Rogue behavior aside, winter delivered for Minnesota snowmobilers

If the snowmobile action in west-central Minnesota is an indicator, the season statewide will be remembered as one of the busiest winters in recent years. Abundant snowfall was the fuel.

In fact, areas in St. Louis, Cook and Lake counties in northeast Minnesota reported 20 inches or more in February alone, headed toward season totals north of 80 inches.

Back in Douglas County, the hundreds of miles of groomed trails in the Alexandria region were laced with users, area observers said, unlike they've seen since the snowy 2018-19 season. There are plenty of machines out there. In the2020-21 fiscal year, 201,673 snowmobiles were registered in Minnesota. The number is slightly lower so far this year, but "you can bet most of those that are running properly got some trail time this winter," conservation officer Mitch Lawler said.

While compliance overall was "pretty good," Lawler said far too many snowmobilers this winter were caught riding off-trail and, at times, trespassing on private property. It was a problem from the first big snowfall in December.

"It's been really common this year," Lawler said. "More than others."

Other violators have been making a racket, using after-market exhausts on their sleds. Anything "louder than stock" is illegal, he said. Statewide, there have been tickets and warnings about speeding — a predictable occurrence, but this year more than last. Citations have increased 113%; warnings 136%.

Earl and Sonya Anderson of Alexandria have seen the heavy trail use and do their part to build responsible snowmobilers.

The Andersons recently were celebrated as Minnesota's Snowmobile Instructors of the Year by the Enforcement Division of the Department of Natural Resources. The accolade is their second award from the state, which speaks to their longevity and interest in the sport. Earl, 71, and Sonya, 70, have been on sleds for decades and they are keen on helping others learn how to ride safely, and by extension responsibly.

They hold safety certificate classes for young people aged 11 to 15. Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1976, must have a certificate to snowmobile. They taught 110 kids in February of 2021 after COVID canceled instruction in late 2020, then another 51 last December.

Sonya Anderson said they're determined to make the class schedule work for young people, bound to sports schedules, screen time and other activities.

"Our goal is to not turn anybody away. We try to make room for everybody," she said.

If those new snowmobilers received their certificates and hit the trails this winter they might have passed Earl Anderson, who's been a big part of the active season. He's run up 2,000 miles in a week or more, leading groups out on weekly and guided rides from the Andersons' business, Ollie's Service, which sells and serves all manner of outdoors toys.

Sonya Anderson knows of the illegal activity tracked by Lawler and others. She said there was a widely used path that coursed through private property that's now prohibited because of reckless riders.

"We talk about it all the time, to follow the groomer. We don't want to lose trails," she said.

It's not a discussion point that is going away, making the Andersons' devotion to teaching others all the more relevant.

Alas, Sonya Anderson expects the flight to escape and fun on the state trails to continue —by snowmobile or offroad highway vehicle on dirt — if gas price hikes follow their upward trend. People will stay closer to home or stay in Minnesota rather than spend extra on fuel on road trips.

The Andersons teach an ATV safety class, too. They have one scheduled in May.

"All of this is coming back … these outdoor things," she said.