own safety, and that of the club groomers and volunteers- please stay off the southern trails – do not ride on closed trails. For more information, please contact the Oconto County website or the Forest and Parks Department at 920-834-6995.
Langlade and Forest County Trails open at 8AM on Saturday February 6, 2021. Be sure to check those counties websites for details about their trail opening and any areas that may have issues.
Red Arrow trails are in very good condition. Riders are cautioned to watch for logging both east and west of Highway 32. The trails affected are toward Highway 64 and T on the west side and Hemlock Dam Road on the east. Ride with caution in these areas.
As always-Ride Safe and Ride Sober
Firecat
Sunday January 31, 2021
Another beautiful day in downtown Townsend. It’s 28° as I type you this report.. We received about 2″ of fresh snow yesterday but still need more. We will be out panning trails again tomorrow to build on our base. Just because you may see groomer tracks don’t assume that the trails are open. The County plans to reevaluate the trail system midweek as far as opening them.. Remember that they have to consider all Club systems, not just Red Arrows! More snow possible on Thursday, maybe that’s the big one we are waiting for? Enough snow going to Illinois and the east coast.
When the trails are ready to open I will let you know. Until then then pound those Snow Dancing Shoes into the dance floor, or maybe even the kitchen floor would work?
Stay safe and stay healthy
FireCat
“Your Red Arrow, The AWSC 2018 SNOWMOBILE CLUB OF THE YEAR”
