Snow and trail reports: County snowmobile season mixed; organizers hopeful for sled race finish in Hayward

Kathy LaRue, representing the Sawyer County Snowmobile and ATV Alliance, told the board that trail conditions remain mixed after a limited snowfall. LaRue said Sawyer County is listed as "open and in fair condition" among a cluster of counties and that trails still lack a deep base and suffer rock exposure; she warned businesses that snow shortages have hurt some vendors and said local operators are experimenting with alternative events such as lake ATV/UTV activities.

LaRue said some neighboring counties and resorts were seeing riders travel to areas with earlier snowpack and that trail pass sales are down, prompting discussion of higher registration and trail‑pass fees in the next legislative cycle to sustain grooming funds.

Tom Duffy gave an event update on a regional sled race. He said a report from race organizers suggested the route originally planned from Telemark to Double O and back could extend to Hayward after additional snowfall: "It now looks like they'll go all the way to Hayward... There's plenty of snow to cover the main street," Duffy said, adding that an official decision was expected the same day.

Ending: The board heard no formal requests for funding or action; staff and organizers will monitor trail and event conditions through the remainder of winter.