On the second Wednesday of every month at 7:30 p.m., members of the Prior Lake Snowmobile Association (PLSA) meet in the basement of the local VFW on Main Street.
Occasionally a member or two will sip an adult beverage as the evening's proceedings begin.
"Fact is, we do most of our work when there's not a snowflake on the ground," said PLSA President Tom Schutz. "We have a long list agenda of items to plan for and take care of, but we try to keep the meetings short. Very few go more than an hour."
Minnesota's much-anticipated snowmobiling season is just beginning, but for members of the PLSA and other state groups like it, their volunteer work — from trail maintenance and grooming to hosting educational events for new snowmobilers — runs year-round. But you won't hear complaints from Schutz or other group members.
"We all share a common passion: snowmobiling," said Schutz, 55. "We volunteer a lot of our time, but it's all worth it when the snow flies. Right now we're just hoping to get some snow. It will be a long winter if we don't."
Minnesota is the envy of many snowmobiling states because it has roughly 22,000 miles of public trails, the vast majority of which (about 21,000) are maintained and groomed by local groups and their volunteers. Most state groups are affiliated with Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association (MnUSA), which has roughly 11,000 members and was formed in 1978 to "protect, preserve and promote" snowmobiling throughout the state. Many say the public trail system and the MnUSA's advocacy have greatly enhanced Minnesota's snowmobiling culture and popularity.
"We wouldn't have this great snowmobiling tradition in Minnesota if it weren't for our volunteer groups and the work they do with our public trails," said Bruce Lawrence, recreational vehicle coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's Division of Enforcement. "These volunteers really care about their sport. And their work benefits snowmobilers who aren't affiliated with a group."
One of the biggest challenges facing volunteer groups such as PLSA is recruiting new members. Consider: Last year Minnesota registered 268,000 snowmobiles, of which roughly 51,000 were in the metro area. Of those, about 4,500 were registered in Scott County, which has four MnUSA groups (in Prior Lake, Belle Plaine, Shakopee and Savage) and maintains 258 miles of public trails. Yet county membership sits at about 182.