Area clubs volunteer to support region’s ATV, snowmobile trails
Cook Timberwolves Snowmobile Club’s new Ski Doo Snowmobile
The Cook Timberwolves Snowmobile Club purchased three new pieces of equipment: a Ski-Doo Snowmobile, an Arrowhead Drag and a Caterpillar Skid Steer with bucket and brushing attachments. The new equipment will help groom the trails, including those over land and lakes. The Ski-Doo will also be used for trail rescues and for the ride test portion of Youth Snowmobile Safety certification.
Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) provided $100,000 in legislatively approved revenue bond proceeds* to support the purchases.
The Cook Timberwolves Snowmobile Club was formed about 40 years ago as a group of snowmobile enthusiasts. The volunteer group has grown to include over 100 members, including about 25 commercial and business members. The club maintains trails in and around the Cook area.
Wild Country ATV Club Tractor
On the North Shore, Wild Country ATV Club purchased a new 55 horsepower tractor with a bucket loader and other attachments to maintain a 30-mile trail in Lake County that runs through the North Shore Highlands near Finland, Beaver Bay and Silver Bay. The club is 100% volunteer-driven. IRRR provided $25,000 in legislatively approved revenue bond proceeds* to support the purchase.
“We are very thankful to IRRR for this funding. Our ATV club is small, and it would have taken many years for us to be able to purchase the tractor,” said Michael Brandt, club president. “The tractor will help us maintain the trails much more efficiently. It is a key piece of equipment that we can use for multiple purposes.”
Will Country ATV Club Trail
In 2023, ATV riders contributed an estimated $36.1 million in economic activity to the northeastern Minnesota region, including St. Louis, Lake and Koochiching Counties. The activity stemmed from direct spending and the ripple effects of that spending. (Source: University of Minnesota Extension study).